CYBERCHASE CONUNDRUM

Victory sure feels a lot like defeat.

More puzzles? Bloody asinine.

The knight released a soft grunt and touched his temples as his brow twisted, jaw-line tense. Was his headache from the puzzles, or the concussion...?

Probably both.

The lady must've noticed... that, and his everything else, what with how she brushed aside and redirected his worries back at himself; how very kind and thoughtful of her!

"Fair enough! I do seem to have come out of the previous scuffle a little worse off than the others." He conceded as he looked around at all the people gathered... all the people, sans a few key body parts. "... Somehow."

How did he manage to keep all of his limbs and still come out worse for wear than people suffering of impromptu amputations? The lady before him, for example!

The missing thigh seemed to barely faze her; by comparison, the pain assaulting every inch of his being was threatening to force him back into unconsciousness if he blinked one time too many.

Such a price seemed a bit hefty for a 5-minute Swordsmanship lesson. That's Galarian Education for ya.

Hah! Good one, brain. You sure you're concussed? As if to prove so, the knight's body moved on automatic as the lady extended her hand towards him, taking it in his own gently and bowing at the waist before lightly kissing her knuckles.

"The pleasure's all mine, Elisabeth." The knight said, letting go of her hand as his lowered back to his sides. "Quite harrowing circumstances indeed. I would like to lay the blame on Hoenn, as ever, but I quite literally walked myself into this one."

Not his brightest moment, but even the most cautious and prudent seemed to err when standing on Hoennian soil.

Or perhaps the mistake was inhabiting Hoennian soil.

"Hn? Ah, Marceliño. You're still in good health! Well done. Thank you kindly." The man said to the youth, pointedly ignoring the somewhat disturbed expression. Seemed quite a reasonable reaction to everything. At his words, he could only nod resolutely. "Hn, Yes, quite."

Things were pretty insane.

... Which things, though?

"What are we talking about, exactly? I must confess I passed out for a while there. I'm not sure of how much I missed." He said dryly, before blinking. "Ah! But where are my manners? Elisabeth? Guillermo Marceliño, one of my companions on this ill-advised quest. Marceliño? Elisabeth, savior and benefactor of my life."

---

-chatting with Elisabeth Fiorelli and Guillermo Marceliño.

Their attacks had hit the mark, and some of the electricity from one of the other pokemon managed to increase the strength of the attack of his Sceptile. Everything was going well despite the bleeding from every facial oriface that he currently had. Coughing up more blood he saw that the Reshiram didn't seem to particularly like what he, and his pokemon had done to it. And it launched a fireball towards the two of them. Flashes of memory came to his mind back from the battle with that Necrozma. Azelf wasn't here to protect them this time, and he wouldn't lose another pokemon. Amor wasn't thinking straight. Was it due to his current idenity crisis, or was it the grief he had been forcing down into the depths of his heart? No one could say for certain, but he moved first this time. Before the fireball could hit Vilu he shoved the Sceptile out of the way.

Shielding himself with an outstretched hand, but it wasn't good enough as the flames tore through flesh, and he knew that this was it. The oblivion that he had sidestepped in Sootopolis would come claim him here, but instead he retained his sense of self. At least some semblance of it as fire tore through his clothing, and flesh. Eating away at his arm like maggots to a corpse until it was nothing. One of his eyes stopped functioning as the fire ate away at it before vanishing with the now defeated legendary. There should have pain, should have been agony, but there was nothing. Just emptiness, a sense of longing for what should be, but could never. His brain tried to correct this new reality, but the sudden sensory overload along with him missing his name left him in a state of shock.

How was he alive? How was he alive? How was he alive?

This question plagued him as he did his best to cope with what was going on. Traveling through the data stream he saw his doppelganger across from him. Fury welled up within him filling that emptiness for a brief second as he reached out into the nothingness in an attempt to wrap his fingers around the throat of the fake. He would kill it, but before his hands even made contact he was shoved back into reality with the group at the starting terminal. They were talking, but he was slumped against his Sceptile who was back to normal for the moment. With his arm, and an eye missing he didn't feel like talking right now, but he listened. Counting the seconds so that he wouldn't pass out from the sudden missing senses. As long as his mind was working he would be alright, or so he hoped.

TLDR
Amor lost an eye, and his right arm.
He is currently leaning against his Sceptile to recover, and counting in his head to retain mental consistency.
He may be grumpy.
Is being quiet atm.

The train roars over them, and Kaida feels more than a little sick as noise seems to shake the air around her. No doubt, they were going to be killed just like she was. Quite suddenly, it is over. With flashes of her own dead face staring back at her, Kaida stands. They are back, but something is wrong, Kaida notes as Alexei fails to recognize them, looking as if he is viewing a stranger. She must have failed then, and let him be hit in the head.

"Y-yes, you knew that man...introduced him as Memo to me...do you, do you think you got hurt?" Curiosity like a cat, she leaned over to note the kind of injury he received, and baled at the sight. "That...is strange. Are you, no, you aren't dying so...?"

His heart was glitched over, she didn't know much of computers, but what if this injury was the type that spread? Or would actually halt his heart if left alone? She had to fix it.

As Alexei wandered towards Memo and a few strangers she leaned over and noted, she followed Alexei, as loyal as a dog. Her Yamega trembled her wings from atop her back, attempting to look friendly and reliable.

"Do not worry, Memo, Alexei. As long as we make sure he doesn't die, we can explain everything later." She had no idea how awkward that would be, but hoped she sounded reassuringly confident.


TLDR: Kaida manages to divert the train with Alexei Ivanov and Guillermo Marceliño , and is transported back with them, getting to discover Alexei's new digital injury. Not quite knowing what to do, she sticks with him in this confusion. Yamega is still with her, on her back.

Pokemon: Ekans: Male, Shed Skin. Bite, Glare, Acid Spray, Stockpile, Giga Drain, Swallow. Has Z-move Rattlesnake!
Yamega: Female, Speed Boost. Ancientpower, Uproar, Detect, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, Double Team. Can use Z-move Overspeed!
Araquanid: Male, Water Bubble. Soak, Wide Guard, Mirror Coat, Bubble Beam, Leech Life, Aqua Ring.

CYBERCHASE CONUNDRUM

THE ANSWERS AWAIT

“SOUND THEORY,” fernando chimes in agreeance with his copy of terminal two’s UNNAMED FILE.

“but what was the correct answer for terminal one?”

listening to their conversation fills him with snippets of their thought process. his own silence is spent mulling over details they may have missed. not that he disagrees, but better to check their work before committing.

“darkrai was terminal two’s answer and the simulation was related.”

he appears behind kyle, hand on his shoulder. closer to the main group, he recognizes several familiar faces. Thomas Benoit ranks among the bottom of those in his regard but his explanation and subsequent abandonment by yveltal proves amusing.

how ironic it left him the same way he left the league.

and even greater is the comedy of thomas not realizing it.

note(s):
- approaches main group in agreeance.
- asks for the correct answer to TERMINAL ONE.