[IC] Pokemon: Luminous Dawn- Chapter 3: Finally, Striation City!

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Mio nearly jumped straight out of his skin as someone leaned into him. For half a second he panicked, thinking the weight on his shoulder was Jason, but he relaxed as he realized it was only Brendan.

 

"Arceus, you scared me!" he laughed. "Um, yeah, I'll try and warn you before you swing anything over twenty pounds into the air, but maybe start by not picking up random wild Pokemon in the first place, ok?" He returned Brendan's grin with a half sheepish, half reproachful smile of his own before swinging into full nerd mode. "And, yeah. I saw a fletchling in the lab and... looking at the data, it seems like a good choice. The typing would help cover both Loam and Meena's weaknesses, and Loam covers or will cover for most of its weaknesses. Plus, it seems pretty easy to get along with, which is pretty much a prerequisite for anything that's going to be on a team with Meena." He frowned as he continued. "But... Meena hates birds. They're a phobia of hers. So I'm worried she might not react well to having one on her team." He shrugged, the movement suppressed by Brendan's weight. "You... probably weren't looking for a rant on team dynamics though, huh." he forced a laugh. Brendan was a nice guy--they were all nice guys--but Mio still wasn't sure how much he could talk before they started getting annoyed. 

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Jason

Jason chuckled at the mention of the terrifying Normal-type being afraid of something as non-threatening as a Fletchling. "You're serious? She's afraid of those tiny little things? I thought she'd take an Ursaring head-on, but I suppose even a scrapper like her has her fears. I'm sure with the right amount of training she'll be over to get over it," he commented as he continued to look around. Just as he was about to relax his guard, the rustling in the grass sounded again from the direction of the building. This time, a pair of sparkling blue eyes were visible in the shadowy underbrush.

 

"Hey!" Jason called out, not wanting to surprise the Pokemon and have it attack. "We're just here looking around. You can come out, if you want." As quickly as the eyes appeared, they vanished. This time, Jason could see the Pokemon's wake in the grass. "Guys, come on!" he said quickly. "Don't you want to see what it is?" Rascal jumped down from his Trainer's shoulders to land at his side, ready to give chase with him.

 

Jason sprang into action, running into the tall grass after the Pokemon and toward the building. The grass made running slightly awkward, but not impossible for the Amateur Trainer. He chased the rustling in the grass across the field and toward the building, stepping around the shallow pools of water as he made his way through the outlying brush. As he got closer he felt his foot snag on something. Oh, shit, was his only thought as he tumbled forward, landing hard on his back. He looked up at the sky for a moment before laying his head back down, groaning. 

 

"I can't believe he got away..." he mumbled to the amused chittering of his Minccino. 

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Jason's comment left Mio feeling oddly defensive, but before he could figure out how to respond, there was a disturbance in the underbrush. He caught a glimpse of a bright pair of blue eyes, but they didn't stick around for long. As soon as Jason was finished speaking, whatever Pokémon it was took off through the underbrush, leaving behind a trail of disturbed grass.

 

"Well, yes, but--" Mio began, but Jason didn't bother to wait for a response before speeding after the mystery Pokémon. "Jason, wait!" He ran after his friend, pushing through the tall grass with some difficulty. Being unable to see the ground slowed him down, but he managed to keep Jason in his sight until the other trainer suddenly vanished. 

 

Guessing the jist of what had happened, Mio pushed forwards until, sure enough, he found Jason lying on his back in the dirt. 

 

"You should really be more careful." he said, leaning over and offering the other trainer his hand. "What would we do if you got hurt?"

[Chim]

Brendan – Dreamyard

 

Brendan secretly agreed with Jason when it came to Meena. He hadn’t forgotten her earlier actions when they faced the Patrat Gang. She was a complete savage and Brendan wouldn’t be surprised if she ate small birds for breakfast instead of fearing them. Keeping those thought for himself to not hurt Mio’s feelings, he carefully watched the new events unfold and started laughing as soon as Jason tripped over.

 

“You know, you could also try to catch it in a Pokéball instead of trying with your bare hands,” he chuckled as soon as he caught up to both Mio and Jason. “Any idea what it was?”

[K_H]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig up the Dreamyard!" - Jack

Jack also watched the events unfold, flinching a little when he saw Jason trip and fall. When Brendan headed over, Jack followed just behind the other Amateur, Lara following just behind the two of them.
"I guess that's why we should all watch where we're headed when in the grass... Either that or not run so quickly."
Jack was keeping an ear out for any more noises, one of his hands near where his Pokédex was stored so that he could whip it out at a moments notice if they encountered anything else.

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Jason

"Thanks for the friendly advice," Jason mumbled as he took Mio's hand and stood up. He brushed the dirt and debris off of his pack and his pants before turning back toward the main building. "We should head inside," he commented. "I'm done leading for now, especially after that disaster. Let's go!" he said quickly.

 

The group made their way uneventfully toward the main building, stopping in front of the first entrance they saw. Upon closer inspection, the building was mostly made out of concrete, glass, and some kind of reflective metal. The architecture had a very contemporary sense of being while also retaining some aspects of older buildings in the area, such as towering white columns in front of the doorway. The facility was five stories tall in some places and shorter in others. In its prime, it would have been quite impressive to look at. Now, it was a ghost town. 

 

"This place is huge," Jason commented. "How does Fennel expect us to find one computer in the whole thing? We're gonna be here all day," he began to complain before stopping himself. "Then again, this place seems ideal for training up before our Gym battles. Maybe it wasn't so unfortunate that we ended up here today." He looked at the door. 

 

"So, a couple of ideas. We could enter here and see where we end up, or we could try to get in somewhere else. Maybe another door or a window or something," he elaborated. "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

"In my opinion, it'd be a waste of time to go look for another way in." Mio said, examining the group's dilapidated surroundings. "Even if there were any, a lot of them have probably collapsed by now and it'd be dangerous to try and climb through any broken windows. Why don't we break off into pairs and go floor by floor? It's safer than everyone going off on their own, plus we can still cover more ground than if we stuck together."

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Jason nodded, looking to the others for confirmation. Both Brendan and Jack stared blankly for some time, not responding. Jason shrugged assuming they meant that they were on Mio's side. "You may have a point." He took a step back and gestured for the others to walk through the door, pretending to be gentlemanly. "Alright, so the intrepid adventurers are heading into the abandoned building!" They approached the door, all the Trainers looking around. The air near the door smelled of ozone, and the hairs on the backs of their necks stood on end.

 

Jack and Brendan led the way, pushing through the doors. After cautiously looking around, they took a few steps inside. Then, their vision twisted, their worlds distorted, and they disappeared into thin air before Jason and Mio's eyes.

 

 

Brendan and Jack

 

The pair came to on their backs, looking up at the remains of what probably used to be a ceiling. The plaster, metal, and concrete showed signs of explosive damage, leaving much of the room open to the night sky. Through the hole in the ceiling and all the floors above it they could see the ring of debris floating immediately around them. All around the room, dust and small objects were suspended in the air. A chair floated harmlessly above the two Amateur Trainers. It continued through the air, moving gently toward the open door in the corner of the room. Desks and shelves lined the room, but most everything lighter had begun its melancholy crawl toward the monolith in the sky above the lab.

 

Through another open doorway to their left, they could see a ways down the hall. At the end of the corridor, a cave-in blocked off access to the rest of the building. 

 

Quest updated: "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

-(Optional) Regroup

-Find the Energy Imperative Lab

-Copy data logs from the Energy Imperative

 

[K_H]

Jack stood up, and looked around, seeing what was there, and then gave Brendan a hand in getting up.
"I think we might be in a bit of a pickle now... Whatever it is we do next, we should try to stick together so as to not get lost in here... I get the feeling that this place is like a labyrinth."

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Mio gasped as Brendan and Jack vanished, but despite being worried, he held his ground. Panicking wouldn't help anyone; he had to think. In all likelihood, it was the same sort of anomaly the group had experienced earlier. Jack and Brendan had probably just warped to somewhere inside the building. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious.

 

"Jason, I don't think we should run in after them right away," Mio said. "We don't know what's on the other side, and we might not even be transferred to the same place as they were." Mio looked around and grabbed a long, thin stick off of the ground. Properly armed, he walked up to the door, stopping just short of where Brendan and Jack had disappeared. He stuck his makeshift tool through the doorway, trying to use the stick to see if there was anything dangerous on the other side of the warp.

Edited January 30, 2017 by starkidcosmo

[Chim]

Brendan – Dreamyard

 

“That was fun,” Brendan declared after using Jack’s help to get up. The sarcasm in his voice was obvious to spot. “I agree. But since we were planning to split up, we should continue with Fennel’s request. In the meantime we can try to contact Jason since I believe he carries the flash drive.”

 

The young trainer carefully looked around to try and find a clue as to where they were supposed to go. “Well, I don’t see any clear signs as to our exact location. And the floating objects aren’t helping either…” he said to Jack. “Maybe your Pokémon can help? Doesn’t the Luxray line have really good eyesight?”

[K_H]

Jack nodded, and sent out Leonidas and Lara.
"If I remember the Pokédex entries correctly, that is true. And Dark-types are immune to psychic attacks, so they logically should be resistant to the effects of psychic-related stuff."
He then turned to his two partners.
"Leonidas, Lara, try and see if you can find out where we're located relative to the entrance to the building."
He then used his XTransceiver to try to contact Jason so he could inform the rest of the group that they were safe for now.

[Sutoratosu]

somewhere in the depths of the Dreamyard

Spoiler

 

two voices, shrouded in the night of the subterranean levels, betrothed only to the colors of their cause and the stubs of their paychecks. Around them sits a meager camp, a couple boxes of muted green and an even sparser assembly of metal chairs- their rust and general distress suggests they were anything but foreign to the site. A feeble lantern sputters in the dark, shedding shadows far more sinister than the fools they actually portray. 

 

"Heheh, bastard got you good, didn't he?" 

"Shut it mac... fucking psychopath and his dog. Next time I see em, I ain't bothering issuing a formal challenge..."

"Eh, remember, Serge wants the body minimal here, if it even has to become existent at all. That shit's hard to explain to the higher-ups."

"He burned me, I'll burst his heart while he ain't looking. An eye for an eye, what's hard to explain about that shit? besides, I'd probably be doing us a favor- if the guy was willing to go after us that viciously, then he ain't just some half-baked kid who decided he wants to be the hero, he's got actual beef he's looking to grind. I think this is some punk who thinks this place is his turf or something."

"Yeh right, like a guy can really hold this place, single handedly without any type of gang to back him up. The pain's starting to get your head man, finish that Rawst paste and bandage up. And be happy... shit could be worse. Could be like old Burns, get your shit jacked by fuckin' houndooms. Houndooms man."

"Oh please, that's just some crap legend you guys keep going..."

"Hehehehehahahahaah..."

"What?"

"Ah, you're funny man. You think we make that shit up? We. can't. make. that. shit. up. the story is literally too crazy-"

 

"And liable to get you killed if Burns ever hears of you spreading such rumors" a thunderous but calm voice breaks the conversation in half and sends its shattered remains hurtling against the nearest wall of silence. In walks another shape, his shade actually accurate against the barren facade of concrete, the light burning off his reflective lenses like twin spots of nuclear hellfire on the horizon "What have you soldiers been doing all this damn time? Macenhower, I sent your ass with him to help treat the burns and then get back to work, not to sit around and shoot the shit. So why do I find you two lounging in these ruins when you should be tearing them a new ass searching for this data?"

 

"Eh- well, see boss..."

"What!? Speak up, soldier! Or was your MAMA too busy having her HOT CHACHAS FONDLED by the MILKMAN to tell you the difference between an OUTSIDE and an INSIDE voice!?

"N-no sir!"

"No sir what!?"

"I was just finishing helping Roy here patch himself up sir!"

"Well, soldier, I can see that pure as sunshine. Question is, why does it take you twenty minutes and then some to treat a wound a competent man could in ten, and a God damn NURSE JOY FUCKING COULD IN 2 AND A HALF!?"

"...Cause we were busy shooting the shit...sir..."

"Damn right you were. Now wrap this crap up, put out that damn lantern, and for the love of fucking Arceus, put the lamp out. You numbnuts are supposed to be exercising SOME GOD DAMN DISCRETION HERE! LIGHTING A GOD DAMN LANTERN AND WASTING TWENTY MINUTES WITH YOUR GHOST STORIES AND POKEWOOD GOSSIP, IS NOT THE DEFINITION OF DISCRETION SOLDIERS! AM I UNDERSTOOD!?"

 

"SIR, YES SIR!" simultaneously, they shout like the trained dogs they are.

 

"Good. Now get the hell out of my sight, and don't you dare sit your asses down for another break until that Data is in our hands and we're riding back to headquarters, 'cause your asses will most assuredly become mine if you do, gentlemen. Dismissed."

 

"SIR, YES SIR!" Again, they shout, and this time, they pack up the med pack and leave, letting the light die in their wake, the still burning twin eyes of the Serge tracking them like a hawk through every second of it, even long after the flame has faded into the choking abyss of death.

 

***************

Brendan and Jack

 

Leonidas and Lara depart not long afterwards, taking off down the hall and searching the unobstructed rooms. Before long however, the Hound returns to the doorway, barking incessantly as she points herself towards a spot further down the corridor, possibly towards one of the open rooms. Leonidas however, is nowhere to be found, likely still investigating whatever they found.

 

Curiously however, As the trainer's eyes begin to adjust to the dim conditions, aided in part by the light of the moon, the subtle details they missed earlier on become slowly more and more apparent. With a bit of sharp sight from his days of Baseball, Brendan could even begin to notice the slightest set of paw and sneaker prints in the dust and dirt covering the floor, leading through the door, around the room, and back out again further into the hallway as if however had left the tracks had already scoured the ruined lab and gone about their merry way...

 

Lara continues her incessant barking for the humans to search the hall all the while...

 

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Jason

Mio's stick waved harmlessly through the air. Whatever had picked up the Amateurs, it was gone now. "It looks safe enough to me. Still, we should keep our guard up. No telling what we're going to find inside," Jason said. He walked forward cautiously, leading the way into the building. Once through the threshold, they entered a wide corridor lit by flickering lightbulbs and the infernal excretions of shorting wires. The first thing the pair of Trainers saw was a sign hanging diagonally from the ceiling that read, "ELECTRICAL." He continued, beckoning for Mio to follow him down the hall. On their left, they saw a long, straight hallway. It progressed for a long while before a collapse in the roof blocked access to what appeared to be a door behind it. In front of them, at the end of the hall, was another set of double doors. Well, they would have been had the door on the right not fallen flat on the ground in front of the doorway some years ago.

 

Through the fallen door they could see that the hall opened up into a larger room. Past that was hard to identify. Jason opened his mouth to speak before stopping and pointing ahead. In the larger room, a pack of Magnemite floated by the open door. "I think we're in their territory," Jason whispered. "I know that sounds odd, but I'd be willing to wager that this is their home and they're willing to defend it." He looked pensive. "The way I see it, we have two options. We can either try to fight them, or we can leave them alone and try to sneak by. Up to you."

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Mio nodded as Jason pointed out the Magnemite.

 

"No, I think you're right," he whispered. "They're probably feeding off the electricity here... we should avoid disturbing them, in my opinion. Not only is this their territory, we're both at a type disadvantage. I don't want to get into any fights we can avoid, especially not when we're so far from a Pokecenter."