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 Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 8:46 am
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Crystal stared at the situation in front of her when she finally arrived. Freth was stuck in a Trick Room, familiar enough when she herself was being dominated and partially absorbed by the Ziton. No Pokémon were out, and what looked like a point blank Hyper Beam aimed straight at the fairly recently changed hybrid. Apparently, Freth was the intruder. “Wonderful,” she muttered, sighing. The lioness’ ears twitched and shifted in Aden’s direction as he spoke, nodding slightly. “That’s going to be a pain… But yeah, I get it.” Fighting every instinct to get there as fast as possible, she walked forward, hoping to get to Claydol in her slow pace before it fired. “Claydol, we both know there’s a better way about this than simply blasting and annihilating the opponent first. We have means to keep someone locked down without causing damage to HQ.” She would continue to walk forward as she talked to Claydol, putting herself in front of the charging Hyper Beam during all of this. If she managed to get right next to the ancient doll, she;d go ahead and try to shove it upright once more, pointing the tip at the ceiling. Either one of two things were going to happen at that point. Either Claydol would stop charging, or HQ would get a new ceiling light.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:58 pm
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As she tried to fight the trick room as fast, or slowly, as she could, she turned back behind her, seeing the Claydol charging up the Hyper Beam. While she knew that they were capable of it, she didn't know that THIS one was. "Oh, maybe the bedroom wasn't such a bad idea after all." No snark or malice coming from that statement from the bounty hunter. The dire concern didn't escape Freth's notice, but she too was in dire straights to get away from a point blank attack of that magnitude to comment on it herself.
She would quickly get forcefully yanked out of the confines of the trick room, caught off guard. Before she knew it, she was behind a bunch of other Snagems. Though grateful from avoiding the fate of being blasted, at least two of her saviors she was hoping she didn't have to see, Reno and Aden, psychics themselves, and was unaware the third in the party was psychic herself. She then looked back, the one who pulled her out of the trick room. Me. "Are you alright?"
"Fine, I guess...don't care for being a damsel, though." Freth said.
"Claydol, stand down, didn't GRAY or Sub update you as to what has been going on around here!? Why the hell are you attacking Freth for?" I asked.
"You probably answered your own question." Freth said, moving hair away from the front of her face. "They didn't."
"I guess I have to commend everyone's prompt reaction time in this group, if nothing else." the bounty hunter stated. Freth stayed silent, trying not to react. "Though astounding the four people that comes to the rescue are three psychics and a masochistic wanna-be hero."
"Three?" Freth uttered out, looking back, quickly deducing that the odd one in the room, the metallic lion hybrid was a psychic herself.
"Three what?" I asked.
"Uh...nothing..."
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:35 pm
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"Wait, that voice." Despite any discrepancies in her appearance or energy, Aden would recognize Freth's voice all too easily. There was no intruder. "Freth? The hell happened to you?" Now that he could start committing the new energy signature to memory, that just left the still-unaccounted presence he felt. Focusing on Freth for a moment, it started setting in that in one way or another, she wasn't exactly alone. Normally he'd attribute it to minds being the varied, weird and wild things they are, but those cases usually didn't include separate energy signatures- just mental ones that fluctuated a lot. Freth's sudden aloof behavior furthered his current hypothesis; clearly she was trying to hide it from as many as she could for as long as she could, nevermind to Blizz. And, if he had to take another guess, that presence was talking to Freth right now.
Wanting to respect Freth's apparent wishes, he wouldn't speak up on it. There were better, more discreet ways of finding things out that hopefully wouldn't cause more stress or make things more open than they needed to be. Ways that he, Crystal or Reno might be better equipped for since he couldn't sense Sub or many of the others right now. Oddly enough, maybe that was for the better at the moment.
"...probably not the only one I should be asking that, though," he remarked, looking towards Blizz. "Also, GRAY was the one to issue the intruder alert. Guess this would explain why Crystal, Reno and I didn't see anyone try to come through the front door or sense anything weird going on, though. Well, other than Freth's appearance." |
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:50 pm
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Darksol88 "Wait, that voice." Despite any discrepancies in her appearance or energy, Aden would recognize Freth's voice all too easily. There was no intruder. "Freth? The hell happened to you?" Now that he could start committing the new energy signature to memory, that just left the still-unaccounted presence he felt. Focusing on Freth for a moment, it started setting in that in one way or another, she wasn't exactly alone. Normally he'd attribute it to minds being the varied, weird and wild things they are, but those cases usually didn't include separate energy signatures- just mental ones that fluctuated a lot. Freth's sudden aloof behavior furthered his current hypothesis; clearly she was trying to hide it from as many as she could for as long as she could, nevermind to Blizz. And, if he had to take another guess, that presence was talking to Freth right now. Wanting to respect Freth's apparent wishes, he wouldn't speak up on it. There were better, more discreet ways of finding things out that hopefully wouldn't cause more stress or make things more open than they needed to be. Ways that he, Crystal or Reno might be better equipped for since he couldn't sense Sub or many of the others right now. Oddly enough, maybe that was for the better at the moment. "...probably not the only one I should be asking that, though," he remarked, looking towards Blizz. "Also, GRAY was the one to issue the intruder alert. Guess this would explain why Crystal, Reno and I didn't see anyone try to come through the front door or sense anything weird going on, though. Well, other than Freth's appearance."
"She's been like this the better part of a couple of weeks now. Though she's been...'hiding' in our room for the better part of it after she was released from the med lab." I told Aden.
"I haven't been hiding." Freth defended.
"You've been hiding." The hunter chimed in. Freth nearly reacted to her unwanted guest, but held her tongue for the second.
"The most you left out of there was either to go to the showers, restrooms, food, or to go out on that one mission you did recently." I said.
"See, mission, not hiding." Freth said.
"I admire your dedication to this."The hunter remarked once more, irritating Freth all the more, knowing more psychics are in the vincinity.
"Semantics. And you were by yourself for all of it." I said, rather deadpan. "At any rate, I suspect that woman that attacked me in Galar has something to do with it, but how I don't know. That goes well beyond what I could imagine anyone doing just out in the middle of nowhere."
"Quite the Sherlock Holmes you got yourself, Freth. Oh, that's an idea, how about get him on a heroin addiction." The hunter suggested.
Freth would sigh in response "Where the hell is Sub?" she'd ask to no one in particular. |
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:56 pm
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Reno would be sliding into position at the rear of the group, preparing to haul....., based off what thoughts he could pick up, Freth he guessed? However he was beaten to the punch by the now singular Articuno hybrid on the team. Sliding to a stop, Harleen would be bucked off by the unexpected stop and find herself tumbling to a stop against Freth's foot. Slowly taking position between the Claydol and its target, Reno's focus was already on the dual state mind that was currently behind him. And while he was only able to catch the last comment it made, a few pictures of the situation were beginning to form. Time to narrow them and see how to approach this on specific.
'Hello. Mindbusters. We've receieved reports of a secondary menatl presence within this body. Now, are we dealing with a full on possession by outside entity, lingering mental malevolence that won't leave, or perhaps a past live brought back from the great beyond to try and make our world conform to their archaic standards?' It took a minute for him to think of the particular stupid apiel he would use, so he managed to get a few more exchanges between Freth and the unknown presence. Well, it certainky seemed confrontational but not overly dominant nor too out of place reference wise. Perhaps the second one? 'Also Id like to correct your numbers. Thee psychics and TWO masochistic wannabe heroes.'
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 4:37 pm
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Claydol would cease the charge up of its Hyper Beam once Crystal was in the line of fire, the Pokemon giving off an almost irritated moan. Spinning around once it would chime happily at Blizzard's appearance, as if pleased to see him or rather relieved. Having backed down Claydol would lazily rotate in place and allowed GRAY to take it from here.
"Claydol has recognized the one who claims to be Freth as an imposter. While I personally recognize her energy signature does not match Freth's former one, for obvious reasons, I must rely on Claydol's observation that there is another mental presence in the mind of 'Freth'. According to Claydol it is the very same mental presence that attempted to murder Blizzard in Galar. GRAY started to explain the Pokemon's actions.
"Do not be too harsh on Claydol, it is an ancient Pokemon created by an ancient people to follow orders of which its is to assist and protect all Snagems, essentially the same as my own programming. Due to aforementioned circumstances it deduced the alleged Freth to be a threat to a Snagem, Blizzard, of the highest order. That is to terminate immediately with prejudice. Furthermore Claydol is given a great deal of autotomy in such situations for obvious reasons, it can't wait for approval to act if someone is being murdered." The AI explained further.
"That brings us to the more important question of the day; who are you, Freth? Or if I'm to indeed believe you are Freth, who is it that Claydol, and I now assume Reno and the other gathered psychics, saw inside you? GRAY questioned Freth. As for Sub GRAY did not answer that but in the background he was indeed pinging his SNAG in hopes of answering that question.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 5:17 pm
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Ignoring the lack of tact between Reno and GRAY, I stared at Freth as she closed her eyes and sighed hard. Meowth was out of the bag now. "Alright, I'm still me, but the hunter that attacked you has been in my head for...I don't know how long. Her consciousness, or whatever. I don't understand it." Freth started to explain. "She didn't make herself known to me until right after Doc cleared me from the med lab. I guess she waited until I was alone to properly berate me." she said.
"You call it berating. I simply told you the truth." the hunter interjected in the reaches of her mind.
"I hear her constantly whenever she wants to make herself known. Its worse where I am just trying to look in the mirror to do my new hair and she just all of a sudden just appears to talk to me. As if its the only way she can talk to me to my face. Ever since she made herself known, all she's really done is constantly tried to convince me to kill Blizzard, still going on her whole mad ravings about Blizzard needing to die. Well, that and criticizing how Snagem does things here now that we're under the accords, anyways."
As she continued to explain, the look on my face slowly, gradually started to change from shock to severe irritation. "And you didn't freakin' say anything!?"
"And you do what, Blizzard?" Freth asked. "Need I remind you that you just got out of the med lab yourself and barely at that no thanks to her. This was my problem to figure out. And who here to go to exactly other than say other than your Pokemon League contacts like Sabrina or Will? What...Reno?" she asked, pointing to the eccentric cyborg behind her.
I could only stare at Reno for about a several seconds. That was fair, but... "I'd imagine there'd be others." I remarked.
"Sabrina's an amateur by human standards, by the way."
"And that would have been something that I would have been trying to work on while you were recovering and trying to get on better terms with Tristen after Galar."
"Good luck at that. Really, this sort of thing is unprecedented. Even I'm surprised that I'm like this."
"Will you shut up for five seconds in your 'afterlife'." Freth said, unable to hold her tongue to her no longer in front of the other seconds, garnering a rather confused look at her.
"Sorry! She's just been talking crap this whole time."
"At...any rate, that doesn't really change the fact that you held off telling anyone this this entire time." I said. "Intentions or not, you literally kept a freakin' assassin secret. What if she somehow managed to take you over out of the blue and tried it again!?"
"She's not able to." Freth said.
"What? Did she tell you that? And you believed her!?" I asked.
"I don't have a reason not to right now."
"Why!?" The more this started to go on, the more I grew agitated.
"Because apparently after Tristen stopped her from taking me over, she was saying that somehow my body is not responding to her. The most she can do is pretty much talk crap to me like an inmate talking to a warden in jail." she said. "She said she had been trying ever since I woke back up after the transformation and no luck whatsoever. I'd figure that at this point if she could do it, she'd done it already. Especially when I was in Mauville; it would have been the perfect time. She's literally in a prison of her own making. The only thing I wish I could get out of her now is HOW she got as far as she did."
I could only rub my eyes in frustration, trying ever so hard to not lose it, but my God, this was difficult. At the same time, Freth sighed out, the more that she thought about it, the more she started to fell as if she was in the proverbial catch 22. She was screwed in more ways than one, no matter what route she took. Though in retrospect, she probably should have said something. Then again, rather if she came forward now or rather she came forward a couple of weeks ago, it'd still leave a bunch of questions on her and a rather distinct lack of trust in the long run only because of the newfound resident in her head.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:56 pm
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Crystal sighed a breath of relief as Claydol stopped charging, patting it on the head. “Hey, I’m not upset with you. Did enough research on ancient things and creatures to know all of that. Well, at least you doing the whole guardian thing.” She smiled at the ancient guardian before turning her attention to Freth, the smile fading and her arms disappearing under her shawl as she crossed them. She kept a neutral face as she listened to Freth’s story and exchange with Blizz, her ear being the only thing on her moving, just the occasional twitch of an ear at that.
She remained quiet when everything finished up, trying to get a better read on the mental passenger with Freth. If she remembered what she had sensed when she first returned into the reality, there was quite the mattering of ice that still had faint traces of multiple realities. If this was that same person, only now in a different body, she had to be careful of what she said. Between what GRAY and Freth explained, and what she picked up on in Galar, she had some fine lines to tread. She didn’t go by Crystal in other realities for a good handful of reasons, and she wanted to make sure where this extra person fell in all of this.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:05 pm
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:29 pm
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At first, Reno's bit made Aden take pause and he figured that it couldn't be worse. Then GRAY just up and explained the whole thing, letting it out in the open, and caused him to throw his hands up. "This is the exact opposite of discreet!" He spoke up, sighing and shaking his head. Sure, maybe he could call Celebi over and set up a redo, but it didn't seem like it'd be terribly worth it. "Anyways, Claydol's fine. It was acting in our best interests and all, and no one's been hurt. Much, probably."
"Though I guess if we're just going to come out with it, fine, I did notice an extra mental body that I couldn't account for. And now I guess I know who that is, which gives me more questions. Blizz, I never got to ask Tristen more about what happened in Galar, other than that you were attacked. Given the battle and all, I didn't want him dwelling on it more than he already was, so I meant to ask him afterward and never got back to him about it."
He stopped as Blizz and Freth exchanged for a bit, noticing the tension and taking a breath so he didn't inadvertently become part of them growing. "Anyways, I haven't heard anything they've said. I kinda have to focus a bit to really do much telepathy. Old habits and all. But let me echo some of the questions and add my own. Blizz, Freth, what happened in Galar? Seeing as the assassin-turned-passenger's now somewhat common knowledge amongst the eight of us, we might as well have full context here." |
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:30 pm
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"Oh, I'm just someone who decided to take initiative." the assailant would state.
"Answer the bloody question. I already had to spill, your turn." Freth said. "You already spilled a fair bit, now that you got an audience, you're the one clamming up?"
"...this is starting to suck I am only hearing one side of this." I said.
"She's being asinine." Freth stated to me.
"Pot calling kettle black." Freth had to take another deep breath. She lamented she probably deserved it, but not helping any moods here.
"The most that I know is that she is from somewhere that she apparently was able to observe that Blizzard was responsible or soon to be responsible of ending four thousand worlds because of his own power. He becomes far too powerful to be capable of holding back. Though, even if that were true, she doesn't state why."
"Do you really think I would go out of my way to just document the reason each time his counterparts ice the world? I'm a bounty hunter, not a scribe." she stated. "I just know that Blizzard is the common denominator in ALL of them."
"Bounty hunter?" Freth asked.
"That's what I said." the hunter retorted.
"Just a contract killer, really, as far as I am concerned after that stunt in Galar." Freth stated. "She apparently though said that she is from this world, this reality, originally. She was trying to off Blizzard because whenever she stopped her work, she wanted a home to come back to, which I am guessing that she didn't think she'd have one if Blizzard was left alone."
"Reno unfortunately brought up another point." I stated. "Did she have anyone else with her? Or expecting anyone to come?"
"Not yet..." Freth said. "Well?" She'd would then address the one in her mind.
"I would think the answer would be obvious. No, no one came with me on my personal assignment, but considering that its been a couple of weeks now since I had contact with my employers, I'd imagine there would be agents seeking answers for their questions now." Freth ended up with a cold chill down her spine, indicated her eyes wide, having coming to the realization.
"What? How many?" I asked.
"She didn't say." Freth said. "But there's a good chance at least someone else is here by now looking for her."
I looked towards the others, not liking where this was going.
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:11 pm
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Crystal continued listening to both halves of the conversation, her stare growing more and more severe to a point where a Solgaleo would probably be proud. "Bounty hunter..." she muttered, her fingers drumming up her arms while pieces began to fall into place for her. Knows about many other realities, bounty hunter, has apparently dealt with other Blizzards in a similar manner before, which means a way for herself to have traveled through Ultra Space....
"Son of a-," she'd suddenly shout, eyes glowing brighter for a moment before realizing what she just about said. Clearing her throat and needlessly dusting herself off for a moment, she'd return her now furious stare to Freth, mostly composing herself again. "Pardon my outburst, however... that employer. They wouldn’t happen to be the Ultra Council, would they?” Venom would ooze from her as she named the council, nor did she care that she spoke this out loud instead of telepathically. All that was on her mind was the potential that could happen now, especially considering that, for once, she wasn’t the one that had interfered with a hunter’s mission. Especially not to this degree. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 4:34 am
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Espeon_Commander Crystal continued listening to both halves of the conversation, her stare growing more and more severe to a point where a Solgaleo would probably be proud. "Bounty hunter..." she muttered, her fingers drumming up her arms while pieces began to fall into place for her. Knows about many other realities, bounty hunter, has apparently dealt with other Blizzards in a similar manner before, which means a way for herself to have traveled through Ultra Space.... "Son of a-," she'd suddenly shout, eyes glowing brighter for a moment before realizing what she just about said. Clearing her throat and needlessly dusting herself off for a moment, she'd return her now furious stare to Freth, mostly composing herself again. "Pardon my outburst, however... that employer. They wouldn’t happen to be the Ultra Council, would they?” Venom would ooze from her as she named the council, nor did she care that she spoke this out loud instead of telepathically. All that was on her mind was the potential that could happen now, especially considering that, for once, she wasn’t the one that had interfered with a hunter’s mission. Especially not to this degree.
"The...ultra council?" Freth spoke up. This was getting into something really deep that was confusing even her.
"My, someone has been informed. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering what you are. Even when you take the whole multiverse in consideration, your kind is a bit of a rarity. Not often you hear of hybrids of Solgaleo. And perhaps been around the block a few times if you know about them. With that said, no, at least, not directly." she'd said to Sundaria. "There are many groups ran by the council and one of which is the Ultra Recon Squad. The Recon Squad sounds like the name sake, they'd scout many a reality and report back of their findings, depending on what they have been tasked to look for. The Recon Squad has a smaller subsection where if the situation in question doesn't need to bring something akin to a military, something that could be handled by one or two people, they are sent to finish whatever the job it is. That mission could be anything: a Pokemon capture, an small anomaly to be observed..."
"Assassination attempts?" Freth growled out.
"Not above it." the bounty hunter simply said. "Regardless, that's who I was with."
"You said though this mission of yours was more personal than anything else. If this group is structured like you said it is, I am having my doubts they'd go out of the way for you like that." Freth said.
"Think of it like payment for services rendered, if it makes you feel better." she stated. "Though, it leaves me to wonder, if you knew about them so well...I suppose its not too far fetched that you yourself were with them in some way at one time." |
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 5:35 am
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"Ultra what?" Tired of being on the outside looking in, Aden would focus for a moment so he could join the apparent conversation. This, if nothing else, let him finally hear the other person on the line- so to speak. Not to mention the remark of thousands of worlds ending made him wonder a bit, especially with what Crystal said about the few constants being.
He'd at least wait until she was done before speaking up. "I get the feeling this Ultra Council or whatever isn't something you're terribly fond of," he remarked to Crystal before resuming his focus. "Still, this... in a weird way, it doesn't sound that different from the stuff my dad apparently did before. Er, minus all the reality hopping or whatever."
At this point, he dug into a vest pocket, gripping something within it. Maybe getting Celebi's attention wouldn't be a bad idea soon. "Still, realities aren't my strong suit, but now I'm wondering about other things. Though, uh, if a group like that's seeking answers, how likely are they to barge in on us or try to take matters into their hands?" |
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2022 10:16 am
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