[X] My Assistant

[Eremol]

Julian and Kanoa walked back across the ballroom, chatting about Pokémon battling and praising each other’s abilities. Although he positively hated being around others, he was beginning to open up a little. The Skorupi perched on Kanoa’s shoulder chirped at Julian in curiosity. As they made their way back to the bar for some drinks, the orchestra began playing a fast-paced song, which Julian rather took a liking to (it would be days that he would be humming the tune).

The bartender greeted them, and Julian ordered another water for himself, but Kanoa interjected and chose something for the both of them. They listened to the orchestra in silence for a minute, watching the couples dance in perfect synchronicity. The wealthy society continued to surprise Julian; it was as if they had all been taught these dances since grade school.

“I enjoy the money that comes with the wealthy district,” laughed Julian, “but I wish I had inherited some of their social graces.”

The song faded as a man in a red-and-black Magma uniform strode towards the bar. Instead of stopping and getting a drink, the uniformed man stopped in front of Julian.

“Sorry for the interruption, sir,” said the man, “but you see, we need a little assistance to make sure the ball is secure. One of our guards came down with illness, and we were short-staffed to begin with…” The Magma member fiddled awkwardly. “Well, we were wondering if you would like to, er, assist with guarding the second floor. I’m awfully sorry if this spoils your evening, sir, but…”

Julian was puzzled. Why him, out of all the Magma officers here? He was a nobody, a newcomer to Noverus, at that. He inspected the Magma member’s face. He had a small goatee and beady eyes. The man avoided eye contact.

“It’s just that… You are Julian Dreggs, then, aren’t you?” asked the man. Julian nodded, and the Magma breathed a sigh.

“Yes, good then. It’s just that your grandmother was such a prominent member, and we were all terribly sorry to hear that she… Well, we just thought you might want some experience before your first real mission, so… But if you don’t want to…”

Julian rolled it around in his mind. He wasn’t disliking the party all that much anymore, but getting in a little mission experience didn’t sound like such a bad idea. It wasn’t as if Team Aqua or the Rebels could even get past the front gate. Julian finished his wine (Kanoa had ordered him a glass of some drink Julian could not pronounce) and stood.

“Oh, good, sir. I promise it won’t even seem like work. Just stand at the top of those stairs leading to the second floor,” the Magma motioned, “and you’ll still be able to see the whole event. Oh, and your, uh,” he looked past Julian at Kanoa, “…friend can come too, if he wants. Free goody points with the higher-ups.”

Julian waited for Kanoa’s answer.

This post has been edited by Eremol: Jul 19 2010, 09:03 AM

[Kamaitachi]

"Really, drinking water at a fancy shindig. I'll have another glass of that Kanto Syrah. My friend here will have a glass of that lovely Gewurztraminer you have back there. The 2001 Johto, right?" Kanoa smiled, he wasn't quite sure what all the years and regions correlated to, but he'd memorized the wines that his father had said were good, down to the regions and years. He found he enjoyed bandying about the wine knowledge when he could.

When the Magma approached, asking if Julian wanted to work, Kanoa heartily disagreed with the idea of working during a party. However, the Magma, despite looking at Kanoa with a bit of disdain, made a fair point. Free goody points with higher-ups? Seemed like a fair deal.

"Sure, I'll come for a little bit." Kanoa shrugged, finally recalling Skorupi to his pokeball. As they started to walk up towards the stairs, Kanoa hopskipped back to the bar, reaching over and swiftly grabbing a bottle of some wine before catching back up to Julian.

[Eremol]

When the pair had reached the top of the long staircase leading to the upper floor, the Magma member gave them a quick rundown of the situation.

“While we’d like to think our security is ironclad, we suspect there may be an attempt to infiltrate the ball and cause a ruckus.” The man pointed down a long hallway that ran along the second floor. “You see the third room on the right, there? Some of Magma’s most esteemed officers are in there right now discussing very important issues. It’s your task to make sure nobody comes up here, not even to use the bathroom! Only let through officers with a Level 3 access card. Is that clear?”

Julian nodded, and took his place beside the right banister, while Kanoa took the left. The Magma member grunted and padded off down the stairs to (Julian assumed) another guard post.

The man had been right; he could see the whole party from the top of the stairs. His gaze floated from the bar, where a small crowd was gathered around Morte St. Saëns as she exchanged pleasantries with the guests, to the battle area, where two trainers were battling with two Pokémon each. It was fairly interesting just watching everyone from above, and made Julian feel important. Although he didn’t really see himself as a “guard-type” person (after all, what could he possibly do even if there was an incident), but if it was one step closer to helping Noverus get free from the clutches of thieves and revolutionaries like Team Aqua and the Rebels, then he was alright with it.

Julian stifled a yawn; he could sense it was getting late, and he was used to going to sleep at around 10pm. He wished he had brought along his PokéNav to the ball, so he sidled up to Kamaitachi and asked him if he knew the time.

[Vena Sera]

'Girlfriend?' Beat echoed, a smile twitching on his lips. He couldn't help it; he let out a short laugh. 'No, no - she's my little sister. Melody. Just turned six two months ago. She takes a lot after our mum, so dad gave her a Magikarp for her birthday so there'd be a better chance of the house being there when he got home.' He laughed again and looked over at Benjamin, expecting at the least a small smile.

Ben's eyes were shut tight, Afrit wriggling in his grip. '…Ben? Ben, what-' Beat watched as the smaller man released Afrit, the small pink-and-blue Pokemon landing next to Verity. The Poochyena had stood up, looking from Ben to Beat to Afrit wildly. It was clear from her expression - and the way her ears stood - that she was confused and ready to attack if necessary. Beat quickly got off the bench and rubbed her head, calming the Pokemon down somewhat.

From the floor Beat listened to Ben's story, eyes growing hard at what Magma had done. Here they were, throwing a huge party for a young girl who had probably done her fair share of theft and lies, casually laughing off the lives they had ruined; throwing around money and Pokemon with equal disinterest. The two men sat there quietly for a few minutes, the Kricketune chorus beginning to wind down in the distance. The flashing lights began to glow steadily again, moving slowly around the grounds amidst the light clapping of the other gazebo-goers.

And then Ben punched the beam.

'Whoa!' Beat stood, nearly braining himself on one of the wooden supports that held the roof up. Verdani gave a nervous bark and nearly lunged at Ben, held back just in time. The two watched, stupefied, as Ben slowly walked back to his seat, sat down, and looked up at Beat with a look that reminded him of a kicked Growlithe. The man looked down at Verdani - who was still very confused - and set her down before sitting next to Ben, scooting closer then they'd been before. Beat realised that the clapping had stopped and glanced out of the corner of his eye; there were quite a few questioning stares aimed their way. Awkwardly, Beat placed his arm around Benjamin's shoulder, earning himself a frustrated growl from Verdani. The Poochyena stalked out of the gazebo, plopping herself down in front of the steps. Who cared if she ruined that stupid bow, anyway?

'We'll get them,' Beat said softly. 'First, we need to find the other guy. They might know where the meeting's going to be.' There was the sound of crunching grass nearby and Beat dropped his voice even lower. 'Do you want to go back inside, or-'

'Get your arm away from that precious flower!' A well-dressed man stood in the entrance of the gazebo, pointing at Beat rather dramatically. What the? Why didn't Verdani warn us? Peering around the man, Beat saw the Pokemon in question giving him a smirk. Rolling his eyes, Beat leaned back - now was not the time for Ver to act like a cheated girlfriend. It wasn't like he was actually dating Ben or anything.

Unfortunately, the man didn't know that either. 'I saw that little display a minute ago - what were you doing to her? Obviously, she doesn't deserve to be with a brute like you.' The man flipped his hair out of his face, putting on a grin that revealed over-whitened teeth. 'I mean, your hair is absolutely disgusting, and you're not even wearing red. My lady,' at this, the man bowed to Ben, shooting a glare at Afrit. 'Why don't you leave this uncouth example of rudeness and come with me? I can show you how a ball is supposed to go.'

I edited this due to a typo - I accidentally said Melody 'Just turned two months ago' when it should have been 'Just turned six two months ago'. Sorry for the confusion.

This post has been edited by Stasis Key: Jul 23 2010, 08:33 PM

[stbyleth]

Afrit jumped when Ben had punched the wall, failing to mimic his owner's actions due to the suddeness of it. He stared at Ben.

Ben leaned into Beat once when the latter wrapped his arm around him. Sure, this was the first friend he's ever made. Actually, Ben didn't trust himself enough to be fully sure that Beat was a friend. If Beat was just pretending to do so for the sake of the mission, Benjamin would probably break out the knives. What was odd about Ben was that he didn't stab anyone, only himself.

He nodded slightly. “... Inside... Would be nice. Let's find the other guy and get this over with...” His voice sounded pained. It was almost as if his voice was treading lightly on glass, it sounded so soft. He looked up at, probably earning a few more growls from the Poochyena who loathed him. 

When the newcomer appeared and began saying how Beat was a brute, there was newfound rage replacing the earnest quietness and melancholy within Ben. The man bowed and said for Ben to come with him.

Ben removed himself from next to Beat, stood, and gaped for a few short moments. He fixed the bow behind his back before the man stood back up. 

“I am Ernest Billington the Third, proudly. You are too beautiful a lady. You do not have to be courted by this monster—”

And that set him off. It was 'Lilja’s' turn to point dramatically, but this time at Ernest. He began yelling, “I'll have you know, Mr. Billington, that Terrence,” he remembered to use the codename even in his fit of rage, “is a plentiful man who is much, much better than the likes of you!”

He continued on, taking a step forward. The also somewhat enraged Afrit did the same, perfectly mimicking his trainer. “So if you would please learn some damn manners and not insult someone to impress a girl, I would be damn happy! The kind like you is what sickens me! Terrence is very kind and caring, even for people he doesn't even know!” He stopped, panting from the one long breath he used to yell. 

Billington the Third blinked. Ben fell back and, to make a point, sat in Beat's lap, wrapping his arms around the other's neck. Lithe and under a hundred pounds, he was light as a feather. 

Ernest began laughing. “Okay then! I challenge this Terrence to a battle then—”

“Challenge him and you challenge me!” demanded Benjamin. He huffed. 

The newcomer nodded. “Alright! Two on two!” And with that, he went to stand in one of the outside arenas' squares.

Ben stood, picked up Afrit, grabbed Beat's hand, and tugged him to the other side. 

This arena was lovely. With several sculptures of bushes inside, it gave plenty of room for sneak attacks. It looked almost dashing due to the glows around it. It seemed like there was a fountain or two nearby that provided the glows. 

“Two on two. A single pokémon for you, and two for me!” Ernest yelled across to them. With that, he sent out a Flareon and a Skitty.

Ben took this time to fumble around in his clutch for his pokéballs. Pulling out one, he sent out his Gastly. Draugur chimed, an eerie smirk appearing on its ghostly face. 

This post has been edited by The Mad Hatter: Jul 19 2010, 09:00 PM

[Vena Sera]

'Uh.' Beat blinked, not knowing what to say. Even Verdani looked stumped - in the few short hours they'd known Ben, he hadn't seemed like the type to get so emotional over someone he barely knew. Ben wasn't the easiest guy to be around, but hey, he was shaping up to be a great guy.

And then he sat in Beat's lap, draping his thin arms around his neck.

Verdani let out a frustrated howl and stormed off, her tail puffing out so much that she seemed less like a Poochyena and more like a small, moving ball of fur with a ridiculous purple bow. With a huff she dropped down a few metres away from the gazebo, pointedly not looking behind her.

Beat was having a slightly different reaction. He was used to light, girlish things suddenly appearing in his lap - Melody had this annoying habit of using Beat as a chair whenever he was watching TV - but this light, girlish thing smelled good. And it was pretty. And happened to be a guy. And that stupid bow in his hair was poking Beat's eye. Hey, that rhymed.

The look on Ernest's face was priceless. Beat had to stifle a laugh, the beads in his hair clicking together as his shoulders shook. “Okay then! I challenge this Terrence to a battle then—”

“Challenge him and you challenge me!”

“Alright! Two on two!”

And then Beat's hand was in Benjamin's for the umpteenth time that night, dragging him off the the battlefield.

Watching Mr Desperate call out his Pokemon with mild interest, Beat debated on what to do. Verdani obviously wasn't going to help him - she'd given him a nasty look on the way over; who's side are you on, huh? - but he wasn't sure how Stahl would fare with a Fire-type. He did know that if they lost, a whole lot more than Ernest's taste in women would be at stake, and Beat did not feel like getting a first-hand tour of Groudon's Thumb without the rest of Aqua behind him.

'Well, here goes,' he muttered. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a Pokeball and pressed the release, the small iron Pokemon appearing in a flash. Stahl surveyed the field for a moment before lowering his head, ready to charge at Beat's command.

[stbyleth]

This is a joint post between Stasis Key and myself.

Ben huffed, standing next to Beat, though slightly in front of him still. “Alright. We need to win this. I don’t feel like getting felt up again by this… this… öfuguggi!” he quite pointedly yelled. 

Draugur was staring down at the small, silver Pokémon curiously. He chimed a few calls of his name, telling Stahl that he would handle the Flareon since he couldn’t hit the Skitty.

Benjamin turned to Beat again, game face on. He seemed to say what Draugur had just said, but to Beat instead; “Draugur,” he pointed to said Pokémon, “can’t hit the cat thing. So I’ll have him take out the Flareon.” Afrit was standing next to him, looking also up at Beat, posing the same way as Ben – complete with the same facial expression.

Ernest’s Flareon was ready to strike, the Skitty a little bit more laid-back and careless.

Stahl listened to Draugur and then nodded, shifting his weight from side to side as he waited impatiently for something to happen. he last time he'd been called out was to hit a beam; he wanted some real action. Beat rolled his eyes; why did he get stuck with the impulsive group?

'Alright, Stahl. Do your thing.' The Iron Armour Pokemon ducked his head and charged, making a beeline for the Skitty. With a shrug, the Skitty moved two feet to the left - right behind one of those decorative trees. Still small enough to turn on a dime, Stahl corrected his path and slammed into the tree, nearly knocking it over with the force of his Headbutt.

'Snuffles!' Ernest called out, waving to his Skitty. 'Snuffles, use attract on that beastly thing!'

The Skitty pranced out from behind the tree, a cute little smirk on his face. Beat mentally facepalmed. 'Stahl, just close your eyes or something.' The Aron's light blue eyes snapped shut, but the Skitty was not going to give up. It began to prance around Stahl in a circle, humming softly and preening itself.

'Oh, for the love of Arceus,' Beat muttered.

Draugur watched as the Skitty — Snuffles; what a horrible name — tried to get Stahl attracted to it. Because he hadn't been looking, he was almost blasted away by a more powerful than normal Ember. Moving just in time, the Gastly grinned. 

“Ooh, Fluffykins! Keep up the good work!” cheered the quite ecstatic man on the other side.

Ben paused. “Draugur, use Hypnosis.”

The Gas Pokémon did as he was told, sending out deceiving waves toward the Flareon. Said eeveelution fell asleep, staggering a bit before falling over. Ernest huffed. 

Benjamin just grinned. “Now use Curse.” It was the first time Draugur would use the move within a real battle, instead of training. A purple aura surrounded Draugur, an illusion of a giant nail was conjured up, and it was shoved into the aura — essentially into Draugur. The purple disappeared and the Gastly looked a bit more tired.

For all purposes Stahl was blinded, and the sounds of the battle around him were starting to make him upset. He wanted to fight too, not just sit there and play hide-and-seek with a stupid Skitty. With a growl the Aron snapped his eyes open and charged, toppling one of the trees over; dirt and bits of grass flew into the air.

'My suit!' Ernest yelled, flapping his hands dramatically. 'Oh, my suit! I just had this cleaned!'

'Cry me a river,' Beat muttered. 'Stahl, find that Skitty and knock it out so I don't have to listen to this guy, okay?' A glance at Draugur and the Flareon showed that at least on Ben's side, the battle was going well. Even if the Gastly looked a little under-the-weather.

Stahl shook his head, backing out from the ruins of the tree. He could hear the Skitty behind him and swirled around, his body shining more than usual - he was quickly encased with a thin shell, Hardening his body. With a loud cry he slammed into the Skitty, sending it tumbling backwards. 

It took a few seconds for the Skitty to get to its feet, and by that time Stahl had darted over to the nearby fountain. One Headbutt and the base was cracked - water began to drip out, pooling on the ground. Taking care not to get himself wet, Stahl faced the fountain, raised his back legs, and kicked the mud at the charging Skitty.

The Mud-Slap hit it right in the face. Ernest began yelling about grooming expenses, but Stahl and Beat weren't listening. 'Alright, now take it out!' The Aron got ready for the final rush, bellowing a fierce cry that interrupted a nearby couple's makeout-session and startled a group of Hoothoot out of a tree.

The Skitty fell over, unconscious, almost as soon as Stahl hit it. Ernest wailed and called back his Skitty, looking slightly disgusted at the muddy, tree-lined mess that was the battlefield.

Ben smiled a bit as the Skitty was taken down. He said to Beat, “Good job.”

Turning back to his final Pokémon, Ernest huffed. The Flareon woke up, slowly but surely. Standing up and wobbling a bit, it waited commands from its trainer. 

Ben was already one step ahead. “Use Lick on its pretty little fur.”

Afflicted by the Curse, the Flareon winced. Draugur gave off a call of its name before rushing in, tongue forming and solidifying. The sticky purple thing stuck to the red fur, sliding up and causing the cursed Pokémon to freeze. 

Ernest cried out, “That's almost as bad as the mud!”

Paralyzed, Fluffykins wasn't much use. Draugur used Lick twice more. That aired with the Curse doing damage already, the Flareon soon fell back and fainted. Swearing, Ernest recalled it. 

Exhausted, Draugur floated back to Ben. He wasn't used to inflicting damage to himself to use a move, and the gas he was made out of started to evaporate. Smiling nicely, Ben recalled the Pokémon, thanking it in Icelandic. 

Ben turned back to Beat. “Let's get out of here before someone else challenges us. He nodded, Afrit too, and he took Beat's hand. “Inside is better.”

[knil1]

Jened decided to wait outside until an opportune moment would be available for investigation of the supposed secret passage. He remembered it being cool outside, and the sound of the wild Pokémon would prove soothing.

He walked outside to find that the couple he had taken notice of so many times before was taking on a man. Jened figured it would be a better watch than nothing, so he found a bench and sat down. The Pokémon attacks were executed beautifully, and he found it to be a lovely battle.

Aglaia and Ardaine had run off again, playing in the yard. Their trainer looked over at them to make sure they weren’t causing trouble. He wasn’t surprised to find a great number of Pokémon, wild and tamed, had taken part of Ardaines activities. She was definitely the most social Pokémon he knew.

As Jened watched the battle, he noticed something he found a little odd. He could sense a deep hatred from the (wo)man, focused on his/her opponent. He put observations together and came up with a safe conclusion. This wasn’t just a cross dresser, he/she was opposing Magma. Whether she was with Aqua, The Rebellion, or a very opinionated civilian, he couldn’t tell. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep his eye on the pair.

A girl, seemingly the same age as Jened, sat on the bench next to him.
“Hello.” She batted her eyes and scooted closer to him. “I saw you from across the yard, and you looked lonely.”
Jened looked at her, as emotionless as the sun was bright, and said, “I know you didn’t come over here to flirt. What do you want?”
The girl looked shocked, then she smiled and sat back in her seat. “Ah, you’re much more perceptive than I thought you’d be.” She unfolded her fan and covered her mouth. As she began to speak, she began to wave it back and forth, making it seem like she was merely trying to cool off. “I’ve been watching you. I know what you’re doing here. I’m here for the same reason.” Jened watched the battle as it was ending. “Something has come up and I have to leave. I’m merely here to tell you not to mess up.”
Jened looked back over at her and glared. “Do you expect me too?”
She chuckled, enjoying the spite her new acquaintance had developed for her. “Why, no. I just wanted to wish you luck. I’m counting on you.” She stood up and lifted her dress. “I bid you adieu.” She lifted her dress and walked back inside.

'It seems as though I’m not alone. But if other Rebels are here, I wonder how many Aqua people are here….'

The golden-pawed Vulpix ran back to her trainer and Ardaine arrived soon after. A couple of bouncers had broken up the play-time, as it was causing too much of a ruckus.

Jened returned his attention to the battle and watched as the Flareon fell. The battle was over, and now it was time to eavesdrop. At least until he could get the chance to sneak into the secret passage.

[Kamaitachi]

Kanoa flipped out his pokenav, eying it for a moment before responding "Eh, sorry Big Chief it's only about 9:30, we've been here for a whole five minutes." he shrugged. He fidgeted a bit, obviously bored at the assignment. "Is this what hanging with Magma's gonna be like? Because if so, I'm out." Kanao stretched, leaning against the wall. "Unless, of course, someone tries to sneak up here and a fantastic battle ensues. Wouldn't that be fun?" The lad took a big swig from the bottle of wine he'd pilfered, pulling a bit of a face. "Yuck." He didn't much care for Pinot Grigios; they were a bit too light and dry for his tastes, without giving much flavour in compensation. He handed the bottle over to Julian, wondering if the guy would take a swig too.

"I kinda wanna go see what they're doing in that room over there. Discussing important stuff at a party, psh, just seems like a crap place to do it. They should've just stayed in Groudon's Thumb." Kanoa muttered as he tried to balance on one foot, holding out his arms for balance.

After awhile, it appeared Lennox, Kanoa's recruiter had spotted him and made his way up the stairs. Kanoa filled him in, and Lennox seemed quite pleased with the fact that Kanoa had accepted a mission before even technically being initiated into Magma. Kanao shrugged in response to that, saying something along the lines of: "Yep, you know me. Assertive." He was joking, of course, but Lennox seemed quite taken with the answer.

"Good good, you should find yourself most comfortable within our ranks." With that, the man named Lennox walked off, Kanoa muttering "Fart-tard" in his wake.

"BORING." He lamented, placing his hands behind his head "Hey Big Chief" he looked over to Julian "tell me a story or something. Why'd you end up joining Magma?"

[Eremol]

When Kanoa offered him the wine bottle, Julian sheepishly snatched it away, if only because it was clear that Kanoa had had far too much to drink that night. Julian examined the label on the side of the bottle, and it was yet another foreign name that he probably couldn’t pronounce (pin-ott gri-gee-os? he guessed, taking a stab). As he was trying to decipher the name of the drink, an older man dressed in a Magma-red suit strode up the stairs. He and Kanoa exchanged greetings and began chatting, and Julian managed to pick up that the man’s name was Lennox. Lennox seemed to take no notice of him, until he turned to leave with a curt nod to Julian.

"Hey Big Chief," warbled Kanoa (Julian guessed it was an alcohol-induced nickname), "tell me a story or something. Why'd you end up joining Magma?"

Julian was a little taken aback by the question. It wasn’t a particularly sore subject, but it was a little too fresh in his mind.

“It was my grandmother,” he began, setting the bottle on the floor beside him. “She asked me to visit her from Mauville City, where I used to be a research assistant… I think I mentioned that before at the bar. Anyway, she said she had important news, so I made the long journey up north to Noverus. When I got here, she told me about the city, and Team Magma, and how they were attempting to heal Noverus. It sounded fine enough, but I wasn’t sure where she was going with it.” Julian paused for a moment.

“Turns out she wanted me to follow in her footsteps… because she was going to die soon. I mean, it’s not as if we were ever close, and she was almost eighty years old anyway, but it was still a surprise. Anyway, I agreed that I would stay and help the city’s reconstruction for a while, but two days later… I ended up inheriting her entire estate after she passed. I went from living in a Mauville townhouse to living in a mansion! But that also meant that I felt obligated to stay in the city and help. It was… I mean, what kind of person would…? She just left me in this mess… I don’t even want to…”

Julian was getting emotional. No, not in front of all these people like this, he thought. He defiantly bent down and grabbed the wine bottle again. Turns out pin-ott gri-gee-os tasted pretty damn good.

This post has been edited by Eremol: Jul 21 2010, 07:51 AM

[Kamaitachi]

"Oh man, I'm sorry Big Chief." Kanoa had taken to sitting on the ground, blinking owlishly up at Julian as he told the story. He had come up with Big Chief, because he enjoyed giving people odd nicknames (He'd called his last roommate "Captain" for no other reason other than the guy's last name was "Morgan") Mind you, Kanoa wasn't drunk yet. Two glasses of wine and a swig? He felt only slightly buzzed and still had most of his functions about him. (Trust Kanoa's player: He's a bartender).

"Condolences on your Grandmother" Kanoa nodded somberly. "At least she lived almost until 80. That's a long time, you know." he stated all this in a rather matter-of-fact manner. "Kudos on the mansion though. Sweet digs?"

He sighed for a moment as Julian took another swig, holding out his hand as if asking for the bottle back. "In all honesty though, she's dead. Why does it matter if you follow in her footsteps or not? It's cool that you're honouring her wishes and all, but what about your wishes? Sounds like you were pretty happy being a research assisstant on track to being a researcher. And here you are, at a stuffy party, playing guard dog, Big Chief, looks to me like you don't enjoy it at all either."

Kanoa shook his head "I'm not trying to discourage you or anything; it's just my opinion, you know?"

[Eremol]

Julian looked down at the floor, finally quieting down.

“It’s more… complicated than that. She left me her entire mansion – her whole fortune – so that I could live here and work as a Magma. Leaving this place so soon after she died would feel… dishonest. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my old life, but this is my new one, for the time being. And hey, at least I’m training my Pokémon.” Julian smiled.

He handed the bottle back to Kanoa, almost half-empty. He thought it had been okay at first, but the stuff left a bitter taste in his mouth, reminding him why he didn’t drink in the first place. And in his haste, Julian had dripped the wine down the corners of his mouth and chin. He considered wiping his face on the sleeve of his jacket, but – nah, he would probably ruin the suit.

“I’m gonna find a restroom or something to wash up,” said Julian, turning his back on the party and walking towards the long second-floor hallway. “I’ll be right back. If anyone asks, can you cover for me?”

Julian didn’t wait for an answer. Glad to be moving away from the ballroom (and away from the questions about his grandmother), he set off down the corridor. The noises of the party eventually quieted to a murmur, and he tried to remember if the Magma officer who had assigned him to the stairs had mentioned a bathroom. He did remember that the third room on the right side was where some sort of meeting was being held, and he thought he could hear muffled voices from within, but he decided it was best to just avoid that room. He didn’t want any trouble.

He checked the first room on the left side, poking his head past the door, only to find a stash of brooms, mops, and cleaning products. The second room on the right was locked. The third door on the left, right across from the meeting room, was unlocked, and so Julian peeked in. The room was completely dark, so he reached his arm in and carefully groped the wall for a light switch. He found one, and an overhead fluorescent light flicked on. The room was small, not much bigger than the aforementioned broom closet, and the walls were almost totally hidden by wooden shelves. Stacked neatly side by side on the ledges were dozens of cardboard boxes, each with labels on their fronts. Seeing that it was clearly not a bathroom, Julian turned to leave, but one of the labels caught his eye.

Magma Recruits – July-August

His own recruitment had been this month, August. Julian was not into prying by nature, but tonight he was feeling particularly rebellious (or perhaps it was the pin-ott gri-gee-os). Thinking he would just take a peek out of interest’s sake, he slipped into the room and made his way over to the box in question. His could start to feel his heartbeat in his chest, and he knew that if he were caught that he would probably face serious punishment (or at least be kicked out of Magma). He slowly lifted the lid off and set it on the floor beside him. He blinked.

Inside the box were fifty or so file folders, each bearing a name in alphabetical order. Secret files on Magma members? Why would the birthday-girl’s father have files on recruits? Julian scanned for his name, and just caught a glimpse of [Dreggs, Julian] when he heard footsteps just outside the door.

This post has been edited by Eremol: Jul 22 2010, 10:16 AM

[Vena Sera]

'Alright,' Beat said, recalling Stahl. The Aron didn't seem too happy about missing the party - then again, having a mud-covered iron turtle running around probably wouldn't fly with the rich folks. Giving one last look at the battlefield, Beat began to walk back to the manor with Ben, noting that he was a lot less grumpy about holding his hand now. 'So, what next? Where do you think they'd keep a secre- oh.'

Beat suddenly did an about-face, nearly breaking Ben's wrist and sending the beads in his hair clattering together like a rainstick. 'I forget Ver,' he said, letting go of Ben's hand - the Poochyena was probably not too happy about that and given her current mood, it could spell disaster. Especially if she tried to reveal Ben's secret - Beat doubted she'd do something that stupid, but he really didn't want to take any chances. Stepping over the sad remains of a Macargo-shaped tree, he spotted a grey furball with that obnoxious bow next to the cracked fountain, staring worriedly at the water dripping out. The ground around the fountain was a sodden mess, the grass looking like treetops peeking out of a flooded lake. Gingerly stepping on the driest patches of ground he could find, Beat made his way to Verdani and looked inside the fountain.

There was about an inch of water left, the pump in the centre making odd spluttering noises. A pale, sickly Pokemon sat in the water, the two large yellow...antennae?...on its back drooping sadly. The Pokemon looked up at him with odd, plus-marked eyes and uttered a weak 'Chou,' the yellow things giving off a feeble light.

Beat didn't realise he'd been staring until he felt Verdani nudge his leg. She was giving him a strange look, eyes wide with her black paws pushing against the fountain. 'I know,' Beat muttered, scratching the top of her head. 'If someone with this much money can't take care of his own Pokemon, he doesn't deserve them.' Reaching into the fountain, he gently touched the thing's body, completely unprepared for the current that rushed through him. The yellow things flashed again and the Pokemon gave another weak cry, trying to back away from Beat.

'Well, that's not gonna work,' Beat muttered, rubbing his hand. 'Ver, can you help?' The Poochyena growled, insulted. 'Listen, Ver. I'm not asking you to hurt it. In fact, if we don't get it out soon, it's likely gonna hurt itself.' He looked at the Pokemon again, noticing now how thin it looked - it reminded him more than a little of Benjamin in that regard. He doesn't even feed them?! He thought of all the other flashing lights in the garden - were they all as exhausted as this one?

Verdani sighed and backed away from the fountain, getting enough room before leaping onto the edge. She whined an apology at the Pokemon, exhaled, and tackled it as gently as she could.

The pale blue Pokemon wobbled a little before finally collapsing, the light in its antennae quickly fading. Beat shuffled around in his belt pocket, grabbing a Pokeball and bringing it out, hitting the release to expand it. He tapped the Pokemon's body, hoping it would work - and it did. It disappeared in a small flash, a low rumble from the belt pocket coming right after. Putting the now-occupied Pokeball back, he grabbed the source of the rumble - his Pokedex. He'd gotten it shortly after he'd left the city to see the rest of Hoenn; it had once been his grandfather's. He and his wife lived in Dewford, where they had raised Beat's mother - she hadn't seen her parents since she'd gotten married, a very long time ago. Beat's knuckles were white from clenching the Pokedex - what was Magma's deal? Keeping some families apart, murdering others...

That's why we're here. he thought.

The Pokedex chimed again and Beat flipped it open, the image on the screen showing a robust, dark blue Pokemon - nothing like the sick pale thing currently residing in Beat's pocket.

'Chinchou, the Angler Pokemon. Commonly found on the ocean floor, their only means of communication with others is the light in their antennae. Both positive and negative charges flow through these antennae and Chinchou can deliver a nasty shock if provoked.'

'Alright.' Putting the 'Dex back in his pocket, Beat whistled to Verdani and quickly crossed the mini-lake and battlefield, returning to Benjamin and Afrit. Slipping his hand back in Ben's Beat pulled them towards the French doors - the sooner they got to the buffet, the better.

[stbyleth]

Ben tensed a bit, letting out a small, “Ow!” In mid-step, he almost fell back before Beat let go. “Wha—Oh. Go get her.”

While Beat was gone, Ben looked around the garden again. The fountain from the Aron's charge was broken and pitifully spitting up choked water. The bushes were turned over and beyond the point of resurrection. The lights were faded and most were out. The Kricketot and Co. had stopped playing indefinitely, except for a few trying to revive the soft music. Ben crossed his arms. The only things left intact were the various gazebos. Even the majority of the couples sucking face had gotten up. 

He looked idly at his hand, the knuckles now a dark blue. He flexed said hand and winced visibly. The bruise, still fresh, was extremely tender, and it would probably need ice. It was all puffy compared to the other one. He frowned as Beat came back. He made sure the other man took his good hand, before being dragged off.

“Oh, you're eager now. Verdani hungry?” he asked, looking down at the pup. 

They strolled through the French doors, heading toward the large buffet. It seemed odd that they would have a buffet rather than a sit down, ordering dinner. Or was he just not classy enough? He wasn't invited to many of these shindigs. He wasn't used to it.

The buffet table was laden with food of all shapes and sizes, from weird types of fish sliced so finely you could barely tell it was fish to hunky, breaded pieces of some kind of chicken-like thing. Ben tried not to think of any of it, or smell the scents. He didn't like eating and he wouldn't; he was so used to not eating, that the smell of freshly cooked meat and other food items made him sick to his stomach. He set Afrit on the table, who looked up at him curiously. Ben gave him a wary smile and told him to eat. The Mime Jr. paused but nodded, confused as to why his trainer wasn't eating. He turned to the food and began placing the things he wanted on his plate. A little of this, a little of that. 

Ben picked up the plate and his pokémon and made his way over to an open table in the corner. With Afrit in his lap comfortably, the mime ate.

The Aqua looked around the dining area. It was a fairly large space and many of the people had already left to go do the other attractions Morte had to offer. Only a few were here now. He easily had a view of the winding staircase and part of the ballroom. What's important that he saw was two men standing at the top of the stairs. One was dressed with Aqua colours — if that was the other Aqua member, he was stupid; he dropped low on Ben's perfection scale — and the other dressed as he was supposed to dress on such occasions. 

Afrit continued eating as Ben watched as the men drank from the mouth of a wine bottle. They were talking about something, and the one in Aqua colours was looking a little buzzed. When the wine bottle was handed to him, the other boy began walking away, and disappeared quickly from sight. 

Ben turned as his companion sat down. “I'm going to go... I guess the term is ‘flirt’? with that guy up there. He's slightly drunk and I can probably get past him. The meeting's on the second floor, right? There has to be a secret passage up there too.” Afrit had finished, and Ben stood up, holding him. He set Afrit on the floor and recalled him. Sending out his Murkrow, Kráka, he nodded. “Fly up and past that guy.”

Kráka did as he was told, letting out a small caw and soaring upwards. He flew right over Kanoa's head and gone.

With that, Ben began heading up the stairs. At the top, he grinned devilishly. “... Hello there.” He glanced down at the sitting man. “My bird flew away. Darn thing.” He fanned himself with a gloved hand, the perfect damsel in distress. “I'll go get him before he causes a ruckus.”

Without awaiting an answer, he slid past him and into the depths of the hall.

[Eremol]

A flutter, a caw, pattering footsteps. Had Julian been caught sneaking through the house? Or was there an elite squad of Rebels waiting outside, ready to assassinate any Magma they came across? He was panicking. Perhaps he could hide in this file room and hope no one noticed the door ajar? No, then he would be trapped. What about the file with his name on it? Was it even worth looking at? Besides, it was probably just basic contact info, or a profile on him and his history. Nothing to worry about, right?

Julian snatched at his file folder and drew out a page from the packet of papers within. He stashed the paper inside his jacket and replaced the lid on the box hastily. Julian went to the door, listening for any movement in the hall. He slowly pushed open the door…

…to reveal a young woman, fitted in a purple dress and red gloves, creeping down the corridor. The wooshing of wingbeats alerted him to a black Flying Pokemon soaring down the hall.

“Um…” Julian stammered, stepping into the hallway. “You, uh, aren’t supposed to be up here.” He sighed inwardly with relief. Certainly not an assassin. Simply a woman lost in this giant mansion. Hell, he himself couldn’t even find his way around the place. He smiled at her, as if it might lighten the situation.

This post has been edited by Eremol: Jul 22 2010, 02:43 PM

[Kamaitachi]

Growing increasingly bored as Julian trundled off to find a restroom, Kanoa leaned against the banister, looking really quite disinterested in everything. It was better than mingling, but he really wanted to sneak around back and smoke a cigarette or something. However, his interested was piqued at the promise of something exciting: Kanoa watched as Kraka flew past his head in a flutter. "Guess the birdie's got a level 3 access card." he shrugged. however, the girl from the limo approached up the stairs. He noted idly that the dreadlocks guy wasn't with her. Shame.

"Hello there." He smiled, and followed after the girl. He wasn't supposed to let anyone past, sure, but the girl's bird had gotten away. At the very least, Kanoa would keep her from entering any rooms unannounced, and as far as he knew, birds couldn't work doorknobs.

"Oh hey, Big Chief." Kanoa waved cheerfully as Julian re-emerged. "This girl's bird flew off down the hallway. Wanna chase it back this way while I keep an eye on her?"

[Eremol]

"This girl's bird flew off down the hallway,” piped up Kanoa from the top of the stairs. “Wanna chase it back this way while I keep an eye on her?”

Julian wondered how a Pokémon and its trainer had both gotten past Kanoa, but there was no time for accusations. “Um, sure,” he replied, walking backwards facing the woman and Kanoa. “I’ll be right back, then.”

He took off at a light run down the hall, making sure to be as quiet as possible as he passed the meeting room, as he didn’t want them knowing that there were people running around the forbidden second floor. He kept an eye out for the woman’s bird Pokémon, which he thought looked a little like a Murkrow.

The hallway continued straight, and Julian counted five or six doors on each side before the corridor branched off into two separate halls, each going different directions. Julian looked both ways, but had absolutely no idea where the Pokémon had gone. Suddenly, he spotted a black feather on the carpeted floor of the left branch. He carried on that way.

All the while, he thought of the crumbled page in his jacket pocket. He had the urge to stop this wild-goose chase around the mansion and just read the paper, but he knew he had to find the woman’s Pokémon before it caused some real trouble.

[Vena Sera]

Beat was more than a little concerned about the fish in his pocket, not noticing the hand switch - or, really, anything other than getting the Chinchou some food. The situation reminded him of the time when Melody's Magikarp, Mr Fish, has somehow gotten out of his aquarium and spent nearly an hour on the floor, gasping for breath, until Beat walked by and saw him. The next few minutes had been a rush of getting the flopping thing back in the tank, making sure he had enough food, and apologising profusely (it wasn't going to evolve that minute, but Beat wanted it to remember his kindness when it was a bloodthirsty sea monster all the same).

Finally making it to the buffet, Beat let go of Ben's hand and searched the table. Since Chinchou were from the bottom of the sea, he guessed seafood would be the best food of choice. He quickly grabbed a plate and tossed an array of sliced, broiled, fried, and raw fish onto it, topping it off with some weird little shrimp-like things. He got quite a few stares from the other people at the buffet.

'Alright,' he said, balancing the plate on one hand. 'Do you want something, Ver?' The Poochyena nodded and padded up to the table, looking expectantly upwards - she couldn't see the chicken, but she could smell it. Putting it on a separate plate, Beat and Verdani walked over to the table Ben had sat down at.

'...You're not gonna eat anything?' he asked his companion, giving him the raised eyebrow. Afrit was going at the food like there was no tomorrow, but his owner seemed distant, looking pointedly away from the food. Frowning, Beat made a mental note to ask Ben about it later. But right now...

With the plates safely on the table, Beat lifted Verdani up and set her onto the tablecloth, thankful that she had at least wiped her paws before coming inside - he still earned titters from a nearby table, full of middle-aged women and their cat Pokemon. 'Oh, come on,' he muttered. 'It's not any different than a Glameow.' He then pulled out the Chinchou's Pokeball, releasing the Angler Pokemon on the table. Under the lights it seemed even more pale, seeming to shrink in on itself. Beat gently pushed the plate of fish towards it, Verdani watching closely.

'I'm going to go... I guess the term is ‘flirt’? with that guy up there.' Beat looked up, his dreads swinging art the motion. 'Hey, uh, don't you want me to come wi...' Rolling his eyes, the tall man leaned back in his chair and watched as Ben's Murkrow flew up to the second floor, trainer following suit. He hoped the Chinchou was a fast eater - he did not want to leave Ben alone with a bunch of Magma officers while in drag.

The Chinchou stared at the food, a tightness forming in its stomach. It looked and smelled good, but he didn't feel like eating - or doing anything else, really. Growing softly, Verdani padded across the the table to him, picking up a piece of shrimp in her jaws and holding it out. The Chinchou, after a moment of hesitation, took the shrimp and put it in its mouth.

'Well, you've got that covered.' Beat stood, pushing back his chair and beginning to walk away. 'If you need me, I'll be, uh...looking for the bathroom.' The Poochyena nodded and continued to try and feed the Chinchou, taking little bites herself.

☼

Walking as casually up the stairs as he could, Beat paused to look down into the main room. It was almost dizzying from this height - and there was still a lot of space above him before the ceiling started. A small swarm of Volbeat and Illumise clung to the chandelier, no doubt part of the grand finale. From his vantage point he could see Verdani and the Chinchou; the little fish seemed to be eating now and Beat sighed with relief.

The top of the stairs was deserted, but he could hear voices and the flapping of wings in the hall. He double-checked his belt pocket - he didn't want to pull out Stahl in such a cramped space, but if they were found out he'd have no choice. The key was not to get discovered.

[Rasu]

The party was at it's best. Battles both inside and outside, fast-paced music, guests having interesting conversations and much more. All this and Khezu had to be stuck serving drinks. He hoped to find the other Aqua agents soon so that he got to do something other than walking around with a tray on his hand, empty or not. He was enjoying the party and the mission but not being able to enjoy it to its fullest annoyed him. Whenever he managed to get a break he would sit down and relax while he could but this time he took out Lucille's Pokeball. He wasn't sure why, though. Maybe he just wanted to look at his most recent catch? Or maybe he just had nothing better to do? Whatever it was it ended up in Lucille breaking out of the ball. Khezu seemed confused as he didn't press the button while the pup ran circles around him. Soon after she ran off to the crowd, leaving a trail of confused people behind.

"What... What just happened here...!" Khezu soon realized that he had to chase the pup down or else it would surely cause trouble. He left the tray on a nearby table and ordered Double S to follow him as he went through the same path as the Houndour. The Aipom was equally confused but he knew that when Khezu gave him an order then he must follow it. The dog was clearly heading up the stairs to the second floor. Khezu didn't know much about what was exactly going on in that party but he sure knew that something important was happening on the second floor and, in order to keep his disguise until he found the others, he had to stop Lucille no matter what.

"Slinger, try to jump on her and stop the damn pup." he ordered to the Aipom following right behind him. Hearing this the small monkey took a sprint and managed to take a grip on the Houndour's stubby tail with the hand on his own tail. Moments after he dragged his way onto the pup's back while it started climbing up the stairs. Khezu soon caught up and held the dog in place, making Slinger fall off the Houndour and face-plant straight into one of the steps. Khezu soon returned the dog to her Pokeball and picked up the Aipom before realizing where he was. The chase around the mansion trying to get the pup ended up near an almost drunk guy and a girl in a red, long dress.

"Oh.. Uh.. I'm sorry for the inconvenience my Houndour may have caused.. I- Oh, wow, the view is beautiful from here." he noted that he could see the whole party from here. Guests dancing gracefully near the stage, people picking up food at the buffet (and this reminded Khezu that he hadn't eat since he got there) and a lonely table with a Poochyena who seemed to be feeding a... Chinchou? Khezu quickly continued his apologies, which he forgot the moment he took a glimpse at the view.

"Anyway, can I get you something?"

[knil1]

casually followed the couple into the dining area. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but Ardaine eyed the grand display as though she had been fasting for a year or two. Aglaia also eyed the buffet, but she did it ladylike, sitting properly and examining each section from the distance.

Jened wasn’t that hungry and figured he could make something like that at home anyways. Not to mention, he had no doubt in his mind that some of it might have been frozen before it was cooked.
He didn’t typically let Ardaine serve herself, but under the circumstances, he let her prove herself. Keeping a low profile was important to him.

Ardaine bolted to the buffet, Aglaia trotting behind her. Once they reach the beginning of it, Aglaia held a tray in her mouth as Ardaine walked down the line and picked plates up and set them on the tray. When Aglaia wanted a dish, she would sit casually and motion her paw towards the food. Ardaine would quickly run over to it and add it to their platter.
By the time they were finished, Ardaine had piled so much food, that they both had to carry the tray in their mouths.
It was an orderly, not to mention cute, way of getting things done, but Ardaine knew how to push herself.

As the Pokémon were returning, Jened looked for the Magma agents standing guard. There were two on the stairs, one in front of the supposed secret passage, the two bouncers at the front door, and the handful strewn about in the mix of party-goers.

The two fire-type Pokémon sat at their trainers’ feet, completely forgetting that they had to get the food on the table. Jened bent over and lifted them up, along with their tray, and marveled that they had actually taken so much.
“I hope you guys realize we still have business to do. You might not get to finish your meals.”

When the Rebel looked back up, he noticed one of the men on the stairs was missing. He also noticed that the girl he was spying on had went upstairs to retrieve her Murkrow.
‘How clever…’

Soon enough, the other man on the steps had left his post to follow the woman. Jened found this to be an extremely opportune moment.

He looked down at his Pokémon to give orders.
For a moment, Jened was completely motionless as he watched his new Vulpix toy with a fork between her paws. The fork proved difficult to use and she gave up on it. Without the distraction, Jened returned to giving his Pokémon orders.

“Ardaine, go up the staircase on the right. Somewhere over there should be the meeting room. Ardaine looked down at her food and whimpered. She hesitantly turned and jumped off the table. The Vulpix started behind her, but her trainer held her behind. “We’ll be doing something else Aglaia, don’t worry.” Jened looked around again and noticed the dreadlock guy was heading for the staircase as well.

The man at the secret passage had noticed the recent flow of people upstairs and decided to follow them to see what they were doing. Jened floated through the sea of people and interrupted the man. The couple and two Magmas might not be on his side, but Ardaine was up there as well.
“Excuse me sir.” The Rebel agent tried to sound as serious as possible. “I overheard some people talking about being members of another faction. I hate to be a tattle-tale, but that group of kids over there.” He pointed to a group of kids dressed in Magma uniforms. The man redirected his route to the kids.

Jened felt bad about doing that, but he didn’t care all that much.

~~~

With the passage unguarded, Jened took the chance to sneak over to it. Aglaia followed and eyed all of the pretty dresses and ribbons as she trotted by. She snuck close to one woman and returned to her trainer with a black satin ribbon around her neck.

Jened looked at her, more puzzled as to how she tied it rather than how she got it, and returned his attention to the wall. It was a typical wall, nothing suspicious about it. There was a nearby chair and side table with an ordinary vase and flowers on it. A bookshelf was nearby, but it was too small to be the typical secret bookshelf. The Rebel rubbed his hands against the wall, trying to find some entryway.

Aglaia started growling as Harriet, the tiny violist from before, appeared behind Jened. “Umm. There’s a keypad under the vase. I think the code is 02534. I can’t really remember…”
Jened was shocked and turned around. “How do you know that?”
“I came here for the same reason you did, and for the same people. I was eying this place, and by using the hidden camera above you, I could get the code.” Jened looked above him, but couldn’t see any sign of a camera, hidden or otherwise. “I was going to go through, but I bet you’ll be better at it. Besides, I have to return to the Orchestra.”

Jened looked behind her and saw John standing and moving around emphatically as he played solo non-stop. “I don’t know if you’re still needed.”
“I must return anyways. I can keep an eye out for you.” The girl spun around and walked back to the stage, trying as hard as possible to keep from getting near people.

Jened saw that the Magma agent was still talking to the kids and he walked over to the vase. He lifted it and punched in the code. The floor below the chair slid back and revealed a staircase going down. He looked around and saw that nobody took notice of it, so he snuck in and the floor returned to its original position.

~~~
‘Ok, up the stairs to the lef- no, to the right…. Right? Right.’ Ardaine grinned to herself as she hopped up the stairs.
‘Looking for a room with old humans… without getting seen by any kind of human…’ The Growlithe began to hop faster up the stairs when she heard jingling behind her. A tall human, not as tall as her human, was coming up the steps behind her.
She rushed up them and found herself in a dark hallway. She ran down the hall and heard voices. More humans were up here.

She noticed the female human her human was eyeing before, standing with another male human. Ardaine continued down the hall, getting past the two as silently and quickly as possible, which she prided herself on. She walked down the hall and heard talk of another Pokémon up there.
‘Ok, first, find room, and then find secret passage. Avoid humans and maybe make friends with Pokémon if you find it…’

Ardaine ran down the hall, taking note of anything she passed. She heard voices coming from one of the rooms and walked over to it.
‘Yes, definitely humans in here.’ Ardaine looked around and found a random object in the darkness. It felt like a very smooth rock and a very good item to point out which room it was. She set the rock next to the door and continued down the hallway.

Soon enough, Ardaine had found another thing that she was looking for. A Murkrow was in the hallway, right in front of her.
‘Hey, aren’t you with the female? Anyways, I think you would like to know that the secret room is back there. I put a rock next to the door so you can find it. I have to find my human now. Bye!’Ardaine chatted and ran, leaving the new Pokémon without a chance to say anything.

The Growlithe grew bored of looking for a secret passage, and decided to turn around. She walked back in the rooms and closets she had already investigated, just hoping to find something she didn’t find earlier.
Then in one room she found something.
A Vulpix with golden paws was gnawing on a latch, and voices were coming up from below her.
“Come on Aglaia, you can get it.” Ardaine’s trainer was speaking to Aglaia through the floor.

The fire pup happily hopped over to them and helped the Vulpix lift the hatch.

Jened looked at his Pokémon, and noticed Ardaine was confused.
“The passage had stairs that went under the house, which led to stairs that went up, which led us here. Now I’m assuming you found the room, seeing as how you’ve had so much time…”
Ardaine nodded and yipped.