Frontier Town Sun Stone Saloon

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion felt a chill go down his spine. “They don’t fucking hate everyone that isn’t human, they want to save everyone in their own way, where they and their human strengths are the only way to do it.

He shot a glare at Odette. “So yeah, maybe you’re not gonna start eating the locals for dinner, but I can see you getting convinced you need them— their tech, their strength, their information— to save everyone. ‘Cause at this rate I’m not sure they’re even gonna need to try to convince you.”

Gladion paused. Being pissed at Odette was easy. What he heard next was harder: Wes. He swallowed his nerves and dared to speak anyway, feeling compelled to try in spite of how much he didn’t want to risk driving anything between them.

“I… Wes, what do you mean? I didn’t expect you of all… I mean… What about the labs, what would we do? Grab some Shadow victim and turn them over to the Coven to have a lab day with because they’re a politically expedient bargaining chip? I… I just…”

The fight drained from his voice. “Why?”

 

[Namohysip]

"...Also," Mhynt finally spoke up, the trembling of her hand finally stilled. "I do not think we should use that encounter with the Shadow Charmeleon as an example of all Shadow Pokemon. They may be stronger, but I do not think the strength growth will be as dramatic as what you saw there.

"I do not think that Charmeleon was normal from the outset," she said. "...I believe he is one of our own. Which means... despite our 'offworld' status, we, too, are vulnerable to that corruption.

"...I know him."

 

[HelloYellow17]

"If you want to try it anyway off the hope you'll see through their heads and figure out their intentions, then go ahead, but I'm not going to be a part of that."

Wes realized he recognized this Sneasel, from their very first crash-landing in Blaguarro. She’d seemed a rather quiet and flighty thing then, but he realized now that she had a hell of a bite. He almost respected it…were it not for the fact that she was the least helpful mon in the room at the moment.

“You sure have a lot to say, don’t you?” he bit back. “Tell me, are you always this charming? I see you’re happy to shut down every idea and insult every person in this room. If you’re so clever, then what do you suggest we do?”

“I… Wes, what do you mean? I didn’t expect you of all… I mean… What about the labs, what would we do? Grab some Shadow victim and turn them over to the Coven to have a lab day with because they’re a politically expedient bargaining chip? I… I just…”

Gladion’s faltering tone was like a knife in Wes’s chest. Gods dammit. Of everyone in this room, Wes had thought that Gladion would have understood him best. Seeing Gladion be so quick to doubt him felt almost like a betrayal, of sorts.

Wes fought to keep his voice steady. “I’m not for one second proposing we trust them. I’m suggesting we use them. Don’t get the two confused.” He grimaced. “Look, like I said, I despise these guys and what they stand for. I’d rather not spend another second in their company. But…you weren’t there, Gladion. You didn’t see that Shadow Charmeleon. It would have killed every last one of us if something hadn’t conveniently scared it off. And there’s more of them out there, gods know how many, and if what the Voice says is right, they’re increasing by the day. We have to do something, but we don’t have the tools or the power to deal with them alone.”

He cleared his throat and again tried to ignore the many eyes on him. “I know we have to be careful about dealing with them. You have no idea just how aware of that I am. But right now, our best shot at tackling this problem is using every resource at our disposal. I’m not saying we go charging in without a plan, and neither is Odette.” He gave her another nod. “But this organization is dangerous, and they’ve made it clear that we won’t be able to just ignore them. We can’t afford to fight them either, at least not outright, until we know more. And in the meantime, we might as well exploit them for everything they’re worth.”

He then turned his gaze back to Isidora, and when he spoke, his anger morphed into a calm, icy fury that laced with his every syllable. “And if you think for one second that I’ll ‘succumb’ to those people, then you don’t know a damn thing about me. Just because you’re so weak-willed, doesn’t mean the rest of us are. Don’t go lumping me in with them. Don’t you dare.”

 

[Butterfree]

Dave watched the whole back-and-forth grimly. “Okay, who the fuck is talking about trusting their information? We’re not trusting shit they say, obviously. Even if they were the world’s most sincere bunch of racists, these idiots who claim to represent the enlightenment haven’t even bothered to attempt to test their most basic beliefs, or else burned the results when they didn’t like them and then told everyone it’s fucking untestable non-overlapping magisteria. I’m not a fan of handing anyone over to their labs, either. We can see what we can get out of them about what kinds of tests they’d want to do and then judge for ourselves whether they make any fucking sense and if we should try them.”

He took a breath. “But,” he growled, “I’m pretty certain their interest in shadow Pokémon is legit. Nolan actually thinks this Wolf guy is a shadow human with full faculties intact and that he’s behind this somehow. The guy did refuse to give any other kind of help, don’t know what whoever mentioned Nolan’s ‘forces’ was talking about, but getting to the bottom of that would at least be a win for the people of Blaguarro, and guess what? We’re not going to take that at face value either. Obviously we’d interrogate the Wolf and hear what he has to say about what’s going on and then we see what’s next.

“And… hold on, what the fuck do you mean you know him?”

 

[Namohysip]

You didn’t see that Shadow Charmeleon. It would have killed every last one of us if something hadn’t conveniently scared it off.

Mhynt looked pained for a split second, but she closed her eyes and nodded. "...He was resisting," she said quietly.

She eyed Wes closely, then Gladion, sensing the exchange getting rapidly personal. Deep in a way that she didn't quite know the full scope of. Still...

Speaking louder now, she said, "I think there is some middle ground here," she said. "I do not believe we should get too close with them until we know the full scope of their influence. That Charmeleon is also strong-willed, but some people have ways to make the will... irrelevant. There are ways to control the strong-willed. Forcefully or coercively. And until we know the full scope of either of these forces we're up against, we should be careful how vulnerable we make ourselves in the name of information gathering. We are numerous, but against organization, every one of us is valuable. We cannot operate on a high-risk of sacrifices.

"Not until we have more backing, more training, and... more power." she gestured to herself. "As it stands, we aren't even evolved and could barely handle a mayor and his town flunkies, and sparring matches were... similarly stacked. We haven't settled-in yet. At least, that is my opinion. We can't stay waiting forever, but perhaps some grazing dives could help us gather more information... if we plan an escape."

“And… hold on, what the fuck do you mean you know him?”

"We are from the same world," Mhynt replied. "I was..." A pause. Clearly evasive, she finished, "aware of his skills and abilities."

 

[JFought]

He then turned his gaze back to Isidora, and when he spoke, his anger morphed into a calm, icy fury that laced with his every syllable. “And if you think for one second that I’ll ‘succumb’ to those people, then you don’t know a damn thing about me. Just because you’re so weak-willed, doesn’t mean the rest of us are. Don’t go lumping me in with them. Don’t you dare.”

Up until now, Isidora had made it a specific point to never look Wes in the eyes. It was a thing you picked up about dog 'mon like him after having met enough lingering in the wrong circles. All the same story: hard-edged, yappy, with something to prove and obviously completely terrified. She knew from experience it was best to avoid eye contact, or it'd be taken as a challenge regardless of your intention and their'd be no going back. And really, even with the interesting new development from Mhynt, she had already decided she was done adding to this conversation. They could do whatever, genuinely.

Isidora glared straight through Wes' eyes. In a hiss quiet enough that most would miss but she knew he'd hear: "All bark. No bite."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Mhynt looked pained for a split second, but she closed her eyes and nodded. "...He was resisting," she said quietly.

Wes was surprised at the anguished look on Mhynt’s face, and realized a second too late that perhaps he’d been speaking too callously about someone who might be her friend. Oh, gods, she knew that Charmeleon. That thought brought a whole host of horrifying feelings, and suddenly he felt terribly for her.

“I’m…sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, not sure what to say. “If he really was resisting, then there’s still hope for him.” I think. I hope. He hoped the words didn’t sound too shallow.

Isidora glared straight through Wes' eyes. In a hiss quiet enough that most would miss but she knew he'd hear: "All bark. No bite."

Wes laughed, a joyless sound. “And where’s your bite, Princess? Because whining doesn’t count.” He smiled, flashing his fangs as he did so. “At least I’m trying to do something about all of this. More than I can say about you. Great job dodging my question, by the way.”

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt nodded at Wes, looking distantly thoughtful. At the very least, she didn't appear to be offended by the way the Charmeleon had been spoken of. If anything, she seemed concerned about it the same way one would be concerned for a relative's downward spiral...

 

[Shadow Serenity]

You didn’t see that Shadow Charmeleon. It would have killed every last one of us if something hadn’t conveniently scared it off. And there’s more of them out there, gods know how many, and if what the Voice says is right, they’re increasing by the day. We have to do something, but we don’t have the tools or the power to deal with them alone.

If nothing else, Kimiko was beginning to see why the two blue dogs had been at each other's throats. If the other one had half this one's attitude...

"Hey! Everyone chill out, or I'm gonna ask you to leave," she said, loud enough to be heard over the arguing. She wasn't sure she had the authority to do that, but she was also sure Greasewood wouldn't be pleased with the ruckus, so it was worth the threat, empty or not. Not to mention, they certainly didn't want Nolan overhearing any of this.

She looked in the rockruff's direction first. "I think we're all aware of the situation, thank you. No one needs to have their own miracle solution to be allowed to express their concerns."

Then she gestured to the crowd at large. "Look at how easily you get under each other's skin. And you wonder why others fear you being manipulated. It's so easy to rile you all up. It could happen to anyone, without them even realizing it. And let's not forget, anyone's actions here can reflect on our entire group. We need to find some kind of middle ground, or put it to a gods damned vote or something, I don't know. But we're not going to help anyone if we can't even find some damned coordination with each other."

With nothing more to add, and suddenly feeling self-conscious with so many eyes on her, she returned to mixing drinks, shooting a glance at Laura in the process. She wasn't sure whether or not that would help, but...

 

[Inkedust]

"Hold," Bellatrix enunciated, her tone of voice firm. The zorua was now sitting up straight, her ruff and mane beginning to stir.

"Let us not get into any arguments over hypotheticals or contests of will. There is a time and place to bear your fangs for Valour but such demonstrations are best reserved towards our foes." She looked over those among their group who had went to this "Bedaurejo Castle", her gaze thoughtful.

"I can understand the reservations," she said, "but let us get our bits of knowledge in order. We appeared to have encountered the two differing sides in a bitter ideological conflict - the Vanguard and the Covenant - the latter of which being the human supremacists that we had been warned about not long after our arrival." She tapped her paw. "It appears that this Vanguard simply wishes to keep their eye on us, ensure that we do not fall directly into the hands of our enemy. We can choose to remain in their good graces by electing to keep our business away from the Covenant, though it appears as if we don't know what such a thing will bring us.

"Compare this to the Covenant, who likely does have information we do not have and may or may not give it during any attempt to infiltrate. The question is a matter of asking if the value of said information outweighs any potential risk." She then looked towards those who had accompanied her to the meeting with Nolan. "Of course, that is not getting into the issue of the pool of candidates to do so; a pool that I, as a pokémon, am not a part of."

Bellatrix took a deep, reluctant breath. "I do not like it, I do not have to like it, however I have enough trust in the likes of Steven to do a fine enough job. I also believe that bringing up these aspects is necessary if we wish to move forwards with any plan. A plan that should be made and agreed upon as a group, mind you."

 

[Ambyssin]

A deep, but muffled sigh percolated through the room.

“I’m not trying to imply anyone’s going to get swayed by rhetoric,” Nova said. He was rummaging his bag. “Most of y’all who want to go spying seem too stubborn for that.” His talons grazed the smooth, round object he was looking for. Nova grabbed it.

“What I am worried about… is that your margin for error might be very slim.” Nova placed the poké ball on the ground for everyone to see. “Cuz it turns out these puppies exist on Forlas. And I don’t think many of you have plans for what happens if a poké ball catches you.”

He rolled it around on the ground. “Hopefully no one problematic has any and there’s nothing to worry about. And it’s just wild speculation from me. On the bright side, if I can find more, it could help with catching a shadow.”

 

[Tetra]

Stay calm... At least this time it wasn't him, it was Isidora. And for once he found himself vaguely agreeing with Wes. Vaguely.

"I'm with Odette and Jade," Koa said, finally speaking up. He spoke confidently, at least as much as he could. "Infiltrating is a smart play. And making more enemies than necessary here is probably a bad idea. If we can get anything useful from them that'll be a gain. And even if it's not, they might be a threat to the people here, so the more we know about them the better."

He glanced awkwardly at Mhynt. He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't even sure what the Charmeleon was himself, or if it truly had been resisting, or if he somehow was an offworlder too. "And I.. I don't know if it really is your friend but if it is maybe we can find a way to help them."

He was relieved when Nova spoke up, shifting the attention. Koa glanced at Nova, then at the pokeball, a brief flicker of surprise running through him. "Where did you find that?" he studied it closer, curious. "It looks a lot like a self releasing kind..." Maybe one of the humans summoned before replicated it here somehow? Fascinating. Probably not an issue though unless... Unless they made master balls here. Assuming that was possible, and they even functioned the same way.

"We might not have to worry too much, but maybe the technology here is better than we thought," he mused. A sudden thought rushed through him, impulsive, but it was hard to shake. He had to know...

"May I?" he reached out a paw to touch the ball, looking up at Nova hopefully, fully intending to try and catch himself.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I do not think that Charmeleon was normal from the outset," she said. "...I believe he is one of our own. Which means... despite our 'offworld' status, we, too, are vulnerable to that corruption.

"...I know him."

Jade blinked at Mhynt in surprise, taking more than a few moments to find her words.

“That’s… you’re sure? Like, really really sure?” Jade couldn’t pretend like she wouldn’t have been disturbed to encounter someone who looked and fought exactly like Firestorm… but also she would never have guessed that that was even possible.

…Then again, Mhynt came from a world full of things that sounded impossible. A world full of fallen gods and world creators and torment dimensions and who knows what else. Maybe she was just… primed to expect the impossible.

“If that’s really him, then… I’m sorry,” Jade said slowly. The realization was obviously weighing on the Treecko a lot…

But also, if it was possible for Mhynt to encounter someone she knew here, someone who wasn’t summoned by the cloud voice… that changed things.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Pick my own name...?​

But I would not know how to choose...​

I do not know what name would fit my soul.

I hardly even know any names...​

---

Laura's tail flicked back and forth in anxiety. So much for her attempt to find a middle ground and reason with both camps. And more and more wild shit kept cropping up... Mhynt knew the charmeleon?? Nova had found a pokéball?? Howls afar, this was out of left fucking field.

She winced at Kimiko as she tried to shut down the clamour, and then looked to Bellatrix as the fox called for order with a good deal of composure. Laura might resent the hell out of the Zorua, and it stung that she'd lucked out on scouting Terminal Two where her plan had failed, but if she was going to push for common ground and cooperation, she should start by accepting Bellatrix' help.

"Thank you," she said, swallowing her pride. "Bellatrix is right, everyone. We have to talk this out as a team."

She took a breath, and tried to think fast, before any more tempers flared up.

She turned her gaze to Isidora, Leaf, and Gladion.

"Nobody's trying to waltz into the Covenant without a good plan. Nobody here wants to cosy up to a secret society full of elitist pricks. We have good reasons to want to get eyes on the inside, and we could lose a critical advantage against them if we don't even try."

She glanced at Odette, Wes, and Jade.

"But if any of us are going to try to spy on this organisation, we should take warnings about the risks as seriously as possible. They're apparently subtle, persuasive, and silver-tongued – we can't be too cautious. They specialise in recruiting people like us. The more sure we are that we're the exception, the less safe we are."

Howls, she hoped this would work out.

"Everyone here wants to do the right thing," she said, firmly, "and we can't be sure what that is. We might have to take risks. But we're fucked unless we can give each other the benefit of the doubt."

Something clicked in Laura's brain. This was no Galar stadium, but the feeling was there, the feeling she could see the path to the end of the battle. Conviction. Have conviction, her noivern told her, over and over.

"There is one advantage we have that nobody else has ever had against the Covenant, if they really are some kind of cult. People get trapped in cults because they become isolated from everyone else, and turned against outsiders. We can counter that. If some of us try to get inside, their lifeline will be the one thing none of their ensnared idealists have: a secure line of communication to dozens of allies, through the voice that summoned us all here. But that'll only work if we're willing to trust each other.

"I said earlier that I've dealt with something similar, before. My best friend back home was a purrloin who got swept up by another shady organisation that's ostensibly 'helping' pokémon, and I've been trying to get her out by getting in. I guess I want to believe that it's not impossible to pull that off... but we can't get overconfident, or we're already screwed."

Her paws clenched, pricking her carpal pads with her claws. She thought of everything Valere had said at Bedaurejo.

"Also, whether we do it or not, we should try working with the Rangers at least, and any other local pokémon groups that could help deal with the Shadows, the Covenant, or whatever else is coming at us round the bend. The Escarpa Clan, the Wardens at Sunward, everyone who'll be affected by this stuff. I think... if we're gonna make a call about this, we should ask some Forlasan 'mon want they want us to do."

---

...I wonder if I should be considered a Forlasan pokémon...​

 

[Sinderella]

Odette stood by and let everyone talk over one another. She could have opened her mouth, but then she'd start yelling. She could feel Jawile's stem twitching as the jaws practically begged to be unchained to say what they wanted to say.

She shook her head to herself, silently listening to the back and forth. She returned Wes's nods every time he looked her way, showing her appreciation for him siding with her, especially in the face of Gladion's fumbling. And that electrike--another one of the kids, but she'd forgotten his name--also agreed. It was cool to know not everyone here had selective hearing.

She looked positively flabbergasted when everyone hopped on Wes’s dick when he spoke up to tell Isidora to stop talking. Where the hell was that energy five fucking minutes ago?

As she was gearing up to tell some folks where to fucking shove it, Laura started talking again. She bit her tongue as the meowth cautiously addressed the room, doing what she could to deescalate. And Odette didn’t want to be the one to bulldoze that attempt, as it was a very valiant one at that. With one last deadpan look at Wes, she exhaled heavily.

“I’ve also dealt with something similar,” she announced evenly. “I spent several combined months trying to infiltrate a nefarious cult back in my world with varying yet majorly high degrees of success. And they were a cult; there was nothing about them that could even be perceived as good or not dangerous. So please pardon my forcefulness; I just felt like I had enough experience to insist I knew what I was talking about.” Another calming breath. “But I should take my own advice. I don’t want to argue, I want to find answers. Even if it means compromise, which I’m more than open to.”

With a nod, she sat down. Gods, she couldn’t remember the last time she wanted her break to be over so quickly.

 

[Tetra]

Koa dug his paw into the floor as he listened to Laura, relieved she'd spoken up. He didn't trust himself to try and break up a fight, that was for sure. This wasn't like breaking up a spat between his own team back home.

The matter of this Covenant and the Vanguard the others had mentioned was... worrying, to say the least. Nothing the others said suggested they could trust the Vanguard either. And 'Nolan' sounded like bad news.

Turning away from Nova for a moment to focus on the issue at hand, he began to speak. "I agree with Laura. If we ask anyone, I think seeking out the Rangers opinions might be the safest route. They know the land and the pokemon the best. It doesn't sound like the Vanguard are going to help us yet, or if we can be sure we can even trust them. But Rangers are trusted by the people and will at least be able to tell us the most about this place I think... And they've actually offered some of us a spot. They'll help I think." It didn't sound like this Vanguard was keen on them yet, whatever their reasons.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion took a deep breath to steady himself. Getting worked up was a mistake. He just... couldn't help it. This was his chance to take a step back and think through this properly.

"There's a crucial difference between our position and getting one person in: There's a group of people here. They won't treat anyone from our group arriving as a new individual recruit, but as an exchange of power between our organizations. And as the organization who is very much holding the cards right now, and should rightfully be nervous about the arrival of a group that could upset the status quo, their goal will be to maintain it at all costs. They will, at best refuse any consolidation of power between our two groups. At worst, they wait to get whoever we offer up on their own, and start asking questions they might know the answers to— some they will, some they won't, and either we give up info for the ones they don't or risk feeding bad info they can verify and outing themself. Or just detain whoever says they want to get involved on the spot and call it a hazing ritual because they're already at a power advantage, so they can just take no risks.

"We would be, in theory, improving our best case odds of dealing them, and worst case making things a lot worse. But when they get to choose which of those two cases happen to us, they're gonna choose whichever one gives us a worse chance of upsetting their position."

 

[Phoenixsong]

"I didn't say we shouldn't try working with them," Leaf snapped. She was substantially less careful about making sure her pawing at the wood didn't leave a mark this time. Of course she didn't like it, of course it made her nervous, but she hadn't been flying off the handle about it like everyone else here. Oh joy, look at that, a bunch of screaming adults super eager to put words in her mouth or just dismiss her opinion. She'd really been hoping that was a one-off thing, but no such luck.

You didn't even try to give them that impression or explain yourself. Don't pretend you're immune to anger clouding your own judgment just because you aren't shouting about it.

Shut up shut up shut up— ugh. Not now. Annoying assumptions or not, Laura was right that everyone arguing wasn't helping. There were too many other ridiculous and deeply confusing facts flying around (someone Mhynt knew from her own world was here? Poké balls were here?) to waste time inventing new things to fight about.

"...you said it wasn't worth trusting them outright. I said that we had a connection that would help with fact-checking whatever we heard from them. I wasn't telling anyone else what to do, I was pointing out that there are other people who'll be good at working around whatever arguments they might use.

"...I'm sorry if that wasn't clear," she added sheepishly.

 

[MintyMimix]

Ghaspius let out a pensive hum as he observed the proceedings. Shadowy Pokémon, a human supremacist group touting themselves as light, a Vanguard that doesn't trust them, a strange ball, and dissent within their own group. He gave a smile to Laura. At least one person wanted to keep things cool. They would have to carefully consider all of the information and possible moves they could make, work together as group to come up with a plan, and—

I hardly even know any names...​

"Hey everyone hold up a 'sec, the Voice that's helpin' us through all this needs our help," the Misdreavus blurted out as he seemingly forgot about the tension of the room. "'Cause they need a name! I'm thinkin' somethin' super astral or spacey since our friend's equally out-of-this-world... like... Sol!"

His attention floated away just as he himself did across the room. "Oooh, wait, you like beetles, right? So maybe like... Beebee! Or Starbee! Wait, no, that's too close to Starmie, how about..." He began to mutter to himself indistinct possibilities, but his eyes pleaded to the others to make suggestions.

 

[Inkedust]

Bellatrix gave Laura a grateful nod at helping her defuse the situation. Annoyances aside, there was little to complain about how the meowth was currently handing the situation. She kept her attention focused on the following points being made, hoping to make a more objective judgement to calm things down further.

That was, of course, until the misdreavus created a more than sufficient distraction from the current topic. She was ready to chastise the ghost for the interruption only for him to make an even worse slight to her. In what world was there an educated man or 'mon who knew nothing about the very skies they lived under?

"Please," she began. "If you want to take this seriously, a more proper name would be in order. Insects are not my immediate thought when it comes to the Voice but stars? Far more befitting." Unfortunately for Bellatrix, Ghaspius' mention of bees and beetles did plenty in colouring her suggestions. "I personally prefer the likes of 'Betelgeuse' or 'Beemin' for our cloudy friend. 'Bee' or 'Betel' for short if it's too much of a mouthful," she said, placing a paw on her chest.