Magna City Shining Congress – Commission for Directed Evolution

[Jackie Cat]

Laura pocketed the two halves of her broken pencil, and took a steadying breath. Herman was fiddling with his console, the Gardevoir's tired eyes now avid at the readings he was getting.

"If we're gonna make it out of here with Betel's body, we'll probably have to deal with him. Be careful, though – he's been here a lot longer than us, and he's gotta be pretty bloody strong. 'Iridium' is a knight and the other two personas go on field duty."

With Herman entranced, maybe she could slip away, too...

 

[Inkedust]

"Perhaps, but we have consistently exceeded the bounds when it comes to power. However, I will be careful and will call for backup if need be."

And with that, 'Cherry' immediately straightened, like she just realised something. "Ah!" she exclaimed, patting around her coat. "Scalpels! I need some scalpels for this." She looked at Dave and let out a small, frustrated titter. "Sorry Tenderloin," she cooed, "looks like we will have to wait for a moment longer while I find where I left my tools to collect a sample from you. Don't be alarmed, it shouldn't hurt too much – at least not at first," she added with a sultry laugh.

Before anyone else could say anything, 'Cherry' bolted out the door. She managed to keep her expression cheerful, the illusion hiding the determined glint in her eyes.

"Where is this zoroark currently?" asked Bellatrix over the communications. "Which guise has he taken?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

'In the central command center, as an ARK Unit,' Jade replied, still keeping her eyes on him from under the table. A Zoroark, he was a Zoroark. Sage really was the first ARK unit on Forlas after all. But this guy... he must've been real familiar with the species—his illusion was perfect.

'We gotta be careful, though,' Jade warned. 'There's like, five other radio guys in here. And some of these old computer-type things are hooked up to Betel. I don't wanna risk starting a fight and them getting hurt. At least, not before we figure out how to get them out of here. I... might need a little bit of help with that last bit, though.'

 

[Cresselia92]

Jesse Stranger got to his feet, rubbing his temple like he was buffing out a dent in metal. "Hold up, son. What's the occasion? You wouldn't be flappin' gums at my doorstep if everythin' were tickin' smooth up top..." His eyes narrowed. "The frog ain't around, is he? Fine, let's ditch this hole."

“Yup! Frog and half of the Covenant is on a ‘field trip’, we could say,” he responded with nonchalance. Tired of hanging on the port, Silver let himself drop back on the floor with a dull thud. “So it’s now or who-knows-when!”

The Delphox stepped up to the cell door, gritting his teeth.

"Ain't you got the code fer the cell? No, 'course not."

He reached a paw through the viewing hatch and snapped his digits. A bright flame sputtered to life at the tips.

"Oughta be a numberpad," he instructed. "Four digits, could tell from the sound. See if y'can tell which ones from the surface bein' worn away – Greninja've got pretty acidic skin oils. Won't be more'n twenty-four possible combinations if so."

Silver looked up at the tiny flame. “Aah, gotcha! Thanks for the light and the heads-up.”

With that said, the Sneasel checked the door once again, and sure enough, he spotted a keypad.

123
456
789
*0#

Upon closer inspection, Silver could see that some numbers were slightly faded. “Five, six and zero… no known fourth number…” he muttered out loud, pointing his claw at each digit, then began tapping his chin. “Hmm, okay, time for some old-fashioned code-breaking, then.”

Once assured once again that nobody else was around, Silver pressed his ear to the door and began pressing the known numbers to memorize their beeps. At least Petrel’s lessons had some use now, despite their obvious questionable purpose.

As he pondered what digit to use try as his fourth digit, a flurry of telepathic messages rang through his brain, like a bunch of delayed notifications on a Pokégear.

"This is Laura," she sent over the telepathic network. "Some of us in the CDE's understructure are demonstrating Radiance as part of our cover. Silver's gone off on his own somewhere, probably to look for captives. Jade's gone to a central structure we think might be the control room of this whole place..."

'Parallax is here? Parallax the... Umbreon? He didn't... the guy who just came in was an ARK Unit. He's going by Neo over the radio.'

"It's the same fucking guy," she swore in her head. "All those 'mon checking on us – it was the same FUCKING GUY every time! "He's a Zoroark. 'ARK Unit' Neo is a fucking Zoroark."

"Where is this zoroark currently?" asked Bellatrix over the communications. "Which guise has he taken?"

'In the central command center. We gotta be careful, though,' Jade warned. 'There's like, five other radio guys in here. And some of these old computer-type things are hooked up to Betel. I don't wanna risk starting a fight and them getting hurt. At least, not before we figure out how to get them out of here. I... might need a little bit of help with that last bit, though.'

What? A Zoroark? Silver huffed, not appreciating the fact that they had been fooled so easily. But that wasn’t a priority at the moment since that changeling was busy with something else. He quickly relayed his own findings.

“Um, guys? Silver reporting here.” The Sneasel frowned. Gods, he sounded like one of those Rocket grunts speaking to an Admin. ”Yeah, huh, I found Jesse Stranger. He’s locked up in a cell with a keypad. Four-numbered code, and the confirmed digits are 5, 6 and 0. I’m gonna work on decoding this lock. Any suggestions or clues for what could be this fourth digit so that I can speed things up?”

 

[Jackie Cat]

“Five, six and zero… no known fourth number… Hmm, okay, time for some old-fashioned code-breaking, then.”

“Um, guys? Silver reporting here. Yeah, huh, I found Jesse Stranger. He’s locked up in a cell with a keypad. Four-numbered code, and the confirmed digits are 5, 6 and 0. I’m gonna work on decoding this lock. Any suggestions or clues for what could be this fourth digit so that I can speed things up?”

Jesse made an impatient noise in his throat.

"C'mon, kid. One a' them'll be a repeatin' number. Ain't worth sweatin'. That's, what – three sets of twelve? And I'm pretty sure it ends in the double digit, from how it sounded when he punched in the code."

Laura cut in through the telepathic net as Jesse was speaking.

"Can the digits repeat, Silver? Either way... Sounds like a dex number, maybe? Try zero first, see if it's one of those."

If both Jesse's guess and Laura's were correct, then there were only two possible codes: 0566 and 0655.

If Silver entered the latter, he'd be rewarded with a green light, and a click of the lock...

 

[Inkedust]

"Dropping his guise and revealing him to be a mole should create large enough of a distraction. A shame, I doubt neither side anticipated this, but we must not waste the opportunity."

'Cherry' wandered through the halls, occasionally greeting any passing scientist or worker in her usual 'Cherry' manner as she kept a lookout for Jade's location. Bellatrix carefully considered her approach, mildly frustrated that there would be around five other Covenant operators she would need to contend with. This would have been far, far easier if she were alone with this other zoroark but she would need to maintain her performance for just a while longer.

When she reached her destination, she prepared herself for a spectacle. The door was locked so she couldn't just waltz on in unless Jade was kind enough to unlock it but before she said or did anything...

"Jade. There are one of two ways I can go about this. Either you unlock the door and allow me in, or I cause a commotion on this side to try and draw them out. Either way, it will be a spectacle."

 

[Chibi Pika]

“Um, guys? Silver reporting here. Yeah, huh, I found Jesse Stranger. He’s locked up in a cell with a keypad.

Jade's heart skipped a beat. 'You found Jesse in the lockup? Is Starr in there?'

"Jade. There are one of two ways I can go about this. Either you unlock the door and allow me in, or I cause a commotion on this side to try and draw them out. Either way, it will be a spectacle."

Jade's ears flattened, her tail lashing. 'What??' Bellatrix was coming in here now? Why? How was that going to—what was an ambush supposed to accomplish during a stealth heist?!

Jade screwed her eyes shut, scratching at her scalp. Okay, it sounded like Bellatrix was not going to take no for an answer, so whatever was the least horribly conspicuous option sounded best. She reached for the shadows again, easier the second time, and slipped unseen past the radio operators, Neo among them. Jade slid the key into the lock and it gently clicked.

'It's open, but... can—can we think this through and make a plan first? I need help getting Betel out of here.' She threw a worried glance back at the console, lit with the ethereal glow of Betel's true form. As far as she was concerned, Neo was irrelevant and the only thing that mattered was getting Betel out of the command center.

 

[Chibi Pika]

'I mean, with your illusions, you're the one best equipped to getting in here without blowing our cover, right?' Jade hastily added. 'We could grab Betel without anyone even seeing us, right?'

 

[Inkedust]

"I can do that," Bellatrix replied. "But how do you intend to get Betel out when surrounded by those operators? Would it not be logical to try and draw them away?"

 

[Butterfree]

"Forty-six seconds to full charge, impressive," Herman remarked, consulting his pocketwatch. He glanced back at Dave, as if taking note of his physical condition. "Any lingering side-effects? Dizziness? Nausea? Stars in your vision?"

Dave closed his eyes to focus, the lightheadedness of Radiance slowly ebbing away, replaced by wary alarm. "Nah," he said, struggling to keep his attention visibly on Herman while straining to listen for anything new over the Betel network. "I'm good."

And then the messages did come in. Silver had found Jesse Stranger. Betel was a Porygon (wait, that dumb virtual assistant was a real Pokémon here?) and Jade had found them, only Parallax had waltzed in there with her - as a Type: Null. A Zoroark, who was also Mercury and Iridium. What the fuck.

And with that, 'Cherry' immediately straightened, like she just realised something. "Ah!" she exclaimed, patting around her coat. "Scalpels! I need some scalpels for this." She looked at Dave and let out a small, frustrated titter. "Sorry Tenderloin," she cooed, "looks like we will have to wait for a moment longer while I find where I left my tools to collect a sample from you. Don't be alarmed, it shouldn't hurt too much – at least not at first," she added with a sultry laugh.

Did she just call him fucking 'Tenderloin'? "Is she always fucking like this?" he asked Herman as she left the room. (Did the Covenant not have, like, an HR department? Why had she not been fired at least a dozen suggestive nicknames ago?)

(He resisted the urge to send Just so you know, Bellatrix, this is not my fucking kink. For her sake he would generously give her the benefit of the doubt and assume this was not her idea of actually flirting with him. Generously.)

 

[Cresselia92]

If both Jesse's guess and Laura's were correct, then there were only two possible codes: 0566 and 0655.

If Silver entered the latter, he'd be rewarded with a green light, and a click of the lock...

Silver didn’t think about it twice. He pressed the buttons in rapid succession, and sure enough, the door opened with a satisfying click. “Hell yeah!” Silver cheered, his tail wagging a little. He promptly stopped and glared at it once he realized, though.

The Sneasel stepped back to let Jesse out. Now that he could see the Delphox properly, Silver realized in the amount of ‘sorry’ in Jesse’s state, and it was plenty.

“Um… You good, man?” he asked, a faint hint of worry ringing through his voice, and he rummaged into his bag. From it, he produced a Sitrus berry and a Leppa berry which he extended to Jesse. “There, take this. If we wanna get outta here without a hitch, we oughta be in tip top shape, dontcha agree?”

'You found Jesse in the lockup? Is Starr in there?'

Jade’s mental message made Silver freeze on his spot. “I, well, I dunno if Starr’s here. Like, there definitely isn’t a Torracat in Jesse’s cell, but maybe she’s here somewhere…?’ He eyed the corridor, unsure if he sounded reassuring enough. ‘I’ll make use of whatever time I can get, at least. A distraction to keep the guards away wouldn’t hurt, either.’

Silver turned back to Jesse, hoping that he didn’t zone out too much. What was he saying to the fox… ah, right!

“…But first, I gotta find someone called Starr, a Torracat. My team and I believe she might be imprisoned here, too.” He paused to let the words sink in, then flashed a determined stare. “And even if she isn’t here, I gotta find out where else she could be. If you wanna leave, I won’t stop you,” he smirked before adding, “but I bet it would be very cathartic to get back at ‘em losers for keeping you trapped here, huh?”

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I can do that," Bellatrix replied. "But how do you intend to get Betel out when surrounded by those operators? Would it not be logical to try and draw them away?"

Jade exhaled slowly, centering herself. She couldn't deny that, even with an illusion to hide behind, it was a daunting prospect with all of them sitting so close. One wrong step...

'Okay, drawing them away might work. But if you're the distraction, then even if I do manage to get Betel out of the command center, I'll still need your cover once we're out on the main floor, otherwise everyone out there will see us.'

 

[Inkedust]

"I will not be going anywhere," Bellatrix affirmed. She took a moment to decide just what to do for a distraction before settling on something that would push the extent of her illusions. Her mind settled on the kleavor they'd encountered in Tyrrier (Bellatrix had the sneaking suspicion that Garnet forgot all about him after the disappointment of the Radiant Dungeon). It'd do.

In an instant, 'Cherry' found herself crumpled to the floor, covered in large gashes. She grabbed her shoulder, nursing a particularly nasty wound that would bleed out if not attended to. The room became a mess (as Bellatrix tipped over chairs and desks), torn apart by the large, imposing figure of Pewter who bore a sense of pride over his handiwork. Yet his expression was dominated by a seething hatred of the medicham that laid before him.

"Get ready."

Bellatrix steeled herself and then, 'Cherry' screamed.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"Is she always fucking like this?" he asked Herman as she left the room. (Did the Covenant not have, like, an HR department? Why had she not been fired at least a dozen suggestive nicknames ago?)

Herman looked up from his notes, watching the Medicham prance off. "This is... a marked increase over the norm," he admitted, his voice soaked with exasperation. "I had half a mind to ask if your group had run into her at the gin mill before coming here. Or the apothecary."

But then, the air was split by a sudden scream—

 

[Jackie Cat]

“Um… You good, man?” he asked, a faint hint of worry ringing through his voice, and he rummaged into his bag. From it, he produced a Sitrus berry and a Leppa berry which he extended to Jesse. “There, take this. If we wanna get outta here without a hitch, we oughta be in tip top shape, dontcha agree?”

Jesse snatched the berries from Silver's paw and devoured them in seconds, before sighing with profound relief as their energy returned a portion of his strength to him.

"Thanks, kid. I'm fine – more'n fine now. Just you watch, an' I'll fuckin' show you what that means."

He strode along the corridor with vendetta in his gait.

“…But first, I gotta find someone called Starr, a Torracat—”

"She ain't here," Jesse interrupted, flashing a grimace at the Sneasel. "Shipped out weeks or months ago, after our li'l shindig we put on. Some other facility, built to test Radiance in a combat environment. C'mon, let's get gone already."

The Delphox stormed up towards the CDE laboratory level with his jaw clenched. As he turned a corner, the Bisharp guard from before started at the sight of him, and reached for a wonder orb at his belt.

Jesse snapped his digits at the 'mon, and the air around him flashed orange as Bisharp was engulfed in flames.

Jesse used Magical Fire! OHKO!!

"Sorry 'bout this, son," growled the sheriff. "Just doin' yer job, I know. Still – don't be gettin' up, now."

 

[Jackie Cat]

With Herman distracted, and things heating up in the command centre, Laura slipped out of the lab to follow after Bellatrix. She needed to be wherever she'd be most useful, and helping Jade make off with a cosmologically significant Porygon sounded like it was more pressing a priority than humouring Herman...

In an instant, 'Cherry' found herself crumpled to the floor, covered in large gashes. She grabbed her shoulder, nursing a particularly nasty wound that would bleed out if not attended to. The room became a mess (as Bellatrix tipped over chairs and desks), torn apart by the large, imposing figure of Pewter who bore a sense of pride over his handiwork. Yet his expression was dominated by a seething hatred of the medicham that laid before him.

"Get ready."

Bellatrix steeled herself and then, 'Cherry' screamed.

Laura improvised, leaping into the role of hapless mediator.

"Hey!" she shouted, allowing herself to sound plaintive and adolescent. "We can talk this out! Whatever wong's been done to you, I'm sure we can make it right!"

She put herself between the 'injured' 'Medicham' 'Cherry' and the illusory Kleavor. Credit to Bellatrix, he was an impressively intimidating fake. Howls, she could see bloodshot eyes on the fucker...

"What the hell is going on back there?" came the voice of 'Neo'.

The Commission's Director, in chimera-guise, stormed over from the command centre proper to the administrative inset by the entrance. His expression was unreadable through his Type: Null mask, but his eyes were dark and his voice edged enough to make his mood clear.

"Get out," he snapped, rearing up to attack with a vicious Shadow Claw.

Laura quietly dove to the side and past him, dashing for cover between items of furniture. All she had to do was draw dramatically less attention than everything else. And right now, that was trivially easy...

 

[Butterfree]

Bellatrix steeled herself and then, 'Cherry' screamed.

Dave looked up, ears flattening. Laura's voice echoed from the corridor. "You know what, I'm not even going to bother. Cherry probably deserves whatever fight she's got herself into." He looked at Herman's machinery. Better to just keep him occupied as long as possible. "What kinds of readings do you get from that, anyway?"

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade slipped back into the shadows just in time for Neo to come barreling past her, thoroughly focused on the illusory Kleavor wreaking haovc in the entry hall. She could help but shudder, catching a glimpse of the bloodlust in the illusion's eyes. Well, hopefully that'd keep his attention for a little while then. Jade met Laura's eye and motioned with a paw before drawing on the Shadow Sneak once again, vanishing into the main room.

'Not much longer now, we're coming Betel.'

 

[Chibi Pika]

Herman jolted as Cherry's scream broke the air. He leaned his head out from the office, glancing around the main floor. Nothing was outwardly amiss; the diversion taking place within the admin hall of the command center would not be visible from the outside. But...

Dave looked up, ears flattening. Laura's voice echoed from the corridor. "You know what, I'm not even going to bother. Cherry probably deserves whatever fight she's got herself into." He looked at Herman's machinery. Better to just keep him occupied as long as possible. "What kinds of readings do you get from that, anyway?"

Herman blinked, giving Dave a double take. "I... wh—" His gaze slid to the machine, and the golden Wonder Orb pulsing softly in the extraction chamber. It was written all over his face how little he wanted to get mixed up with whatever Cherry had gotten involved in.

"Well..." he began, pointing out a few of the dials, "these readings are just related to the input's energy signature. Wavelength, intensity, falloff, that sort of thing. You know, Exotic energies like radiance fall outside the ordinary eighteen-type spectrum so we had to get a little creative with how to measure it." He pointed at a few of the dials that weren't currently engaged and had sat at zero. "These ones, on the other hand, are related to measuring how a test subject's aura responds to Radiant exposure, so..."

The Gardevoir's words trailed off as he found himself glancing out at the main floor in spite of himself. He sighed heavily. "Are we sure it's nothing...?"