Novelux Dunsmuir Duel Dome

[Butterfree]

Dave's ears perked. Matthias. So they had a name for the Greninja. That was definitely progress. As was the theory that she was sheltering in a dungeon.

"So this 'strange character', if it was a Greninja, could you tell us any more about him? What was he ostensibly doing here? You say he was snooping...?"

Dave kept an eye on the Lopunny out of the corner of his eye. That guy sure didn't seem to want them to hear more about Matthias, did he.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"A dungeon dive? What a delightfully forthright suggestion!" declared Douglas. "It certainly would indicate your strength to me somewhat. Though we do like to 'put on a show' here at the Dome, the fights are real, and our champions are genuinely extraordinary fighters."

Julius shifted, as if unsure whether to usher his boss down this path and away from the topic of Matthias. "Perhaps a more stable dungeon, sir? I couldn't recommend anything especially risky in good conscience..."

"Indeed, well, I think this dashing young lady here can handle herself, considering she's with the Rangers, Julius. Have you no juice in you, man? What about the Rustworks, they'd be a good challenge, mmno?"

Sparkwright's fan blades rattled in their fittings. "The frog, Dunsmuir? I'd like to hear more about this 'Matthias'. Don't get distracted, now."

Douglas's eyes widened, and his lesser face tightened in concentration. Julius pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed.

"Ah, mmyes, of course!" boomed Douglas. "Could he be a Greninja, you asked? Well, he certainly fit the description. Exceptionally long tongue. Exceptional, oh yes. He, ah, said something about a federal agency, I don't know – I leave that sort of thing to my staff. Everything's very much above-board here, we don't truck with underhanded doping and rigging and other such skullduggery. Perish the damn thought. So I let him go about his business. Julius, you dealt with him, did you not? What was his business, exactly?"

Julius seemed to wither in place. "Ahkhm... Ah, well, he was on assignment from the CBI, sir. The Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation. Something about a terrorist investigation."

The same agency, in other words, that Nolan worked for when he wasn't carrying out Covenant business directly.

"My gods, man!" exclaimed Douglas. "I should hope you pulled out every stop for the lad, then. Can't be having this firebombing palaver in our city, whatever people's grievances. Vanguard connected, I'm sure. My word, you don't think he was looking for Mesa Blue, do you? That poor lass... Ah, speaking of her – she went only by her arena name, so I can't speak to her real one. However, something in my belly tells me she's sure to be that 'Brisa' girl you're looking for. She sure was a true battleheart, and definitely from the Frontier, oh yes."

Julius, his eyes closed and paws clasped, looked as if he was deep in prayer for relief from his predicament. Beside him, Sparkwright continued to listen in with naked curiosity.

 

[Butterfree]

Dave watched the three of them with interest. Douglas a naïve chatterbox blissfully revealing whatever, the Lopunny clearly trying to cover for Matthias and not very subtle about it, Sparkwright... on their side? At the very least he was just as interested in what'd happened to Brisa.

"The Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation, huh," he said. In other words, one of Nolan's fucking coworkers. "What all did he do here exactly? He met with her?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Douglas's second face frowned in consternation. "Mmno, I don't believe so. The impression I got was that he didn't find what he was looking for, and then Mesa Blue heard about it later and took to nerves about it... Is that about right, Julius?"

"I... suppose so," the Lopunny muttered.

Sparkwright's fan sped up a notch. "I don't suppose this has anything to do with that... furtive fraternity of yours, does it?"

"Mmmhow do you mean? I don't see how that's relevant," replied Douglas, both faces at differing levels of puzzlement. "I pay my subscription, I get their charming little newsletter, I go to the occasional shindig. I can't venture that the CBI would take an interest, mmno?"

Julius' eyelid continued to twitch.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Fraternity?" Now that was a term that left Nova clueless. "I don't know what that is, but it must be kinda big if it's making shindigs."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sparkwright answered for the other two in an airy drawl.

"It's a secret society of some sort. They make regular overtures to me, seeking my membership."

He smiled coldly, as if this was beneath him.

"I am my own man," he added, "and I don't need to schmooze with people who fancy themselves remarkable based on their ancestry or origin to make a success of myself. Still, it's flattering that they keep trying."

 

[Butterfree]

The Covenant. They were talking about the goddamn Covenant, weren't they. And Sparkwright was not a member, while it sounded like the other two both were. He liked the Rotom more by the minute.

"Oh yeah, we've heard about something like that," Dave said. "Been approached by some recruiters ourselves. So you've all got the ancestry they're after, is what you're saying?" He looked at Sparkwright. "It sounds like you've got some ideas about how they might connect to all this."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Sparkwright's fan blades whirred at their highest RPM yet.

"Well, I really couldn't say," he murmured, faux-modestly. "But it seems to me that anyone with human ancestry gets the invitation. Repeatedly, if they're disinclined, yet remain of sufficient interest. No surprise, then, that they continue to pursue me. Through various channels, I might add..."

The ego on this Rotom was clearly considerable. Still, he had an almost oppressively singular reputation in Novelux – the techno-prophet of the entire future, the average 'mon on the street would have you believe.

"...and more to the point, I suspect this Luxio we're presently discussing is human or a descendant thereof herself, am I right? My money's on this being an elaborate impressment of sorts, even if she has committed some incidental criminality."

Impressment – meaning, forcing someone into service. How hard had the Covenant pushed Sparkwright to join them?

Douglas chuckled agreeably, not at all taken in by the inventor's grand tone. "Well, she certainly had the spark, Howie!" he affirmed. "You can't always tell for sure, but it's a rare 'mon with an aura that strong at her age, you know? We have a few like that at the Dome, they tend to be real stars. Like good old Samantha, mmno? Ah, Julius, she's in today, is she not? Would you be a sport and ask her to come on over, we could use her if we do this Rustworks thing, I'll wager!"

Julius wavered, then resigned himself to it. "As you say, sir," he muttered, making himself scarce.

Douglas watched him go, then cleared his throat, and whispered, "Julius is another descended lad, but he's got no fight in him whatsoever, I'll tell you that for free! He could battle if he put his mind to it, but he's just the worst stick-in-the-mud you'll ever meet, upon my word!"

Sparkwright raised a plasmic brow right off his metal body. "I see," he said, without interest. "Well, suffice it to say, while I've disregarded this organisation previously, I've had a growing concern that they hold my latest inventions in special interest, and have some purpose for them in mind. Consider also this business of the elusive Luxio, and I find myself calculating how much influence they mean to accrue in my city..."

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Ah, but to where did she go?" mused Sparkwright, smoothly. Prompting.

Kimiko couldn't help but shift her surprised gaze towards the rotom. Here she was wondering how to be subtle about pressing the topic, but it seemed she didn't need to. An unexpected assist, but far from an unwelcome one. But why? Was he purely a curious, gossip-y type, or was there more to his interest than that?

Julius sniffed. "Searching all the relevant dungeons would be prohibitively difficult, not to mention dangerous."

"If you're looking to dungeon dive, sir, I'm sure some of us would be happy to join in." Nova looked at the others. "Maybe it could double as an off-the-cuff audition of sorts for anyone interested? It'd, ah, have a certain authentic flair to it."

"A dungeon dive? What a delightfully forthright suggestion!" declared Douglas. "It certainly would indicate your strength to me somewhat. Though we do like to 'put on a show' here at the Dome, the fights are real, and our champions are genuinely extraordinary fighters."

"We don't doubt the authenticity of your combatants or their skills," Kimiko noted. "But of course, I imagine you'd want to make sure we could hold our own before signing us on, and this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to do just that!" Another slight glance at Julius. "I'm sure the Rustworks would be a fine proving grounds... but as we said, it's important that we find our Brisa. Is there anything more you could tell us about her that might help us... narrow down which dungeon she may be hiding in? If she really is being pursued, and is as strong as you yourself witnessed, perhaps she might have chosen one a bit more... risky?"

"...and more to the point, I suspect this Luxio we're presently discussing is human or a descendant thereof herself, am I right? My money's on this being an elaborate impressment of sorts, even if she has committed some incidental criminality."

Sparkwright continued to prove a helpful ally. "Something to that effect," she replied. "Although I suspect there's more to it than simply wanting to recruit her to their cause."

 

[Ambyssin]

"A secret society for people related to humans? Well, guess it's not that secret." Nova chuckled to himself.

Sparkwright raised a plasmic brow right off his metal body. "I see," he said, without interest. "Well, suffice it to say, while I've disregarded this organisation previously, I've had a growing concern that they hold my latest inventions in special interest, and have some purpose for them in mind. Consider also this business of the elusive Luxio, and I find myself calculating how much influence they mean to accrue in my city..."

"What are these 'latest inventions' of yours, sir?" he asked Sparkwright. "And how hard have they, y'know, pursued you over this stuff?"

 

[Weazel]

With only the lightest of prompting, the Weezing launched into an explanation concerning the recent disappearance of the ‘Blue Mesa’ – the native themed fighter Wyatt had mentioned. Apparently she’d been being stalked, a Greninja was involved, and she’d likely taken shelter deep within one of the more dangerous of the local dungeons – or at least Dunsmuir seemed to think. Archie also took note of how the Rotom and Lopunny seemed to be on opposite sides of this little discussion, the former prompting the Weezing for more while the latter searched for ways to shut the conversation down.

“Well, I’m something of a dungeon delver myself, and the local dungeons have definitely caught my interest,” the Dewott mused, “So if we’re putting together a search party, I’d be happy to tag along and lend my expertise.

He fell into thought while the conversation turned, but when the topic of secret societies came up again, he piped up again. “Seems this city’s got its fair share of secret societies. I remember Wyatt mentioning he’d been getting solicitations to join one, too.”

He glanced from the Weezing, to the Rotom, his gaze lingering briefly on the Lopunny along the way. “Somehow, I get the feeling this is more than just bored rich Pokemon with too much time on their hands.”

 

[Jackie Cat]

"A secret society for people related to humans? Well, guess it's not that secret."

“Seems this city’s got its fair share of secret societies. I remember Wyatt mentioning he’d been getting solicitations to join one, too.”

“I get the feeling this is more than just bored rich Pokemon with too much time on their hands.”

Douglas scoffed. "Oh, they want every member they can get, I'm sure. So do the unions, the churches, the papers, the political parties, and just about every other damn thing there is. Wyatt doesn't have time for that, he's got enough to do, ha!"

His lesser face frowned deeply as he looked over the group again.

"I say, how peculiar that you're all here from the western wilds, and as a plurality of humans, if I'm any judge. I wonder how came you to this great city, seeking battle and so forth?

Sparkwright remained sober on this point, caching a private thought with an electric hum.

"Curious indeed," he murmured. "Let us return to it later. Dunsmuir, they were asking about dungeons?

“Well, I’m something of a dungeon delver myself, and the local dungeons have definitely caught my interest."

"I imagine you'd want to make sure we could hold our own before signing us on, and this sounds like a fantastic opportunity to do just that! I'm sure the Rustworks would be a fine proving grounds... but as we said, it's important that we find our Brisa. Is there anything more you could tell us about her that might help us... narrow down which dungeon she may be hiding in? If she really is being pursued, and is as strong as you yourself witnessed, perhaps she might have chosen one a bit more... risky?"

"Oh, yes! Well, you'd best not underestimate the dangers of a dungeon, dear girl," puffed Douglas. "The Rustworks is a cursed dungeon, truly tragic, of course – the sort to inflict suffering upon any unprepared adventurer."

Sparkwright made a clattering sound like the clearing of a throat.

"Yes, yes, but is it the sort to provide an adequate hiding place for a fugitive pokémon, Dunsmuir?"

"Mmmmmmmno, I wouldn't say so," admitted the gentleman gasbag. "I suppose if a bright young battleheart like her were to hide somewhere... it would be in a rift not monitored by the Nations, nor an inorganic one inimicable to life. Obscure, natural, and yet profound."

Sparkwright sighed like the crackle of white noise. "Indeed. You're the rift afficionado, man, do get on with it and make your supposition."

Douglas chuckled breathily. "Well, old friend, my best guess is that she's sequestered away in Whisperwind Comb."

"Undoubtedly," Sparkwright muttered, as if he'd been expecting this conclusion. "That particular rift has a reputation for being especially labyrinthine, not to mention... psychologically taxing to explore. It is an especially profound – that is to say, deep – rift, with a great many 'floors', as dungeoneers call them. To discover a specific individual who'd secluded themself inside, one would need some means of stabilising the warren lattice..."

"What are these 'latest inventions' of yours, sir? And how hard have they, y'know, pursued you over this stuff?"

"...which brings us to the question posed by... the unusual gentlemon with the crest. And a return to the matter of the Covenant's agenda with me. For you see, I have been for some time developing just such a means, in the form of a technological apparatus that can arrest the contortions of a mystery dungeon for a time, and it is this very invention about which the Covenant's liaisons desire to intrude."

Seeing a blank face or two, the Rotom sighed.

"In other words: I have invented a device to make dungeons more stable, and this secret society clearly wants it."

The technologist eyed the party appraisingly. Cold, but without hostility – it was the scrutinising gaze of an entrepreneur, seeking opportunity.

"I shall be unveiling this device at Sparkwright Polytechnic very soon, where students and faculty alike will debut various of their inventions as part of the wider Innovation Exposition itinerary, the most laudatory to be enshrined in the Museum of Brilliance... I have reason to believe that following my insistent refusal to collaborate with the Covenant, that their agents may intend to misappropriate my invention."

Sparkwright paused, like a college lecturer looking for dozing students.

"My reason for being here today is partly to solicit security services from professional battlers who, unlike common mercenaries, won't intimidate my attendees. It is fortunate, then, that you are here, mysterious transients from the Frontier. I am well informed enough to be aware that you have yet more colleagues in Novelux, and of some of your exploits, which leads me to consider new options. To wit, I mean to purchase your services."

Douglas' second face gawped, its jaw dropping. His larger face only laughed.

"Well, then! It seems we are to work together, mmyes? One party to secure Howie's gizmo, one party to perform a search and rescue in Whisperwind Comb for Mesa Blue. How about it?"

The Weezing's boisterous, optimistic voice was hard to say no to.

 

[Ambyssin]

"I say, how peculiar that you're all here from the western wilds, and as a plurality of humans, if I'm any judge. I wonder how came you to this great city, seeking battle and so forth?

"Not here." Nova's cheek bolts turned clockwise, then counterclockwise. "No humanity or special ancestry of anything of the sort in these old bones." He stretched a hind leg out and the joints popped.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Sparkwright remained sober on this point, caching a private thought with an electric hum.

"Curious indeed," he murmured. "Let us return to it later. Dunsmuir, they were asking about dungeons?

Douglas chuckled breathily. "Well, old friend, my best guess is that she's sequestered away in Whisperwind Comb."

"In other words: I have invented a device to make dungeons more stable, and this secret society clearly wants it."

Yet again, Sparkwright proved to be on their side. It turned out to be that he wanted their assistance as bodyguards, but it still felt to Kimiko like there was more to it than that. And between the pair of them, it worked; Dunsmuir actually provided an alternative, a dungeon he thought more likely for Brisa to have taken shelter in.

Kimiki turned her attention towards the rotom first. "I recently had the pleasure of visiting the inventor's fair you held. Most impressive, your students! I can see where they get that motivation from. Can't say we couldn't use a device that stabilizes mystery dungeons, ourselves, divers that we are." She made a gesture towards Archie.

"I'd be happy to join either party... my priority though would be to help, and potentially rescue, our colleague. I'm sure you understand," she said with an apologetic look. "That said, there's more than enough of us to split our efforts. This sounds like a difficult dungeon to traverse..."

Douglas warned of it being psychologically taxing. Perhaps she should find someone who could help ground her, should she start feeling the strain... "I'll see if my partner-in-crime is available. If she's not, I'll shift to bodyguard duty. Mr Dunsmuir, is there anything else you can tell us about this Whisperwind Comb? It's a mental draining labyrinth with many floors, but that doesn't sound too drastically different than many other dungeons."

 

[Jackie Cat]

The fae-Weezing's secondary face pulled a grim expression, a real yeesh look of downturned-mouth and tense jaw.

"Well," he pondered, his larger face frowning, "most dungeons don't inflict this sort of thing, you know? Some have various harrowing mental effects, to be sure, but reportedly the Comb is a thoroughly, ah, psychological journey, not at all some common spelunking challenge with a little delirium to spice it up."

"Yes, yes, understood, but more specifically? Practically applicable information would be of use, Dunsmuir."

"It certainly would, Howie! Alas that nobody credible has any successful delving reports to go off of. All I can tell you is that would-be explorers without a companion are comprehensively ejected before very long, and that failed pairs of adventurers often... part ways afterwards. Not amicably, I might add."

Further back in the lobby, a door had swung open as Chesnaught Sam emerged. Having strode forward to join the group, she interjected...

"Talking about the Comb?" she asked, in a bemused voice. She eyed the party with curiosity, and a puzzled smile. "Well, the word is that once you get a few levels in, you end up somewhere else, in some kind of dream world or something. I heard a rumour that some guy had his buddy turn against him, try to kill him, even. And there's this Taleska couple who're supposed to have been through it that, like, got married afterwards?"

"I thought it was that they got divorced," muttered Douglas. "Although a reasonable dungeoneer certainly shouldn't pay too much heed to rumours and hearsay, I really must impress that upon you most firmly."

 

[Butterfree]

Dave squinted warily at Dunsmuir. "Any reason these two things need to be simultaneous? Surely it'd be better to have the whole party around for each instead of splitting it up."

If they had to be simultaneous, then as gratifying as it would be to finally find Brisa after all this, it sounded like she was fending for herself - just hiding - and the whole psychological mindscape dungeon deal sounded like some bizarre trippy bullshit he could do without. Sparkwright's invention getting targeted by the Covenant of fucking Light? That was at least properly time-sensitive.

"Tell me more about this security detail."

 

[Phoenixsong]

I say, how peculiar that you're all here from the western wilds, and as a plurality of humans, if I'm any judge. I wonder how came you to this great city, seeking battle and so forth?

"Not gonna pretend I know how getting brought to another world works," Leaf said, brushing it off. It was even still mostly true. "Far as I know nobody else does when they show up, either. But we're here, and that's that, and I'm not just gonna do nothing while someone's getting chased by some weirdo society they want nothing to do with. If Novelux is where her folks think she was last seen, then that's where we go." She tossed in a confident smile. "And once Brisa's safe, if there's time before duty calls again, then hey, why not see what the Dome's best can actually do?"

A dungeon getting psychological didn't sound like a great time—more than enough of that going around just with all this shadow crap, thanks—but if that was where Brisa was most likely to be, oh, well, too bad. The Wayfarers could put together a group that could handle it. For now, stick to the details they could work with. The kinds of things a Ranger ought to know.

"D'you know anything else about the Comb that we oughta prepare for?," she asked, looking between the hat-weezing and the chesnaught. "Even if you don't know all the weird dream stuff that happens all the way in, are there any details on the terrain, any wilds or phantasms to keep an eye on, that sort of thing?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Fallers?" muttered Douglas, thoughtfully.

"Summoned," corrected Sparkwright, matter-of-factly. "They've been quite busy in the west. Adequate reputation, on most counts – and I don't place value in the vapid mewlings of old-money fools – and therefore adequately trustworthy. Otherwise I would hardly have allowed you to run your mouth in front of them, man!"

"My word," marvelled the gasbag. "This bodes well, mmyes?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Dunsmuir, the terrain? The conditions, the endemic life, the apparitions?"

"Oh, right, well. It's a cavern ecosystem, I suppose you'd mostly encounter sedimentary and burrowing species, chiropterans..."

The Weezing did elaborate somewhat on the material details of the Comb, but somehow, the Wayfarers might get the impression that this was of entirely secondary importance to the supernatural encounters ahead...

"Any reason these two things need to be simultaneous? Surely it'd be better to have the whole party around for each instead of splitting it up."

"Well, the timing, you see—"

"The exposition is imminent," interjected Sparkwright. "And if there is indeed a scheme to steal my device, and the conspiracists intend its use in the Comb to obviate the difficulties in exploring it, they will of course deploy agents to the dungeon at a corresponding time, ready to receive and make use of the device. If the security detail should fail, better that an expedition of your own is already concluded. Even should it not, it may be that they risk an exploration attempt of their own to keep to their organisational timetable."

"Sound reasoning, Howie!" declared Douglas. "We'd best get to it, eh?"

"Tell me more about this security detail."

Sam cleared her throat, and waved with a light smile.

"Well, ah, Julius will be handling security checks for guests, and I'll be posted in the campus as a deterrent. There'll be some city heelers – cops, I mean – outside the gates, but I don't think they'll be any help. It was really just me who had real fighting experience, so I was kinda nervous about it, even if I am pretty tough. So if you guys are gonna be lending a hand, I sure won't say no!"

Sparkwright hummed thoughtfully. "Samantha will be a decoy. The rest of you should blend in. Plainclothes. Show some interest in the inventions, without attracting notice. The device is alarmed – it will be immediately obvious should anyone attempt to effect its relocation."

Well, that was interesting – the Covenant agents of Teardrop Station would assist the Wayfarers with guarding against a theft by... other Covenant agents? Perhaps Articuno's feelings about the rest of their organisation were more than passing suspicions...

 

[Ambyssin]

"Yes, hello, hi, question." Nova had a foreleg politely raised. "What do you do to clothes to plain them? Does that mean normal-type clothes?

"ᴵ ʷᵃˢⁿ'ᵗ ᵃʷᵃʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵗʸᵖᵉ ᶜˡᵒᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ..."

 

[Jackie Cat]

"It's just an expression!" chuckled Sam. "Means no uniforms, or flashy items or whatever. Don't, you know, overthink it."