Frontier Town Nina's Place

[Mr.RMA]

"What rumours would those be that you mentioned, young sir? Irresponsible humans, you said...?"

"Yeah..." Corey cautiously replied. For a moment he tried to think back to what he'd learned from the others just to make sure he wasn't completely talking out of his ass.

"From the sound of it, there are 'mon of human origin... or possessing of human ancestry, who see themselves as superior beings because of this power you speak of, and they aren't too keen on those who disagree with them. Word is they're dangerous enough that other 'mon just try to stay out of their way... You hear any of this in your travels, per chance?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Dakota looked a little taken aback. Perhaps even... perturbed, somehow.

"Why, how awful," he replied, softly. "Where did you hear something like that?"

 

[Mr.RMA]

"People talk... and the word tends to travel," Corey said, intentionally leaving things vague... after all, he wasn't going to throw any of his allies under the bus, and they're the ones who had mostly informed him of all this.

"Problem is, it's been rather difficult to collect any proof, but I have no reason to believe this is just something people would just start saying out of nowhere. That kind of thing usually stems from some semblance of truth. The question is where all of it will lead."

 

[MintyMimix]

"Correctomundo; I had a nice hat and everything!" Ghaspius replied with a hearty chuckle. "Ain't no humans where I came from though. Well, living ones I mean."

He shook his head. That wasn't too relevant in Forlas. "The mayor of this town was one example of what this fella's talkin' about," he chimed in as he nodded to Corey.

"But don't let that discourage ya. From legends like Jesse Stranger to folks with great stories in friends like Steven over there," he smiled at the Beldum, "There's still plenty of good human folk. Know ya just said you're curious, but is it a personal curiosity, or a business one?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Dakota nodded slowly, considering what the two had just said. He put out his now-short cigarette on his own thumb-pad, and left the stub in an ash tray on the counter.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd describe my interest as only curiosity, or as a business matter. Moral responsibility, remember? The arrival of several humans could very well concern the safeguarding of this world, sirs!"

The Monferno dipped his head towards Corey.

"I don't mean to dismiss what you say out of hand, young sir, but it would take a great deal to convince me that there's some... nefarious group of irresponsible humans, for which new humans have been summoned to battle! I should like to believe that as a rule, humans in this world are well-intentioned, upstanding, and resolute. Sound of mind and soul."

The Emolga cleared her throat. "Ahem... Mister Dakota, are you implying that you know a great many such individuals?"

Dakota laughed in a disarming sort of way.

"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, Ms Adele!" he replied. "But yes, I've had occasion to cross paths, and even travel alongside certain humans before."

 

[Mr.RMA]

So... this Monferno, he traveled with humans? Huh... no wonder why he seemed to have such a high opinion of them... Must've come across some of the kinder souls... hopefully at least, unless they were the highly deceitful type... Plenty of humans that fit that variety too...

"Would you, perhaps, know where any of these humans are currently located? Or at least where they've recently been?" Corey asked. "...and please sir... you can call me Corey. I haven't been a 'young sir' for... for a while now." He was hesitant on giving any specific number. They still only knew so much about Dakota, namely that the people in town seemed to at least recognize him, and he had adventures with humans before... but it was hardly enough info in Corey's mind to just start revealing a whole list of personal details... not that Ghaspius seemed entirely to agree.

 

[MintyMimix]

"Truuuuue, but!" Ghaspius rolled 180 degrees. "All y'all have told us is that you're a 'gentlemon' from a bit away's. Not a businessmon, not a Ranger, not a professor... and ya sure do know a lot about mankind. Far as I know, y'all could be equally throwin' a party as well as plannin' a poison. Not that I'd ever accuse anyone of doing the second."

He frowned, intentionally, to give an upside-down smile. "Much as I'd love to blab on, how 'bout we even things out a bit? Ya tell us your story, we tell you ours."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Emolga Adele let out an exclamation of what most probably was joy. "Ah, I do so love a good story!" she declared. "Whether to tell it, or to listen to one! Good sir, will you humour the intrigue you have so ensconced in this humble audience?"

Dakota raised his brows at Adele's peculiar energy, and took out another cigarette. This time he lit it straight off his fingertip, where he summoned a small flame.

"I can indulge some curiosity," he replied, sounding amused. "Though I'd hoped to have learned something by now about the humans I'd heard were residing in Frontier Town, I suppose patience is a virtue. I can always just ask the rest of the town's residents later."

He chuckled, with irony, as if he was asking himself why he was bothering to persevere here.

"I'm happy to tell of myself a little. I'm an assayer and a historian, and where my interests meet, I am an occasional antiques appraiser. Perhaps someday I'll have the chance to work as a museum curator! And of course, my travels and concerns do sometimes bring me into contact with humans – though I couldn't begin to say where they might be located, nor would I be loose-lipped about such a thing!"

He gestured towards Steven with his cigarette.

"But first, I can't just leave the Donphan in the room unaddressed, if you'll pardon my plain-speaking! I hope this is not too indelicate of me, but it certainly seems that at least one of your number is a human! If you're concerned about some nefarious group, I can certainly sympathise with any inclination towards being secretive with a stranger, but – and forgive my bluntness – your group was front-page news only just the other day."

Adele let out a low gasp of theatrical shock, and munched on some more roasted nuts.

Dakota gave the Beldum a smile that was warm but perhaps slightly vexed.

"So, how about it, young sir? Shall we speak more plainly?"

 

[MintyMimix]

That caught his attention. "More of the mining kind of assayer, then?" Ghaspius asked as he righted himself. "Well, butter my biscuits, my sis would've loved to talk with ya. But unfortunately all ya got is a little ol' former alchemist and current medical assistant." He winked. "If ya ever do make it to a museum level, I'd love to see what ya got."

He twirled over towards the Beldum and smiled. "You've got a passion for rocks to, dontcha? I think that's a good startin' point to talk!" He wasn't going to speak for his friend on the human matter. That was his choice to make.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"No, no, not indelicate," said Steven, watching the smoke waft skyward from the cigarette pointed his way. "It's true, before I arrived here in Forlas I was a human. Several others are much like me, finding themselves here in new bodies, but I haven't met everyone in our group yet, so I can't speak for everyone else."

He glanced around at the others. Ghaspius he'd met, but the ralts who he now knew as Corey was still a mystery to him. He turned his attention back to Dakota.

"I appreciate you sharing your story with us. A very interesting one at that, especially since you're not the first Luctemarian historian I've bumped into recently." He hummed thoughtfully. "Though, the other I met wasn't so much interested in humans as you."

"I'm happy to speak plainly," he said, "as admittedly I'm not sure what there is to hide. At this point, the whole of Frontier Town knows what we are. Although I meant what I said earlier, about not knowing much more about our business here. I'm afraid I won't be able to supply much more than the newspaper already has, unless you've got something specific you're wanting to learn?"

Steven chuckled lightly, giving Ghaspius a small smile. "It's true, though. I could probably tell you more about rocks than about humans in Forlas."

 

[Mr.RMA]

"It's true, though. I could probably tell you more about rocks than about humans in Forlas."

"Hah... you sound like a famous fella from Hoenn, going on about rocks like that," Corey remarked, though as far as he was concerned that had to have been entirely coincidental. No way such a legend would've gotten roped into this ordeal, right?

"I... suppose it is a waste of time to try and keep things hidden when the word is essentially already out... but I'm afraid I'm in a similar position as this Beldum here. My knowledge is pretty strictly that of an outsider's, I couldn't say much about Forlas besides the most recent goings on in town."

 

[Jackie Cat]

Dakota chuckled, and shrugged languidly.

"Well, that's perfectly fair. And perhaps some other time, we could discuss rocks together! It's not my specific expertise, but I've picked up a thing or two about uncanny rocks in particular in my time. I fear that would alienate these other fellows, however. And dear Adele up there."

The Emolga waved happily, still eating nuts.

The Monferno cleared his throat. "Well, I can understand not knowing which of your compatriots are humans. But can you at least tell me whether it's true that there are some thirty of you 'offworlders', or thereabouts?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Hah... you sound like a famous fella from Hoenn, going on about rocks like that," Corey remarked

"Hm," Steven gave a noncommittal hum, glancing over at Corey, "if he likes rocks that much, he sounds like someone I'd like to meet one day."

He swiveled his gaze back to Dakota. "Uncanny rocks, you say? I'd like to take you up on that offer in the future, if that's alright."

Then head tilted to the side in thought, trying to recount the group size present at the fight in the mayor's manor. "That sounds about right," he said with a nod, but some worry slipped back into his tone. "Based on everything you've told us, that seems like an unprecedented number."

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Hah!" Dakota chuckled, nodding. "It certainly is. I'm not convinced there are any credible sources attesting to there ever being more than one summoned human per generation. So you see, this is all very... unusual."

He palmed his chin in thought, the cigarette hanging from his fingers.

"It makes one wonder why? Do you really have only loose speculation? I suppose that's not unheard of. Not every crisis meriting an otherworldly hero is evident until a while after their arrival, or so history says."

 

[Mr.RMA]

"Well if that's the case, I sure hope it won't be much longer... Certainly feels like we've been here for a while," Corey said.

"We've mostly just been lingering about, trying to help people however we can, hence the whole situation with the mayor and all. Can't speak for all the others, they've been off conducting investigations of their own... and they've been getting pretty banged up over it too. Some kinda 'shadow pokemon' business or whatever."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"It makes one wonder why? Do you really have only loose speculation? I suppose that's not unheard of. Not every crisis meriting an otherworldly hero is evident until a while after their arrival, or so history says."

"I wish I had a better answer for you," said Steven with a shake of his head. "But we very clearly responded to a call for help; it's one of the things I can recall about our summoning. Someone is aware of a crisis here. A crisis happening right now, or will be happening imminently. Otherwise how would they know to reach out for help?"

His eye furrowed in thought. "Like Corey said, it seems the situation with the mayor-- what landed us on the front page-- was purely incidental. We're here for something else, but what that is, I haven't the faintest idea."

 

[MintyMimix]

"It makes one wonder why? Do you really have only loose speculation? I suppose that's not unheard of. Not every crisis meriting an otherworldly hero is evident until a while after their arrival, or so history says."

"Oh that's super easy - a voice told us!" Ghaspius chirped. "Except that voice wasn't exactly specific either. Didn't tell us what the crisis was or where. And they weren't sure either, honestly. But they did say we were summoned to help with something! They were super nice. Loved beetles."

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Shadow pokémon...? My word...!"

Then Ghaspius mentioned a voice and Dakota's brows looked like they were about to rise straight off his forehead.

"Well that doesn't sound like... Ahem, like anything I've ever heard of." He took another, deep puff of smoke. "Summoned humans have historically been reticent at best about the entity or entities that summoned them."

He shook his head, and scratched his temple with a free knuckle.

"Whatever the crisis is that precipitated your arrival, I certainly hope you learn its nature soon, and that you're able to forestall or neautralise it. Perhaps it's related to the 'shadow pokémon' this fellow mentioned? I believe I may have heard of 'pokémon of shadow' in my studies at one time, though it's hard to place it, now that I think about it... Don't quote me on this, aha, but I have the faintest recollection that 'shadow' is an ancient indigenous euphemism for pokémon that... Well. That have 'lost their hearts to darkness', or some such thing. It certainly doesn't sound like anything good to me."

 

[MintyMimix]

The Misdreavus tilted his head. "Huh. Wonder why. The voice was really kind." His head tilted in the opposite direction. One could practically see his brain slosh around that empty head of his. Or maybe it was just ectoplasm. "It's not like any ol' 'mon can just chase down a voice, either. Heck, I couldn't even replicate it."

Ghaspius shook his head and let out a thoughtful hum at Dakota's next words. "That sounds awful. I wonder if they mean they mean metaphorically or metaphysically." He turned the others. "Do y'all might know anythin' about this 'shadow pokémon' business?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Well that certainly caught his attention. Steven's eye widened in surprise. Dakota had heard of shadow pokemon before?

"Please, if you can think back and try to remember where you might have read anything about shadow pokemon," Steven asked, attempting to hide the urgency in his tone. If there was some kind of resource, something they could research, maybe there was something to be done about them?

"I've only just learned about this myself, but some of our group--" he faltered slightly, an image of Koa's expression burning bright in his mind, "-- some of them had a run in with one of these shadow pokemon. They said it was terrifyingly powerful, and not of sound mind... Like it was nothing more than a wild beast..."

Steven scowled at the bar top before turning an earnest gaze to Dakota.

"If there's anything you know about these creatures or where to find information, please, we'd like to hear it. Even if it feels insignificant, any little clue will help."