Test 9.

[azumods]

SPACE The base in Eterna City is neither as large nor imposing as the Veilstone building; however, you've likely noticed by now that it's just as odd-looking, if not moreso. Located in the northwestern portion of town, it stands at the epicenter of the spatial disturbances plaguing the city; it doesn't seem unaffected by them - there are parts of it that seem...out of place, the building itself just as patchwork as the rest of the surrounding area - but it still seems structurally sound and the door is still in place and looks like it belongs to the original building. So it'll probably take you where you want to go upon walking through it. Probably. That said, while it's not the best idea to kick down the front doors and hope no one notices, it doesn't seem that you have much of a choice; unlike the Veilstone base, there doesn't seem to be another entrance. So it's either front doors or nothing; hopefully there isn't anything too hostile immediately inside. There don't seem to be any guards stationed outside the building, at least - it seems that they're staying inside just as much as the locals are. Either that or they have other reasons for not being around. On the one hand, Dialga may have given you some idea of what you're likely in for eventually; on the other, Palkia is an entirely different creature, holding dominion over another aspect of the universe entirely. Hopefully you've steeled yourselves, either way; best of luck to you.

Comments

[gekkaju]

[It seems very much like they've gotten in the habit of just barging into these bases to look for solutions to problems, or in most cases the problem of which they are intending to be the solution. Atsushi's only Pokemon out with him right now is Chazuke, who is by and large the strongest of the four, but also the largest, which is why he doesn't let him out until they're inside. Doors are difficult these days.

Atsushi seems a bit on edge, pensive, but otherwise determined to move forward.]

I wonder if they're expecting us...I don't see anybody yet.

[takestheblame]

Cyrus is aware of what we're doing. They must be expecting us.

[None of Kiryu's Pokemon is out, because they're all terrified of the space distortions. Better do this by himself for the time being, he figures]

[gekkaju]

[If Chazuke was still tiny, he'd definitely be in his ball. But....if Atsushi is honest, he's out just as much for his own comfort as the Pokemon's. This shit is scary.]

We better be ready, then, given what we came up on with Dialga. Let's try to stick together.

[semistableman]

We should go in expecting to be stopped.

[niceoppai]

I'm kinda on edge myself... Don't think there's any other way to do this, though.

[gekkaju]

No, not really. Especially not when this is the only way in...at least it looks to be anyway.

[anythingforyou]

It's rather concerning, isn't it.

[Camilla herself has Haar out with her--as strong as Arion and Travant are in comparison to the rest of her team, she doesn't want to risk the more impulsive of the two running on ahead and attracting trouble. Haar's got very good hearing, just as well; he'll likely be able to help somewhat.]

We need to keep our eyes and ears peeled, then, in case they try something sneaky.

[gekkaju]

No kidding. We're walking right into their turf, after all.

[Not the first time, definitely probably won't be the last.]

Let's try not to get separated, whatever happens. I don't like the thought of one of us going missing with all these distortions.

[thunderwolf]

[Eustace follows up, Pup right beside him just like in Veilstone.]

Not sure how sneaky they can be with all this instability, but you're right that we should be prepared for anything.

[If he were to be completely honest though, he's more concerned about the building itself being their biggest threat rather than potential grunts.]

[azumods]

[The front door opens up into a lobby of sorts - again, nothing as impressive as the Veilstone base, but it seems to serve a purpose and that purpose is probably "customer service", judging from the reception counter directly in front of you. There are tables and benches arranged in a general seating area, and there's an open doorway that's immediately noticeable to the left that seems to lead to some back area.

There are also hallways to the right branching off the main foyer, but they look like they lead deeper into the base, probably.]

[gekkaju]

[Of course there are multiple ways to take here...]

Which way should we go?

[greydients]

Maybe we should split into groups like we did in Veilstone? We'll cover more ground that way.

[eudaimonikos]

Can't say I love the idea, with space being how it is.

[Although that's not an outright refusal.]

[gekkaju]

As long as everyone is with at least one other person, that might be a good idea, Rey.

[Don't want to split up too much.]

Chazuke is going to have a hard time getting through that door back there, so I'd probably take those hallways with whoever else wants to come along.

TEST.

[azumods]

[Given that half of you have reunited with friends, the other half seem to have found...something else entirely, and there's still one route left unexplored, the infiltration of the Eterna base is likely not going exactly as planned; however, this is just the beginning. You're nowhere near your final destination; whether or not you'll manage to get there is difficult to say, what with all the distortions currently occurring.

Your goal is to find the source of the spatial disturbances.]

RIGHT STAIRWELL.

[azumods]

[greydients]

[....right. Well, this...sure is a thing, isn't it.

It takes Rey a little longer than she would like to calm down and get her bearings, but Gallade's calming hand on her arm does help.]

Are we...still in the base...?

[...right, what was that noise-]

I don't think we're alone in here....

[anythingforyou]

...No, unless the base has some sort of hidden bath-house inside...

[Gods, Haar is absolutely not here for that noise. He's keeping his ears out, admittedly, trying to see what direction it's coming from, but...]

Should we keep going? I'm not altogether certain what we're going to find in here, but this is a rather precarious situation...

[greydients]

...I don't think we have much of a choice.

[Gallade shifts himself to stand in front of Rey, while she silently berates herself for being so suddenly afraid.]

Let's just stick together and be careful.

[gekkaju]

[This is the Worst]

We probably should try to look while we're already here...we might not find much different up the other staircase.

[He doesn't want to, but they probably have to.]

Stay close together. Chazuke, be ready.

LEFT STAIRWELL.

[azumods]

[radiantflame]

[You know those days where you're like this may as well happen? This is turning into Morag's life.

Let's not even try to think about it that hard, let's just take a look over here.]

[azumods]

[Hey, Morag. You're going to be seeing a lot of darkness up those stairs, actually - a lot of darkness and not much else, really.]

[radiantflame]

[Even when you have... a FIRE CHICKEN?]

Sorcha, if you will.

[Sorcha used Flame Charge!]

[azumods]

[Somewhere along your way through the shift in what has been observed to be incredibly bendable space, you'll find a staircase - it's another one that leads upwards into the dark, seeming to bring you impossibly far and allowing you to leave the place you were far behind, only to deposit you somewhere that likely seems a bit more familiar.

The room is large, ringed by massive machines against its walls, all providing energy readouts for god only knows what; the walls themselves are darkly-painted, lending a degree of perceived depth to the room and speckled with what look like bright stars. The Team Galactic emblem is emblazoned into the floor, and while all of this is mildly disconcerting in the way that the entire organization seems to be, it's difficult to focus on any of this when there seems to be a certain sense radiating from the room itself, something that's both familiar by now and jarring in some way every time it's experienced.

It's the feeling of being in the presence of something unfathomably ancient, something with power well beyond your imagination and rage well beyond your comprehension. The air is thick with the energy flowing through it, something that seems to touch your very soul and shake it to its core.

You can't see the source, it doesn't seem present in the room itself, but you know it's there all the same.

And your Pokémon's urge to fight whatever it is will find itself very, very low indeed.

But for now, there's a pair of people, women that you'll likely find familiar; you can't tell if that same sense of power is coming from one of them, or perhaps both of them, but it seems to be with them just as it was with Saturn. As it stands, they both seem cold, and they both seem almost worryingly excited to see you.

Commanders Jupiter and Mars have been waiting.

Mars' tone is explosive, almost impossibly manic when she speaks, even if there's something hard behind her eyes.]

It’s about time you finally got here; we’ve been waiting for you! Sure took your sweet time, didn't you?

[Jupiter's voice, by contrast, is as cold as ever when she cuts in; she seems almost amused, and it isn't in a way that implies anything good.]

Master Cyrus warned us that you'd show up here. I didn't expect you to be so...fashionably late about it.

[Mars grins at that, though it's really more like baring teeth.]

We'll teach you a lesson, though...

[And Jupiter's expression is much the same, honestly.]

...Since you're apparently pretty eager to die.

[And when they finish it's as one, Jupiter's frigid tone counterpointing the heat behind Mars' words.]

Let there be glory for Team Galactic!

[NINTH TEST]

[C O M P L E T E]