Willy
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Post by Willy on Nov 5, 2014 3:36:31 GMT -5
Doug looked up at the wall of ice in front of him. It seemed to stretch into the sky forever. He knew it didn't, but from here it looked so impossible to see where it actually ended.
The wall was very long. It had to be as it surrounded an entire city. A city made almost entirely out of ice. Of course, a lot of the buildings were mostly ornamental. Many of the pokemon living in the city lived underground, where they were somehow able to grow food and fresh water could be found in abundance. This was incredible given their position. The fortress was built on top of a mountain. A very large mountain. A mountain so large, Doug wondered why this fortress even needed a wall.
Even if one did have the wherewithal to scale the mountain, the sheer cold surrounding this location for miles around ensured that only Ice types and powerful Fire types would be able to survive for very long outside the walls of the city.
Just on the other side of this wall is certain death Doug thought to himself, and yet, there are so many pokemon living up here.
It seemed impossible to build a place like this, and really it was. But Doug found it. And he needed to find a way to get here. He had been chasing after Vito for a long time now, and Doug knew Vito was after something very important here.
After the clever use of his always handy Teleport, and the help of an unusually plucky Slugma, Doug found himself inside the walls of this impossible city.
But Doug knew he wouldn't be able to stop Vito on his own, so after memorizing his location so he could always get back, he gathered up his allies which had spread across the dimension in the time since the tournament. Some of them he had stayed in regular contact with. Others he hadn't seen in years. Some he had only come to meet recently. All the same, he gathered the ones he could and brought them here. Knowing they could help him figure out Vito's plan and put an end to it.
So he finally turned away from the wall to face them; the group he had gathered to prevent one of the dimensions most notorious criminals from carrying out his plan.
"I'm not sure what Vito is after here entirely. Marduk might be able to narrow it down as he's more familiar with the contents of the Tome of Artifacts currently in Vito's possession." Doug stopped and let out a long yawn. "Whatever it is, we need to find it and make sure Vito can't take it. Making sure whatever he's after is well defended is our best chance at catching Vito himself and..." Doug paused to take another long yawn, "put an end to whatever he's trying to do. Anyone have any questions? Ideas? Any information that might help us at all?"
Doug wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page before they got started. It had been a long time since so many of them had been gathered all in one place. One of them might have even learned something important in that time. Doug had certainly been keeping busy staying well informed about Vito's activities. It was hard to keep track of a guy that could literally be everywhere at once. Still, it was just as possible someone else had some very useful information for the group.
Doug yawned again. Man he was feeling out of it.
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Post by Blahsadfeguie on Nov 6, 2014 4:04:02 GMT -5
Bob Sladfigy let the excitement pump through him as he stood among his peers. This was the moment his rigorous training had been preparing him for. Today, he was going to show the world that he was a force to be reckoned with. In fact, he was confident that he could probably handle this entire operation by himself. He was a one-raccoon team. A little support from his friends and acquaintances would not be unwelcome, of course. He listened to Doug's short briefing - or, to be more accurate, waited until it was over. He didn't care to listen to what it was they were doing and why, as long as he got to pound the bad guys into the ground with his newly-acquiesced skill and power.
When Doug prompted for questions and information, Bob was the fastest on the draw, raising his paw excitedly. "I got a question," he spoke. "Will there be cake? Maybe some pie? Or at least muffins?" The Zigzagoon was so unconcerned about the preparations that he let his sweet tooth do the talking. "Any confections would be nice, really."
On the other end of the spectrum, Noboru was more interested in what they were protecting. He was just as clueless as Bob, however, having only recently gotten seriously involved with the endeavor. All he knew was that half of the fighters in the tournament had banded together to rig it in their favor, enabling them the means to track down and steal some important artifacts. It took more than a petty thief to formulate such a plan, let alone execute it. Noboru had a feeling that they were after more than just value. Ignoring the Zigzagoon, the silver Lucario was the first to ask a serious question. "What exactly are we up against?" he asked. "I must admit, I haven't been keeping up with the tournament - who is this Vito and what makes him such a threat?"
Bob, slightly annoyed that his own totally important question was overshadowed by a much more boring one, sighed. "Vito is a Weavile," he stated matter-of-factly. "He can make clones of himself that each act on their own or something. He's a slippery one. Not that that really makes him a threat. We've got me, after all."
Noboru crossed his arms, already not too fond of Bob's attitude. "I see," he simply replied.
Meanwhile, on another spectrum entirely, a female Clauncher nervously witnessed the proceedings, frozen in place. She couldn't quite understand why she was brought here, as if she knew anything or even had the power to contribute. The Abra had simply appeared next to her and teleported her here with little context aside from what he just now said. It seemed quite random; this Abra was clearly sleep-deprived. However, she didn't want to speak out about it. There had to be a reason she was chosen... right?
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Post by Digizel on Nov 6, 2014 12:04:47 GMT -5
The familiar Zangoose stood at the front of the small group of individuals listening to Doug speak. He could not help but notice the Abra's exhausted demeanor. He felt a small bit of sympathy for the smaller Pokémon. His body was probably not properly built for all of the activity that had been piling on his shoulders since even the middle of the tournament. It was even worse considering that he was the one who had come to him, asking for his help since he became aware that he could not handle things on his own. Unfortunately, Doug possessed talents that he himself did not possess, and for that reason Doug was needed. There could be no taking breaks in a matter of this importance.
"U-um...I-if you'll allow me...t-to add onto what Bob said..." a Buizel slightly smaller than Doug in stature spoke up. Whether his stuttering was a result of his ever-present timidity or the freezing cold weather was difficult to tell. He had been Teleported here by Doug rather recently from his warm stay in Visdumia. The climate change was so drastic that he had no idea how to cope with it just yet. He was not one to complain if he could help it, though, so he tried to keep it to himself. His paws were tightly bound against his upper arms, shivering slightly from the cold. He'd have to get used to this quickly. He was standing beside Bob when he continued. "U-um...Vito Steele is a mastermind. I-in every sense of the word. H-he has a v-very dangerous ability like B-bob says, b-but that's not the worst part. H-he's extremely intelligent a-and likely has at least a d-decently sized web of connections and an unknown amount of r-resources. H-he was powerful enough to win the entire W-Wish Festival Tournament as well, s-so that should show you how capable he is at l-least in b-battle. The m-most dangerous thing about him is the m-mystery surrounding him. W-we have shockingly little i-information on him and I c-could never find anything in Visdumia. Th-that about covers everything w-we know about Vito."
'Power, intellect and extremely competent.' the Zangoose murmured in his mind as he listened to the Buizel's impressive, yet somehow pitiable summary. 'The only thing he might be missing from being the perfect thief are resources. But for all we know, he could have limitless resources.' his eyes narrowed slightly at the thought. 'And to think I once thought I would be able to handle this by myself.' If only he hadn't been so stupid and blind from the very start of the Wish Festival. How could he have not seen that it was Vito who was the most dangerous from the very beginning? How could he have not foreseen that the problem would escalate so greatly? He should have gathered the help he needed from the very beginning. Then they could have perhaps stopped Vito in his tracks at an earlier time, before he gained any momentum.
But alas, that was in the past. He could not focus so long on what-if scenarios. He had to focus on the here and now if he wanted to catch Vito and whoever he was working with. And so he stood in the cold, unflinching even as a sudden icy gust picked up for a moment, blowing his fur roughly and washing a new wave of cold air up against his body. He stood stoically, arms crossed and ready to report what he was willing to share with the group once the questions were finished.
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Willy
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Post by Willy on Nov 6, 2014 18:20:19 GMT -5
Doug waited patiently for everyones reports, though he was starting to realize that he had been running off of pure momentum for the last... he wasn't actually sure how long he had been going. Turns out it was really easy to lose track of time when you're warping around the world.
He responded to Jet,"Right, so if you see a Weavile around, assume it's Vito. It's actually very likely. Say something immediately." Statistically, Weaviles weren't exactly common anyway. He wasn't sure about the local population, but it was better to be safe than sorry at this point. "Anyone have anything else? Best we put everything on the table now." Doug turned to Jet, who was looking thinner than usual. And oddly lumpy. And had apparently dyed his hair green...
Jet had inexplicably become a carrot.
Doug turned to Marduk for an explanation, but the giant radish didn't appear to be any help. Nor was Noboru the Eggplant or Bob the potato.
Doug couldn't believe the awful timing for such an inconvenience. He had no idea how he was supposed to hunt down what Vito was looking for with nothing but giant vegetables.
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Doug had fallen asleep. The Slugma had noticed this during Jet's explanation of Vito's powers, but he didn't want to interrupt the already stuttering Buizel. By now though, surely everyone had noticed.
"Right," the Slugma started, "So if we see a Weavile, we should assume it's Vito, and say something to everyone else in the group. We have to be careful though. Whatever Vito is after might be guarded, but causing a commotion could just make it easier for Vito to get what he wants."
The Slugma looked around, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. "I'm Louise by the way. I helped Doug make it up here in the first place. Doug didn't have a lot of time to explain things to me, but I have had a little bit of time to look around this place while Doug gathered you guys here. The whole reason I'm here is because I'm super warm, so if you're cold don't be afraid to huddle a little closer. I don't bite. I might burn though. Sorry about that."
With that Louise waited to see if anyone else had anything to say. Without Doug they would probably have to make a plan themselves. Louise just hoped she could keep up.
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Post by Blahsadfeguie on Nov 6, 2014 21:10:50 GMT -5
On hearing Jet's elaboration, Bob shook his head. "Unimportant," he dismissed. "If we cut him, he will bleed just like any of the rest of us. Unless it's a clone. Then he'll just disappear. But still." Bob wasn't about to let a tiny flaw in his own metaphor stop him from getting his point across - he didn't care how dangerous Vito was or how many resources he had, Bob was going to take him down regardless. He had his mind and heart set on it.
Noboru, on the other hand, could tell that this was a foe not to be taken lightly. He didn't agree with Bob's mentality, but after dealing with much worse countless times in his past, he was prepared to put up with it. "But none of that matters if we never get the chance to cut him to begin with," he corrected Bob. "We need to pay attention to details such as the ones this Buizel mentioned. From what we do know, charging after him blindly is not likely to help. We must exercise caution and remain observant. The best we can do for now is identify the artifact and protect it from him and his hypothetical forces."
"That's what I was going to do, duh!" Bob retorted. "You basically just went full circle with that statement. See how talking about it gets us nowhere?" As much as he liked to ramble about nothing, Bob found it hard to stand people who do the same. He wondered to himself where all of the action-oriented Pokemon went.
Noboru rubbed his temples, trying his best to remain tolerant of his ally. This Zigzagoon seemed to know how to press just the right buttons to get underneath his skin, despite Noboru's usually calm nature. Perhaps he underestimated the small mammal's impetuousness...
Both of them listened to the Slugma's words. The two of them were so focused on dealing with each other that they hadn't noticed Doug falling asleep until then, and neither of them wanted to wake him up - Noboru out of respect, Bob out of just wanting to get on with it.
Noboru nodded. "Understood. I will let you know if I see him." He proceeded to think about how they should best approach the town. Considering it was on top of a secluded, freezing mountain, they probably didn't have visitors very often. Nor would there be much reason for anyone to visit this place, unless they knew about the artifact. A large group of strangers would either be received with much curiosity, or much suspicion. However, Noboru wasn't sure how easy it would be to find the artifact without the help of the residents of this place, or at least their permission. He decided to wait for someone else to weigh in on the situation.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Bob hastily affirmed. "Can we go inside now? It's cold."
'Someone other than Bob,' thought Noboru, uncharacteristically irked.
With the obvious leader of this group asleep, the Clauncher saw her opportunity to approach someone about her situation. She didn't exactly like the idea of having to meet, much less fight a master thief. Especially not on top of a cold mountain so far from home. The Slugma seemed to be one of the most stable Pokemon here, so she approached her, trying to remain as discreet as possible. The added warmth from her proximity was a bonus. "Excuse me..." she said quietly, hoping not to embarrass herself, "but, uh, I'm not sure if I'm... supposed to be here..."
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Post by Digizel on Nov 6, 2014 22:55:07 GMT -5
Marduk took one more look at his surroundings. This was likely a residence for Ice-type Pokémon more than anything else. As such, a Weavile up here would not be such a strange occurrence. However, he had to admit that even then, a Weavile in specific is of particular rarity. After all, it was common knowledge that a Sneasel required a Razor Claw in order to evolve. He did not know the local area much, but he did not think that this was the kind of place to find one of those either.
"Something that I recommend you all consider, however," Marduk said, deciding not to comment on Doug's obvious sleep mode. He stepped up so that he was standing beside the Abra and turned to face the group. "Keep in mind that this is a location that Vito has a distinct advantage in. As an Ice-type Pokémon, not only is he relatively immune to the nature of this summit, but he can hide in plain sight from the locals. Therefore, if you simply attack him in public sight, it is possible that he could get assistance since it seems like he belongs here while we appear to be foreigners. As such, if you choose to engage, try to make it in a spot without bystanders if possible."
Jet nodded at that with a small smile appearing on his face. When the two of them had first met, they had been rather oblivious to one another. Jet had never addressed him all that much. However, over the course of the tournament as the two of them cooperated with Doug, he had started to realize just what kind of person he was...a very honorable and respectful one. So he had come to respect his words and advice.
"Now, with that said, there is one thing I would like to say before we begin our search of the area," Marduk said again, interrupting Jet's thoughts. "While I have not seen the inside of the Tome itself for many years, I am vaguely aware of the kinds of artifacts hidden within. I do not know anything specific, but what little knowledge I have may help somebody in this important search, so I have decided to share it with you all. This artifact is likely to have been hidden very well and it may not show its age. True, it comes from ancient times. However, just because you see something that does not appear old does not mean it is not what you are looking for. Further, I was informed that many of the objects in the tome are hidden in such a way that they are very easy to overlook. So when you are searching, make sure that you are careful not to overlook seemingly small details. As for what exactly we are searching for...I am not particularly sure. As Vito's goals are still a complete mystery, I cannot deduce what he might be after with what little I know. If he is looking for simply the value of an ancient artifact, then that does not provide any additional information."
Marduk then let out a small sigh, wanting to let the group allow that to sink in. "...One last thing." He then looked at the crowd directly, looking from one to another. "I would like to thank you sincerely for helping to retrieve my Tome and stop this villain before he can cause any potential harm. I once was foolish enough to think that I could handle this myself. However, I could not have made it this far without the cooperation of my new allies. And for those of you I have not gotten the chance to work with, I hope that you will prove worthy of my trust as well. I am aware that some of you...perhaps have had less say in the matter than others, but I must still ask for your help. You have all been selected by my ally to help. And I have already put my trust in his judgment...so I assume that you all have something that you can contribute. Thank you again, and I want to assure you that your safety should still be your top concern. I do not want anybody getting seriously injured for my sake. If you feel that you are in true danger, I urge you not to hesitate to flee." With that, he fell silent again. It was strange, talking like that. He had never liked working with others. But now that he was forced to...well, he simply wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. But one thing was for sure...he didn't need the lives of innocents on his hands.
"Hmph," a deeper voice from the back of the crowd spoke up at last. "That's not gonna be a problem here." This drew the attention of both Marduk and Jet, who both turned their head to look at the newcomer. The Charizard standing at the back had a wide smirk on his face that strangely resembled Haru's. "If I see him, I'll turn him into a knot. Especially if we're just dealing with an Ice-type Pokémon. I'll make sure that that thief gets what's coming to him if I find him." With that, he pounded a fist into his open palm. "And since I can fly, it shouldn't be too hard to find him. Besides...fighting a guy who can clone himself sounds like fun."
"...I do not know who you are," Marduk muttered in a serious manner. "However, do not underestimate Vito Steele. Many before you have made that mistake and suffered defeat for it. That goes for all of you."
"The name's Hidon," he said with a grin on his face. "But whatever. If it makes you feel better, I'll think about it." He rolled his eyes, though, indicating he had no intention of doing anything of the sort. If he was going to fight a cloning Weavile, he was going to do it one on one.
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Willy
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Post by Willy on Nov 6, 2014 23:20:59 GMT -5
Louise hadn't even noticed the Clauncher until she spoke up just then. She looked at the Clauncher, then to Doug, not sure what to do. "Uh, I don't know if there's... a whole lot we can do about that with Doug asleep. He was the one who picked you up, so he would know why you're here. And even if you aren't supposed to be here I don't think there's any way we can get you out of here without him. It's really cold out there. Even with me keeping him warm, and only being in the cold long enough to teleport a few times, Doug took a long time to stop shivering when we finally got here."
"That said, leaving you alone here with Vito around doesn't sound safe. And I don't think we can afford to split the group up either. Staying together seems to be the safest option for most of us right now. Maybe you should just tag along with us until Doug wakes up?"
Louise didn't bother waiting for an answer. She just kept planning. "Okay then. We do need to decide where to search. Around here the buildings are all made of ice. Most of them are just for show. There are a few Ice types who like living in the houses, but they aren't really the type to take kindly to someone intruding on their alone time. Other than that the only thing I really noticed up here is the large tower in the center of town.
"From what I hear, though, most of the action in town happens in the caves underground. There are entrances to the caves scattered all over town. There are small tunnels that act as vents that hot air moves through. It keeps the caves livable even though everything above ground is freezing. It sounds like people even grow plants in there! So most of the people who can't handle the constant cold of the surface spend most of their time down there."
Louise realized she had gotten a little excited, and decided to wait for someone to make a decision about what to do.
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Post by Digizel on Nov 7, 2014 0:34:38 GMT -5
Jet looked back and forth. Marduk was glaring at the Charizard in the back who had introduced himself as Hidon, who didn't seem to notice. Meanwhile, there appeared to be a Clauncher who did not believe that she should have even been brought here in the first place. This wasn't good. The search hadn't even begun yet and tensions and uncertainties were already starting to rise. He himself wanted nothing more than to let Doug handle this...but unfortunately, the Abra was catching up on some much-needed sleep. He didn't dare wake him up; after all, if he was needed to help in a fight with Vito, he wasn't going to be much help to anyone if he was too exhausted to concentrate properly, let alone fight. Plus, he looked so peaceful for the first time in ages. As a friend, he did not want to bother him right now. So in the end...he had no choice but to go out of his comfort zone for the first time in quite a while.
"H-hey, if...if you're looking for a place to start..." Jet murmured, albeit a little bit quietly at the beginning. He hadn't spoken to a group of strangers like this since...well, as far back as he could remember. The closest thing he could think of had been his encounter with Vito and Deborah back in the tournament. He was speaking primarily to the Slugma, whom he had heard talking about getting started. "I-I might have some kind of idea." He then lifted a paw and gestured to a rather tall tower that seemed to overlook the rest of the icy town. "Th-that tower might be a good place for a sentry or two to keep an eye on things from above. Wh-while Hidon may b-be able to fly, it w-would be good if more people c-could keep an eye out on other p-parts of the t-town if nothing else." He wasn't quite looking forward to that, however. That would mean standing out in the blistering cold that he still wasn't used to. He would personally rather hang out in these tunnels that the Slugma was describing that were supposed to be warm. Then again, he supposed if the Slugma was with him, it wouldn't be TOO much of a problem....
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Post by Blahsadfeguie on Nov 8, 2014 4:24:17 GMT -5
Noboru listened carefully to Marduk's speech, taking in as many details as he could. Avoid confronting Vito in front of bystanders if possible, and don't rule out even the tiniest detail in the search for the artifact. These instructions were so simple, even Bob would understand them. He glanced down at the Zigzagoon to make sure he was paying attention... and unsurprisingly, Bob had fallen asleep at some point despite the cold. Noboru had no issues with nudging this one awake with his foot.
"Hey, whoa, I'm awake!" Bob protested, jumping away from Noboru. The Lucario knew it was pointless to argue otherwise.
Just before Bob could complain again, however, a Charizard made his appearance. Bob became an immediate fan. "Yeah, that's more like it!" praised Bob, finally glad to see someone who shared his mentality. "Who cares about the details, right?"
Noboru sighed to himself, trying to focus on the matter at hand - where the search should begin. Splitting up was ill-advised, considering the number of less than confident teammates. The artifact was not likely to be out in the open, regardless of how difficult it was to identify. Still, they couldn't rule out the surface either.
Then, the Buizel proposed his idea. A tower sounded like the perfect place to start; even if it had nothing to do with the artifact, it would be worth getting a couple of sharp-eyed Pokemon up there as soon as possible. "A great suggestion," Noboru approved. "A small group of us can stay in the tower and serve as lookouts, scouting the area for promising sites, and alerting the rest of the group if there's any sign of Vito or other suspicious Pokemon. We'd hopefully be able to slow them down as well." He looked between everyone present. "We'd need those of us who are observant, swift, and don't mind waiting out in the cold as much. I'd like to volunteer as a sentry; who will join me?"
The Clauncher tapped her claws together nervously. The Slugma had a point, as did the Zangoose. These Pokemon certainly sounded like they were well prepared to take down the thief, so staying with them should be safe, right? She still wasn't sure how she could contribute, but there was nothing else they could do for now. "Okay..." she said quietly, stepping back and awaiting orders.
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Willy
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Post by Willy on Nov 9, 2014 1:46:33 GMT -5
As far as Louise could tell, everyone seemed to be in agreement that the tower seemed to be the best place to go first. "Alright then. I guess we had better get going. If you look over there, you can see the tower. It's the tallest building. Impossible to miss." Louise indicated a tall, cylindrical building peeking over the tops of the nearby buildings. It appeared to be directly in the center of town.
"No time to lose then! The game is afoot!" Louise said excitedly before starting off at... well... at a slugma's pace.
She paused briefly when she remembered Doug was out cold, but Doug appeared to be levitating, following after the group all on his own.
"Hey, guys," she stopped everyone "I know it might seem like unnecessary effort, but maybe someone should carry Doug. If someone were to see him like this they might freak. I'd do it myself, but... that's not totally safe."
Without paying much attention to whether or not someone even picked up Doug, Louise continued on through the town. It was very slow going for a slugma, but every once in a while she would hit a large patch of Ice and jolt forward several feet, her warm body leaving a puddle in her wake. Often yelling an emphatic "BANZAIIII" or "GERONIMOOO" as fair warning before hurtling past her, usually much faster, traveling companions.
This continued until the base of the tower was finally in sight. From here the tower could be seen in more detail. It appeared to be, for the most part, blocks of ice stacked together like brick to form a tower. Much like one would image in a castle to be put together. In fact, aside from the fact that it was made of ice, it looked to be exactly the kind of tower you would see attached to a generic castle.
It didn't appear to have a door of any kind. The doorway was simply open. And the tower stretched up incredibly high. At least twenty times higher than the surrounding buildings, some of which appeared to be three-story victorian style houses shaped out of ice. They looked more like artwork than something anyone could actually live inside.
But the base was only visible from here. It was still a good distance away. But they had come this far. Louise didn't see any reason not to finish the approach and go inside.
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