RP

[subtleAssiduities]

Note nodded enthusiastically as he asked about the first two, but he stared down at the Alteria blankly. "...No, that one's not mine," he replied slowly.

Tunes sighed as she watched the two. "Okay... Well, now we've got to find everyone and get out of here. Geeze! What if Eli's still in the lab!" she let out an exasperated moan. The stress of all this... What if they couldn't find everyone? Or they couldn't get out? This was all just... She didn't even know where to start!

[loafingdragon]

Sherman looked down at The Pokéball blankly for a little bit and finally slid it back into his pocket, saying "W-wait a minute! I shouldn't be helping you! You've left and... "What have you done to Professor Cherri?"

Joey tightened his grip on his Whimsy. "Maybe...Maybe we should leave and get help? The police might know something about this- they have to! Maybe officer Jenny..."

[subtleAssiduities]

"I- I didn't do anything to Professor Cherri!" Note cried indignantly, taking a step back. "I'm just looking for my Pokémon! She let me go!"

Tunes made a face. "The police never do anything. We're going to have to do something else..."

[loafingdragon]

Sherman squinted suspiciously, but just shook his head. "This crazy place... It's not worth it. You're believable enough. Today I'm just going to have to roll with it..."

"But... what can we do?" He looked entirely hopeless.

[subtleAssiduities]

"Roll with it... Then will you help me find my Pokémon?" he asked desperately. "And my sister? You know the layout of this place, don't you?"

Tunes sighed. "Well... We can't just give up. Eventually we have to find someone!"

[loafingdragon]

"I'm new but... I have a bit more of an idea than you do. I know where the other trainer is." He said, talking about Karla. "Follow me."

"Someone like who? More team Magma-"

He cut off with a sharp thwack as Rodney headbutted him, careful not to drop Margot and keep Joey between himself and Samuel. Everyone was caught off guard, and Joey fell onto his back, so fast that Whimsy slipped from his arms and floated down slowly onto his chest, blinking in suprise.

"Ow!" Joey groaned. "I get it! I get it..." He pulled himself to his feet, a bruise already forming on his forehead. "You're right. We'll just keep looking untill we find a way." Whimsy hopped up to his head examined the purple spot as he spoke.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note nodded and followed him without a word.

Tunes gasped as Rodney headbutted his trainers. She turned suddenly to the Charmelion and glared him down viciously. "You'd best behave! Don't think I'm afraid of you!" she said authoritatively.

[loafingdragon]

There were a few turns on the path, but finally came to a door. One Magma grunt looked up. "Stop- who are you?"

Sherman had already prepared, his numb hand fumbling on the thin ID card he gad in his pocketin order to pull it out and show the henchman. "I need a trainer to come answer some of Dr. Cherri's questions about her Pokémon.

After closely examining the card, thr grunt let him through. "T'd be nice if people would let us guys low on the totem pole know what all is goin' on." He mumbled to Note, fooled by the Team Magma uniform.\

Rodney looke startled, nearly droppin Margot, who had been attempting to get comfortable. She snarled at the lizard irritably.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note blinked, but as he realized what the grunt meant he rolled his eyes and nodded.

"You are going to behave, and if you pull something like that again, so help me I will make sure you won't be able to aim next time you go to headbutt someone!" Tunes said a she went to Joey. There was nothing angry in her voice; it was simply an earnest warning. "Are you okay?"

[loafingdragon]

Sherman led him through a long hallway, with multiple shelves lined with what seemed like hundreds of pokeballs. They were behind a window of thick glass. Sherman finally came to the end of the hall, opening the door on the left, and enterred a room where Karla was tied up. It looked more like a closet, really, and when she saw them she yelled into her mouthgag at them. Her eyes burned with fury

"Don't worry. We're here to help." Sherman said, but she didn't look convinced.

The lack of anger seemed to make Rodney even less comfortable.

"It's okay... really. He's always like that." Joey mumbled a bit. He had started walking again, now a bit more confident.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note jumped in surprise as he saw the girl. His eyes widened, and he hurried to her and untied her hands. "This... This isn't my sister!" he said, turning back to Sherman impatiently.

"Well, Pokémon don't act that way around me," Tunes replied simply as she followed him.

[loafingdragon]

Sherman looked at Note. "I know there are two more people free around here. This is the only person of which I knew the location."

Karla pulled the gag from her mouth quickly. "Where are my Pokémon!?" She demanded, glaring at the two.

"Is this one of them?" He showed her the dragon-type.

"Miss Ruffle Jay!" She snatched the Pokéball from him and held it close. Then she looked up at the suspiciously. "What's going on?"

[subtleAssiduities]

"My Pokémon got kidnapped just like yours," Note said. "I'm not a grunt. I just put on the uniform so I'd blend in. I have a Pokémon that looks a lot like yours." He pulled out EV's Pokéball and showed it to her. "Your Pokémon is running around with my Houndoom, I think. And my sister is still here, too, with another boy."

[loafingdragon]

She looked at EV inside the Pokéball. "That's the Pokémon that looks like Vivi!" She stood up. "So... you know where some of my other Pokémon are?" She released Ruffle Jay. "Do you know, darling?"

The dragon-type hummed a short tune as she led them out of the room. She knew that Charlie's Pokéball was outside of the observation room, and that Vivi was in the lab- Don was sure to be close by.

Vivian looked around the empty room. Alex had left, and the doctor had gone to get something. She was standing alone on a cold steele table. She had acted so kindly, it seemed The professor trusted her to stay put. It somehow felt wrong to betray that trust, but she jumped down fom the table noe the less when the light that meant someone was at the door lit up. crouching to prepare, she jumped as far as she could and hit the button to open the door. With a yelp of delight, she saw that it was Don, just as it had been on the video. "Oh, you came! I haven't been having a good time. Look at this icky stuff in my fur!" she turned her neck to show the little sensor like the one EV had had to measure her activity during the battle with onix.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note watched the Altaria in fascination as he followed it out of the room. "You've seen Vivian before?" he said in surprise, turning his attention back to the other trainer. "I... I've never seen yours before today."

Donetello lowered his head to look at the monitor closely. He grimaced. "I'd try to remove it... But I don't want to hurt you," he said slowly, apologetically. "We can probably remove it later. Right now, we have to get you out of here."