Lugubrious

Unlikely Heroes

Once Adam had made sure his car was locked, he took off at a leisurely pace down the Tunkhannock main street. After crossing one intersection, which conveniently already had an outgoing crowd, he realized -to his dismay- that his car could very well have been left in an illegal parking lot. Remembering a hefty fine from a similar incident a few months past, Adam made a beeline back toward his vehicle, pausing only for an anxious 90-second wait for traffic to stop and the pedestrian walkway to clear. When he arrived he found all his worry wasted; a laundromat whose vibrant red brick exterior formed one side of the alley he'd been in permitted long-term parking. For a few hours more, his car would remain mercifully free of those ominous, yellow, penalty notes. Relieved, Adam tucked his sand-free hands into the pockets of his khaki pants and slowly retraced his steps down the street.

Two hours later, it was 1:20 or so and Adam was reclining in a somewhat scratchy lounge chair at the little Tunkhannock library, half-reading a thick paperback called The Enemy by Lee Child by the light coming in through a window to the parking lot and half-concentrating on controlling his ability. He was hesitant to call what was happening to him a 'superpower', but he couldn't help but think of the great Marvel heroes that had fascinated him even in adulthood. If he really had a great power, Adam decided, he would need an equally great responsibility. As such, after a decent lunch at a cheap local deli and a brief but frightening re-occurrence of the sand stream (which he hid by placing his hands in an outdoor trash can and pretending he accidentally dropped something of value within) he had decided to spend a little while trying to familiarize himself with the phenomenon in this quiet town before resuming the short trip home. Progress was slow, but he convinced himself it was working. Nothing had come to life and there were no terrifying, unstoppable torrents. Self-control, a virtue Adam had aspired to and then practiced all his life, was once again attainable. Despite his optimism, however, he had already filled two of the librarian's spare trash bags with sand.

His distracted reading was cut off when the sunlight he had been reading by abruptly vanished. Curious, he looked over he shoulder through the window as he prepared to move to a more illuminated seat. A huge vehicle, some sort of van judging by its silhouette, had imposed itself in the parking space closest to the little library. By the time Adam had picked up the bags of sand for his migration, the librarian, a potbellied black man with impressive sideburns for his advanced age, had stormed out of the front door to confront the owners of said vehicle for so flagrant a parking violation. Adam couldn't help but chuckle at seeing the fellow go; he was so full of indignation and tranquil rage that Adam thought he might burst. Shaking his head, Adam pivoted on the balls of his heels and seated himself at his new location, open novel in hand, and upon turning around instantly found he wasn't alone.

A broad-shouldered man in full combat gear, like a swat riotbreaker but without any wording or insignia on his gear, stood silently before him with crossed arms. Adam's mouth fell open. Who was this guy? Was he dangerous? How did he get in here? Before a single question left Adam's stupefied lips, a glistening needle appeared from the crook of the guy's arms, and it plunged toward the seated pentagenerian. Twenty years ago Adam might have been able to react in time, but age, dignity, and methodicalness made him slow and stuff. The needle painlessly pierced his upper left arm, and its effects took root almost instantaneously.

A dark cloud seeped onto Adam;s vision and the grumbling of passing cars on the road grew faint. Two hands gloved in armor gripped his collar, and the next thing Adam knew he was in a dark, humid space. Though he couldn't have known, Josiah had teleported him into the van. The thirty-second operation would have gone off without a hitch but for one unforeseen factor. As his senses failed him, only one action remained: he unconsciously began creating large quantities of sand, much to the surprise of the occupants of the van. In seconds it carpeted the vehicle's floor, threatening to fill up the confined space and suffocate everyone inside. Just as quickly as the stream began, however, it ended as Adam lapsed into dreamless sleep, leaving only an inch-thick coat on the van's floor.

Unlikely Heroes

Okay, I'm with the Reformers, then. Now to spend thirty minutes poring over all those really long IC posts to come up with a way to get Adam captured. I'll be taking a few liberties with Josiah and the other roundup guys, but I'm sure if I make any errors you'll help set me straight.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

And the chaos begins.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Smack dab in the center of Treasure Town, a female Growlithe with a purple scarf was crying quietly to herself as she leaned over the edge of the bridge. Passersby exchanged sorrowful glances as her tears dripped into the river, but none made any effort to console her, most likely feeling that she was best left to ride out whatever stroke of misfortune was grieving her on her own. Finally, a passing Sunflora stopped in her tracks, looking at the Growlithe a long time before finally plodding up to its side. If she has been anything but a grass-type she would have put a compassionate, leafy hand on the weeping Puppy Pokemon's shoulder, but as it was, the Sunflora kept a small distance. "Are you okay there?" she murmured inquisitively.
"Yes," mumbled to Growlithe, too quickly and too definitely to be genuine. "Yes, everything's..fine. Really."
The Sunflora folded her own hands across one another and sat down on the brdige's edge beside the dejected fire-type. "You're clearly not, dear. Why don't you tell me about it? You'll feel better. If that's okay with you, of course."
A brief lull spanned the few seconds of the Growlithe thinking, battling with herself whether to bottle up her feelings within or open up to a stranger. "Well...o-okay. It's like this: my name's Ange, and I'm an adventurer. My best...'friend', Samson and I just completed a quest for the guild here this morning." She paused briefly, mopping up a final tear with a furry orange paw. "The guild sent us out to find a few Lum berries, since Treasure Town's had a shortage. We had just gotten back to town when we had this argument. I wanted to go back out and get more, because just one is clearly not enough to start a new crop. He said that one was fine, plus the only other place where Lum berries grow near here is a swampy glade full of cantankerous Poison-types. He's being both lazy and afraid, and I told him so, and he got mad. One thing led to another and he stormed off, with the Lum berry still with him." Ange checked to make sure that her sympathizer was still paying attention and found the Sunflora rapt at attention, the very picture of interest and concern. She continued. "I just don't know what to do. I don't know why I stand for it. I'm a way better fighter than him, but he thinks he can call the shots. Should I go and yell at him? Just do what he wants? Battle it out and let the winner decide where we go? I mean, I really like him, I don't ever want to hurt him, but...?"

The Sunflora held up a petal, cutting Ange off. She smiled widely and kindly. "Don't you worry one bit, Ange. I'll go and find him and make sure he realizes how he's hurt you. I can be very persuasive." The Growlithe stood up in a flash, her wet eyes bright with gratitude. Before she could blurt out 'thank you!' the Sunflora had jogged off.

It wasn't long before the Sunflora found Samson. He turned out to be a Leafeon, and was sitting behind Duskull Bank, satchel nearby. She barely spotted him; he was all but hidden from the naked eye in his current position. No doubt he didn't want to be found as was just as regretful of his earlier fight with his friend as Ange was. The Sunflora took the long way around the bank, where she hid herself behind a bush. There, the Sun Pokemon's broad mouth broke out into a toothy smile and dark energies began sliding over her planty skin. The energies hissed and steamed like gasses, black interspersed with luminous crimson, and beneath them the Sunflora changed shape. All this happened quickly, and in the span of a few seconds Ange stood where the Sunflora had moments before, purple scarf and all.

The bush burst into flame, startling Samson from his moping. Ange leaped out of it, face contorted with rage. "There you are!" she roared, advancing toward him with hackles raised. Samson was too startled to respond. "Y'know, I've been thinking," the Growlithe snarled, "I'm not gonna let you bring me down with you." Suddenly indignant, Samson opened his mouth for a retort, but was stunned into silence when Ange shot an Ember at him, scorching his face. "No talking! I'm through with your garbage! I'm an adventurer, but you're a coward. Too lazy and afraid of all of all the vicious little Ekans and Trubbish to poke around in a swamp for our ticket to greatness!" Samson turned to flee, but another Ember hissed through the air and set the grass on fire, preventing his escape. He whirled around, real fear in his eyes.
"Ange, please! What are you doing? We can work this out! We can go to the swamp! Why are you so mad you're never like this, please, don't...!"
The Growlithe silenced him with an unexpected but devastating Feint Attack, and he fell unconscious to the grass with an expression on his face equal parts terror and rage. The fires vanished, leaving the bush and grass totally unharmed, and Ange herself disappeared--a Machop, wearing a pink plaid bandanna, stood in her place. The Machop stooped to pick up Samson's case, open it, and pull out the Lum berry.

Twenty minutes later the Machop stood at the counter at Wigglytuff's Guild, handing over the freshly-cleaned Lum berry to a pleased Wigglytuff. "I've been hearing good things about this place," confessed the Superpower Pokemon. "I decided I'd start out my work as an adventurer with a bang by nabbing this quest." The Wigglytuff examined the berry, utilizing both sight and smell to confirm a healthy specimen.
"Well, we would have preferred a few more, but this'll do nicely for a start. Ange and Samson'll be so disappointed you beat them to it, they seemed so eager to become explorers. Wonder where they are now. Still, congratulations on a job well done!"
The Machop gave the Wigglytuff a sharp, toothy grin.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

I'm guessing all of you are very busy?

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Even after the dramatic shift in battlefield, the Metang seemed determined to obliterate the intruders without taking further damage. Taking the Bide had been an egregious oversight; not one more strike would mar the Iron Claw Pokemon's victory. With an ominous hum, the Metang floated backward as Jingle used several support moves, protecting his improvised team from status. Abruptly, the Metang found itself unable to retreat further, as a swirl of pink energy wreathed it before focusing on a single point, forming a keyhole symbol. Jingle retreated, and as the Metang watched candidly, Jess stepped up to the plate. Before she declared an attack, however, a terrified cry rang out from the creeping shadows in the general area behind the cave-dweller. Possessed by a sort of tranquil fury to find its complete analysis and control of the situation infringed upon by an unforeseen wildcard, the Metang whirled to look. Its daunting red eyes penetrated the darkness, revealing the cowering, haggard shape of a Nidoran. The Metang's steely shoulders slumped a slight degree in relief. This runt was no threat. It pivoted back around to face its three opponents as Jess bellowed "Confusion!"

The Metang neither attempted to block or dodge the energy wave, simply floating in the air and sponging the hit. When the wave subsided, the Metang remained totally unmoved. Venge gulped audibly during the tense second that followed. He was hastily searching for chinks in his enemy's metallic armor when he noticed that the Metang's eyes, previously so mechanically steady, were wavering somewhat. Finally its eyes blipped, as if there was some sort of glitch in its system, and the Metang began to wobble in the air. It looked...confused.

Confusion did not lower its resolve to pummel Jess, Venge, and Jingle into submission. If anything, it seemed angrier than before. With a grinding rumble it charged toward the closest Pokemon, Jess, and its arm once again sizzled with the power of a meteor. However, the Iron Claw Pokemon's trajectory was a little off, and rather than smiting Jess with cosmic might it instead rammed its dominant arm into the solid rock of the cave floor with the force of a small bomb. The misspent energy burst, damaging the Metang and, if she had not thought to get far enough away, Jess as well. A shrieking groan, like a sheet of steel being ripped apart, resounded from the helpless, agonized creature as it sought to free its arm. By incredible luck, the Metang had hurt itself in its own (already unlikely) confusion, leaving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the gathered Pokemon to either attempt to finish it off or flee. In a few seconds it would be able to wrench its trapped limb from the ground with a mighty tug; the trio would have to act fast.

Venge certainly did. Having been too concentrated on the Metang to pay much attention to do anything else, he didn't realize there was another Pokemon in this chamber that needed help. He did his best to heed Jingle's idea of 'attacking', which for Venge consisted of waddling right up to the enraged Metang and using Encore again. Colorful bursts of confetti around the cavedweller only befuddled it more, but Venge had a plan: since he figured that Meteor Mash was a physical attack, causing it to be used over and over again would mean he could use Counter as much as he pleased to return some heavy damage. He only hoped he could survive that first hit to take his revenge.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons: The Unsettling Future

Appearance:
Name: Guilty
Species: Zorua
Age/Level: 14 years / level 34
Abilities: Illusion
Gender: Female
Moveset:
Feint Attack
Dark Pulse
Fake Tears
Taunt
Personality: In short, naughty. If there are such things as bad Pokemon, Guilty is undoubtedly close. She delights in tricking, manipulating, and confusing others. Morality is lost upon her, and she's an unabashed thief and liar. She is not, however, truly evil—more like overly playful and very misguided. Though a trickster, Guilty is not stereotypically cowardly as well, in fact her courage may be one of her biggest flaws. Guilty tends to take big risks, and has her share of both big wins and severe losses under her belt. While proud and petty she is also patient and cunning, able to play most situations with both subtlety and cunning. She is particularly good at pretending to be something she's not, be it physically or mentally. While fighting isn't her style, she's fairly good at it. Guilty tends to be restless, and rarely remains in the same place for long. She trusts nobody but herself.
Birthplace: Foggy Forest
Background: Trickery became part of Guilty's life at a tender age. When she was just a baby, her pack in Foggy Forest became split over a violent dispute between its matriarch and patriarch Zoroarks, who were Guilty's mother and father. The source of the quarrel was the dwindling food supply in the area, which had proved unable to sustain the growing pack. With the clan divided over loyalty to Guilty's steadfast father or faith in the radical new agenda of her mother, a conflict between the short-tempered Pokemon was inevitable.
Guilty herself was instrumental in her clever mother's scheme to usurp leadership from her partner, not as a manipulator herself but as a means to an end. After the tension finally broke on a full-moon night in midwinter, when tempers were most keen and stomachs most empty, a miniature civil war was unleashed. In a lull in the battle Guilty's mother used her as an appeal to her former partner's family ties, but when the male Zoroark wouldn't yield she cut him down. In the ensuing chaos one of Guilty's older cousins escorted her away, and the two wandered the continent for the next few years, growing up together. On Guilty's tenth birthday, her forlorn companion tearfully revealed her plans to bring Guilty back to the pack and her vicious mother in exchange for a full pardon. Guilty's rage at this betrayal caused her to use her ability on her cousin, trapping her in a horrific illusion as Guilty ran away. From thereon in she was alone, free to inflict herself upon any Pokemon she pleased.
Team Name: N/A
Team Rank: N/A
Items: Guilty commonly wears a pitch-black woven knapsack that contains her few belongings, including a few sitrus berries and lum berries, a Quick Claw, and her prized gemstone collection.
Other: Though she doesn't know it, her gemstones are actually Mega stones: Aerodactylite, Pinsirite, and Medichamite.
Theme Song: When I'm Evil

Unlikely Heroes

Your plan sounds good to me, Kirra. I'll be ready when you are.

I thought up a very interesting power recently, which I'm tentatively calling "Description". Someone with this power can alter reality by applying adjectives (perhaps with adverbs added at later levels) to anything in his or her path, as long as they're touching it and can speak the word. This has almost infinite potential, from giving 'invisible' to oneself to evade detection, 'fragile' to a brick wall to make it super breakable, 'subservient' to a person to make them a loyal underling, or 'alive' to a recently-departed ally for resurrection. You might give the good Doctor Wilson that.

Unlikely Heroes

Ah, glad to hear it.

Unlikely Heroes

Well, this is unfortunate. I guess it was fun while it lasted.