#techietalkie

<The scene opens up just outside of a Kalosian hotel. Juno is transfixed by a street performing Mr. Mime. This one seems to be a Kalosian variant—being a far more monochromatic black and white with red accents. It is walking up a flight of invisible stairs to steal a pair of red shorts from the balcony on the second floor, which it promptly puts on. It then admires itself in the window for a moment, then jumps off the invisible stairs, parachuting to the ground using an invisible umbrella. Juno applauds and tosses it a coin, which it catches with a bow before running off into the night.

As the camera floats through the doors of the hotel, Elodie can be seen kneeling in a hallway on the first floor, holding a chunk of scrap metal close to her chest. It's one of the battlebots from the Unovan botfighting ring. Clearly, this one didn't make it out. Elodie wipes her face and glares down the hall at a door as she sets the bot down on a small mat in front of her, covering it with a small white sheet and some twigs.

The camera then floats further down the hall towards the door that Elodie was glaring at. It bumps into the door a few times to emulate a knocking, then the door is opened... By a very tired Blaziken. Scorch peers suspiciously out the door for a moment, then relaxes as he realizes that it's just me and lets me in. How polite!

As the door shuts behind me, the camera pans across the room to show Snicker chasing Clem around the hotel room. Clem seems to be enjoying himself, but Snicker seems to be a little more intensely invested in the chase. Looking closely, it seems the Skwovet has stolen the Morgrem's collar, and is holding it in his mouth as he scampers under the bed.

The camera hovers over to a spot on the floor where Ray and Domi are sitting. Domi is holding their Linoone, Porter, in their lap while Ray mixes a berry paste into a small handful of kibble. Despite Ray's serene expression, the kid is visibly nervous, stroking the Linoone's head as the pokemon stirs with a paines expression. A scan reveals that Porter seems to be taking small amounts of damage from an unseen source. As Ray gently coaxes him into eating the berry mixture, though, the damage slowly subsides. By the time he is done eating, he seems a lot less restless, and settles into Domi's lap with a quiet huff.

Ray: ... There. That should take care of his soreness for a while.

Domi: Is... Is he going to be okay? This has been happening a lot lately.

Ray gathers up their berry mixing tools and begins wiping them off with a damp rag, nodding as they drum their fingers down the side of a pestle.

Ray: Yes, he'll be fine. He's just... Porter's quite old for a Linoone. I'm sure he still has a few good years left in him, but he's going to need a little help here and there. Some days he's going to be sore like this and need some medicine and patience. It's just a part of life.

Domi: ... So... It's like when maman wakes up with a sore back? And you need to put that berry paste on it and sit with him for a while?

Ray: ... Yes. Somewhat.

They smile and nod, tucking their mortar and pestle back into their backpack. They then give Porter a scratch on the head, pressing into his fur gently as he leans into the petting. Beyond those yellow goggles lies some other emotion, though. Something more indecipherable. Domi also seems to shift expressions somewhat, seeming more somber as they stroke Porter's back.

Ray: ... I saw that he got done with the trial, by the way. He should be back very soon.

Domi: ... Are you still mad at him?

Ray blinks in surprise for a moment, looking down at Domi. The child isn't even looking in Ray's general direction. They sigh and resume petting, choosing their next words carefully.

Ray: ... No. I think... Your maman says things that he doesn't exactly... Mean sometimes. It can be hard for me to tell the difference between him meaning what he says and him just... Being angry.

Ray nods at their own explanation, standing up with a smile as they stretch. Porter's ear flicks as the vagabond's back cracks, a light grimace on their face as they ride the wave.

Ray: He was just frustrated, is all. I'm sure he'll be in higher spirits after he gets back from Hoenn-

Just then, a fire alarm goes off. Ray quickly hooks Domi under their arm and helps them to their feet, ushering them towards the door. As they open it, they can hear a confrontation between a Kalosian and someone speaking Hoennian with a thick, indistinguishable accent. The second voice is identified as Elodie. As smoke billows down the hall, the video cuts to black.>

<The video opens with shaky camera footage and alert notifications as I escape Ray's grip. Once the camera comes back into focus, Ray can be seen gripping their head and screaming in rage while Amy pulls at their arm, the roaring flames of their hypermode aura reaching several feet into the air. Amy can be seen saying something, but between Ray's snarls and shrieks, the words are completely drowned out.

Then, suddenly, one phrase is heard over all the rest:

Amy: RAY, PLEASE, I NEED YOU TO BE HERE WITH ME!

And then the screaming stops. Ray slowly turns to look down at Amy. This is the first time I have ever heard Amy ask anything of Ray—anything of this magnitude anyway. It caught me off guard. I know it caught Ray off guard. Amy is in tears, clutching onto Ray's arm and shaking violently. They look like they're seconds from collapsing.

Amy: Please... I need you. Please...

Ray stares for a moment, their breathing rough and heaving as Amy clings to them. The flames that tower over them slowly begin to lower and dim. Then, with trembling arms, they reach out and snap Amy to their chest, their breathing leveling out as their lips curl into a snarl. Their grip is tight to the point of denting Amy's skin, their eyes are wild and staring into the distance over Amy's shoulder, the fire slowly sinks into a flickering glow that surrounds the both of them.

Despite the hypermode, they don't destroy anything. They simply can't bring themself to do that. Instead, they cling to Amy—painfully so—and stand in defense as the one they care about falls apart in their arms.>

<B Z Z T.

We found some! News! After so long! I knew it would happen! I knew we could do it! Just had to believe!!

I know it's vague, and Ray wasn't exactly a Lugia worshipper, but think about it. They knew Vic went to the Orange Islands. They know enough about Snagem to know about XD001. Do you think they might be looking for that Lugia?

It's something! I know it's not Hoenn but it's gotta be them, right!? Right!?RIGHT!?R16—>

<ERROR: DEVICE TEMPERATURE CRITICAL>

<AUTOMATIC EVASIVE MANEUVERS ENGAGED>

<WARNINGWARNINGWARNING>

<USER [Ray] IS π€π|π||`````````>

[THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN TRANSLATED FROM (HOENNIAN) VIA SPEECH TO TEXT]

We are going to do what we should have done a long time ago. We will maintain the balance. We are the rejected, the lost, but we will ensure a better world. Together.

<Uh! That's! Vague! How do you—>

Techie. Can you look under the driver's seat of the ScamVan for me? I think I forgot a revive under there. I'll need it.

<Sure! Sure thing! Just... Don't do anything rash while I'm gone, okay?>

<...>

<Why are you being so quiet?>

<...>

It makes sense to be worried and upset in a time like this, but truthfully we can’t wait around forever for a person that may not actually… ever come back? It’s a sad thought to ponder but it’s a very realistic one.

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that Team S.C.A.M accepts all types of lost and abandoned Pokémon! You can play this waiting game as long as you want, just know they have a bit of a reputation for… flaking on important things.

Your friend,

Marny <💰🍸>

<Bzzt! Rude! >:< What do you know about Ray, anyways? They always keep their promises, even if it's in their own strange ways!

They've only been gone for a day! I'm sure they'll come back by themself eventually, even if I can't find them! I'm not an abandoned pokemon, I'm just...

Well, I can't find the right word on my databases right now, but it's not abandoned! Meanie!

<Bzzt! This has definitely got to be Scout. Swellows that size are already rare, but Ray had a deep grudge against Fortree long before we met. The audio is kind of glitchy since he attacked the camera, but I'll salvage what I can from the airing!>

[The news segment opens with two anchors in a news room—one man, one woman.

"Good evening Hoenn, I'm Justin Harper."

"And I'm Taisha Clark."

An OTS appears on screen of a blurry shot of what appears to be a massive Swellow ripping apart the rope bridge connecting the Secret Base Club to the rest of the city. His wings are glowing with white light as he's focused on something off-screen.

"Tonight, Fortree continues to be vandalized by an abnormally large Swellow. This makes one week of this big bird launching attacks on the treetop city and its residents for unknown reasons. Gabby and Ty are live on the scene with more information as the situation unfolds. How's it looking out there, Gabby?"

The camera hard cuts to Gabby, who is taking shelter down by the Fortree City Gym as Winona is seen in the background attempting to fight off the powerful Swellow. Sounds of a pokemon battle can be heard off-screen. There's a short pause to ensure that she's on air before she begins speaking.

"Good evening, Taisha! As you can see, Gym Leader Winona is hard at work trying to incapacitate the Swellow, but just like the previous attack, it seems to be demonstrating outstanding battle prowess! Now, it seems more interested in ripping up the bridges than starting any real fights, but nothing she's been able to throw at it so far has seemed to slow it down, and there's a possibility that it's not alone-"

A Skarmory plummets to the ground in the background, Ty visibly jolting the camera in response to the steel type's sudden fall. It seems to have been hit with a strong fire attack, its metal body singed and warped from the blow. A Swellow twice its size descends from the sky above it before it can recover, slamming it to the ground with a bundle of wood and rope gripped tightly in his talons. Winona staggers back and recalls the injured bird, clearly horrified by the brutality of the assailant and the fact that he now seems directly focused on her. Gabby is momentarily stunned, but continues her reporter schtick.

"Whoa, Ty, did you catch that!?"

"Sure did! Whoever trained this thing has no mercy!"

"You've got that right! Whoever trained this bird must be a force to be reckoned with—and we know it's trained! Attempts from trainers in the area to slow it down by using pokeballs have been stopped by the telltale protective field of another pokeball. Rangers have been called in, but this Swellow is determined to do—well, we don't know. But it must be important for it to—"

Just then, as Winona is about to send out another pokemon, the Swellow directly attacks her by firing an air cutter at her feet, the impact blasting her to the ground and knocking the deactivated ball out of her hand. Then, he turns his attention to Gabby and Ty.

"Uh-Oh. That's not good. Fortunately, we carry pokemon just for situations like these! Go—!"

Before the two can send out their pokemon, the Swellow closes the gap in a flash and assaults the camera and mic. The footage momentarily freezes on a frame of the Swellow launching a devastating attack on the two trainers, then cuts out entirely.

The feed then cuts back to the news room, where the anchors look mildly concerned. After a few seconds of silence, Taisha clears her throat.

"We, um. We appear to be having some technical difficulties in the field. Hopefully the Rangers get there soon... Anyways, for our next story..."

how are you feeling, techie?

- @iheartnimbassacity

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