[IC] Pokemon Colosseum: The Light Extinguished

[Chev]

The sun was shining brightly as Sean and his two Pokemon looked up at the large building that served as the headquarters for most of the Pokemon research in Orre. Sean looked down at the letter in his hand and wondered once again why he had been chosen to speak with the professor.

"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."

Sean scratched his head and looked at his Beldum. "It's a bit of an odd request, isn't it? I wonder why I received the invitation. No offense intended you two, but we're not exactly the strongest trainers in Orre." Beldum seemed to stare at him for a moment and then turned to look back at the building. Quilava on the other hand didn't seem to take any offense and looked up at his bag and a short burst of flame erupted from it's back.

"Hungry?"

Another short blast of flame erupted and Sean grinned. "You eat almost as much as a snorlax." He joked as he opened the bag and handed a handful of treats to the fire type Pokemon.

Sean sat down on one of the stairs leading up to the building and Quilava sat next to him while Beldum floated above the stairs. All he could at the moment was wait for anyone who had a letter like his.

[HylianRose]

"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."

She looked up from the letter, her hands falling to her sides as she looked over at her Ralts, Arthur. Vie, her Riolu, had finished her morning exercises and was resting in her pokeball.

"Arthur... What do you even think this means?" Veena asked her best friend, looking down at the small pokemon. Lifting it's head, he looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. Veena let out a frustrated sigh. It wasn't that she wasn't excited for an adventure or anything, but keeping things a secret was hard, especially from her father.

"Veena, where are you going?" He'd asked as she left the house with her bag of supplies.

"I uhh... There's a thing I need to do at the lab again. I... uhhh... Joel invited me and the pokes for some partying. Don't wait up." She'd replied, running outside hurriedly.

The lab wasn't too far from Phenac City but the drive had still been tiring. She walked the long path from where she'd parked her motorcycle. She stopped when she noticed a boy she'd seen around Pyrite Town once every while, when she went for some training under the radar of her family. Most of the time it was early in the morning and not many of the usual thugs were out, considering most of them had gone to bed for the morning anyway.

"Uhh... Hey there." She greeted him, waving at him with an awkward smile.

Get it together, Veena, you aren't usually this awkward.

As if to second that, Arthur nudged Veena's leg, trying to tell her to calm down. She looked down at him and smiled. After a moment, she bent down and picked him up, deciding to carry him over to this boy.

"Hi. I'm Veena. This is my best friend, Arthur." She introduced herself and her friend and then went to sit beside the boy before even hearing his response. "Sooooo, what do you think Professor Birek wants? I've been here plenty of times in the past but he's never even spoken to me before. I mean, I play with his grandson Joel all the time but the old man never talks to me..." Her voice almost sounded hurt and dejected.

[[If you'd rather he not have a grandson, I can certainly change this to suit whatever you'd like. Just let me know.]]

[Zanavy]

"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."

Nicolette Baudin sipped the last of her Earl Gray tea as she reviewed the letter. After one more moment of quiet contemplation, she neatly slipped the note into her slim bag and looked at the clock. Perfect: just on time to be early. The young woman stood up and straightened out her navy blue skirt.

“Alphonse,” she called, her soft voice laden with a marked Kalos accent. “Ready to go?”

Relaxing on a plush cushion in a corner of the living room, a Furfrou nodded. The dog Pokemon gracefully trotted to Nicolette’s side. The orange dye had begun to dull and blend with his natural hair, and a handful of frizzy curls sprung from his roughly diamond-shaped tail. It was about time for Alphonse to get another haircut, but Nicolette lacked the funds to get it professionally done, and she didn’t want to ask her parents to send more money… yet. The duo began strolling toward the lab.

Unlike some of the other summoned trainers, Nicolette has an idea of why Professor Birek might want to see her. Strange, though… she never knew the professor was part of the Shadow Pokemon rehabilitation effort. The black-haired woman frowned as she glanced at the friend ball attached to the strap of her bag. Rush nearly had a meltdown the evening before. Being around a lot of new trainers and Pokemon might further agitate him, especially if there were other ex-Shadows around. Nicolette decided it was best to keep him in his ball unless somebody really needed to see him.

As Nicolette neared the lab, she noticed two people already chatting there. The girl seemed vaguely familiar, though she couldn't put a name to the face. The woman gave each a slight nod as she passed by them, not really knowing or caring whether they received her gesture.

Nicolette sat at the opposite side of the stairs. She adjusted her glasses and pulled a thick book out of her bag. While the trainer read, Alphonse calmly sat by her side, occasionally looking at the other nearby Pokemon.

[Prints Avoid]

Claude walked up to the lab, a sigh of relief escaping his lips at having finally reached it. The previous day's journey from Gateon Port had started off badly and not gotten any better.

"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."

The arrival of the message could not have been timed any better. Life at home had become increasingly unbearable and Claude had been contemplating heading out on his own for quite a while. Sure, they said Orre was less forgiving to young trainers than a place like Johto, but it had to be better than being stuck in Gateon Port.

The same day the message had arrived was also the morning of the biggest argument his parents had had yet. With that, Claude had announced he would be leaving. He took a short time to pack up his things, and a slightly longer time to tell his parents that he was headed out. The long, hot, uncomfortable bus ride had done nothing to improve his mood, though Bliss did her best to help.

But now here he stood before the lab his loyal Aipom at his side. There were certainly worse places for this new chapter of his life to begin. As he approached the lab he saw that a few others had arrived ahead of him.

He looked around at the three, a boy and girl sitting together. Another girl reading by herself. They really didn't seem to be much. What was that, an honest-to-god dyed Furfrou? In Orre? Where had the professor found these guys. Then again he couldn't say much, he wasn't much of a battler himself. But surely Professor Birek knew of his other successes. "Guess I can't judge just yet," he thought. Maybe they'd surprise him. Either way, the girls weren't bad to look at anyway.

He straightened out his shirt a bit and brushed some dust off. First impressions and all that. Striding forward he stood in front of the stairs, facing them. Bliss took this opportunity to scurry up his back and sit on his shoulder.

"How's it goin'? I'm Claude. I'm assuming you all got a message from Birek?"

[Oz]

The journey to Orre had been made via boat. Luckily, Praxis and Carna weren't the type to get seasick. Of course, the trip had come with a couple of incidents, involving Praxis almost pushing several people overboard after they irritated him. Carna had done her best to ease his boredom, and his temper. Luckily, it was a relatively fancy boat with modern conveniences. While the ride had not been utterly enjoyable, they had made it in one piece. That's what mattered to Carna.

Praxis had practically rushed off the boat once they arrived at the port. He would have pushed ahead of the other travelers, who were too slow for his taste, but he didn't want to leave Carna behind. They arrived at the crowded, sunny port during the early morning hours, allowing them more time to travel. They didn't have a set destination. There weren't any gyms in Orre that they knew of... So they would simply be able to travel where they pleased. The freedom had appealed to the both of them, back when they had been planning the journey.

"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."

The message had been sudden. As new trainers within the region, most of their technology had recently been adjusted. It came off as suspicious to the both of them. But with pokemon in hand, they quickly made a beeline to where the pokemon lab resided. It wasn't that difficult of a journey, considering the quality of the public transportation, and how quickly they moved on foot. They had just arrived, and a task had alreday been dished out to them.

The lab was in a decently-forested area, and it wasn't long before they spotted the pristine building in the distance. The path ended there, so they couldn't be mistaking it for anything else. Immediately, Praxis pressed forward, eyes gleaming at the thought of meeting this "esteemed" professor and the others who had been chosen.

Upon shouldering into the lab, Praxis raked his gaze over the others. A boy with lightly tanned skin and oddly-dyed hair, alongside a young woman who appeared introverted, and a girl wearing a hat. Another figure stood, who Praxis didn't consider all that interesting. It was another moment, before a wide grin broke out onto Praxis's face.

"Wow. Slim pickings, huh?" He stated, as though the others were meals. "Wonder what this professor wants? The message seemed awful suspicious to me." His cheery, red eyes glinted. "Ahh, I'm Praxis."

"And I'm Carna." Carna, who had entered alongside Praxis, had simply remained quiet while he said his piece. "It's nice to meet you all." Her friendly attitude was a far cry from his demeaning eccentricity.

[Chev]

"Sooooo, what do you think Professor Birek wants? I've been here plenty of times in the past but he's never even spoken to me before. I mean, I play with his grandson Joel all the time but the old man never talks to me..."

Sean looked up and smiled at the girl as she approached and sat down. "Hi!" He said with a smile. "My name is Sean an-," Sean was forced to break off the conversation for a moment as the Beldum floated up and looked her directly in the face as Quilava looked up at her for a moment before turning back to Sean leaving only the Beldum to stare at Veena. "Beldum." It said simply as it floated in front of her for a moment before floating above Sean's head. Sean sighed. "And these two are my Beldum and Quilava." He said as he looked up at Beldum. "You really need to learn to be a bit more polite." He said as the Beldum floated down and tried to undo a strap on the bag as Sean sighed again and took a look at another woman who had joined the group only to start reading a book.

Sean smiled meekly. "All I can say about that Beldum is that he's a handful."

"How's it goin'? I'm Claude. I'm assuming you all got a message from Birek?"

Sean smiled and introduced himself to Claude before looking at the two of them. "I'm not exactly sure what Birek wants. The only thing I know about him is that he's a relative newcomer to the Orre region and he hasn't been here that long. But if he's looking for help he must have come across something big."

"Ahh, I'm Praxis."

"And I'm Carna. It's nice to meet you all."

Sean smiled at the two newcomers and waved cheerfully at them. "Nice to meet you two. I take it the two of you received letters as well?" He asked as his Quilava got up and stretched and small bursts of flame erupted from it's back before it decided to lay down again.

Sean looked behind him as he heard the sound of a door opening. A man with a clean shaven face walked out and looked over the group. "Welcome! Professor Birek told me his guests had arrived. Please follow me. The professor is waiting for you."

[Zanavy]

Alphonse nudged his trainer's shoulder as the glossy lab door opened. Nicolette looked up from her book and was slightly startled to see more people present than she had thought. But the bookworm was used to this phenomenon. After the man- an assistant to the professor, maybe- finished talking, Nicolette put the book back into her grey bag and followed him into the lab, Alphonse following close behind.

The entry hall of the lab was familiar to Nicolette. She had been here twice to collect old research for the library's archives. Still, every time she came, a new fascinating trinket brought itself to her attention. Like...

"Woah!" the short-haired woman exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. Apparently Alphonse was paying attention to something else, and he walked into Nicolette's leg. The Furfrou winced for just a second, mostly from embarrassment. Then he straightened up and resumed his typical regal posture as if to say Nobody saw that. Alphonse stole another glance at the Aipom to make sure she didn't see that.

Nicolette, however, was too distracted by a rock to notice her Pokemon's plight.

"Is that a model of the Relic Stone?!" she asked the man leading them, her voice raising to a higher pitch than she realized. Her sky blue eyes sparked with excitement. "I'd pay anything to see such a marvelous piece of Pokemon history in person! Are the inscriptions on the real Relic Stone the same as..." Nicolette's voice trailed off as her cheeks turned pink.

"Err, sorry," she mumbled sheepishly. "Maybe I geeked out a little. Let's get back to whatever we're really here for. But if you or the professor have time later, I'd love to ask you more about it."

[Prints Avoid]

Claude was not the last to arrive. Just as Sean had greeted him, two more trainers approached. A boy and a girl about the same age as the rest of them. While the boy was more upfront, she seemed to hold back. Praxis and Carna, huh? He caught the Kalos accent on their voices. However, they didn't share the soft pampered tone his mother's business associates from the region all seemed to have. Interesting. He glanced at Bliss, but the Furfrou's dyed fur was holding the Aipom's attention. "Don't even think about it," Claude murmured. Bliss's grin widened.

Their group walked into the lab, and Claude and Bliss found themselves unable to keep their eyes on just one thing. Claude had never been in a lab before, and he felt quite out of his element. But it was interesting. There were machines and gadgets of various shapes and sizes along with a bunch of other strange things, and he couldn't help but wonder what their purpose could be. Still, the curiosity for why he and the others had been called here was stronger.

"So what-" he began to ask the man leading them, when someone else's question interrupted his own. Claude turned to find that the bookish girl from earlier was raving about some rock. As expected from the Furfrou, she also had the Kalos accent. A grin crossed his face, as the girl's unbridled excitement just seemed funny for some reason. The sight of the the lab aide picking his books off the floor and scowling in the girl's direction just made the entire scene for him, however and in moments he was laughing.

He managed to calm himself, though his eyes were left slightly watery and some color had rushed to his face. This was where he usually apologized and clarified he was laughing with someone and not at them, but in this case he really was laughing at her. Instead he just shrugged with an amused smile. "If that was geeking out a little, I'd love to see what you call geeking out a lot."

[Chev]

"Is that a model of the Relic Stone?!"

"As a matter of fact it is." A man in a white lab coat said as he approached the group. He was a tall man with short grey hair and blue eyes. "The inscriptions on it are the same as on the real Relic stone in Agate village. Took a while to convince the villagers to let me study the real one but I was able to persuade them." He held out his hands to the group and shook everyone's hand. "I am professor Birek. I'm glad to see you were able to make it all the way out here."

"Maybe I geeked out a little. Let's get back to whatever we're really here for. But if you or the professor have time later, I'd love to ask you more about it."

Birek smiled. "Once I'm done explaining what I need to show you, I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have. The Relic stone has fascinated me for a very long time. I'm always glad to discuss it with people."

Sean looked down and saw that his Quilava was slightly on edge and as he looked up he saw that his Beldum was staring at a large closed container near the back of the lab with a fierce intensity. "Excuse me..." Sean said as he raised his hand. "Uh...what's in the box?"

"Ah! my apologies, young man. What is in that box is the reason I called you here. Around five days ago, one of my assistants discovered a small cavern in the old abandoned mining town known as "The Under" while she was exploring it. Her Pokemon were acting...odd as she entered the cavern. She found a series of oddly colored scales and was able to carry them to Pyrite town which is where she contacted me from. For some reason her Pokemon stayed behind her the entire way. She was challenged to a duel in Pyrite and as her Pokemon fought against the other trainer's, she noticed that her Pokemon seemed...off. They became stronger and faster during the battle whenever they came close to the box she was carrying the scales in and once they moved away from the scales they seemed to lose the power-up.. I've been studying the scales since she brought them here and her Pokemon as well. Her Pokemon are fine, for which I am thankful but the scales...I don't have the equipment to study them properly. Which is where you fine trainers come in."

"I was hoping you could bring the scales to a Professor who is studying Pokemon growth and evolution in Phenac city. My studies are keeping me here unfortunately and I feel that he may be able to shed some light on why they have the effects that they do on Pokemon."

[Zanavy]

Nicolette looked down at her shoes and scowled slightly as Claude laughed at her. She wished she could come up with a quick comeback for what seemed like another scornful remark, but such things weren't her area of expertise. Anyway, the professor seemed to support her enthusiasm, and that lifted her spirits. His regard was more important than that of some random trainer.

All thoughts of impressing anyone ground to a halt as Professor Birek described their mission. Nicolette nervously eyed the mysterious box, unconsciously clutching the friend ball on her bag's strap as she did so. She looked down at Alphonse. The Furfrou seemed uneasy, too; some hair on the back of his neck was standing up. But Alphonse had been trained to maintain composure at all times, and he forced his gaze away from the box, though his wary attitude remained. He frowned at Nicolette's bag with concern.

"P-Professor..." Nicolette began tentatively. "Can you tell us more about this professor? What are his qualifications, and how long have you known him?" The black-haired woman sighed. "I apologize, I must sound rude. I just want to make sure something this powerful doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"I'm sure you know at least a little about Shadow Pokemon," she continued. Nicolette kept clutching her friend ball as she spoke, as if the Pokemon inside would burst out if she didn't hold him inside. "I admit I know nothing about how they were created. I just know an evil group altered them somehow to make them like heartless fighting machines. Forgive me, it just seems like some of the scale's effects are similar to those experienced by the Shadow Pokemon."

[Chev]

"Can you tell us more about this professor? What are his qualifications, and how long have you known him?" "I apologize, I must sound rude. I just want to make sure something this powerful doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

Birek smiled. "I understand your concerns and I assure you, Professor Leta can be trusted. I've known her for around eight years now, in fact, she assisted with the purification chamber when it was created three years ago. Leta used to be a lab assistant here but she decided to pursue a different field and set up a small lab in Phenac City. I would trust her with my life. In fact, it was the first Shadow Pokemon crisis that caused her to switch to the Pokemon evolution field."

"I admit I know nothing about how they were created. I just know an evil group altered them somehow to make them like heartless fighting machines. Forgive me, it just seems like some of the scale's effects are similar to those experienced by the Shadow Pokemon."

Birek frowned for a second. "I must admit, I have studied Shadow Pokemon after hearing of Cipher's attempts to use them to take over Orre and the surrounding regions and the thought had occurred to me that there might be some sort of connection between Shadow Pokemon and these scales. In fact, at one point I thought that Cipher may have used in the Shadow Pokemon creation process. I have noticed one thing however, when they come close to the scales, they don't take on the cruelty of the Shadow Pokemon. They gain the speed and strength, but they remain themselves."

[Prints Avoid]

Luckily for the girl, the professor didn't seem to find anything weird about her "geeking out." In fact, he took it in stride and answered her questions but did go out of his way to actually introduce himself. The professor directed their attention to some box. Claude's mind started drifting off as the professor spoke. However the phrase "stronger and faster" quickly drew it back. But he wanted to study them? An eager look crossed Claude's face as he glanced up at the Aipom on his shoulder who staring steadily at the box.

Of course the images of his Scizor back home zipping about, his Aipom completely destroying other Pokemon in a race dissipated when the Professor continued. No this was just a simple delivery. He'd been summoned all the way across the region just to be a delivery boy. Did this professor really need that many people here for this?

The girl from earlier spoke up again. She sounded almost scared by the whole idea. But her words showed she really had a reason for all of this. Of course, Claude had heard about the Shadow Pokemon. Nearly every one had heard bits and pieces here and there. He was sure the Orre natives knew a little more than him. But this girl, even with the foreign accent seemed to have a personal experience with these Pokemon. Hmm definitely more than met the eye here. He wondered what the rest of these kids were hiding.

The professor was all positives though. No these are not potential weapons of pure evil. Nope, just scales that make your Pokemon unconditionally more powerful. Definitely something to keep a close guard on.

"So Professor not to... uh doubt you. But what exactly do you need all of us for. I mean, not that I'm saying I won't do it. I'll gladly help you out. It just doesn't seem like a five man job is all."

[Chev]

"So Professor not to... uh doubt you. But what exactly do you need all of us for. I mean, not that I'm saying I won't do it. I'll gladly help you out. It just doesn't seem like a five man job is all."

Birek lowered his eyes to the ground for a brief moment and took a deep breath before speaking and looked back up at the group. "The truth is is that each of you have one personality trait that many trainers in Orre seem to lack: You each genuinely care for your Pokemon. I'm not trying to make all trainers in the Orre region seem...careless but the truth is many of them don't care about their Pokemon unless their Pokemon win battles on a consistent basis. And I can't count out the remote possibility that someone may try to steal the scales and find some way to use them to corrupt Pokemon or worse yet, somehow use them to create Shadow Pokemon."

He raised his hands up in front of him. "And I realize that I said that there isn't a connection between the scales and Shadow Pokemon but that's just based off of mine and Leta's study. Someone else may develop a way to create new Shadow Pokemon."

"Truth be told, you are some of the few trainers I can trust to carry this out."

[Zanavy]

Nicolette remained quiet as she carefully considered the professor's answers. Birek seemed like a genuine man, and she trusted his statement that the scales displayed no known connection to Shadow Pokemon. She also had to agree that an object that boosts the power of Pokemon must be kept in good hands. Professor Leta seemed as good a choice as any.

Nicolette still had one question, though. She was a novice trainer, if that. And while a book shouldn't be judged by its cover, none of the other trainers seemed to have particularly powerful Pokemon, either. If these scales were so important, why didn't the professor request stronger trainers to guard it?

Claude's question differed from hers, but Birek's answer satisfied both. Yes, she had seen the way some trainers in Phenac City behaved when their Pokemon lost a battle. The woman had hoped those were uncommon occurrences, but maybe not. Nicolette frowned as she looked down at her best friend. Alphonse still seemed a little on edge while he looked at Rush's friend ball.

Nicolette's sky blue eyes widened a bit as a thought suddenly came to her. Though the scales might be completely unrelated, what if they were a missing link in the mystery of how Shadow Pokemon were created? With proper study, maybe they could improve our understanding of how to help ex-Shadows! And who better to unravel those mysteries than someone who helped purify the Shadow Pokemon?

"Professor," Nicolette began softly. "I must admit, I'm not much of a battler. If you want to find someone stronger to deliver this important item, I would understand. In any case, I don't think this is a job for just one person." The woman gulped. Then she resumed with much more resolve in her voice.

"But if you really think I'll be a valuable member of a group, then I'll do my best. I'll do whatever I can to make sure these scales stay in good hands."

Alphonse barked lightly, seemingly in agreement.

[Chev]

"I must admit, I'm not much of a battler. If you want to find someone stronger to deliver this important item, I would understand. In any case, I don't think this is a job for just one person." The woman gulped. Then she resumed with much more resolve in her voice.

"But if you really think I'll be a valuable member of a group, then I'll do my best. I'll do whatever I can to make sure these scales stay in good hands."

Birek smiled. "I feel I can trust each and everyone of you. I trust that if trouble shows up, each of you can handle it."

Sean looked at Beldum and Quilava and noticed that they had moved further away from the box. Quilava was sitting behind Sean and his Beldum was floating above his shoulder. "I'll hold onto the scales if you want when we leave."

Birek looked at him and smiled. "I'll leave that decision to you and your group. We have a hover-truck we use for transport across the majority of the Orre region. You are welcome to make use of it in your mission."

[Prints Avoid]

Well, he supposed it all made sense. Claude had to admit that he hadn't really fully considered the possible consequences of the scales' existence. The Kalos girl seemed to be on top of it though. It was still funny the professor trusted five trainers he'd never met before. They had to have been recommended to him by someone.

"You up for this little errand?" Claude mumbled to his Aipom. Of course he knew the answer. Bliss had always been one of his more adventurous Pokemon.

Claude perked up at the mention of the truck.

"Oh a hover-truck? Well that will definitely make life much easier for all of us." The thought of making speeding across the region in the truck, windows down and music blasting made the trip just a little more interesting.