Phoenix

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

A last glance through the personnel roster and inventory records proved beneficial. Tristan happened upon a complete list of all the individuals involved with the attack on Mauville City. Unfortunately, none of these Zodiac characters seemed to be directly involved, if these records were to be believed. It was easy to assume that such information was kept out of the records. But with everything else that was revealed, it wouldn't make much sense to hide that information. The Rangers would take great value from these records, surely. But the rest of these plans - well that was something none of them could be truly prepared for.
Forrest entered the office shortly after as if he was already headed in that direction. Only Shaq'ti hovered beside him. Oracle knew that they had been returned to their Pokeballs as they had fully recovered in the infirmary by this point. Surely Tristan didn't take that much time looking over all these documents - they must have simply been that efficient, which was ultimately a boon.
Forrest's size was somehow betrayed by the jeans and t-shirt he usually wore. In only high shorts and a tank top, Forrest's physique on display and so made it that much more obvious how large he actually was. He held himself as he usually would - tall and erect and confident. He sat down with his arms crossed and legs spread wide on the chair in front of Tristan's desk. Shaq'ti hovered in meditation beside him.
"So, what did you find out?" he said and pointed his chin toward Tristan's desk covered with papers.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Rangers Headquarters - Rustboro City

"No, I'm sorry," Antligon thought. Emotions blanketed the flashes of his recent memory of being completely overwhelmed by the Altaria. There was shame for not being able to protect Oracle or Syressa. There was despair for being made felt so weak and helpless. And there was terror from the idea of how powerful that one Pokemon.
The Rangers worked around them silently as they all arrived. Their visual analysis was enough to tell them who needed immediate attention and who was alright. Through the doors a few commands toward others could be heard. But they left the men alone despite Forrest actively bleeding. They must have been familiar with his constitution and may have seen him in similar states before. They would only obey the orders of the Bounty Hunter and Personal Investigator.
Forrest was visibly sad. His stoicism had its limits. He looked over his Pokemon that weren't taken into the infirmary and silently apologized to them all for failing so completely. The fear he'd felt when he engaged the giant (which Vertigo verified to Forrest that he was called "Taurus") turned into shame and regret. Shame that he and his Pokemon weren't nearly as strong as he believed them be. Regret for having slacked on his own training and that of his Pokemon as well as for underestimating the situation as much as he had.
He couldn't see at the moment that they had prepared as best they could with what little information they had. Their response to the situation was what kept them all alive - any other "lesser" trainer or Ranger would have soon been killed. But he couldn't know just how powerful his foes - the foes of Hoenn - were. It would be much later he would realize their power. For now, it would be enough that he knew he nor his Pokemon could stand up to them.
The floating liquid from Veritas formed a sleeve around Forrest's arm and glowed sloftly. It didn't register to him that the wounds were closing and the bleeding had stopped. He didn't notice Damselraed zip toward him to fret over him and try her own Aqua Ring to at least cool him down and clean him of the sweat that covered his body.
"Marionetta," he said. "Go tell my wife that I'm okay and that I'm safe and that I'll be home in a bit."
She was the last one of his party that could teleport, so he relied on her to ease his wife's concerns. She moaned gleefully and nodded. She vanished in heavy black smoke. Forrest took a deep breath which raised his chest that felt unusually heavy. He laid a hand onto his chest to check what caused it. His heart - his nerves were weighing him down.
Forrest's arm was entirely healed but still had thick lines of blood around it. He saw the Master General rush out into the courtyard where they still stood. Forrest remained still and seemingly calm, but only because he had to use all of his willpower to not break down, to not rage and thrash out at everything around him, to not hurt himself as punishment for his failures. He could do that later.
"You're back so soon. What the fuck happened?" the Master General said without any hint of formality.
He ushered them into his office so he could be briefed as to what they had experienced. His expression turned immediately grim as Tristan explained the details rather calmly. Forrest's heart raced - thudded loudly in his chest - at Tristan's demand to receive updates from the Rangers assigned to their families. Luckily for the both of them, the responses were quick and positive. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened or was happening. Everything was normal. Forrest couldn't help but feel the twinge of doubt as paranoid conspiracies filled his mind. But everything else he felt soon quelled those concerns.
The Master General promptly agreed to Tristan's request and encouraged him to learn as much as he could and to use any and all resources that he might need that they could grant him. He then immediately ordered the retreat of each of squads that were sent to the other safehouses and base. If they couldn't get inside, there would be no use in scouting it out since they already knew their locations. At a later date he would order much more powerful and skilled investigation teams to learn what they could from the assumed-rubble they would find.
The Master General shared that he would update the other Grand Rangers of this and for them to heal and clean up and get started on their research. The Master General was obviously disturbed. The Master General was afraid. The leader of the military of the entire country feared the vague images of a person none of them have ever seen and the brief battle with a single other individual. But with the way an Elite Four member and a former Champion and his strongest Bounty Hunter looked after such an encounter, he understood quite plainly how powerful these individuals likely were.
As Tristan opted to go straight to his office, Forrest looked down at his arm and decided he would shower and then visit the infirmary to check on his Pokemon. It felt like a long walk to the gym. He'd only used it a few times since he had his own at home, but he'd personally trained a handful of Rangers, mostly Marines, and so was familiar enough with it. The hallways still buzzed as they had the day before, but with seemingly more organization and purpose.
Forrest pushed open the door to the gym and saw that it was filled with Rangers, which he thought was unusual considering the times he was there, it had 10 patrons at the most. He wondered if they understood a fraction of what he knew and that they were preparing to fight with everything they had. It was some kind of relief, some peace of mind.
"Whoa, Johnson, you okay?" Sergeant Broadson said after he dropped the weights he was working with and walked over to Forrest.
Forrest left his thoughts to address one of the Rangers he'd personally helped train some years ago. Last Forrest saw him was at the Day-care after an egg was stolen but ultimately saved by Haven. Sergeant Broadson was noticeably pumped from working out as vigorously as he must have been. Forrest always noted how small he was when they first started training together and how much he'd grown since then. There was a small amount of pride that was quickly snuffed out by the rest of the emotions he felt.
"Oh, yeah. I'm healed up, just gonna shower to clean off," Forrest said rather flatly.
"Great, I just finished my workout. So, what happened?"
Forrest kept silent. He gestured for Sergeant Broadson to follow him so they could speak privately. The Sergeant registered the seriousness Forrest was displaying and silently obeyed. They undressed and chose a showerhead stand that wasn't being used. They turned on the water and started to wash themselves, but Forrest kept quiet. Sergeant Broadson looked at him expectantly. Eventually Forrest took note of this when he realized he was just standing still under the running water.
"You can't tell this to anyone else, not even your superiors."
Sergeant Broadson froze and curled his brows with a cocked head. "Okay," he said slowly.
"So, this only happened because I had to pick up Halcrow so we could escape."
The Sergeant's expression only grew more exaggerated. Forrest continued, "There's people that go by the names of the zodiac signs. They're horrifically powerful. Tristan - Mr. Aeros and I had to flee even though we were there to take them by surprise if it came to that."
He had started to rub his bloody arm to encourage the blood to run off. Sergeant Broadson kept quiet as Forrest started to lather himself to actually get clean.
"I was so weak. My Pokemon weren't strong enough and it's my fault. If there's actually 12 of them, they can do some real damage. And I'm not strong enough to protect my family or my Pokemon."
It looked as if he was talking to himself - rambling. The thoughts racing through his mind started to leak and he did all he could to contain them and keep himself from spiraling. He shook his head and rinsed himself off quickly to just stand under the running water.
"I'm too weak," he said low and angry.
Vibrating metal sounded loud and short around them. Forrest looked forward and saw his hand against the central column of the showerhead stand. There was a notable indentation around his fist. He pulled it back to look to see what had happened. He saw his knuckles were misshapen and his skin was quickly growing purple. Broken.
"Fuck me," he said quietly in a groan.
He held his hand up to keep himself from using it - to keep from damaging it more. He turned off the water and walked back to grab a towel. He fumbled to dry himself with one hand. He then draped it over his shoulders and sat on the wooden bench in front of the lockers they had put their clothes in. He breathed deeply and slowly. He rested his forearms atop his knees and hung his head down. His head slowly fell into his hands to mask himself - to contain the emotions - to hide them - to show them on his face so no one else could see.
"Guess I gotta train that much harder," Sergeant Broadson bellowed confidently. "You too, Johnson. You look pathetic - feeling defeated so easily. What happened to 'failure is set-up for the next success'?"
Sergeant Broadson slapped Forrest's shoulder blade a couple times then gripped his shoulder. He shook Forrest a couple times with a "come on," but stopped when he heard a quiet sob from within Forrest's hands. So he sat next to him and put his arm around his shoulders.
"You're the strongest man I know. You have to be - you have a lot to prove and a lot to protect," Broadson said quietly. "And if not physically the strongest, you have the strongest will I've ever seen. You've just gotta train yourself and your Pokemon that much harder. You have a goal to reach. So now you can surpass it."
Sergeant Broadson brought his hand up to Forrest's head to push both of theirs together in a tight hug. "And we all fight as one, you're not alone."
Forrest sobbed quietly again and sniffed loudly and sharp. He wiped his face with his hands and forearms and let out a shot embarrassed chuckle. He let Sergeant Broadson pull them both their feet and then turned to hug the man tight in a brief intimate moment between good friends.
"Thanks," Forrest said and sniffed again.
"Fucking nasty, you got snot on me, Johnson," he said with a scoff and laugh. "Gotta shower again 'cause of you. Though you do, too, with that face," he said and pointed and laughed.
"Fuck you, Broadson," Forrest said in a restrained bellowing laugh.
They both returned to the shower to actually relax and make sure they were cleaned off. Broadson shared his sexual exploits with Forrest to maintain the air of levity. Vulgarity usually helped to take his mind off more serious matters. They continued this into the sauna that they decided to enjoy at the last moment. They both drove most people away with their hyper-graphic descriptions and comments and gestures. A few joined in briefly, which helped to lighten Forrest's mood a little more. When they finished, Forrest decided to forgo his own clothes as they were sweaty and, instead, put on ranger panties and a tank top from the cabinet for Rangers to take if they needed. He put his boots back on and left for the infirmary.

Fallarbor Town

It took a while for the two to fly to Fallarbor Town. Lois' Skarmory and Fredrick's Hydreigon weren't known for their speed, but it was certainly faster than Surfing and traveling on foot. They both considered Tristan's warning and were, understandably, concerned. He was the last one of them that could be surprised and they all knew his Pokemon were highly capable. For him to express the level of worry he seemed to got to both of them, and rightfully so.
They agreed they wouldn't engage anyone and would, instead, simply walk around and be present should anything potentially dnagerous occur. But the sleepy town was just that - sleepy. People went about their business quietly and greeted others warmly. Most were slow to recognize that two Elite Four members were walking their streets, but they eventually had a modest level of attention turned toward them. They even asked if anyone had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary recently, and all said "no."
Both of them decided to stop in a cafe for some lunch. They kept their guards up as they chatted about mundane things happening in their lives away from the Elite Four. They got polite waves in their direction but were, otherwise, left alone. The people here seemed to respect privacy and personal space than in other places across Hoenn.
"Hello, Mr. Vant and Ms. Preato. Do you mind?" a woman said and gestured to an unoccupied seat at the table. "How are the two of you doing today? It's quite exciting to see two Elite Four members traveling together and to such a quiet town. What brings you here?"
She looked utterly plain - average. Brown hair and brown eyes. She wore round glasses and casual clothing that were relatively fashionable, but she certainly wasn't trying to call attention to herself.
"Oh, hello," Frederick said. "We're doing well, thank you. We're here just checking up on the refugee camps. The Elite Four is closed down while Mauville is put back together," he said with a smirk.
"Yes, that's right," Lois said to confirm the story. "It looks like the town has been mostly unaffected even with refugees here."
"I learned that this town has plenty of housing that is unoccupied, which seems to help," the woman said.
"Oh, that's good," Lois said. "And what was your name?"
"I apologize," she said through an exhale and with a smile. "I'm Sarah, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, both."
"So you're not from here, then?" Lois asked.
"Oh, no. I'm from - Sinnoh. Jubilife City," she said and giggled at herself for nearly forgetting where she was born. "I sometimes forget since I've been traveling around the world since I was a young teen."
"Your Hoennese is great," Fredrick said with raised brows. "Do you miss speaking your native tongue?" he asked in Sinnohese.
"Not really, no. I enjoy speaking other languages very much," she said in kind.
"You better not be talking about me," Lois said sternly but with a smile.
"Oh, I would never," Sarah said with a bright smile.
"She's can be insecure, sometimes," Fredrick said with a chuckle.
"She doesn't look it," Sarah said with a soft smile at Lois.
"What? What did you say?" she said, almost shouting.
"Just that you're insecure sometimes. Nothing no one doesn't already know," he said wryly.
"Bastard," she said and shook her head with a smirk.
"Well, I must be going. I have prior arrangements I'm going to be late for. I've very much enjoyed meeting the two of you. How serendipitous for me to meet two of this country's Elite Four members at the same time and without having to have to search for them," she said with smile and rose from her seat.
She nodded after Fredrick and Lois gave their farewells and then she left the cafe. Fredrick and Lois finished their food and drinks and simultaneously thought to try to follow the woman. There was no real reason as why they suspected her of anything. She was perfectly pleasant. And she was foreign, which made her behavior not appear odd or out of place.
But they were right. They followed her far from the town, westward and then northward deep into the woods. They managed to keep their distance. But it was unmistakable what they saw through the trees. She stood some distance away from what they both knew to be the safehouse. On either side of the small cabin was a Ninetales and Chandelure performing Flamethrower against the structure that was in the middle of being burnt down to nothing. They stood in amazement for a few moments before they turned to each other and quickly left before they could be noticed. Their hearts raced as they took flight and straight back to the Elite Four Headquarters. Frederick managed to call Tristan on his gauntlet during the flight.

North of Route 102 - Between Petalburg Woods and Verdandale Forest

It was a particularly hot day. The air was relatively still which added to the humidity. Jeanne worked the berry crops around the house to keep her mind of her husband risking his life for his family and country. Jerrek was self-sufficient by now, if only because his father was away so often and having three younger siblings meant he felt obligated to ease the burden off his mother as much as he could. Elizabeth played with the Surskit she'd befriended. Shelynn eventually joined them while Rowan stayed with her in the gardens. His hands were always stained brown with dirt. She appreciated how much he enjoyed gardening with her.
She chatted with the Rangers over lunch. She was surprised they helped her with preparing the meal and even mediating the children when they needed mediation. She wondered if they pitied her because of who her husband was. But she decided to not focus on such negativity and simply enjoyed the help - and protection. She appreciated how much they encouraged Jerrek and his interests and how gentle they were to Shelynn and how tolerant they were of Rowan. Elizabeth kept to her own world with her little bug that blew the occasional bubble at her.
Jeanne kept in the house the rest of the day with cleaning and tidying. She found some quiet time to knit the sweater she'd been knitting for the past two years for Forrest. She always prioritized clothing for her children, which got in the way of finishing the project. She felt bad that it'd been so long since she last made something for her husband, but she knew he understood considering how much he left for her to take care of while he was away.
A wide toothy smile glowed yellow upon the completed portion of the sweater. Yellow eyes appeared and Marionetta phased herself through and in front of Jeanne. She hadn't realized how much time had passed and glanced at the clock before she turned back to the ghost doll. Marionetta moaned and croned with her perpetually-wide smile and gestured what Forrest had instructed her. Jeanne sighed heavily and closed her eyes in relief. A small smile formed on her face and she looked back at Marionetta. "Thank you," she said.
She returned back to knitting with a newfound vigor. But soon after Major White entered the house and found her sitting on the couch next to an open window in silence.
"Mrs. Johnson, we just received word that your husband has returned to the Rangers Headquarters in Rustboro," he said.
"I know where the Headquarters is, Major. There's no need to be so formal," she said with a playful smile.
"We have reported that there has been no unusual activity. I wanted to verify with you that there has been no unusual activity."
"I have not seen anything unusual, Major. Thank you," she said with a nod and returned her attention to her knitting.
"Ma'am," he said with a salute and then a bow.
She chuckled to herself and shook her head but continued to knit in peace, both inner and outer, while she had it.

Ranger Internal Affairs Office - Rustboro City

In the case Jonton Fairfax is arrested or killed, enact the following:
Reallocate resources to Southern Island.
Destroy all incriminating evidence.
Aires to oversee destruction of Rustboro Wharf.
Sagittarius to oversee destruction of Fallarbor safehouse.
Capricorn to oversee destruction of Central Desert base.
Taurus to oversee destruction of Fortree Jungle base.
Cancer to oversee destruction of Southern Sea safehouse.

Note: If Jonton Fairfax is arrested by Rangers at a base or safehouse, do not attempt to obstruct any efforts by Rangers in their acquisition of information and resources from that location.

...

Blueprints of Sea Mauville with the note "Scorpio" at the top.
Blueprints of the Ener-Geo Corporation with the note "Sagittarius" at the top.
Blueprints of New Mauville with the note "Gemini" at the top.
Blueprints of Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax Institute, and Fairfax Manor and background checks on all the Fairfax's with the note "Aires" at the top.
Blueprints of Pacifidlog Mills with the note "Cancer" at the top.
Background check on Henrietta James (Mrs. James of the Pokemon Day-Care) with the note "Capricorn" at the top.
Background checks on Mossdeep Space Center and Mossdeep Astronomy Institute personnel (including Leon and Deirdre Aeros) with the note "Pisces" at the top.
Blueprints of the Lilycove Megamall, Lilycove Harbor, and Hoenn Art Institute with the note "Libra" at the top.
Background checks on Prof. Fir's Laboratory assistants (including Herbert Johnson) with the note "Aquarius" at the top.
Blueprints of the Johnson Academy and a background check on Barbara Johnson with the note "Virgo" at the top.
Blueprints of the Elite Four Headquarters and Championship Arena and background checks on Elite Four members (including Tristan Aeros) with the note "Leo" at the top.
Background checks of all Gym Leaders (including Percival Gutermuth) with the note "Taurus" at the top.

...

Aires: Volcanion
Taurus: Diancie
Gemini: Zeraora
Cancer: Cresselia
Leo: Victini
Virgo: Deoxys
Libra: Meloetta
Scorpio: Darkrai
Sagittarius: Shaymin
Capricorn: Celebi
Aquarius: Magearna
Pisces: Jirachi

----------

There was an entire roster of all the names, locations, and appearances of all those that worked under Jonton. Since they were current, it did not include any of the secret agents that Tristan had learned about. There was an entire log of all purchases and sales of black market goods for the past year, complete with dates, times, locations, and names. It was a veritable treasure trove of information that surely the Rangers would be elated to receive. Unfortunately, there was no such specific information regarding the more serious information found before. It was easy to assume they planned to destroy these places and kill these people. It was hard to hope that they weren't so maniacal.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

With the combination of Damselraed's Whirlwind and Vertigo's Psychic after Pandora's Lovely Sweet Kiss, they effectively immobilized the Tauros, despite wanting to throw her far away. But together they allowed them all just enough time to escape. With the Tauros trapped in the Whirlwind, he was able to fly to Forrest, Kangooroom, and Halcrow.
"Oh, we're leaving? Back to the Headquarters it is!" Marionetta thought to Veritas. Her tone was inappropriate for the situation, but it seemed her voice was perpetually mischievous and playful.
She was only capable of teleporting herself with her ability to travel through the realms. But in this situation, it was a boon. Shaq'ti was usually the one in charge of teleporting, given her affinity for performing it onto others from afar. Syressa was a capable teleporter, herself, but only at close range. And since Shaq'ti was only able to teleport herself and three others and Syressa being knocked out, Marionetta getting herself away would have been that much more efficient for Tristan's Pokemon.
Wickengu immediately reached Veritas without hesitation. Damselraed would alit onto Tristan, instead, since they reappeared right next to her when she released her Whirlwind at the moment it was safe for her to do so. The real issue was Forrest, Kangooroom, and Halcrow.
When Vertigo reached the Malamar, it was returned to a Pokeball from afar. A different person seemed to be its owner and she fled as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Well enough, but the fact Halcrow had been thrown by the giant would make reaching the three of them quickly a little more challenging. But at least he was able to verify that the very large man was, indeed, Taurus.
Forrest reacted to Vertigo immediately. Halcrow had been thrown further away from them, and he wasn't getting up. He motioned for Kangooroom to duel the giant so he could get Halcrow up and to Vertigo. Thankfully, Vertigo worked with the three of them so they'd all have to travel the least amount of distance in order to reach him.
Forrest found Halcrow in immense pain and with his arm as broken as a plant's arm could be. He lifted the Cacturne up and ignored the spikes across his body to do so. Halcrow managed to find his own footing and the two raced toward Vertigo as fast as they could.
Kangooroom's specialty was one-on-one combat. The giant wasn't quite twice as big as the Breloom, but Breloom packed more of a punch. He streaked forward with a Mach Punch that the giant simply blocked with his forearms and wasn't even pushed back. But Kangooroom's goal was to get close enough so the Spore he released would surround the giant and make him sleepy - hopefully enough to pass out. But the giant stood dazed for a moment and Kangooroom retreated to Vertigo so he could teleport them all to the Rangers Headquarters.

A Lieutenant noticed the sudden teleport at the entrance and quickly worked to bring Syressa and Shaq'ti into their infirmary. He obeyed Oracle's commands that Tristan and Forrest would be there soon. He said he'd get the Master General to them as quickly as he could.
Tristan and Ether appeared next with Damselraed. Veritas and Aequitas arrived nearly simultaneously with Wikengu and Arine, Pandora and Zen, respectively. Vertigo was the last to arrive with Forrest, Kangooroom, and Halcrow.
Forrest's shoulder and arm was covered in small puncture wounds and cuts that were actively bleeding, but apparently not too profusely as he seemed to not even notice. Halcrow held his arm with the other and was soon escorted to the infirmary. They tried to take Forrest as well but he waved them off and asked where his other Pokemon were and made sure they had all escaped. Oracle would have also been ushered to the infirmary.
Forrest walked up to Tristan. He stood with a bit of a slouch and his uninjured arm hugged his abdomen despite not having any injuries here. He allowed the bleeding arm to hang limp beside him as blood slowly dripped onto the concrete. His body was soaked with sweat and now blood. His skin was reddened and he was breathing somewhat heavily as the adrenaline hadn't stopped yet.
"You got them here safe, then?" Forrest asked low and gruff. "Thanks," he added and sounded somewhat defeated, though rightfully so.
They were both well aware of how much they had tried to plan their infiltration and how well it went despite only being able to get very little information. Still, they were somehow caught off-guard. They were supposed to be the aggressors. How did it turn out like this? Those Pokemon were monstrous. That man was monstrous. As much as they prepared, they couldn't expect that. He didn't expect that. They both knew the threat of the mental trap that was left in Jonton's mind by Pisces' Gorebyss (allegedly). They both understood how powerful something like that was and that his other Pokemon was likely just as strong. Forrest thought back when they learned the rumor that Taurus was there and how little he thought of it at the time. He underestimated them. There was no way they were going to overpower any of them. He was furious with himself. He was furious for underestimating them and furious with how weak he was proven to be. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
But it was even more frightening to learn that there were, very likely, 12 of them and that they were all equally powerful to each other. That one of them was able to fend off to the point of forcing a former Pokemon Champion and sitting Elite Four member to flee was terrifying to consider. Each of the other bases, surely, had one of these Zodiac people at them. The Rangers stood no chance. Were they all going to be killed? Would they really go that far so quickly? They had to know the Rangers would find out that their reconnaissance failed. It was all still so overwhelming.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

The Heal Pulse coursed through Antligon and he began to stir as he fell. He saw Oracle and felt her Wish to prove his strength. His eyes shot open and found a deep determination with his second chance. Sand spun out from him and he was obscured by an orb of swirling sand. He shot past Oracle wide enough to not catch her in the Sandstorm and rocketed straight up behind Syressa. None would be able to see the barrel rolls he performed as he worked up a Dragon Dance that turned into a Dragon Rush that pushed him even faster toward the Altaria.
Syressa quickly adapted to Oracle's response. She Coiled upward. Her body shone with brilliant blue energy that spread out from her in a giant sheet. The Wide Guard was just large enough to catch the rest of the Draco Meteors. She refocused her Star Fall toward Altaria at the last moment. A bright blast of glittering energy exploded around the Altaria who let out a long cry, though notably not terribly pained.
As the Draco Meteor met the Wide Guard, the meteors phased through the shield and were greatly diminished in power to the point of being negligible. The Altaria appeared largely unaffected by the Star Fall as the glittering energy subsided. The Altaria then opened its beak and a horrible purple and pink energy formed and shot toward them all. This combination of Moonblast and Dragon Pulse shouldn't have been nearly this strong and devastating, but it shot through all three of them as they unintentionally lined up perfectly to be caught simultaneously. Antligon's Dragon Rush negated much of the blast, but he was still badly injured by the move. The Moonpulse instantly shattered the Wide Guard and enveloped all of Syressa and she immediately passed out from the force much like Flygon did from its Rainbow Rush.

Shaq'ti felt bad for taking the time to Meditate and Recover so that she could be of greater use. She established a firm link with Oracle.

The Water Pulses and Hydro Pump didn't even physically reach the Tauros due to the sheer power caused by the Giga Impact. Luckily they were still able to barely steer the Tauros a little further away from from themselves and Pandora. But Arine was surprised to be clipped by the edge of its Giga Impact despite the Telekinesis-assisted Rapid Spin. Their combined efforts were at least enough to where Damselraed easily dodged out of the way.
Wickengu and Aequitas crossed over the Tauros with their blades simultaneously and from opposite directions with each pass. But the residual energy from the Tauros' front lessened the effect of their attacks despite how effective Aequitas' Mach Blades should have been, and they could both tell. Even Vertigo's Hidden Power appeared to be resisted to some degree.
The ground erupted under Tauros much more violently than Zen had ever been able to do before. And it spread straight forward toward nothing in particular. As it felt the Earth Power form under it, it instinctually created a devastating Fissure. The Tauros stopped before it could reach Pandora. But she wouldn't be safe as all the residual momentum the Tauros had left was focused into its horns that glowed the sickly green of a Megahorn that aimed straight for Pandora.
Pandora, herself, was quick, however. She skirted around the Megahorn and was able to land a perfectly-aimed Lovely Sweet Kiss. But she could quickly notice the Attract didn't work and soon spotted the reason as to why - the Tauros was female. Still, the Tauros stumbled forward and struggled to keep upright. But the barrage of Aura Spheres from Veritas kept it awake due to how effective they appeared to be. But it was frightening that the Tauros turned back toward them and simply appeared winded.

Shaq'ti found Antligon within the Moonblast.

As explosion after explosion blasted from the Tauros, Marionetta considered what kind of Nasty Plots Vertigo must have thought of and prepared her next attack. As the Tauros turned around, she appeared before the bull Pokemon with a wide grin. Her eyes and mouth glowed a sinister yellow and a black void erupted from her. It was one of the only things she could do, but she'd made sure it'd count.
Wickengu followed Marionetta's lead and Plotted how his Swords would cut more effectively into the Tauros. As Marionetta erupted in her inky darkness, Wickengu sped across the Tauros. His elongated fronds were cloaked in a dark gray energy. He knew, same as Marionetta, that he was mostly ineffective, but a Dark Blade might prove more effective.
As Damselraed watched Pandora dance around the Tauros, she performed a Quivering Dance to better prepare herself physically and mentally for what they could be up against, since she still didn't quite know. Her four wings beat so quickly that it vibrated the air around her until it formed a kind of vortex that snaked toward the Tauros. The Whirlwind she created barely lifted the Tauros off the ground - far too heavy to be effected as it should have been. But it kept it from charging them for the moment.

Forrest rushed up to the giant man who didn't move as he crashed his fist into the man's abdomen. The man didn't move - or flinch. This was a greater monster than even Jonton. The terror he felt with Jonton quickly filled him, but this time Forrest used it to his own advantage. He remembered how Rai had taught him to use his fear in a fight. The giant man swung his massive arm around to punch Forrest in the side of his head, but he ducked and pivoted out of the way. Forrest found himself facing the giant's back and he put his arms up under the giant's arms to hold them back. The giant's feet were then tangled in the grass he stood upon due to Halcrow's well-timed Grass Knot. The giant was also positioned perfectly as Kangooroom curved up against the giant in a Sky Uppercut after he Bulked Up while Forrest had engaged him.
The giant went flying in the same way he had made Halcrow fly. Unfortunately, he flew in the same direction and landed in front of Halcrow. But Halcrow wanted his Revenge, and he'd take it. But as he swung toward the giant, the giant grabbed Halcrow's arm - needles and all - with a single hand and started to crush it. He then pulled Halcrow back then threw him further than the giant had punched him before. The giant turned back toward Forrest and Kangooroom. "This is fun," he said with a wild grin on his face as he let the blood drain from his hand.

Shaq'ti found Syressa who'd fainted and was falling to the ground.
"I'm going to teleport them soon," she thought to Ether as they returned and showed Oracle, Antligon, and Syressa to him. Her voice had no elegance now. She was straining hard to find the concentration and strength to do this one last thing to at least save the ones that were the furthest away from the rest of them. She unconsciously hoped Ether would get the rest of them out of this battle soon after, but couldn't think it to Ether directly.
She noted that Ether and Tristan had gone to the Rangers Headquarters and verified that she would teleport the four of them to that location. She didn't even notify Forrest that this was what she was doing - and the four of them were gone.

It was all she could do. Deep in her Recovering Meditation, she could only find three Pokemon far from her and teleport the four of them away. When they appeared at the entrance of the Rangers Headquarters, Shaq'ti promptly joined Syressa and the two laid on the ground unconscious. Flygon looked badly injured, but he panted and looked around to realize they had been taken from the fight. It initially irritated him, but once he saw the state of Syressa and Shaq'ti, his attention went toward attending to them.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

https://open.spotify.com/track/1XJODCFQDmpJuKnwN3vaHt?si=c2037509f5d8443d

Forrest glided his hand across all his Pokeballs. Everyone materialized nearly on top of each other. He glanced over to what Tristan had in his hands and his heart raced. Of course they were found out right at the end. It didn't register how a Psychic and Dark type Pokemon would be the perfect counter to invisibility. The flashes of images and commands that flooded his mind all at once made him focus on the fact that there was a Tauros charging toward them and a Draco Meteor falling toward them from above. He knew Shaq'ti couldn't teleport them away at the moment, and it never crossed his mind that Tristan's Pokemon were likely more than capable to getting them out of there immediately, but his first instinct was to fight back, of course - and to protect those files and Tristan, by extension.
"Go," he nearly roared at Tristan. "Get out of here!"
His face was mean - angry. Nothing like the look he'd have during a competitive battle. But this was certainly not a competitive battle. After experiencing the Mauville attack and the Wharf, their lives were in immediate danger.
Veins across Forrest's body started to push through his skin and his posture shifted to something like a protective Ursaring prepared to kill those that threatened her cubs. "Do it, Syressa," Forrest growled through his teeth.
Syressa's siren of a voice pushed through the space. Ether caught the glimpse of a move he'd never seen before. Fairy Fall was the Fairy-type equivalent to Draco Meteor, it seemed. And given the relation they had to each other, it could certainly effectively counter it. But he noticed how Syressa was concerned with how much effort and energy it took to perform. But she twirled straight into the air to chase after Oracle and Antligon. She'd never be able to catch up even without his summoning of a Sandstorm that naturally increased his speed. It was probably because Oracle was so close and he didn't want to harm her unnecessarily. Her eyes glowed in marbled patterns of purple and pink and blue. Her siren call rang out clearly and far. Her body began to glow a marbled white and pink as the clouds above parted and the sky darkened unnaturally. White spots like stars appeared in the nearly-black sky and slowly grew. An amazingly ginormous Altaria was revealed when the clouds parted. Syressa had to stop and focus on making her Star Fall speed downward so it might catch the Draco Meteor, if not the Altaria that, likely, produced it.
"Distract it, Marionetta," Forrest growled next.
The Banette moaned in glee and disappeared. She materialized behind Vertigo and cooed at him as if to try to encourage him to do his best. She disappeared again and then appeared right in front of the Tauros. It moved so quickly that it phased right through her before she could even notice. She believed it must have been a Giga Impact, which looked like it would be devastating with whatever it connected. She disappeared and reappeared behind the Tauros but tried to speed forward with it, which she could only do by performing Pursuit. She realized it had closed its eyes as the Confuse Rays shot toward it. She noticed Vertigo was preparing a Hypnosis and worried that with the Tauros now blindly charging toward them, it wouldn't matter if it fell asleep given the power with which it charged at them. She tried to cast out Will-o-Wisps, but the earth the Tauros kicked up splashed away the searing energy.
"Cut it up, Wickengu," Forrest commanded.
The Shiftry nodded and vanished. He was only a blur as he dashed around the trees and then back and forth in the clearing. A wide curve of dark green collided with the Tauros, but didn't slow it down at all. The Leaf Blade certainly connected, but the Tauros was simply too powerful. As strong as Wickengu was, this Tauros was like a steel wall. He remembered that it was part Steel-type and worried that they wouldn't be able to do much against it, especially Marionetta. But he continued to cross back and forth against the Tauros with Leaf Blades, as many as he could fit in before it would reach its target, whatever that was at this point.
"Halcrow, go get 'em," Forrest growled next.
The Cacturne grinned wide and ran past the Tauros toward the Malamar atop the roof. Once he got close enough, he fell onto all fours and seemed to Ingrain himself should anyone try to get him away. Needles flew from his body and directly toward the Malamar. Pin Missile was the perfect move against that type of Pokemon. It Protected itself, but Halcrow kept the missiles flying. The ugly squid formed screens in front of it, but the pins shattered through it and the Malamar tumbled onto the ground. A fist met his side and he was sent flying despite being Ingrained into the ground. The large man in the suede vest breathed deeply and wore a smirk on his face.
"Kangooroom, with me," Forrest said.
The Breloom nodded and paced toward the people fleeing, all except the giant man that he could assume was the owner of the Tauros and Altaria. Kangooroom thought he should take Wickengu's spot as he'd be more effective, but he also knew that taking out their trainer was probably a better route to take. They both watched as the Malamar tumbled off the roof and watched in awe and horror as the giant man sent Halcrow flying in a single punch to its side. Forrest fell forward into a sprint that Kangooroom followed. The giant man turned to face Forrest and Kangooroom. He even appeared confident in taking them both on at the same time.
Antligon glanced back at Oracle and roared out a "thanks," and pushed forward. He was disappointed he couldn't Sandstorm, but he believed Oracle's screens would prove more effective than just his speed. But he soon reached the position he wanted to be to intercept the Draco Meteor and stopped to brace himself. This Draco Meteor was massive - powerful. More powerful than any he'd seen or produced himself - he could tell. But he breathed deep and had to believe in himself. The brief notice that Syressa was behind him helped his confidence. He then warned that Oracle would be affected by the Boomburst he was about to perform to neutralize as many of the meteors as he could. In just a moment, Antligon cried out a screech that violently vibrated the air around him. As it reached the meteors, they barely fizzled away before they reached Antligon. But there were so many more that continued to streak past them. Then it went black.

The residual chimes of the Hypnosis did something - but not nearly enough. The Tauros was still charging blind toward them. It had veered to Vertigo's right enough that he wouldn't have to move out of the way to dodge it, but he knew it was heading straight for his trainer and the Pokemon still around them - Ether and Damselraed, at the least. Trees shattered against the Tauros' head. Not even that slowed it down. A giant torrent of water collided with the bull, and it still pushed forward - even though Damselraed's Hydro Pump that she let out in vain.
The Altaria reached Flygon as the Boomburst ended. He was cut through with a Rainbow Rush, the equivalent of a Dragon Rush, by the Altaria, which was somehow larger than the Flygon who was already large for his species. He was instantly knocked out. This was unprecedented for Flygon - to be taken out in a single hit and so soon. The force of the blow hurled him toward the ground fast. Syressa used a last bit of concentration to aim her Star Fall onto the rest of the Draco Meteors. She moved to shoot a Heal Pulse at Antligon and urged him to wake up from it. If he didn't, she prepared a Psychic to try to catch him. Still, she worried about Oracle. If that Altaria did this to Flygon, she worried the Xatu wouldn't have a chance.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Forrest sighed in relief whenever Pandora let out a pulse of cooling energy. The sweat across his body sent a brief chill through him at first, which could only be noticed by his shrinking nipples. It didn't seem cool enough to make him cold as the tropical heat couldn't be staved off entirely with a simple Mist. But it definitely made it comfortable. The mist eventually gave way to dewiness. Even Shaq'ti managed to relay the feeling of relief to Pandora, directly.
Forrest gave some food to Shaq'ti which made her drop her scanning for the moment. He then offered food to everyone else and even asked if Antligon or Oracle wanted some food via Ether. He didn't press anyone to eat since he wasn't very hungry, himself, but forced himself to eat. He nodded to affirm Tristan's offer as he fed those that wished to eat and finished the last few bites he was able to tolerate.

Oracle closed her eyes as she glimpsed to somewhere into the future. She saw orbs - purple and orange and blue - streak down through the clouds. The sky was a solid blue. They looked like orbs of energy falling straight toward the ground from past the clouds. She looked up and saw only faint wisps of clouds that streaked the sky that was a gradient of blue from the horizon to directly above her and Antligon. She couldn't shake the feeling that the orbs were awfully similar to Flygon's Draco Meteor. But Forrest specifically told him not to perform that move. She confirmed this with Antligon, himself, who said he wouldn't perform the move unless Forrest directly told him to or if he needed to for them to get away from a threat - but that he hadn't seen anything unusual and hadn't been notified of any danger yet. She still notified everyone of this vision to ensure that everyone was on high-alert - to not be caught off-guard.
She glimped again into a point in the future and saw the cabin on fire. It roared and seared her feathers within the vision. She saw papers swiftly go up in flames and float into the air as ash that soon disintegrated into nothing. People dumped boxes of papers into the flames and then the people, themselves, went up in flames. They were trying to destroy evidence before any of it could be found. She urged Tristan to go as quickly as Shaq'ti could to get and learn as much as possible before that could happen.

And so they did. As was agreed, it was only Tristan and Shaq'ti who approached the cabin while Forrest and all the other Pokemon stayed behind. Forrest was, understandably, more on-edge since learning about Oracle's visions, but he took several deep breaths to try to calm himself. He took her first vision to mean that Flygon was going to have to use Draco Meteor for some reason or another. The second made him worried for Tristan that he would be caught within the base as it burned. But he remembered Shaq'ti was capable of quite accurate teleportation, and so that concern was relieved.
There were three people carrying out boxes from within the cabin. There was a man and a woman wearing common civilian clothing and appeared, otherwise, normal. This made the other man stand out that much more. He was hulking - at least 7 feet tall. He was built like Forrest, but proportional to his height. The giant was terrifying. He carried two large boxes, one on the other, filled with books out of the cabin and about thirty feet away from the building. He wore an open suede vest, blue jeans, and leather boots. His hair was short but had tight dark brown curls. He was evenly furry across his entire body, it seemed. His face and everything on it was wide and large. It might have looked cartoonish if he wasn't so massive. Most would consider him "ruggedly handsome." He was clearly performing likely the only job he was hired to do - lift heavy things and put them down.
Investigating the boxes, they appeared to filled with common books found in any personal library. There was fiction and history and myths of various topics. Nothing stood out since there wasn't anything as esoteric as the myth of Jirachi. There were cook books and gardening books. It was all rather mundane. They couldn't be scoured too thoroughly as having books disappear and reappear elsewhere would certainly be suspicious.
The cabin, itself, was rather nice. There was no central heating or cooling system, which was immediately felt. But it was furnished rather nicely. And though the scent of sweaty adults permeated the immediate area, it, otherwise, smelled nice enough. There was a living room with a couch and seat and coffee table and fireplace. The kitchen was rather cluttered with non-perishable food that appeared to be in the process of being eaten. A quick check of the drawers and cabinets only revealed typical things found in kitchens. It was then that Tristan remembered that the cabin, itself, was a front for the base underground. But he had to make sure he found everything he could within the cabin before descending into the base.
He quickly scanned bedrooms and bathrooms, where nothing of note was found. Tristan was expecting to find something of interest in the office, but there was virtually nothing of interest - it didn't even look like the office was used. The papers spread out on the desk and the table were blank or just receipts. The pens had never been used. More reams of blank paper were found in the drawers. Typical office supplies filled other drawers. Dissapointing.
The only talk among the people that puttered around was about what needed to be gotten and what was going to stay. But one individual said something that unconsciously put the fear of Arceus in him. "Taurus" was referenced as being here. Tristan hadn't seen anyone that appeared particularly authoritative or even dressed at least similarly or uniquely as he remembered Pisces appeared. But he had to stay focused despite how his heart skipped.
Tristan saw someone come out of the floor in the room across the office. It was a trapdoor that was left open. A ladder led down into relative darkness. Tristan had to wait a few minutes to find the right time where he could climb down the ladder without getting in the way of the pully system that was rigged to bring up supplies from below.
He kept a lookout for anyone who he believed might have been Taurus. Tristan wondered if it was the giant as he looked the most distinctive, if only for his size. But it didn't make sense since he was just carrying things out of the building.
The base was massive. He moved as quickly as Shaq'ti could. Corridors led to corridors led to bunk rooms led to mess halls led to showers led to weight rooms led to storage rooms...
The storage rooms appeared mostly full of clothes and linens and office supplies. But one such storage room made Tristan froze. Explosive. Massive bombs that were stacked on top of each other and lined in rows. Most of the room appeared to have been emptied considering the unworn portions of the floor. From a quick calculation, there were probably 100 medium to large explosives that were recently removed from this base. Tristan found himself audibly panting and was reminded by Shaq'ti to remain quiet. Useful information, to be sure, but nothing that led to finding answers to unanswered questions.
Tristan felt like he was racing to explore as much of the base as he could. He eventually came across a rather important looking office. There were two people puttering around in there. There wasn't too much room to really do much without threatening to bump into them. But it looked like they were packing up books from the wall behind the desk. So he stood in front of the desk and examined the kinds of books that he could make out.
They were ledgers - activity ledgers. He wanted to take them all. One of the people suggested that it was going to be fun to "watch all of this go up in flames." His heart sank and skipped at the realization that so much of this information would be lost since he knew he wouldn't be able to take all of it, or even much of it.
He quickly investigated all around the desk. He moved slowly so his opening of drawers wasn't noticed as one of them carried out a box and the other moved to another corner of the room. Files. Individual's files of activity and position and authority. Perfect. He grabbed seven files that had the most recent information in them that he could find. He then turned to quickly analyze the organization system of the ledgers. It took a few minutes to find the most recent ledger, which was larger up close and realized he'd only be able to take the one without being noticed and without threatening to drop what he was able to get.
Oracle was right. They were going to burn all the evidence they could. But why were they taking out so many of the ledgers and files instead of lighting them on fire directly in the base? He looked around and noticed all the walls were made of concrete and there was an impressive sprinkler system. Perhaps it was faster this way than trying to disarm it - or maybe it couldn't be disarmed? He wasn't about to take the time to figure out that piece of information given how precious the information he had in his hands was and how desperate he was to get out of here as soon as he could.
Tristan realized it was going to be between difficult and impossible to climb the ladder with the files and ledgers he had. Shaq'ti offered to carry them as she was just going to levitate herself up the same way she levitated herself down. But it would cut her speed down exponentially as she wasn't used to being concerned with anything on her body as she affected the perceptions of those around her. Tristan had to reassure himself that it would be fine, that whatever means he needed to use to get these files out of here and to the Rangers was of the utmost importance.
Again they had to wait to find the time they would be able to use the ladder. It felt like an eternity before he could hand over the files to Shaq'ti and begin to climb the ladder at the speed she could handle. Panic was setting in at the realization that Taurus was here and they could found out at any moment and if he had Pokemon anywhere near as strong as Pisces, they'd have to teleport away as quickly as possible.
Tristan took the files from Shaq'ti as soon as he could and they rushed through the cabin and down the steps and toward where he knew Forrest and their Pokemon were waiting.
"There!"
Tristan looked around and noticed the very large man a few other people were looking directly at them. He glanced at Shaq'ti who's eyes mimicked his own.
He felt a low rumbling up his body from the ground. It felt like minutes as the rumbling grew into a near-earthquake. His heart could burst out of his chest as he saw a massive Tauros come into view directly toward them. He managed to glance over to see Malamar atop the roof - surely that was the reason they were found out.
He felt a firm but soft hand land on his chest as the hooves of the Tauros pounded into the ground and tore so much earth underneath them. He blinked and they were among Forrest and their Pokemon.
"I'm sorry. I'm exhausted. I could only teleport us here for now," she thought to only Tristan and Ether.

----------

Forrest stood up as Tristan and Shaq'ti disappeared. He nodded to Ether who's mind immediately went to all around them while he kept a link with his trainer. He looked at Pandora, the Jynx. She put her hands all over him, which felt nice considering how cold her touch was. She reminded Forrest of Damselraed and encouraged her behavior. Damselraed started to vie for his attention from Pandora. Forrest found it amusing how jealous she was getting but tried to reassure her. But Pandora recoiled as she went to kiss Forrest's cheek. Veritas relayed that she was going to Lovely Kiss him, which they definitely did not need. Forrest tried to reassure Pandora that he would accept her affection and that she didn't need to go so far with it.
They all eventually settled as Ether relayed everything Tristan was seeing and hearing. Forrest found it difficult to keep track of how quickly the thoughts entered his mind. Oracle sent the occasional update as well - that nothing was happening from what they could see from their vantage point. But Oracle unconsciously filled with anxiety as she learned her second vision would be true and couldn't help but think back to the vision she'd seen those few days ago - with Pisces and Forrest and Damselraed. She wanted so badly to warn Forrest, but she would continue to wait until Tristan allowed her to.
Their own shock at learning about the bombs was naturally muted as they weren't physically there. It felt like so much time had passed until Tristan had found files and was working to leave the cabin.
Oracle's first vision of the Draco Meteor flashed in her mind. She instinctually looked up to learn that the vision was coming true at this very moment. She warned Antligon who looked up quickly and thought for her to retreat as he engaged the move. He didn't perform the move, after all.
Her mind was then filled with all the action that took place seemingly all at once as Tristan left the cabin. Shaq'ti was concerningly tapped of her psychic energy, it seemed. She communicated to them all that Antligon was also going to try to counter a Draco Meteor that was falling as this was all happening.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Forrest only hummed a few times as Tristan rambled on and eventually tuned him out. It was overwhelming to think about. He was somewhat relieved that he wasn't the only one struggling with their current reality, though.
Ether tried to help organize his thoughts if he could. Since he was more capable of detached and objective thought than his trainer, he hoped he'd help get his trainer out of his tendency to spiral into convoluted conspiracies rather than considering the more obvious answers.
"The Rangers were tracking Jonton for 2 years. And I don't think Jonton would have killed them if he didn't find out they were secret agents. They were probably found out and killed. And the information in their database might be vague cliff notes of what they actually learned. But they were successful in tracking him. 2 years of constant surveillance and tracking is a long time. The Ranger's succeeded on their 13th spy, who was almost killed. That could also explain the lack of knowledge - they were trying to survive long enough to naturally learn anything of importance without being found out. I'm not surprised the Rangers found him before Lady Fairfax considering all the work they put into it. The Master General even admitted to having had Jonton in custody a couple years ago. I don't think he had any more safehouses. Being tracked for 2 years straight with a constant string of spies surveilling him, they would have definitely learned about any others."
"Perhaps he knew he couldn't run, or wasn't able to flee when we got in there. Perhaps his plan included being captured or Pisces told him to let himself get captured. Which makes me believe Jonton is certainly a pawn to Pisces. Like you suggested, I think he was meant to test some things - the structural integrity and security of Mauville's energy system."
"There are many underground organizations, many of which we don't know about and will never know about. This Pisces could very well be part of a larger group, especially with a name that suggests at least 11 other individuals or groups."
"It was suggested that the Fairfax's closed down the Wharf a long time ago. Maybe Marilda knew where he was the whole time and was trying to protect him, in her own twisted way. Or, just know where he was so she could do damage control when he would, inevitably, drag their name through the mud."
"I have a feeling Ms. Shade isn't in league with Jonton or Pisces. Remember, Asuna mentioned that she and Samantha and you were 'on the same team.' And Asuna didn't seem to care at all that they 'failed' the mission given to them by Lady Fairfax and it sounded like she wasn't going to tell Ms. Shade that Lady Fairfax wanted to talk with her. And though I none of us could read her mind at the time, I believe she was telling the truth."
"Asuna is likely skilled in stealth. And it's easier for someone to play off innocence when they clearly aren't a trainer. And Samantha could have been doing any number of other things. If Ms. Shade is a contractor, I'm sure she has other things to focus on especially if she has a team to work with. Given that Samantha's Pokemon were quite strong, I wouldn't be surprised if they have mental links to each other to alert them when one of them is in danger, like what we all do. But, yeah, I think Samantha is - damaged. She didn't seem - right - to me."

It was growing more taxing for Ether to play referee with Tristan's mind and play communications hub with everyone else. But he was surprised when Veritas told him that they reached the safehouse. Nothing had attacked them. There were no signs of security. Veritas could physically see the cabin in the distance and she didn't feel anyone or anything walking around or on guard. Shaq'ti interrupted them with the feeling that she wanted to take the time to plan their entrance before heading in right away, which the others thought was obvious but didn't say anything.
Oracle and Antligon were told to remain high in the sky and to keep contact with Ether as they figured out their next steps. Forrest took his shirt out of his pocket to wipe his face. He then found a rock to sit on and started to get something out of his rucksack. His skin was a little more red than usual, but his dark tan made it difficult to see in the shade. He took out a waterskin - a waterskin? He was really used to "roughing" it, it seemed. But he offered some water to Tristan before he realized, "oh, you have a Starmie, right?"
Forrest took out some travel food - nut mix and jerkey and granola - to refuel from their hike. Between rather ill-mannered chews he said, "Shaq'ti can make one of us invisible, but she has to go really slow and she can't mask sound."
Physical invisibility was impossible. But Shaq'ti shared that this was how she "masked" Forrest from being harassed by fans if he wanted to not engage. She performed the same kind of scan as she had been but would only focus on beings from which to hide from. And she would affect their individual minds - their ocular center - to not visually register her and one other person. This was, indeed, a highly complex feat for any psychic Pokemon. It now made more sense why her scanning abilities were so 'vague' to the point of being underdeveloped.
"So she can take you inside so you can get a physical look around and even take things that you can carry. Ether could stay out here with us and keep in touch with you and we could move in when you need it. Or we could make a distraction if you can't get past something. What do you think?"
Instead of conspiring with Tristan, he was clearly more focused on how to go about executing this mission. It was relatively impressive how sophisticated his idea was, considering how blunt he was at the Wharf.

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Tristan earned a well-deserved chuckle from Forrest. He appreciated the lightheartedness as he was well aware of how tense he was. And Tristan put back into perspective that they were both highly-skilled trainers with vastly different specialties and strengths.
"Yeah, my wife made sure of that," he said and pinched the corner of his lip up quickly. "You?"
Forrest hummed. He took a few moments to consider the question. "Hadn't really thought about it. But I have to assume the end goal wasn't to destroy Mauville. Even with how many there were, I can't believe he didn't consider how many security measures there are and how quickly the Rangers would act. I can't help but think it was a distraction or something."
Forrest shook his head - complex analysis of events was not his purview. And thinking about the Mauville Attack brought back memories he didn't much care for. Ether would have witnessed glimpses of that night from Forrest's perspective. He cracked some skulls, as could have been expected, but he was paralyzed by an Electabuzz. Scenes flashed to laying in a bed for days while being fed Cheri Juice through a straw by Jeanne. There was a montage of him and the young man, Rai, rehabilitating themselves. Or, rather, Forrest rehabilitating both of them. Paralysis from Pokemon was notoriously detrimental to humans. It was foolish of him to not seek medical attention. But like his kind, natural remedies and the pure will to get better was preferable, for some reason.
"I'm sure you have thoughts. Learn anything interesting?"

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Forrest made a gruff grunt through his chest as a passive affirmation. He then slammed his knife into a tree he walked next to to stick it deep into its trunk. He sloughed off his rucksack and quickly took off his shirt that had become wet with sweat. He folded it twice and stuffed it into a back pocket and pulled his rucksack back on. He then pulled the knife out with a single swift motion and resumed the hike. Strange that he had a sheath for the knife but chose to stick into a tree, instead. Perhaps he wanted to hit - stab - something. Perhaps it was indeed faster than to fiddle with the sheath.
He wiped across his eyes with a forearm. "Oh, so you called the press? Lilycove Times? But I'd assume it'd be best to look good after we took out the base. Seems reckless to invite civilians."
Forrest looked sideways at Tristan but kept his head forward. His brow raised slightly and there was the slightest hit of a smirk. This was only because the muscles in his cheek simply held up the corner of his mouth in a neutral position. He wasn't pushing the corners of his mouth down anymore as he had been since Tristan had arrived.

Oracle, Ether, Veritas, and Shaq'ti were in constant communication with each other. Antligon and Damselraed would only be reached out to directly when it was deemed necessary.
These woods were quiet - peaceful, even. Oracle and Antligon had visual on the safehouse but knew it'd be hours before they would reach it by foot. Shaq'ti continued to share her mind's eye of the surrounding area to Ether like some kind of condensed panoramic video that expanded a rather large distance. But the images were monochromatic and fuzzy. Damselraed's body was the most clear and distinct within the "sight" only because of how familiar she was with Damselraed. Compounded with Vertias' "sight" of living beings at a greater distance and being the hub of communications, Ether may have felt more calm - relaxed, even - than his trainer and his - "friend"? They only picked up on the occasional forager or bird Pokemon. Sometimes they passed a Wurmple or Weedle. One of the trees in the distance had a colony of cocooned Pokemon. There wasn't another human in "sight."

Pokémon: Hoenn - Make a Wish

Forrest didn't respond right away. He looked around as if he didn't quite trust Shaq'ti's capabilities. He wasn't relaxed. His fear didn't grow, but it didn't subside at all, either. Paranoia looked strange on someone so large - frightening, even. His hand rested on the handle of his hunting knife since they entered the woods. Now he had it grasped in his hand with the blade pointed up.
"Function over form," he said through a grunt. "I'm not trying to impress anyone."
The words were harsh and uncalled for but his tone was even. Shaq'ti recognized this and probed into his head to see if she could figure out where such a response came from. All she found was how focused he was in the moment: the trees he saw and the smells he smelled and the sounds he heard. He wasn't really thinking. At least, that's what she hoped and tried to relay that to both Tristan and Ether.
"It gets pretty rocky and uneven out here, if I remember right," he said. "It's been a few years since I tried to camp out here last, but it's a pretty difficult hike depending on where you are. But maybe this isn't it," he said and his voice faded as he gave up on trying to recall the memory and returned to focusing on their surroundings.