004. [Text/Action for Goldenrod City]

[explosivecombat]

[ACTION]

[Three days gone, with no explanation.

Kimblee had awakened strangely on Tuesday, feeling as though he hadn't slept much at all, and throughout the day he'd been unable to shake it - it's the same sort of feeling he gets when when he's been overstimulated, maybe, or spent time on a particularly difficult assignment. He would have chalked that up to a simple failure at restful sleep - he's not immune, and it happens - but then he'd checked the Gear for the time and date.

Three days gone. No memories from those three days whatsoever.

That. Doesn't. Happen.

He'd spent most of the day more wary than usual; he doesn't like this any, nor does he like the fact that there's nothing he can do about it. Even the normal solace he finds in sound isn't coming to him; he usually finds the music in Johto to be a nice constant, but now it's just grating on him - hell, he can't even be sure that anyone else is hearing it at all, and that's no use to him whatsoever.

Bluntly put, he's been feeling disoriented, Johto makes next to no damn sense as it is, and this entire thing is leaving him just a bit irritable and not wanting to stay in one place for very long. So! Today he's out wandering around Goldenrod; he doesn't seem too terribly bothered by the snow, though the heavy coat he has on over his suit and the long, pale scarf he has wrapped around his neck and shoved into his collar is definitely helping, as are the gloves he usually wears. He's determined to find something to clear his head; after a while, he finds himself in front of a building that's both stupidly loud and gaudily done-up. He kind of tilts his head at it for a moment; the place is pretty much an exercise in sensory overstimulation, isn't it.

It's perfect.

He pauses for a moment before entering; the music playing softly through the streets is the same as it always was. He doesn't want to ask if anyone else is hearing it; that's just asking for trouble. However, there are ways to get some sort of response without asking directly. He pulls out his Gear briefly, sending out a quick message via Text before entering that...casino. Game Corner. Thing.]


[TEXT]

Has anyone been able to locate the source of the incessant stream of music, or is that another of those mysteries that we're encouraged to not think too much about?


[OOC: Action-wise, you're more than welcome to catch him outside the building itself...otherwise, he fully intends to spend the next good while wanting to kill a slot machine in the face, so he won't exactly be hard to meet up with if he's seen.]

Comments

[explosivecombat]

[...hold on, brainwave.]

Given that this "Elite Four" are supposedly the final people we're supposed to defeat in order to complete the challenge and return to our own worlds, it logically follows that they would be the most powerful trainers in the area. That's more or less accepted as a given.

But say we take that one step further - what makes them the authority on whether we return home or not? No one has challenged them so far, which I find suspicious enough on its own, but I don't believe anyone even knows who they are, nor have our...captors, if you will, made their own identities known; given that they are, presumably, the highest level of the hierarchy, is it too much of a stretch to assume that the members of the Elite Four are responsible for us being here in the first place?

And we've already agreed that if they're capable of that - pulling from different worlds and points in time and what have you - then three days...well, that really shouldn't be much of an issue.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ That... makes sense. Maes is nodding along. ]

Hang on... if nobody knows who they are, where exactly would you go to after completing the gym challenge...? How, exactly, would one go about finding the Elite Four at all?

... And if they can be found, then why hasn't anyone just stormed in their general direction and ignored all the gyms?

[explosivecombat]

I'm afraid I'm not going to be much assistance there. Perhaps a discussion with Mustang might be in order; he's the one who told me about these people in the first place, and he seems to be rather invested in this challenge.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ ... and somehow, Maes doubts Roy is going to talk to Kimblee about this... ]

I will have to ask him the next time we see each other, then...

[ He frowns slightly as he takes some time to think. ]

Why would they just let you home, though, if you beat them? [ He's more musing out loud now than talking to Kimblee... ] I mean, what's in it for them, to send these inexperienced people out to battle them?

[ Does this conversation feel familiar to you, too, Kimblee? Somehow, Maes is having a strange sense of déjà vu... ]

1/2

[explosivecombat]

It does seem rather pointless, doesn't it? Assuming that actually is the case, that is -

2/2

[explosivecombat]

[He cuts off abruptly once he's said it; this...doesn't feel right. At all.]

Hughes, I could have sworn we've had this discussion before.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ Eh...? An awkward silence as he stares at Kimblee. ]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[ YOU DON'T SUPPOSE THEY JUST ERASED OUR MEMORIES BECAUSE WE FIGURED IT ALL OUT, KIMBLEE????? .... no wait, that theory has already been made... ]

[explosivecombat]

Well, I...really, you don't suppose...

[HAS IT, THOUGH? He thinks it may have, but he isn't entirely sure because UGH, JOHTO, YOU SUCK.]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

... That we had the same exact conversation two days ago but conveniently forgot?

[ He's laughing. Because... what... why would that happen? And how? ]

[explosivecombat]

Well, if we find ourselves effectively having been blasted in the brain again within the next few days, we'll know why, won't we?

[...hang on.]

...except for the fact that we...technically won't.

[Well, that was one of those things that definitely worked better before it was out there, wasn't it.]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

.... Well, there's a dilemma, isn't there...?

[ He has to admit -- quietly, to himself -- that it was rather amusing watching Kimblee be as confused as he was about everything. ]

I'd suggest writing things down, but honestly, if they can erase your memory, I doubt there's anything they can't do.

[ Wait a minute... who are they anyways? And since when did he sound like such a conspiracy theorist...? ]

1/2

[explosivecombat]

I can't imagine how they could possibly be keeping track of literally everyone in Johto, however -

[explosivecombat]

[...brain. wave.]

...those communication devices, perhaps.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

A device that can broadcast an image to hundreds of people at once does sound rather formidable...

Roy had assured me that the private call options would be secure and private, but... one can never really be sure, can they?

[ He frowns. Something doesn't add up, though. ]

But, really, what would be the purpose? Why would anyone need to keep track of everyone here? For what end are we supposed to serve? The rumor is to defeat the Elite Four, but one would think that someone would have accomplished it by now? Or at least, attempted it. Unless the challenges are just supposed to be distracting us from something bigger.

[ .... too bad Maes hadn't figured things out in Amestris yet. Because from the way he's talking, it's sounding like people are just being gathered together in one city and giving a false purpose to keep them distracted.

...... Doesn't that sound familiar? And very wrong... ]

[explosivecombat]

[Oh, it sounds very familiar. After all, Kimblee was involved in that large plot Hughes uncovered - he just wasn't on Amestris' side. Or humanity's side, for that matter.]

...I suppose that's a possibility, yes.

[WELP. IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE.]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ .... Maes hadn't thought that far... who collects a bunch of people into a city just to kill them? Really... ]

I suppose the first step would be to figure out how to get to the Elite Four, mmm? But... that may be hard, if they have the ability to simply erase three days from our memories.

[explosivecombat]

[City? No, no. You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling~

But as it stands...that is a very good point, actually.]

Fair enough - but if the point is to defeat them, surely there must be some way that's hypothetically going to allow us to get to them, if for no better reason than people tend to work better with at least some semblance of a visible goal. Perhaps starting there would work.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

... The gym leaders would know, wouldn't they? If I am correct in my assumption, there is supposed to be some sort of order that you defeat them in? If there is, then perhaps defeating the last gym leader would tell you how to find the next step of this goal.

[ We'll need to go deeper, won't we? ]

[explosivecombat]

That would make the most sense, yes.

There's a gym in Mahogany Town; it seems to be run by an older gentleman named Pryce. I don't know if it's the last - honestly, from the way people talk on the network, I really don't think it is - but the creatures he uses are ridiculously high-leveled, if the rest of the gym is anything to judge by.

[Yes, we tried. Yes, we got curbstomped at the door. No, he doesn't want to talk about it.]

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

It's as good a place as any to start asking. Though, I imagine some force would be required in obtaining answers...

[ He's not... particularly thrilled with that idea. But that's really more Kimblee's department, right? ... If Kimblee could actually defeat Pryce... ]

[explosivecombat]

...I'll see what I can manage. As I've said, this gym challenge isn't something I've been undertaking, primarily because I want to ensure that it isn't a complete waste of time beforehand. However, my...current traveling partner is rather determined to see it through.

If we achieve anything, I'll contact you with what information I can.

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

[ He makes a mental note to ask Roy next time he sees him.

And that's settled, then. No point speculating any more, because there isn't much else t speculate in that area. However, he's interested to know who'd travel with Kimblee.

... Or rather, who Kimblee would tolerate enough to travel with, more like. ]

Oh? Traveling partner? Someone you've met here in Johto?

[explosivecombat]

Ah, something like that - apparently he's from Amestris, though a different version than the one you and I are acquainted with.

His name is Frank Archer; have you met?

[eliciadaddy.livejournal.com]

Ah! Yes. Colonel Archer, was it? Yes, yes, we've met briefly. Quite a nice fellow, isn't he?

Glad to see you're making friends, Major~!

[ ... Was he inadvertently dissing you somehow...? .... Maybe. ]

[explosivecombat]

...if I didn't know any better, I'd say you found me unsociable.