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((Happy Saturday! AP updated shortly after this post.))

The Howards' program sprang to life when Lexi opened it, immediately giving her dim outlines of the embattled. Dull reds defined her and Gerard, while brighter points showed the nearby pokémons' locations. Almost before her query went out, the screen pulsed with a faded, practically invisible red dome, in the direction of the Howards' "remains" of a home. On either end of the dome were blue, almost purple colors as the elderly couple's pokémon brought their strength to bear to maintain the illusion.

Closer by, there was another body, red and vaguely human, lying on the ground in the grasses. Whether or not it was Thatcher was unclear. Alexandria was vaguely interested in the program, likely because her reading seemed to be perhaps a shade brighter than Lexi's or Gerard's, but didn't make much of a move.

Meanwhile, Gerard's attempt seemed to be working well. The electabuzz was indeed distracted by Justice, and blasted the larvitar angrily, even though the attack easily dissipated, with no visible effect. Hearing Gerard, though, it sped faster than Gerard could follow with his eyes, and certainly faster than with his gun, back into the grasses. It seemed to know it was outnumbered; Lexi's readout showed it moving far off, at an angle to the Howards' home.

Gerard's reflexive dive landed him on top of something hard, fleshy, and inanimate. It was warm, too; the closer inspection revealed it was, in fact, a dead body. It was not Jacob Thatcher's body, though. This one instead had the now-familiar pink X of the Exterminant emblazoned on his forehead. Thatcher was still hidden by grasses.

Lexi pulled off her helmet as the images began to glow on the screen. Two blacklight-blue forms were the first thing that caught her eye, and a short smile crossed the girl’s face as she saw the dim glowing dome over them. At least she had been right about that part: the place still only looked like a heap of junk. Lexi tilted her head as she noticed that Alex’s reading seemed to be brighter, but quickly stowed the thought to turn her attention towards the grass.

Her eyes continued scanning the screen, her hand on the mouse-dot rotating the image to get the best view. A second of watching showed her which colored blob was which, and she saw Gerard’s red blob and Justice’s yellow one going up against the bright white flashing light blue of the electabuzz, with flashes corresponding to the crackle of electricity in the air until the pokemon took off. After looking all over, she saw only one human form in the grass other than the one she figured was Gerard and no other pokemon, so she picked up her laptop and backpack before starting back into the grass.

As Lexi picked up the computer, Phoenix took off again, landing on the girl’s shoulder as they went back into the grass. This time, instead of soft feathers on her cheek, Lexi felt the sharp poke of static jumping the short gap. “Oh…So you picked up some charge from that attack huh?” The girl smiled and used her free hand to scratch the bird’s head…she definitely liked her new partner. She turned her head toward where Rex had stayed with Alex, and revised her statement a little. She definitely liked her new partners.

She decided it would be best if she headed over to the Gerard-blob first so she could tell him the coast was clear and not wanting him to be startled by her walking around. As she got close, she called out “Hey Gerard, I’m in the grass again, so don’t shoot.” then she went past the last bit of grass.

Gerard shouted, "Clear, but you might want to come see this..."

He looked at the body in confusion, his attention mostly focused on the pink X. Gerard had no idea what it meant, but he figured Alex or Lexi might. In the meantime, he sent Justice off to locate Thatcher.

Ptica took off with a shriek and a flurry of feathers - the ponyta landed on the roof of the car, denting in the metal enough that it nearly hit Thomas's head. It was clear that if Thomas didn't want to become collateral damage, he needed a plan of action. Tearing through Bogdan's glovebox, he found what he was looking for - a handgun, with half a clip.

((My apologies to anyone who was told there would be a post for them tonight; I do not want my fatigue to dampen your opportunities to shine, and therefore this post will be updated tomorrow.))

((Hopefully you guys [Native in particular] can forgive my delay.))

As they rode, Ulysses warmed up to the feel of the motorcycle; it'd been a long time since he'd taken himself out on one. Had to be at least 30 years, most likely more. Shortly after he'd become accustomed to the ride, they found themselves approaching another rider moving seemingly to intercept them. As Shonevsky's troupe came nearer to Talia, he coasted to a stop, hoping the unknown rider would do the same. She looked a little young to be legally driving, but then again law had little influence on people these days, and initially Ulysses had thought Jeremiah to be in his twenties. He was probably just making erroneous judgments at first glance once more.

Glenville... She came from there. This could be the girl. And if Terrian has his hand in all of this, it seems more than likely. So he spoke his mind, thinking little of the fact that Terrian's ability to manipulate a situation to his liking was inhuman. "Are you Talia Horsely?" Plain and simple.

((Happy Thanksgiving!))

David almost chuckled. "Hah! And what do you purport to know is at the other end? What is it that separates Mew from divinity, to you? A test? A laboratory experiment? Is there something you think you know that we do not? Hm. Whether Mew is the answer or not, there will be a Journey, and I think you may find plenty of individuals on this earth who would prefer anything to the hell we have now. Hold your tongue a moment." He cut off communications with Abe abruptly. Solomon had addressed him, and did not appear to be pleased.

"David, I heard that of which you spoke with Richard. Do you fancy yourself more powerful or of more import than the Reverend?"

The elder of the two looked at his partner askance. "Exactly what do you imply, Solomon?"

And the younger faced him. The mime chose not to intervene. "Don't be foolish. You know I speak of your treason."

"Treason?"

"You doubt that the Journey will occur."

"Doubt is the girder of faith."

"Doubt is the seed of dissent. Do you plot against the Exterminant?"

"Never; Solomon, don't be a fool. Do you...?" David faced him fully, spinning his mace almost distractedly. He knew himself to be the stronger. "The Reverend doubts my loyalty, doesn't he?"

Solomon's face creased into a smile. "You've never been anything more than a convenient way to keep Richard with us. Your aberrant conversations with him are indicative of future rebellion."

"Why choose now to confront me? Why here? Why not kill me in my sleep? Is Richard no longer of importance?"

"My instructions were to eliminate the two of you if Richard ever began to seriously doubt - and he has. You know this is true because you were watching him with me. And also, perhaps it is pride that has chosen to confront you here." The mime also turned himself against David and dropped into a combative stance.

That was all the warning David got before he felt his feet swept out from under him and his body flung against the ceiling. In retaliation, he sent his mace flying through the mime's forehead, hardly even cognizant of the ether shield the creature threw around itself. Solomon hurled it back at him and began twisting David's legs with his mind, seeking to break them. David swept the mace away with a thought and chose a more direct route.

Solomon suddenly clutched his chest, near his heart, his eyes wide. "Impossible! You will kill yourself!"

"No. But you have dropped your guard." A psychic blast threw Solomon against the far wall, smashing his head against it, but David didn't stop. He knew intimately how little unconsciousness affected a kadabra's ability to escape.

Even unconscious, Solomon knew what was coming. "No... no, David, don't! I swear I will let you go free! I will tell no one! David, have mercy! You cannot destroy me! You are not so cold!"

"But Solomon," David pointed out, like a parent to a child, "there's so little to destroy." With that, he flicked his wrists in a violent twitch and obliterated the other pokémon's mind, the victim's silent scream tearing through the ether, muted by David's powerful shielding. He frowned at the still breathing, soon to be drooling, comatose body that stared into nothing, now. He had few choices. Most forces in the place would have felt that. He called his mace to him and contacted Richard. "Please gather the engineer's effects. Circumstances dictate his and our extraction. I will explain in greater detail later."

A minute later, Abe, Richard, and David were standing in a barren landscape that appeared to have been subjected to the same level of destruction as the manor house under which rested the entrance to the compound. Black skeletons of trees dotted the sides of the blasted streets and burn-scarred buildings - or at least, what remained of them - were all around them. The place was lifeless and desolate.

With a crease of his eyebrows and a grunt, David collapsed. Richard snorted and called the psychic-type to a pokéball, then turned his attention to Abe with a smile. "Well, engineer, it looks like we're on the same side, now." He tossed the other man an armful of clothes, in which Abe would find his pokéballs. "That godamn robe doesn't help you move around much. Get dressed somewhere. David tells me we're 'bout thirty miles north of Glenville. Couldn't take teleporting us through a dark shield, I guess." He chuckled. "Guess things're up to you, for now. We're all refugees, and I don't have a plan, yet."

---

Below, Elian felt three things, in relatively quick succession - the mime's death, Solomon's quiet scream, and the drop in pressure as Abe vanished from his chair. Beati stopped short in what he was saying and his face darkened to a shade normally reserved for the Abyss. "You will excuse me, Oracle." He stood. "I must coordinate a search-and-rescue for your friend." And with that, he marched out the door, leaving it open.

---

By the time Paul attempted to speak, he and Zoidberg were invisible under the screen of creatures over the alakazam's shield. Said shield was beginning to crack from their sheer weight, if not also the various venoms being spat through, some dripping in and beginning their numbing work the few places they struck both the human and his pokémon. Somehow, though, Zoidberg felt a communication channel work its way towards them from the direction of the gnome-like creature, and managed to get the message across.

After a little while, the humanoid nodded. Almost immediately, the bugs and bats retreated, again forming a circle, but this time also opening a path towards Juno, on a raised area of the cave with the creature. He had seemed almost to churr at her words, and when Paul approached, the thing granted him the second rose, almost as a gesture of friendship.

And finally, with a broad, sweeping gesture, it dismissed the creatures and dispelled the light screen that had been blocking out so much light. The cave lit up, and suddenly, all around them, Paul and Juno could see scores upon scores of people, dressed in bright colors, all of whom were clapping and cheering at the tops of their lungs. Tremendous banners were held up with odd designs and pictures adorning them; there were layers of passageways worked into the stone - that is, where sewers had not been immaculately cleaned and transformed into halls, rooms, and roads. A contingent of celebrators, these dressed all in red, rushed forwards and got the five there up on their shoulders in celebration, tossing flowers of all kinds - except roses - over them, pinning them to their clothes, and generally making merry. They were offered mugs, which the gnome - who, winking slyly, dropped an illusion that appeared to have just been on his face, and revealed the long trunk of a drowzee - took and downed happily. Amidst a crowd of people, they were borne around the circumference of this grand area, even while the bugs that had been attacking them swarmed up the walls and began repairing the ceiling.

Off to the side of the room was a little shrine, made of ivory and oak, that simply said, "To Beatrice." There were others, with various decorations of beads or vines. They didn't seem to be gravestones, but celebrated the lives of various important casualties of the Calamity and earlier - scientists, entertainers, singers, artists, and others. Oddly, no politicians. The greatest, perhaps the one with the most decorations (and all Oriental), was one that was engraved, "To John." A sitar leaned against it.

Once Paul and Juno had been paraded around the circumference of the room, they were set down again. They both realized that in the midst of the celebration, their weapons had been stolen. Paul, normally very cognizant of where every weapon on his person was, looked and saw that Zoidberg seemed to be out of it, and stationed at nearly every opening in the walls, was a drowzee, hypno, or exeggcute. His hands and legs felt numb, as did Juno's.

Large torches began to be lit by cyndaquils, magmars, and other fire-type pokémon as the hole was slowly, but steadily sealed again. A figure draped in green and gold finery made its way through the crowd, held out a golden pokéball, and recalled the drowzee, whose lamp dropped, unheeded, to the side.

"Greetings, strangers!" the ornately decorated woman said, her voice carrying through the suddenly silent chamber as the other two humans worked to regain their balance on tingling legs. "Welcome to paradise! I am Jñan, the Light of the World! What are your names?" Her face was mahogany and very clearly Indian, and the jewels that adorned her face were highly reminiscent of India and Hindu culture. All around them were colors the likes of which had not been seen since before the Calamity. It was a different world.

---

As Gerard kept looking at the body, he couldn't help but notice that the shotgun blast that had ripped apart its chest seemed... strange. It was as though part of it had been smeared in one direction, while the rest had been left alone. He shook his head and returned to Lexi. The two youths made their way cautiously into the grasses and found, eventually, Thatcher's body. Quick inspection showed he was very much still breathing, although his forehead was bleeding rather profusely. He must have been knocked out again.

A sentret appeared on the scene post-haste, carrying antiseptic wipes and offering them first to Gerard, and then to Lexi. Alex followed shortly afterwards. She seemed to have recovered almost entirely, and was now down to holding herself as though she was cold and shivering every now and then. "Is someone hurt?" she asked. She was holding the med kit awkwardly, as though not really sure what to do with it, and looked numbly down at Thatcher. "Is he alive? What about the electathing?" The sentret was very clearly hers.

---

Talia didn't stop coming. Instead, she shifted her dead gaze over to Ulysses as he spoke and withdrew from her belt a very odd-looking weapon. It seemed to be... a sneasel claw? Razor-sharp and glinting in the light, she held it almost like a sickle, headed straight towards him, with something moving oddly in the her shadow behind her, but not wholly visible. It was up to question whether she could hold the claw for much longer - she seemed incredibly fatigued. But still she came.

(Richard Allbrite, geezer extra (61). Interrogator for the Exterminant. 186 lbs, 5' 11", gray hair, wrinkled features, constant smile. Pokémon: David the kadabra, [access to legendary]. No plans; very intelligent, very skilled martially, and very apathetic, now that he can no longer follow the Exterminant.)

The glowing spot turned out to be Thatcher after all and Lexi breathed a sigh of relief as she ran forward. She checked his pulse to be sure, but the fact that he showed up on the computer scan had already mostly confirmed he was still alive. His pulse and breathing were a little weak though, and she chewed her lip, thinking about what she should do next.

Before she got far with her thoughts, a pair of yellow forms near a red one on her computer caught her attention a second before a sentret popped through the grass. Lexi started, her nerves a little fried from watching her back all day, but she let off another sigh and smiled when she saw the pokemon offer her the antiseptic wipes. “Thank you” She said, before taking them and putting pressure on the wound on Jacob’s forehead. Head wounds usually fit in one of two categories: Looking worse than they are, and being worse than they look. She sincerely hoped this was one of the former.

Then Alex and Rex, the other two forms, showed up, and she looked up to answer the woman’s questions. “Yeah, he’s still alive, thank goodness. The electabuzz ran off.” She took the med kit and started rummaging through it, her thoughts going back to what to do next.

Moving someone unconscious was usually a bad idea, but sitting out here until something else hungry and destructive came through was definitely worse. The Howards probably knew more about how to take care of him than she did, but she didn’t want to endanger them by forcing them outside of the illusion, which she figured was probably the reason for why they hadn't shown up yet, and they probably couldn’t carry him either. She kept digging, looking to see if there was any more of the potion he had used earlier. If there was, she would give him that to help prevent his injuries getting worse from moving him, but if she couldn’t find it soon, she would just have to be careful. Alex’s shivers weren’t escaping Lexi’s attention either; it would be good for the woman to get some real food, rather than the trail snacks the travelers had been able to give her. She couldn’t easily carry the well muscled man on her own though…It wasn't that far to the house if everyone helped. ”Hey Gerard, Alex, do you think you could help me carry him?” Then she remembered that everyone still thought their destination had been turned into a soldering pile of junk, and continued, keeping her voice down so it wouldn’t travel to any unseen ears. “The fire is an illusion, and it would be good to get him inside where it’s safer and people who know more than I do can take care of him.”

[[Happy Thanksgiving!!!]