Forum Thread

Rai chuckled at Araceli's antics and gladly accepted the thermo cup with the freshly brewed cocoa. "Thanks, Araceli. Your weird brew is always a welcome addition to my mornings," she said with a smirk.

She took a sip, relishing the comforting warmth spreading through her body. "You know, I think we could all use a little bit of weirdness in our lives. Keeps things interesting and reminds us not to take everything so seriously," Rai remarked, glancing around the eclectic lab. "I appreciate having you around. It's nice to know that there's someone down here who's not afraid to be themselves, even in the midst of all this high-stakes science and secrecy," she added sincerely.

Rai took another sip of the cocoa and leaned back in her chair, feeling more at ease than she had in a while. "So, what other MaGiCaL PoTiOnS do you have stashed away in this lab of yours?" she asked, genuinely curious about what other eccentric creations Araceli might have hidden away.

---

"...that girl has it. What was her name? I... I think it was like, Rei or something...?"

He stared at his bandaged arms for a second.

"Yeah, I pulled it out of nowhere, and then I threw it at a wall. And then she took it."

---

Zaria furrowed her brow in concern as she listened to Magnus recount his strange experience with the knife. "Rei? Wait. Are you talking about Raiden Asame? Rai? The Electrocutioner?" she asked, trying to clarify. Why the hell was he talking with her? Was he trying to dig up dirt on her?

Zaria's mind was racing with possibilities. It seemed highly unlikely that Rai would just take Magnus's knife without any reason. She knew her friend well enough to know that Rai wouldn't engage in such behavior without a purpose. So how... why...? "Magnus, why does Rai have your knife?"

---

"We were having a talk. I talked about myself, because she asked. I somehow made a knife appear in my coat pocket, and I threw it against the wall. And then she got pissed, and then took my knife. Awfully rude, if you ask me."

Magnus looked up at her, from his seat.

---

"You're no stranger to that either. A hardened shell of experience guards the inner beauty of innocence." She said, picturing a Clamperl. "Only those that the Clamperl trusts, will they open their maw to reveal the pearl inside. For me, it's what you call weirdness. For you, it's your desire for simplicity. It's nice." As soon as Raiden inquired about the "magic potions"...

Araceli smirks, deciding to take Raiden up for a spin. She walks over to her sorted potions, specifically those that were smaller than a water bottle. She points at the array of bottles in front of her. "This one turns you into a Toxicroak, this one makes you bloat and float like Drifblim and this one." She picks up a pink "potion". "Turns your skin into Fidough skin. Think fast!" She opens it and blows a load of fumes at Raiden.

---

Zaria nodded, absorbing the information and trying to make sense of it all. "It does sound peculiar," she agreed. "But I don't think Raiden would take your knife out of rudeness. If anything, she might have been concerned for your well-being, considering the strange circumstances surrounding it."

She absent-mindedly began rubbing his back, drawn back into the pattern of giving comfort like she had done for _. "We need to go find Rai, Magnus. We need to talk to her and get your knife back. Do you know where she is?"

---

"The witch's lab, I think."

Magnus sighed quietly, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm... I think I'm gonna stay here for a little bit."

He closed his eyes.

"...god, I'm tired."

---

He wasn't resisting. That concerned her more than anything else. "Magnus, you can't go to sleep yet. I need you to stay awake, can you do that for me?" She tamped down the panic rising inside her. She wasn't a doctor, but she had taken a lot of the same courses as the pre-med students like Magnus.

"Come on, we need to get to Araceli's. She will be able to help you better than I will be able to. Can you stand?" BArely waiting for an answer, she started to haul Magnus to his feet.

~~~

Raiden's eyes widened as Araceli presented her with a selection of peculiar potions. She was used to the chem-witch's playful antics, but this time, the idea of transforming into various Pokémon made her both intrigued and wary. She wasn't sure if Araceli was merely joking or if these potions had some real effects.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't resist asking, "Wait, you're not serious about these, are you?" However, before she could get a response, Araceli blew the fumes towards her. The pink mist enveloped Raiden, and she instinctively held her breath for a moment, half-expecting something strange to happen.

But to her relief, nothing appeared to change. She slowly exhaled, eyeing Araceli warily. "You're just teasing me, right? These potions aren't actually going to turn me into a Pokémon or give me Fidough skin, are they?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the slight unease that bubbled within her.

Deep down, she knew that Araceli's potions were likely harmless, but there was always a tiny seed of doubt. She had seen enough oddities in this facility to know that sometimes, even the most improbable things could turn out to be true.

---

Araceli starts laughing. It was always fun to see when Raiden fell for her witch persona. Well, if everyone was calling her one, might as well fall into the role occasionally. She even raided the local costume shop for a witch costume... she only found a weird black one with clockwork on it but that was nothing she could fix.

"Nah... hehe... it's just a perfume I made. It's supposed to smell like fresh buns!" She sounds confident now, swirling her hand around and letting some of the fumes encircle her as well. "Also, if I could do the transform thing, I'd choose a legendary! Like..." She thought for a second or two. "... Shaymin?"

---

"...mmmh..."

He stumbled slightly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Y-yeah. I'm good..."

---

Raiden's gaze wandered around the lab, taking in the various potions and concoctions that surrounded them. She couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder about Araceli's work, even if some of it was merely for fun and show. "You really do have a gift for all this," she said, gesturing to the array of potions. "It's impressive what you can create with your skills. And I have to say, it's always an adventure coming to your lab. Although... I'd pick something more electrifying. Zapdos, perhaps? Or Xurkitree..."

A knock came from the door.

~~~

With a careful arm around his waist, Zaria helped Magnus stand up from the chair. He seemed a bit unsteady, so she supported him as they walked towards the door. The journey to Araceli's lab wasn't long, but it felt like an eternity with Magnus struggling to keep his eyes open.

As they descended down the stairwell to the basement lab, Zaria couldn't help but feel a mix of worry and determination. She knew that whatever was happening to Magnus was serious, and she needed to make sure he got the help he needed.

Finally, they reached the door to Araceli's lab, and Zaria gently knocked before opening it. "Araceli, it's me, Zaria," she called out, her voice steady despite the concern in her heart. "I need your help. Magnus is not feeling well." With that, she guided Magnus into the lab, making sure he was comfortable before explaining the situation to Araceli and asking for her assistance.

---

"What's a Xurkitree?" Araceli asked but was interrupted by the knock. She opens the lab doors and nods. "Oh, Zaria?" She didn't expect those two in here at such an hour, smiling wide. She opens it wide to let them in. "Sorry, but Rai got the remainder of the cocoa. Unless you're patient. But anyway, what brings you to my corner?" The smell of fresh buns was now throughout the lab, but mostly came from Raiden and Araceli. She looks behind Magnus and Zaria.

"You're here to return her?" She points at Roserade. He... followed them the entire time, holding up the nutrient bars in case they got hungry.

---

Magnus stumbled along, quietly.

"...Fxck...I'm tired..."

He muttered quietly.

He stumbled forward, steadying himself with the wall.

---

Kishi was confused. Catch it? She picked up the PokeBall, inspecting it, before looking at Suicune. "Hold it out to me, Kishimoto." It directed, watching Kishi hold the PokeBall out. Suicune booped the button with it's nose, and then got transported into the PokeBall.

Kishi stared at the cherish ball in awe. She's never seen anything like it! What caught her eye, though, was a shimmering necklace on the ground where Suicune once stood. It was teal and purple. Kishi picked it up and put it on her neck.

A partner, huh? Kishi stared at one of the red and white balls around her waist. She took one out, looking up and noticing a green and yellow creature on all fours.

---

"I'm sure you can find your way to my office." Sho snarked back, impassive face only twitching slightly as he turned on his heel and strode towards his lab. He didn't really care about her opinion but at least he had some assurance that he hadn't completely lost his mind. While he didn't care about other's opinions of him, he knew that it was already negative and scathing, he did like to make sure once in a while that he was still sane. Ah, but that meant that for some reason that this Jirachi really did want him to save the world. A laughable request, he was the furthest thing from a hero and even he who had no thoughts or dreams of his own could recognize this. A fancy tool that enjoyed deluding himself with thoughts of humanity. What could a husk holding the will of others do for himself anyways, no wish could be granted if there wasn't one to begin with. This was just one pain after another, Sho didn't have the patience or willpower to do anything about.

Though he did make sure to bend down and pat the Mimikyu on the head gently, praising it for its good work. Pokemon were nice, they deserved nice things in his opinion. Much nicer than humans at the very least and Mimikyu was just objectively adorable. He liked cute things, and the ever present guard dogs that patrolled the labs and kept them all safe definitely fell under that category for him. But alas, even cute pokemon couldn't take his mind off the fact that the moment he nudged open his office door, his Metang whipped its head around looking almost guilty as it squished the Jirachi (who was still there so probably not a halucination?). A mournful click and whirr filled his mind as Sho sighed and waved it off. Whatever.

---

Startling at the ledgendary god's speech, Setchi shied away. Why were they all talking as if it was a forgone conclusion that they would all be helping? Why did they always make decisions for him? He didn't want this, not again. He flinched as the cherish ball nudged against his boot as if it had burned him, burying himself further into Ting-lu's fur by accident. "Peace, child." The ledgendary rumbled, broad snout coming down to nudge gently at his shoulder. "Allow us to be your companion, let us help. You will not carry this burden alone, nor will you replace any of your family. Allow us to assist if nothing else." It advised, sounding almost amused as a chitter was the only warning he got before a bat like creature divebombed him. Perhaps not the best thing to do to a traumatized boy as it only made him clam up in a frozen mess.

---

Zeraora smirked as the legendary Pokémon disappeared, “Classic Arceus. Well Arceus is a god I suppose. Right.. Blue, do you know how Pokéballs work?” Blue nodded. “Good. Now take me into a Pokéball and meet your starter. She’s quite spunky but that’s what electrics are, right?”

She unhooked the Cherish Ball from her belt and held it out towards Zeraora who pushed himself against the ball. “See you soon, Blue..” Zeraora turned into mist-like substance and entered the open ball, which shut as soon as all the mist was inside. Blue clipped her Cherish Ball, with her legendary inside, onto her belt and saw a Luxray staring up at her, holding what seemed to be: a lightning bold bracelet. “Hello Azure, I am Luxray but you can call me Lux.” Lux handed Blue her bracelet and she put it on.

---

Everyone had left and she was tired of talking to no one but herself and repeating the same mistakes over and over. Abi rose and shut her door, locking it with the silver key that she then dropped into her pocket and took out one of her Pokémon, Boltund. She noticed a scientist, Elli she thought her name was, with her Pokémon. “Hello, Elli.”

---

Zaria suddenly felt his entire weight as they entered Araceli's lab, pulling him away from the wall. She was extremely concerned about Magnus and desperately wanted to know what had happened to him. When Araceli mentioned returning Roserade, Zaria's focus shifted to Rai. She looked at her best friend, trying to discern any signs of what might have transpired between Rai and Magnus. She gestured to Rai to get up, and the woman in yellow vacated her chair immediately. She help Magnus sit down.

"No Ara, this is an emergency. Magnus is unwell. Neither of us is sure what's going on. I need your help uncovering... a conspiracy." She took a deep breath. "He seems to be under the effects of some sort of hallucinogen of unknown origin. I'm not sure where he obtained it or who gave to him, or anything, really, but can you help cleanse his system?"

As Rai nervously muttered something about a Xurkitree, Zaria couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She approached Rai, her eyes locked on her friend's hand.

"Rai, can I see the knife you took from Magnus?" Zaria asked, her tone urgent. She needed to understand what had happened between them and whether the knife had anything to do with Magnus's strange behavior. The Electrocutioner passed it to her without any objection, looking nervous.

"Why did you take it in the first place? And what did you two talk about? He's clearly upset." Zaria pressed, feeling a mix of concern and confusion. She needed answers, and Rai was the only one who could provide them.

~~~

This was where it all came undone, this is where they all realized she was a terrible human being. This was where they came to hate her. She should not have gotten angry at Magnus. Rai's heart pounded in her chest as Zaria's intense gaze fell upon her. She couldn't bear to see the concern and confusion in her best friend's eyes.

"I... I took the knife because I was worried about him. He seemed so troubled, and I thought he might hurt himself with it," Rai admitted, her voice shaky. "We talked about his past, about Unova, and I... I made some assumptions about him. I mentioned his father, and I think I upset him."

She glanced away, feeling the weight of her actions bearing down on her. "I didn't mean to make things worse for him. I just wanted to help," she added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zaria's analytical nature kicked in as she tried to process the information. "So, you think he might have ingested a hallucinogen before or during your conversation, and that's why he's experiencing these hallucinations?" she asked, her mind racing through various possibilities. "Did he mention anything specific about the knife or how it ended up in his possession?"

Rai nodded, grateful for Zaria's ability to focus on the facts. "He said he pulled it out of nowhere and then threw it at the wall," she replied. "He seemed genuinely confused about having two knives, and he mentioned feeling like someone was messing with him."

Zaria frowned, her concern deepening. "It's possible that someone planted the knife on him, or perhaps he unknowingly ingested the hallucinogen," she mused, her mind working through the details. "We need to find out more about this substance and its effects. And we should also talk to Magnus again, once he's calmer, to get more information."

Zaria paused, lost in thought. "Rai, I need to know exactly what you two talked about. Unova-wise. And if there's anything you said that might have upset him," Zaria pressed, her voice firm. "This isn't the time to hold back. We need to understand what triggered this reaction in him."

Rai hesitated, her reluctance evident. Everything inside her screamed that this was a terrible idea. "It's... it's not relevant to his current state," she tried to deflect.

Zaria's expression didn't waver, her gaze piercing. "Everything is relevant right now. If something you said caused him distress, we need to know. There might be a connection to the hallucinogen or whoever is behind this," she insisted, not letting Rai off the hook.

Rai sighed, realizing she couldn't keep the truth hidden any longer. "Fine," she relented. "I asked him about you. I wanted to know if he knew anything about your past, about why you left Unova, about... about anything that could help me understand you better."

Zaria's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and concern crossing her features. "You asked him about me?" she repeated, her mind trying to process Rai's confession. "Why? I mean, what did he say?"

Rai looked uncomfortable, avoiding Zaria's gaze. "He didn't say much. He seemed evasive and dismissive," she admitted. "I guess I just wanted to know more about you, to understand the friend I care about. But it was a mistake, and I regret it now."

"What. Did. He. Say?"

"Just... that you both grew up in Castelia City, that you rose from the ashes to reach top of class in your schools, and that you both worked for Team Plasma. He spoke about that, mostly. He mentioned Ghetsis, and some reservations he had. And that he's blackmailed by The Eyes. And then, um, I may have told him peace was an illusion and that he needed to wake up and get his head out of the clouds..."

Zaria paced frantically, her expression darkening. Rai knew she had messed up. What she didn't know yet was how badly.

---

"Fxck... This doesn't seem like an appropriate time to sleep... is it?"

Magnus leaned back in his chair. He was very clearly barely functioning.

"...Peace is not an illusion. I've seen it before... it can happen again... but this experiment is not the way to go..."

He muttered under his breath.

---

Araceli whistles once and sends out another ally of hers: Porygon-Z. "Quick, get this man a bed. I'll prepare the indicators." She commands, her soft tone being replaced with a much more serious one. In just five seconds, Roserade and Porygon-Z (the latter using Psychic to do the task) carry a bed from another room right next to Magnus, allowing him to faint on it directly if needed.

"Raiden, Zaria, I need both of you. Zaria, make sure Magnus is... alive. You seem to know him more than we do, maybe you can tell us about his conditions. Raiden, fetch me the [INCOMPREHENSIBLE]." She waited, but when realizing that the Electrocutioner did not react, she points at a weird large fork with only two tips. "That thing."

---

"No, Magnus, dear, you need to stay awake," Zaria replied firmly, her concern evident. "We're going to figure this out and get you the help you need. You're not alone in this." She crouched down next to him, laying a hand on his forehead. He was burning up with fever. She lifted him carefully onto the bed. (Ogd, he weighed about as much as Quentin's telescope). Rai grabbed... the doohickey... and gave it to Ara.

Zaria's focus shifted back to Rai, her expression serious. "You made some serious assumptions about him and brought up sensitive topics," she said sternly. "He mentioned Ghetsis and Team Plasma, and you told him peace was an illusion? Rai, you can't just go prying into people's pasts and discussing sensitive topics without knowing the full context."

"I know, I messed up," she admitted, her voice tinged with remorse. "I shouldn't have pried, and I definitely shouldn't have made those assumptions. I just... I wanted to understand him better, and I thought talking to him might help."

Zaria sighed, her frustration apparent. "Rai, you have to realize that people have their own traumas and boundaries," she said. "We can't just push them to talk about things they're not ready to share. What if someone did the same to you, digging into your past without your consent?"

Rai winced at the thought, realizing the hypocrisy of her actions. "You're right, I should have known better," she admitted, feeling ashamed of her lack of sensitivity. "I'm sorry, Zaria. I didn't mean to upset him, or you, for that matter. I just wanted to help, but I made everything worse. I just got... frustrated. And angry. Really angry. It happens... more often than I'd care to admit."

Zaria shook her head. She would deal with Rai later. Who would want to drug Magnus? Who could drug Magnus?

---