ride on

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Finding the place hadn't been easy. Guzma had been reluctant to tell Sena or Adora anything about it, and they couldn't go to Lusamine to ask, what with Overwatch keeping tabs on her. But Kukui, on the other hand, had been surprisingly forthcoming, although all he'd given them was a vague hint about a hidden door somewhere in the new Stadium. 

That had been enough. Searching around the base had netted them a secret door at the seemingly empty end of a hallway, and taking it leads to an elevator down into the depths of the stadium. And that led them to another door...one completely locked up with no visible keypad or lock. The only thing there is an odd camera-like device, and a speaker...the light above it a bright red. They're stumped.

"How're we supposed to get in? Did Lusamine give you some kinda secret key or something?"

"Eh?! W-W-Why would she give me anything like th-"

As if responding to his voice, the light suddenly flashes green, and a neutral female voice sounds through the speaker.

"Ultra Rider Zero-One, confirmed."

"...Eh?"

The door unlocks and allows Sena to pull it open, revealing a room very similar to the secret lab that Lusamine had shown Sena some time prior, equipped with multiple buckles and other equipment for additional Ultra Riders. Before Sena and Adora can step inside to get a better look, however, a hologram boots up in front of them. It's a young female with bob-cut hair, dressed in a white and green suit dress over black. She speaks in the same neutral voice from before, making it evident that she's related to whatever computer system just recognized Sena as the first Ultra Rider.

"Greetings, Ultra Rider Zero-One. I have been awaiting your-"

SLAM.
...
...
...

"...Sena, why'd you shut the door?"

"...No, I was just surprised..."

Comments

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Nervous smile. please don't make him answer that!!!!

"That's what I'm worried about, there's a lot of them that would absolutely love the chance to try even when they're not ready...Rotom taking the initiative didn't help."

A small "hmph!" can be heard from the phone. She did it for you, Sena!

"I've been looking through the information that Izu has on everyone, and given how much experience people have...I need to look at more than just their Pokemon battling skills. Their other abilities...if they have them, those might be a bigger help for Ultra Hole travelling."

oh wow. he actually sounds like he's been considering things. that's the sound of a team captain looking over tryouts. He leans back in his chair, thinking.

"For now...four slots, I think. I need to keep the team small and manageable, so we can stay under Overwatch's radar..."

[shadowslipping]

"More than just pokemon battling..." Hmmm.

Ultimately, she has her studies but... "....Would it make things easier if I offered to take a slot?" She doesn't exactly sound EAGER but she at least doesn't make it sound like a chore anyway. "Given the complications, this should probably be handled with relative speed..."

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

At that, Sena perks up a bit.

"Really?"

He's seen her shadow powers, and she's used them in conjunction with her Pokemon before...she was able to contribute quite a bit to all the fights they've had so far.

"You've helped out a lot already...and I've seen what you can do. You're already an experienced fighter, so...I don't see any problem with you taking a slot."

Not to mention you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders to begin with...and it'd help having...you know. An Actual Adult on the team.

[shadowslipping]

"You say I've helped a lot, but frankly, I think you've shown your promise in battle a bit more...but, I've certainly kept up with training at least. Though where exactly you are for me to meet up with you is a whole other matter," she adds dryly. "Just how am I supposed to get fitted for anything..."

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Aren't you kinda overestimating him...?

"Well...I've had my Pokemon around for a bit longer than you guys, so I don't think it's fair to compare us with just that..."

He laughs weakly. Let's move on from that, yeah?

"Um, anyways, you can meet us at the stadium. Those Overwatch guys have been banned from entering it, so as long as they don't catch you on the way there, it should be safe to meet there."

[shadowslipping]

"Mmmm..." Well, maybe not but...

Ah. "Ah, I'll see you there then," she determines, smiling gently. "I shouldn't be long, I just need to get some te-"

"HEHHH!!" "Th-THE TEAPOT!!"

..........

"........I'll see you there," she manages flatly, eyes wide as chaos begins to erupt in the cafe.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

"Alright! We'll meet at the stadium lobby, oka-"

Ah.

"R...right..."

AND SO,

[shadowslipping]

Ultimately, Yuume makes her way there rather easily.

Extremely easily.

She's used to travelling in the shadows. Melting down, skirting about- Yuume slips on in and through and pretty soon she's sliding through those shadows to try and make her way through a certain stadium door.

She doesn't entirely manifest until she spots Sena- at which point,

"Ah. There you are."

boo

[devilish_chrysanthemum]

So. So far, nobody has commented on it, but Phym has a jet black horn jutting from her temple, strange black markings on her skin, and her white dress is...fairly clearly part of her actual skin. On top of that, she's openly psychic, and has been noted to be able to communicate with Pokemon.

Some of the Overwatch goons decided that meant she should be taken into custody.

They very quickly learned that doing this where Alice could see them was a spectacularly bad idea. One of them is currently passed out in a crater from where she chokeslammed him so hard his armor shattered. Another has been embedded head-first through a nearby wall, and Alice is holding a third one in the air by the simple expedient of grabbing him by the top of the skull and lifting.

The fourth member of the squad, who can see a losing proposition before an enraged super-soldier bursts in, is just standing off to the side with Phym, bribing her with candy.

Someone should probably calm Alice down before she kills someone.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

SCREA- mmmmm no

he didn't scream

not at all

izu totally got him used to women appearing through doors and everything he's fine

he did squeak a little though

"Y-Yuume! Hey there!"

[shadowslipping]

She's here, the gal from the shadows,

"Sena," she greets, nodding as the armor melts off. "...I'm here- I assume where we're going is somewhere hidden in this building?"

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Sena is here to save the day!

Kind of!

Okay so he noticed that someone was getting attacked by Overwatch goons and he was initially going to help but then Alice started throwing them through walls. And is about to throw another one at him.

"Wait wait WAIT WAIT WAIT-!" AAAAAAAAAAA

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

"Yeah, it is...this way."

He motions for her to follow him and leads her all the way down the hall. Through the secret door, down the elevator, through the automated locked door ("Ultra Rider Zero-One, confirmed") and motions to the secret lab.

"Here we are...the Ultra Rider base. At least for now..."

[shadowslipping]

She absolutely, one hundred percent, smiled teasingly at Sena when she heard 'Zero-One'.

She doesn't say anything though, not to that. Instead she looks around, nodding and taking in the surroundings. "...For now?" she questions, blinking. "Is this a temporary base?"

[devilish_chrysanthemum]

Alice pauses, because while the panicked screaming is expected, that guy doesn't have any armor. She adjusts her grip on the goon's skull, tosses him in the air, and catches him by one ankle before slamming him into the ground and leaving his unconscious body behind as she walks over to Sena.

"Sorry about that. I was running a little hot there."

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Nooooooo...don't look at him like that...

"Well, it's at least going to be the base until things get settled with Lusamine and Overwatch, anyway...I don't know if she planned to have it anywhere else."

It'll probably be the permanent base when all is said and done, but better to be safe than sorry.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Man. He's sure glad he's not that guy.

"It's u-understandable...I mean, with how these guys are acting..." He scratches his ear nervously. "Are you guys alright?"

[shadowslipping]

:]

Anyway. "Ahh, I see! Well...I suppose I'm here now, but what is it that you need me to do for this to be official exactly?"

[devilish_chrysanthemum]

Alice pauses to take stock, noticing the one goon near Phym handing her a lollipop before stepping away, hands in the air to indicate he's not going to try anything.

"I think so, yeah. I worked out a lot of frustration just now."

She crouches down next to the goon she chokeslammed, who's starting to move feebly, and nudges him in the ribs with one foot, drawing a pained hiss from him. She snaps her fingers in front of his face a few times to get his attention and starts speaking when he focuses on her.

"So hey. Listen - listen to me. One of you idiots was smart enough to not mess with my daughter, so he can drag you morons home. And I want you to spread the word, okay? If any of you idiots come near her again, I won't hold back the next time. Got it?"

Her piece said, she dismisses the goon as beneath her notice and walks over to Sena, Phym trailing behind her.

"You were coming in to help, weren't you? Thanks for that."

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

:(

"Well..." Sena walks over to a shelf. It's the one that was full of strange buckles that his Rotomdex zoomed in on during the video. He takes one and holds it out to her.

"This is a Ride Buckle...It's what registers you as an Ultra Rider. When you first use it, it'll assign you a designation and register your information in the system, so...You sure you want to do this?"

He's giving you one last chance to confirm it.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

"Y...Yeah. Seems like I didn't need to, though..."

Aha ha.

"Those guys are really starting to push their luck...Seriously, nothing's been decided yet, but they're already acting like they have the right to everything..."

It's frustrating.

[shadowslipping]

"Ehhhh!!" A...a belt...

She slowly takes it, but- "S-She really went all in on the Rider theme..." With a nod, Yuume looks it over- but then swallows. "At the very least, I suppose we'll see what happens but..." .... "...if it's anything like normal clothing, and I have to pull out my armor, it'll override the rider suit..."

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

"Sh...she really did..."

Aha.

"Um...I think the important thing right now is to make sure it works with you, though...As long as it works with your shadow armor, it's fine, right...?"

sena...you don't understand...

[shadowslipping]

Yuume frowns- and the shadows melt over her.

"Do you see what I am wearing right now? Before, I had a poncho on," she continues. She lifts one arm- the sleeves practically skin tight.

"Does it still appear that I'm wearing it?"

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

"Er...no."

She has a point. If that thing took over her suit, she might not be able to handle the travel. But...

"The Ride Buckle does the same thing, though...so would you be able to even use your powers if it goes on top of that armor...?"