fallers_rpg | ride on

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ride on

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..."

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Sena nods and gestures for Wes to follow him, speaking as he goes.

"Well, I should tell you that she definitely overexaggerated. The Ultra Riders were originally created for research purposes...It's just that we need to be protected while we go through Ultra Holes."

He smiles a little wryly as they enter the elevator.

"At least, though, the armor is much better quality than whatever Overwatch is using."

It can actually take an attack or two, for one thing.

Wes follows quietly and listens. He gives a small nod to each statement.

"Ultra Holes... So we're going to be traveling through them. I see. Why are we doing this again?"

Besides yeeting the Overwatch bastards out of here.

"Their armour crumples under Pokemon attacks. It's not optimal," Wes mutters, flexing his Snag Machine arm.

"Well, it was originally to find anything that could help us find a way home, you know?"

Sena shrugs a bit. "You know, since we can't really predict anything about Ultra Holes to begin with...so if we could learn a bit more about how they worked, we could open up Ultra Holes to anywhere!"

And then he laughs a bit.

"It's...It's not very sturdy. I'm pretty sure I was able to dent it when I tackled a person myself..."

And he's just a football player! ~~shhh nobody tell him about the effects travelling to a pokemon world for three years has on the human body~~

"And learning about them means going into them and researching..." Wes mutters.

Wes assumes that strength is normal ~~since he is from the game world~~ so he doesn't make a comment to the last part.

"... Let me join. I want to... help you all get home." Wes tries to smile as openly as he can. It... It's not the most natural smile...

Scary...please stop smiling. It's okay. Really.

"You sure? It'll be dangerous."

Okay. It's probably better he stop anyway. His heart hurts a little.

"So am I." Wes looks at Sena seriously. "I was... changed so I am better suited to danger. I can handle it."

"Changed...?"

What do you...mean...

"So then, what can you do?" It's an interview, Wes!

"Before I got to Alola... My Orre. Team Cipher captured me. Did things to me... Made me a Shadow Human..." Wes mutters, gritting his teeth. He balls the Snag Machine into a fist and growls. "Cut my arm off too."

Forgive him, he's never had an interview before.

"I can fight. I'm strong. I can build machines and explosives. I can drive almost anything and repair them too. I... don't want to kill. But I can if I have to."

"A Shadow Human...?"

Sena was just in Orre last month for the mission Lusamine had sent him off of. He'd heard something about Shadow Pokemon. But a Shadow Human...?

"Does that mean you have similar abilities to Pokemon...?"

Wes nods.

"I was an experiment. To see if it could be done. They locked my heart..." Wes places his human hand over his chest and takes a deep breath.

"I can get into Hyper Mode. It makes me stronger and more aggressive. But I lose control. But I can fight like a Pokemon. When I arrived here... I beat Guzma's Scizor and nearly punched out his Golispod. Also Shay's Pokemon and his duel monster birds..."

"...You realize that what I'm picking people for is for a team, right?"

Sena sounds a bit worried when he asks that.

"Losing control...even if it's temporary, one wrong move can seriously put a teammate in danger, you know?"

Edited 2020-01-06 03:25 (UTC)

"I know..." Wes looks down at his arm again.

"... I'm trying to break the locks on my heart. I want to be part of a team again... And I can be. You can break Hyper Mode by calling me Wes. Not XD002... My name. Reminding me I'm human"

There's a pause.

"... If it's too much... you can reject me. Tony can put me on separate missions alone where I can't hurt anyone..."

"...No."

Sena tilts a head, looking strangely contemplative. It's the eyes of an experienced team leader looking at Wes right now, not the timid glances of a modest college student.

"There are some things that...you can only do on a team."

The look is a familiar one but Wes can't find the memory of it. Regardless, it's a comforting and reassuring sight- to see confident and determined eyes- and Wes nods.

"I will take any tests you want me to, if you want to be more confident in your decision."

He's happy, he swears.

"I think just learning how to be in a team is enough of a test. Although if you want one..."

He thinks for a bit, and as the elevator finally finishes going down and the door opens, he smiles a bit.

"Find your role in this team. That's your test."

"Who is on the team?" Wes asks. He'll follow Sena out of the elevator when Sena steps out.

"How many of us are here?" Because knowing the team is the first step, right?

"I'm still assembling it, so the lineup isn't solidified yet. For now, it's just you, me, and Yuume."

And possibly Adora, he doesn't know for sure.

"I'm looking for the team to be around six people."

Wes nods again.

"Yuume is nice. But powerful. She is like the opposite of me." Well, not exactly. But she deals with hearts and Wes doesn't, so that's fair enough.

"You want volunteers or someone suited for this job or both?"

"For now, people who are suited for this job...people who can fight, or are experienced Pokemon Battlers. You...you can do both, right?"

Since you're from Orre...that means you're already familiar with Pokemon battles, right?

"I can do both." If his words on how he took on Guzma and Shay are to be believed, he can definitely fight himself.

"I specialise in Double Battles but I can do singles too. I beat the 100 battle challenge in Orre in my world a few years ago. Those are doubles matches..."

It wasn't hard to guess what that challenge entails.

One hundred double battle matches...in a row? Damn.

"So you're a skilled battler and fighter. That makes you more than qualified. How you fit into the team, though...that's up to you."

"Ultra Rider Zero-One, confirmed."

As the door to the lab opens, Sena holds a hand out.

"So, are you in?"

"I want to be able to help Pokemon... people too..." How that will happen... his role... it's something to think about. And something to talk about with the others.

Wes takes Sena's hand and shakes it, a small smile coming to his face despite everything else.

"I'm in."

"Alright then!"

Sena shakes his hand firmly, smile wide.

"Welcome to the Ultra Riders! I'll get you your Ride Buckle so we can get you registered!"

Wes tilts his head curiously.

"What's a Ride Buckle?"

"Oh, um...it's this thing you wear on your belt. You use it to materialize the armor we'd use for Ultra Hole travelling."

And Sena picks out a belt to show Wes what he means.

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withoutcontrolofmyself - 2020-01-08 03:36 (UTC) - Expand

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