cultfavorite | PALACE GAME: Round 3

You open your eyes—

You're standing in the vast lobby of a corporate building, facing the reception desk, where a Team Galactic Grunt is stationed—she's currently on the phone, though, and occupied. A few other grunts move through the lobby, looking as if they're on their way to their next assignment. All of them look identical. And if you watch their paths for a while, none of them actually end up leaving the room.

The walls are a bright, metallic, sterile blue with white, and the floor is made up of gleaming silver metal tiles emblazoned here and there with a gold logo. The reception desk is slightly to your right, and to the left of that there are three doors in the far wall in front of you.

To the right of the reception desk, there's a little area with a vending machine, a large ottoman to sit on, a potted plant, and . . . a dotaku? With a face? It's sitting resting on the floor next to the vending machine, and it's staring right at you with those red eyes.

Directly to your right, closer to the front door, there is a glowing green circle on the floor with a sign on the wall next to it.

What will you d—

Wait. Your phone is buzzing. Whether or not you had it with you back in the prison, you do now, whether in your pocket, in your hand, whatever. It's on your person, and it's vibrating demandingly for attention. If you choose to ignore it, a mechanical voice emanating from it begins literally saying the word buzz! buzzzzzz! buuuzzzzzz! in an increasingly irritated tone.

Check your phone?

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What am I supposed to do with this?

You could start by checking your Pokedex entry! That might shed some light on things for you.

Will it. Will it really.

[ WILL IT. ]

Please show me that then.

A display pops up showing a single icon, of your own face. Rotoron opens it automatically for you, since you were so polite and all.

Kleken
Dearest Mistress Pokemon
Type: Water/Poison
Moves: Signal Beam, Octazooka, Flatter, Toxic Thread

Well, this is quite new information to me, thank you.

Do I have my own ball then?

You're taking this well! You look like a man who'd insist upon a Luxury Ball. Good taste. I'm exactly the same! But not yet, anyway. Maybe we'll find one for you on our way!

I do hope so.

How might I go about finding one then? While exploring?

A Luxury Ball? Hmmm . . .

For the first time, he sounds hesitant about his answer.

There might be a way, but it's something this old man doesn't know anything about. And that's my least favorite kind of thing, so I'm pretending it doesn't exist!

Oh, then we'll simply have to discover it along the way. Don't you agree?

Pah. I suppose.

He sounds grumpy about it. Congratulations, you shut him up. For now!

[ Oh no, angy. ]

[ Tapping Exploration Advice. ]

HUFFY! ANGY! There is no display that goes with this option, only Rotoron huffing again:

Oh, just go start exploring already! I'll have more to say about it once you've used your own two eyes a little.

Yes, yes, I'd hate to keep you waiting.

[ Placing the phone in his pocket before looking around, watching the receptionist as he does. ]

The receptionist finishes on the phone and gives Kleken a polite, questioning smile, but he's free to approach her or ignore her as he likes. Otherwise, where to?

[ Kleken, obvious people-person-man, approaches. ]

Pardon me, might I inquire about where one might find luxury goods here?

"Oh, um . . . this isn't a store, sir . . . this is the Team Galactic Veilstone Building! Did you mistake us for the Veilstone Department Store? We are the two tallest establishments in the city!"

Oh, it seems I was mistaken then. I suppose I got caught up in the grandeur of this place.

That perks her up a little. "Oh, yes! Our facility is state of the art! Team Galactic stands on the cutting edge of development and productivity! In, um . . . something . . . I'm sure Commander Saturn could explain to you if he weren't still away . . . "

Oh? Where has your commander gone?

"He's supposed to be on a trip, but he hasn't come back yet. I-I'm sure he's fine! I'm sure he wouldn't abandon us like Master Cyrus did!"

Has anyone been to check on him?

"Um, no. Not because we don't want to! But we don't know where he is! All we know is that he didn't go with the other Commanders when they decided to split off and form their own Team Galactic."

Do you have any suspicions? I'd like to speak with him if possible and I certainly don't mind looking for him.

She shakes her head slowly.

"I don't know . . . but he's definitely not in this building. We'd know about it for sure if he came back."

Then I suppose I'll have to take a look around outside. Thank you for your time, Miss.

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