PALACE GAME: Round 3

[cultfavorite]

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?

Comments

[menphina]

[ Fun. She's just staring at this... tomephone?? Agh. Technology.. ]


Battle Basics...? Of course I'm going to have to fight, why couldn't we just shake hands or dance off...


[ Muttering.. ]

[cultfavorite]

The display it brings up is an explanation of type advantages. It's not as in-depth as this article, but it is more in-depth than I want to write or you want to read. Thankfully, Rotoron is here to help:

Well? Any questions?

[menphina]

... where's Saturn. He knows Pokémon better than I do.

[ Deadpan... ]

[cultfavorite]

Gehehe! That's quite a question! If you want to see your pitiful Saturn, look all around you! Where do you think you are right now, lass?

[menphina]

The only time I'd call him pitiful is never, so mind your yap!


[ GRUMPY! But she is looking around... ]

Exploration Advice... tell me more about this place.

[ She's got this! She just has to explore and find people, right?? ]

[cultfavorite]

The device croaks out a mechanical chuckle at you.

Seeking advice from this old man already? Get off your duff and start looking around already! There's my advice. Oh, but those Grunts are useless. You won't get anything good out of them. After all, they're the ones who were stupid enough to stay with Saturn instead of making their own way in the world with me!

He seems extra pleased about saying that last part after Megumi just defended Saturn to him.

[menphina]

I'm not sure staying with you would be any better, Rotoron, but I wouldn't say I'm the best option here either.

[ Hmph. But she does begin to look around, and sniff the air around. ]

... there are others I know here. But I can't make out Saturn's—

[cultfavorite]

There is, if she can detect it, something like but not entirely like Saturn's scent coming from behind the area of the three doors in the far wall. Otherwise, his scent isn't here.

You're standing in him! Gahah! Oh, that's gross. I don't want to think about it anymore.

1/2

[menphina]

[ In him. Gross?? ]

[menphina]

... a dream.



[ SHE'S DONE THIS BEFORE. Not just in Rev but even back home. It's why she felt odd about it!

Excuse her while she just moves towards that far wall and those doors. ]

I need something to proceed, don't I? What have you got for me, Rotoron? Do I have to look at this "Pokedex" too?

[cultfavorite]

Well, you don't HAVE to! But I'd strongly recommend it. It might come in handy later!

He brings up the display, which right now is just a single icon of Megumi's face, with an arrow indicating to tap it.

There are three doors here. Each is an automatic sliding metal double door, currently closed; the doors to the left and right are trimmed in a lit tube of neon yellow. The middle door is also trimmed in a tubular light, but the light seems to have gone out.

Above each door is a square LED panel, each showing nothing but a single emoji, though plenty large enough to make out what it is. From left to right, they are:

🧠 ❌ 💗

The middle door is flanked by two flat-topped chrome metal pedestals, short enough for the tops to be easily viewed; the dim black top of each is featureless right now, but they look reactive, like they might contain some kind of sensor technology. Not that there's anything on them for them to sense right now. It may be that something should sit there . . .

[menphina]

[ Hmm. Tapping on her face first while looking up at the doors. ]


... goodness I look nice in this even if I don't remember taking this picture.

[cultfavorite]

It's a very flattering photo.

The following information comes up, alongside it:

Megumi
Mama Dragon Pokemon
Type: Fairy/Dragon
Moves: Pollen Puff, Life Dew, Dragon Pulse, Dazzling Gleam

[menphina]

[ Chuckling a bit... ]

"Fairy/Dragon"... Mama Dragon Pokémon... Feo Ul would have a laugh at this. They're fae, too.


[ She then looks up at the middle door. Of course she wants to look right at it? ]

What's behind the door that isn't heart or mind...

[cultfavorite]

It looks like the kind of door that should just slide open for you when you approach it, but it doesn't. Nothing at all happens.

Rotoron does answer, though:

Bzzt! Something you might recognize very well! But you're not getting in there that easily. There's a saying the youths have . . . something about finding out.

[menphina]

[ Cheeky grin. ]

Survived worse. What's it going to do, hit me on my way in?


[ Yes she's going to look around to see if she can find anything to open or peek through it. ]

[cultfavorite]

Nothing doing, unfortunately. It's firmly locked. You'd need a bomb or something to get this door open. Or just whatever activates the two sensor locks on the pillars to the sides.

[menphina]

[ Hmmm. ]

Wonder if I can find a key... what do you think, Rotoron? Waste of time, or good idea? I'm not very smart about these things, you know. Saturn and Aymeric make all the smart decisions.

[cultfavorite]

Saturn? Making smart decisions? Pah! I wonder if we know the same lad. But you're in luck. If you want the keys, all you need to do is visit the other two doors first!

[menphina]

Smarter than my own. Who else would want to go into the door clearly saying to stay out? Right away, even!


[ She chuckles. ]


You know him, huh? Let's go... this way.

[ Picking mind first. ]

I like to get the tougher things out of the way first!

[cultfavorite]

As you approach the door, it slides automatically open for you. The hallway beyond appears to lead down a hallway deeper into the building.

Enter?