[Voice, locked to residents] --EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--

[malnosso]

[At 2:15AM, the journals suddenly blare out an alarm, followed by this message.]

EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. This is an emergency.

The following occupants of the Luceti enclosure must report to the teleporters in twenty minutes. You are required as reinforcements in Region 13. Bring all necessary armaments with you. You will be teleported directly into combat.

Anyone who fails to comply will be forcibly escorted to the teleporters by droids.

This is not a drill. I repeat: this is not a drill. You have twenty minutes.

[The message repeats twice more, the alarm continuing until the twenty minutes has elapsed. No questions will be answered.]

Comments

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

[He's ready to go and- oh. There's Gold.

Come on. Say something reassuring. It's gonna be fine.

Yeah, "fine". Just like how Vaskoth was fine, right? Or every other draft he's been on. Even the better ones were still war, and that alarm definitely wasn't a sign of goo things to come.]

If you've got something to say, walk with me. [Because he has maybe fifteen minutes to make it from home to the teleporters. Because while he was ready to go on his own, seeing Gold up and staring at him makes him think that maybe having a buddy come along isn't a terrible idea.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Can't say I've got a whole lot to say. [Despite saying that, he's not hesitating to walk over to Silver's side.]

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

You and me both. [Yeah. Come on, walk with him. He starts heading outside, takes a deep breath once he reaches the door, and doesn't look back once he's out of the house.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

[He follows after Silver, groggily despite being fully awake.]

What time is it, even?

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

No clue. [Other than "late". He rubs his eyes a little, but most of the grogginess has already been replaced with anticipation.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

You got everything you need for out there? Somethin' tells me this is gonna be a messy one.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

There's no time to get anything else. I'll have to make do with what I have.

[Messy is right. At least it can't be as bad as Vaskoth was.

Right?]

Don't worry. I'll come back in one piece.

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

You better. I don't wanna have to somehow get over there just to save your butt.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

Save your fussing for someone else. You're gonna turn into Crys at this rate.

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

You take that back right now.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

It's true.

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Is not. Nobody could ever top her level of nagging.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

Well, you're giving her a run for her money. Take it easy.

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Well, excuse me, Princess. Sorry for not being confident in your ability to not get yourself killed.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

You need to learn to trust me, then.

[He's got too much to live for to just throw his life away. There's no way he won't come back alive.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

I do trust you. Sheesh, remind me never to show concern for my best-friend-slash-brother who's about to run off to his first battle in a year again.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

I will. Seeing you worry too much makes me think that something really bad's gonna happen.

[And the last thing he needs is nervousness settling into his stomach minutes before a draft.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Fine. Then I'm gonna hold you to your word. Come back in one piece.

[That includes getting chunks of you bitten off.]

You need to borrow any of my Pokémon?

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

[...Does he?

...He doesn't want to separate Gold from Aitaro, and Togetaro probably wouldn't listen to him...]

Could I borrow Explotaro? [It might be dark. Or cold. Or he might need to zip across the battlefield, and he doesn't have Honchkrow with him to help him fly around. And that's not even getting into Explotaro's fire power.]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Who are you gonna give me in return, then, Mr. Trader?

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

[Should he trade him Gyarados? No, his temper could get out of control, especially if he wasn't with him. He's not giving him Weavile. Feraligatr... He's gonna need Feraligatr too.]

You can take Weavile out for ice cream when I get back. I don't think I can afford to leave any of my partners behind this time. [Especially with those alarms. But is that fair? What if there's some incident like that time with the space draft? Then again, there haven't been any messages going that would suggest something like that would happen...]

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Fine. Just this once, it's a loan. I'm trustin' Explotaro in your hands!

[He'll have to go back to the house to get him, of course.]

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

[...A loan, huh. He's gotta be extra sure to take care of Explotaro.]

...Thanks, Gold.

[Action!]

[mischiefbreeder]

Don't worry about it. I've givin' you my beloved partner, so consider that a sign of my trust in you.

Now you have to come back in one piece.

[Action!]

[feistytrader]

[...He's really worried about him.

Well, there's nothing he can do but come back okay. He nods quietly, then holds his fist out to Gold.

Take it easy, buddy. He's coming back alive.]