Game 96 - Trial 2 Results

[Peregrine]

The atmosphere in the room is tense and quiet. The creaking of wood is heard as Monotuff leans forward in his chair.




"I could be mistaken, but it sounds like you've come to a decision! That means it's time for the all-important question... who's the Meanie?"


The atmosphere more grim than frightening, several paws and hands in the room immediately point around the room. Monotuff nods his head slowly...




"Hmm... let's take this one at a time. Show of hands, does anyone still think it could have been Vigoroth?"


A single hand is raised.




"Just one? Very well. Hands up if you think it was... Espurr!"


A few hands and paws are meekly raised. Meloetta shoots her hand up with a shout of "Yes!"




"Three, huh? Then lastly... hands up if you think it was Meloetta!"


Half the room moves in unison, each raising a hand or paw, glaring at the accused. Meloetta feels a knot of dread growing in their chest.



When all is said and done, 6 hands and paws are raised against them.



Monotuff speaks calmly and joyfully as usual, his face an uncanny mask betraying a grim facsimile of happiness.




"Well, then. I guess it's decided! If that's how you really feel, it's time for the reveal... 🎵Results! Results! 🎵"


"Meloetta, the Super Duper Siren, is..."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
The Meanie!



Meloetta's face is pale. The other apprentices can't help but avert their gaze from the murderer's expression of shock and dread.





"Not one, but two of our friends? *Sniff* Why? How could you do such a thing?"




"Why does this keep happening!?"


The room goes silent, save for Monotuff's sniffles.

---

The Punishment will begin shortly.

Good luck!

[Vaellin the Bard]

Meloetta stands there looking horrified at the six paws as the truth is revealed. They look at Monotuff, fear evident in their eyes. This is exactly what they didn't want. The hatred they could take, but what was coming...

Meloetta takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself but they can't quite stop the tremble in their voice or the tears in their eyes, the memory of Emolga's brutal end in their head. There's nothing that will stop it though, but one thing they have to make right.




"I... d-don't grieve me, please. I'm not worth it," they say, their usual confidence failing. "Despite what you want to think, none of this was an accident. I... I had to kill Wobbuffet. We're trapped here. We came to be explorers but what exploring have we done? Instead... instead Monotuff and Chatot have imprisoned us. I thought... I thought maybe Wobbuffet was too. He has been limiting our movement after all.

"But I was scared. The Destiny Bond would immediately make me suspicious. So... I had to frame someone else. Vigoroth... he was there and I didn't want to but he trusted me and that made it easier. I tried to make it painless. I never saw that book, I didn't know anything about their weaknesses, and I think they suffered because of it."

They sniff a little, voice trembling even more. "Please, escape here before Monotuff or someone else decides to kill again. And please... please protect Eevee and Slakoth... they don't deserve what I've done to them."

They hold their breath once more, shifting into the one thing they know how to do best. They start a song, a slow, sad, mournful song.

[ruah]

Bayleef looks at Meloetta "But what if we want to grieve. Because you are worth it ;w;, everyone one is a friend and deserves to be remember"

[Tetsu]

Ark looks away, not wanting to look at Meleotta. This is the second time he has to put his guildmates through the same ordeal they went through the first round. 

"Hey, Meleotta, I-I don't think you're a mean person, you were desperate, yet, at the end of the day, you still thought about us all, how to make us to be a fullfledge explorers. So, we are going to be living by your words and be the best explorer we can be! Albeit, loosing people close to us, we will go and live the day thinking of how it was for the better."

[Evie The Bat]

Evie is silent for a very very long time. After a while, she goes over to Meloetta and gives her a very big hug, very much crying.

"I thought we were gonna stay together...I...I dont hate you. I wish this wasnt how everything ended. I know i'll still be able to hear you but...I'll miss you Mel. I'll never forget meeting you.."

[Maria]

Mimikyu says nothing, he simply hangs his head sadly. Four deaths - now going up to five - was depressing. He'll have to make some replacement bracelets. 

[Ktoasty]

Sandshrew empathizes with Meloetta's resolve to escape their confines. "You can put your faith in us, Meloetta. The rest of us, together, are going to graduate from Monotuff's Guild. We'll grant your wish and leave this town alive."

[Vaellin the Bard]

"Please... please do," Mel states, nodding at Sandshrew. They can't handle people being nice now that they've been caught but they return Eevee's hug anyway, freely crying now.

[Evie The Bat]

Evie says, still sounding sad, one more thing to her dear friend

"Goodbye Mel...I know monotuff will have to punish you soon so...goodbye.."

[Peregrine]

"You did this trying to save your fellow explorers? Oh, how tragic! What a noble wish! These tears, oh... but..."


Monotuff's crying ceases almost instantly.




"...Rules are rules, you know. Our Code of Conduct states that as of now, Meloetta's apprenticeship with our guild is done and dusted. And so it must be!"


A cruelly familiar rumbling shakes the ground beneath the apprentices' feet.




"It's very sad. That talent, that passion, that noblesse oblige... you had everything you needed to be a great explorer. But I'm sorry to say you are no longer welcome in our guild!"


Meloetta's tears are cut short by the rumbling's increasing magnitude, before...


*Boom*


The back wall, once fully repaired, explodes outward again in a shower of dust and splinters. The foreboding tunnel beyond stretches far into obscure darkness...

Meloetta is hoisted into the air by an unseen force, their face full of pure, undiluted fear.




"As Guildmaster of this guild, I declare the apprenticeship of Meloetta, the Super Duper Siren... over! Yoom... TAH!!!"


In the blink of an eye, Meloetta is launched backwards into the tunnel, quickly consumed by the darkness.

To the remaining apprentices' horror, Monotuff begins to make his way to the stairs. He looks over his shoulder.




"Follow me, everybody! There's something I want to show you!"


With no other options, the apprentices stiffly follow behind the guildmaster, their minds consumed by dread.

Monotuff leads the congregation back to the dojo. The air is heavy with morbid anticipation. Led once more to the large doors in the dojo, the apprentices can barely contain their nervous shivering as Monotuff slowly swings the door wide open, releasing a blast of cool, dry air from the darkness beyond.

The apprentices can't initially idenitfy what they feel beneath their feet as they hesitantly join the guildmaster on the soft, carpeted flooring, stopped suddenly by a brass guardrail ahead of them. It is only at the loud clicking of a light being switched on, the barest reflected light revealing their surroundings, that they see where they are: the highest balcony of a lavish theatre.




"Ladies and gentlemon, I welcome you one and all to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If not now, then when? The Monotuff Philharmonic Initiative proudly presents the debut concert performance of..."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

♪ Der Tod Und Das Meloetta ♪

For soloist; to be deceased


A lone figure lies outstretched delicately on the polished wooden floor of the stage, lighted by a brilliant spotlight overhead. They stand up—slowly, carefully—illuminated in the ring of light as slow, solemn notes begin to drift on the air. Meloetta looks up at Monotuff, Chatot, and their fellow apprentices. Finally, they think. All eyes are on me. For one final song. A long, aching lull in the melody colours the concert hall in silence.

Then, they sing.

Their voice carries across the spacious chamber, filling the apprentices' ears with such painful beauty, such sweet sorrow, that even the most stoic and disinterested among them feel their eyes sting with the threat of tears. The mournful melody continues unabated as its audience looks on, stunned by the performance. Time seems to expand, as the thought of what may come begins to leave the apprentices' minds, when—


Slam.


The apprentices' illusion of calm splendour is shattered as a cylindrical encasement of glass plummets onto the stage, trapping Meloetta within. Her voice becomes a muted, distant echo within the prison.

...Still, they sing.

Though nearly soundless from behind the glass, their face contorting into one of worry and panic, Meloetta simply raises their voice to still be heard by their audience. Unease grips the apprentices, as they find themselves awaiting what might happen next. Meloetta hears a soft drip behind them, then another, followed shortly by a slow trickle. They need not look behind them to know what is happening, yet dread still fills their bones as the ever-expanding pool of frigid water touches their feet and begins climbing the sides of the glass wall.

...Yet still, they sing.

The audience watches with encroaching horror as the water level rises, inch by inch, claiming the performer's feet, then their legs, then their whole lower body. Meloetta's composure begins to falter in the ice-cold water, as their voice weakens and trembles from the cold. They float as best they can, but soon the water fills nearly the entire space. The singer is forced under, casting the performance into silence. They begin frantically and feebly slamming on the glass. As they look out, they see the apprentices. They realize they still have an audience. As if possessed, their mouth opens once more...

...And so still, they sing.

Hands and paws gripped tightly to the handrails, looking hopelessly onwards at the horrid spectacle, the apprentices watch as air is forced out from Meloetta's mouth. Their voice, muted and indistinct yet still clearly audible, continues to escape from them note by painful note. Their face begins to turn a sickening shade of purple as their legs kick out in agony, one hand wrapped around their throat while the other continues to slam against the glass.

As their movements slow, their legs ceasing their convulsions, the last echoes of their voice slowly diminishing, an air bubble rises from below. The top of the water slowly twists into a whirlpool, as the now motionless Pokémon within begins to gently twirl in place with haunting serenity. The floor beneath them has split open a crack, letting the water pass through with agonizing slowness. Eventually, the water drains completely, depositing Meloetta's limp form onto the ground. The glass container rises up behind the curtain.

A lone figure lies outstretched delicately on the polished wooden floor of the stage, lighted by a brilliant spotlight overhead.

There is only silence thereafter.

Content warning: description of suffocation and drowning.

[Evie The Bat]

Evie looks absolutely distraught

"M...Mel. You didnt...deserve that"

[Ktoasty]

". . ."

[Ktoasty]

Sandshrew's Explorer Journal

2. We have to be Strong

No one saw it coming, but it happened again. Two apprentices at the guild were murdered. Vigoroth, a guild member with a family here. And Wobbuffet, the rapper always willing to lend a helping hand. We had to hold another trial to find the Meanies. Sometimes I wonder why that part is in the rules, as if Monotuff had predicted this would happen. I'll write what happened, it seems to help calm my thoughts.

SPOILER: Click to show

The Meanie probably started their night using their audio recorder to set up a sleep track. It would be a part of their murder plan for a later target. They then went to the Dojo and met Vigoroth there. It didn't have to be Vigoroth, anyone would have done, but they needed to kill a second apprentice to frame them for a murder-suicide. A swift kick to the neck was all they needed to murder him in cold blood.

SPOILER: Click to show

"Next, they needed to hide Vigoroth's body in the Psychic House, where Wobbuffet's bow leads to. They had to change their type in order to access the house, and they quickly dragged the body and hid it on a tree branch within the Psychic House. They were lucky enough to get it hidden before Espurr showed up, but Espurr saw something besides the body underneath the tree. It was Vigoroth's switchblade that unknowingly fell out of his inventory.

SPOILER: Click to show

After leaving the Psychic House, the Meanie switched their type again to avoid connection to that crime scene. Their next stop was the Chansey Daycare to collect a Sleeper Orb. They used Roleplay during a touching moment with Slakoth to gain his Truant ability here too. This would prevent their original ability from breaking any sleep effects later on. All of their tools were collected, so they left their friends at the daycare to look for the final victim, Wobbuffet.

SPOILER: Click to show

The Meanie was able to find Wobbuffet wandering in the Duskull Bank, holding the same switchblade that fell in the Psychic House earlier. They couldn't kill him now, or else they would die to Destiny Bond. But they could put him to sleep to kill him later. They used their audio recorder to replay the sleep track and break down Wobbuffet's Safeguard barrier. Then, they launched the Sleeper Orb into his face, instantly putting him to sleep. They hid Wobbuffet under the bank counter and left with his switchblade and sky blue bow. The Meanie's plan was to lie about ever visiting the Duskull Bank, but Arcanine saw them.

SPOILER: Click to show

The final part of the Meanie's plan was to place Wobbuffet's sky blue bow in the Marowak Dojo as incriminating evidence to frame Vigoroth. They had to do it discretely to avoid being seen by Mimikyu though, since he was waiting out in the Common Room. After they sneakily tossed the bow away, I discovered it on my way out and took it along with me. Once Mimikyu and I left, they were able to leave undetected and murder Wobbuffet back at the Duskull Bank before he woke up. By going back to the guild alone after Chatot's Echoed Voice announcement, no one knew they visited the bank in the final action.

SPOILER: Click to show

That's how they did it, hoping to escape by removing Shadow Tag. The killer was you. . .

Meloetta, the Ultimate Siren

Just like that, we lost three more friends to murder. It's something I never thought could happen, and it scares me that I could be murdered tomorrow. But I made a promise to Meloetta. I'll fight against the odds to make sure those of us that are left can leave Treasure Town alive. We have to be strong, graduation is the ultimate goal.

[Peregrine]

After being led back out into the Dojo, the doors loudly slam shut behind the apprentices. They stand there wordlessly for a few long, painful moments. Then, his voice cuts through their respectful silence:




"Oh my! Look at the time! We ought to get back to the guild so we can get some sleep before morning!"


With that, Monotuff bounds out of the Dojo and heads east along the road. The apprentices turn to Chatot for some kind of command, but he simply steps outside and takes off into the air without so much as a word.

The group follows the guildmaster to the well by the crossroads, where he pulls the bell. They're all instantly transported back to Sublevel 1, where they see several new bows have been added to the bulletin board. The corresponding portraits of their former companions have been clumsily crossed over with a large X. They march one by one into their rooms, some of which feel just a bit emptier. Monotuff makes his final call:




"Good work today, everyone! It's time to get some rest. Good night! 🎵 Sleep tight! 🎵 And don't forget your bedtime bite! 🎵"

[Vulpix]

Chatot once more walks through the halls carrying a tray of a dozen chocolate chip cookies. He distributes one to each apprentice.




"Here you go. See you in the morning! 🎶"




"And... take care."