<Marona> You probably could have heard any of Carona's conversation with Ford before.

 Cleff comes over, "Hey..."

<Marona> "Hi!" Marona says.

<Cleff> "I heard a bit of what you said, Carona. Sorry for overhearing... I didn't mean to."

<Marona> She's munching on rice cakes. "It's fine. None of that was private."

<Cleff> "Well okay. I just wanted to say... I think you two are kind of a lot like me."

<Marona> =O "Really?"

<Marona> Carona: "Is that so?

<Cleff> "See... I'm not really FROM earth. And a lot of people... they always shunned me and talked bad about me behind my back."

<Cleff> "And I've got a lot of strange abilities that people don't understand... and that just made it even harder."

<Cleff> "So I guess I'm trying to say I know a little bit what it's like to be different. It's hard."

<Marona> "Not from Earth?" =O

<Cleff> "Yes, me and my sister, Kazumi, we're both from space."

<Marona> Carona: "I see... that's hard to believe, but only because of my own limited experience."

<Marona> "Neat! That must be amazing, Cleff!"

<Cleff> "Well, thanks."

<Cleff> "Anyway... I wanted to say I think Marona is right."

<Cleff> "I was alone for a while... but I kept trying... and now I have someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. Someone very special to me."

<Cleff> "And the people here... I used to hate a lot of them... but now I actually kind of like them, and some of them like me too."

<Marona> Carona: "You're young for that sort of thing, aren't you?"

<Marona> Marona: "Ohh, Carona, you're never too young or old to be really loved by someone... =( Not if it's real love!"

<Cleff> "I dunno how old I am. Not sure if this body even grows." she looks down. :/

<Cleff> "I kind of always remember being this size..."

<Marona> Marona beams though. "I'm glad people like you now, though! It'll happen for us, too."

<Marona> "One day..."

<Cleff> "It will, I'm sure."

 Cleff smiles, "If it weren't for Rocket... I never would have met any of them."

<Marona> Carona: "You look almost midteen, barely older than us. So you'll know in a few years."

<Marona> "These Rockets sound like really nice people!"

<Cleff> "Some of them aren't, but it takes all sorts really."

<Marona> Carona: "That it does."

<Marona> Carona frowns a moment.

<Marona> "Have you... ever taken a life before, Cleff?"

<Marona> Carona says.

 Cleff thinks...

<Cleff> "I've... seen a lot of death, but... not ever with my own hands."

<Marona> "I see..."

<Marona> C:*

<Marona> Carona: "It's strange, I could swear there's... nevermind."

<Cleff> "Huh?"

<Marona> She shakes her head.

<Cleff> "Wait..."

<Cleff> "Oh... I did kill..."

<Cleff> "I did... order my pokemon to kill that one pokemon."

<Marona> Carona: "It's.. not a pokemon spirit. It's hard to explain what I see."

<Cleff> "Huh?"

<Marona> "You see her too, Carona? The little girl?" =O

<Cleff> "Little girl?"

 Cleff feels her heart racing, "I... I don't... I haven't ever killed a human, much less a little girl." D:

<Marona> Carona: "No, I know you haven't. Your hands aren't stained with blood."

<Marona> Carona: "Not even with that of a pokemon."

<Marona> Carona: "But nevertheless... I feel that there is a spirit with a vague attachment to you."

<Cleff> "Maybe..."

<Cleff> "I wonder if I could see it if I did that..."

<Carona> Marona: "Did what?" =O

<Cleff> "If I entered your body... I wonder if I could use your power to see spirits."

<Carona> Carona: "The mystic power..."

<Carona> Marona: "Oh, okay! Go ahead!"

 Cleff tries to possess Marona's body

<Carona> You succeed.

<Carona> You...

<Carona> You are both Marona and Carona.

<Cleff> "T-This is..."

<Carona> You can't control Carona, but you know exactly what she's experiencing.

<Cleff> "I've never felt something like this."

 Cleff looks around, looking to her side to see if there's a spirit

<Carona> <We are bonded at the basest level, by the soul.>

<Carona> You hear her speak in your head, clearer than any psychic's thoughtspeak.

<Cleff> (like a book: How do they know beck?)

<Carona> He visits Orchid Valley often, taking his Absol on a hike in the mountains. He usually brings back strange gifts to them.

<Carona> He was a friend, but more because of their mutual association as gym leaders and his own kindness.

<Carona> Not because they were BFFs

<Carona> As for spirits...

<Carona> You see a twisted, writing darkness occasionally enter the ship and circle Ford before leaving.

<Carona> You see numerous pokemon spirits hanging out who were accidentally killed in Joltron's construction

<Cleff> ; ;

<Carona> And by your own body...

<Carona> You see a little red-headed girl, chained to your arm with handcuffs, smiling even as she adjusts the backpack she's wearing that reads "Kazumi"

<Cleff> "N-No!"

 Cleff instantly depossesses and returns to her own body, trembling a bit

<Carona> Before you go

<Carona> She had a few distinguishing marks I might as well mention.

<Carona> Namely several burns, and a piece of metal lodged through her chest.

<Carona> She waves as you depossess.

 Carona blinks.

<Carona> Marona: "What's wrong, Cleff?" D=

<Carona> Marona: "Do you know her?"

<Cleff> "I don't... I don't know... I don't know..."

<Carona> Marona frowns and comes over to hug you. :<

<Carona> Marona: "It's always scary to see how they're hurt..."

 Cleff throws her arms around Marona

<Cleff> "It's not that..."

<Carona> "She was someone you know of."

<Cleff> "I saw her before..."

<Cleff> "In a nightmare... I thought it was just some kind of cruel trick..."

<Cleff> "That name on her backpack... it's the same name as my sister..."

<Carona> Marona: D=

 Cleff looks down at Kazumi, who is probably sleeping on her bed.

<Carona> Carona: "This must have some sort of meaning..."

<Carona> Kazumi is fine. :3c

<Cleff> "But what..."

<Carona> Carona: "If it came to you in a nightmare, perhaps Darkrai was trying to show you something."

<Carona> Carona: "The master of nightmares..."

<Cleff> "I just don't understand... who was that girl... why is her name the same as Kazumi's..."

<Cleff> "I think... I'm going to have to ask her if she's ready to evolve."

<Carona> Carona: "How did your sister get her name?"

<Cleff> "I..."

 Cleff tries to remember...

<Cleff> "My mother named her that."

<Carona> Carona: "Curious and curiouser..."

<Carona> One more thing of note.

<Carona> The spectral handcuffs binding you to the ghost

<Carona> Are the color of your own aura, which you know of because you've possessed Casio before.

<Cleff> "I think... I need to ask Kazumi if she's ready to evolve. Maybe she'll remember more..."

<Carona> Carona: "Very well."

 Cleff hugs Marona again.

<Carona> "I hope you realize why our power can be frightening now..."

<Carona> Marona: "Carona..."

<Carona> Marona hugs Cleff tight.

<Cleff> "Thanks... I'm... still a little scared, I know."

<Cleff> "But I'm still glad I met you... and that you helped me with this."

<Carona> Marona: "Sure... any way we can help."

<Cleff> "It's not you guys that's scary. It's knowing that there's still stuff I don't know about myself..."

<Carona> Carona: "We know what that's like as well."

<Carona> Marona: "It'll be okay, Cleff... you'll figure it out."

<Carona> Carona: "If it makes you feel better, we can see the bloodstains of the dead on the hands of those responsible. And yours are clean. You are not responsible for what may have happened to her."

 Cleff smiles and squeezes Marona a bit more before letting go. "Thanks, that does make me feel a lot better..."

<Carona> Marona smiles.

<Carona> Marona: "If there's anything else we can do for you, Cleff..."

<Cleff> (I feel like there was something...)

<Carona> By the way.

<Cleff> ?

<Carona> Marona's classes

<Carona> are Ace Trainer/Ghost Ace/Channeler/Tag Battler/Empath

<Carona> (DERP)

<Carona> (rewind)

<Carona> (No, let's keep that)

<Carona> (Was going to say Normal Ace for Marona actually)

<Cleff> (I thought it was the 5 classes thing)

<Carona> (But let's keep it this way)

<Carona> (Nah)

<Carona> (NPCs will start to have more classes)

<Cleff> (where's our extra classes ; ;)

<Carona> You sense that Carona's are Ace Trainer/Dark Ace/Channeler/Tag Battler/Weapon Master

<Cleff> (>weapon master)

<Cleff> (:3c)

<Carona> Marona has Phasing, as the capability

<Carona> while Carona has Invisibility

<Carona> (Anyway, think on what else you may have wanted to ask)

<Cleff> (It was...)

<Cleff> (something that I was going to ask at the start before I got sidetracked...)

<Cleff> (ah now I remember)

<Cleff> "So... you said something before about... bringing back the dead?"

<Carona> Carona: "Confine. It has limited ability to work..."

<Carona> Carona: "It only works on spirits that linger in this world. Phantoms. If they pass on, there's nothing you can do."

<Cleff> "Right... but if their soul is still hanging around..."

<Carona> Carona: "It only works for around a minute, as well."

<Carona> Carona: "And you must have a vessel for their soul."

<Carona> Carona: "Yes."

<Cleff> "And... you use the pokemon as vessels?"

<Carona> Carona: "No."

<Carona> Carona: "The Tyranitar you saw earlier was one of my ghost pokemon."

<Cleff> "Oh. Yeah I was wondering 'cause of that."

<Carona> Carona: "A Dusknoir. But it transformed back into its flesh and blood state when I confined it."

<Cleff> "Ohh."

<Carona> Carona: "In its previous life, it was a tyranitar."

<Cleff> "So the phantoms... the phantoms are pokemon?"

<Carona> Marona: "Usually, but..."

<Carona> She lets out a gengar.

<Carona> The Gengar is a lighter shade of purple than normal, with normal eyes and a neutral expression. All signs of malice in its face are gone.

<Carona> Marona: "Hi, Ash!"

<Carona> Ash: <Hm? What's going on, Marona? Who are these people?>

<Carona> Marona: "These are some new friends who are gonna help us! But I want to show Cleff something, okay?"

<Cleff> "Hi there." :D

 Cleff waves to ash

<Carona> Ash: <Oh... hello.>

<Carona> He waves back after a moment.

<Carona> Marona points her hand at the nightstand next to the bed.

<Carona> Marona: "Confine!"

<Carona> Ash vanishes in a sphere of light, which covers the nightstand. A moment later, a young man with dark blue hair is standing there, looking around awkwardly.

<Carona> He seems to be a young adult, about early 20's.

<Carona> Ash: "Aaand here I am." he shrugs.

<Carona> Carona: "Souls won't become phantoms unless they have extremely deep attachments to this world."

<Carona> Carona: "It's normally hard for pokemon. It can happen to humans, but they usually become Yamasks."

<Carona> Carona: "Ash... is a special case. A gengar instead."

<Cleff> "I see." :o

<Cleff> "So..."

<Cleff> "The girl I saw... was SHE a phantom?"

<Carona> Carona stares a moment a little to your right.

<Carona> "Yes... but her case doesn't seem to be typical either."

<Carona> "She's chained to you. So she can't pass on."

<Cleff> "I see..."

<Carona> "Fortunately, she doesn't seem to be in any hurry."

<Cleff> "I guess not."

<Cleff> "Thanks for showing me all this."

<Carona> Marona: "Mhm..."

<Cleff> "You're actually really nice for gym leaders."

<Carona> Ash vanishes after a little bit and the nightstand clatters back to the floor.

<Carona> The gengar materializes nearby.

<Carona> Marona: "All we have to do is keep smiling and work our hardest! Then one day..."

<Cleff> "But I guess it's the same, right? Takes all kinds. Some of them end up jerks and some of them are really nice."

<Carona> Carona shakes her head and smiles.

<Carona> Marona: "Claude was a BIG jerk. He had the other gauntlet."

<Cleff> "That Socrates guy too."

<Carona> Carona: "And there's a rarity. Marona NEVER badmouths anyone."

<Carona> Carona: "But it's true, Claude was pretty much unforgivable."

<Cleff> "He tried to blow up the stadium in Peche. And he's working with that Giovanni guy and the fake team rocket that's giving us a bad name." :<

<Carona> Carona: "He used this gauntlet's partner to enslave a town all the way on the other side of Kansai. We learned about it from our friend, Beck."

<Carona> Claude is not Socrates.

<Cleff> right

<Cleff> but I said

<Cleff> >that socrates guy too

<Carona> (Oh right)

<Carona> (:3c)

<Carona> Marona: "Socrates? I always thought he was quiet..."

<Carona> Carona: "And then he turned out to be a terrorist."

<Cleff> "So..."

<Cleff> "Beck knew about that thing with Claude before he dissapeared?"

<Carona> Marona: "He sure did. He tried writing to the League about it!"

<Cleff> "The league didn't do anything?"

<Carona> Carona: "But when they sent people to investigate, Claude enslaved them too and falsified their findings."

<Cleff> "What the hell... that's messed up."

<Carona> Claude: "And your friend Ford is who we can thank for killing him."

<Carona> (Er)

<Carona> *Carona

<Cleff> "Oh yeah... I think I heard something about that."

<Carona> Carona: "There's no mistaking it, Claude's blood is on his hands."

<Cleff> "Still... surprised Beck didn't just take care of it himself." :I

<Cleff> "I mean it took them like... a Day I think."

<Cleff> "One day of being there."

<Carona> Marona: "Claude had stronger pokemon than Beck, and was a Godspeaker too..."

<Carona> Carona: "I assume Beck took hikes here looking for strong dragon type pokemon."

<Cleff> "Yeah, it might have been harder if he fought him one on one with all his pokemon..."

<Cleff> "But it's like I said. Our methods aren't always the most lawful, but they're effective and they're for a good cause."

<Carona> Carona: "The law in Kansai is a direct result of the League. That means, technically, we're all officers expected to enforce their rules."

<Cleff> "Wait, the league controls the laws?"

<Carona> Carona: "That said, screw them. They're too self-centered to launch a real investigation."

<Carona> Marona: "That's right... The pokemon centers, gyms, police stations... they're all part of the same system."

<Carona> Carona: "That's why it's legal and encouraged to have designated battle zones in the streets of Peche."

<Cleff> "That's... actually kind of messed up..."

<Cleff> "Considering that guys like Claude and Socrates could be in the league..."

<Carona> Marona: "Just about no one knew about Claude until Rocket took care of him..."

<Carona> Carona: "And Socrates was a jerkass, but no one really thought he was a murderer."

<Carona> Carona: "We've never seen him in person, so as far as judging bloodstains..."

<Cleff> "It's not like you can tell everything just by that, right?"

<Cleff> "I'm sure some of us have bloodstains on our hands..."

<Carona> Marona: "Right." :<

<Carona> Marona: "You can kill people by accident..."

<Cleff> "And sometimes... you have to kill people to survive."

<Carona> Carona: "Sad truth in this world."

<Carona> Marona: "<

<Carona> :<

<Cleff> "I wish it didn't have to be."

 Cleff hugs Marona again.

<Carona> Marona hugs back.

<Cleff> "I'm sure it'll all be okay. Everything. We'll help undrown that town in no time."

<Cleff> "We can't undo what already happened, but we can try to make it better."

<Carona> Marona: "You're so nice, Cleff!" =D "I'm glad there are other people in the world willing to help people without expecting in return."

<Carona> Carona: "Good luck with the evolution, by the way."

<Cleff> "Well of course! That entire city being drowned just isn't right!" D:

<Carona> Marona: "Do you want to have a battle when we get to Clearsky?"

<Cleff> "A battle?"

<Carona> Carona: "She's offering to let you take the gym challenge."

<Cleff> "Hee hee, maybe. We'll see when we get there."

<Carona> Marona: "Okay!"

<Carona> Speaking of weapon master

<Carona> Carona is wearing a cloak in addition to that skimpy shit, and there's a sword at her waist.

<Carona> Seems to be made of wood.