*In Jay's Workspace, We see RJ "Jay" Writing Ink directing many of his regulars in various tasks. Omnitraxus and Ed are digging a massive hole to build a pool with a lazy river and waterslide. DAU Kermit and Rex are setting up karaoke while Eddy supervises. Slick Goku's getting refreshments ready while Hooty keeps Wakko away from the snacks with the help of Yakko and Dot. GIR's...dancing? And Janna is currently working on the pyrotechnics.*
Jay: All right, guys, let's get a move on. It's our first chance to have an actual Fourth of July Barbecue in two years and I don't want to blow it. Blow it up, yes. But blow it, no. Janna, how are we looking on the fireworks?
Janna: I think we've got enough. But what exactly are you looking for me to do anyway?
Jay: Janna, you know how some fireworks can make shapes and images in the sky?
Janna: Yeah.
Jay: Every year on Fourth of July, I want to see something like that, but never get the chance. So if I can't get it IRL, then we're gonna use my imagination/my omnipotent power over this place.
Janna: Fine by me, as long as I can blow stuff up. Tom would love this.
Jay: And don't think I've forgotten about the story, either. I haven't. And trust me, this is an idea that I've had in the pipeline for a while now. What is it? Well, let's just say that the timing seems appropriate. Now, then.
*Jay pulls out a megaphone*
Jay: BOING! STORY BREAK! EVERYONE GET SOME FOOD AND GET READY TO SEE MY NEW CHAPTER! IT'S GONNA BE GOOD!
It was a dark and stormy night…actually, there wasn't a cloud in the sky over Echo Creek. The moon and stars were visible throughout the California night sky, making it the perfect weather for people who wanted to spend the night on the town and hit a club. Or spend their time stargazing.
However, Marcia Diaz was too young to be the former, and she felt too tired to partake in the latter as she focused on pedaling her bike home. Her only plans for the night involved taking a nice, hot shower to get rid of the sweat emanating off her body.
"It may be gross right now, Marcia, but it's all going to be worth it one day," she told herself. "It will be worth the late-night classes you've been taking at the Dojo when you finally get the body you deserve."
Recently, Sensei Brantley decided to re-arrange how long he kept his Dojo open into the night to attract more students. He thought that this way, he could better accommodate people who were too busy during the day, and Marcia had been one of the first to sign up. Realistically, Marcia knew it was unnecessary, as she was already one of Sensei Brantley's top students. The reason she did so anyway was three-fold. She figured it would get one step closer to her black belt. Two, the more she exercised, the faster she would get the kind of body that would make Jackson drool at her sight. Third, and finally: Jeremy wouldn't be taking part since it was well past his bedtime!
At any rate, most parents wouldn't approve of their kids traveling back and forth between their house and the Dojo, but Mr. and Mrs. Diaz was the exception. They knew their daughter could handle almost any threat dumb enough to stand in her way. Comet said that if things got dicey, Marcia could borrow his dimensional scissors and come right home. The young girl had forgoed using the scissors tonight, preferring to get some extra exercise on her bike, letting her travel at a leisurely pace. Her parents were out on a date night, so she didn't have to worry about them getting mad at her. Comet had lived on Earth long enough that the Diaz family could trust him to stay home alone without burning it.
At least, that's what the family thought...until Marcia rounded the bend onto her street and saw this eerie, glowing lighting in the distance.
"What in the-?" It was pretty dark outside, even with the light of the moon, stars, and streetlamps on. But as Marcia approached her house, the glow started to get even brighter. It didn't take a genius to figure out where it came from.
"Oh, no..." Marcia resisted the urge to curse under her breath as she got this sinking feeling in her stomach. Once she managed to get into her driveway, her worst fears were confirmed. The glow came from inside her house. More precisely, it came from one of the two towers jutting right out of the Diaz family's home. The smaller, secondary tower created by sheer accident, courtesy of Comet's Wand going haywire.
Narrowing her eyes in frustration as she held a hand to her forehead to shield them from the bright light, Marcia let a single, solitary word escape from her lips: "Comet."
Not even bothering to put her bike away, Marcia marched right up to the front door of her home and used the keys to unlock the front door before heading up the steps to the one place she knew would be responsible for this bizarre phenomenon: Comet's bedroom.
Play Music: Spooky UFO Alien Music Loop | /NbsJv9wX8tk
Sure enough, this creepy glow was coming out of Comet's room. Marcia had no clue what was happening, but she knew that it couldn't be good for anyone if it involved Comet.
"Comet! Open up!" Marcia yelled as she pounded on the door, not in the mood to deal with Comet's BS at this time of night. "I know you're in there, Comet Dragonfly! Open this door and tell me what's going on right now!"
At first, Marcia got no response from the other side. Then, she heard a very loud clatter, like several things falling onto the ground, followed by a certain boy's voice cursing. Moments later, the door opened, and Marcia stood face to face with Comet Dragonfly, Prince of Mewni, her best friend/roommate...and someone who had some explaining.
End Music
"Um, hey, Marcia!" Comet said in a tone that sounded friendlier than usual. "What, um, what are you doing home so early?"
"Comet, it's already 9:00 pm, dark outside, and my karate class is over for the night," Marcia deadpanned.
"Wh-what?" Comet asked out loud. "Is it that late already? I had no idea!"
"Really? You had no clue that it was dark outside?" Marcia asked, not believing that statement. "My class was fine, by the way, so don't bother asking me that."
"Oh. Well, okay, then." Comet said, glancing around nervously as he did so. He was trying to hide something and was doing poorly at it. "Well, I'm sure you're tired and want to shower after your grueling workout session, so I don't want to hold you up any longer." Comet then tried to close the door frantically, only to be stopped by Marcia's foot in the way.
"Not so fast, Dragonfly," Marcia sternly said. "I saw the glow coming out of your tower, and I know that you're up to something. Now, I want to know just what you're up to, so would you please let me inside?"
"Oh, come on, Marcia. You don't have to do that." Comet argued, but Marcia wasn't having any of it.
"Comet, the last time I saw lights coming out of your bedroom, you were sleep spelling and turned the living room into a rainforest. Now, can you please let me inside so that I can see what it is you're doing-"
"Marcia, I'm telling you, you don't have to do that. It's fine! Everything's fine!" Comet protested, confirming Marcia's suspicions. He was up to something!
"Comet, either you let me inside and tell me what's going on, or I'm calling your Dad and having him sort this out!" Marcia threatened and didn't want to resort to that, but given the alternative to letting things snowball out of control, she felt she had little choice.
Comet finally seemed to relent at the suggestion of his Dad getting involved. "All right, fine. I'll let you look-hey, is that Jackson in a swimsuit?!"
"What, where?" Marcia wheeled her head around, trying to see her crush in a bathing suit. It took two seconds for her brain to process the impossibility of that happening in her house at night...and another second to realize that Comet had just duped her.
"Ha-ha! Made you look!" Comet boasted before promptly slamming the door shut on Marcia's face. And, just for good measure, he then proceeded to lock it from the inside, thwarting any attempts to get inside.
"Comet! I demand that you open up this door right now!" Marcia yelled, now banging on the boy's door, only to get no response. After about two minutes of doing this, Marcia realized that her attempts were futile and gave up, choosing to hit the shower like she wanted to, though not before promising herself that she'd figure out what Comet was up to, whether he liked it or not.
"I'm telling you guys, he's up to something!" Marcia said as she slammed her fist down onto the table.
"Whoa, easy, Marcia. You almost made me spill my nachos," Ferguson complained before carefully moving his stack of nachos away from Marcia's side of the table.
"Oh. Sorry about that," Marcia apologized before looking at her friends. After wracking her brain for the last few days about what Comet might be up to and coming up blank, she called an emergency meeting of their friend group at Britta's Tacos. So far, Ferguson, Jackson, Jonah, and Karla. Brittney and Sabrina had had to abstain due to some sort of weekend event for the cheer team, and Brittney had gone for moral support. In their place was another girl by the name of Aqua.
With her light, sandy blonde hair and freckles, one would be forgiven for mistaking her to be a relative of Jackson's. In truth, though, she wasn't even Human but a Mermaid. More precisely, she was the princess of Oceanus, a kingdom of Merpeople located in another dimension, as well as a childhood friend of Comet. The Princess of Oceanus was more focused on Misty, her Horsea, though, as it bobbed in a bucket of water at her feet. "Look, I know that I sound a little paranoid right now-"
"That's because you do," Jonah snarked, earning him a glare from the girl.
"-but every night for the last few days, I keep coming home to find Comet holed up in his room while all those weird, glowing lights keep pouring out of it. And no matter what I do, he won't let me inside or tell me what he's doing!"
"Does he need a reason to tell you, Marcia?" Jackson opined. "He's got a right to his privacy, you know."
"That is...true, Jackson," Marcia conceded before quickly adding, "but considering how often he gets into trouble, and seeing as how I'm in charge of looking after him while he's living in my house, I have the right to know what he's doing!"
"Marcia, girl, if you're that concerned about this," Karla interjected, "then just ask him what he's doing."
Sighing in frustration, Marcia slumped into the seat, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "I already tried that, Karla. But every time I do, Comet just says that he can't tell me or 'it's top secret and on a need-to-know basis only.' I don't get it, though," Marcia sighed. "Why wouldn't he tell me? I'm his best friend; he should be able to tell me anything."
"Marcia?" Aqua said in a thoughtful tone. "I may not know what Comet might be planning, but I have known him long enough to understand that he has his reasons for doing this. You must give him time, and he will tell you when he feels ready."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Aqua," Marcia thanked the Mermaid Princess, "but that does little to dispel the feeling of dread I have welling up inside of me. I just wish there was some way to figure out what's happening."
"Hey, guys!" cried a familiar voice, prompting everyone to look up and see Alfonso approaching their table. "Sorry I'm late, but I had some stuff that I needed to take care of first. Oh, hey Aqua," Alfonso said as he gave the Mermaid Princess a friendly greeting. "How is everything at home?"
"We are doing fine, Alfonso," Aqua said with a simple smile, happy to see another familiar face. Since a previous incident that involved Marcia and Aqua being held hostage by Ludo at an abandoned warehouse, the latter started making infrequent trips to Earth. During that time, she'd become acquainted with several of Comet's friends from Earth, though she was especially close to the ones who had helped save her from Diavolo, the vicious pirate captain that held her hostage in her home dimension. And it just so happened that Alfonso was one of those people.
Alfonso smiled back at Aqua before taking a seat at the table. "So, Marcia, why did you call us again?"
"Marcia's pissed off that Comet's keeping secrets from her and locking her out of his room," Jonah said before Marcia had any chance to say otherwise.
"It's more nuanced than that, Jonah," Marcia argued, but the boy merely shrugged at this.
"Hey, I'm just telling it like it is, Diaz. No need to get all uppity about it." The smirk on his face gave away the fact that he wanted her to do just that. Marcia wasn't having any of it, though.
"Listen, Jonah. When I come home and find my roommate holed up in his room for the last several nights and blinding light coming out the windows, I think it's important for me to know what's going on."
"Wait, lights?" Alfonso asked in concern.
"Yeah, Marcia claims she keeps seeing these crazy lights coming from Comet's bedroom every night. And since he won't tell her what he's up to, she's trying to rope us into this." Ferguson explained in greater detail, prompting a bead of sweat to trickle down Alfonso's face.
"Yo-you don't say?" Alfonso asked rather nervously. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it, then."
"There's plenty we can do about it, actually," Jonah told his friend in response. "I just need to figure out where I put my old lockpicking kit, and we can-"
"No," everyone said at once.
"Killjoy's," was all Jonah could say in response.
"Look, guys, I'm sorry I got you all involved in this," Marcia said, apologizing. "I just needed to vent about my problems, I guess. Though, I guess that Aqua's right. If he wants to get me involved, he'll let me know," she said with resignation. "But what are the odds of that happening?"
At that moment, though, the Universe decided to give a helping hand. Or rather, a wing.
"Hoo!"
"Huh? What's that?" Marcia and the others started to look around, wondering where that noise was coming from. It didn't take them long to figure that out. Above them, flying at high speeds in their direction was Coryn, the Hoot-Hoot Comet brought to life from a Pokémon game. From the frantic look on his face and his continued hooting, it was clear that the Owl Pokémon was very distressed about something as he landed on their table, nearly spilling their food and drinks everywhere.
"Coryn, what's wrong?" Marcia asked as the Hoot-Hoot kept hooting at them. As Marcia tried to get the Owl creature to calm down, the ever-observant Jonah noticed something wrapped around his talons.
"Hold on a second, Diaz." Jonah leaned forward and deftly took Coryn in his hands. Carefully, he inspected the Hoot-Hoot's talons and confirmed what he'd seen. Tied to the little Pokémon's left foot was a slip of paper. In a single, swift motion, he plucked the note from Coryn and brought it close to his eyes, trying to make out the writing on the outside. It was small, but with some effort, he understood what it meant: "For Alfonso."
"It's for you, man," Jonah told the bespectacled boy as he passed the note.
"Oh, okay," Alfonso said as he took the paper into his hands and unfurled it. He didn't say a word to the others as he read the contents, leaving everyone else in the dark about it. What he did, too, albeit unintentionally, was a clue to everyone about what it could mean using facial expressions. Whatever it might be, it seemed serious, as Alfonso's eyes widened, and he got this nervous look on his face. After an eternity, Alfonso put the message in his pocket before addressing everyone.
"Um, sorry guys, but it looks like something important just came up. So, we're going to have to continue this some other time," Alfonso hastily said as he got up to leave, leaving the others confused.
"Wait, you're leaving? Dude, you just got here!" Ferguson complained.
"Can it wait, Alfonso? You know how important this could end up being," Marcia asked, trying to convince her longtime friend to stick around.
"Nope, don't have time," Alfonso said. "This is important," he added as he tried to leave again. All this managed to do, though, was make Marcia upset.
"More important than helping out Comet? You know, the guy who's done so much for us since we met? What could be more important than that?"
"Well, this is pretty urgent, and it needs to be addressed right now," Alfonso tried to argue. Now it was the other's turn to get upset.
"Dude, come on," Jonah told the boy. "Can't you spare five minutes to help us deal with this?"
"At least tell us why you need to leave," Jackson asked, hoping to break the tension.
"I, um, I can't do that," Alfonso nervously said as a few beads of sweat started to trickle down his face. "Maybe we can talk about this later?"
Then, something clicked inside Marcia's brain. "Wait a minute. This has something to do with Comet, doesn't it?"
"What? No! Why would you think that?" Alfonso practically shouted, the sweat starting to pour off his face. "It's just something else! I need to do something very important, like, right now!"
...
"He's acting sus!" Jonah cried. With that, all heck broke loose as Alfonso immediately bolted.
"Get him!" the normally cool and collected Jackson shouted, prompting Ferguson and Marcia to tackle the poor boy immediately. In less than a few moments, the skinny boy was trapped in a bear hug by his best friend.
"Ferguson! Come on, let me go! This is very uncomfortable!" Alfonso yelled as he tried, and failed, to break free. But Ferguson refused to budge an inch, and the chubby boy was deceptively strong.
"Alfonso, just calm down," Marcia said as she approached the boy. "Now, I know that this has something to do with Comet since Coryn flew over to give you some kind of message. And I'm willing to bet that it has something to do with whatever crazy thing Comet's been doing for the last few days. Now, you know that we're not going to hurt you," she said calmly and professionally. "All we want is to help Comet. Isn't that right, guys?"
Everyone else present nodded in agreement.
"Now, please. Could you just tell us what it is that Comet wants? We promise we won't get mad."
"You promise?"
"Alfonso, you know that you can trust me," Marcia said in a very reassuring tone.
Realizing that there was no way he was getting out of this, Alfonso let out a long sigh. "All right, fine. It does have something to do with Comet, but I didn't want to say anything because he made me swear not to tell anyone!"
"Comet keeping secrets from his friends, huh? And just when you thought you knew someone," Jonah remarked.
"Dude, that's like the pot calling the kettle black," Karla commented.
"Touche," Jonah conceded.
"Excuse me, Alfonso?" Aqua spoke up, having been quiet this entire time. "But why did Comet not want us to know about whatever he's been doing?"
Alfonso felt a pang of guilt when he saw Aqua look at him. He didn't like keeping secrets from his friends, but with what he and Comet had been working on in secret, he was willing to make an exception.
"It's just...he really wanted it to surprise you guys," Alfonso confessed. "It's not like he's doing anything super dangerous...I think."
"That...doesn't exactly reassure me," Marcia stated. "But look, Alfonso, I know that the look on your face earlier was not a sign of good news. If Comet's in trouble, wouldn't it be best for all of us to know what's going on?"
Alfonso hesitated. He knew Marcia was right but didn't want to break his promise to Comet. In the end, though, Marcia's rationale won out over him.
"All right, fine," Alfonso relented. "But you guys can't be mad when I show you what it is."
"How about we promise to let you live and call it a day?" Jonah said.
"Jonah! We're not going to kill him! He's our friend!" Marcia said as she rebuked the beanie-wearing Filipino. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that we can handle it."
Spongebob Narrator: In Glossarcyk's Tower...
"Me and my big mouth," Marcia complained as she and the rest of the group stood inside the smaller, recently added tower to Comet's tower. AKA, the one that Glossaryck called dibs on. Instead of finding...whatever it was Glossaryck liked to do in his free time (like fridges full of pudding), the gang faced something else. Something that only those who were well-acquainted with technology could hope to understand.
The entire tower, roughly the size of Marcia's bedroom, was filled to the brim with advanced technology. At the far end of the room were several massive servers. The kind meant to hold data for the largest businesses. Hanging above them was a giant, holographically projected TV screen created by some sort of tiny, spherical device that functioned as a camera, along with several other, smaller screens that seemed to be displaying data that Marcia couldn't quite grasp.
As if to add to the confusing sight, the servers all seemed connected to these chrome-white, futuristic pods that took on the shape of eggs. There were ten of them in total, all stuffed to the left and right walls of the tower so that they took most of the surrounding space. The tiny desk in the center of the room was most surprising of all, though, upon which lay a UGC connected to the various servers. That was connected to Comet's Wand, which was sitting on the table, untouched. The entire thing looked like some sort of science-fantasy laboratory or a bizarre game room.
That, and Glossaryck was floating in the middle of the room in a lab coat and carrying a little clipboard and pen.
"Um, Mr. Dolittle, what exactly are they doing here?" Glossaryck asked, gesturing to the other teens present. "I recall that my message to you said you shouldn't bring anyone with you."
"Listen, Glossaryck-"
"Do you know how important it was that we keep this a secret, young man?" Glossaryck sternly stated. "Well, I don't care if word gets out, but since this is important to Comet, I am obligated to care about his wishes."
"Listen, Glossaryck," Jonah stepped forward. "Truth is, we kind of forced Alfonso to bring us along, and he didn't really have a choice in the matter."
"Yeah, little man," Karla chimed in. "Don't get mad at him. This is on us. It's like they say: curiosity killed the cat and stuff," Karla strummed her ax-guitar as she said this.
Glossaryck merely shrugged at all this. "Listen, like I said, I don't care whether you guys know about this. But considering how much work my main student has put into this thing, I would prefer that you don't go and ruin it for him."
"Wait...Comet did all of this?" Jackson gestured to everything around them.
"Well, not exactly," Glossaryck clarified. "Your glasses-wearing friend helped set all of this up," he said, pointing to Alfonso.
"You did?" Everyone cried out in surprise as they looked at the teen, prompting Alfonso to walk over and stand next to Glossaryck.
"In a nutshell, yes. I helped Comet set all of this up, but Glossaryck here supervised us."
"Don't sell yourself short, my boy. Were it not for your skill with computers, none of this would've been possible," Glossaryck complimented. "BTW, technology isn't really my forte, so I wasn't as much help as he claims."
Jonah let out a small whistle, clearly impressed with what Alfonso managed to do. "Man, dude. I knew that you were good with technology, but I didn't realize you were this good."
"Yeah, man," Ferguson added on. "Most people would have to spend years working on a degree or something to understand how to do this stuff. But you make it look so easy."
Alfonso blushed, clearly embarrassed at all the praise being directed his way. "Well, I did spend a lot of my free time learning how computers work, so I guess I picked up a thing or two..." he said, trying his best not to brag.
"Alfonso, I do not understand what any of this stuff is for, but from what I have seen, it is clear that you are someone of great talent at this," Aqua said, making Alfonso blush even more.
"All right, we're getting off topic," Marcia said, trying to get everyone to focus. "Alfonso, what is all this? What have you and Comet been working on? And, for that matter, where is Comet?" Marcia hated to be the one to point it out, but Comet was nowhere to be seen, and the fact that he left his Wand behind was not a reassuring sign.
Alfonso looked at everyone and then looked at Glossaryck, seeking some sort of consent. Glossaryck simply shrugged and said, "Kid, you might as well tell them. They're going to figure it out, anyway."
"You're right," Alfonso admitted. "Look, guys, I'm sorry I kept quiet about all of this. But like I said, Comet wanted to keep this under wraps until it was finished."
"Until what was finished?" Jackson asked.
"Well, it's kind of hard to explain, but, um-"
"Comet's working on a new spell," Glossaryck said. "What? No sense in dragging this out."
"Wait, I'm confused. What does this stuff have to do with Comet's magic?" Ferguson couldn't help but think out loud.
"A lot, actually," Alfonso said as he moved towards the UGC and began to run some sort of programming on it. "When Comet came to me with this idea, I thought that he was crazy. But the more he talked about it, the more interesting it seemed. Pretty soon, the two of us were working on it in secret and-"
"Get to the point, Alfonso," Marcia impatiently snapped.
"Right, right," Alfonso. "Look, I can't really explain it as much as I can show you. Right now, all you need to know is that Comet and I were working on the way to combine magic and technology to allow people to transport themselves into a virtual cyberscape. And these pods," Alfonso gestured to the pods, "and Comet's Wand are the key to all of it."
Some of the more pop-culture-inclined members of the group felt their jaws go slack at this. "So, you're saying that you guys were trying to make Tron in real life," Marcia said.
"Meh, it's more like Code Lyoko, if you ask me," Alfonso commented.
"Dude...that is so cool," Ferguson couldn't help but admit.
"I can think of so many cool things I could get away with using that kind of power," Jonah said as he got a devious look in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know, it's awesome," Alfonso admitted. "But it looks like something went wrong with our little project."
"How do you know that?" Marcia didn't like where this was going.
"Because that's pretty much what Comet said in the message Coryn sent me," Alfonso clarified, much to Marcia's concern. "Basically, he went inside the digital world we made, found something bad that needed taking care of, and asked for my help. In hindsight, though, he probably should've gotten you guys in on this, too."
"Well, we're involved now," Karla stated. "So, how can we help?"
"Simple," Alfonso said as he finished whatever he was working on. "You're going to come with me inside the digital environment we created and deal with this problem."
"How do we do that?" Aqua asked.
"Simple: we use the pods," Alfonso said, pointing to the egg pods around the room.
"Yeah, this is Code Lyoko, all right," Jonah. "So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that those pods will digitize us and transport us into your virtual world, where Comet already is. And the reason he left his Wand behind is because you're using that as the power source for all this stuff. How's that, am I in the ballpark?"
"Hit the nail right on the head, Jonah," Alfonso admitted. "Everything's already set up on our end, and all that's left is for us to get in the pods and let the UGC do the rest."
"So we get to live out Tron/Sword Art Online/Code Lyoko in real life?!" Ferguson excitedly asked before beginning to get tears in his eyes. "This might be the coolest thing I have ever experienced!"
"Hold up, everyone," Marcia said, putting her arms in a T-shape. "Alfonso, are you sure you know what you're doing? What if something goes wrong there, and we could end up getting hurt or trapped in cyberspace forever."
"Not to worry, Miss Diaz," Glossaryck said. "That's why I'm here, and if anything goes wrong, I'll pull you all out."
"You promise?" Marcia asked. His word wasn't that reassuring for the cautious girl.
"I promise. Plus, King Mune would kill me if he found out I let his son and friends die on my watch," Glossaryck added, not helping matters.
"Fine," Marcia relented. "Let's do this thing."
"Sweet!"
"All right!"
"This could be a great idea for a music video."
Everyone then went to one of the pods and stepped inside. "Hold on there," Glossaryck said as he pointed at Aqua. "I'm sorry, Princess Aqua, but you're going to have to let your little friend there take one of the extra pods."
"Sea?"
"Yeah, you see, these things were designed for one living being at a time. And, we don't want to find out what would happen if two used it at once."
"Don't worry, Misty," Aqua said as she placed Misty in the bucket she had brought with her. "You will be fine, as will I."
"Thank you for your cooperation, your highness," Glossaryck said as he took Misty to one of the extra pods alongside the one used by Coryn. Once they were all inside, Glossaryck called, "Okay, is everyone ready?" Everyone shouted words of affirmation from inside the pods. "Good. Now, initializing the digitization process." Glossaryck then pressed a button on the UGC, prompting the pods to come to life.
Virtualization Theme - /uc0oaCL8O4o
"Initializing digitization process," a mechanical, feminine voice called out. The next thing any of the kids or Pokemon knew, a bunch of lights and symbols flashed in the pod's interior, though nobody, save for Alfonso, understood their meaning.
"Scanning pod subjects" At this, a bunch of scanners began to run over the pod occupants.
"Constructing virtual avatars" The pods started whirring even faster than before.
"Preparing to insert inside virtual world." Now the light's proved so blinding that everyone had to cover their eyes to keep themselves from going blind.
"Beginning insertion process in 3...2...1..."
And before anyone knew it, they felt a blinding, flashing light overtake them, and then...nothing.
End Music
The next thing that Marcia and the others knew, they were standing outside next to a tree on a small hill. . It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to their surroundings, though, so they couldn't quite make it out, at first. That and the experience left them a little dizzy. Alfonso and the Pokémon escorting them were the only ones that kept their balance. The rest of the group wound up lying face first on the ground.
"Well, that was...something," Jonah said as he tried to get onto his feet, only to find his body refusing to listen to him.
"That was...not what I was expecting," Aqua thought out loud.
"Was it supposed to feel tingly at the end there, Alfonso?" Marcia asked as she managed to get herself upright.
"Yeah, that's a known issue we're working on," Alfonso admitted. "Don't worry. After a few times doing this, you'll get used to it. Just focus on taking deep breaths, and you'll be fine."
It took them a minute or two, but eventually, the entire group managed to get themselves on two feet. At that point, they were finally able to take a look at their surroundings. They were currently on a hill next to a large tree. In the distance behind them, they could see shorelines. In front of them were open fields followed by deep forest land. The air was crisp, and there were the occasional clouds in the sky.
"So, we did it? We're inside the Minecraft world or whatever?" Karla asked the million-dollar question.
"It's actually not based on Minecraft," Alfonso corrected her. "But yeah, we are." For some reason, Alfonso seemed to be doing his best to maintain a poker face, but some of the more observant members could tell by his facial muscles that he wanted to grin.
"Of all the crazy thing's that we've done since we met Comet, I have to say, I never thought we'd end up re-enacting Code Lyoko meets Sword Art Online," Jonah remarked. That pretty much summed up what everyone was feeling at that moment. As far as they knew, they were among the first to go somewhere that, until now, had been accessible only through fiction. And everything about it was so detailed, from the ground to the heat from the sun to the gentle breeze from the wind.
If that was most surprising, they hadn't seen anything yet. As Ferguson bent down and picked up a blade of grass (and was surprised that he could), the others saw something that made their eyes go wide and their jaws drop.
Play Welcome to the Island (Play at 6:18)- /TMNcMAqWG-I?t=274
"I have to say, Alfonso, you and Comet managed to outdo yourselves. Everything here looks and feels just like it does in the real world. Did you guys use Unreal Engine for this, or did you come up with something else? Because I could think of some other engines that you could use to build on-"
"Ferguson..." Marcia numbly said as she nudged her friend, trying to get her attention.
"Yeah, what. What are you guys looking...at...?" when Ferguson looked in the direction that the others were, he shut his mouth, just like the rest of them.
There, in the field below them, amidst the ponds, rivers, and grassland, was a creature that most of them should've recognized. It was long, massive, with a body like a snake. The big draw, though, was that its body consisted of several large boulders held together by an unseen force.
It was an Onix.
Alfonso couldn't contain his grin any longer. "You guys should see the looks on your faces," he said as they all proceeded to walk down the hill towards the Onix as it moved through the field.
"Is..is that what I think it is?" Jackson asked, dumbfounded.
"It's...it's another Pokémon," Marcia said numbly.
The surprise didn't end there. As Alfonso started laughing at his friend's excitement, more Pokémon showed up. There were Pidgey's and Tailow's flying in the sky above them. A group of Aipom was playfully fighting over some berries plucked from a tree. Several Bulbasaur's were seen relaxing in the sun while Magikarp and Remoraid's jumped out of the water while Goldeen bobbed. Pancham's and Pangoro were munching on some bamboo near the edge of the forest as Ratata scurried to and fro.
"Hoo hoo!" Coryn happily hooted at the sight of more of its brethren. In Aqua's arms, Misty looked thrilled to see more water-type Pokémon that it could play with.
"This is...wow. I just can't...wow," Marcia sputtered, her words failing her before turning to look at Alfonso. "And you and Comet..."
"Yep," Alfonso proudly said.
"How many are there?" Ferguson asked.
"All of them," Alfonso said without a second of hesitation.
From the back, Jonah heard this and got dollar signs in his eyes. "We could make a fortune with this."
"Did you say all of them?" Ferguson repeated, not believing his ears.
"All of them."
"Say again," Marcia asked.
"We have all of them in here."
Ferguson nearly fainted as he heard this.
"Mr. O'Derguson, my dear Ms. Diaz, everyone," Alfonso said as he stood in front of the group. "Welcome, to Pokémon Park."
End Music.
*In Jay's Workspace, several of the regulars end up losing their shit as they see what happened. Jay, meanwhile, proceeds to laugh his butt off.*
Jay: THAT'S RIGHT, BITCHES! I COMBINED JURASSIC PARK AND POKEMON INTO ONE!
Janna: You know, I should've seen this coming, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't.
DAU Kermit: Yeah, didn't Marcia say that she didn't want Comet to bring any more Pokémon to life?
TFS Nappa: And you think he'd listen to her about that? The kid can't help himself sometimes, you know.
DAU Kermit: Touche, Nappa.
Jay: Trust me, you guys. Comet and Alfonso have their good reasons for doing something that should be scientifically impossible. And they will be made apparent in the next few chapters as we continue this arc. And yes, I did think of putting this out to coincide with Jurassic World Dominion, but then I got kidnapped by raptors, and I was already in with Tammy and Marcia's story. Anyway, before we get ready for our binge-watching movie marathon/party for the weekend, let's respond to
READER'S REVIEWS
LockAndKey989-Thanks, Lock. I appreciate your words about Tammy and Comet's relationship. I actually hesitated on adding that part in because I may end up covering it again later with the whole "demon exorcism" thing, but I'll think of something. Also, yeah, people are stupid and come up with dumb rumors like that. But Comet is Mune's son.
Julayla-The fandom might not be dead yet. KPRS4Ever might be back soon, and a few other authors I know are coming back. But I'm going to keep this up as long as I can.
The Wandering Hippie-Thank you for your words, Hippie. And I read your latest update, man. I've said twice now, and I'll say it again: I don't consider myself a better writer than you. You do way better with world-building than I can, and I love your story. So don't beat yourself down; everyone has their own strengths.
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy)
See you guys next week as we learn just how Comet and Alfonso were able to create this incredible world of theirs...
