AN: So yeah, as I predicted, this one went a lot faster than the first. Actually finding some time to write was the trick, but once I did I got through the chapter at a much faster pace than I normally do. And I still haven't used up all the material I'd planned to cover, so I could conceivably do a third, but we'll see how things go.
Skully13: Honestly didn't know there was still a demand for that story. Honestly haven't thought about it in a long time, and I can't really remember off the top of my head how that arc was supposed to play out. But I'll put some thought into it and we'll see what happens.
Tornado man: Not likely. In my concept for this thing, QT-Mon are more individualistic than Pokemon are because they're actual characters. All the video-gamey stuff is determined by their typing. So Lynn is the only Lynn around, but there are other Sporty type QT-Mon who'd have similar abilities, like Margo or Polly (hypothetically, I dunno if they're actually going to be in the fic yet). QT-Mon also age naturally, like humans do, so it doesn't make much sense for them to have evolutions. Though, I did get a chuckle out of imagining Lynn evolving into her Stupor Heroics self in the middle of a fight. That said, short-term transformations, like Mega Evolutions or Dynamax would probably fit in with what I'm doing here, so there'll probably be something along those lines if the story goes on long enough.
Guest99: Based on what I laid out above, I'm not sure how I'd handle legendaries at this point. It's something I'll have to figure out going forward. Also, thanks for the suggestion, though I've heard really mixed things about how good Prime is for you. I just got some hydration tablets and they worked great. Took one dose a day for two days, and I was back to normal pretty quick.
Jeff: Hubris is one of Lisa's defining traits across all mediums.
The Lisa Loud Institute of QT-Mon Research ranked among the most prestigious of research laboratories throughout the entire continent. Before its construction, Royal Woods had but one of a number of nondescript towns located in a Region that was only acknowledged by the greater population as a suitable place for green QT-Mon trainers to cut their teeth on, due to its low level of ranger and a QT-Mon population that was largely seen as being run of the mill. Once Lisa had become accomplished enough to warrant heading her own research lab, it was still very much all of those things, but now it was also frequented by VIPs from the QT-Mon League and related scientific fields, which had done wonders for infusing new life into the area. Just one of the perks of having a home-grown scientist who was on the cutting edge of her craft, but was also too young to be relocated to a more prominent population center. In spite of its quirks, the LLIQTR (the search for a better acronym was but one of many high-profile research projects currently in progress), was generally considered to be one of the foremost centers of knowledge and learning, full stop.
Which is why the rampant stupidity that was currently on display left Lincoln boggled in every sense of the word, plus several that would undoubtedly be defined just for this situation by future historians.
"Lisa?" Lincoln asked, giving his sister a sideways look. "What, exactly, am I looking at? And also why?" Despite the scientists' insistence on haste, they'd delayed long enough for Lincoln to change into something more presentable than a hospital gown. He'd settled on an orange t-shirt and jeans, seeing no need for more protective, or specialized clothing within the ostensibly safe, climate-controlled environs of the lab, but now he was seriously regretting not opting to add his hat to the ensemble. If for no other reason than he'd really like to throw it at somebody.
The 'what', he'd mentioned, was a gaggle of clearly terrified scientists and assorted research personnel milling about in a panic in front of a large, caged area. The type that in normal circumstances would have served to securely store important research materials, or perhaps supplies. Now, even from this far back, Lincoln could quite easily make out that it was currently occupied by a rather large, rather angry-looking brunette, who didn't quite fit in the storage space.
SCREEEE!
...but given the way the metal bars were twisting and buckling in the grip of her extremely strong hands, it seemed like that wouldn't be a problem for her much longer. Whether it would be a problem for everyone else remained to be seen.
"I'll remind you that this lab wasn't built to house anything larger than a standard-sized QT-Mon," Lisa snapped at him, "And certainly didn't expect you to bring anything of the sort back home with you!"
"...Fair enough," Lincoln said, shaking his head in exasperation. "Maybe you should start at the beginning."
SCREEEE!
"...And also maybe give me the short version," He added, wincing as the shriek of twisting metal split the air.
"You were unconscious when I got you back here," Lynn interjected. "Lees patched you up as best she could, but then we were pretty much just killing time, waiting for you to recover. She asked me for a rundown of what had gone down on our trip, and when I mentioned that we had two Alphas, she insisted on taking a look at them."
A roar of pure, unbridled fury rang out through the lab, cowing the trio with its ferocity.
"Aaaaand that was about...three days ago?" Lynn concluded. "So, you can probably fill in the blanks yourself from there."
"...Where did you get that?" Lisa asked, pointing as the dumbbell that Lynn was currently pumping with one arm.
"It's the one I was using before," Lynn replied. "I ran and found it while Lincoln was chang—oops…"
Lincoln watched, mildly fascinated as history repeated itself, and the dumbbell once again escaped Lynn's grip, sailing off into the distance.
"Fantastic," Lisa muttered as the sound of glass shattering was added to the cacophony. "And for the record, while Lynn's account of events is...broadly accurate, she omitted the fact that Alpha sightings, and subsequent attacks by said Alphas, are becoming more and more common continent-wide. As one of the League's top scientific minds, I am obligated to learn anything about them that might be of the slightest assistance in repelling, if not outright stopping future attacks in their entirety. You procuring two live specimens was a scientific windfall, it would have been irresponsible to delay my study of them by any amount of time.
"...So why are they in cages?" Lincoln asked, crossly.
"I needed data that I wouldn't have been able to gather if I'd kept them in their QT-balls. And I did, in fact, obtain an extraordinary amount, to the point where I'm going to need to assign the task of sifting through all of it to an entire research team."
"Alright. So why are they still in cages?"
"...W-well," Lisa said, shuffling her feet anxiously. "They were...quite angry by the time I'd finished gathering the data. And since there have been numerous reports of Alphas being able to escape from QT-balls even after they appeared to be captured, it seemed...unwise to remove them from their cages. Particularly for me, given that I personally handled most of the data gathering."
"Classic," Said Lynn, snorting in amusement. "Also, I totally saw this coming."
"Then why didn't you say something!"
"Hey! You're supposed to be the genius here!"
"Alright!" Lincoln shouted, stepping in between the two girls and pushing them apart.
"Lynn, I've got to go and try to take care of this," He said, looking at his partner. "Can you please hold off on antagonizing Lisa any more until we get this sorted out?"
"...Fine," said the older girl, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But only until you get Jumbo and Jumbo 2 squared away."
"Hey!"
"Good enough," Lincoln concluded as he began patting himself down. "Hey Lynn, any chance you've got my—"
"Right here," She said, producing a pair of QT-balls with a flourish, before tossing them to Lincoln.
"Thanks," He said, fumbling only slightly as he attempted to grab the balls out of the air.
"And Lisa?" He called back as he began to walk towards the panicking crowd. "Remember that last time you kicked Lynn in the shins, you ended up breaking your toe."
"How could I know that her shins were as thick as her skull!"
"Why you little—!"
"One thing at a time, Lincoln," He muttered to himself, as he tuned out the sounds of what would undoubtedly be the prelude to brunette-on-brunette violence, and focused on the much larger, and angrier problem.
"Excuse me," Lincoln said, gently brushing aside one scientist who appeared to be paralyzed with fear. "Pardon—"
"RAAAAAAAAARGH!"
"—me...oh," He paused, mid apology, as another ear-drum shattering roar broke what little courage seemed to remain in the crowd, and sent them scattering, the vast expanse of white lab coats that stood between him and Luna rapidly disintegrating as their owners stampeded away from the terrifying Alpha.
"...Neat," He muttered, squaring his shoulders, straightening his back, and plastering what he hoped was a comforting smile on his face, as he strode towards the cage with all the confidence he could muster. Apparently, she could hear his approach, because as he neared the cage Luna sharply swung her head in his direction, and, ashamed though he was to admit it, Lincoln's courage faltered ever so slightly as he caught sight of the wild, furious look in her eyes. One which resembled the state she had been in during their first meeting to an unsettling degree.
But he remained there, fighting against every instinct that screamed at him to flee, and finally, he was rewarded with the light of recognition illuminating Luna's eyes.
"L...Lincoln?" She whispered, her voice hoarse and her expression turning haggard, the rage that had possessed her evaporating as she took in the sight of him. And in that moment, Lincoln hated himself for ever doubting her, however briefly it may have lasted. She wasn't a monster, she was a person! And if her trainer, her partner couldn't hold faith in that, how could anyone else be expected to?
"Hey, Lunes," He said, stepping towards the cage, each successive step imbued with more confidence than the last until finally, he'd reached the bars that served as the last line of separation between them. "Sorry I took so long, I was...kind of out of it...you know?"
Acting on impulse, he reached out with one hand, reaching towards the cage. In the moment, he wasn't sure if it was the right move to make, but to his surprise, Luna leaned forward and rested her head against the bars. Emboldened, Lincoln reached through the bars, laying his hand upon her much larger cheek, and again acting purely on gut instinct, began to trace small circles along her freckles. Luna's shoulders sagged. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, and to his surprise, an odd sound began to emanate from deep within her throat, almost as if she was purring.
And then he realized that this was, in all likelihood, the first bit of human contact Luna had experienced since he'd become indisposed.
"Is that Lincoln!?"
A familiar voice drew his attention to an adjacent storage area. He couldn't see into it from his current position, but he had his suspicions as to whom the occupant was. Suspicions which were quickly affirmed as a large fist punched straight through the bars, sending shards of shattered metal flying in all directions, and then began waiving in his general direction.
"Hi, Lincoln!"
"H-hey, Sam," He called out, waiving back out of politeness, even though he knew full well she couldn't see him.
"Not happy you guys were in here, to begin with," He said, turning back to Luna, "But I guess if you had to be, it's better that you two were together."
"She's been a lot of help," Luna agreed, as she clutched the bars of her makeshift prison. "Now, babe? I'd really appreciate it if you'd...let...me...out of here!"
With every subsequent utterance, her tone had grown increasingly harsh, and her eyes began to shine with an unearthly crimson glow. It was...unsettling to say the least.
"Yeeeeeaaah," Lincoln replied, scratching his head nervously. "Call me paranoid, but something about the way you asked for that, makes me a little nervous."
"Oh! No, no, Linc," Said Luna, her whole demeanor lightning, as she favored him with a warm smile. "You don't have anything to worry about from me, dude. You never have to worry about me. They're the ones who have to worry."
As she said that last part, her eyes narrowed, and she looked past Lincoln. He didn't follow her gaze, but he had a strong suspicion that Lisa was sweating bullets.
"...Uh huh." He replied, nodding uncertainly. "See, I get where you're coming from, but I'd really rather you...not do that?"
"...Why not?" Luna asked, scowling at him. Though, to her credit, she looked more hurt than angry.
"Beeeeeecaaaaaauseeee…" Lincoln fumbled, stalling for time. "If you did thaaaaaat…"
He flinched as he suddenly felt something rap against his shoulder blades. Turning around, he was met with a rather dour-faced Lynn, who rolled her eyes and pressed an envelope into his hands, motioning for him to open it before she began backing away.
"Because," He began again, turning back to Luna as he opened the envelope...and momentarily froze as he caught sight of what was inside. "If you went all Alpha on the lab, then we'd have to miss out on the, uh, Mick Swagger concert."
Luna's whole demeanor instantly changed, her mouth dropping open, and her eyes widening dramatically.
"M-m-m-MICK!?" She stammered, an uncharacteristic reference creeping into her voice. "He's HERE!?"
"Well, not yet," Lincoln corrected himself. "But he will be in a couple of days. Apparently, he's doing a concert a few towns over. It's one of the perks of having a big, prestigious lab like this operating in the Region."
"AND YOU HAVE TICKETS!?"
"Right here," He said, pulling them out of the envelope and holding them up for her to inspect.
"Oh, man! Oh, man!" Luna squealed, trembling with barely contained excitement. Then her enthusiasm dampened a bit as something seemed to occur to her. "Is there one for Sam?"
"Got three of 'em," Lincoln affirmed, spreading the tickets apart. "Course, if you guys want to go alone, I could probably—"
"NO!" Luna growled, and Lincoln was momentarily taken aback by the ferocity behind the words, which was perfectly underscored by her fists clenching and cleanly snapping two handfuls of metal bars off of their bases, crushing them into twisted, misshapen lumps between her fingers.
"I mean...no," She said, much much softly, a luminescent blush spreading across her face. "I really...really want to go with both of you."
"Then I'd be happy to go with you guys," Said Lincoln, coughing in embarrassment as he felt no small amount of heat rising in his own cheeks. He held up Luna's QT-ball, and thumbed the activation button, causing it to swell to its full size, and gestured at it, silently seeking her permission.
To his surprise, and very slight disappointment, she still eyed the device suspiciously.
"Just making sure," She said, looking him in the eye. "It's just the three of us, right? We get you for the whole night?"
"The whole night," He replied, nodding far more confidently than he felt, desperately hoping that Lisa's handiwork would be up to the task that lay before him."
"And also…" She added, now looking slightly nervous. "Can you, uh, make more of that spaghetti? I told Sam about it, and she really wanted to try it."
"You've got it," He said quickly, internally sighing with relief. "As much as you guys want."
"...Alright then," She said. Her fists unclenched, and her body sagged a bit. But for the first time since their encounter had begun, she seemed to finally be at peace. More or less.
Lincoln took a step forward, hefting the QT-ball to better aim at his target, but before he could Luna reached through the hole in her cage and held out her hand. A moment later, Lincoln realized what she was doing, and he did the same, placing his hand against hers.
"Thanks, Linc," Luna said, wrapping her much larger hand around his own, and giving him a gentle squeeze. "Thanks...for everything."
"Of course, Lunes," He replied, looking up at her. "I'd do anything for you guys."
"...I believe you," Said Luna, her smile both embarrassed and happy. "Alright, gimme the zap."
"I'll see you in a bit," He promised, thumbing the activation button a second time, and watching the QT-Mon disappear into the ball in a flash of crimson. Taking in the now empty cell, Lincoln let out a long-held sigh of exhaustion and relief.
"What would you do without me?" Lynn asked, walking up alongside Lincoln and giving him a good-natured punch in the arm.
"Probably not much," He admitted, shrinking down Luna's QT-ball and attaching it to his belt, before drawing out Sam's.
"How much did those tickets set us back?" He asked as the duo began to walk to the next storage area.
"All of the money we got for the Luna job," Lynn replied. "Plus the bonus we got for bringing Sam in. Plus a little extra I had to get Lisa to kick in. But with the way things were going, I figured we'd need that in our pocket. Rockin' types are pretty predictable."
"I'll have to remember that," Said Lincoln, letting out a small sigh as he spared a thought for his poor, apparently beyond-empty wallet. "Still, great job Lynn."
"It's the only kind I do," She said, brushing off the compliment. Even so, she stood a little straighter and walked with a little extra swagger.
"Hopefully this one doesn't kick back too hard," Lynn added, jerking her head in Sam's direction as the pair came up to the blonde's impromptu prison.
"A-actually," Sam interjected, her breathing growing a little heavier, her chest noticeably heaving in the confines of the room she barely fit in. "I wouldn't mind staying in here a little longer. If Lincoln…"
She paused, and cleared her throat.
"If Mister Lincoln would come in and...join me," She said, her face turning bright pink, and her eyelashes fluttering wildly in a manner that she presumably thought looked demure.
Lincoln looked to Lynn, silently seeking her opinion.
"...Denied," Said the brunette, reaching over and squeezing the QT-ball Lincoln was holding.
"Aaaaaw!" Sam wailed as a crimson beam lanced out and struck her. "No faaaaaair!"
"...is this going to be a thing with you two?" Lincoln asked, proffering the now occupied QT-ball.
"I dunno," Lynn said, shrugging her shoulders. "But...yeah, probably."