[Deleted]

It was such a seemingly innocuous object that no one paid it any mind. Most people were more interested in the card games being played just in front if it, after all, and the chance to win a glorious prize should they defeat the mysterious Magician! No, no one noticed the somewhat faded and out-of-place poster advertising slot machines and fabulous odds, though if they did, they might realize that their odds were as long as triple sevens on one of the machines, for trying to play against a man calling himself "Magician", a blue-haired man with a top hat and a knowing smile and the ability to preform card tricks both in and out of the game, was relatively stupid. It was probably as stupid as trying for one of the old poster's lauded prizes: "Hard-to-capture Abra! The elusive, no-longer-mythical Dratini! The mysterious, man-made, and utterly exclusive to us Porygon! Rare TMs! Unique items! It's all just a lucky spin at the slots away!" Really, it was probably easier to just buy the coins, unless the Victini painted on the poster was in your party.

The poster, though, was no innocuous object, for, hidden in the faded corners of Rainbow Square, it in turn hid something. Namely, it hid a large red button, which, upon hitting it, would do... something? Really, Jirachi couldn't be sure of what it did, but the faded poster reminded it eerily of a story she had heard the last time it had been properly awake. The story was about a monster made of DNA, a Master Ball, and a true monster who had simply made himself one through his empire. It had taken all of Jirachi's self-control not the simply whack the button with one of its hands. Its curiosity was begging it to find out what the button was hiding! However, it was easier just to put up faded posters of its own and wait for backup. It had no connections, really, and considering what it was frightened of and thought might be back there, it didn't want to go in on its own.

Team Rocket had knowledge of Jirachi's power, the ability to harness its legendary Wish Tags, and the means to capture it. Team Rocket had no inhibitions, nothing to lose, and no morals.

But Team Rocket was dead; wasn't it?

Thus Jirachi waited, fully expecting to hit the button and have nothing happen. It watched the conning cardsman in front of it deal another hand and sighed. Jirachi could read desires, and this Magician not only wanted money, but power over others. The man to the right of the players was a small, mousy man. He had the desire to defeat something, most likely his gambling addiction. That didn't stop him from playing another hand, though he despised himself as he did. The woman besides him wanted to make sure her gambling husband never guessed about her lover. The creature beside them wanted power above all other things. This wasn't a very nice corner of Ranbow Square, was it? Hopefully the others would get to Jirachi soon. It hovered and waited and hoped someone would come help investigate.

Ready?
Go!

[Mr. Game & Watch]

Another case plopped onto the desk at the Chaotix’s new headquarters. With all the members seeming to be scattered at the moment, Vector was the only one running the place. The crocodile himself couldn’t decide whether or not the slow pace in assigned cases was a good or bad thing. On one hand, that meant that he could do all the cases without much issue, but on the other that meant that he wasn’t doing all that he could do. Considering that planet wide infection was an overhanging scare at every waking moment there was always more to do. The case he was assigned to though, it would have to do for now.

Placing his headphones neatly over his ears, the saurian strolled out the office and began to make his way downtown. His thinking music was blaring at volumes that would normally cluster a person’s brain, but Vector was an anomaly to say the least. A poster with a button hidden behind it. It took the lime lizard a bit of researching back home, but in the end the trail led to Team Rocket as the ones who made that tactic popular. They weren’t from his universe, but just mentioning the name around any Pokemon lover would cause them to shutter. Their reputation was nothing spectacular. So what it came down to was that they were either the actual group of felons or they were phonies that followed their practices, either way the Life Sphere didn’t need more conflict.

Vector pondered for a bit about reasons for the sudden regrouping of the fascist faction. Perhaps the plague terrified them as well and they had nowhere else to turn and decided to return to business as usual. Or maybe the sudden rise in Team Plasma in the news regrouped the criminals to try and counter them. It was a curious case, but even a detective needed more evidence in order to find a solution. First though, he needed to know they existed in the first place because so far it has only been speculation. Perhaps the button only led to an abandoned underground bunker built by Samus a long time back and it was just forgotten.

Finally he came to the scene. How did he know for sure? The floating fairy looking thing gave it away. If he remembered correctly, it was named Jirachi. Pokemon had some of the most complicated names over most he came across. The crocodile cranked the volume lower on his headphones to about the level that any normal person would so that he could hear the thing better if it had anything to say.

As Vector approached the floating star, he observed the magician not too far off from it. He heard stories about the man, he had a tendency to wipe any citizen clean of their possession just through simple card tricks. He was seasoned in card tricks and most gambling games, so he felt the urge to show the trickster up, but decided against it for the sake of getting the task at hand done.

The reptile investigated the button from afar, squinting his eyes as he did so. “Yep, that is definitely a button. Ha ha. Anyways, it sure does look like Rocket craftsmanship. Big and conspicuous. I don’t know if they’d be that dull witted to try the same tactic, it could easily be a trap while the actual entrance, if there is one of course, is somewhere else entirely. Then again, Eggman’s a smart man, but he doesn’t switch up his tactics all that much either. Hrm, what do you think?” Vector asked as he turned back to Jirachi.

Despite not knowing much about the case and the criminals allegedly behind it, it already seemed like it was going to be fun. He strived for mind games and puzzles, this was no exception. It was also great to move on to something that wasn’t involved with infected, having to slave over those concepts were really getting on Vector’s nerves.

[Cielmira]

Not a day went by that Krexix wasn't scouring sections of the Life Sphere to learn of its pathways and points of interest. Study the varying inhabitants and learn of their strengths and weaknesses. Some days were longer than others due to his starving stomach, but those were often the more productive of days. Steadily he developed some regularity of obtaining currency to exchange for his needs; once he was sure the law enforcement were pointlessly dedicating eyes to his watch. A couple times earlier on he was approached for a modest living space and job offering to aid in supporting the continued survival of the city. Of course he turned them down.

The Oerix stalked less traveled paths, only participating in select social activities of where he could obtain something of use. Typically by intimidation or a scrap fight. The things were petty though, and not something that would ultimately allow him to do much beyond this bubble. Like many in this place he wanted to get home; know if any others had survived the ship battle. This is what drew him to learn of the terminal system. Krexix had witnessed many groups venturing out into the plagued world for whatever reason and be rewarded. During the quite hours the alien would flip through screens and read. While he cared little for the good reasoning of these quests the rewards could be very useful.

A suspicious button. That was all. The details of this mission he'd signed up for seemed like it would be quick and easy. Even if this button led to something more, something hidden, he would welcome any additional materials of use. As for possible confrontations Krexix was made for that. He lived for it. Until he came to be here it was his livelihood. What he walked into when he arrived at the meeting place was not. Flashing lights, obnoxious beeps and chimes, flipping cards and clapping... It was interesting to see so many enthralled by the manipulation the strangely dressed performer was playing before them. It didn't seem all that impressive.

Krexix ignored what he could as he bulled through a path to begin investigating, his four eyes noting one poster in particular that appeared out of place. He paid no mind for spotting any of the others that were on this mission, nor any heed for any reaction from the proprietors as he raised his taloned fingers and tore at the thing. Whether it was necessary to find the button at all was questionable, but the large bulk of a creature did so anyway and then proceeded to reach up and push the button.