Act 63: Now Hiring

The next day, back in Sandstone...something is occurring in the manor, it has had some visitors recently. These visitors came from some far places thanks to word of mouth from a certain individual.
Currently Stic in his office, sitting on his desk and looking at the two pokémon in front of him. Supposedly these are the mons that are going to staff the Sanitarium so he is interested in knowing more about them.
One is an Audino, a pink-and-cream Pokémon that sort of seems to be a rabbit; he has  floppy ears with thin, curled extensions on the underside. Looks kind of plumpy to.
The other one is a Pokémon with a large, ovoid body with a pink upper body and white lower body, a Blissey. She is always smiling and might look a little odd. She also has a pink pouch on her belly holding a single egg.
"Alright...so i would like to go over each of you want by one, alright?" Stic said before pointing to the Audino. "Step forward please. What's your name?"
He steps forward. "I'm Audi, it is good to meet you, sir..."
Meanwhile in a corner there is that Avali drone, it can be in plain sight as long as it stands still as mostly everyone assumes it's some sort of decoration. And right on top of the drone's head is that medallion, likewise being an inconspicuous item on its own. Though with those two things being so close to one another, it does present the chance for their owners to communicate amongst themselves.
"Hey Khaako, you see this, right?" Mattias whispered to the Avali councilor, kind of hoping she is on the other side of the line right now. 

"Yes, I'm here." Khaako says. "I'm watching this." 
In the crowd, there is an otherwise unassuming Espeon. She waits her turn in the back along with the others. However, Stic would certainly notice the strong psychic aura coming from this particular mon.

The Audino noticed how Stic seemed a bit quiet all of the sudden, and gazing somewhere else. "...Sir?"
"Oh, sorry." He pays attention to him again. "Are you experienced with dealing with wounded pokémon?" The Meowstic asks.
"Yes, I am. I can easily heal wounded pokémon and I also have knowledge of healing items. I...also know how to assist in births." Audi says, as per the request of the mon he wants to work with.
"Hhhmmmm..." This all sounds good so far to Stic, but he needs some more. "What about iron wounds, do you know how to deal with those?"
"It is a bit limited, I know that common practice to try to deal with is cleaning the wound and using something to stop the bleeding. Everything else just...doesn't work with dealing with wounds made from iron." He says grimly. "But I heard that maybe you will be finding better ways to deal with such things, that you are also going to bring advances in medicine. This is why I wanted to come here, I want to find better ways to help pokémon."
"Well, what do you think?" Mattias asks Khaako. "He sounds honest. And this is the sort of species of pokémon that you should be on the lookout for things of the medical variety. Audino can probably hear as well as Avali, and those extensions on their ears can function like stethoscopes, they can use this to tell someone's feelings and physical condition and even if an egg is close to hatching."

"Well, that's up to Stic, honestly."
"Hhhhmmm, alright then, Audie, you are hired." Stic smiles at him. "I will have someone escort you to our dedicated medical facility to give you a tour of the place and help you settle in. But for the moment remain here, alright?"
The Audino is very happy that he was accepted. "Oh thank you, Stic! I promise I will do my best!"
He nods and looks to the other pokémon, the ovoid one. "Your turn, please step forward and inform your name."
Being her turn now, she steps forward. "Hi! My name is Bliss!"
"Ah, this one." Mattias begins commenting to Khaako. "This 'line' of mons has an odd thing with eggs when compared to other species. That egg in its pouch isn't going to hatch, unless she breeds she will regularly lay eggs that don't hatch. It's easy to tell such eggs from the others because they are all white, any other egg would have spots or marks. Also these eggs are delicacies and are packed full of nutrients."

"So basically a living soft boiled egg making machine?" Khaako asks. "Interesting...."

"That is one way to put it."
"Alright then Bliss, do you also have experience with healing pokémon from both normal damage and wounds caused by Iron?" Stic asks her.
"Yes, of course! I know as much as that Audino over there." She says.
The Meowstic rubs his chin. "Hhhhmm, I see. Is there any particular reason why you want to work here?" He is curious here, and would also like to hire individuals who are not just 'in for the money', these mons are now just being hired but they are going to learn more about healing, thus they need to have a passion for their craft if this is to work smoothly.
"Well, I heard that Sandstone is a pretty exciting place, a new group of people bringing change and introducing new things to help others! Just like the legends everyone has been speaking about these days! And there is also someone looking for a healer like me so I decided to try and see if i could join up!" She sure sounds enthusiastic.
Mattias continues to explain. "Also, this species can also make good doctors, they can feel distress so they know not just when someone gets hurt but also where they are, so if someone in Sandstone gets very injured I'm pretty certain she will be the first one to know."

"Well, alright." Khaako replies. For some reason she cannot take her eyes off of that... Espeon, if she recalls the species correctly? She's the same species as that one from 'Gaben's former harem. But there's just something odd about that one that she can't shake.

"Hhhhmmmm..." That sounds good enough to Stic. Two trained doctors for Sandstone. "You are hired too then, Bliss." He nods to these two mostly pink pokémon. "I believe you know where the main hall is, right? Please wait there, I will soon send someone to escort you to the sanitarium, there is much that you need to see there."
The two newly hired doctors, happy that they got the job, oblige and go out of the Meowstic's office.
Stic takes in a breath. Now that should be everything they need to get that place working as instructed, hopefully that will start some advances in medicine as time passes. "Alright, is there anyone else?"
Now it should be that Espeon's turn...

The Espeon sets up.
"Hello Stic, sir. Khaako, Mattias, sirs." She greets all three of them.
"Wait... how does she know we're here?" Khaako reples, stunned. "How does she know our names?"
The Espeon turns to the drone.
"I... foresaw this meeting." She says a bit shyly.

"I-....What the heck?" Mattias is understandably surprised that the Espeon knows about him. He wasn't even going to be commenting anything about her. Stic also froze for a moment, not having expected someone to just see through this like that. "You...foresaw this meeting you say?" He can sort of guess it has something to do with psychic abilities, as he also foresaw things in the past...but probably not to the extent this Espeon does.

"Yes sir." The Espeon replies rather shyly. "I foresaw this meeting. Just as I foresaw these 'cold birds' coming to this world. I... have a particular gift for future sight. More than most psychic pokemon. Though... it's also my biggest weakness."

"I see..." Stic is thinking here, someone with 'special' talent is good but he is just a little bit skeptical, so he plans to ask her a few more questions. "Then what exactly brought you here? Was it what you foresaw regarding the 'cold birds'?"

"Yes. You could say that." She says. "That... and I really don't have anywhere else to go." She finishes sadly. "Make no mistake, I do have healing abilities, and I do them quite well. If need be, I can demonstrate. But, future prediction is my greatest strength. It's... how I got my name. Seer."

"Hhhmmmm...I don't doubt your abilities in the field of medicine, however..." He takes things into consideration here. She knows Mattias by name. He turns to the drone and the medallion. "Mattias, tell me, do you know this Espeon?"
The human brings up the volume just a little bit so he can be audible. "No, not at all, this is completely out of the left field for me."
"Alright then..." So this is proof enough for the Meowstic. He looks to Seer once more. "If your gift with seeing the future is as good as you say, then I might need to consider a more special role for you if you are willing to make use of your Future Sight to aid the republic as well." He says to her. "But if you refuse this offer I won't hold it against you, but the offer to work as a healer in the sanitarium will still stand."

She smiles at him. 
"I will take that offer, stic."

"Very well, Seer." He nods. Stic is glad she took this offer, if she is good at seeing the future, maybe more frequently and better than him, then she can be a good asset. "I will talk with you more about this when i'm done interviewing all the possible recruits that have come here, mind waiting for me in the mansion's main hall?" "Hhhmm, Now this was odd..." Mattias is communicating with a lower volume again, pretty much whispering to Khaako. "I mean not that I don't trust her, but this is not something you see everyday..."

She nods to Stic. "Very well. I look forward to meeting with you further." She smiles shyly to him and heads to the main hall to wait for him. 
"And you too, Mattias and Khaako." She says before she disappears through the doorway.

Now who else could be here looking to get hired? Well, It's a Machoke this time. This one could probably be mistaken for a human if it wasn't for the gray skin and vaguely reptilian face with a short snout. This pokemon has quite a muscular physique and oddly also seems to be wearing underwear with a golden belt.
Stic seems surprised by what he is seeing. Maybe this is the first time he saw a Mon with such a body.
"Oh, this one..." Mattias is commenting to Khaako again. "He looks strong, you think?"

"Well, it's not always about healing, I think. Let's watch and see where this goes."
"Are you here looking for work?" Stic finally asks. "If so, are you looking for anything in particular?" Because he doesn't think this big strong mon would make it as healer, and he probably knows that too.
"Yes, yes..." This Machoke sounds just a bit shy, and seems to be poking the tips of his index fingers against one another. "I was told that maybe...you could use help building things?"
"Hhhmmmm..." Well, specialized construction workers are something worth looking into too, the Meowstic thinks. "That is correct, but what experiences do you have exactly?"
"Well I have built some big houses in my time. But if there is something i am very good at it's uuuhh...lifting things." The muscular pokémon said.
"Well that is true..." What other pokémon knowledge does Mattias have to impart to Khaako this time. "Those muscles pack some serious power, it is a species of mon capable of doing some serious heavy lifting."

"Boy I'll say." Khaako comments. "Where we come from we need specialized suits or machines for that."

"And I guess if push comes to shove you could give it some really heavy weapons and armor too...But maybe I'm getting too ahead of myself."
It's not hard for Stic to consider hiring this one, with how the republic likely is going to have to rebuild the damages caused by the Grove and on top of that have to build betterments for the towns. "Alright, I really need more strong construction workers. There will be plenty of projects to be undertaken, I can count on you to be part of them, right? You will be paid for your services of course. But just know that we got a long road ahead of us as i seek to improve not just Sandstone but all the towns that we have liberated."
The big fighting type nods. "Yes yes, I understand. I will make sure to work hard in any construction I get assigned to. It will be nice to know I'm doing this to help everyone's lives get better."
The Meowstic nods. "Alright just, one last thing...I don't think you have introduced yourself yet."
"Oh, r-right..." Now he is getting a bit more nervous and embarrassed. "My name's Macho, sir."
"Very then, Macho. You are hired."

"Macho, macho, macho man... I got to be... a macho maaaaan!" Khaako sings to herself. Sensing the weird look at Matias is no doubt giving her, she quickly clears her throat.
"Ancient earth song. Don't know where it came from. Oh well." She gives an embarrassed giggle.

Mattias is pretty okay with that, actually. "It's fine. I'm glad that there are little moments like this. They are my favorites." The newly hired pokemon is then dismissed, Stic told him to go meet up with someone else that is waiting in another part of the mansion, they will show this new construction worker what is going to be working with. "Well, it looks like that's all the new recruits for the moment. I would say Sebastian gave more than expected." Mattias says.

"Well, if there's nothing else. I'm afraid I have work to attend to." Khaako says her goodbyes, and with a small zap, she's gone from audio. In the meantime, the Espeon, Seer is waiting patiently in the hallway, as requested.

It appears that Stic is heading somewhere else so Mattias really has no reason to remain on the line, so he goes off to do something else. The Meowstic meanwhile heads down to the mansion's main hall with a female Flareon following him, once there he instructs to escort Audi and Bliss out of the mansion and to the sanitarium. As for Seer, he still has something to talk with her about. "Seer, can you come with me for a moment? There is something we must discuss, if that is okay."

"Of course, master Stic." She replies softly. It is apparent that this espeon is a bit soft-spoken for a Seer. Nonetheless she follows him to where he leads her.

He just takes her aside to the dining room which is not too far from the main hall, just to the right. When they get there he sees that there is no other mon there, so there is some privacy. He gets straight to the point. "Well Seer, you are an expert on visions, so there is something i want to talk with you about regarding them." He turns to face her now. "Weeks ago a mon came to me speaking of disturbing visions of the future. He saw someone will try to bring back the Iron King, our world will be the stage for an even greater conflict and some sort of 'plague' is going to be unleashed. Have you witnessed anything like that as well...?"

"I saw a vision of a strange being shouting about the Iron King." She replies. "I cannot tell if they were serious, as they seemed to be in a very deranged state of mind." 
"If you are referring to the apes... yes. I'm afraid I too have seen images of those. Deep, dark locations in places I do not know of. By people... unfamiliar to me. Terrifying." She shakes a little. "I have had similar visions of a plague... in The Snows. I feel... they may be connected to the vision of the dark locations. But I cannot say for sure."

"Hhhmmmmm..." It does line up with the visions that other Espeon had, Stic appreciates the 'second opinion' from another mon's future vision though. "I fear what the future might throw against all of us..."

"Although..." She states. "I have seen another vision. One far further into the future. I do not exactly know what to make of it. Or how far exactly. I do not know how far in the future this one goes. But... It's best if I show it to you." 
She reaches out to stick, taking his hands in hers. From the outside, one might confuse this for some sort of romantic gesture. However, both of them know that something very different is occuring. 
Her gem, and her eyes, glow with a white light that overtakes both, and a vision overtakes his view. 
They see a vision of a well built and clean metropolis that stretches for miles. Mons walk paved streets, Neon signs advertising strange things. There is a large statue in the middle of an opening. A statue of a Meowstic holding one hand to his chest while another is open out. 
A screen says some words, words that are blurred to them. The screen depicts a vessel, not unlike the ones the Avali use in space, but very different. More... poke-monized, and it shows it lifting off the ground, and flying off into the atmosphere, and into space.

"Show it to me? Alright then." He allowed her to take his paw so she could do her thing, and show him her vision of the future. Stic is surprised throughout this whole thing. Seeing how everything seemed radically different in the future, with very tall structures and mons going about their day. The whole image of the city was breathtaking to him. This is truly showing a good future for his whole world, right? Though some small doubts start growing on him by the end of this vision, mostly questioning if he will be alive to experience that era...but he pushes these thoughts aside, they don't matter much right now, he is more determined than ever to make sure this future happens.

The glow fades, as does the vision. 
"That's all I have for the moment." She tells him. "I suspect it's from the far far future. I am not sure that either one of us will live to see it." She sighs sadly. "Still, it's a good future, and one definitely worth working for." 
She notices she's still holding his hands. She gives a small blush and slowly takes them away. 
"Well... actually..." Her blush grows a little. "There is... one other vision I had. ... concerning you in particular. But..." Her blush grows heavy. "It's not the kind of thing that should be spoken about in public." She finishes with embarrassment clear in her voice.

He blinks. Stic is not sure what exactly this vision entails or why she is blushing so much talking about, but if she doesn't want to talk about it right now that is okay. "It's alright, we can talk about it later."

"Very well." She tells him. Her blush is still there, but it fades a little bit. 
"What would you have me do in the meantime, sir Stic?" She asks, a little shyly.

"Come with me, I should show you where you will be staying now that you are working with us." Stic said to her. Then he takes her to another part of the mansion, to show her where her bedroom is, since she is not a soldier and the like she won't need to worry about having to sleep in barracks or anything like that.