IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron - Dragonspiral Tower: As Zekrom prepared its attack, Kyle continued his own. Kitheus launched another Tri-Attack at the dragon, while Ruj shot forward with Night Slash. Meanwhile, Sheik stood at the back of the ground, preparing to use Mimic to copy Zekrom's attack...
Sonja, meanwhile, issued a quick command for Ray's Zangoose to use.... an attack.
OOC: 'cause I don't actually know what moves it has... X3
IC - Koga/Nemo Buck - SCI Base "Colossoil": Being a ninja was a very handy skill, if Koga did say so himself. Years of training had given him an innate skill for finding ways to get in front of his targets. This was no different. Having used an air vent to his advantage, and a certain Muk as a spy, Koga had been able to deduce where Executive Buck was headed.
From the sounds of it, he was correct.
The Gym Leader waited in the shadows above, arm blade extended as he listened for Buck's approach. One step, two step, three step, four step... He was near by, his quickened pace betraying the panic that was beginning to set in.
Five step, six step, seven step, eight step... The click of a radio, the hurried whisper of orders to what men and women remained. Buck believed the situation could be salvaged--or, at least, some of Soil Colossus's personnel saved. He would discover his folly soon...
Nine step, ten step, eleven, and.... twelve. The dark skin appeared, the sweat on Buck's head shining in the lights of the halls. He passed under Koga. As he did, the Gym Leader allowed himself to fall, twisting his legs so that he would land feet-first on the ground. Catching the executive's shoulder, Koga used his momentum to force the man to the ground, wasting no time in driving his blade into the mans back, between the ribs, directly into his heart.
Nemo Buck gasped, his face going pale as Koga laid him gently on the floor, blood seeping from his wound. The Gym Leader's face remained stoic as he watched the man slowly die before him.
"Be thankful," he said. "Your death comes swiftly... That's more than can be said for the lives your organization has destroyed."
Buck managed to bring an expression of anger to his face, frowning at Koga. "Keep believing... that you're different," he said darkly, weakly. "Just remember... it's a lie..." With a final breath, Nemo Buck's life vanished, his head dropping back to the ground. Koga closed his eyes, before pulling his hood over his head and hurrying off, disappearing further into the base.
IC - Sleight/Carl Sandrock - SCI Base "Colossoil": Carl Sandrock adjusted his tie nervously as the metal door continued to warp and distort from the sheer heat and force of Sleight's attack. Metallic groans sounded as the blast door weakened, threatening to shatter if something wasn't done soon. The Soil Colossus head, though maintaining a fairly calm demeanor, still could not believe what Sleight was accomplishing. He adjusted his sunglasses as a guard approached.
"Sir, what do we do?" he asked.
"Can you get the other doors open?" Sandrock asked.
The guard shook his head. "Whatever they did in the initial attack, it's jammed the controls for every door--except for that one." He looked at the metal gate separating them from the Shadow Admin of Kanto. "All attempts to teleport have failed--apparently they've got a block on the base."
Carl thought for a moment, idly spinning a Master Ball in his hand--a very particular Master Ball. With a slight shrug, he turned, moving back to his 'throne.' "I suppose that leaves only one option, then," he said. "Gordon, Kent, prepare the device."
A loud thud sounded as the door--now twisted and bent beyond recognition--broke, collapsing in on itself, sending sparks flying in every direction. Not even bothering to cover his face, and hardly seeming to notice the intense heat emanating from the remains of the door, Sleight moved to stand next to Magmortar. He patted its shoulder appreciatively as the Flame Pokémon--who seemed just as energized as it had before expending so much power--grinned at him. The Shadow Admin waved the shocked Surge and Buzz over, the pair obeying and moving toward him--only to cover their faces in pain as they felt the heat.
"Buzz," Sleight said pointedly. "Your Tyranitar."
"What-? Oh!" The Shadow Admin of Hoenn produced the Pokéball containing the Pokémon in question. Throwing it into the air, he summoned the Dark-Ground-Type, who let out a roar before clearing a path through the molten metal. Using Rock Slide to create a temporary barrier between the path and the metal, Tyranitar led the way into the main control room.
The group was met with slow, careful applause from Sandrock as they entered, Tyranitar growling and taking up a position in front of the group as they saw the numerous guns pointed at them. Sandrock stood in front of a throne-like chair in the center of the room, a victorious smile on his face.
"Very impressive, Sleight," he said. "I admit, I didn't think that was possible--physics and all."
"You underestimate me," Sleight answered. Looking at the numerous guards, he frowned, eyebrows dropping in annoyance. "Do you really think guns are going to stop me, Carl?"
"Not at all," Sandrock admitted. Sleight raised an eyebrow as the SCI leader produced a Master Ball from behind his back. "But this will, I think."
"And what might 'this' be?" Buzz asked.
"Glad you asked," Sandrock said, bouncing the ball in his hand. "You recall that little... expedition I organized for Team Rocket and Team Liberty? The one bearing the brat Silvermind as the prize?" He gripped the ball, shaking it slightly. "This is the product of that hunt. The Alpha Manaphy of the Ice Geode, quite possibly the strongest Manaphy in this section of the world."
"A Manaphy isn't going to beat us," Buzz said, sounding almost disappointed at the revelation of the Pokémon's identity.
"Perhaps not in battle," Sandrock said. "But then, I'm not going to battle you with it." Buzz and Surge seemed visibly confused by this, though Sleight's expression remained the same as before. Sandrock smiled. "Allow me to demonstrate." Without another word, the SCI leader sat in the throne, placing the Master Ball in a slot on one of the arm rests.
Instantly, numerous grooves on the seat lit up, glowing blue with energy. Wires across the floor, all of them connected to the seat, glowed brightly, transferring the energy to several orb-like objects around the room. The next instant, Buzz, Surge, Sleight, and their Pokémon all grimaced in pain, suddenly finding themselves unable to move as some unknown force dominated their minds and bodies. Sandrock smirked.
"Brilliant, isn't it?" he called. "With a few adjustments, Team Rocket's own control program--the one you wanted shut down, Sleight; perhaps you remember that?--can be synched up with the water manipulation powers of Manaphy, and in turn, its powers can be extended to living creatures. Like such." Involuntarily, Surge's hand moved to the holster at his belt. The Lieutenant drew a pistol, which he aimed at Buzz's chest, the Bug-Specialist's eyes widening in shock and surprise as a bang sounded. Even with a bleeding wound in his chest, the Shadow Admin of Hoenn found that he could not shout out in pain, nor could he fall over. Sandrock chuckled at the scene.
"You really should have left when you had the chance--"
"And you should have learned to control your arrogance by now," Sleight interrupted, causing Sandrock to blink in surprise. Before the startled eyes of the Soil Colossus agents, Sleight began to walk forward, his movements uneven at first, though quickly growing smoother. It was not long before he was walking as if completely unopposed, despite the hold that Sandrock and Manaphy held over the water in his body. The SCI leader increased the force of his power, though this only slowed Sleight down for a moment.
"How many warning signs have you had at this point, Carl?" Sleight asked, beginning to climb the steps leading to the main platform, directly toward the guards. They aimed their guns at him, though the Shadow Admin's Magmortar forced its arms upward, launching carefully aimed bursts of lava at their weapons. They hit, melting them and forcing the guards to clear Sleight's path toward the Soil Colossus leader. "How many years have you had to nurse this grudge of yours? At least ten. And yet, instead of being productive, you've opted again and again to fight us--to contest Team Rocket, to weaken us even in the face of creatures like Ford and the Darkrai."
Sleight glared at Sandrock as he approached the throne, the bewildered man continuing to stare back in shock. Increasing the force of his control continued to do nothing, nothing but make Buzz and Surge growl in pain. Sleight only stopped when he was right in front of Sandrock, looking directly past the sunglasses on the latter's face and into his eyes. It was as if he were gazing directly into Sandrock's soul, weighing his heart, judging his deepest sins.
"Your existence is a pathetic mockery of life, Carl," he said. "Endangering the lives of those around you in some vain attempt at revenge for accidents that occurred in the past, even in spite of the fact that you know yourself to be the cause of the very deaths you seek to avenge." Sleight shook his head. "Your time is over, Carl." Unclipping his own holster, the Shadow Admin drew his pistol, lining it with Carl's forehead. As he began to pull the trigger, the SCI leader dropped his control over Buzz and Surge--the former finally screaming in pain as he regained his senses--focusing all of Manaphy's power on Sleight.
It slowed him for barely a second, only long enough for Sandrock and Sleight to meet each others' eyes again, a silent battle raging between them.
Bang.
In an instant, the machine shut down, Carl's body slumping back against it. Sleight replaced his pistol, picking up the Master Ball and examining it for a moment before placing it on his belt. Leaving the shocked guards where they were, and letting Surge handle Buzz's injury, Sleight stepped over to the main control panel, inputting a series of commands. No one dared move to stop him or try to escape--not after having seen what had just occurred.
"Self-Destruct sequence initiated. T-Minus: Two minutes..."
"Let's go," he called to his group, quickly moving toward the door. As soon as the Rocket members were out, Sleight directed Magmortar to seal the exit shut--much to the dismay of the Soil Colossus members still inside.
Without another word, he led the way out, sending an order to the Rocket forces to do the same.
