OOC: Konuju: Yes it is.
So, guys, apparently OTC RPGs can have discussion topics now? Do you think that's something we should consider or no? At the very least it would make tracking profiles easier.
IC - Goldhawk/Vert/Lorn - Conference Room: Goldhawk rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, I can't speak for Sanders or Eston, considering they just returned from Unova," he said. "You'd have to speak with them yourself. I'd also suggest speaking with Fantina, Byron, and Volkner--I'm sure they would be very interested in the opportunity to remove the darkness around Sinnoh, and to my understanding they have yet to officially partake in any Team Liberty missions. Further, Blackskull would probably be willing to accompany you--he knows Dark-Types like the back of his hand, after all."
"I have a suggestion for the Void Towers," Vert said suddenly. Goldhawk looked at her in slight surprise, though did not interrupt her. "The group of Legendaries that banded against the Darkrai in Lilycove are, to my knowledge, almost back to full strength. That gets you four Deoxys--including the Alpha--Rayquaza, Kyogre, Groudon, and a group of six Latios and Latias. Considering how they held their own against the Ancients, I'd imagine the destruction of a few shadow towers would be like child's play for them." She adjusted her glasses, eying Seth, Kinali, and Evan curiously. "Not to mention it gives you a formidable force without taking away a huge chunk of Team Liberty's own protection."
"I agree," Lorn said, adding a "Surprisingly," under his breath. "Team Magma and Bounty's Separatists could also provide a bit of support there." He looked at Seth. "How soon do you think you'll be ready to get this going?"
IC - Jackson Sang - Indigo Plataeu: The thick mists of morning clouded Jackson's elevated view of Chapel as he stood atop one of the many cliff sides of Victory Road, arms crossed as he observed the Rocket facility's front defenses. Armed guards stood at every door and window, as well as the rooftop, searching for any potential threats. Indeed, were it not for his Ditto creating a disguise in front of him, Jackson mused that he would have been fired at or called out by now.
Still, getting in wasn't going to be very difficult--pretending it would be was simply a matter of good fun. No; he was well-known enough that he would essentially be able to walk right in using some bogus story about being hired again by Sleight to carry out another job. The somewhat-but-not-really difficult part would be finding Ketchum and his wife and son and getting them out of the base undetected. Jackson had several ideas about how to go about that, though all of them, unfortunately, had a major flaw that rendered them unusable.
In short, he was going to have to improvise. Not a bad thing.
Turning around, he motioned for Tracer to follow him, recalling the Ditto to his Pokéball once he was sufficiently out of sight. He rubbed his chin as he descended the the slope, contemplating his plan. Jumping down the last few feet, Jackson began walking along the road toward the base...
IC - Gavin Braner/Ethan Worth - Violet City: A large crowd had gathered around the wall-mounted television sets in the Pokémon Center, prompting a raised eyebrow from Gavin as he entered the place behind Ethan. For his part, the older Team rocket agent was managing to keep a rather calm demeanor, though many of the others seemed distressed for one reason or another. Curious, Gavin moved forward, watching the report.
To his surprise, it was a news report. Clips were being shown of Sleight giving a speech from his office, his shoulders hung low with fatigue, an exhaustion betrayed even further by his eyes. The subject of the report?
Buzz's death at the hands of a faux-drilling company called Soil Colossus, Inc., which had revealed itself as a terrorist organization to Team Rocket several months before, though its true nature was only publicly coming to light now. According to Sleight, Buzz had been killed in an attack that had prompted a retaliation, though the presence of the darkness in Hoenn had made attempts to return fire futile. Even so, activity from the group had mysteriously died down shortly after, suggesting they had finally fallen to the Darkrai.
"What exactly is the point of showing me this?" Gavin asked Ethan.
The Bug-Type trainer shrugged. "You haven't heard about Bounty, have you?" he asked. "Separated from Team Rocket a few weeks ago. That leaves only two leaders left--Sleight and Joker." He stared at Gavin, who didn't respond with any particular reaction. "Do you realize the implications of this?"
"That the government is being destabilized?" he guessed. Ethan nodded. "I got that, thanks." He shook his head slightly. "Amazing how much can change in a year... So we've lost Hoenn both to this 'Hojohsin League' and the Darkrai, on top of Sinnoh to Bounty and--again--the Darkrai. And two Shadow Admins killed within that time..." Gavin sighed. "Why should I stick around, exactly?"
"Think about it," Ethan said. "If Team Rocket loses anymore of its power, the entire country is going to be in chaos. It'll leave room for people like Team Liberty to move in--or worse. It's not something you want to see happen."
"One person doesn't make a difference," Gavin pointed out.
"True," Ethan agreed. "But do you want to take that chance?"
Gavin stayed silent for a moment, watching the crowd of anxious people. No doubt they, too, were trying to come to grips with the reality of what was currently happening to Team Rocket's rule... "What if it's for the better?" he asked. "Team Liberty isn't a bad organization--Sleight just likes to paint them that way."
"But neither is Team Rocket," Ethan countered. "Which emphasizes the point I'm failing to make. Both groups are enough alike that a power merge is the best option--it avoids the potential of Ford or someone similar taking over. But that can't happen if all of the Team Liberty sympathizers joins Team Liberty--we need people working in Team Rocket to help get them to realize the benefits of making peace and joining forces." He crossed his arms, staring at Gavin. "So, think about it. Why not help me spread that kind of thinking? It avoids more disaster than it creates."
