Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[sunflower]

IC: Megan

 

Megan smiled at Growlithe, and reached out to pet the furry little Pokémon's head, only to stop and glance at Elijah for permission. Or confirmation that it was a good idea to do so.

 

Aron, meanwhile, sat down and blinked his blue eyes in greeting to Omanyte.

[otter]

IC:

 

Growlithe didn't even wait for permission, instead simply leaning himself forward to the point that Megan had no choice but to pet him. And, if he leaned any further forwards, catch him. "Careful," Elijah warned. "He might nip you just to be mean. He does it to me often enough."
 

[sunflower]

IC: Megan

 

"Aaaw, no he wouldn't, would you," Megan decided, patting the tuft of fur on Growlithe's head. Inkay seemed unimpressed from her spot in Megan's other arm.

 

Aron rolled over onto his side, continuing to stare at Omanyte.

[otter]

IC:

 

Growlithe, deciding he was currently tired of being on Eli's shoulders, instead jumped over into Megan's free arm, hoping the other trainer would deftly catch him. Omanyte, meanwhile, just stared at Aron with a somewhat confused and sheepish expression on his tentacled face, before scratching at the shell just above its eyes in imitation of a gesture the humans liked to make quite often when they seemed confused.

 

"Or he'll try and displace your own Pokémon. That's an issue with him some times too."

[sunflower]

IC: Megan

 

Megan gave a yelp of surprise as Growlithe decided that her arm was a more convenient place to stay, but managed to catch the orange-furred Pokemon without falling over. Mostly.

 

Ink, who was certainly not prepared for the sudden change in number of passengers, slid down to the ground and glared at the Growlithe her trainer had resumed petting. Unable to do much about it, she merely waved at Dratini who hadn't really been involved in things.

 

Aron opened his mouth and closed it, blue eyes fixed on Omanyte.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Gravity

[JiMing]

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

"Hrm?" Ruth muttered as Megan came over, clearing her throat to begin speaking. Unfortunately, Elijah struck up a conversation with Megan.... Quite a long one.

 

"Salutations!" she exclaimed, as there seemed to be a bit of a lull. "My name is Ruth, Ruth Fishers! And these are Jake and Jacob who I am traveling with. That's Elijah, who we just met. Oh, and I can't forget Caliburn, Locke, and Fierte over here!" she introduced, before preparong to explain things, "You see, after challenging Roark, he asked me, Jake, and Jacob to see what was up at the nearby Power Plant." the trainer explained. "So we traveled here from Oreburgh and stuff, and we got Elijah to help us woth tue electronic side of things. Megan, was it? Well, of you're bored, you could go with us to see what's wrong." Ruth offered. "Ya never know if having an extra person could be helpful or not. Plus, we just talked to someone and it's apparently unsafe to be in town right now...."

 

Caliburn politely bowed to the newcomer and her Pokemon, only to sigh at the antics with Growlithe and Aron, asking the Scolipede if Aron was always like that. Locke looked warily at the Aron and the other Poke om, unsure if there would be more competition to deal with or not. Fuerte, still infuriated by Dratini's previous actions, glared at the newcomers and growled.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Toru Acura: The Saboteur

[otter]

IC:

 

"I was wondering when one of you was going to speak up."

[Ehksidian]

IC: Arius Jacobson

Arius just quietly watched as the two newcomers talked back and forth. It would have been fairly rude to interrupt them, after all. Once Ruth spoke up, and Elijah talked, Arius gave a wave.

"Hello."

[Franco]

IC: Cero preferred not to face another type disadvantage, but he remembered things could be worse. Per the rules, both of them had been locked into these last four Pokémon--and both his were fresh, while one of his opponent's was weakened. At worst, Viajero could weaken this one enough for Aridez to do cleanup on those remaining. At best...

 

Viajero's enhanced force could fight this weasel to both their ends.

 

He resolved immediately that there would be no "worst." For a companion who had fought through Leviathan, the show would go on.

 

"Fire Fang." Viajero, having stared the Mienfoo down with a courage he copied from his master, sprung to life. Attempting to avoid the palm, he jumped up and pounced with blazing fangs outstretched for her arm.

[sunflower]

IC: Megan

 

Megan nodded, waving at each of Ruth's Pokémon in turn as she introduced them. "I think that might be a good idea, if it's not safe to be in town. I've inly been here for a little while, but people have been a bit strange. That, and it'll be nice to have a bit of excitement," Megan admitted.

 

She smiled as Jacob (or was he Jake, she didn't know), waved, and waved back with, "Hey."

 

Matt the Scolipede gave what amounted to a sigh, and a yes in confirmation to Caliburn. Aron was, unfortunately, mostly like this he told the Aegislash.

[otter]

IC:

 

"And one of the two Jakes figured out where to go to get to the power plant, so we should get there and get to work as fast as possible," Elijah replied, jumping back into the conversation. Omanyte, meanwhile, decided just to take care of the Aron problem once and for all, and rolled the little billet of steel all the way over to Scolipede. Dratini nodded at Inkay, offering a tail for the little squid like Pokémon to climb back up to eye level on, and Growlithe continued to be happy with being petted.

[Parugi]

IC - Sonja Baron - The Alamo, Halls:

 

The trek toward the command center seemed to occur mostly in silence. Sonja found herself lost in thought, bouncing back and forth with every step between various trains of contemplation. Part of her remained focused on the devastation within R&D, though try as she might to make sense of it, she continued to run headlong into the same dead-end. She knew it would remain a futile effort until they could speak with Goldhawk or Vert, but even so, the focus remained strong.

 

Perhaps there was a reason. Sonja glanced at Ryan. She hadn't forgotten about their less-than-stellar conversation at the dance, and she was willing to bet that he hadn't, either. Likewise, the general feeling during their run-in on the way to the practice arenas seemed to have returned, only temporarily abated by the discovery of the R&D situation. Though she could not put a name to the mood, Sonja knew that it was not an atmosphere that she enjoyed--not in the slightest--and if they were going to continue working together--as well as continue being friends--then it needed to be addressed. And preferably buried. Or laid out in the open.

 

Honestly, she wasn't really sure which solution was better.

 

Just as Sonja looked at Ryan and opened her mouth to say something, the sound of dozens of wheels and frantic running erupted from further down the hall. The three trainers stepped out of the way in surprise as a team of medics and Chansey rushed down the hallway with six gurneys, on which lay several men and women. Sonja, Ryan, and Ray had just enough time to make out the insignia on the wounded's uniforms before they were gone, well on their way to the medical facility.

 

Sonja stared after them for several moments, puzzled. "Those were Magma Agents," she said. The Liberty Agent turned back. "Were they coming from the command center? What the heck is going on . . .?"

 

IC - Joker/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - The Alamo, Halls:

 

"A lead on his son and an update on Ford," Joker agreed. She produced Seer's Poké Ball, having not needed to get him healed considering the relative lack of damage he had sustained in Havoc. He appeared next to his trainer, furrowing his brow and scanning their new surroundings. "I'll go and speak with him myself, and then get to work on tracking Adams and McKinley."

 

"Anything you want us to do in the meantime, ma'am?" Ethan asked.

 

"Whatever you see fit to do--it seems as if you all have a habit of falling into significant situations, regardless of what your intentions are," Joker said, and for a split second, Ethan thought he saw a shadow of an amused smile flicker on her lips. "It might not hurt to touch base with them regarding Pierce." She gestured to the doors leading into the command center. "Though I would caution you in participating in such discussions with Team Liberty, considering our truce is still so infantile."

 

Ethan paused, seeming to want to say something, though only managed a nod, followed by a short, "Understood." Moments later, Seer and Joker vanished, teleporting to Chapel.

 

As soon as they were gone, Gavin raised an eyebrow at Ethan. "Something wrong?"

 

The Rocket Agent sighed. "I'm just wondering what it's going to take to put this whole, 'Don't trust them, they're the enemy' attitude to rest," he said, giving a small shake of his head a moment later. "Guess that's something for another time, though. If you all wanna go ahead, I'll wait out here for our Pokémon."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray followed silently, as he frowned at the Magma agents that went by on the gurneys.

"I'm not sure..." Ray said with a frown, wondering the same thing.

"Let's go find out." Ray said, as he moved to walk into the place. Ray paused, as he thought he recognized some people, but shook it off as he walked inside.

 

-==IC: Colette/Jayron==-

 

Upon seeing the man, Jayron rushed forward. His aura told him the man was still alive, but he had been badly injured. "Do you think he might have been the one who sent the distress signal?" he asked. He flipped the man over so he was lying on his back, and his sand-matted hair fell from his face. Jayron let out a gasp of recognition. "Wait a second, that's--"

The man's eyes shot open and a hand reached up with surprising speed, gripping Jayron's shirt like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood. "They're coming," he rasped, his bloodshot eyes darting between Jayron, Colette, and Lucario. "There's no stopping it. Flee this place. That is your only hope!"

Colette frowned, as she recognized the man as well; however, she wasn't sure what he was talking about, and stepped back in surprise.

"What's coming? What are you talking about?" Colette asked, as she furrowed her brow, wondering if this was linked to what was going on in general.

The man's eyes grew glassy as his grip loosened on Jayron. His hand started to shake. "Don't take me back there," he pleaded. "I barely escaped with my life. Run, before it's too late!"

 

Jayron frowned. "You're Morty, aren't you? The Gym Leader of Ecruteak. Were you the one who sent the distress signal?"

The man didn't seem to hear him. "You don't know the danger you're in! Don't worry about me -- save yourselves!"

Colette closed her eyes, as she attempted to read Morty's aura more; something had him all worried; but what could be the cause of that? Danger... I wonder what he could mean...? Though, I'd bet it's whatever caused all the issues here.

"Morty, listen to me," Jayron said. "We're looking for a little girl who came this way. Did you happen to see her? How did you get here?"

"If she came this way, there's no hope for her," Morty said, shaking his head. "My boat crashed when its navigation systems went out. I tried to radio for help, but it was useless." His eyes remained glassy as recounted his tale. "I thought I might be able to salvage the boat, make it off the island myself. That's... that's when it happened." The gym leader shuddered. "The voices... they called for me. Said I could help them. But it was all a lie!" Morty gripped Jayron's arm, staring at him with crazed eyes. "Pain, agony, the likes of which I'd never wish on anyone. I fought as best I could, and barely made it out alive. I took the remains of my boat and made it to this beach..."

Colette frowned, and scanned the beach... However, she didn't see anything that remotely looked like a boat there. "Which direction was this?" Colette asked, as she was not liking the sounds of the pain and agony; and did not want that to have that happen to Alexa.

 

"The boat's right here," Morty insisted. "Right behind..." The gym leader turned around and saw an empty beach. "They... they must have destroyed the boat. They're angry at me for leaving them. They're coming. You can't stop them... flee now!"

"The boat might have been destroyed," Jayron frowned. "By whoever 'they' are. But Alexa might have taken it." He scanned the beach with his aura. "She was definitely here. Either she's a good swimmer, or she took your boat."

"The fool!" Morty cried. "She's walking straight into the danger!" He pulled Jayron close and said in a ragged whisper, "If you value your life, don't follow her. Save yourself the misery."

Colette looked over to the beach again, and frowned. "Mr. Morty, do you know the way to get back to town?" Colette asked, as she was definitely not planning on heading back without Alexa.

Jayron gave Colette a worried look. "Even if he did, he's in no shape to be traveling that distance."

"It doesn't matter," Morty said. "Anywhere is fine as long as it's away from those terrible voices." He brought a hand to his head and began mumbling to himself.

"We've come to rescue you, Morty," Jayron assured him. "But I'm going to have to ask you to wait here for us. See that tree over there? Rest under there and gather your strength. We'll be back as soon as we find Alexa."

Colette nodded, as that would work too, for sure. "Now, how do we get to wherever he had gotten away from...?"

Morty grabbed for Colette this time, taking a firm hold of her arm. "You're signing your death wish," he rasped. "The girl's a lost cause. If she's really gone there, you can't do a thing for her."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan
"Team... Magma?" The clattering of the gurneys brought Ryan out of his thoughts. "Perhaps this situation's worse than we thought," he said, glancing worriedly at Sonja. "You don't think that's related to R&D, do you?" Other than the fact that the Chansey were coming from the wrong direction, Ryan didn't find it hard to believe that the Magma agents could have come from the wreckage of the Training Center.
 
Before his paranoia could further expand on this hypothetical situation, he noticed Ray running off ahead, into the Command Center. "Impatient as always." Ryan shook his head, running after him. On his way into the Command Center, he noticed a vaguely familiar face standing outside. It wasn't until he had caught up to Ray in the Command Center that he put the face to a name: Ethan, the friendly Rocket agent who had helped him and his friends bust out of a Hojohsin prison last year. Was he one of the Separatists? he wondered, seeing no other reason why a Rocket agent would be standing just outside the Alamo's Command Center.
 
IC: Colette/Jayron
Colette's aura flashed for a slight moment instinctively as her arm was grabbed, however, she calmed herself before she accidentally attacked Morty. "Mr. Morty, I understand that you're concerned, but I'm not going to give up on Alexa like that. I promised her that I'd keep her safe, and I keep my promises..."
 
"We'll come back," Jayron said. "If we don't, the city is just through that canyon. But gather your strength first." He turned to Colette. "Now about getting across the water..." With a grin, the Liberty executive tossed a Pokéball, sending out his Swampert. "Aqua will get us there in no time."
 
Colette raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Alright. That sounds like a plan, then, let's go."
 
Jayron helped Morty limp over to the nearby tree to rest, then hopped on his Swampert's back. Aqua gave an affectionate growl, then trained an eye on Colette. "It's alright, girl, she's with us," Jayron said, patting Aqua's back. "I'll put Lucario back in the ball so there's more room, though."
 
Of course, Lucario muttered. First she takes my final strike on the Rhydon, now she takes my seat.
 
Colette hid an amused smile at Lucario's comment, but nodded, and cautiously headed toward the Swampert.
 
Aqua knelt down so Colette could more easily climb on her back. "Hold on tight," Jayron warned. "She can be a slippery one." The moment the words were out of his mouth, Aqua leapt into the stormy waters and began rapidly swimming toward one of the islets. Jayron grimaced against the crisp wind and the cold spash of the waves as he gripped his Swampert. Colette was surprised by the speed, and held on like Jayron instructed, wincing as the wind hit her in the face.
 
The Swampert bobbed up and down in the churning waves. It felt like an eternity, with both the wind and waves hindering them, and more than once Colette feared her motion sickness would get the better of her, but at long last Aqua made it to the bank of a small islet. The spit of land was barely more than a hundred feet long, and equally wide. A majority of the space was taken up by an ancient stone building, covered in vines and cracks.
 
 
Jayron hopped down from Aqua's back and warily approached the ruins. "There's some kind of energy coming from inside," he said, extending his aura. "This must be where Alexa is." He glanced at Colette. "I know you're eager to save her, but we shouldn't take Morty's words lightly. We can't let our guard down, even for a moment."
 
Colette slid down off the Swampert and followed, her aura searching desperately for any sign of Alexa. Aqua followed the pair of aura wielders, doing her best to make her heavy steps as quiet as possible.
 
The moment they entered the ruins, it was like they had entered another world. The roar of the wind and waves was all but a distant memory, leaving their echoing footsteps as the only sound. The chamber was constructed in such a way that the natural light coming from the open entrance was able to dimly light it, even with the dark overcast sky. And it was in this light that Jayron was able to make out a single word roughly scrawled onto the rock face:
 
'MONEAN.'

[JiMing]

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

"Righty-o, everything's settled then?" Ruth asked, looking around at everyone in the group. "It's decided, we head to the Power Plant as soon as is humanly possible! Though.... Could you lead the way?" she asked Jake. "I already forgot the directions you gave....."

 

Caliburn didn't like the response from the Scolipede. The task his trainer and her friends were up to would require much precison and carefullness. Of which there seemed to be a deficiency in among most of their Pokemon....

Edited January 4, 2015 by Toru Acura: The Saboteur

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (James)

“Thank you, sir.”

“As for Pierce, I cannot say that I am surprised by this turn of event. I suspected, or perhaps simply guessed, from early on that there was foul play concerning his rise to power, though I had no evidence to link him to anyone. I…”

The newly off-probation James paused for a moment as he considered what he was about to say. He had not gone to any lengths to detail the events of his snooping to the Liberty leadership, because he had little to show for it, besides a slight guess as to his personal power, and helping Pierce work out the problems in his security. He quickly decided that he had to say his piece now and deal with the consequences should any arise.

“I have had the… distinct pleasure of meeting President Pierce in person… in a battle. To say that I was trounced is putting the situation lightly. But the fact that Adams and McKinley flatly admitted that Pierce is one of their own bothers me. McKinley even mentioned that the office of President might soon be unnecessary. Suffice to say, I am not sure what to make of it. But one thing is certain. Whatever this situation means, it will be bad."

[Makuta of Time]

OcC: Sorry about the super late post. Busy with holday stuff and a case of writer's block. 

 

IC: Dandy

 

He takes look at the readings and trys to process the info. "Hmm...judging by that massive spike and the readings of the 12 hours, I'd say this was man made. No way this could be a natural phenomenon. If it was, there would have been data of it showin up a bit prior to that massive surge. The only problem with this is that if it is man made, then we'd have to find the device controlling it. If we can find where it apiked more violently these readings, then we got a shot at taking it out."

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston - Lumiose City, Streets:

 

"Sanshou, Detect!" Kyle called. The Mienfoo's eyes glinted with light, and for several moments, the word seemed to slow down around her. Thus in the blink of an eye, she had managed to yank her arm out of the way and flipped backward several feet, avoiding the Lillipup's fangs for the time being. "Now, hit him with Swift!"

 

Twinkling stars of solid light appeared around the Pokémon. She breathed deeply, and with a thrust of her arm, sent the attack flying, a dozen stars of energy all cascading toward her opponent . . .

 

IC - Sonja Baron/Blackskull/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - The Alamo, Command Center

 

Sonja could only shrug at Ryan before the two ran off, forcing her to do the same to catch up (ironically, she noted, reversing the situation from when she had been headed to R&D.) Luckily the jog was not that long, and soon enough she found herself standing by her fellows within the command center. Both had come to a complete stop just inside, likely waiting for her. With only a short nod and a smile, she stepped forward, intending to lead the way to Goldhawk.

 

She, too, came to a sudden stop.

 

Though the command center was fairly the same as it always was--filled with numerous technicians all hurrying about, with the three Liberty Leaders all gathered on the center platform--there were a few differences this time around. One was the presence of Executive James Arthur, which wasn't that unusual, all things considered. But what was unusual--and in a major way, so much so that it had forced her to completely freeze mid-stride--was the presence of another man who stood toward the edge of the platform, a man who appeared entirely uncomfortable with the current situation and seemed entirely as if he was trying his best to blend in with the background. Here was a man who, only half a year before, had acted in full opposition to Sonja and her companions, and whose actions had lent a hand in the destruction and utter devastation that had befallen Unova.

 

Black.

 

"Why, if it isn't some of my favorite Unova Agents." Blackskull's voice managed to pull Sonja, Ray, and Ryan out of their stupor. His words caught the attention of Goldhawk and Silvermind, who, liked Blackskull, turned to look at the trio. They seemed to call Black's attention, as well, as he suddenly looked at them and froze on the spot.

 

Sonja's voice caught in her throat for a second as she tried to find the right words. Finally, she managed to point at Black, expression wide-eyed and dumb-founded as she said (perhaps more aggressively than she had intended), "Sir--what is he doing here!?"

 

Blackskull raised an eyebrow, confused by the question, until he looked at where she was pointing. Then his other eyebrow raised, turning his look into one of surprise. "Oh," he said. "That's . . . a good question." Blackskull looked back at the others in time to see Sonja pull out a Poké Ball, quickly raising it with the intent of unleashing one of her Pokémon on the ex-prisoner. In a flash, the Liberty Leader had leaped between the two, hands raised. "Whoa, Agent Baron, slow down! There's no need for violence here." He looked back at Black. "You--follow me, please." The former Energon Agent complied as Blackskull began shepherding the group back into the hallway. "Come on--let's get this figured out, eh?"

 

"But, sir--!" Sonja struggled against Blackskull's surprisingly-strong push all the way into the hall. When he at last came to a stop, she jerked forward, taking a step back and turning to point at Black again, ignoring the curious gazes of the nearby Rocket Agents. "I'm not asking again--why are you here?"

 

 

 

". . . Should we help him out?" Skye whispered to her teammates. "I mean, he was fighting against Adams, wasn't he?"

 

Gavin shrugged. "I guess," he said. "She looks pretty angry, though, so I'm assuming there's a reason for it."

 

"I say give it a few minutes," Ethan said. "See if things don't cool off a bit before we get involved . . ."

 

IC - Goldhawk/Silvermind - The Alamo, Command Center:

 

After the brief interruption offered by the group of agents that Blackskull had just taken away, Goldhawk and Silvermind looked back at James. Neither seemed interested in probing for specific details about James's interaction with Pierce, at least for now; he merely cupped his chin, thinking, while Silvermind leaned back against the platform's railing, arms crossed.

 

"It is odd," Goldhawk agreed. "To be so confident as to reveal something like that . . . Like controlling a region doesn't mean anything . . ." He stared elsewhere for a moment. "What could they possibly be planning that would allow them to look at Hoenn like that?"

 

"Maybe they're after something in the region," Silvermind suggested. "Controlling Hoenn allowed them to enact those anti-war laws, right? The ones promoting the arrests of Liberty and Rocket operatives? Those could easily have been meant to keep us and Team Rocket out of the region while they searched for whatever they're looking for. If they no longer have need of that much control, then that must mean they've found it."

 

Goldhawk nodded. "That could be it," he said. "Though there's no way to know anything for sure unless we can get one of Ford's agents to talk . . . And right now, Pierce is looking like the only option." He looked back at James. "Regardless, it sounds like we need to act before it's too late. We can't wait until they voluntarily leave Hoenn, otherwise there'll be another power vacuum to fill on top of no trail to follow. Do you suppose it's possible for us to get direct access to Pierce somehow, or else to get him in a position where the rest of Hoenn's government would depose him on their own?"

 

IC - Esen Windred/??? - Lumiose City, Streets:

 

Too many people crowded the streets. Too many people going in too many directions, speaking with too many voices and peering around with too many unfamiliar eyes. The hustle and bustle of the city was starting to give Esen a migraine, and she could not for the life of her find a way to stem the overflow of information. It hadn't been so bad during the battle, nor during the previous day--there had been fewer people during the latter; and she at least had had something specific, something physical, to focus on during the former. She felt herself slipping into space, back into that rental dress, back into the ballroom of the Alamo, where she had known no one . . .

 

She planted her fingers to her temples, slipping into a nearby alley.

 

It was surprising how much that helped. Just like that, it seemed as if the noise level had cut itself in half, and slowly, the pain began to die down. Esen breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the alley wall and letting herself slide to the ground. She closed her eyes.

 

"Hey--Esen!"

 

The trainer jumped at the sound, instantly leaping to her feet with a Poké Ball in hand. The woman she had fought stared at her in surprise, standing where she was at the mouth of the alley. As she realized she it was, Esen lowered the Poké Ball. "Um . . . Hey?" she said, slowly clipping the container back to her belt.

 

"Hi," the woman said again, seeming to pause for a moment before she stepped forward. Esen noticed that she was carrying a package in her arms, and briefly considered inquiring into this. Neither seemed to know exactly what to say, however, and so for a few moments, they simply stood in silence. Finally, the woman seemed to remember why she had come, as she moved forward to offer the package to Esen. "You, uh . . . You forgot to get this from the people running the . . . What'd they call it? The 'Exhibition'?" She chuckled awkwardly for a second. When Esen didn't laugh, she stopped. "Um . . . Right . . . Anyway, there's something in there for winning the match, plus the participation prize. So . . ." She held the box out.

 

Esen kept an eye on the woman as she accepted the box, slightly perturbed by her behavior. Even without looking, she could feel the woman's hand linger on it as it left her grip. Finally, she looked down at it, furrowing her brow. Then, straightening her expression, she looked up again, slipping the package into her bag as she did so. "Thanks."

 

"Yeah, of course." The woman paused. "Your Honchkrow is really strong."

 

"Yeah?" Esen said. "I've had him for a long time, so . . . I would hope so . . ." She hefted her bag. "Um . . . Look, I have to find a friend of mine, so I'll . . . see you around, I guess." She moved past the woman, stopping for a moment to gather her bearings before heading back into the stream of people. 

 

Just as she made to leave, the woman spoke again. "Can I ask . . . Your last name is Windred. Right?"

 

Esen froze. Then she turned to her. The woman was staring at Esen again, though her sunglasses continued to cover her eyes. The trainer stepped forward, doing her best to keep herself in check. "Who's asking?" Esen moved closed. "And why?" The woman averted her gaze. As she did so, Esen spotted the hearing aid in her ear, which--up to then--had either been obscured by her hair, or had been invisible due to the distance between them. Esen stepped in front of her, forcing the woman to look at her, and repeated her question. "Why?"

 

She hesitated, before reaching up and removing her sunglasses. She looked at Esen, who blinked in surprise. The woman's eyes were two completely different colors--one a dark brown, the other a bright blue. And though this might not have been particularly shocking under normal circumstances, the sheer contrast between the two certainly took a moment to get used to.

 

"Because it's important to me," she said at last. "I once had a friend named Esen Windred who accepted me, and who helped me accept myself--who made me feel like these things that I couldn't control were normal." She gestured to her ears and eyes. "And then one day, ten years ago, she just . . . vanished. And I've been keeping an eye out for her ever since, just in case. Because we could relate to each other." She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "I'm not trying to make a big scene here or anything. It's just that she had a Murkrow, and she looked a lot like you do. And I know her mother was big of Flying-Types, so she would've known a thing or two about how to battle with them. So I wanted to ask."

 

Esen stared at her. "What's your name?"

 

"I'd . . . rather not say," the woman said. "Not unless I know you're the right person."

 

"I am," Esen said. She felt oddly cold now, considering the circumstances--a reunion with an old friend. It made her uneasy. "Shadow Admin Ace's daughter. That's what you're getting at, isn't it?" The other woman's face lit up. She nodded. "So who are you?"

 

"Victoire," the other woman said. Esen continued to stare at her, though gave no real sign of recognition. The light in Victoire's eyes faltered. ". . .Victoire Coleman? Do you remember? The school in Jubilife? Our practice battles--Geodude and Murkrow . . .?"

 

Esen's gaze dropped to the ground as she racked her brain, trying to think--to associate anything she was hearing with anything. But she couldn't. She felt as if a black fog obscured everything beyond a certain point. All that she could come up with was a vague memory--a bare-bones image of her mother at the door, ordering Esen to come along with her . . .

 

And there was one other thing.

 

She looked at Victoire. "'Coleman'," she repeated. "You're Bounty's daughter." Victoire nodded, though Esen could still only shake she her head in response. "Look, I-I'm sorry . . . but I don't remember anything about you--about then." Her head was starting to hurt again. Esen gripped the bridge of her nose, scrunching her face in pain. "And . . . I don't know . . . Maybe you're mistaken about something? I mean . . . why would I have gone to a school in Sinnoh . . .?" She trailed off.

 

"Esen, I'm not--are you okay--?"

 

The Flying-Type Trainer waved a hand. "I need to find Kyle," she said. "I'm sorry--we can talk again sometime, but this place is . . . Not now. I'm sorry." She turned, slipping out of the alley and disappearing into the crowd. Victoire ran after her, though by the time she had made it to the alley entrance, Esen was already gone.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Parugi

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan
Ryan was still questioning why Ethan was at the Alamo when Sonja recognized another person who shouldn't be there, the criminal known as Black whom they had chased in Unova. Before Ryan could gather his thoughts on the sight of a known criminal walking freely around the Alamo's Command Center, Blackskull, ushered them all out of the room.
 
"You!" he cried, taking a step toward Black, his hand gripping Entei's Ultra Ball. He spoke to Blackskull, but his eyes never left Black. "Sir, this man is a criminal and a thief! You weren't with us at the time, but he was working with Maddison Hayes in Castelia. His actions led to Hayes capturing Sonja! Then he stole a poor girl's Oshawott and tried to frame me for the theft after I tried to chase him down." He glared at the criminal, his finger resting on the Ultra Ball's trigger. "And let's not forget the destruction he caused in southeast Unova. He's worse than a criminal -- he's a murderer. With all due respect, sir, this is not a man you want walking freely around your Command Center. I'd be willing to bet that he's the one behind what happened in R&D as well."
 
Under ordinary circumstances, Ryan might have been a bit more calm. But after the events of the last couple days -- even the last couple hours -- he was on edge. It was only Blackskull's presence that stopped him from sending out Entei and burning the criminal until he was as black as his name.
 
IC: George
"It's definitely not natural, that's for sure," the policeman said. He stared at the computer and pressed a few buttons. "It looks like..." He frowned. "That can't be. You were right, Dandy, there is a small surge right before that massive spike. But if I'm reading this right... it looks like it came from this lab."
 
"So it was Peter's doing?" Jimmy asked, glancing down at his unconscious friend. "I don't believe he would do something like that... not intentionally, anyway."
 
"Would he?" George asked. "Peter's always worked better with gadgets than with people."
 
"Are you suggesting Peter would have done this on purpose?!" Jimmy rounded on his captain, seething at the accusation.
 
"I'm suggesting he might have bit off more than he could chew," George said sternly. "The lab gets trashed, and there's a citywide blackout. There has to be some connection."
 
"The initial pulse may have come from here," Jimmy said. "But what about the energy spike?"
 
George turned back to the computer and pressed a few more keys. "It's hard to say." He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the screen. "The energy levels are so high, I can't pinpoint the source."
 
"Let me see," Jimmy said, brushing George aside. "Peter would know how to work this thing," he muttered, trying out a few buttons. "Wait... there!" He jabbed a finger at the screen. "Sevault Canyon. That's where the energy readings are the highest."
 
George nodded. "GPS won't work, so coordinates are useless to us." He grabbed the computer mouse, zooming in on the spot. "It looks to be about half a mile down the canyon." He turned to Jimmy. "Help me get Peter in the car. You need to get him to the hospital, and fast."
 
"And what about you?" Jimmy asked as they lifted the meteorologist and carried him outside.
 
"I'm going to investigate that canyon," George said. "Dandy, what do you think of taking a little hike with me?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray/Black==-

 

The Ryan with the codename 'Black' had been quiet up to that point, unsure how to respond to Sonja's questions, however, he scowled at the other Ryan, as Ray simply put his hand to his head, anticipating a headache sometime in the very near future. There was one thing that the other Ryan said, that he just couldn't forgive.

"You and I both know, kid, that it was my father that carried that act out; not me... But it's still something" Ryan said in annoyance to the other Ryan, as he crossed his arms, not making any move to attack any further. "... Look, I've left that stuff behind me..." Black tried to start to explain, but paused, confused, about that R&D comment. "I'm here because I just finished helping fend off a threat, after I was roped into helping a mission that went horribly wrong in many many many ways." The ex-criminal shook his head, a look of just total uncertainty on his face; both from their reactions, and from that comment.

"What do you mean about an R&D department, though?" Ryan asked, totally confused, as he guessed that it was NOT meaning Energon's place.

 

-==IC: Colette/Jayron==-

 

"Monean..." Colette said, running her hand across the emblazoned words. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know," Jayron frowned. "The words are too high up for Alexa to have written them. I wouldn't rule out Morty, although there's no telling how long that carving's been here."

"It doesn't matter," Colette said. "All that matters is that we find Alexa before..." Her voice trailed off as she extended her aura. She couldn't find Alexa's trail. She was able to sense a strange presence, though. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but one thing was clear.

They were not alone.

Colette looked around the room more, as she took a few testing steps into the room. She couldn't understand why, but the room felt almost... mystic, in a way. "What do you think about this...?" Colette asked, referring to the presence as she frowned slightly, unsure what that might be about.

Jayron closed his eyes. "It almost feels like we're being watched. But by who or what I couldn't tell you. This presence... it seems to be everywhere at once." Opening his eyes, he gave Colette a deep frown. "It's unsettling. But we have no choice but to go forward." He turned to his Swampert. "Be ready for anything," he warned.

 

The pair of aura wielders journeyed into the room down a long and narrow hallway. The walls rising on either side of them felt almost sinister, as if they were leading the trainers down the path to their doom. Just when it felt like the chamber couldn't possibly extend any further, the path split, one trail leading left, the other to the right.

Jayron scanned both choices with his aura. The overwhelming presence he felt was no stronger or weaker down either path than it was at the crossroads. With a worried frown, he glanced at Colette. "Any idea which way we should go?"

Colette looked between left and right, and then frowned. "Hmm... I think we should choose..." Colette looked to the right, and then nodded. "Right."

Jayron nodded and led the way, Aqua lumbering behind them. "What made you say right?" Jayron asked. "Did you sense something, or was it just a wild guess?"

Colette looked over at Jayron for a moment as if he were silly, and then looked back. "I followed my instincts."

"Well then," Jayron said. "Let's hope your instincts are right."

Colette stayed silent at Jayron's apparent lack of faith in her instincts; and then walked a little further as they got to another fork in the road. "Alright then, you can pick this time." Colette said with a hint of a smirk.

Jayron closed his eyes again, but was unable to get a feeling for which path was correct. "Well, we went right last time... so this time it should be left." He opened his eyes and led the way down the left path.

The trail curved around, then ended in a solid wall. Colette snickered, and then patted Jayron on the shoulder. "It's okay, maybe you'll get it next time." Colette said in amusement, as she began to head back the way they came.

Jayron frowned. "This place is a maze. Watch your back; this is the perfect place for someone to ambush us, while we're busy trying to find our way around."

Colette nodded. "Hm, good point; but, wouldn't we be able to sense them? Or..." Colette frowned, as she considered that mysterious feeling.

"Maybe we already are," Jayron said gravely. "The thing is, we don't know what it is we're up against. It feels like it's all around us, and yet there doesn't seem to be anything here. Just stay on your guard."

Colette nodded again, and began to cautiously head back to the crossroads, and then walked through the other path, wondering just what might lie ahead...

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan
"Don't play dumb with me!" Ryan cried. "Your father may have been the mastermind, but that doesn't mean you weren't involved, nor does it excuse your actions in Castelia and Nimbasa! It'll take more than just your word to convince me you've turned from the dark side. Fend off a threat?" The Liberty Agent scoffed. "Maybe you weren't down in R&D, but I'd bet you served as a distraction, just like you did with Hayes and your father! Why else would you be here?"

IC: Jayron/Colette
The two aura wielders continued through the maze in silence. Tensions rose each time a wrong turn was made, and the foreboding feeling that both trainers felt did nothing to help their decision making (or guesswork, on Jayron's part). It felt like an eternity, but they slowly made their way toward the center of the labyrinth. Jayron had half hoped they'd find Alexa there. Instead they found a gaping hole, about a six foot drop into a tunnel.

Colette frowned at the drop. "... Got a ladder or something?" she asked, unsure about how to get down there without getting hurt.

Jayron recalled Aqua, as the Swampert would find it hard to squeeze into the tunnel. "Sadly a ladder is not something we have in our Liberty toolkit," he said with a chuckle. "But that drop isn't too far." Grabbing onto the ledge, he carefully lowered himself down, then dropped down the last few inches. "See?" he called up. "No sweat."

Colette continued to frown, but nodded, as it definitely seemed to be not as big a drop as it appeared. Tentatively, she crouched down and turned around, slowly climbing down onto the edge of the ledge. Still uncertain about this, she slowly lowered herself down as well, and closed her eyes as she fell the rest of the way, and then opened her eyes and sighed. "Okay, I see your point there," she admitted, and then frowned, as she thought for a moment, and generated a small aura sphere in her hand to light the way. "Let's go, then."

Jayron nodded and peered into the tunnel. The ground gently sloped downward, extending into the darkness. The presence he had felt earlier seemed to extend even here; it was no stronger or weaker than it had ever been. The two trainers cautiously moved forward. Eventually the ground leveled out. "We must be below the water," Jayron said. "It makes me wonder, who do you think built these ruins? What could be down here that would prompt someone to construct that maze?"

"I'm not sure... This isn't like anything I've ever seen before. But... It's got an ancient sorta feel, as if this has been around for ages..." Colette said, just as unsure about what this was for.

Jayron fell silent, extending his aura and listening for any sort of ambush. All he could sense was himself, Colette, and that strange omnipresence. At any rate, Jayron was glad this tunnel was a straight path and not a maze itself. But he couldn't help but wonder just what purpose these ruins served. Eventually the ground started to slope up again, and they arrived at a similar hole about six feet above them.

Colette looked up at the hole. "Guess we're going up now, huh?"

Jayron nodded. "We'll have to jump." Leaping up, he hoisted himself onto the ledge and pulled himself up. The first thing he noticed was a deep fog surrounding him. Even if the fog weren't there, he wouldn't have been able to see beyond the glow of Colette's aura sphere. Praying that this room didn't contain another maze, he glanced back down at his fellow aura wielder. "Need a hand?"

Colette shook her head, dissipated the aura sphere, and then took a running jump at the ledge. With her momentum, she'd leapt up a bit higher than Jayron, and grabbed onto the ledge, and then pulled herself up after that. "Think I'm good," she said with a nod.

Jayron smiled. "We'll need that light back, if you don't mind," he said, as the room had now been cast into near total darkness.

Colette nodded, and generated the aura sphere once more, lighting up the room again. Colette looked around. The fog was still deep, but she was just able to make out the outline of the walls. It seemed like they were in one large chamber of sorts.

Jayron squinted through the fog, slowly walking along one of the walls. He paused when he came to a small gap in the wall, leading to another section of the chamber. "If this is another maze, it's a lot easier than the first one," he said.

Then he noticed another engraving on the wall, similar to the one at the entrance to the first room. It was carved in the same scrawled handwriting, looking somewhat faded with time. Like the first carving, it consisted of a single, incomprehensible word.

'LIPTOO.'

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan/Ray==-

 

"Because I just came from fighting against Quincy Adams." Ryan growled, really tired of these accusations. Ray, trying to keep his headache to a minimum, cut in to try and stop Ryan from attacking Ryan.

"Quincy Adams?" Ray asked to try and change the subject and expand on it, and Ryan frowned, as he looked over at Ray.

"Yeah; she's a Ford agent, according to her and the others who fought alongside me. She played Magma and Energon against each other, simply to get rid of them both, considering she personally took out both the leaders." Ryan said with a grim frown, as he looked over at the other Ryan again, as if to challenge him to doubt him again. "Also, I think I asked about an R&D department?" Ryan asked, and Ray sighed.

"We don't know much either; we noticed that it was destroyed when we got there." Ray said, and looked over at Blackskull. "Sir, do you happen to know anything about that...?"

 

-==IC: Lucia==-

 

"Hmm..." Lucia frowned, as she didn't think that this would get better, but gave herself about a minute before she got involved.

[Makuta of Time]

IC: Dandy

 

Looking at the unconscious Peter, he turned to George and said, "Sounds dandy to me, baby. Been a while since I got out to enjoy nature. Most of the time I've just been going to the cities to go for my jobs." Dandy got himself ready for adventure by starting to head to the door. "So let's get going, officer."

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"Of course! Just follow me guys." He said to the group, and began to walk down the street he mentioned earlier, looking for the left turn they needed to take. Pikachu decided to walk beside him rather that hitch a ride on his head.

[Konuju]

IC: George

George watched Jimmy drive off with Peter, then nodded to Dandy. "Alright, kid," he said. "Let's go."

 

By now it was late morning, although the sky remained overcast. "Sorry you had to come to Seven Island at pretty much the worst possible time," George said with a small chuckle as he led Dandy through the city. "It's normally a wonderful island that attracts several tourists. And I'm sure this whole fiasco has put a wrench in whatever plans you may have had." The officer was silent for a moment, then said, "I didn't have a chance to ask you about it last night, but how were your parents murdered? And... forgive me for being blunt, but how does becoming a bounty hunter help you enact revenge on their killers?"

[Parugi]

IC - Blackskull/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - The Alamo, Hall Outside Command Center:

 

"Everyone. Calm. Down."

 

It wasn't often that Blackskull lost his temper--there was a reason he was known as the most laid-back of the four people who had operated as Liberty Leaders, and it had been said that even when faced with what many had thought to be his demise during Ford's attack the previous year, he had remained as cool as ever. So to hear the edge on his voice now came as a particular shock, especially once those involved realized that he, too, was now holding a Poké Ball in his hand, despite never seeming to have moved to grab one.

 

"I'm not about to let you two start a battle in the middle of the hallway," he said. "If you don't like what you hear, then that's fine, but take it to the fields. In the meantime, at least listen before you start making threats." It was pretty clear who his words were addressed to. Sonja scowled, lowering her Poké Ball. Taking a breath himself, Blackskull looked at the three Liberty Agents. "How and what do you know about R&D?"

 

"We were just there," Sonja said. "The place is wrecked. It's closed off--pretty lazily, I might add--and it looked even worse when we went into the training facility in there. We figured it was related to whatever caused that summons earlier from Goldhawk."

 

"The lobby was wrecked?" Blackskull asked. Sonja nodded. He furrowed his brow, though said nothing else about this. "There was supposed to be someone on duty over there . . . Regardless, R&D was attacked yesterday by two anomalies. As far as we know, it was unrelated to what occurred today." The Liberty Leader gestured to Ryan Hikari. "He wasn't involved with R&D."

 

"But he was involved with fighting Quincy Adams," Ethan chimed in. He indicated himself and the other four Rocket Agents. "We can all vouch for him on that front. And, trust me, that counts for something--she's a nasty figure."

 

"So then, those injured Magma Agents we just saw . . ." Sonja turned to look down the hallway.

 

"Are the only survivors who managed to escape Havoc," Blackskull said, his tone somber. "Unfortunately, Adams got away, thanks to another Ford Agent's intervention."

 

Sonja fell silent. All of this was very troubling, from the implications about R&D to the news regarding the Ford attack on Team Magma. And to think that this Adams character had managed to destroy Team Energon alongside Magma . . . None of this, however, helped answer the question of why Black should be allowed to go free. Even if he did help against Adams, he had still done immeasurable damage to Unova, whether or not it was under his father's control. And that was not merely excusable.

 

"So you have nothing to do with R&D, and you helped out against Ford," she said to Ryan, voice as cold as ever. "But you should also still be in prison, considering everything that happened. Why did Team Plasma decide to let you out? And what about this 'mission' you were supposed to be doing in Havoc?"

 

IC - Sleight/Joker - Chapel, Sleight's Office:

 

A clock ticked from somewhere in the room. In the darkness of the office, it seemed to be the only confirmation that time continued to pass, toiling ever onward in spite of the silent begging of men and women for its trek to halt. The Shadow Admin of Kanto rested at his desk, eyes closed and covered by the hand that supported his weary head. His mind both raced and stalled, thoughts traveling in an endless limbo between the two extremes. It was a sensation that he could not remember as having felt for a long time, a sense of no direction and no ground from which to discern his place.

 

He felt lost. Well and truly lost.

 

Sleight opened his eyes, shifting his gaze to the desk in front of him. In the little light that managed to slide through the window curtains, blue eyes glinted from a framed picture. It was small, and different from the one that hung behind his desk, but the occupants remained the same: The Alaric family. This picture was private. Sleight did not like displaying it. Not because it was embarrassing, or because he was ashamed. Because it was a painful memory, a picture taken at a time when he had felt as if he might lose everything--everyone he loved.

 

It was a picture he only pulled out when he could relate to it. A reminder of what could happen.

 

A knock at the door, not so quiet as it was almost panicked, yanked his attention away. Sleight blinked, grabbing the framed photo and gently setting it face down. As he did so, the door opened. He had expected an attendant to enter--perhaps Eileen, or Sang. But not Joker. The Shadow Admin of Johto stepped inside, a clear sense of urgency about her. The sight of Sleight stopped her. He could guess why. Sleight knew that he was tired, and that anyone could tell--it was a stark enough contrast to his usual appearance that it was plainly obvious to anyone when it occurred, and all the more shocking to those who knew him well. He did not care. Clearing his throat, he stood, nodding to his fellow. "Joker. What can I help you with?"

 

"I came here with news," Joker said, though paused again as she approached. Furrowing her brow, she walked around Sleight's desk. He wouldn't look at her, even averting his gaze when she placed her hands on his face and gently forced him to look her in the eye. "What's happened to you?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

 

"Your eyes are completely bloodshot. And you're shaking."

 

Sleight pushed her hands away. "I haven't exactly managed to get a lot of sleep lately."

 

"That's not it. The last time I saw you like this was when L--"

 

"Vivian--I'm fine." The first-name ultimatum. That settled the issue. Sleight rubbed his eyes, continuing to move until he stood by a window near the office couches. "What did you come here to tell me?"

 

The Shadow Admin of Johto continued to watch him, wanting to press the health topic further. Knowing that it would go nowhere, she sighed, walking after him. "I found Levi."

 

That caught Sleight's attention. "Where is he?" he asked, immediately moving back toward Joker. "Is he all right? Where did you find him?"

 

Joker held a hand up. "Slow down, and take a seat," she said. "I'll tell you everything--though I'm going to warn you that you won't like parts of what you hear."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan/Ray==-

 

Ryan's ear twitched slightly when he heard mention of 'anomalies'. However, before he could actually question it, Sonja began to ask questions. Ryan seemed a bit uncomfortable about the whole Plasma thing, and it probably showed.

"Well, apparently I was recruited to help find someone, but..." Ryan's own brow furrowed. "After what happened the other day, I admittedly question the legitimacy of who got me out..." Ryan admitted with a sigh. "As for the mission; I was roped into helping Energon via that very blackmail, with Travis keeping an eye on me basically until we left, after I tried to stop them from doing anything the other day." Ryan explained, and frowned. "It wasn't just Adams, though; she was commanding a group called Deoza; they pretty much systematically killed every Energon and Magma agent they came across. Me and a few others only got away because the ambush they used against us failed and we could fight back. ... I was the only survivor by the time the Adams fight ended..." Ryan said, a pained look on his face as he recalled just how helpless he was at that moment.

"That all said..." Ryan frowned slightly, as he looked over toward Blackskull in slight confusion for a moment. "Did you say anomalies?" Ryan asked, as he recalled what had happened during his fight with Zach the other day.

Could... that be connected....? Ryan wondered, as he pondered it. What was the name, what was the name...

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (James)

James pondered Goldhawk’s question for a moment before responding, “As of this moment, the conditions make the latter option impossible, and the former options carry dire consequences.”

“As of right now the people of Hoenn are being fed a fantasy of them living in a government for and by them. They continue our old portrayal of Team Rocket as ruthless dictators, but they portray us as destructive anarchists. An image that the people bought because...

Considering his old failures, James did not want to rub salt in Silvermind’s old wounds as he knew he would not enjoy being reminded of them, but it had to be said.

“Because when we first took Hoenn from Team Rocket’s control, we failed to provide clear direction to the people. We did not so much give a message of ‘create a government for yourselves’ and inadequately watched over such a crucial period of change. This allowed Pierce to step in, bring order to Hoenn, and cast us all as destructive agents of chaos.”

James was going to add “or as vastly incompetent,” but he felt the point was made without that little addition.

“If we were to attack President Pierce right now,” he said adding emphasis on those last two words, “we would not have the love of the people. Rather, we would be proving Pierce’s message right, or the alternate message that we are power hungry monsters that attack all who stand against us.”

And now I am stepping on my own toes, he thought as he recalled the Sin who stood before him not long ago.

“As for his government, if Ford is half as competent as I believe him to be, I doubt that a single ranking member of his government above coffee maker was not handpicked by Ford or one his ‘Children’. The most likely criteria being ‘does not like Team Liberty or Team Rocket.’ Until we can make them hate Pierce more than us, they will not stand against him. And if they are even half-decent representatives, then they represent the will of the people, which as I have said, is not with us. As long as Pierce still holds the will of the people, he is untouchable.”

James paused for a breath before continuing.

“However, I believe that these conditions may be changed. As I said, the people of Hoenn are living in a fantasy constructed by Pierce, or really Ford. We must awaken the people of Hoenn to the truth. We must make public the nature of the terrorist Ford, reveal incontrovertible evidence that Pierce works for him, and reveal the true nature of Pierce’s government. The illusion that Team Liberty and Team Rocket are evil was weakened severely by our actions against the Darkrai. The illusion that Pierce cares for his people must be shattered.”

James sighed for a moment as he remembered the main problem with that plan.

“Of course there is the matter of obtaining the evidence that we need. Saying that his comrades admitted this matters little if we cannot present evidence that they made such testimony. On the other hand though, if both Team Liberty and Team Rocket testified to the same effect and spoke out in condemnation of the Hojohsin League, the people of Hoenn would at the very least, pause and ponder.”

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan
Upon Blackskull's request, Ryan lowered his Ultra Ball, but kept it in his hand, maintaining his icy glare at Black. He frowned at Blackskull's explanation of what happened in R&D. 'Anomalies' were a general term; all Blackskull had told him was that he barely knew any more than they did.
 
When Ethan chimed in, Ryan met eyes with him, confirming that he really was the Rocket who had helped him out of the Hojohsin prison. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Sonja asked Black about his prison and what he was doing in Havoc. At the mention of Déoza, Ryan raised an eyebrow. That was the company Ellen's father worked for. He glanced at Sonja and Ray, wondering if they also recognized the name.
 
When Black started asking about the anomalies, Ryan snapped at him. "Don't change the subject on us! It sounds to me like your loyalties are questionable at best. You're no longer working with Ford, and your own Team Energon had to blackmail you to keep you from betraying them. I guess that proves your only loyalties are to yourself. Who did Plasma want you to find? I suppose you betrayed them, too. Just pouring salt in their wound after you helped destroy half their region."
 
Ryan's blood was boiling. With Havoc in ruins and 'anomalies' attacking R&D, the last thing he needed was a criminal he had helped put behind bars suddenly roaming free. And just a few days ago, he thought bitterly. Everything was peaceful.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan glared over at Ryan, who had seemed to not have heard anything they said, or otherwise was way too stubborn.

"I never was with Ford in the first place. All I wanted back in Castelia, was to get back at Zach, and even that was a mistake that I'll admit." Ryan scowled, and shook his head.

Not like he'll listen to reason anyway. Ryan thought, and addressed the actual question.

"I was sent to find-" Ryan began to say, but was cut off by the cold tone of Ray's voice, directed toward the other Ryan.

"Jenny Hakuda." Ray glared at the Liberty Ryan, as he crossed his arms as well. "If you'd stay calm for a little bit, maybe that would have been explained." Ray said, but then shook his head. "I found her first, but I think Ryan had gone to help Zach...?" Ray asked, and Ryan nodded.

"Zach was looking for an old friend named Dahlia, who had been kidnapped too. It was all a set-up, though, which is why I question the legitimacy. We found her, after battling Alistair Ha-" Ryan was again cut off, as Ray processed the name quickly, and whirled around, a look of shock on his face.

"WHAT did you just say?" Ray asked, as if the name of a ghost had just been uttered.

[Makuta of Time]

IC: Dandy

 

Dandy's facial expression soon turned melancholic at the bringing up of the matter again. "To be honest with you, it's all thanks to the war going on with Liberty and Rocket. When I young they went out to go fight in the at against Rocket. During that time I was living in an orphanage where I spent half my life there."

 

He then looked off into the distance and resumed his memory telling. "One day, our Guardian came to me and gave me the message that they died. I knew that I had to get revenge for making me an orphan. I trained as hard as I could to become stronger and learn the art of training Pokemon like my parents. I remember when I was 15 I left the orphanage and fended for myself by becoming the person I am now. I've already taken some jobs for them, but during that time I was gathering intel on them on their operations. In order to ensure my secret stayed such, I erased my past and became a ghost of war."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Jenny Hakuda?" Ryan gave a bitter laugh. "You mean the girl whose Oshawott you stole? Gee, it's a good thing Ray found her first; she would've been just delighted to see you." The Liberty Agent rolled his eyes. "What about this Dahlia girl, did you steal from her, too?"

 

IC: George

"I see," George said with a frown. The unlikely pair of a police captain and bounty hunter had left the city and were now traversing the long bridge that connected the southern island to the northern one. A strong headwind blew down from the mountainous terrain that lay ahead, hampering their progress. They crossed the bridge in silence. When they finally made it to the canyon entrance on the other side, George paused. "As captain of the police force, I might be able to help you gather intel once this is all over." He smiled. "I may only be in charge of our city here on Seven Island, but I have friends in other departments across the regions. I can get them to help. Consider it thanks for helping protect my daughter from that Feraligatr."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray/Black==-

 

Black grit his teeth at Ryan's hard-headedness, however, before he could retort, Ray cleared his throat, frowning more now.

"What did you just say, Ryan?" Ray asked, as he gave Black a piercing look. Black turned his head to Ray, and frowned as much.

"I was about to say, Alistair Hakuda. Your brother. He survived that cave in, though, of course, Mr. Evil decided to hide that from all of us." Black said with a scowl, obviously not pleased by that. Ray was stunned by that information, and stayed quiet for the moment.

"So Gerald kept the fact that he was alive a secret from all of us... I feel like I should be more surprised, but after Jenny..." Ray mumbled, as he shook his head.

 

-==IC: Colette/Jayron==-

 

"... Liptoo? Who's coming up with these names? Why would I want a lip as well? It just doesn't make sense..." Colette mumbled, as she noticed the word that Jayron had discovered.

"You said these ruins seemed old," Jayron said. "Maybe it’s an archaic language of some sorts." He frowned. "I'm not an expert on caves, but most of them don't have fog like this. Then again, the weather outside isn't exactly normal, either. But something about this fog just seems unnatural, even moreso than the storms outside."

Colette nodded in agreement, as she looked around at the fog. "Yeah... Something just seems weird about this fog for sure. What even is this place...?"

Jayron took a cautious step forward. He squinted into the fog. He couldn't tell if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but it looked like there was a light in the far corner of the room, barely visible in the fog. "...Do you see that?" he asked.

Colette frowned slightly, as she noticed it too. "Hmm... I think so..." Colette mumbled, as she looked over at Jayron, to see what he'd do, and then cautiously moved forward toward where the light was.

Jayron moved forward as well, keeping a protective hand up. The light seemed to almost dance around. The Liberty executive was reminded of the wisps of light that Gastly or Rotom sometimes appeared as. The light certainly seemed like it had a mind of its own. Then, without warning, the light shot forward. Jayron instinctively threw up an aura shield, deflecting the bolt.

Colette frowned as she ducked instinctively, her hands glowing just in case, as she looked around. "What was with that...?"

"Whatever it was, there's more of them." A dozen more wisps of light appeared around the aura wielders, all different colors. Jayron formed a shield in front of them.

Colette's eyes widened, as the wisps formed into spheres, and then flung toward the two of them, bouncing off the aura shield that Jayron made. "That's... that's aura, isn't it?" Colette gasped, unsure what to think about that.

 

Jayron's eyes widened. "You... you're right," he said, ducking as one of the spheres flew toward his head. "But aura can't act like that by itself... so--" He grimaced as another sphere grazed the edge of his shield, almost clipping his arm. "So who's wielding it?"

Colette ducked again, as the spheres continued to fly around. "I'm.. not sure..." Colette frowned, as she looked around desperately, trying to find a way to get rid of the spheres.

Jayron extended his aura to search the room for their attacker. But all he felt was that strange presence. "We need a new strategy!" he cried as the spheres launched themselves at them left and right. They were able to dodge or deflect the spheres for now, but Jayron knew that neither of them could keep this up for long.

Colette growled slightly in desperation, as she struggled to think of a new strategy, and then, with an annoyed look on her face, launched off an aura sphere of her own to try and counter the other spheres.

The two spheres collided in a burst of light, canceling each other out. Jayron raised an eyebrow. "Guess I should've practiced making Aura Spheres more," he said. Keeping one hand in front of him to maintain the shield, his other hand reached for a Pokeball on his belt. "Lucario, help Colette counter these aura spheres!" he cried. The Aura Pokemon appeared, quickly taking in the situation and assisting Colette. No matter how many spheres they destroyed, however, even more took their place. It was like a swarm of bees, surrounding the three aura wielders and hindering their movements.

Colette frowned, as she continued to fling Aura Spheres toward the opposing spheres. "We need to move forward!" Colette yelled out, and then paused, as she thought for a moment. "Lucario; can you widen up your aura blasts?"

Lucario nodded, eyes glowing as he formed spheres big enough to take out two of the opposing ones at once. As he did this, Jayron turned around, bringing his shield behind Lucario and Colette.

Colette focused, and then brought her hands together, and nodded to Lucario, as the two of them fired off their blasts together, as they aimed to take out all of the spheres blocking their path...

[Konuju]

IC: Jayron
For a moment, Jayron was blinded by the explosions of light as Colette and Lucario launched their attack. He could only listen to the frenzy as he held up his aura shield, praying it would deflect any spheres the others missed. His ears were still ringing when the lights faded. Colette summoned another palm-sized aura sphere to light their way. The dense fog remained, but the attacking spheres were gone.
 
For now, Jayron said to himself. He remained in place until his ears stopped ringing, cautious of another attack. The silence was even deeper than the fog. Jayron retracted his shield, his palms still glowing in preparation should he need to form the barrier again. "Let's move," he whispered to the others.
 
Lucario closed his eyes and scanned the room. There's another tunnel on the far side of the room, he said. We should make haste. We may have stopped those spheres, but this place still unnerves me.
 
"Right," Colette said as she followed Lucario with a frown. "Do you really think Alexa came this way? I can't find any trace of her aura here."
 
"I don't know what it is we're sensing down here," Jayron said. "But those aura spheres, combined with our inability to sense anything other than this strange presence suggests that we may be up against another aura user."
 
"They'd have to be very skilled if they can block us from reading their aura like that," Colette said. Her frown grew deeper.
 
"Exactly," Jayron said gravely.
 
The trio continued to navigate through the chamber, all on high alert. Shadows danced on the walls as Colette carried her aura light. Jayron peered into the darkness. He couldn't tell if he was just seeing the swirling mist or if his eyes were playing tricks on him, or if there really was something watching them. Scanning with aura proved no more useful than it had in the previous room; if something really was watching them, it seemed it was everywhere at once or nowhere at all.
 
Suddenly another seven wisps of light appeared in a circle in front of the aura wielders, causing them to jump. Colette lobbed the aura sphere she held in her hand at the lights, but it merely flew through the middle of them. The circle began to spin, and before Jayron's eyes seven lights became fourteen. Fourteen became twenty-eight as the lights continued to spin at a dizzying rate. In the middle of the ring, the faint outline of a round object became visible, obscured by the fog. The lights continued to grow in intensity, revealing the round object to be a small floating Pokémon with a pink floral pattern.
 
"A Munna?" Jayron blinked. "They can't use Aura Sphere, can they?"
 
As if in response, two spheres of light shot out from the spinning ring, spiraling toward Jayron and Colette. Jayron quickly activated his shield, deflecting the bolts just before they would have hit them.
 
Colette shook her head, already forming another Aura Sphere in her hands. "Most Munna shouldn't be able to do that," she said. "This one must be very well trained."
 
With a confident grin, Jayron reached a hand for the Pokéballs on his belt. "Well so are we." The Munna wasted no time in performing a Calm Mind as Jayron sent out his Absol. "Night Slash!" the executive cried.
 
As Absol leapt forward to execute the move, a hemispherical aura shield extended from the ring of light surrounding the Munna, blocking the Dark-type move. From behind the barrier, the Munna began forming an Aura Sphere, launching it at the unsuspecting Absol as soon as the shield had lifted. The attack dug into Absol's side, sending her sliding across the chamber. Without missing a beat, the Munna turned its attention to the three aura wielders, sending a hypnotic pulse toward them in an attempt to lull them to sleep.

[Parugi]

IC - Blackskull/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - The Alamo, Hallway Outside Command Center:

 

As Ryan continued to argue with Ray and Ryan, Sonja closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pressing a finger to her temple. This conversation was going in so many different directions that it was becoming exceedingly difficult to even begin to formulate a coherent response, not to mention deciding what was relevant to which situation and what wasn't.

 

"You know, none of this changes the fact that--by your own admission, more or less--you should still be in prison," she said after a moment. "Not to mention that this whole explanation is the flimsiest story I've ever--"

 

"Oh, come on." Sonja glared at Ethan, an expression only matched in intensity by the look of surprise that the other male Rocket was giving him. He received, too, a raised eyebrow from Blackskull. He uncrossed his arms and stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Look, I'm aware that I have basically no reason to get involved with this argument, but don't we all have bigger fish to fry?"

 

"He helped destroy a quarter of Unova," Sonja responded. "No amount of 'change' will ever change that."

 

"Neither will throwing him in jail to rot, especially if the vague bits and pieces I'm hearing about some other guy being behind it holds any sort of weight," Ethan said. "He's out already and it doesn't sound like he's going back anytime soon. So why not make use of him while he's here?" Sonja rolled her eyes, looking the other way. "Heck, if you won't, then why not--"

 

Gavin grimaced. "Not again . . ."

 

"--let us take him?" Ethan finished, ignoring his teammate. "Wouldn't be the first boxed crook Team Rocket has taken in, and once we've got Ford under control we can go after that other guy. In the meantime, if Team Plasma wants him back, they can have him. Granted . . ." He adjusted the sunglasses sitting on his head. "I'd imagine they're not too sad about him being out of the country, eh?"

 

"And you did it again . . ." Gavin sighed. "Great . . ."

 

Sonja remained silent for several moments. Then, with a shake of her head, she raised a hand, turning away. "You know what," she said. "Do whatever you want with him. As long as he's as far away from me as possible." Ethan shrugged at her back, before moving back into his own spot. Sonja, meanwhile, turned to Blackskull. "I take it, then, that there's nothing to do about Havoc, or Team Magma or Team Energon. What about Ford? What about these 'anomalies'?"

 

"One issue at a time, not-so-young child," Blackskull said. "The only lead we have on Ford right now is Pierce--"

 

"Pierce, sir?"

 

"James Pierce, President of Hoenn," Blackskull clarified. Sonja remembered their return from Unova the previous year, when they had first discovered the Hojohsin takeover, and nodded. "Both Adams and the other Ford agent who appeared in Havoc named him as one of their allies. Goldhawk, Silvermind, and Executive Arthur are discussing possible means of addressing this as we speak." He replaced the Poké Ball he was holding on his belt. "As for the anomalies in R&D--you'd want to talk to Vert for more specific details, but she and Executive Arthur were attacked by a pair of girls calling themselves Lust and Greed. We're calling them 'anomalies' because they exhibited powers that normal people should not be capable of possessing, and both disappeared after being defeated. Those thrones in the training facility are the only indications that they were ever there."

 

Sonja frowned, looking at Ryan and Ray. "Didn't Jupiter say something similar attacked Team Galactic?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Black/Ray==-

 

Ryan was surprised by the offer, but nodded in gratitude to Ethan and the others, as Lucia smirked, especially at Gavin's response. However, what Ryan was more surprised about, was the further explanation about the anomalies.

"Lust and Greed? Disappearing after defeat?" Ryan asked, as his eyes widened. Ryan looked around as he tried to make sense of it, but... It all matched. His suspicions had just been confirmed, and Ryan frowned grimly. "Zach and I were attacked by the same sorta being in Goldenrod. That guy called himself 'Wrath'... I was barely able to defeat the guy, and just... what he said now makes a little sense." Ryan said, as he explained further about what had occurred in Goldenrod, as Lucia nodded.

"I remember that too; hadn't really paid attention to who all was fighting, but that all makes sense now." Lucia said, as he frowned, wondering what this all meant.

 

Ray, on the other hand, simply nodded slowly to Sonja.

"Yeah, she mentioned something similar, I think..." Ray said, as that part of that day had been a little hazy, memory wise.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"She talked about a girl with dark powers or something," Ryan said. "Lust, Greed, Wrath... sounds like a messed up version of the seven dwarfs." He turned to Blackskull. "Sir, are you saying that Ford is basically controlling Hoenn through Pierce?" He shuddered at the thought. "Does that mean Ford's pulling the strings behind the Hojohsin League as well?" He glanced at Ethan. The Rocket agent had offered the other Ryan a place with Team Rocket, but he wondered if he even recognized the young Liberty agent he had helped out in Lilycove last year.

[Parugi]

IC - Blackskull/Sonja Baron/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall - The Alamo, Hall Outside Command Center:

 

"The Seven Deadly Sins, to be exact," Blackskull said to Ryan and Ryan. He looked at the group as a whole. "The one Jupiter encountered went by the name of Envy. No one has reported any sightings of her since Team Galactic fell, so she could still be at large. But it's also possible she's been defeated already by whoever she decided to target. Either way, that potentially leaves three more--Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth--to watch out for, assuming the full set of seven are a threat."

 

These things are starting to sound like the Ancients all over again, Sonja mused. Except not . . . The Darkrai took so long to take down, not to mention the sheer amount of firepower that ended up being needed. How can these Sins go down so easily by comparison if a single one is deadly enough to destroy an entire organization?

 

"Anyway, that's all I can tell you about them," Blackskull continued. "If you want more first-hand information, I can give you clearance to speak with Vert. She's in the infirmary, recovering from her injuries." He began typing on his Pokétch, doing just as he promised even as he promised to do it. He glanced at Ryan. "As far as Hojohsin--we can only go on Adams and the other agent's word, but it would seem that way. It would certainly explain why Pierce's anti-Liberty and Rocket policies haven't let up despite the war being on hold, at least on a political level. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it just yet, so for the moment all we can do is lay low in Hoenn until we figure out how to cut those strings."

 

 

As the group continued to discuss these very serious topics, the Liberty Chanseys returned with the Rocket Agents' Pokémon. As they busied themselves with sorting out which one belonged to which person, Ethan continued to observe the group of Liberty Agents and Ray and Ryan--particularly keeping an eye on Ryan Sanders.

 

It felt like it had been a lot longer since the incident in Hoenn. As such it had taken Ethan a moment to fully recognize him, and somewhat longer to recall where they had crossed paths. But now that he thought about it--and the longer that he did so--he was beginning to question whether this was, in fact, the same kid that he had broken out of the Hojohsin prison in Lilycove. Perhaps it was simply that they had interacted less back then, or perhaps it was simply the differences in circumstances . . .

 

No. That second explanation was stupid.

 

They were in the middle of Team Liberty's base. Their first meeting had been in a prison. Given those two settings, Ethan would have expected a more aggressive persona to have appeared in the latter, not in the former. And that was the thing: This kid seemed a lot angrier now than he had seemed back then. What could have happened in the time between their paths crossing that would have caused such a stark change? Obviously the other Ryan was part of it, but that couldn't be the whole story . . . Or could it . . . ?

 

Skye nudged him in the arm, prompting the older agent to look at her. She smiled sheepishly, offering Suya and Kada's Poké Balls, which he accepted with a gracious grin and a small bow of his head. As he replaced the Poké Balls on his belt, the former Zephyr leaned against the wall next to him, hands behind her back. "You're a lot more glum today than usual," she said. "What's on your mind?"

 

Ethan crossed his arms and sighed. "More than is healthy," he said quietly. She gaze him a confused look. "Adams, McKinley, Levi . . . Pierce, Hojohsin . . . Now these 'anomalies', these Sins . . ." He closed his eyes. "I'm starting to think the world moves a bit too fast for my tastes . . . Makes it difficult to understand everything sometimes. You know?"

 

"I guess," Skye said, shrugging. They fell silent for a few moments. "It could be worse."

 

Ethan looked at her, surprised. "Yeah? How so?"

 

A smile appeared on Skye's face. "You could have been unlucky enough to have gotten involved in the middle of everything, instead of being there from the beginning." She looked at him. Anyone else might have worn a pointed expression. Skye's was merely one of dignified acceptance. "I guess that's the difference between pawns and queens, huh?"

 

It took a moment for Ethan to fully understand this. When he did, he smirked, ruffling her hair. "Don't say that as if it's a bad thing," he said. "A pawn is just a queen waiting to be set free." Ethan looked at the others, gaze shifting from Gavin to Jamie to Ryan Sanders to everyone else, not really focusing on one individual in particular. "You just gotta get to the other side first, is all."

 

IC - Goldhawk/Silvermind - The Alamo, Command Center:

 

"Mistakes were made with Hoenn," Silvermind responded, the only indication of annoyance being the slight thinning of her lips. For the most part, she seemed to remain very calm, understandably more concerned with developing a new course of action than she was with defending previous failures. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. "There may be something we can do."

 

"And that is . . .?" Goldhawk asked, watching her as she moved away from the railing she had been leaning against and approached the pair. The Liberty Leader reached up, pulling down one of the suspended touchscreens and calling up a map of the region.

 

"We can't be so sure of the populace's belief in their government," she said. "Don't forget that there was a general public sentiment against Team Rocket even while they were being fed anti-Liberty propaganda, so much so that they were willing to help in throwing off Ace's hold of the region. The Hoenn public is an independent people, and they will act as one against an oppressive force if the need arises."

 

Silvermind pulled up a general profile of Pierce. A photo of him from his induction ceremony appeared, alongside a set of general stats and an older analysis of his political standings. The Liberty Leader gestured to this.

 

"Consider this," she continued. "Public opinion across all four regions consistently demonstrates a trend suggesting dissent toward the war between Team Liberty and Team Rocket. Our ceasefire was met with widespread approval, to the point where Liberty and Rocket agents from Hoenn were able to return to the region following the Ancients' defeat and help rebuild without having to worry about being imprisoned. Yet Pierce's political rallying has continued to push the region in that direction. Even for a maverick like him--and, believe me, he was a maverick even before becoming the region's leader--that kind of behavior doesn't make sense within the current regional conditions. Note that public support of these movements has been decreasing even as he continues to promote them."

 

"So we may be able to get the public on our side if this keeps up," Goldhawk said slowly. "That's good news, but that still doesn't give us a directed means of getting that support, or using it."

 

"I was getting to that," Silvermind said. "Pierce's power is in jeopardy whether he needs it or not. Team Liberty and Team Rocket publicly denouncing him and the Hojohsin League could cause ripples, and those could potentially result in another upheaval. But . . ." She turned back to James and Goldhawk, eyes narrowing as the idea continued to blossom. "What if we used his political position against him? We call a public meeting--delegates from Hojohsin, Team Liberty, and Team Rocket. A live event. We make no mention of any suspected connections to Ford. Instead, we request a peace treaty, a ceasefire between him and us. If he accepts, and we successfully negotiate a compromise, then we have officially removed the barriers he has set up for us in Hoenn. And if he refuses . . ."

 

"That's when we put on the pressure," Goldhawk finished for her. Silvermind nodded. "Hojohsin has no excuse to refuse a direct request to cease antagonizing Team Rocket and Team Liberty, especially not at the risk of setting off a reaction within the region. And in that event--perhaps that would be the time to bring in our suspicions about Ford?"

 

Silvermind nodded. "If we play our cards right, it's possible he would expose himself to the people of Hoenn," she said. "An engineered public confession at its finest." She placed her hands on her hips and looked at James. "Well, Arthur? Think it could work?"

 

IC - Sleight/Joker - Chapel, Sleight's Office:

 

". . . Abyss is continuing to track her as we speak. As soon as we have her location, we'll know where Levi is."

 

By the time Joker finished speaking, all signs that Sleight had been in any sort of daze had virtually vanished. The Shadow Admin of Kanto gently set his glass down, partially in disbelief, partially in amazement as he continued to process everything that he had been told. After some time, he looked back up at Joker. He seemed on the verge of speaking several times, though never seemed quite sure of his words. Finally, he looked at the ground.

 

"Please," he said quietly. "Find them quickly."

 

"As fast as we possibly can," she said. "You have my word."

 

The lights flickered. Joker looked up. They flickered again, drawing Sleight's attention back up. The two Shadow Admins looked around, keenly aware of a sudden sinking feeling in the air. The lights flickered more. Various screens within Sleight's office glowed a dull glow as they activated. Sleight and Joker jumped to their feet as white static appeared across the nearest television screen.

 

Both Shadow Admins glanced at their Poké Gear as words appeared on the screen.

 

How touching.

 

They covered their ears as a horrid, metallic screech filled the room from the speakers, accompanied by the blinking, flickering appearance of a cartoonish skull outline amidst the static. The sound shattered the drinking glass that Sleight had just set down. It lasted for several moments, before finally fading out.

 

A familiar silhouette appeared in the static and skull's place, the only visible features being the reflection of light on teeth displayed by his grin.

 

"Sleight. Joker," John Ford said. He sounded more cheerful than ever before, as if reuniting with old friends at a breakfast cafe. "It's been a while."

 

"You . . ." Sleight gritted his teeth, blood boiling with anger. "How dare you speak to me . . . after what you've done . . ."

 

"Come now, Sleight," Ford said. "I dare to do a lot of things, all for benevolent purposes. I only wish there were some way to make you people understand that . . ." He sighed. "But, it is no matter. I take it you're referring to Levi. Yes, admittedly I was surprised by McKinley's insistence on recruiting him, but it's all the same to me. Fear not--you can rest easy knowing that he is in safe hands."

 

"'Safe hands'?" Joker scoffed. "McKinley brought that child into an imploding base--one that your people were demolishing! How is that safe?"

 

"A reckless act to some degree, but I would hardly call that a danger," Ford said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now, if he had been left with you, Joker . . . There would be a cause for concern. Alas, all I can offer is my word: The safety of the Children is my highest priority. No danger of death will come to him under my watch." He frowned slightly. "Mental health, unfortunately, is another matter entirely. But I hardly imagine that will be a concern in Levi's case, all things considered."

 

Sleight clenched his fists. "Is this what you've called us for?" he asked. "To hurl insults? To dangle the life of my son in front of me like it's some sort of toy!?"

 

"Hardly. I'm above that brand of pettiness," Ford said. "No. I'm afraid it's Joker that prompted this call. Or, rather, what she has told you." Her eyes widened. "You see, the time is not yet upon us, and it concerns me that should she continue to hound my operative, Adams, as much as she has been for the past while, everything could be placed in jeopardy. And I cannot allow that to happen, not when so much is at stake." He leaned back in his seat, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry that it has come to this. Really, I am. But if it is the only thing that will occupy you as long as I need you to be . . ."

 

"What are you talking about?" Joker asked. Her voice quivered, recalling McKinley's comment to her back in Havoc. Sleight, too, felt an icy chill sweep over him. Both utterly dreaded what they were about to hear.

 

Ford fell silent for a moment. "I have broken my word," he said, his tone sincerely apologetic. The Shadowed Man leaned forward in his seat, resting his head against his curled hands. The barest trace of his features could be made out against the darkness that surrounded him, his dark green eyes flashing out of the shadows for the briefest of moments. "The Shadow Admins' homes . . . Their families . . . Women, men, and children that I agreed never to target . . . until now." Joker and Sleight stared in shock. "The shadows of deep slumber approach them as we speak . . . Perhaps eternal . . ."

 

"Call it off, Ford," Joker said, barely able to speak through the constriction of her throat. "Please . . ."

 

Ford shook his head. "It's too late for that, Joker," he said. "Perhaps there is still time . . . for one of you to protect your family . . . but which one? The Moreno children . . . or the grieving Alaric?" The Shadowed Man bowed his head. "I wish you luck."

 

". . . No . . ." Sleight shambled forward. "FORD!" he shouted, gripping the screen. "I swear--if you touch so much as a hair on those kids' heads . . . If you go anywhere near my wife--I WILL TEAR YOU APART, DO YOU HEAR ME!?" It was no use. Ford vanished from the screen. Sleight stumbled backward, visibly shaking with rage. With a roar of anger, he grabbed the nearest object--in this case a small statue of a Charizard--and hurled it at the television, shattering the screen. Joker remained motionless as he swept past her, returning to his desk to grab his coat and a pill bottle from a drawer.

 

Joker turned to him, her face as pale as snow. "S-Sleight," she stammered. "I can't bring you home . . . I have to get back--"

 

Sleight stopped, staring at her. "How many teleporting Pokémon do you have?"

 

The Shadow Admin of Johto placed a hand against her head. "I think . . . two?" She jumped in surprise as Sleight tossed her a Poké Ball. Inside, his Volcarona stared up at her, eyes burning with a desire for battle. Looking back up, she reached down, unclipping her Claydol's Poké Ball and tossing it back to him.

 

He wasted no time in sending it out. Sleight stared directly at Joker, locking eyes with her. Any weakness that may have been there before was now gone, replaced with an icy flame. "Protect Sam and Will at all costs," he said. "Do not hesitate for a second. That's an order." Without another word, Shadow Admin Sleight vanished, leaving Joker with the echo of the hope within his heart:

 

That there was still time.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

ooc: Ok, being that I am new here both on BZPRPG As well as this topic/RP may I ask some forward questions to be answered? Yes that being the first, lol.

Sorry about having so many questions in advanced as I did not exactly see an FAQ topic for this RP thus do not know where to go to get the answers I seek.

 

1) Is this the only topic and thus where we post our Profiles both trainer and pokemon?

 

2) Also where are these rules on attacks that can be learned? I mean there is Sellibii.com for any information regarding egg moves along with assorted other data, however is that a viable option here?

 

3)If so do you define-egg moves as only what is on their respective lists or can it be anything that a hatched pokemon could have? I ask because I don't want to have a "yep that move cannot be used due to it being an upgraded version of a lesser move." The example provided was Ember -> Flamethrower. However as an avid Charizard fan and thus likely starting with Charmander, does that leave Flamethrower off as a first move? Or would it just be classed weaker due to a prior statement regarding the exp values expressed as an attack's strength?

 

4)  Regarding Profile approval (Trainer or Pokémon), again do I post it here for said approval or say PM it to a GM at what point if approved I post it?

 

5) On the same note, what of future captured pokemon? Do they have to go through an approval process and then get added to the trainer profile post?

 

6) While on the topic of capturing, would it happen before or after Approval of a new pokemon's profile? An example would be if I happen to come across that Fletchling, I want do I go about trying to capture it then or first submit a profile request?

 

7) On battling NPC pokemon or trainers: Who does the opponent? The poster or maybe somebody else? This goes back to my prior questions regarding wild pokemon encounters profile. Naturally the pokemon in question is not going to "not" put up a fight, so how do I decide if as the poster how it will defend? Based on the moves I'd want it to have upon capture or does it not really matter?

 

I think that should get me started so I can join up as I have never actually done a Pokémon TBRPG. It should give me a viable idea on my starting 3 pokemon and my first possible wild encounters not including PvP interactions.

[Blessed Blade]

OOC: Hi! Just to help out, this is the discussion topic in this link: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/9816-rise-of-the-rockets-discussion-topic/

 

Will help for the answers. =)

 

1. It isn't, actually; as linked above, we have a discussion topic; though that's the only other topic. ^^

 

2. Any egg move can be learned to start as long as it's labeled as such. (Though, it might be weaker or incomplete to start if it's a really strong move. =P)

 

3. Egg Moves for this are literally what's on the list; however, Charmander could theoretically know anything from its level-up list; but typically, it's upgraded upon evolution and starts with low-base power moves... Or at least, that's what I do. xP

 

4. You don't have to PM it to us unless you wanna plan out captures ahead of time and keep them secret; posting it in the discussion topic is totally fine! ^^

 

5. Pretty much; though they can be posted to be approved here in an OOC, we're more lax regarding that, since it's just become habit. =P

 

6. Well, it typically depends, especially for evolutions. Rule of thumb is that you at least wait for approval to use the Pokemon, but approval before works just as well as capture and profile in the same post; especially since either Parugi or I are usually on to approve at any given point. =P (More often me, but. xP)

 

7. Well... That really depends. xD A lot of the time, it's you yourself, though sometimes it can be a GM if requested. (just as long as it's not a three trainer gauntlet that takes like three months, that was tried once and I kinda just lost inspiration by trainer three... ^^'''')

Pokemon, however, you can control for sure, especially if you're catching them. xP It also depends on whether it's an important NPC or just a nameless NPC, as important NPCs like Sleight or so definitely are GM-driven. =P

 

Hope this all helps, though, always good to have new faces! ^^