Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"I would appreciate it, if you would kindly stop it. Both of you." Ray stepped forward, a lot more awake and alert now, and very annoyed at these events. Even at that moment, Orihime squawked in protest, as she tried to figure out how to help without hitting Togie, and really not finding a way. "You say you want our help, then stop attacking Togie now, and start moving. Because I'm starting to really get mad at this 'McKinley' guy. Very mad." It was very obvious looking at Ray, that he was not happy at McKinley at all. Why, however, was still a secret to everyone but him, other than taking two of his friends in about as many days. "When did this happen?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"If you don't mind my interrupting, Ray, I'm also not very pleased with this 'McKinley' character." Evan said, forgetting his fatigue for a few moments. "He took Ellen, you say? No, that she's willingly helping Ford?

Evan may have been outraged outside, but inside, he was heartbroken. Why would Ellen, the sweetest person he knew, join Ford? Why would she after all she had seen, do it? There would be time for the Hero of Space to think. Right now, he had bigger Magikarp to fry.....

"Let that Togekiss go, and then we can start talking." Evan said, trying to keep himself together. "There is no need for further violence. Let's just chill out, ok?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander

Xander had started to move once Paul spoke, but was too slow to stop the ensuing chaos. Before he or Sylph could react, the Togekiss was in a reverse of the previous situation, and the other two guys in the room were stepping forward. The younger trainer shot a glare at the blacksmith before looking to the person who'd asked when it happened. "Yesterday. Last night actually, less than ten hours ago." 

 

 He glanced back at Paul. "You're really not helping our case here. Is violence your first solution to everything?" So far, that was what it had seemed like, battling Ellen, then almost starting a fight they couldn't win in someone's own home. Sylph nodded. You want your daughter back, but antagonizing her friends is no way to do it. Call back your Bisharp before they decide they're better off disposing of us and finding Ellen for themselves.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

From behind the Gardevoir came a familiar barking. Terry bounded into view, planting himself between Ryan and Paul and telling both of them to back off. The Herdier was pleasantly surprised to see the familiar faces of Evan, Jenny, and Ray in the room as well. He yelped a greeting to each of them, as well as a warning not to get involved in the conflict.

 

Paul glared at the assorted trainers in the room. He'd never been particularly fond of Ellen's group of friends -- after all, they had indirectly stolen his daughter, the reason he had come out to Hoenn in the first place. But Xander and Sylph had a point. They needed help, and holding someone at knifepoint (or bladed-hand-point) wasn't exactly the best way to make friends. "Tell your Togekiss to back down," he said as Bisharp cautiously backed away. "I don't like you, and you don't like me. But we do have one thing in common: concern for Ellen's safety. We're going to have to work together if we want to get her back safely."

 

Ryan nodded to Togie, who fluttered back to the wall and kept a wary eye on the Bisharp. "So," the Liberty agent said, glancing down at Terry. "You actually saw Ellen get taken by one of Ford's goons?"

 

"They teleported away," Paul explained. "I came to Hoenn trying to find my daughter. We didn't hear anything from her for six months. She even missed her tenth birthday." Ryan awkwardly scratched the back of his head, but didn't speak up. "I finally found her yesterday, under the bridge on Route 110. I... convinced her to come home with me, which we would have done after trying to stop an attack in Celadon City with the help of one of Ellen's friends named Ryan."

 

At this, Ryan raised an eyebrow. This was the first he'd heard of anything going on in Celadon.

 

Paul noticed the Togekiss trainer's intrigued look. "I take it you're Ryan," he said. "Sorry we got off on the wrong foot."

 

"Don't worry about it," Ryan said, managing a smile. "People barge in here uninvited all the time." He wished he had made that up, but it seemed to be turning into a regular thing.

 

"Anyway," Paul continued. "Before we could leave the bridge, this McKinley guy shows up. No clue how long he'd been watching us, but he started talking to Ellen. Explaining Ford's objective, and something about nine children. He said he only needed her for one day. What he neglected to explain until after he had knocked her out was this one day isn't until the end of the month. And then they teleported away to Arceus knows where."

 

Ryan bit his lip. "Ellen wasn't the first of our friends to be taken by one of Ford's agents," he said. "Unfortunately we don't know where to even start looking. You wouldn't happen to know where Ford operates from, do you?"

 

The blacksmith shook his head. "Like I said, he's a client, not an ally. I was hoping you'd have a bit more of an idea, having fought in the war and all."

 

"Nope," Ryan said. "I doubt even Goldhawk knows. I've only seen the guy on a video screen." The Liberty agent closed his eyes and shuddered as he recalled the day Ford -- or The Shadowed Man, as he'd been known as then -- had contacted Blackskull and orchestrated Bluefalcon's death. When he opened his eyes, he looked back at the three (four, counting Terry) intruders. "I still have one question, though. I know you're Ellen's father, but who's your friend?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

The Kalos trainer finally lowered his hands, glad to see the tension easing a bit. "I'm Xander. I met Ellen over in Slateport, after I got off the ship from Kalos." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I saw a lost little girl and offered my help. I was gonna get her here, go deal with Celadon, and then help her find someone in Lilycove." He tapped the toe of his sneaker against the floor, a scowl crossing his face.

 

"I don't know her as well as you all do, but... She wouldn't have been under that bridge if I hadn't shown up when I did. If we have any leads, I want to help rescue her."

 

Sylph, who had been probing during the conversation, spoke to Ryan's mind alone. Also, could you perhaps tell us who to speak with in order to join Team Liberty? That's why we left Kalos in the first place.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"Ray Hakuda, left before everyone else last Christmas because I was a bit thick-headed." Ray said, as he waved slightly at the two, but kept an eye on Paul. Jenny stayed quiet, as she tentatively looked between everyone present. "I have a question, though, what's this about Ford, again? How do you know him, again?"

 

"Déoza." Jenny reminded, as she sighed. "He works for Déoza."

 

"Déoza..." Ray mumbled with a frown, as he thought for a moment, but then paused. "... Isn't that the group...?" His frown deepened, as he made the connection, and sharply glared at Paul. "That's the group that killed most of Team Magma and Team Energon." He was not in the mood right at that moment. "Just what else has your little company been doing? Did they provide the bombs that damaged Castelia? I want to find Ellen, but you're not helping your case right now." The Separatist was likely being reckless, but at that precise moment, Ford, or any groups related to him, were not on his good side at all.

[JiMing]

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"Floaroma Meadow? So it's got a lot of pretty flowers, huh?" Lachina asked, turning to Mercury. "Hmm, maybe I should hope our travels take us to Sinnoh. That would be a pretty nice place to visit someday, wouldn't you agree?" she said, as all three of them walked closer to the Gym, nothing seeming suspicious in that moment.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury

A frown crossed Mercury's face, and he glanced to Anubis. "Yeah, sure. Flowers... aren't really my thing, though." He shrugged, looking back to the ranger girl. "But we'll visit as celebration for... everything else we have going on right now."

 

He sped up to overtake Lachina, walking next to Zac. "Is the gym locked up, or are people allowed to go in and poke around?" He would hate to get arrested for trespassing just because they'd been asked to investigate.

 

IC: Belle - Present Day

The collector lounged in the pokémon center, tapping her fingers on her knee. She had come into port two days prior, and was now trying to kill time before her next ferry. She seemed to live her life on boats, these days...

 

Still, it wasn't all bad. Vermilion City was a pretty lively place. Tourists were everywhere, so busy seeing the sights and snapping pictures that they didn't notice someone reaching into their pockets and grabbing their wallets. Belle had made more money picking pockets in a few hours than she had in battles over the last months.

 

Added onto the easy marks was the fact that the city was gorgeous, with a small beach to relax on. The water was incredibly clean considering how industrialized Kanto was, and Belle had even spent most of the previous day swimming with Hemlock, Arsenic, and Buckthorn. Cyanide had hovered on the shore nervously. All-in-all, she enjoyed the city.

 

Once she was ridiculously wealthy, she would have to by a place here, so she could enjoy the beach during Kanto's mild Summers.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

"Ray, what did I say?" Evan said sternly. "We have to chill out. I may not like it, but her father is asking for our help. Ellen is one of the few people I would break the world apart for, Mr. Burks. I will help you as much as I am able."

 

Evan didn't appreciate what had happened. But there was no time to be choosy about who helped find Ellen. Something was wrong here and the more people who could help, the better off they would be. Before Paul could reply to his statement, the tired Hero continued speaking.

"You may work for a company responsible for many despicable things, Mr. Burks." Evan said, still trying to maintain his composure. "You may not like us. Right now, we have to set aside our differences and work together. For Ellen."

Evan then turned to Ray and added, "And for Sonja."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zac Blazer==-

 

"It's usually open." Zac said with a nod, as the trio reached the gym... which had its main door ajar. "... Not usually that open, though..." He frowned, as he motioned to the others, and crept closer toward the door, wondering what was going on there.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

"Glad to have you on board, Xander," Ryan said with a nod. He then turned his attention to the Gardevoir, focusing on their mental link. I would speak to one of the leaders or executives, he suggested. I joined Team Liberty myself about a year ago. However, I would wait until we get this Ellen situation sorted out before you go running off to the Alamo.

 

Ryan had just barely gotten his thought out when Terry began barking indignantly at Ray. The Herdier bared his fangs, furious at the orange-haired trainer for accusing his master.

 

Paul listened to Evan's speech and gave him an appreciative smile before directing a furious glare at Ray. "I didn't kill anyone. I'm a blacksmith, not a field agent. When there's a shooting, do you blame the guy who made the gun? What Ford or any of our other clients hire our field agents to do has nothing to do with me. You should listen to your friend. What I have or haven't done is not our main concern. It's getting Ellen back."

 

"Evan's right," Ryan said. "Whatever crimes Mr. Burks has committed or assisted with, we can worry about that after Ellen and Sonja are safe." The Liberty agent glanced from Ray to Paul, daring either of them to retort. "We need to work together and come up with some sort of plan. And I need to change out of my pajamas."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"Whatever." Ray shrugged, as he looked over at Evan as if he had pushed things a bit too much, but then look back at Paul with a frown. "I agree Ellen's our first priority. But I'm not gonna mince words. I don't like your morals, and I don't think it's that hard to realize why Ellen ran off, when you consider what morally bankrupt company you work for. But Ryan is right here, we need a plan. But at the same time, I don't see any ideas. We know about the stuff you told us, but that doesn't tell us anything. So... How do we even get a possible start? Hm?" The Separatist looked at Paul distrustfully; it was bad enough that the man had decided to nearly attack while effectively breaking in... But the orange haired trainer couldn't fully trust anyone who had a standing connection to Ford and defended it, not after the last couple weeks.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

The duo nodded to Ryan, smiling softly. Xander looked between Ray and Paul as they argued briefly, then shrugged. "Basically," he said to Ray, "what they said. I don't know about Déoza's doings, but we can put it behind us until Ellen - and Sonja? - are safe." He nodded again to Ryan.

 

"For now," he continued speaking to Ray, who was still dogging Paul, "Ryan can go change. Sylph and I are going to get some rations from my bag, and then we can start the planning session."

 

It was going to be tough coming up with ideas if people kept lashing out at each other. He would have to speak with Ryan and see if he could help keep everyone focused. Still, he thought with a grin, it was good to be doing something.

 

Sylph, meanwhile, was still gently probing minds, gathering as much information as she could about their new comrades.

[JiMing]

IC: Lachina Adaon

"Tch. Don't like flowers, huh? You're going to cut someone on that edge of yours, Mr. Brooder." Lachina replied, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. When they reached the Gym doors. Upon Zac's comment, the Ranger raised an eyebrow. "That means something could be seriously wrong. We need a plan of action before heading in. First of all, try being innocuous. Don't want anyone to think we're there on an investigation." the Ranger said, and looked down, trying to think of more possible actions they could take.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

"I was counting on you soldiers to have more of an idea than me," Paul said in disdain. He turned away from Ray with a scowl, moving closer to Xander. "Maybe we shouldn't have tried coming here."

 

Ryan sighed heavily, wondering if they'd really be able to work together as a team. "Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge," he told Xander. "No point in using up your own supplies if we're going to be on the road for a while." The Liberty agent offered a smile before heading back into his room, leaving Togie on watch duty in case things went south while he was gone.

 

As he quickly changed, Ryan glanced at the Pokégear on his desk. The past couple days had been so crazy, he hadn't had much of a chance to check the device, and the screen was blinking with an alert that he had a handful of messages. The first few were from Agent Petersen, the Liberty technician he had talked with last week, regarding his Pokédex. Or more accurately, Brendan Ruby's Pokédex.

 

Petersen reported that he had found a match for the Hydreigon registered as "seen" in the device. Eyewitness accounts from around the time of Ruby's disappearance described the sudden appearance of a Hydreigon flying over the Orange Islands. If this was the same Hydreigon that had escaped from Paradise, then it was highly likely that Ruby had been in the Orange Islands as well. Petersen had also forwarded the intel to Goldhawk and explained the situation, as well as submitting Ryan's request to form a rescue mission based on the intel.

 

"Well that's just wonderful," Ryan muttered as he scrolled through the messages. "Hope Goldhawk doesn't mind if I put this off for a little bit. Ruby's been AWOL for over a year now... he can wait a few more weeks." Clipping his Pokéballs to his belt, the Liberty agent lazily skimmed Goldhawk's official reply. He did a double take. With a sharp intake of breath, he quickly read the message again to make sure he understood it correctly. Gripping the device in his hand, Ryan headed back out into the living room.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury and Anubis

Mercury shrugged at Lachina's comment. The talk of flowers and Floaroma had stirred up an image in his mind of flowers splashed with blood. No need to tell her that, though. For now, he stepped forward with Zac, peering into the gym through the door.

 

He was focusing, looking for auras inside before actually stepping in. Anubis walked slowly along the wall of the building, crouching below the windows and attempting to sense people through the walls. They weren't going to be surprised if they could help it.

 

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander didn't even bother to look at Paul. "They're offering to help us, you stubborn..." He grumbled, walking to the fridge and peering inside. He would normally be more hesitant to take someone else's food, but he hadn't thought to restock his rations since getting off the boat, and his supplies were dwindling.

 

As he looked through the contents, Sylph conveyed his thoughts to the blacksmith. If you can't get along, then maybe you should just leave. Either look for Ellen separately so you don't interfere with our efforts, or go sit at home and keep pretending you had no hand in all this so we don't have to worry about you.

 

Perhaps he was being too harsh with Paul, but... The older man had left a bad first impression with everyone so far, Xander included. As the teen started making a sandwich, he glanced over at the others in the group. "So, I don't think I caught your names," he said in what he hoped was a friendly voice.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"Ask us our factions." Ray said, as if tired of Paul's whining for the moment. "Ask us who we a-" He paused, however, as he saw Ryan scramble back into the living room. The orange haired trainer blinked, as he turned to the Liberty Trainer. "What's up...?"

Jenny looked over just as curiously. She had kept quiet as Ray tore a strip off Paul, as she didn't know much of the details, and didn't want to get too involved because of it. But at the speed that Ryan was currently heading back into the room, and with the shocked look on his face, she was curious about what was going on. "Did you think of something...?" She asked, but looked over at Xander as he got back with the supplies for the sandwich and started to prepare it. "Um, my loudmouth brother Ray already introduced himself... I'm Jenny. Nice to meet you, uh..." The girl was about to hold out her hand, when she realized that the other guy hadn't introduced himself, to her recollection.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Evan was getting tired of Ray's behavior and of being tired. He understood why he was acting the way he did, but he didn't like how everything was going with the Separatist. He understood that the news they had just received was dire, but Ray had to calm down. The Hero knew there was one thing to be done to do that. He thought he was going to hate it, but, in the end, he knew it would feel so much better to do.

"I am Evan Tierra." Evan said as he walked towards Ray and slugged him in the face. "And I am affiliated with those who have had just about enough of this nonsense!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zac Blazer==-

 

Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte. So that was about why he was currently stepping through the door, albeit while looking around. Mercury and Anubis would detect four people at the far end of the gym before Zac did, however, but they seemed distracted enough that they didn't notice anyone that was at the door for the moment.

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray was sent backwards, and fell to the ground. His eyebrow twitched, as he pushed himself back to his feet, and looked over at Evan with an unamused look on his face.

 

"What the heck? Seriously?" Ray grit his teeth, as Jenny blinked, and sighed, as she shook her head, and put her hand to her face, prepared for the headache. "Evan, you're cool and all, but no. Just, no." Ray growled, as he moved forward quickly, his fist pulled back to try and slug Evan in the face in return.

Edited September 2, 2015 by An/A Blade

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Evan just stood firmly as Ray punched him, giving Ray a look that would send a Houndoom running. However, Ray's punch barely moved the Hero of Space. He then grabbed a very surprised Ray's hand and stated in a very tired voice, "You hit like a Happiny. Sorry, Jen, but he really needs to remember why we are here."

Evan then let go of the Separatist's hand and slapped him across the face, just to get the message across moreso.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander could have punched Ray himself, but luckily didn't have to. Evan beat him to it. He set down the knife he'd been using to spread mayo on the sandwich and started to move forward, but the fight escalated. Ray retaliated, and didn't even cause the other guy to flinch. Sylph watched it all happen, hand on her hip. She was ready to intervene if Ray tried to continue the fight, since Evan had very obviously shown his dominance.

 

She knew the location of that lake under the cycling bridge; it wouldn't be hard to teleport the hothead there and cool his temper a bit. For now, though, the Gardevoir would just watch and wait for everyone to calm down.

 

Xander, with a sigh, went back to his sandwich. "What have I gotten into here?" he muttered to no one in particular. To Jenny, he nodded. "I guess it's nice to meet you, despite all this."

Edited September 2, 2015 by Unown Mercury

[JiMing]

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

"...Did you both just... Ugh..." Lachina muttered, facepalming. The Ranger walked in the door as well, catching up to Mercury and Zac. She shot the two of them a dirty look, before looking around the Gym.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

Ryan was about to respond to Ray and Jenny when the room exploded into chaos. If a fight were to break out, Ryan would have expected Ellen's father to be involved. But much to his surprise, the Déoza agent was merely standing off to the side watching Evan and Ray exchange blows. Togie gave his trainer a shocked look, wondering if he should intervene. It felt like Christmas. And not in a good way. Ryan looked to Xander and Jenny in hopes of obtaining some sort of explanation, but he only got a dumbfounded look from the former and an exasperated sigh from the latter.

 

"Guys!" the Liberty agent yelled as he stepped into the middle of the room. "What happened to working together? Stop acting like a bunch of kindergartners! Seriously, I walk away for just five minutes..."

 

"If this is supposed to be Ellen's rescue team, she might as well be doomed," Paul muttered. "Look, I'm only here because I need your help. But if you're going to be like this the entire time, then Xander and I would have been better off on our own. Where is that teamwork and camaraderie my daughter praised you for?"

 

Ryan nodded. "I know these past couple of days have been rough on all of us, myself included." As he spoke, he looked at each person one by one. In his past adventures, Ryan had never taken up the role of team leader. That had always been left to someone else, like Alex or Zach. He wasn't used to the responsibility, but he knew that if no one stepped up and brought the group together, they'd have no hope of rescuing Ellen and Sonja. "We've all had close friends taken from us by Ford," he continued. "We're frustrated, worried, and scared, all at the same time. We don't know what to do next. But according to Mr. Burks, whatever Ford has planned is supposed to happen at the end of the month. That doesn't leave us a lot of time. We can't afford to keep fighting amongst ourselves." Ryan fell quiet for a moment to let his words sink in. "Now," he held up his Pokégear, "if we're done ripping each other's heads off, I have some news that might help us."

 

IC: Dack/Madison/Luke

"May I help you?" The woman at the desk peered at Dack and his companions over the top of her thin spectacles. Her mouth seemed curved into a permanent frown, and the steel in her eyes suggested there would be dire consequences should anyone waste her time.

 

Dack took a sharp breath. The past six months had gotten him accustomed to civilian life. It was a bit of a shock to return to the rigid structure of Team Rocket, especially in a place as formal as Chapel. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, fishing his ID out of his pocket and holding it out for the secretary to see. "Dack Majors, ma'am. Field agent from Sinnoh, formerly under Bounty's command but now under Sleight's."

 

"I didn't ask for your résumé," the woman said coldly. "May I help you?"

 

"Right," Dack said. "Sorry. I'm here to report a rogue agent. Executive Hannah Wright. She was stationed with me in Sinnoh and Johto last year. Wright has been abusing her executive powers and launched unsanctioned attacks on Snowpoint, Sootopolis and Celadon. She was last seen around Celadon's Central Park earlier today. She has also been influenced by a being calling himself Pride, though it's currently unclear how much of her actions were Pride's idea versus her own."

 

Throughout Dack's monologue the secretary's face remained firm and expressionless. She appeared surprisingly unfazed at the news of Hannah's recent actions. She looked away only long enough to type something out on her computer. "Report your information to Shadow Admin Bounty," she said.

 

Luke leaned over and whispered to Madison. "Didn't Bounty secede from Team Rocket?"

 

"He did," the skier replied, remembering the news coverage after everyone had woken up in Sinnoh.

 

This detail was not lost on Dack. "Bounty, ma'am? Is he here in Chapel?"

 

"He is," the secretary said in a half-bored, half-irritated tone, giving him directions to the office the defected Shadow Admin was currently in. "He will want to see you right away."

 

"Of course," Dack said, eager to escape the woman's steely eyes. "We'll be on our way, then. Thank you." The secretary watched silently as Dack led the way to the interior of Chapel.

 

"Um, we're with him," Luke said with a small wave. Without a word the secretary placed a sign-in sheet and two visitor's badges on the desk and turned her attention back to her computer. The two Snowpoint trainers quickly filled out their information, clipped the badges on their shirts, and followed Dack down the hall.

 

"Is everyone at Chapel like that?" Madison asked.

 

"That would explain where you get it from." Luke grinned at Dack before ducking under a punch thrown by Madison.

 

"Not everyone," Dack said, ignoring Luke's jab. "Some people just take their roles a little too seriously."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

The Kalos trainer looked up as Ryan gave his speech and nodded. "You're right. I should have stepped in, but I didn't know if it was my place to stop them." He looked aside, moving to put ingredients away. If it had been Paul in the middle of things... Well, Paul wasn't really his responsibility, but he would have gladly interrupted the man antagonizing people further. He would just have to be quicker to act in regards to the others later.

 

As he turned to Ryan, he raised an eyebrow. "So," he said before taking a bite of the sandwich. What have you got?

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray seemed shocked by the two things, and stumbled back a bit. He raised his hand to his face, and sighed. "... This seems familiar..." He mumbled, as Jenny simply shook her head. "... Sorry." He sighed again, as he looked around the room. "I guess I was a little rash, huh." A small smile was on his face despite all that. "Not gonna run off and do things on my own this time, though." He looked over to Ryan. "What's the news...? Something that'll help us kick that McKinley guy's butt halfway down the street and back?" Even though Ray had seemed to calm down, he still seemed to have a grudge against that kid.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury and Anubis

The aura user reached out to gently tap Zac's arm. "Wait," he whispered. A glance at Anubis, and the Lucario spoke to Zac and Lachina. Four people are down at the end. They don't have any pokémon out, and they seem distracted. We can either announce ourselves, or one of us can attempt to eavesdrop. It would be risky, though.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

"No problem, Ray." Evan said, tiredly smiling as the separatist. "If things ever end up like that again, I'll try to be there to snap you back to your senses, all right? Hopefully I'll be a little nicer about it."

The Hero of Space yawned, he really did not need that little fight, but Ray was his friend. He needed to see Ray as hot-headed as he was far less than he needed a rest. Evan then turn his head towards Ryan and tilted his head.

 

"Ah, sorry about that, Ryan." Evan said, trying to stifle another yawn. "Whatcha got for us?"

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

Ryan smiled, glad everyone seemed to have come to their senses. "I got a message from Goldhawk," he explained, lifting the Pokégear in his hand.

 

At this, he paused. Evan, Ray, and Jenny he trusted, but he barely knew Xander, despite the boy's interest in joining Team Liberty, and he knew he couldn't risk leaking any Liberty intel to Paul. He would have to be very careful how he explained the situation.

 

"About a week ago," he continued slowly, "I requested a similar search-and-rescue type mission for something completely unrelated. The details aren't important. The point is, in addition to approving me for the mission, Goldhawk recommended that my team include an agent with a very particular set of skills. Aura powers."

 

Paul raised an eyebrow, but his lip curved into a frown. "Aura spheres are great and all, but I think a bullet in McKinley's brain would work just fine."

 

Ryan shook his head. "The aura wielder isn't for the offensive," he explained. "That's what we have our Pokémon for. Aura wielders have the unique ability to read auras... as well as track them. As long as we have something Ellen's been in contact with recently -- such as Terry -- we should be able to track her aura and find where she is."

 

"I can do better than Terry," Paul said, reaching into his pocket. "Pokémon have auras, just like people. It would likely be hard for someone who's never met Ellen to differentiate her aura from Terry's. Luckily, I have this." He pulled out a shred of faded pink cloth and laid it flat in the palm of his hand. "I found this a few days ago near the river on Route 119. It's Ellen's."

 

"Perfect," Ryan said. "If we can stop by the Alamo and pick up this aura wielder, we just might have a chance of finding Ellen."

 

"One question." Paul carefully folded the cloth and placed it back in his pocket before peering back at the Liberty agent. "What's the range on this aura tracking? What if Ellen was taken to, say, Kalos? Would this aura wielder of yours be able to locate her from here?"

 

"I don't know," Ryan admitted. "But we don't have many options right now, and time is of the essence. Plus, I skimmed through the file Goldhawk gave me on this agent. She's good."

[JiMing]

IC: Ruth Fishers

Ruth glanced around her, and shrugged. "Don't ask me what's up with your eyes. I have no clue!" she said, blinking. "Though... It's sorta cool. Now we have a flashlight with us... Sorta." 

The trainer crossed her arms, and reached for the railing. "Well... Time to go downstairs. Wish me luck." she said, slowly walking down the steps. At first, things were eerily silent. That wasn't to last though, as halfway down the stairs, she could hear faint voices speaking, and the sound chilled her to the bone. Ruth shuddered, and when she finally reached the end of the stairs, there stood yet another hallway, this time with a door lit by two candles on each side.

"...It's not so bad." she muttered nervously, gulping. "I mean... Maybe they're fixing things inside and the candles are there for them to see. Yeah... It'll be fine. Totally." 

IC: Lachina Adaon

Lachina paused, and looked at Mercury. "Well... We can't be that loud at least." she whispered. "Maybe send one of us over the corner and see what's going on, and relay that info back to the other two?"

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

Jake followed down the stairs just behind Ruth, Pikachu perched on his shoulder, and upon noticing the candles frowned and switched into detective mode.

 

He walked forward to examine the candles. Afraid to alert whoever was speaking in the background, he kept his voice low. "Unfortunately Ruth, it is incredibly unlikely that construction workers could afford those candles. I know that brand, and mostly they were sold to religious congregations. They were incredibly expensive though. Why not just use glow sticks or lamps?" The entire situation was grating on him. Jake felt something watching him, like some second vision that had opened up in his mind. Pushing down his growing panic, he closely examined the candles. "They've been lit only recently. Look, only a little wax has dripped. And this door... again, expensive. That's aged teak right there. And carved like that... Do you think we found a secret church or something?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander quirked an eyebrow. Aura powers? "You mean like Lucario can do?" Come to think of it, it didn't sound any weirder than someone gaining psychic abilities. He shrugged. "Sorry, go on." He leaned against the counter, content for now to just listen. He was also trying to work something out. A gnawing sense of unease had overcome him since they'd been introduced to the others.

 

He felt like he was missing something obvious, or forgetting some major detail. He started mentally discussing with Sylph, trying to puzzle it over. The Gardevoir was still collecting information from the others, just barely skimming the surface of their thoughts so they weren't aware of her presence.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zac Blazer==-

 

"I'll go." Zac offered. If they were wise, they would object quietly to his offer, since he was about as stealthy as a Rhyperior in a china shop.

 

OOC: Temporarily taking control of Yugo until Prowl returns, or they drop him off somewhere.

 

-==IC: Yugo==-

 

"Hmm..." The other trainer had stayed quiet, but seemed both intrigued about the glowing eyes, and worried about what the candlelight might mean. "Well, we have come this far, haven't we?"

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray was lost in thought as Ryan began to explain what was going on. Something seemed familiar, but... he couldn't place a finger on what.

 

"She's good."

 

Ray perked up at that, and looked over at Ryan curiously, as that seemed to spark a memory, from the week before, after a long night... "... Wait... 'she'...? Do you mean...?" The Separatist seemed a bit surprised, but now that he thought about it, it made sense. Something out of the ordinary, her running off, an aura-like glow... ... So that's what that was all about...?

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury and Anubis

Mercury shook his head. "Let Anubis. He's quiet, and he can communicate at a distance. We can wait here until we know what's going on." He nodded, and the Lucario crouched, slinking through the shadows towards the other side of the gym. His aura spread out, twining with Mercury's and Lachina's, barely brushing against Zac and Shadows'. He could communicate, but he would not hear what the trainer and Darkrai had to say in return.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan/Paul

Ryan looked over at Ray and gave a short nod. "You and I have met her before," he said. "Agent Colette Llyan." Too bad our last encounter with her didn't exactly end on a good note, he thought with a frown. Hopefully that wouldn't be an issue.

 

"How quickly can we contact this aura wielder and get her to help?" Paul asked. "We've already wasted a good chunk of the morning arguing with each other... we need to find her as soon as possible."

 

"She'll be at Liberty's base," Ryan said, glancing through the message on his Pokégear again. "Goldhawk didn't give me any contact information, but we'll find her if we head for the Alamo." He looked to Xander and his Gardevoir, trying to mentally convey that they might be able to join Team Liberty at that time. His attention then drifted to Paul. "For your own safety, I'd be quiet about your affiliation with Ford while we're at the Alamo," he warned. "And if I catch you trying to leak Liberty intel to Déoza, I will apprehend you."

 

"No worries," the blacksmith said, raising his hands. "My main concern right now is Ellen. I have no interest in stealing secrets." Ryan studied Paul's face. The man seemed genuine enough. Even still, Liberty officials would probably see to it that he didn't get past the Alamo's lobby.

 

Satisfied with Paul's promise, Ryan walked over to a chair and picked up his backpack. "We can catch a boat to Four Island from Lilycove," he said. "As soon as we're all ready, we can leave. Be quick about it -- I'd like to be on the road within the hour."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zac Blazer==-

 

Zac frowned, but nodded. "Alright, good point. Good luck, Anubis..." The trainer smiled genuinely at the Lucario, as he waited cautiously, the four people still having not seen them yet...

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

"Sounds good to me. I've got everything ready to go when everyone else is." Ray said with a nod, as Jenny scurried off to get ready. After a few minutes, however, she returned, her backpack all set again, and actually changed into her travel clothes.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Anubis

The Lucario slipped towards the group as quietly as possible. He had done stealth plenty of times in the past, and he knew how to move without being seen or heard. Truth be told, however, he enjoyed a straight fight, face-to-face. Still, Mercury had given him an order, and it was his duty to obey. As he approached the huddled group, his ears twitched, attempting to pick up any sounds they made.

 

In and out, that was how he would play this. Get the necessary information and slip away before he was noticed. If it came to a fight in the gym, someone could get hurt, and they might be noticed by authorities. Lachina being a ranger probably would not make a difference to the Kanto police.

 

IC: Mercury

Mercury watched, full of tension, as Anubis moved forward. Things could go wrong in an instant here. It would just take one misstep on the Aura Pokémon's part, and they'd be discovered. Honestly, if these people had been under Mercury's employ, he would have skinned them for not posting a designated lookout.

 

The Vermilion memory must have set off something. He vaguely remembered a situation just like this. He felt that it had gone south.

 

IC: Xander and Sylph

Sylph glanced at Ryan, smiling softly and nodding her acknowledgement. She then turned back to discussing with her trainer. Xander was currently trying to decide whether he should broach the subject with Paul. The feeling that he'd missed something important was overwhelming, and the blacksmith might see the detail that had passed Xander by.

 

Still, if it was something that could set off another fight or argument... Better to wait, maybe. Xander smiled as Jenny returned with her pack and a change of clothes. He looked at the rest of the group. "Anyone else need to prepare?"

 

I may be able to teleport us there, if necessary. It would be risky, though. Eight of us, second-hand images of the place, and a rather large distance would make it unstable; I may lose someone, or crush us in a room that is remembered bigger than it is. She glanced at Paul as she mentioned this last bit.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Unown Mercury

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny/Ray==-

 

Jenny was about to respond, when Ray spoke up first. "No; no teleporting." The orange haired trainer knew just how much Ryan hated the feeling of teleportation, and didn't know if he could trust a Pokemon who hadn't been there. "The risks aren't worth it, even with the time that'd be saved. I want to rescue Ellen and Sonja... But not if it means we all possibly die in the process." He sighed with a look of frustration, as he wanted to help, but he had no clue where to start, other than to find Colette and have her help. "Catching a ship from Lilycove is the safest route, even if there was a teleporter who knew the area. It's too far, with this big a group."

 

-==IC: Zac Blazer==-

 

Zac watched, as the Lucario crept across the ground. A thin layer of dust crossed the floor from whatever it was the four people were doing. And that was when he noticed it. "Oh no." The trainer mumbled, as he noticed the dust cross where the Lucario was about to step - where a thin wire could be seen with the dust scattering around it. As Zac was about to call out, the Lucario stepped right onto the wire, and within seconds, being seen was the least of their concerns, as an alarm began to go off; not loud enough to be heard from outside, but definitely loud enough to be heard by the people inside.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Aura, eh?" Evan said, trying to keep steady. "It's as good as a solution as any. I'd rather fly to Four Island, but I wouldn't mind going by sea. I'm pretty much ready when you are!"

Evan then turned to Xander, grinning tiredly. He had forgotten to introduce himself to the newcomer of their group. Considering the circumstances, Evan felt he had best place all of his cards on the table for this one. Striking a dynamic pose, making sure to accentuate his movements with finesse and flair as he started to speak....

 

"Nice to meet you!", Evan cheerfully spoke as he held his pose. "I am Evan Tierra, Ex-Hero of Space, and Ground-Type master! I apologize for my rudeness, but I was a bit distracted with trying to stay awake and dealing with Ray. Who might you be?"

[JiMing]

IC: Lachina Adaon

"You had one job. One. Job." Lachina muttered, glaring at everyone present. She turned to Aolani, who was definitely grinning and ready to fight, causing the Ranger to frown. "I think we should fall back. Don't want to be trapped inside and have to fight our way out." she said. Though, it wasn't the fear of being unable to escape that worried her... It was the fate of those who went up against the savage Altaria that Lachina was concerned with.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury and Anubis 

The Lucario snarled, hopping back as the alarm sounded. Aura wreathed his hands, ready for a fight.

 

Mercury cursed. "Let's step outside. If they want to fight, they'll have to come to us and do it in the open." He beckoned for Anubis, who backed up quickly, not turning his back to the suspicious people at the end of the gym. If they stepped out, the group would have to follow them through one at a time. They'd be very open to attacks.

 

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander chuckled a bit at having to introduce himself a third time. "Xander Cruize, from Kalos. No titles, but I did beat the gym challenge and half of the Elite Four. Nice to meet you."

 

Sylph raised an eyebrow. Ex-Hero of Space? Sounds like something out of a webcomic.