[WAR] Role Play: Terminus

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: @XaikuX; everyone else indirectly.
Living to fight - and feel really guilty about it - another day.

Slam! The sound of a fully-armored Scizor Burster ramming the ground inserted itself into the mix of the wild fight around her. No time to watch to see if her plan worked; before the Shadow Ball got even halfway through its intended path, the Deoxys Burster had released his Psychic. Lance had been hit, and hit hard.

<Serves him right,> sniffed Hananiah. For once, Lenore was inclined to agree with the antagonistic Gengar, but she decided that encouraging his bad behavior wasn’t worth it. Instead, she zoomed down to Lance’s side at full speed and opened two of her Pokeballs. Amos, her Nidoking, and Miriam, her Feraligatr appeared in a pulse of white light.

“Can you carry them?” Lenore asked, gesturing toward the unconscious Lance and Scizor. Amos nodded, while Miriam snorted and shook her head, not in rebuke but in a sort of ‘are you kidding me?’ gesture. Amos scooped up the Scizor like it was a rag doll and Miriam followed suit with Lance; both gave Lenore a questioning look. “Take them back toward Alistair and the hospital, but travel inland,” she told her heavy-lifters quickly. The ships were moving away, but not all of the conflict had stopped, and she didn’t want either Lance or her Pokemon getting hurt. “I’ll…” She bit her lip, looked back toward the Deoxys Burster and Gengar to try to gauge their current strength. Had either of them been hit? They were far off and it was hard to tell what was going through such monstrous minds.

<More likely than not, the Burster will back off with the ships. After all, they’ve sent their sick ‘message’...> She was mostly thinking to herself, but she allowed Hananiah to overhear. <But if we attack now, we might be able to drive that Bursting b*stard into the ground. Free the Deoxys.>

<If the Deoxys even wants to be freed,> Hananiah shot back. <Look, now that they’re on the retreat, they’ll be less focused on ground conflicts and able to keep a better eye on their boy, there. Maybe, just maybe there’s a chance we could beat the Burster one on one, but while he’s got a Gengar and probably at least a dozen flight-capable whatever-the-h*lls - those stupid hybrids - and who knows how many guns at his back… Whatever chance we had, we lost, and I think you know it.>

Lenore turned away, disgusted by herself as much as Hananiah. Was she being cowardly? Maybe. But the odds were seriously against her, from a realistic standpoint, in a flat-out fight. If there was a right time to cut their losses, it was now.

“I’ll be behind you two,” she said. She couldn't tell what either of them were thinking; Amos bore his traditional look of impassivity, Miriam seemed to be trying to impersonate him, and neither one knew fully what was going on. Lenore, her chest burning with frustration, followed just a few steps behind.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Fairy Dragon, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

The Aqua fleet wasn't in the best of shape out there. The DeathKnight had been butt-raped by the Silver Scale, and we just barely managed to keep it up. The guys on board told me they kept it going and it would survive, but serious repairs were going to need it to be docked for a while.

Meanwhile, the Deathwing and the Water Dog were beat up as well from what the Johto Navy and those Team Rocket jackasses did to them, really leaving the Fairy Dragon as the only one that managed to come out of this whole crapsack mess with just a little trivial damage and dusting. Meanwhile, the damn Liquidator was broken from overheating and overuse, so that was going to need to be fixed too before we grinded a few more targets with it.

But, it could have been worse. Like what happened to Goldenrod City, really. The amount of damage we caused compared to the amount of damage we took in return... ha! No comparison. We almost leveled a city today, that was a heck of a lot of damage for our first real assault on civilization!

In the meantime, I wanted one of those reversal agents to change myself back to human. Wasn't too crazy about Janine's nine-tailed ninja bunny Chimera idea, and I knew next time I was making sure I had mine ready before the bullets started flying. Yeah, knowing Janine, if I requested another mutagen from her, it was definitely going to have traces of Lopunny in it. But until I got back on the Deathwing to get one of those things, I was stuck like this, so there was no choice but to deal with it for a bit longer. Well, I figured it wouldn't be too long before we were back at Mirage Island.

While we sailed back to Mirage Island, some repairs were done on the ships by the engineers and mechanics, but we were going to need them back at the dock to do really serious and complete repairs on these things. For now, they'd be okay, but they looked like they had been kicked around for an hour.

Using the tracking beacon, we managed to find our way back to Mirage Island in Hoenn. We were just about to start docking when they showed up. Last thing I really needed right now was Hoenn's Navy now staring us down. I saw four ships, two up in front, and two in the back, all in a V formation. I didn't know how the hell they managed to find us here or know we were returning back, but either way, there they were, just staring us down.

"SURRENDER, TEAM AQUA, YOUR BASE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. YOU WILL LAY DOWN ALL-"

I wasn't sure who fired the first shot, but hey, I was totally okay with it. Totally unexpectedly, the AMS Fairy Dragon fired a cannon salvo at the HAN Marksman battleship, ripping some nice chunks out of it before the Water Dog's crew unloaded several rocket launchers into the side of the ship as well, shredding another gaping hole in the hull. It definitely didn't look like Hoenn was prepared for such an immediate attack, but hey, once the shots were fired, the rest of the Aqua Navy just joined on the reckless assault. While the AMS DeathKnight was in no position to engage up close, they were at least able to fire their AIK-90 Maverick missile at the HAN Glory's Stride which had slammed head-first into the side of the cruiser. In a massive explosion, the ship was instantly ripped in half with a lot of other ship-chunks thrown in all directions. Among the raging flames, the smoldering remnants were either floating in bits or sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"Yeah, bitch, it's on!" One of my fellow Aquas cheered. "Let's waste these pricks!"

"Rip 'em up quick!" Another roared.

The two ships in front, the HAN Marksman and the HAN Glory's Stride were totally annihilated in what was yet another vicious Team Aqua sucker punch. Considering what we had just been through, hell, there was still quite a bit of fight left in the fleet.

"Hijack those other two ships before they pull away," I told the Aqua navy. "No witnesses. I want to make sure none of these scrubs make it back to Hoenn to tell the others what happened."

Cheers roared at the grunts charged in PWCs, or as Chimeras by flying or swimming, depending on what form they had taken. The Hoenn Navy forces probably thought this would be easy, but obviously they hadn't fought us before. I quickly spread my black wings and took off, heading toward the two ships.

We set sight on the remaining two ships, the HAN Thunderburst battleship and the HAN Stormlancer cruiser. Heh, as if the Hoenn Navy wasn't shocked enough already, their morale started to plummet with the arrival of the Chimeras. Some of them went into panic mode while the others tried to shoot back. I didn't want to damage these ships too much, so I insisted on no explosives, just machine guns. This MG4 would suit nicely.

It was safe to call this dessert after a really toasty dinner.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

In case we wanted company, the Hoenn Navy decided to pay us a visit! And yeah, looked like they weren't going to stay long.

After seeing the HAN Marksman and the HAN Glory's Stride get bushwhacked Aqua style, the rest of the Team Aqua horde went after the other two ships. Thankfully, those soldier boys hadn't blown up anything on the island, but then again, that would have made their presence obvious. We would have seen the smoke, but their approach didn't work anyway! They were too busy trying to read us some silly Miranda rights or some tripe and we just smacked them right in the face! Ha ha, that's Team Aqua for ya!

The HAN Thunderburst attempted to shoot back at the AMS Fairy Dragon, which hit the battleship a few times, but the Chimeras were soon all over that ship and I knew they were going to lose it for sure. Once they got to the ship's bridge, pow, story's over.

On the deck of both ships, the human crew struggled with the Chimeras, resorting to small arms and Pokémon to fend them off. Some Chimeras were taken out, but the Hoenn crews were outnumbered, overpowered, and every time one of those chumps had the stuffing beaten out of them, the others either went into panic mode and jumped off the ship or just hunker downed and were probably wetting their pants! I saw one Ursaring/Rhyperior/Aggron Chimera just grab one sailor punk and throw him off the ship like a total ragdoll! Sure hope he brought a towel!

"Damn it, who the hell ratted us out?" One of the female grunts of the Deathwing defenders complained. "Crap, now they know we're here. How are we gonna get out of this one?"

Yeah, that might be a bit of a problem, considering we had a lot of factories, bases, and facilities in the area. Yeah, that's not the kind of stuff you can just pack into a U-Haul and take it with you. Making more Shadowfall tanks was going to be a bit tricky now considering we didn't make those kinds of things on the Deathwing. While the Deathwing was a really awesome aircraft carrier, it wasn't made for tank assembly lines. Not to mention the only place where they could be made was already being used to make the planes for the All Clown Squadron of Fun.

"Ah, no biggie," I assured her. "We're work around it, this is really nothing. Yeah, we always do."

Always!

"Well, if you say so..." She shrugged, still looking at me oddly.

I didn't know why she was looking at me that way, but then again, ha ha, had to be because of the really fuzzy bunny form I was using! Yeah, this ain't the kind of thing you see on a daily basis.

But in the meantime, I just watched as the rest of the crew went after those two warships, swarming on them and stopping them from being able to shoot reprisal fire at the rest of the fleet. I was sure in a few minutes, they'd have control over both ships. Yeah, good luck to any humans thinking of trying to fight off Chimeras. Just watching the show was quite a lot of fun anyway.

But in the meantime, DARN, I really should have made lemonade for this kind of occasion!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Goldenrod City
Johto
Affected RPers: None directly. All tangentially.

As the dust settled, Noah Ashfield called for the Trinity Fleet plus their new acquisition to retreat and rendezvous back at Mirage Island according to the plan Raidon Makoto laid out before the operation began. Makoto needed to wrap the fight up so he could rejoin his fleet. After having Burst with his Electivire, he jumped off of the building he was on and on top of a nearby Gengar Burst that was harassing Yarvick Xelsez. The attack was unsuccessful in connecting with the Gengar Burst--as Makoto's opponent pushed him away psychically before he could connect--but it did succeed in buying Xelsez the few moments he needed to counterattack the Scizor Burst and knock him out, separating him from his Pokemon. Satisfied, Makoto landed on the ground and deburst with his Electivire, snapping the Pokeball securely back onto his belt. It was funny... He had heard so many people claim that they could speak with their Pokemon when they Burst with them. Makoto never heard a peep out of his.

Paying it no mind, he allowed his two opponents to put themselves back together and retreat. There was no reason to kill them. Makoto wanted to see if they'd come back to him stronger than before. He relished the challenge and hoped--no, prayed--that they could give him a run for his money.

As the dictator reflected on the battle, something about it just didn't sit right with him. He felt like he had fought his opponents once before already. The Red R of Team Rocket emblazoned itself in Makoto's mind's eye as he tried to figure out where it was that he had met said goons beforehand.

<Sent Reglay.> A voice said into Makoto's head. He turned around.

What the hell was that? Makoto thought.

<You've fought Team Rocket before, just under different leadership,> the voice said into his head.

Am I finally going crazy? Makoto again thought. He turned around, trying to find the voice's source. It was loud enough that he could hear it in his head as clear as day. He looked at the Gengar Burst and then at Xelsez. Neither of them were projecting the voice into his head. I must be going crazy.

<Oh, you're perfectly sane, Raidon... Well, as sane as you're going to get,> the voice snickered. <The sense of deja vu that you have? They're the memories of another Raidon Makoto. A Raidon Makoto from a parallel universe. The Team Rocket you're trying so valiantly to remember was one led by a man named Sent Reglay in another universe at another time.>

Where are you? he replied, unwilling to speak to the voice out loud. He couldn't have Xelsez thinking his commander was losing his mind.

<Why, I'm in the Ilex Forest of course. I've always been in the Ilex Forest, waiting for you. Well, in one universe or another. You see, Raidon, we are destined to meet. Each worldline has parallel versions of the two of us converging and combining our efforts and energies. Perhaps it's a little early for this one, but you are in the neighborhood after all,> the voice said again in a sing-song voice. <Oh, though, I should probably introduce myself. I am Celebi, the Eternal Chronarch.>

The moment the voice introduced itself, the dread lord of the Deathwing narrowed his eyes. He looked over at the recovering Xelsez and said, "I have some business to attend to. Don't wait up." He then selected another PokeBall from his belt and tossed it out. The orange dragon Pokemon roared, happy to be awoken from its slumber. Makoto climbed on the back of his Dragonite and bade it to fly South towards the Ilex Forest...

...and towards Celebi...

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((OOC: XaiakuX, Normally, I'd get a bit...Angry, at bunnying ANOTHER attack in, but considering that you're making it a one-shot and I've got to leave quicker than I anticipated...))

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Goldenrod City Rooftops, Johto
Affected Aqua RPers: @Neo Emolga
Affected Awesome RPers: @Grassy Aggron @Protobabe @Death's Spook
Mainly Affected RPers: @XaiakuX @Velocity @Lord Celebi

His first Psychic attack missed everyone, nailing a large hole in the building instead. Judging from Lance's mind, he was a little too angry to care about his bodyguard, expecting her to take the Psychic attack which would have likely done far more than just knock her back...She dodged too, mind. Lance Harper was all too focused on Yarvick, to the omission of all other targets and entities on the field, even Iapetus, who was now just sulking in the shadows on the top of the building, waiting for another opportunistic moment. and focused exclusively on him. He was not even caring for Raidon, the centerpiece and mastermind of Aqua, a far more even matchup and one he could actually expect to win. A total idiot, as expected. Oh, the irony...Yarvick would only remember this matchup because he was famous, not because he was very memorable on his own.

The Gengar Burst, after disarming and pushing Raidon away, phased into the building and hurled a few attacks from below-meanwhile, the Scizor burst tried to whiz around him like the insect he (literally) was, hurling punches that felt like an in-between of mosquito bites and bee stings-annoying and painful, but not too painful nor that annoying. As for the Ghost-type attacks, well, they could actually do a bit more damage...But, they could be dodged too. They didn't even think he could keep track of them both in a heated fight...Clearly they did NOT think this through. The Gengar burst even KNEW it was a bad idea, but her own Gengar egged her on.

The Bodyguard's tactic-to go below and strike-failed immediately. Yarvick could see the whole thing and could dodge easily. As for Lance's try at distracting him...Yeah, a 4-faced creep (even he admitted to himself he couldn't be all that handsome with 4 faces) with psionics, and you tried confounding it by spinning around him and throwing light jabs?! With the 4 faces combined, part of the advantage quickly proved meaningless, as though all those light blows were too fast to block, Yarvick could clearly see where he was at all times. Yarvick was pretty sure he could just dodge at the right moment and hit Lance with his own Bodyguard's attacks, a stun with which he could easily follow up with a decent blow...

While Lance danced around Yarvick, being as irritating as a fly (but more painful), Yarvick charged up a weak-ish Psychic attack. He would have tried that 'light arms aflame' trick again if he could remember HOW to, or WHY it was useful, but he couldn't. Quite a rotton trick, Disable, though at least the Gengar Burst wasn't spamming it...That would REALLY be annoying. This attack PROBABLY wouldn't kill him even if the energy hit lucky. Maybe. He didn't know, maybe he'd snap his neck or something really lucky like that and end the hometown hero, but whatever. If it meant the fight was over and Mud the a** who ruined every moment of fun he could have been having stopped his laughter...

He tried to read Lance's mind, catching a glimpse of where he might go next. It was...Harder than expected. Lance was almost totally focused on punching him, too focused to even be aware that, in the corner of his eye, some kind of HUD was warning him that an attack was definitely being charged up...Finally, he caught wind of his senses: He'd take a sharp left next.

Yarvick's attack swerved sharp left from an Attack form arm, catching the idiot that was named Lance Harper completely off-guard, in the back, and properly sent him flying off of the building. Yarvick stepped onto the building, getting a pretty bad sting from the Ominous Wind but avoiding the Shadow Ball at least. He didn't really recall either of them being that slow, but maybe it was just because the attacks fought against gravity? He wasn't a scientist-or THAT kind of scientist, if computer programming was grounds for him being a skunk. But, whatever. He won. End of story. He was completely satisfied.

Raidon was totally alright, and the duo looked down upon them...The Gengar burst had (somehow) pulled out Poke Balls. It may have just been his form, but he didn't see his Poke Balls...Lucky. In any case, the duo were assigned to protect them as they rushed to the hospital, the ONE save haven around here. It was probably a safe haven even if it had no troops in it whatsoever. Raidon would be absolutely pissed if that was blown up. He didn't ever get the full details on the man, but apparently he was involved in War Crimes, and accused with them quite unjustly.

Yarvick tuned into her mind, hearing what she could hear. Surprisingly-and infuriatingly-she was under contact with another Psionic the whole time, and the Psychic was not particuarily happy: "More likely than not, the Burster will back off with the ships. After all, they’ve sent their sick ‘message’...But if we attack now, we might be able to drive that Bursting b*stard into the ground. Free the Deoxys."

Hyperion almost immediately got angry at it, internally. Not too much, not overwhelmingly, but the urge to yell suddenly sprang up in his head, and he had to restrain his voice. Yarvick won out, not out of willpower but out of the logic of bursting: In case of a conflict, inaction was the immediate resolution. This was a good reason why most users of the Burst Hearts prevented their Pokemon from doing more than talking while Bursting, as otherwise, the Burster would suddenly be motionless instead of attacking some idiot. This was a wonderful reason why Oceanus was not suitable for Bursting, as he suddenly seemed to obtain suicidal tendencies, JUST to kill Yarvick.

Yarvick just decided to get back in touch with Raidon's mind instead of respond to the Burster

...Just in time to hear a very odd conversation.

"Sent Reglay," Voiced an unfamiliar mind. Yarvick could immediately tell the mind reeked of power, and Yarvick could already tell he wouldn't want to get in a fight with THIS power if he had a choice, even as Mega-Deoxys. The only other thing Yarvick could mentally divine was that it was a voice coming from the south...Yarvick decided to keep his telepathic mouth shut and just let this conversation take its course.

"What the hell was that?" Raidon responded, feeing just as confused as Yarvick would have been in response to a random name. Actually, he SWORE he heard of it before...Where? He vaguely recalled a fence in Hoenn he disliked dealing with due to really stingy prices, but he didn't think his name was 'Sent Reglay.' No, someone else.

"You've fought Team Rocket before, just under different leadership," The powerful voice responded. Interesting...

"Am I finally going crazy? I must be going crazy," Raidon thought, more to himself than any entity. Now this was getting confusing. Raidon clearly didn't have any experience with the Rockets before this...Except, some kind of odd feeling in his mind simmered, something resembling a memory, very vague...

"Oh, you're perfectly sane, Raidon... Well, as sane as you're going to get," The powerful voice snickered. "The sense of deja vu that you have? They're the memories of another Raidon Makoto. A Raidon Makoto from a parallel universe. The Team Rocket you're trying so valiantly to remember was one led by a man named Sent Reglay in another universe at another time."

...What the f***?!

OK, parallel universe crud. Wow. That was JUST what he wanted added onto this. Mud had suddenly gone dead silent, and Yarvick could feel something else, anger. If Mud had any say in it, he'd have stabbed Raidon in the head, Yarvick felt. That being said, Yarvick was not going to comply.

"Where are you?" Raidon thought, clearly afraid of letting on his odd thoughts to Yarvick, in fear of sensing mental illness. Yarvick was quite assured, though, that he was sane...Next time he heard an unrecognizable voice in his head, he'd just ask who he was rather than play around with pleasantries.

"Why, I'm in the Ilex Forest of course. I've always been in the Ilex Forest, waiting for you. Well, in one universe or another. You see, Raidon, we are destined to meet. Each worldline has parallel versions of the two of us converging and combining our efforts and energies. Perhaps it's a little early for this one, but you are in the neighborhood after all," the voice said again in a sing-song voice.

OK, this was getting more confusing. In literally every Parallel universe EVER, Raidon and some REALLY powerful entity not only EXISTED in some form, but MET, and COMBINED FORCES. Yarvick couldn't wrap his head around that one. How did this being even know that? Yarvick rubbed some of his wounds-

"Oh, though, I should probably introduce myself. I am Celebi, the Eternal Chronarch."

OK, that explained one thing, but wasn't Celebi supposed to be the PURE-HEARTED GUARDIAN OF THE FORESTS!? If his mythology classes ever came to s**t, he was almost dead certain that Celebi was NOT the kind to join forces with the kind of people Raidon were...

...Unless it was seriously bad.

Raidon's next action did not help make this look good: He looked towards Yarvick and curtly spoke: "I have some business to attend to. Don't wait up." He then pulled out a Dragonite and took off, southbound.

A silent second, then...

"Yarvick...Why is CELEBI even remotely telling RAIDON even remotely where it lies?!" Hyperion shouted internally, suddenly frantic, suddenly confused, suddenly worried.

"I've got nothing. I'm literally as confused as you are, buddy," Yarvick thought back. "In any case, we can do a little research into it when we get back if it's REALLY concerning, OK? We can't really do much else except return, and I'd rather not stick around to see the Rockets swarm us."

"...This just cannot be good. Is it just destiny, has Celebi just resinged to it completely? Or does it sense some catastrophe on the horizon?" Hyperion thought to himself.

"I don't know, Hyperion, and I can't tell you what's the exact answer. Again, we'll take a look at it when we get back to the Deathwing."

Hyperion fell silent, though the concern was still quite palpable in his mind. Yarvick paid it no heed, de-bursting voluntarily. As the noises and scents and other regular human feelings came back to him in a rush, Yarvick retrieved Iapetus from the shadows, then allowed himself to be picked up by Hyperion in his arms, and the duo flied off together, back to the Deathwing.

He had done his job, and more than that, gotten them a whole new ship for it. Test of loyalty, aced.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, Arriving in Lake of Rage, Johto
Affected RPers: N/A

Our chopper touched down by the lake, landing quietly. The other chopper was already there, having arrived on autopilot. I couldn't see it but Dan's tablet assured us it was there. We felt around for the door and opened it to reveal a small box with five syringes of MEND. The label on the box said WARNING: DON'T TAKE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO LET IT TAKE EFFECT in big red letters. Whoever packed this sure was thorough. I almost sent the chopper off to return back to base, but then I realized it might be more useful to wait for us so we can put a new cache of Burst Hearts in it. Hopefully the last one was useful. We each took a syringe, jammed it in a wrist vein, and let the liquid flow. The effect it was having sure was painful. There was groaning all around and I felt like my insides were on fire. Whatever was in this, the initial effect sure was unpleasant. Explains the warning. The five of us laid on the ground groaning in agony as I literally felt the liquid spread all over. Must. Not. Pass. Out. The pain was both bothersome and strangely euphoric to the point of being relaxing. After what felt like way too long, finally the pain was over and we felt well enough to get up. I also felt the injuries from the Kanto base melting away.

Just to be sure though, I decided to lightly cut my left palm with one of the claws on my other hand. The others watched and none of us were talking. A squirt of blood, then in seconds the injury closed up like it was never there. Crazy. Really crazy. I showed my hand to the others and they smiled, wanting to try it for themselves. I lightly pricked each of their palms with a claw and we all watched the injuries melt away in seconds.

"Now I really think I'm out of a job." Anna finally said as we started flip-jumping southward through the trees toward Mahogany Town.

"Nonsense. Your job has just been made easier is all. You can focus on pulling stuff out and healing the Pokémom." As I said that she sighed, unconvinced. "Don't worry Anna, you're not useless. You still have all the other training the rest of us do." Still unconvinced, she nodded as we made it to town, landing down from the trees and walking in casually.

Dan was right. Nobody paid us any mind as he led us to a house that had a store in it. His tablet said this was the address he dug up from his searching and the information from the other base. It looked familiar, like I'd seen it before. Then I remembered where I'd seen it. Years ago I'd seen old newspaper clippings that this was where Lance and the teenager had broken into a Rocket base. The store seemed to still be in operation but it seemed quite ordinary nowadays. Or was it? The clerks noticed us and came over.

"Are you looking for something in particular? How about buying a souvenir from Lake of Rage? The Rage Candy Bar has always been a hot seller." The old and wrinkled lady cheerfully made a recommendation. I was about to speak up, but Dan spoke first. Again he seemed to know exactly where he was going.

"We're looking for something a little hotter." He lowered his voice and knelt down to the lady. "Do you have anything small with glass in it?" He then winked at her.

"Oh, you're one of those kinds of customers." Her face suddenly became deathly serious and she lost the cheerful attitude. "Right this way." She led us behind the counter and reached under it. A buzzer rang behind one of the walls and then it opened. The lady turned to the man who wore a long black cloak who opened the hidden door and nodded to us without a word. The man motioned to us to come forward, also without a word. We were actually going to get in without fighting. Well, fighting yet. We were still looking to stop their production and obtain the info we needed.

We were led down an underground corridor past Persian statues, which I was sure were left over from when this was a Rocket base. The article had gone into detail on the entire base back then. Eventually we were led to a makeshift counter with boxes around it as far as the eye could see. The man wore really a long cloak and I could only see his eyes behind a mask. This place looked much like the warehouse in Saffron, down to the production noise. I was sure most of the old Rocket base wasn't being used, or if it was it was probably used to sort shipments. As we got to the counter the man in the cloak sat down in a chair behind it and turned to a computer console. "So, how many would you like?" He got right down to business.

I stepped forward, itching to just gut him and tear that cloak off. "Actually, we're not here to buy."

The man narrowed his eyes at me behind his mask. "Then why are you here?"

I might as well be honest since he was pretty much a corpse anyway. "We need information, and I'm pretty sure you're not going to just give it to us." Though I wasn't sure what kind of info Dan even needed from these guys, I was sure that's what we were here looking for.

The man narrowed his eyes even further, if that was even possible. "What kind of information? Maybe we can come to some understanding."

Dan spoke up this time. Eh, it didn't hurt to try diplomacy. "We're looking for the central factory.........To acquire it's assets." That wasn't entirely true. I could tell from the way he said it.

The man got up and snapped his fingers. "I'm afraid that information is need to know, and since you're not buying you know too much just by being here." Goons dressed in the same fine suits stepped out of the unlit portions of the room. If my math was right, there were again around 50 of them counting the women. "Unfortunately for you, you'll have to disappear now."

I sighed. "I guess we're doing this the hard way."

"Kill them all!" The cloaked man yelled as he and the computer console slid under the floor. I was sure we would see him again.

The goons pulled out their weapons as I looked around. We only had seconds to take in our surroundings. Time moved in slow motion. This time there were no rafters to jump to and no platform to jump to either. We were surrounded, but Scar always had a way out. And time resumed normally. We'd had enough of it to survey our surroundings. We all met eyes and slipped on simple plastic visors just as the goons started to shoot. Scar threw a smoke bomb, clouding everybody's vision except our own. The goons were shooting wildly into the smoke when we had already jumped out and were coming up behind them.

They started dropping as the five of us gutted them from behind and there were now few enough that we didn't need the smoke. This really was too easy, and just to be sure Scar pulled out his gattling gun as the rest of us stood behind him to not be shot by the raw destructive power of the two handed weapon. Then we watched as he unleashed it on the henchmen who were now surrounding nothing and getting gunned down. At first this seemed like a harder fight, but it turned out much easier. When they were all dead we were about to start celebrating when a slow clapping sound could be heard. They walked out into the light and I recognized them. Two men and one woman. One man was tall and lean, the other was muscular like Scar. The woman wasn't as pretty as me though. It was the woman who was clapping.

They wore masks over their heads with hair sticking out in the back. The redheaded tall man spoke. "You've made it this far, but it ends here. Now you face........" They took off their masks and posed dramatically. "The Enforcers!"

I recognized these guys, but they probably didn't recognize us. They were Hebijo shinobi, but last I heard they'd flunked out in the last year. I decided to speak to them. "I remember you guys. You flunked out because you couldn't give up your morals and emotions to be able to complete missions sucessfully."

This time the woman spoke. She had dark skin and dyed her hair purple. "And I recognize that deadpan and emotionless way you talk. You're graduates." The five of us nodded. "Oh, delicious. We've learned things not taught at that crummy school. This should be interesting." She stepped over the dead bodies, letting them leak blood all over the floor. The three drew their weapons, only giving me seconds to analyze them. The tall man had a bow staff, the muscular man had gauntlets, and the woman had dual katanas. They were really confident as our two groups started to fight.

[Grassy_Aggron]

Tony Shoatter (NPC)/Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod City Coast/Goldenrod City/Johto
Team Awesome: @XaiakuX, @Velocity, @Death’s Spook , @Protobabe (I don't know why the mention system isn't working for you guys)
Team Aqua: @Neo Emolga (Sorry this was late, obviously your characters will know the results of what happened in this post and no direct attacks will be made on them :P)
Truly a shocking episode.


Tony gazed at the work Stark had done, raising a mighty wave and crashing it into the side of the DeathKnight. Water flooded in, snatching creatures and Pokemon alike and smashing them into broken steel and searing fire. He was proud of his companion, and notably so – years of training had paid off for the dragon, and he was capable of wrecking quite a lot with ease. The power of that Surf had been undeniable, and had literally even rocked the boat. His partner was a force to be reckoned with, and no one dared to challenge him yet.

It was then that one of those monsters flew at Stark, arms glowing crimson and eyes a distinct blue. It smacked the air hard and fast, and the glow spread out in a terrible dome of darkness. Stark could not react quickly enough, barely throwing up a shimmering purple wall around him as it collided with his body. It circled his face, shrouding his vision, and the Dragonite was momentarily blinded by the effects of the Night Daze. He tried to retaliate as more Chimeras swarmed him, but his vision, hampered as it was, did little to help him.

His Light Screen dimmed any damage done by special attacks, but he was starting to take a beating, barely being able to dodge attacks due to the fact he could only see their vague forms approaching. Tony was helpless to give any advice to his partner, the distance too great for him to hear, but eventually Stark was able to clear his vision enough to deal decent damage. Flames gathered in his mouth and, with a mighty exhale, he blew a hot, gusting wind that washed over many of his attackers. Some outright nearly fell at that moment, unprepared for such a strong Heat Wave – others shielded but still took damage.

And then, suddenly, they were retreating. To Tony’s horror the Water Dog was leaving with them, but a word from Claressa signified he couldn’t do anything. Stark was just as confused, but he had no choice and began to drag more soldiers to shore, which Claressa began to heal. She could not know one of those Chimera was targeting her, aiming for her neck. She couldn’t hear the shot being fired nor know what was inside.

By a stroke of luck, however, she bent over as the dart flew over her head, impacting the soldier she was working on. He let out a cry, before his girth started to expand and…turn pink? The poor doctor backed up, confused out of her mind as a long, lightning bolt shaped tail erupted from his posterior as well as a pair of butterfly wings. Before she knew it, she was facing a Chimera in front of her, head wound still visible and bleeding.

And he was mad.

“What…What did you do to me?!” The soldier stumbled to his feet, swaying unsteadily while everyone else backed up. Claressa tried to utter that she didn’t do it, but the man would not listen to reason. “You were working on me… YOU WERE WORKING ON ME! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” Sparks danced off of his cheeks as he lurched forward, then suddenly gained a burst of speed and tackled her.

She tried to throw him off, tried to escape his heavy weight, but there was nothing she could do. Against this creature she was powerless, and he was out of his mind due to the change and head injury. The electricity was building up around him, causing her hairs to stick up on end. This was bad, and any mom-

He released the electricity in a Thunderbolt, hitting several soldiers and Pokemon as well as her. Claressa screamed in agony, hundreds of volts shooting through every nerve in her body, and her vision began to fade. Her thoughts were scrambled and meaningless, unable to process what was going on yet all too aware that she was in imminent danger. She couldn’t breathe; the pressure was just too much…

Then it suddenly lifted. While she had not been able to see it, Joy had waddled forth, tiny fist glowing. With more force than thought possible she slammed her fist into the soldier’s face, sending him flying backwards. He got up, notably confused, before a round of razor sharp leaves from Herby put the already injured man out cold. People didn’t have time to wonder why the Blissey knew Dynamic Punch; they quickly began to tie him up while several rushed to the fallen doctor’s side.

She was having a hard time breathing, clutching at her chest as her heart suffered a grave malfunction. Her Pokemon tried to heal her but it only helped with some of the burns she had suffered in the attack; Heal Pulse and Heal Bell could do nothing for the condition that gripped her now. The electricity had wrought its damage, and now her heart’s rhythm was severely upset. She felt people trying to stabilize her, some of them knowing medical training, but her thoughts were already slipping.

“She’s going into cardiac arrest! Get her to the hospital!”

“Claressa! Claressa, stay with us! You have to hold on!”

“Stay away from the light!”

“Oh Arceus,” she barely recognized it as Tony’s, “my sweet, sweet girl… I’m so sorry! I turned away…Please forgive me! Please! Don’t die! Please don’t die! We need you! I need you! I promise I won’t be so annoying and flirtatious, but please don’t leave us! Don’t be my Juliet!”

The rest of the words that may have been spoken ceased to be heard as her thoughts slipped and darkness claimed her mind.

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
Private Residence, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

The crack of dawn arrived very slowly for Norton Whitehall. The politician was greatly anticipating the morning hit on Frisby as much as he was anticipating the complete devastation of Aqua. Once the deed was done, Whitehall intended on making his way to the Capitol building as soon as possible, where he assumed the eyes of the entire would would keep him safe for the time being. Once every single Aqua was exterminated by his new army, Whitehall could safely leave the protection of the building and return home. Having gotten no sleep, Whitehall emerged from his bed at 5:30 a.m. and began to dress himself. Showtime was in half an hour.

Once he had his tie on straight and his teeth brushed, he opened his door to leave. Standing at his doorstep was Captain Reg Lando and the entire 08th Assault Team. "Captain Lando... Commandant Kieron... what are y'all doing here? You have a job to do. And besides, you can't just show up! We'll be seen together." Lando pushed Whitehall out of the way, sending him toppling to the ground. The rest of the Aqua soldiers showed themselves in and slammed the door. "What the hell?"

"We should be asking you that," Kieron said. "Lando here tells us that you authorized an attack on Mirage Island." Jack Rinage kicked Whitehall in the stomach. Tanis Raistlin stomped on his left hip repeatedly until he heard a crack. Whitehall's pain was immeasurable. How am I going to get out of this one? He tried to reach into his pocket to call Raidon Makoto and perhaps have the attack dogs called off, but once Lando realized what he was doing, he shot the disabled politician's hand.

"I was pressured into agreeing! There was nothing I could do. I was going to give you more information so you could resupply once you warded them off," Whitehall lied to the angry attack squad. "Once I was president, I would have a lot more free reign to help Aqua out. We still have the world left to conquer."

"Mhm. Sure," Lando told the politician. The 08th Assault Team fanned out and started going through Whitehall's personal belongings, taking anything they could that was valuable. "We here at Team Aqua do not take betrayal lightly, Mr. Whitehall. Especially when you've been busting my friend Raidon's balls for as long as you have."

"I created you! I can do whatever I want! You need my money to function!" Whitehall exclaimed between gasps of pain from his hip. Lando kicked him again. Whitehall squealed like a walrus in heat. "I will have Raidon kill you. The entire lot of you!"

The entire 08th started laughing, unable to take Whitehall's threat's seriously. Lando continued to look him in the eye, unamused and unwavering. Lando looked around and saw that the squad's pockets were full. "Boys, go outside and get ready for the hit on Frisby. I have a few parting words for Norbie here." The five men exited the room, leaving Whitehall and Lando alone. "I've got a secret for you." The Captain smiled at Whitehall playfully.

Whitehall gasped for breath, "WHAT?"

"There was no leak. In fact, you operation would have gone off with a hitch had it not been for one vital rogue element," Lando paused for dramatic effect. "I'm from the future, Norbie. I knew all about your betrayal from the moment I joined Team Aqua and have been waiting for this day for a very long time, you sack of shit."

Whitehall looked long and hard at Lando's face before gasping, realizing who it was: "Finch? You came back from the future just to attack me?" Whitehall replied incredulously.

"No, I came back from the future to stop Diabora. You're just icing on the cake." Lando unholstered his SOCOM handgun, cocked the piece, and delivered two shots into Whitehall's head, killing him where he laid.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
HAN Thunderburst, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Most of these Hoenn sailor boys were chumps. Not just ordinary chumps, but special chumps that make you feel great about beating them up. Yeah, those kinds of chumps. Compared to Chimeras, we could have had them for breakfast, and even though I wasn't human anymore, hell, I wasn't going to eat the filthy bastards.

Team Aqua Chimeras moved throughout the ship, taking out the rest of the crew. They were either killed and thrown overboard or just thrown overboard either way. Meanwhile, the ship's captain, some fat scrub with a pet Houndour, got his face smacked against the wall, his teeth punched out, and then he too was thrown overboard. I wasn't sure if he was still alive or not, but whatever, I didn't bother looking over the bow to go check.

Meanwhile, 1,000 year curses from my giant, nine tails were probably the nastiest weapon I was packing. One guy was suddenly unable to breathe and nearly choked before he jumped off the bow and realized now he could only breathe underwater. Some other schmuck got brushed by the tails and was then suddenly missing his entire face. The nice part was I only handed a curse to those who I wanted to curse. If a Team Aqua grunt accidently came into contact with them, I could just pardon it, which is probably how trainers who owned a Ninetales didn't get cursed to hell by their own Pokémon. But for the Hoenn schmucks, I laid it on, only the exact nature of the curse was totally random and beyond my control. Still, it was nice knowing I'd never get attacked from behind.

Cleaning out the rest of the ship's crew wasn't any problem either. The Hoenn Navy sailors already knew they more than lost this one. There weren't too many left when we cleaned out the bridge.

"Noah, we've taken the Stormstrider," Frank Bueller told me on the radio. "Crew's dead, one way or another. Ship's a little beat up, but we've got it."

"Copy that, situation on the Thunderburst is pretty much the same," I replied to him and the others. "Tear out the transponder and destroy it, make them think the ships are toast."

"Yep, you got it," He replied, closing the radio connection.

I didn't doubt Hoenn would probably send more crap our way. Mirage Island was ours again, but we needed to do repairs fast. The ice that was keeping the DeathKnight even above water wasn't going to be there forever, and the temporary repairs we put on that thing were only just a temporary measure.

That would give us an armada of six ships, but all of them were pretty damaged, some more than others.

"Let's go people, we need to get these ships fixed up, and now," I spoke on the radio, knowing we needed our mechanics and engineers on this before more of those bastards showed up. "They'll be back, but we can at least be ready."

Meanwhile, still no sign of Raidon. I could have sworn he'd be somewhere on one of these ships, but there wasn't a trace of him anywhere. Still, I wasn't sure how many more ships Hoenn had in their Navy, but if they found out quickly that we toasted two of them and stole two more, they'd be pissed and I knew they'd be here in a flash. These pricks didn't mess around, even though they were chumps. Still, I didn't want them attacking yet again while the fleet was in for repairs. That would be like shooting up patients in a hospital. Still, if they knew the attack here had failed, maybe they'd take their time with the next one. Considering we just blew up most of Goldenrod City and tore a chunk out of their fleet, they'd know we were dangerous to the extreme.

That was just the way I liked it.

---

Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Holy cow, I couldn't believe how much Chimeras could accomplish! My creation totally rocked!

I mean sure, not everyone was into them and there were still plenty of humans that would need a little encouragement to give these things a spin, but hey, I'd say at least a quarter of the Team Aqua members were Chimeras! That was pretty good if I'd say so myself!

Sure seemed a lot more successful than some of the other creations I've come up with!

Repairs on the fleet were underway, and the Liquidator was toasted and in real, dire need of a fix, but hey, it sure did great out there! But in the meantime, I really liked how Chimeras turned out. They were really cool, but I was wondering if there could possibly be ways to make what was already awesome even better! But in the meantime, Tiantus had made the software to make Chimera creation easy-peasy. Heck, it was just as easy as buying candy from a vending machine.

But among the Aqua guys, it seemed as though some of them really like Chimeras, others were kind of like "hey, yeah, maybe later," others were on the fence about the whole thing, and of course you had those guys that were like "no way, that's crazy!" But hey, no one could deny they didn't rock the house in combat! Or the fact they could be used as a really naughty weapon! Oh man, I could have a field day with this stuff!

But still, it made me wonder... could Chimeras be made to be even better? It was going to be a tough proposition, but hey, I got us this far, I could totally go further! Some would call Chimeras total insanity, but hey, when you give ethics and all that prickly stupid stuff the boot, you could go totally nuts and actually make a crazy amount of cool stuff!

I'd probably have to go back to my lab to think things over, but darn it, that would mean I'd have to take off this really cool fluffy bunny form. Ah well, I could always use it later. Using that reversal agent was a bummer... kind of like going to the dentist. Or finding out you forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. Well, in just a few moments, I was back to my human self again, but hey, there were always opportunities for other great, crazy forms to try later on.

Back in the lab in the Deathwing, I had to see what I could do to make Chimeras even cooler and better. It wasn't something I had discussed with anyone, I mean heck, I never talked about Chimeras to Tiantus but he sure seemed okay with them anyway! Even though yeah, when you really thought about it, they were nuts. And I was sure now that Johto and Goldenrod City knew Chimeras existed, they'd never be secure ever again! Ha ha, I could just imagine Chimeras chasing around little kids in the dark! That'd be really funny!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
En Route to Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Mud's existence officially fell off the face of the universe the instant he stopped using the ABH. It would have been impractical to use it.-he'd have to Deburst every 5 minutes and wait 45 seconds while Hyperion carried him. It was MUCH more practical to just let Hyperion carry him the whole way. Though his endurance was still a major problem, Hyperion's physical strength made carrying Yarvick pretty easy. Yarvick and Hyperion had fully recovered from the fight against Lance Harper and his bodyguard. Almost all the wounds of a Burst went to the human, not the Pokemon-but, in this case, due to the lack of severity and power behind them, MEND had already repaired them all. Further proof that Lance didn't know s**t on what he was doing. All he did was distract Yarvick from killing Giovanni. Yarvick would have to remember the infamous crime lord and the kingpin of Team Rocket was still at large as well, speaking of which. He'd have to remember that, and tell Tiantus, Noah, or some other Aqua Captain. If that info fell through the cracks, that could be all sorts of bad.

With no injuries, worries, enemies or concerns to distract him, just a fast ride home...It gave Yarvick time to think. He wasn't a contemplative man, but all things considered, a lot happened, and some of it had hideously large ramifications for his future. It suddenly seemed that having Deoxys made him a lot more important int he grand scheme of things...

First and foremost, Mud. The a**'es laughter...He thrived on slaughter and wrongdoing, it seemed. Mass destruction. Carnage. Cruelty. Torture. Basically every impulse that a true monster would crave instinctively was his purpose to live. He was still a sorry, annoying sap, because all he liked to do was laugh...Except when Celebi got into the picture. The sudden lack of laughter, Yarvick felt, was a sign of IMMENSE displeasure, something destructive. Something...Wrong. To it, anyways.

Maybe it was more than just an annoying voice in his head...He couldn't prove it, but somehow, the evidence pointed to Mud being a physical entity. WHAT it was, and why it was so upset over Celebi's existence...That was left to be seen. If the evidence was even correct. It was all vague. It could have just been a mental reaction to the Ancient Burst Heart.

What he clearly didn't imagine, though, was Raidon's connection to the 'Eternal Chronarch.' What, exactly, that connection entailed was a complete mystery, but it existed, that much was concrete. Why Celebi bothered to even come into contact with a man of such lacking morals as Raidon was also beyond him, aside from either 'Destiny' or 'Crisis.' Either was troubling. Yarvick liked thinking he had completely free will. If nobody thought of having a real choice, nobody would do anything at all. As for a crisis, well...Did that need explaining?

Hehe, some crisis Johto must be going through now, though. It had been said that all of the Johto legends have, upon the outbreak of 'World War Terminus,' fled their own region in search of better lands. Where? Yarvick didn't know. Not like it seemed very true at the moment, what with Celebi still hanging around...If nothing else, it was partially a rumor. But that was on top of the ever-constant war with Kanto, the other foreign 'hunters' hell bent on finding the Ancient Burst Heart believed to be in Johto, and to top it all off, the Aqua massacre of Goldenrod. With any luck, Johto would blame Kanto in some fashion and Aqua would get off almost totally scot-free with one of their ships and massive property damage.

...That reminded Yarvick of actually taking the ship...Ugh, it gave him nasty shivers. Barnabus Hellstrand was now a feverish Aqua supporter to the grave, and all because of a quarter-minute's worth of focus and repetition. And being Mega-Deoxys. Of course, he couldn't see himself doing that again even if he had the opportunity, just because it was as creepy as all f***ing hell, Mud enjoyed it to such extent that Yarvick would gladly evade it to make sure he DIDN'T have a giggle over it, and Hyperion had already objected to it. If he wished, he could just stop the whole process midway through, which could be anything from a minor annoyance to absolutely lethal.

...Wait.

That was the case, yes? Yarvick mulled it over, and reaffirmed that, yes, the Bursted Pokemon had just as much control as the Bursted human did, but if one issued so much as a single instant of contradictory thought, they would freeze up and do NOTHING. Even if the differences were almost negligible-for as long as the conflicting signals persisted, the body would resolve the mental conflict by not doing anything at all.

Which meant Hyperion, who heavily objected to it afterwards, could have stopped him midway through the instant he realized how creepy it was.

...Mud liked it, as well...Hrm. Time for a small experiment.

"Heya, Hyperion?" Yarvick asked.

"Yes, Yarvick?" Hyperion thought.

"You recall back when we were...Um, brainwashing Hellstrand?" Yarvick said, trying to be delicate.

"Yes, I fear it's permanently engraved into my mind and I would like to forget it as soon as possible." Hyperion thought. He sounded pretty shaky about it.

"Yes, I'm aware. I'd rather just forget that happened as well...But, I was thinking about it and...You know, if you just thought 'stop,' we would have stopped, because burst partners having contradictory orders basically makes the whole body just freeze, right?" Yarvick asked.

"Yes...It'll be the biggest regret of my life to not have stopped ourselves...But..."

"But what?" Yarvick asked. "What made you stop?"

A long pause, where they only flew. Then, something incredibly creepy.

"Yarvick, I do NOT know why I did not stop you, I would have, but I did not stop you at all. I...I cannot remember what I was thinking there...It was like some kind of fog came over me, I could only tell we were doing something...Wrong, out there. By the time it cleared, the deed was done...I...I do not want to repeat the experience. It sent chills down further than just the body, if you get what I mean...It's...It's..."

"Don't worry, we're not trying that twice. We'll use the ABH only in emergencies from here-on out, just to make sure...Mud is a freaking a**, and I hate his laugh..." Yarvick said.

Oh, he was. Yarvick had a bad feeling Mud was FAR more than a voice in his head whenever he used the ABH...

...He just wanted to return to his nice room on the Deathwing, check his emails, water his berries, cool off, relax, talk to Greaser some more, and generally unwind. He needed some time away from all the crazy action of a war zone.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Goldenrod Docks
Affect RPers: Velocity Death's Spook Grassy_Aggron and TheProtobabe

His body remained motionless, he was breathing, but he wasn't moving. The fall, the fight with a near god-like creature, and the immense loss that he had suffered. It was all too much for him. There was little chance he'd be able to recover from the trauma, his body, however, as well as his heart and his soul were strong. However small the chance, he would definitely find a way to come back to the real world, but he would first have to face his demons from within. There would be no telling how long it would take. For now, Lance Harper was in a coma, and his body needed to be tended to.

However unconscious he might have been, he was able to dream without end. His mind was free to over take him, and this was a fascinating, yet dangerous path. This journey would either free him, or consume him entirely. In this dream, Lance could feel something, a presence he had never felt before, and it wasn't friendly. Every time Lance would try to turn back, the presence forced him forward, and wouldn't let him leave. Everything he would have to face, he wouldn't have a choice but to do so head on. This was terrifying. Strong as Lance was, he wasn't certain he would be able to face these obstacles. These fears, nightmares, and demented dreams. Not all dreams were good, as Lance knew well. But, he would come to learn the true horrors of the night terrors.

Right off the bat, there he stood. Tall, dark, brooding, and the red 'R' on his jacket. He was there, just a few feet ahead of him. Smiling and taunting Lance. Gesturing for him to come and face the Rocket Leader. Mocking the fact that he was helpless to save his friends, his city, and his country. He was a failure, and he'd never be good enough to take Giovanni down. His brother would be disappointed, his bodyguard would get her money's worth, and the woman he was allied with would never see him as a friend, but as a tool to get what she needed. Lance was nothing to Giovanni, and he made that clear when everyone close to him stood at the tyrannical mob boss's side, and left Lance to the shadows.

Lance was both devastated, and confused. How could it get any worse? His home, his empire, his family, and his friends. It was all gone, and he was alone. Maybe he was better off this way. Maybe everyone would be happier if they didn't have to follow such a loser who couldn't even beat a thug in a Deoxys costume. Maybe he really was pathetic, and really did need to die. Maybe Lance's true destiny is to die a failure to himself and everyone around him. Maybe his destiny is to die alone, comatose, and catatonic. This would certainly be his fate, and there was nothing he, nor anyone could do about it.

'No.'

'This isn't true.'

'My brother, my friends, and my allies.'

'They believe in me, and I won't let them suffer our losses without me! It might be my fault, we may never get back what we lost. But we'll never give up. I see it in their eyes! They want to go to Hoenn. They want to fight Team Aqua, and they want to win!'

The image of Giovanni began to blur, and take an entirely different form. It didn't look human. What was it? Lance had started to break the hold of the presence that seemed to be controlling him. He didn't know how long he'd be free of it, if he could even break free of it. But, he wasn't about to let his willpower be overtaken by his grief. He wasn't about to let something he couldn't even see control him, and he'd fight it all the way if he had too.

For a moment, everything seemed bright, the shadows shifted into the light, and Giovanni had vanished completely. There was a calming peace. Bliss and tranquility overcame Lance, as he had his moment to relax. His mind was at ease, and it felt completely as if nothing could go wrong. Lance closed his eyes, and sighed contentedly. Of course, the moment he did, everything went black, again. Upon opening his eyes, Lance was face to face with the Pokémon that put him here. The nightmare had become even more realistic, as Lance stood face to face with Deoxys.

---
R
---

Giovanni
Team Rocket Headquarters in Azalea Town (That's right, "The Well". Get it.)
Affected RPers: None.

"Accursed imbeciles! How dare they foil MY plans! That is no matter we cannot handle. But it is still inconvenient, and I cannot stand set backs! It will take MONTHS to rebuild Harper Industries Tower, and months are something that I don't have to just waste on such trivial matters!" Giovanni ranted, punching his fist through everything that was wasn't entirely valuable. This, the same hand that was riddled with glass shards, but he didn't care. He was infuriated that Team Aqua had the audacity to invade his territory. It was time for them to pay for their insolence. It was time to deploy the 'Burst Bombs.'

These weapons were created for the sole purpose of cancelling a Burst Mode, or tear a human-Pokémon combination apart, and render that trainer incapable of bursting or fusing with a Pokémon for an hour. This even worked on people who carried the genuine burst stones. Johto's leaders and government had sought for years of a way to counter the effects of these burst stones. Someone apparently thought it was unnatural and an abomination. Giovanni made their lives hell, but found their work intriguing. So decided to steal everything they'd worked on and erase it from their records entirely.

These days, Giovanni's scientists had found such a method. The fools in the government were on the right track, it was good that they didn't get there first. Now it had come time to weaponize these Anti-Burst serums, and turn the whole world upside down. This was how Giovanni was going to conquer everything. If the world couldn't burst with their Pokémon, they'd be all the weaker when the rest of Team Rocket could, and completely destroy their enemies once and for all. Starting with Team Aqua.

Giovanni had finally calmed down, and approached a bookshelf in his office. "It's time to notify my secret pet project of my new plans. I'm sure it will be overjoyed to hear the news that we're finally going to take over the world," he spoke out loud to the bodies around him, his trusted advisers, who catered to his every whim. He pulled a piece of old amber off the shelf which triggered a pressure plate. The book shelf began to move off to the side revealing a doorway with a stairwell leading downwards into darkness. "Remain here, all of you. Be sure to deter any unwanted guests."

As Giovanni made his descent, the florescent lights flickered on, upon detecting physical activity within range of their sensors. As he made his way to the bottom of the staircase, the bookshelf closed behind him, and Giovanni found himself in a large laboratory. There were many machines, devices, and test tubes. There was also a large container made of glass in the center of the room. This container was filled with liquid, and had heart monitor wires dangling from the top of it. These wires were obviously attached to something, and upon his approach, it became clear what Giovanni's pet project actually was.

"It's good to see you, my friend. You're growing well. Soon you will be able to leave this chamber and join me in conquering the world. With you at my side, we will be an unstoppable force," he said, confidently, placing his injured hand on the glass. "My first attempt at creating you, backfired. In consequence, it destroyed my base of operations in Viridian City. I hunted it all the way here, to Johto. There I lost every single trace that I had on it. So I decided to cut my losses, and start fresh. Only this time, I would oversee these experiments myself, and make certain it was done correctly."

Giovanni stared into the container, recollecting his past endeavors. He then spoke to the body in the tank, "This time you will be perfect. You will not question your purpose or your destiny, for it will be to serve me, and obey. You will not be like your predecessor. You will be the perfect weapon, and the perfect ally.. You will be the perfect Mewtwo."

(OoC: Let me know if you totally saw this coming.)