[WAR] Role Play: Terminus

[Lord Celebi]

http://i62.tinypic.com/ea1e81.png

The WAR RP will take place in this thread. To sign-up, check out our Sign-Up thread! (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php?3806-WAR-Role-Play-Terminus-%28Sign-Ups%29)

Gamemasters: Saraibre Ryu and Lord Celebi
Judge: Saraibre Ryu

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Slateport City. Sunny beaches, marinas, dockyards, and the temperature was currently 93F outside. Ha, you'd never think the world was chin-deep in warfare and anarchy! That was until you got to the main part of town, and Hoenn military troopers were stationed left and right, asking for civilian papers and ID cards. I had those forged over a week ago, going by the name "Daniel Smith." It was barely a jump from John Doe.

Hoenn was currently fighting with Orre, although a whole slew of other nations hated this place ever since Hoenn got their hands on the Burst Hearts., bragged about it, and started setting tariffs on a whole bunch of stupid things. Leave it to Hoenn to get pig-headed and stupid after something like that.

I wanted to get a good assessment of what kinds of naval ships they had in the area. Kind of like window shopping, only I had not a single damn intention of paying a buck for these. The other reason I was there was to see if they had an extra supply of Burst Hearts for their navy soldiers. Hoenn tried to keep them off the black market, but the one I already had in my bag was a good indication of how much they totally failed with that attempt, heh.

And then there was another security checkpoint. Boy, these chumps really didn't like Orre, I could tell.

"Papers, please," The guard told me.

"Uh huh, yeah," I told him, showing him the ID card and the forged D7 documents. "Hot day out."

"What's your official business in Slateport, Mister Smith?" The guard asked me.

"Thinking of doing some souvenir shopping, maybe grab a slice of pizza for lunch, grab a chocolate cone afterword, check out the aquarium..."

See, it was my personal mission to ensure I made asshats like this guy really hate his job. You want to regulate that much crap for stupid reasons? Be my guest, but I'll make your life a personal hell for it. So yeah, I began to fantasize how I'd spend the day like a two-bit tourist in front of this guy, hold up the line, and then he just snapped.

"Fine, move on through, we have people waiting!"

Raoooww! I just waved goodbye to Princess Pissy Pants and got to work on my real task at hand.


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

We needed projects, and projects cost money, and Aqua needed a way to make big money and fast. And boy, did I have just the thing! And there were enough dumbnuts all over the planet that would fall for this. Little Missy has a cute lil' Eevee and she would just be dreadfully depressed if that lil' Eevee-weevey wasn't so super happy-wappy at all times! Yeah, those were the kinds of people I wanted to royally screw over.

The idea was to create a kind of candy that was actually a drug in disguise. With all of the governments fighting over stupid things, ha, trying to enforce petty food and drug regulations on candy was the least of their concern. They were more out to fight over Burst Hearts, Dracaria, or some other nonsense that they'd overlook the little guys with the big plans. When enemies are looking down at you with big weapons and giant armies, yeah, a little bag of Sugar Tarts ain't going to be on your priority list!

I called it PokéTarts. It was a cute, colorful candy in the shapes of pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, green clovers, blue diamonds, and purple horseshoes. They were sweet and sugary, and they had drugs in them that made Pokémon happy and elated. A little like human ecstasy. And the great part was, to Pokémon, it had a very addictive quality, but experienced diminishing returns. Soon enough, one PokéTart wasn't enough to keep a Pokémon happy. They'd need two now to keep up the elation. Then three. Then four. Then entire freaking bags to keep the spoiled brats happy. And if they didn't get their sweet, sugary fix of ultra happiness, they suffered withdrawal, and that included making a Pokémon depressed enough to binge eat! So if little Missy didn't keep spending her life savings on making her little Eevee happy with entire bulk wholesale purchases of PokéTarts, the little runt was going to pig out and become one monstrously obese blobby balloon of lardy lamentation. Ha ha, the governments wouldn't even blink until it became a worldwide epidemic, and it would be too late then. I just needed to make it crystal clear that people on Team Aqua should not give their own Pokémon these PokéTarts NO MATTER WHAT. If they did, they sure were stupid.

But I saved that mayhem for my off-time. Team Aqua wanted me to research and design a little toy they called The Liquidator, using stolen plans of a military railgun. Basically, Team Aqua wanted The Liquidator to be a gatling version of it like some kind of giant, vulcan minigun of death, hatred, anarchy, pain, humiliation, and destruction. Ha ha, sounded like the names I've give to a batch of Growlithe puppies just for fun!

They needed a working blueprint and schematic design of the superweapon. So, it just meant spending a few hours engineering a CAD model and compensating for junk like recoil, overheating, ammo feed, and all the other crap that went into it. Trivial stuff. Then it had to be run through simulation software to make sure the thing works and didn't pop apart.

In the meantime, Team Aqua wanted superior armored vehicles. I came up with the clever idea to just combine tanks, APCs, and AA stuff into one. It seemed stupid that hadn't been done in the first place! Again, it was a matter of starting with some concept art, but once we found a few designs and possibilities we wanted to take further, bingo, we were going to work with that.

And lastly, there was something called Project MEND they wanted me to help with, but they were keeping it pretty under wraps for now. MEND... yeah, kinda makes you wonder what it might be referring to, but I shrugged and figured I'd learn about it in time.

[Akaida]

Zach Pierce
Outside of Rustsurf Tunnel
Affected RPers: None

Zach and his squad of former Hoenn Special Forces had made camp along side the top of Rusturf tunnel which was covered in trees and other foliage that allowed for them to be so close. Zach, who had spent most of his childhood travelling and in cities, enjoyed being in the outdoors. The smell of the trees and feel of the dirt next to the warmth of the small fire reminded him of a happier time, when his biological father had taken him camping. About twenty years later, Zach was a much different person, and any hope of returning to that life ended with the death of his parents. Now he sat in the night, contemplating the parameters of his mission revolving what is now a widely used and popular tunnel. While years had been spent on it, eventually the Pokemon were moved from their cave home to different habitats and construction was finally finished. The tunnel caused trade to flow freely from Rustboro to Verdanturf to Mauville.

In times of war though, it has become a supply line and transportation of military forces from Rustboro to other regions of Hoenn occurs through this tunnel. This made it one of the most prime targets for Zach and his group to strike a blow against the Hoenn army. Zach once served Hoenn, spending years accomplishing death defying missions and putting his life on the life to serve Hoenn’s interest. Part of it was a sense of duty and thanks to his foster father, who had raised him since the tragic death of his parents. The other part was because Zach had no passions in life. With only a military background from travelling with his father there was only one thing Zach knew.

Zach refocused on the mission at hand. According to intelligence, Hoenn military forces were sending a convoy full of heavy armor and supplies through the tunnel. From there they would travel to Mauville. They were fortifying the city due to insurgents known as the Followers of Kyogre running amok along the routes between Mauville and Fortree. Most of Hoenn’s airforce was in use against Orre, and most of its air transporation had been used sending much of Hoenn’s army there. This made the tunnel the only option to send Zach could tell what the Hoenn military had planned. Reinforce Mauville from Rustboro and Fortree and then pincer in on the clearly inferior force.

What Hoenn didn’t know was that the Followers of Kyogre were just bait set up by Aqua while they dismantled Hoenn everywhere else around the region in key locations like Rustboro and Slateport, where the army and navy of Hoenn were respectively stationed. Zach admired the tactics and was always one for providing distractions to the body while you sever the head. Without these supplies Mauville would be sorely undefended and without the heavier tech used to put down the insurgency, Hoenn would be in for a battle of attrition.

By morning the Hoenn military would enter the tunnel. Hoenn hadn’t prepared for any type of trouble, leaving the entrance via Route 116 fairly unguarded, with just regular posts to watch and collect toll as well as restrict passage to any non-military personnel. This made it easy for Zach and his squad mates to plant explosives in the middle of the night. Now they prepared for morning, in which Zach would prove that Hoenn had made a mistake driving off one of their best and finest.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Death's Spook



---

A darkness crept upon the screen as the video began. Then a light with a soft florescent glow was turned on, revealing the face of a man known as Oliver Harper.

"Is it recording?"

"Yes," a very familiar female voice replied.

"Good. Lance, if you're watching this, then I fear the worst has happened. Giovanni has more than likely silenced us, and left you to run our company. Which if he has left, means the downfall of Harper Industries," Oliver spoke quietly but clearly. He pause to allow a woman to join him at his side.

"Giovanni held this insufferable weight on out shoulders. It was like the moment we signed with him to be our partner and primary investor, he forever held that gun to the back of our heads. My god, we were such fools. I hope you'll forgive us for all of this. We should have never trusted Giovanni," Mary Harper's words grew shakier every second. Her emotions swelled and tears formed in her eyes.

"I know this man has been like an uncle to you and Alastair. However, this man is a monster who used our company to experiment on innocent people and Pokèmon. All for knowledge on these Burst Hearts. You've already experienced the powers of these stones with Speedy, haven't you? Giovanni sought something even more powerful. An object called the Ancient Burst Heart. There were supposedly 4 ever discovered, but they disappeared from the eyes and thoughts of men. If we are truly dead, it means Giovanni has found the Ancient Burst Heart here in Johto," Oliver began to get shaky in his words, as well, "I don't know how, or what it will take, but Giovanni cannot succeed, Lance!"

"Honey, calm down. There isn't any more we can do," Mary said softly in an attempt to calm her husband.

"Mary, I can't stand being helpless like this. I'm not going to wait around for Giovanni to kill us!"

Oliver Harper stood up and stormed off screen.

"Lance, I know we've been distant these last couple years. But words could never express how much we love you, and how proud we are of the man you have become. It is my wish that you never have to see this video. That we'll grow old and watch you and your brother become great men," Mary paused, and sighed heavily.

"Lance, don't tell any of this to Alastair. He doesn't need to know that Giovanni killed his mother and father. It would devastate him more than anything else you could ever say to him. We love you, and we love Alastair. Take care of your little brother, Lance. Learn from each other and grow stronger, together. Good-bye, Son."

The video faded to black with the sounds of a woman sobbing.

---

In a dimly lit office space on the top floor of the largest skyscrapers in Johto, a young man sat in a black office chair made of genuine leather, and there he rested in a state of deep thought. Before him was a wooden desk of mahogany make. He believed it more valuable than anything else in his building. Though that proved untrue with the evidence resting upon the desk. Upon the desk set just a laptop. A standard model created by the company who owned the chair he sat in, the laptop he was using, and the desk the laptop was displayed on. The company is Harper Industries. Which, until recently, was the economical titan upon which Johto stood for years. That was until Giovanni ripped the rug from under their feet, and sent the business spiraling out of control.

Upon the screen of the laptop, a video window was displayed, it was stopped at the replay request screen. The man in the leather chair had just finished watching that video, and thus left speechless by its contents. The man in the chair wore a worn out red hooded sweater, under that you could visibly see the white t-shirt thanks to the zipper being half unzipped on the sweater. Also resting upon the desk were his new sneakers. They were black with a red trim. The laces were a dark shade of yellow to resemble the colors of Speedy, his Scizor. As such, there was a white silhouette of a Scizor embedded on the outer ankle of each shoe. His eyes were like ice as he stared into the screen of his laptop. Although slightly bloodshot from staring, his gaze never shifted. The laptop created by the company he owns. This young man is Lance Harper.

Giovanni had killed his parents, destroyed his company, and had stolen a powerful weapon that shouldn't be in the hands of human beings. Giovanni needed to be stopped. Suddenly, he felt a turning in his stomach as several thoughts rushed through his mind.

'How do I stop him? What can I do that the police couldn't? How am I supposed to carry this vendetta as well as support my region in this debilitating world war?' Lance had been pondering many questions. When answers came up, more questions surfaced. His mind was in a fog. This was all so sudden, and all too much for one young man to bear. Without his parents or his brother around, what was he going to do?

A young man sat in a dimly lit office room, pondering a great many things. His next step would be the greatest step he would ever have to take. He needed to be cautious with it.

[OoC: Giovanni doesn't actually have the Ancient Burst Heart, it is simply assumed by Lance that he does have it. However, if the rest of you don't mind it.. =P]

[Lord Celebi]

OOC: Please read all of Norb Whitehall's POV posts in the voice of Kevin Spacey from House of Cards.

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
Capitol Building, Evergrande City
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

The meetings of the Defense Committee so bored Norton Whitehall. The Parliament of Hoenn endlessly bickered amongst themselves, simply trying to settle partisan gains as opposed to actually playing The Game. Everyone was only the lookout for the next election, the next campaign contribution, the next fancy dinner with a lobbyist; no one could see the bigger picture. The world was a chessboard and Whitehall intended to not only play it, but to win it. He was not a piece, but a player.

He did, of course, have a purpose for showing up at the meeting of Hoenn's Defense Committee. Recently, it had been a bunch of warhawks beating their chests over Hoenn's recent military dominance. As opposed to planning for Hoenn's Defense, as the founders of Hoenn had intended for these meetings to be used, these men were instead using it to plan further offensives into other countries. Orre was in Hoenn's line of sights now. Their harboring of militant refugees from various terrorist factions all across the world was finally going to be met with punishment, at least, according to Whitehall's esteemed colleagues.

"Orre will no longer harbor terrorist threats to Hoenn!" Hans Velshtein, General of the Hoenn Armed Forces, bellowed across the hall. The florescent light of the room gleamed off his bald head, blinding the aging Parliamentarian forced to listen to his speech. Whitehall wondered when the blowhard would ever shut up.

"We can't attack Orre when there's a war between Kanto and Johto. It's our duty, as the world's strongest power, to police these conflicts," Orson Barkley, another Parliamentarian, fiercely replied. Whitehall chuckled to himself. He's only deflecting because the Orre shipping industry is paying him out of the nose to keep war out of that country. Barkley and Vehlstein verbally duked it out for a few moments before Whitehall had to intercede.

"Enough! This is the Capitol Building. We are Hoenn's best and brightest. If we cannot resolve this petty disagreement without this constant bickering, then gentlemen, I'm afraid our motherland is lost," Whitehall quipped. "For now, I think it would be best to table this issue until the morning. A night of sleep will do us all some good." The blowhards and egotists surrounding Whitehall nodded in agreement as the men filed out of the room to return to their wives and *****s. Whitehall grabbed Barkley by the crook of the elbow as he was leaving.

"What is it, Norb?" Barkley asked, expecting the usually genial Norb Whitehall. He quickly realized that he had instead come upon the vicious Whitehall; a scowl encompassing the entirety of the lower half of his face. Barkley tried to free his arm, but Whitehall gripped harder. He led the man towards the desks. Once he was confident the two were alone, Whitehall retrieved a bottle of Laphroaig 18 from his desk and two scotch glasses. He poured one for himself--all the way up to the rim--and much smaller one for Barkley.

Whitehall brought the drink up to his lips and relished in the firewater rushing down his throat. His body screamed at him to keep what was technically a poison out of his body, but Whitehall was man enough to keep the shivers under control. Whilst Barkley had only drank a shot's worth, Whitehall had downed half of the glass. "Woah, Norb. I know that you've been struggling with abuse, but you should at least wait until you get home to get that hammered."

The alcoholic grabbed Barkley's hand and put it on his side, where his liver was. "You feel that, Orson?"

Barkley's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell? Norb, that's a god damn stone."

"Exactly. I'll be fine. You see, unlike yourself, hiding my vices is much easier," Whitehall quipped. He grabbed a docket from under his desk and put it in front of Barkley. Barkley didn't react--he knew what was in there. "Illegally taking campaign contributions from foreign parties? That's baby stuff, we all do it. This, however. Well, quite frankly, when I came across these pictures, I was absolutely shocked." The photos, of course, had been provided to him by Finch Reynolds: Aqua's Captain of Espionage.

"What do you want?" Barkley asked Whitehall exasperated.

"The kids would say that you're my ***** now," Whitehall told him. "Me? I just would like you take my counsel on the way you should vote very seriously from now on." He finished the drink and slammed the glass onto the ground, shattering it. "Or you'll end up like that."

"But what about Orre? If we go to war with them, I'll have no money to keep running for office," Barkley tried to argue.

"Let me worry about that," Whitehall reassured him. "You can go now." The politician scurried away, unwilling to expose himself to any further political torment. Whitehall sat there for a moment as he finally started to feel a buzz overtake him. He nestled the bottle of Laphroaig away for later and checked his phone. Using his 4G connection, he logged into a secure VPN and accessed the Deathwing's servers. Whitehall liked to keep a close eye on Aqua's R&D department. Restricting Raidon's toys seemed like the only way to keep control of them these days.

A smile wrapped its way around his cheeks when he saw the Liquidator, a Gatling Railgun. Those Railgun plans that Whitehall had leaked to Aqua seemed to have come in handy. It appeared that Angel Price had modified the designs to distribute the masses via the gravitational turns of the Gatling gun as opposed to forcing a manual load. It was absolutely ingenious. He couldn't wait until he could turn that intellect towards Hoenn... when he ran the country, of course.

However, his smile turned to a frown once again when he saw Project MEND. Tyrus Hale's clandestine research group, whom Hale lovingly referred to as his "skunkworks," had been sicced onto this project. Once he had pored over the details, Whitehall decided he needed to pay Raidon Makoto a visit. He hadn't behaved well enough for a toy like that.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Pirate's Gambit.

It was a ploy I liked to use against chumps like these. When I scoped out the situation with the naval ships, sure, there were enough sailor boys running around, but I looked harmless. I knew how to blend in with dimwit tourists and not be suspicious.

The real plan was to rig three of their ships I could do without, and pluck the one I did want out of their hands. You see, the plan here was Hoenn was going to give me this ship. If they allowed me to sail away, free as a Wingull, without shooting me, well, I wouldn't blow up their other three ships then. But if they attacked, they'd risk killing the captain, who I was going to take hostage, and they'd get to watch a really expensive fireworks show.

I hoped they brought lawn chairs for just such an occasion.

The first ship I came across was the HAN Enforcer. It was another run of the mill destroyer that just didn't catch my fancy. So, I didn't feel the least bit sore about slapping one of my Firespike explosive charges on it, hidden just underneath the water. If this little baby got detonated, the concentrated blast would be directed right into the hull, busting open a nice big hole. The bay would do the rest of the work for me, and I was sure the Shellders, Tentacools, and Clamperl would really appreciate it.

Second one was a cruiser, the HAN Paladin. Gawd, I hated this boring names they came up with these ships. Again, nothing special. I mean sure, I'd love to take off with all four of these ships, but there was only one me and none of my Pokémon would be able to commandeer one of these. Plus, I'd have the whole Hoenn Navy on my ***. Couldn't be too greedy. Again, I managed to slip another explosive charge just under the water, where no one would see it.

Ship #3, another cruiser, the HAN Legionnaire. Yawn. Rigged.

The fourth and last ship was the best, I felt. The HAN Entourage was a heavy battleship with a lot of guns and seemed expensive enough. Boring name, but I figured I would devise something classy when I sailed this thing back home. I just needed to rip out the AIS transponder and drive it back home.

With my sights on the Entourage now, it was time to get to work.


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

PokéTarts could very well be the doom of all Pokémon. Or just Pokémon with trainers dumb enough to give it to them!

By the time figured out the truth behind PokéTarts, it would be way too late. The only real way for a Pokémon to get off PokéTarts and not binge feed like a furry (or scaly) Mr. Creosote was to lock 'em up for two weeks and not get anywhere near the greedy, little monsters. You wouldn't even be able to keep them tucked away in a Pokéball. Ha, ha, but most trainers wouldn't do that to their Pokémon. So I figured it would make for a great epidemic.

Designing the formula itself wasn't a biggie. I just needed a recipe that really triggered the heck out of a Pokémon's dopamine response. Natural adaptations would treat these receptors like germ invaders, so over time, the receptors wouldn't give a Pokémon a strong enough fix. So they'd eat more to get that! The diminishing returns would be brutal on a trainer's wallet. Ha, ha, I could just see all those trainers right at the poor house!

In the meantime, I had finished a successful CAD version of the Liquidator, which they were already building into a prototype. It was what they would call... "badass," and I was glad my version was the one that got the final approval. It even just looked intimidating, like it was giant, angry claw ready to pick up something and shred it up into bits! But hey, if it did that, it wouldn't nearly be as bad as what it actually did. 3,500 railgun shots in a single minute. You were looking at a lot of dead things with that! Problem was ammo was expensive, so I figured it could really only fire for a few seconds, but boy would it rip up a lot of stuff quickly!

The new tank model was called the Shadowfall, which would be superior to normal tanks in just about every way. In large droves, well, there really wasn't too much out there that could stop 'em. These babies were made to be ready for anything. The engineers were busy making the prototype right now, based off of some concept designs and CAD models that already seemed to pass the simulated environment test. The prototype would help us decide if mass production would be a cool idea, but hey, if it were up to me, I'd just go ahead with it right away.

Lastly, Project MEND was an under-wraps project. I had gotten the research project plans and read over them. Lots of dry, sciencey stuff. I understood it, but it wasn't the kind of material I'd remember for an open-mike night at the Split-Sides comedy club. It was one of those ace in the hole kind of things that could really help Team Aqua a lot, and no one would realize it until long after we had won. It was kind of like cheating. But that was totally okay in my book. Playing by the rules was boring.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Outskirts of Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga
Introducing the Raticate...

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez. Most famous for his murder of colonel Salvador Brillo to the men and woman of the everyday, and especially to the army, but more famous for his brilliant stealing power amongst the black market and the more unscrupulous types. His failures were rare, his performance high. Aqua's possession of a master thief was almost a must, after they got him some gun training. It was his well-defined duty to hack, sabotage, and most importantly steal the assets of anything that happened to oppose Aqua. In this case, it was the Hoenn Navy, arguably one of the most powerful in the world WITHOUT Burst Hearts. Having them was, in some circles, considered overkill. Being a nation that had half of it's cities on the water could do that.

The mission, his first 'official' mission in Aqua, was to help nab a ship. However, One "Noah 'Neo' Ashfield" was in charge of the actual theft of the actual ship. Yarvick's role in this operation was a bit different: cause chaos in whatever way he saw fit to take heat away from Noah and allow him to take the ship easier. How he would do it was entirely up to him, as long as it was big enough of a ruckus to attract attention. It noted that any spoils he steals in the process are his to keep. They didn't even assume well-placed flashbangs, stirring up riots, or anything like that-oh, no. Aqua's higher-ups knew EXACTLY what Yarvick's job was, what he liked to do, and what he excelled at, and they knew better than to think he would be any different. It was his duty to steal, and he liked doing his duty as much as possible.

He was still nervous, though. He may not have gotten the big, important job, but he was still nervous. This meant directly dealing with the armed forces of Hoenn, a direct consequence of taking heat away from Noah. He could run. He always could. He was faster than most anyone. He even had a Burst Heart-in case those millitary types tried bursting to kill him, he'd show them a cruel surprise when he could do it as well, and use that to get away. But the last time he wound up even unintentionally involved in military men was when he met Colonel Brillo. The thrill of stealing was what he liked doing, narrowly evading the law and retribution. Being held in a pin by a Swampert readying up a Hydro Pump guaranteed to make his head a red paste was NOT part of that definition. He very narrowly escaped due to sheer luck, and nothing else. His luck was naturally bad-he used planning and precision helped along by Hyperion at times, so if luck got involved it was typically against his favor. He did NOT want repeat incidents. In any case, they weren't trained to stop intruders, they were trained to kill people. He hadn't broken out of jail yet, but he'd LOVE to try that instead of getting killed.

But, that was going to change today. You had to live up to your fears one day, as many would say. Working with Aqua would demand that he deal with these kinds of people, and he was well-aware of the cost when he joined up. Better thrills meant bigger consequences.

He had it planned out what he would do after reading a tour guide for the city itself: he'd hit the Museum. It was an aquatic and naval museum, definitely not the kind he liked to pilfer from, but they would probably have some important knickknacks that could fetch him a pretty penny and be important enough for people to worry their heads over. It was hard to say for sure, though, but even then, just setting off the security systems would be enough to get heads turned away from the naval ships, even if it was a false alarm, and he could leave without taking anything at all-cause the distraction without doing anything that would get him in any more trouble than just for trouble-making with Atlas. Yet, at the same time, the navy troops stationed would be drawn to the chaos, giving EXACTLY the distraction Noah could use.

It was like Jaws and the kid with the fake shark fin. He'd steal an unimportant thing or two while Noah would steal a really BIG thing.

But first...To actually get INTO the city.

Yarvick hadn't gotten into position to do anything. He was still in line, waiting for his ID card and civvy papers to be checked. They were forged, of course, as his actual name would likely get him hauled in for multiple cases of Larceny and the murder of Colonel Salvador Brillo. His 'name' for today was Carlos Sanchez. It definitely wasn't a name so distinct as his own. It took twenty minutes of waiting, but finally, he was at the gates.

"Papers, please." said the navyman. Yarvick could tell at a glance that the dude was pretty angry at something, though Yarvick couldn't really figure out WHAT. Yarvick wordlessly handed him the ID card and the civvy papers. Screwing around with an angry soldier was not in his agenda no matter what.

"What is your official business in Slateport, Mr. Sanchez?" the guard asked, skimming the papers.

"I'd like to visit the naval museum." Yarvick responded. Might as well tell the truth, he WAS going to visit the museum.

"He looks pretty poor..." Another guard commented, as the first one gave back the ID card.

"I've been saving up." Yarvick said.

"Move on through." the first guard said, handing back the D7 with a slight bit of acid in his voice, not aimed at anything Yarvick could guess.

Yarvick was walking off towards the Museum without looking back. So far, so good...

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX

"Is it recording?"

The muffled tones of a voice reached Helena Gray's ears as she ducked into the shadows of the air-conditioned building, her tiny body adapting to the corners. Her breath was expertly suppressed as she watched and listened carefully. At the moment, she only saw the back of a young man's head, illuminated slightly by the bright glow of his computer screen. Voices came through the speakers, sounding slightly tinny--a recording. Dancing lights indicated movement onscreen; a video. Her oceanic eyes narrowed. She'd need to get in at a better angle to see it... though she wasn't sure if that was even necessary.

She knew who the young man was--pretty much everyone in Johto did. He was Lance Harper, the orphaned child of Harper Industries' former owners. Rumor had it that foul play was involved, but they were never confirmed. Helena knew better, though--one got to hearing the dark truth of people on the streets. Giovanni was far too crooked to have let them go untouched.

Helena had followed Lance quietly, sensing he had some sort of mission or important thing to do. His face had said it all. As her only connection to Giovanni--and therefore the Ancient Burst Heart he allegedly had--she couldn't help but follow the young man here. And now she listened with him as he watched the video of two people talking to him beyond the grave.

She stayed put as the video ended, frowning. There had been no mention of Giovanni's whereabouts or future plans, though it was confirmation of the man's status as a murderer. This was hardly useful, save for furthering Helena's caution if she ever faced the man. He was deadly, and obviously was a dirty fighter. She flicked her gaze to the back of Lance's head. Would Giovanni go after the boy, too? It was something to ponder. Helena wondered vaguely if he would take precautions to protect himself. Although, with the company destroyed, maybe it wouldn't be worth it to the haughty, crooked man...

But her bitter disappointment in failing to glean any information harmonized with Lance's melancholy, thoughtful mood. Helena gripped the Pokeball containing Natalia, her Lucario--more out of habit than anything else--and wondered if maybe Lance would want to find Giovanni for revenge. Would it be worth the gamble of revealing herself, or should she stay hidden? Helena decided to gauge his demeanor for a while before coming to a decision.

[Akaida]

Zach Pierce
Outside of Rustsurf Tunnel
Affected RPers: None

Zach awoke early for the final shift that would wake the rest of the squad and prepare for the strike. He radioed in to each member, many of whom were spread out, to hit from all sides.

“It’s time everyone, Talonflame has let me know that they won’t be far off. Remember, wait to detonate until the armor passes near the explosives. Once you set them off, Michaels, I want you to start gunning down the escorts. The rest of us will burst with your choice of Pokemon and hit any armor that was untouched and the convoy supplies. You will leave the escort troops to Michaels. I will call for the retreat and we will all throw smoke out and regroup at the rendezvous point. Is this all understood?”

“Aye Commander, we’ve only been over the mission plan a million times”, came a reply from John Michaels, the designated sniper and marksman of his squad. He was one of the only people from his squad that was caught up in Zach’s escape from the Hoenn government. Michaels had more loyalty to him than the group of men that had been chasing him, and he dispatched them and aided Zach. John Michaels had entered the same academy as Zach, and Zach’s accomplishments enthralled Michaels. The thought of his idol in academy being an enemy of the state did not sit right with him and followed along.

“Stop flirting with your dream boy Michaels and get your crap together. I don’t want some chump with a gun taking me out because you were crushing on the Commander.” This voice was easily identifiable as Ted “Slaughter” Pratt. He along with everyone else in his squad were an assortment of mercenaries and in some cases bad apples of the Hoenn military. Ted was especially brutal, but effective. Some of his antics of killing and torture were so gruesome that the details had been limited. His nickname was well earned. To Zach, he was too flamboyant and drew too much attention to himself. Now he was fighting alongside him.

Restraining Pratt as well as the other men in his squad that didn’t have as much discipline as his former team always added another element to the mission. Would anyone go rogue, or let their personal desires and habits override his orders? What would his plan of action be then? Zach had always told himself he would put them down himself, but in the hectic of battle and war, how would he be able to accomplish both. Eliminating an asset endangered the mission, something he always put first. Thankfully, it had never come to that. Pratt’s comment elicited chuckles and laughter from the rest of the squad.

“Maintain your composure, and commence radio silence. I will fire a green flare to signal beginning the operation. I will issue orders throughout the operation. Let’s make this simple and clean”. Zach never had to raise his voice too high. Everyone on that squad knew his reputation and what he was capable of. They knew that when Zach was calm, he was at his most dangerous. Zach prepared his Pokeball and Burst heart. Draglage was known for using its poison to bring down ships, making it adept at eating away at armored tanks, and convoy trucks. And if any of the escort troops proved a problem, its set of dragon moves would quickly dispatch them. While normally a Pokémon that sticks to water, Bursting with it had allowed him to alternate between both swimming and traversing land.

The trucks and tanks caused the ground to rumble beneath his feet, he readied his Pokeball and Burst Heart in one hand, and the flare gun in the other. The convoy had just begun to enter the cave, meaning much of the armor was right around the explosives set in. He pointed the flare gun and pointed the trigger.

The shaking of the ground from the tanks was nothing compared to the thunderous explosions that blew up entire tanks and set men alit as a series of deadly explosions rocked the convoy. Gunshots were muted under the sound of chaos as escort troops lives were plucked away. Panic ensued, just as Zach had opened.

This was only the beginning as him and his squad charged into the convoy, clad in the power of their Burst forms.

[Homura]

Jans "Agricola" Hanson
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, Death's Spook

Jans continued to type on his laptop, each click of the mechanical keyboard felt heavy to him. However, this was one of his most interesting times. Johto and Kanto were, in effect, at war, and the world stage was set for a grand melee. He was one not to care about it all. He was much interested in his own self interest. In the end, he was an employee of Harper Industries. However Oliver had been, he is now dead. His death made his son, Lance, the one to inherit the company, however bad shape it was in. Giovanni, on the other hand, had disappeared from the surface of the Earth.

His little office was unmarked, and hardly anybody would venture into that area of the building. It was a fantastic hiding spot for Jans himself, and certainly he would have no other qualms about it. He could conduct his "research" in peace. He looked to his left; the printer continued to print sheets upon sheets of paper, with its printing sounds drowned out by the humming of the computer and machinery he had in and around the office.

He had watched Lance enter his office a few hours ago, and yet that spoiled brat hasn't come out of that office yet. He was certain that Lance was a great target. He had a lot of dirt from his past and present that most certainly Jans could use to make him more money. Lance was an interesting proposition that he may pursue at a later date. But for now, he would bide his time with this boy.

He was looking into a man named Norton Whitehall, and prominent politician, the Senior Representative for Fallharbor in Hoenn. This man was elusive and shrewed in his methods, and much of Jans' knowledge of this man was still cloudy at best. He made a note to keep tabs on this man. He would certainly need eyes in Hoenn, somehow.

To do this, he'd need to track the man, and his shadows. Jans knew that incident 731 was a political setup, but he didn't know what it was that he was trying to do. In addition, it made no sense that Whitehall would simply do political retribution on others without a secondary or tertiary plan. He needed to find out what was going on in there. That was, perhaps a threat to his way or life, or perhaps an opportunity that he could capitalize on. In either case, he needed this work to be done.

How would he be able to track this man in the first place? He searched rumour site after rumour site. The rumour has it that Whitehall had a team of military leaders behind him pulling strings within the military itself. If that was the case, the most obvious thing to do was to have some sort of an armada or military power under his solid control, in case of a need for a coup. At any case, the most obvious thing to do was to track their military weapons, while monitoring Whitehall's movements. He needed a satellite.

Pulling up the map of Hoenn and all of the telecommunications companies there, Jans noted at least 15 different companies, the largest of which was in Slateport: Funk Telecom. He'd need to go there. He made a quick phone call and left a message, "Alastair, Agricola here. I need a favour. I need a few men to get to Slateport for some...work related issues. Call me back."

All he needed to do was wait.

[XaiakuX]

[OoC: The stuff in italics is details into Lance's backstory that I've decided to include for giggles. In essence it's sort of like the inner workings of Lance's mind. Memories or thoughts. It has no part of my interactions with the surrounding characters, only with me to keep it fresh. I don't expect that part of it to be graded. If this is forbidden, I will refrain from doing it from now on.]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: TheProtobabe and potentially Death's Spook?

--

"Slap the water," a man with long raven hair commanded. The man was thin, but with athetic physique. Although he was short in stature, there was still something heavily imposing about the man. "Do not stop until the bowl is empty. When the bowl is empty, refill it, and do it all over again."

A teenager, roughly in the same height range as the man, slapped the water, and groaned in boredom. "This is so dumb. I've been doing this for over a year! When will you teach me to actually fight and kick peoples' butts?" The boy complained about his task as most teenagers would. This boy was hilariously irresponsible, for he lived off of his parents' money, and didn't care about anyone but himself.

The man rolled his eyes. "You want results? You must learn discipline. You are brash, and stupid. You will never learn anything if you only think of yourself," he spoke swiftly, and stern. He pulled the bowl away and pointed to the table, "Slap the table."

The boy reared back and brought his and down on the surface of the table. Suddenly the wood beneath his palm cracked, and the table split down the middle. The boy had successfully broke the table in half. In a state of shock, the boy sat back and sighed heavily. It was at this point that he realized that great power needed control. It needed discipline. It needed responsibility.

--

A few moments passed before Lance put his feet on the ground, and casually rose to his feet. He reached into the left pocket of his hooded sweater and retrieved a Pokéball. Upon pressing the button in the center of the sphere, the ball grew three times its usual size and filled his palm completely. He then pressed the button again which caused it to open, and project a white array of light. This light flowed into the shape of a humanoid with four large and muscular arms. The creature was grey in color, and wore nothing but a pair of black wrestling trunks equipped with some form of golden utility belt, replacing the usual weighted belt that this creature would normally be found wearing.

The beast flexed and belted out its species natural cry of 'Machamp' before calming down and looking to Lance for direction. Lance closed the laptop screen slowly, and removed the flash drive that was connected to it. He calmly approached the large muscle-bound creature, and placed the flash drive in on of the utility pockets on the beast's belt. He then patted his Machamp on the head before finally speaking up.

"Did you enjoy the show from the shadows, intruder?" Lance called out to the room. His voice carried a low tone, and serious feeling, "I'm no stranger to being stalked, and for that I can thank my brother. He would often have his ghost Pokémon stealthily follow me around. It was difficult to have any privacy until I learned to elude his ghosts, let me assure you that it was no easy task. Just like getting out of here is for you. If you would like to avoid play time with ol' Bane, here, you should reveal yourself to me, and state your business. You should know that Bane doesn't play nice."

Lance turned and faced towards Helena's exact position. While he couldn't physically see her, he knew where she was hiding. His years of physical grueling training with Kenji Gazette bestowed upon him numerous skills and talents that would forbid the common man from noticing the presence of someone who wanted to remain invisble. Bane flexed his muscles again, and let out a low cry, meant for intimidation.

[ShadowJay]

Quinn Harper
Laboratory in Celadon City
Affected RPers: N/A

Team Trainer. Courage, Honor and Glory. Those words were just a blanket we were hiding under. This was WAR, and we are fighting to win. And to win, we needed weapons. No one would dare go into a battle empty handed. There were Pokémon, sure, but in this day and age, they are inferior. Humans and their technological artillery would always be the victor; unless you’re one of those lucky few to get your hands on a burst heart, then you were in business.

I held onto just a single burst heart. I wasn't about to waste it though; I would have to use it at the exact right time. For now though, I would need to come up with something crafty to stand up to those other burst hearts. I needed something big and dangerous, but also something that could move with ease. There was only one other known Team Trainer member out there somewhere, so I would have to rely on my own skills.

I reached for my tool belt and drew a pencil. I needed some ideas for my war machine. I sketched a few things; a tank, a ship, a plane. None of them seemed to fit what I was looking for. I needed something that could do all of the above. Then it hit me; just combine the three.

I drew up a sketch. It was just a rough idea, but it was exactly what I wanted. It was buoyant for sea travel, had high power turbo jet engines for flying and a set of wheels for traversing land. That’s not all it had though, it was also clad in only the strongest material; Graphene. Yes, this war machine would be perfect.

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX

Helena shifted in the dark slightly as Lance moved to get up. His hand reached for a Pokeball, and her fingers twitched. As the ball expanded, her own nimble hand reached for one of her own. A huge Machamp appeared, flexing and calling out its own name as Lance casually put his laptop and flash drive away. Damn.

He was good. But she was good, too.

As he went on about his brother setting Ghost-types out to stalk him, Helena walked out of her hiding spot, palms up. She gave Lance an impassive look and ignored the muscle-bound Machamp, who was currently trying to look as intimidating as possible. The thing was, she was used to facing brutes and defeating them, so this had no effect on her at all. It was mildly irritating, even.

"Hello, Lance Harper," she said coolly. She was somewhat glad he wasn't easy to stalk; she had a glimmer of respect for his astuteness. Though the macho show of strength was starting to wear on her. "I'm not here to kill you, so you can put your Pokemon away. I'm sure it wouldn't do so well if he was poisoned, or hit by a powerful Flying move, anyway," she mused, and her eyes flicked upwards. Behind and above the glowering Machamp's head, the glowing eyes and vampiric grin of a Crobat appeared, fluttering just out of reach.

"I think we can come to a truce, here. Don't you?"

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: Death’s Spook (Alistair Harper); possibly XaikuX (Lance Harper) by proximity.

(Side note: Nar and I collaborated on this. It is a bunny free post.)

Goldenrod City.

Lenore hadn’t been to the “Happening Big City” much in her life, and she wouldn’t have minded keeping it that way. In spite of the war, the city was still abuzz - a swirl of motion and sound strong enough to make Lenore more than a little edgy. She couldn’t help but wonder how people still managed to make a decent living out here - Harper Industries, Johto’s main source for cranking out cheap entertainment en masse, was dead in the water, which meant the loss of a major source of income for a lot of locals. There was something off about the whole thing, too; something missing from the chaos. The droves of people did not look happy. The cars and bikes that zoomed along the street had a shocking disregard for the safety of their own passengers as well as anyone else’s. Tough-looking Trainers with scarred-up teams glared out at Lenore and her companions like they were sizing the group up for a fight.

This city has lost its heart.

“By all means, continue narrating,” Lenore muttered sarcastically. Micah, the Absol that walked by her side, glanced upward in surprise, and she patted his head in response. “Nothing to worry about, big guy,” she said matter-of-factly. “Deborah’s being a bit obnoxious, is all.”

I heard that. The telepathic voice of Lenore’s Xatu was curt with irritation. You’re the one who wanted ‘an eye in the sky’. Your exact words. Or did you forget that I’m watching out for you?

At that, Lenore couldn’t help but wince. Although she would have preferred only being spoken to when it was necessary, she had asked Deborah to keep a lookout. Having been to Goldenrod infrequently and what with the region being deadlocked in a little thing called war, she wanted to make sure that she and her companions arrived intact. Some bodyguard she would make if she couldn’t even meet her client without being killed. Sorry, she thought so that Deborah could hear. No need to blurt it out and solidify any illusions her companions had about her losing her mind.

'Companions' being the aforementioned Micah; Amos, her strong, silent Nidoking; and the man who had hired her, Alistair Harper, as well as his Froslass and Volcarona. Now there was an odd case had she ever met one - the man, not the Pokemon. They had met only once - not long before Lenore set off on her disastrous escapades with Eusine, she had witnessed his thorough trouncing of her father Morty’s team. After years of silence he had turned up out of nowhere while she was scraping up cash in Blackthorn - apparently, he had learned of her exploits as a Trainer and had heard that she was in a bind, and for those reasons he had offered her the position of bodyguard. At first, Lenore had been skeptical of the whole thing - Alistair wasn’t without a reputation, at the time; he was known as a fearsome battler across the entire region - but he had explained that she was needed to guard, not Alistair, but his brother. Lance Harper had once been Harper Industries’s heir and golden boy; now he was something of a fallen idol, and blame for his company’s failure had fallen on his shoulders. Sometimes that blame was violent, hence the need for a protector.

However, the situation still nagged at Lenore. Not the job itself; that was simple enough. But Alistair bothered her. He had seemed so gentle and kind when they had first met… still was, in fact, but there was something different about him, too. He had an air of nervousness and pain that was missing when she had seen him in Ecruteak. He looked over his shoulder a bit too often. Occasionally looked too tired, too old for his age. Laughed, but seemed sad, too. And all of this pain seemed to center around their journey to the Harper Building.

Talk to him. There was Deborah again.

I’m getting sick of you doing that, Lenore complained silently. She didn’t like the thought that someone was constantly reading her thoughts, reassuring though it was to have the Xatu watching over her. It shouldn’t matter anyway. The main thing is filling my contract.

Deborah did not reply, but Lenore could sense her disapproval. After a few moments’ more of walking, the tower began to loom over them, and Lenore decided that she may as well speak up. After all, she didn’t want to be walking into any situation unprepared. She touched Alistair gently on the shoulder to get his attention, and gave him a tight smile. “Listen,” she said, her voice calm and civil. “First of all, I probably should have spoken up before, but there are a few things I want to be clear on. Like what exactly happened to you. You’ve changed a good bit since I first met you; I can tell. You’re paranoid about something - not that I blame you, if half of what I hear is true. You’re one of the most widely-respected and feared people in Johto right now; you’re everywhere. Like some sort of juggernaut. And somehow you knew exactly where to find me. And oh, you didn’t let on, but I suspect you knew every bit how desperate I was for work before you even came. So before we meet Lance, I need to know exactly who I’m being paid by. I need to know that being on your payroll isn't going to bite me in the ***.” As she spoke, she positioned herself in front of him - not to threaten him, but to prevent him from moving forward and dodging the question.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

As I snuck on board, I was already trying to come up with better names for the Entourage. Holy crap did I hate that name. The ship with all of its advanced weaponry was sweet, but damn, the name sucked.

There weren't too many sailors on board, most of them were in town probably getting drunk or stupid. Worked for me. I did run into two schmucks with their stupid looking white sailor boy uniforms. I beat them on the back of the head and then stuffed them in a lifeboat, which I then threw overboard. Sure didn't want that kind of garbage on my ship.

I got closer to the bow, and I decided to strap on my gas mask. I then released Smoky the Skuntank from his Pokéball. He seemed happy to be out, and usually when I let him out, it meant I was up to no good. He caught on a long time ago.

Using Smoky, I gassed six more chumps and tossed them overboard. By the time they alerted the authorities, it would be way too late anyway. Plus stupid sailors in dumb uniforms looked hilarious dripping wet. No one took that seriously.

"Hey!" One of them shouted. "Who the hell are-!?"

All it took was one big whiff and his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed.

"Heh, sorry," I laughed sarcastically, my voice muffled by the mask. "Smoky sure likes his breakfast burritos."

And his lazy carcass was soon thrown over the ship as well.

I soon made it to the control room, and nicely done on my part, managed to get this far without triggering any alarms. The captain was there, but just my luck, he was already drunk and sleeping in his chair. So, I lifted up the chair, captain and all, and with a bit of Smoky's help, dumped him into the sea as well. He only woke up when he realized he was falling. Heh, little too late there, chump.

Now it was just time to drive this prize off to Mirage Island. But I expected some extra fun along the way.


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

A bag of PokéTarts was like ripping open Pandora's Box. This stuff was DANGEROUS, but no one would ever tell! I wanted to make sure the bag design was cute and sweet, with an adorable cartoon Buneary and Minccino as the mascots. Inside would be a whole trove of colorful, delicious-looking, addictive treats for a unsuspecting Pokémon! Or an idiot human.

The formula was complete, and now it was just a matter of mass-producing these deceptive treats and getting them distributed all over the planet. Of course, the "company" that made them, Happy Buneary Candies, was really just a front for Team Aqua, but no one would ever be able to tell. The corporate headquarters was a totally fictitious address, and only Team Aqua operatives would handle the shipments. But I knew deep inside the retailers wouldn't care if the stuff sold like crazy! Heck, they could jack up the markup for all I cared!

Once this stuff hit store shelves, mayhem would ensure. It would first start off with a few sweet, innocent purchases. Oh, I could just hear them out. "Ooh, look, a new candy that gives Pokémon happiness!" "Oh, that looks interesting. Let's give it a try!" Pokéblocks and Poffins came and went, but PokéTarts... you sure weren't going to get these off the shelves any time soon!

PokéTarts actually almost made my development on the Liquidator seem boring. Almost. I was more into the big mischief gags as opposed to the breath of death kind of machines that Team Aqua needed also, but hey, I knew the Liquidator needed some loving too. The research and development ops were almost done with the prototype, and things seemed pretty positive overall with it.

I managed to get a look at the pictures. The research journals... pah, I couldn't care less about those. Pictures were worth a thousand words anyway. Seemed like they followed my original design pretty closely, although it seemed they incorporated a larger cooling system and larger ammo depository. Well, hey! Whatever floats their boat.

Shadowfall Tanks were still in earlier stages of development, but those were coming along two with models and the early fixings of a prototype to test. Simulation testing had a few quirks at first, but modifications, reconfigurations, and all that jazz were done to make sure it was ready to kick up and go.

And lastly, Project MEND was still to be kept quiet. I could kind of get a gist of what they were cruising on with this, but still not enough to really put my finger on it. Heck, it still had plenty of room to become something totally not what I thought it was. But hey, as long as all this secrecy stuff and fluff didn't screw it up, I figured I could treat it like Christmas and be patient. Yeah.

With all that work done, I felt I needed a break. A chocolate ice cream cone seemed like a great deal. It was nice to see no one had stolen my ice cream. The last guy who did... heh, we'll just say he won't be eating too much more ice cream with that tube they had to run through him.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Abandoned District, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

Raidon Makoto was not a man to be dressed in civilian clothing. He was also not a man to be caught dead without his swords. Unfortunately for the soldier, today was a day that he was afflicted with both of these conditions. He made his way through the Abandoned District in Evergrande. It was once a bustling industrial center before Evergrande's industry was ported over to Orre due to cheaper labor. The slum was only home to the homeless now. No one would catch Makoto traversing this shitpile nor would they see the man he was meeting. Knowing his boss to be a paranoid person, the soldier kept watch around him to make sure that no one seemed like they were following him. Makoto fully intended on wasting any potential stalkers with the Desert Eagle tucked in his underwear waistband.

Confident that he hadn't been pursued, he pushed the door open of an abandoned silo and then promptly shut it. In the center of the room was a single, lit lightbulb illuminating the whole building. Under it sat Norton "Norb" Whitehall in front of a rusted metal table. Makoto sat down in the chair across from him and fished through his backpack. He pulled out a fresh bottle of Talisker 10 with a bow tied around the bottleneck and slammed it down on the table, passing it to his private financier. The enmity between the two was quite palpable.

Whitehall inspected the bottle for a moment and then tore off the bow, opened the bottle, ripped out the *****top with his teeth, and took a swig directly from the Talisker. "This is crap. Why didn't you get the Talisker 18?"

"What's the difference?" Makoto asked him despondently.

"About eight years," Whitehall corrected, uninterested in giving Makoto a lecture on the finer points of Scotch Whiskey distillation. When he was satisfied with the lackluster peace offering, he put the bottle on the table and passed it to Makoto, who took a small swig himself.

"What do you want?" Makoto asked the bossman. The dread lord of the Deathwing refused to break eye contact with the elder politician. He almost treated it like they were in a staring contest. Whitehall wasn't amused, however, he was unwilling to be the first to look away. He would not be the weaker man in this battle of wills.

"I'm concerned with the way you're spending my money," Whitehall began. Makoto so badly wanted to roll his eyes and tell the politician to sod off. Well, almost as much as he wanted to run Whitehall through with his katanas. "And I'm concerned with your lack of regard for discretion."

"I'm sorry?" Makoto managed.

Whitehall took another drink before bringing the rod back down onto Makoto. "Project MEND? You might have better luck flushing cash down the toilet. I'm not interested in funding pseudo-science, Makoto. I already did that with that inane crystal healing bill I co-sponsored to get a favor from the representatives from Lilycove. I want you to abandon it immediately."

"WHAT?" Makoto slammed his palms down on the table. "I trust Tiantus. If he says it can be done, then it god damn well can be done! I don't need your silver-spooned ass to be second-guessing my best friend."

Whitehall ignored the outburst. "And these PokeTarts that you intend to produce on a massive scale? What of them? What happens when Hoenn's FDA busts down the doors of whatever shipping facility you operate? What happens when they interrogate your soldiers are trace it back to you? What happens when they audit you and trace the money back to me? Huh?"

"The money's clean. We launder it exactly the way you tell us to, Norb," Makoto defended his organization. He took a deep breath and cleared his head. Whitehall was just another person. Makoto just needed to negotiate him down. Cooler heads always prevailed. "We're trying our best to fulfill your expectations, Norb. We're building up our armada for when the eventual takeover happens. What more can I do for you?"

Whitehall threw a manila folder in front of Makoto. The soldier picked it up and looked through the dossier. It contained all of the Hoenn military's information on DyneTech Industries, Orre's leading tech manufacturer. "I want you to personally go to Hoenn and... secure me a majority share in the company. Nothing fancy, and definitely no theatrics. You need to treat this mission with almost surgical caution. Do that, be careful with the PokeTarts, and I'll continue to fund Tyrus' work on MEND."

Makoto filed the paperwork in his backpack, and copped a smile. "You have yourself a deal."

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Slateport Aquatics Museum, Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga?

Yarvick didn't take long to find the museum. It was very close to the northern entrance and the most predominant building in northern Slateport other than the contest hall. It was two stories, mostly a wide building as opposed to a tall one. Of course, what was inside was what concerned him.

Yarvick took a museum map. They were free and for everyone-it was no problem to take it. Yarvick had already gone over the museum through a website earlier today, and had already laid out a plan, but double-checking was going to save his rear in the long run.

He sat on a park bench, facing the museum, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. He didn't know the exact forcast, but any idiot could tell it was hot as hell. His business was mostly around the area from Rustburo to Mauville-he hadn't been down to Slateport much, especially not around summertime. He checked to see if it was OK to release a Pokemon here, and seeing no signs to the contrary, he grabbed the Poke Ball containing Hyperion. He activated it with a click of a button and dropped it on the ground, releasing his Alakazam.

"Yarvick...This is Slateport, isn't it?" Hyperion said, telepathically. Nobody else could hear him, only Yarvick. Private conversation was quite a blessing.

"Yep. And THAT is the museum," Yarvick thought back. Speaking aloud would be a bit crazy. He gave Hyperion the map pamphlet to read over, while he reached into his pockets for a plastic baggy of berries. Hyperion sat down on the bench with him, giving it a good look over.

"Is your target still the meteorite?" Hyperion telepathed.

The meteorite. It was a small rock-small enough to fit in his pocket inconspicuously. Normally, this would belong in the Mossdeep space center, but there was some level of cheap reasoning against it this time. In this case, the meteorite dented the deck of a battleship, the 'HAN Charlatan.' The ship it dented then became famous for an insane record of confirmed ship sinks during a war a while ago. Yarvick only skimmed it after the first few sentences on the website. The point was, it was considered a good luck charm and one of the big attractions at this small-time museum. It was superstition, but that combined with it being a space rock made it carry quite the price tag. It would be a punch in the gut for the navy, as well: it was part of their history, and history was important to some people. It fit all the bills for a great burglary target.

Hyperion didn't even ask for an answer, and continued as Yarvick found the bag and fished for his favorite berry, "There will likely be at least one camera on our target, a possible few navy soldiers on top of the usual guard, and the museum will be more crowded inside than out due to the heat, so conditions for escaping in a crowd will be against our favor. On the other hand, the high space-to-exhibit ratio means there are more opportunities to escape LOS than usual, and in case we get in a fight there will be a good deal of cover for both sides. Considering the size, this should not be difficult...However, we have to draw attention to the scene. I would clean out the guards quick, but make a flashy exit."

Hyperion's genius was never to be doubted. Yarvick wanted a lot of heat gained on him in order to spread the navy boys thin. It went without saying that Yarvick also had to ditch this heat quickly-rope them in and leave them hanging. Everything else was just details he'd need to know on the exit. Yarvick handed Hyperion a nice Bluk berry. Yarivck knew his Pokemon's tastes. Hyperion ate it quickly and with a small smile. Yarvick gave him a pat on the head, smiled back, and returned Hyperion to his Poke Ball.

He then sent out his oldest Pokemon, Atlas. Atlas'es materialized near Yarvick's knee level, and Yarvick looked down upon him, whispering to it. "It's go time. You know the drill. Ready?"

Atlas nodded wordlessly, and hid himself the best he could in Yarvick's shirt. Not the most graceful of hiding spots, but it worked, and he wouldn't need to do it for long. Yarvick walked into the museum, almost ready for action.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: TheProtobabe | Potentially Death's Spook and Velocity

---

"Happy 12th Birthday, Lance!"

A crowd of people celebrated in unison while a young boy with pale icy blue eyes and dark brown hair attempted to blow out the candles of his birthday cake. However, the candles were trick candles, so he couldn't close the deal. After a roar of laughter from his audience, and the flashing of cameras temporarily blinded him, his mother, Mary Harper, removed the candles and placed them in a cup of water. This put the candles out, permanently.

"You see? Fire is beaten by Water," Mary explained to her son, doing her motherly duty of trying to educate him, "However, Fire can burn Bugs, which is something you'll need to remember. Due to your first birthday gift from your father and I."

At this point, Oliver Harper appeared and presented Lance with a Pokéball. "Son, this Pokéball contains your very first Pokémon! Now be careful with it, this particular Pokémon can be especially dangerous in the wild. Although, I feel it has been tamed down since being captured," the man said with direction in his voice. However, trying to tell a spoiled 12 year old something that would make him appear responsible is literally impossible.

Lance took the Pokéball already in its enlarged state, and pressed the button before tossing the ball into the air. "Pokémon, come out and obey your master!" The ball burst open, seemingly forced open by the abundance of light that poured out like a stream of water. The array formed into a large mantis-like creature with scythes for arms. There was an immediate intensity in the vibe it gave off. This Pokémon was a fighter, and a tough one.

Lance stood in awe of his new Pokémon. Then proceeded to punch it in the face. "Quit looking tough compared to me! I am the Awesome Lance Harper and I am your master!" The onlookers watched in complete shock. This boy just punched his new Pokémon, which showed levels of ungratefulness, he also managed to otherwise enrage a relatively rare and dangerous Pokémon, so they all now felt threatened, and feared for the safety of their children, who were friends to Lance, and also present at his birthday party.

Before anyone could react, Scyther nailed Lance in the face with a headbutt. This was no Pokémon attack, just a direct physical assault to repay a physical assault. Lance fell to the the floor with his nose bloodied and crying. "I hate you, you stupid Pokémon! I HATE YOU, HATE YOU, HATE YOU!"

--

The temperature in the room seemed to shift, downwards like the state of Harper Industries. It began to feel colder and colder, as ice formed on the knuckles of Bane's four fists. It was at this moment that Lance reached behind him and rested his hand on the chiseled chest of his Machamp."Easy Bane. There will be no fighting, today," he spoke to his Pokémon in an gentle tone, and turned to face him, "But, way to reveal your secrets WAY too soon."

With the shaking of his head coupled with a heavy sigh, Lance pressed the button of Bane's Pokéball, and the creature was engulfed in a unique red beam of light which transferred the entire mass of Machamp into the tiny red and white sphere. The very workings of Pokéballs always astonished Lance Harper. "You know, it's strange, these Pokéballs. I remember watching a sort of fighting cartoon as a small child where they would use these small capsules to hold massive objects or an abundance of objects all at once. I wonder if that's where they got the inspiration for Pokéballs."

With his back turned, he continued to speak aimlessly, testing the patience of his unwelcome guest. "I also wonder why this company never got around to working on Pokéballs. Maybe my parents decided what they were doing was enough, and didn't want to take away from the Pokéball Factory in Kalos. I can see that being a reason. My parents were always kind for business people."

Lance turned once more, refocusing on the topic of intrusion. "While this company is deceased, the building is still private property. You're not even allowed past the lobby without security clearance. Although, something tells me you didn't use the front door. So tell me why you're here," Lance looked into the eyes of the woman, leaving wonder how he could go from recalling such childish memories, to being dead serious so quickly. Lance began to move about, circling the woman, studying her clothing, her posture, and even so far as the vibes and auras she gave off at any given time. He was looking for weaknesses, and attempting to learn what words alone could not tell.

[Death's Spook]

Alastair Harper
Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Velocity, Homura Indirectly: XaiakuX, TheProtobabe

In Alastair’s mind, everyone existed as pushes and pulls: things people desired, and things they feared. If one could ascertain the nature of these pushes and pulls for a given individual, one could easily make things fall out according to one’s own desires by pushing and pulling others into the proper places. He often mused that his life philosophy sounded far more cynical than it really was: yes, one could only obtain their desires through manipulation, but those desires could run the gamut from selfish to entirely altruistic. In his mind, the way he treated his friends was the ultimate example of manipulation used exclusively for good purposes. By paying attention to each of the pushes and pulls of his friends, he could ensure that they were not only healthy, but happy as well.

Leviathan, for example, needed novelty and exploration. He had been alive for a century before Alastair found him, and the Starmie tended to adopt an attitude that came with having seen it all. Alastair was certain that the misadventures and movements and manipulations he made were more than enough to keep Leviathan from growing bored, and so considered the Mysterious Pokemon to be low maintenance.

Simurgh was the opposite of Leviathan in many ways: while he was a thrill seeker, she was a guardian, a protector; she needed to feel like her charges, Alastair and his other Pokemon, were all safe. Alastair knew that the interesting lifestyle he led, the same one that enabled him to enthrall Leviathan, distressed Simurgh to no end. He could not ease Simurgh’s stress by changing his lifestyle: for him, the would involve burying his head so far in the sand (or up his nether regions) that it would require surgery to remove his cranium. Instead, he sought to allow Simurgh to watch them, to care for them whenever possible. When she fussed over his mental or physical state, he listened to her and attempted to make things run more smoothly. When Simurgh gave advice in a bid to extract his team from the latest catastrophe, he took special care to listen. Even now, she was high in the sky, scanning for threats in the lull.

Behemoth and Kodama had complimentary needs, which pleased Alastair to no end. Behemoth needed friends with whom to joke, to have fun with. Kodama, by contrast, needed friends to listen to, to empathize with. Alastair considered the both of them to be invaluable to the team dynamic (not that any of his friends were not, in his eyes). Not only did they not usually require any active intervention on his part to be happy, they tended to be a source of laughter and kindness for his friends in a world with an increasing dearth of both.

However, Alastair’s main concerns were Onna and Abaddon. The two of them had latched onto him since he rescued them from Team Rocket, and so looked to him like a child might look to their parent. He credited them with his ability to stay kind and gentle no matter how angry he might become: if he ever even gave a dirty look to one them when they first joined him, they cringed with the expectation of violence. The two of them hung onto his every word, and needed him to be kind to them or else they suffered both mentally and on the field. He always kept them as close as possible, and didn’t say anything when they hovered next to him, trying to listen to him give a message to Jans:

“You’ve been a big help for me and I’d hate to risk you, especially on something trivial. I should be arriving in the building shortly, and I want to know why you’re telling me to send you into danger. If the reward is greater than the risk, I may be amenable, but I’m not sending you there if you just happen to be thrill seeking. It would not be right for me to do so to a friend.”

Technically speaking, Jans was not a traditional friend: he was so horribly unpleasant that Alastair doubted that the hacker could traditionally befriend anyone. But Jans was an invaluable resource, properly exploited, which always put Alastair in a good mood. Putting Jans in the proper framework to be used was child’s play for Alastair: Jans’s pushes and pulls were completely mercenary. As long as the very rich Alastair gave padding for Jans’s paycheck, the hacker would give him information ranging from enemy intelligence to keeping a covert eye on Lance. Alastair also liked to think that Jans was aware that the Harper child could bury him in bodies should the computer geek turn on him, but Alastair never explicitly stated it. No point in being hostile without gain.

He finished the message to Jans and was just about to continue walking to the radio tower when Alastair felt a hand on his shoulder. He resisted the impulse to flinch as he turned to face Lenore.

On the surface, Lenore was similar to Jans in that Alastair was mining her as a resource using money. However, Morty’s daughter was an individual Alastair actually liked, and her motives were more complex than Jans’s. She was worried and had been rather astute about the way he developed since they last met, which simultaneously annoyed and pleased Alastair: he was going to need to be more careful about holding his cards close to his chest, but if he played his cards right, he figured he would be able to secure a very intelligent ally:

“I wouldn’t use the word paranoid, exactly, but I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t trying to watch my back. I knew where to find you because I was in Blackthorn at the same time you were for an errand and Clair mentioned you were strapped for cash. I took that as an opportunity, because I could simultaneously solve your financial troubles and make sure that my older brother would have pair of eyes watching his back to prevent someone from sticking a knife there. You’re on my payroll, specifically, and while your job will most probably not be the easiest thing in the world given that you’re a bodyguard in a time of war, I don’t anticipate it to be excessively brutal.” Alastair wasn’t lying: having Lenore was something he fully anticipated would go back to dearest Uncle Van, who should be deterred from attacking Lance for the time being by the Elite Four level trainer guarding his back as a paid job. Besides, Alastair had long resolved not to lie to Lenore, as several of the Gym Leaders he talked to took note that she was not a stupid person. However, he wasn’t going to fully disclose everything, either. “Now, shall we go meet my brother?” He offered a hand to her, attempting to end the conversation gracefully.

[Akaida]

Zach Pierce
Outside of Rustsurf Tunnel
Affected RPers: None

The toxic smoke didn’t affect his poison-like physiology from bursting with Dragalage. However, it did prevent his sight and he jumped into the air and gathered energy in his arms and then spun around and threw it out, using Twister, which took much of the smoke and redirected it towards the soldiers and as he landed, fired a Sludge Bomb from his mouth, which hit dead on against one of the tanks that was near the back of the convoy, and not yet damaged by the attack. The poison ate away at the Hoenn tank. He could see the man inside try and escape, but the poison spread too fast, and he too was caught, his agonizing screams all too familiar to the war tested squad leader.

His fellow squadmates tore through the convoy, as they bursted with powerful Steel types that used their strength to tear apart the trucks like paper. Others engulfed supplies in fire, while Slaughter moved in and out of the darkness, cutting apart men and tearing through tanks from the inside out.

Just as he assumed, he could see men at the end of the convoy, approaching but this time it wasn’t with panic. Hoenn had an abundance of Burst Hearts, and these soldiers clearly had some as we could see them unite with their Pokemon. The one he first saw bursted with his Rhyperior, another with a Jolteon, one with a Magmortar, a Samurott, and finally a Tyrantrum. These weren’t special forces by any means, but Zach could tell that they were much more disciplined and trained than the escort troops that had yet to see a bullet fired.

“I’ve got three Burst-Soldiers at 9 o clock. Slaughter, Wheeler, Jones, Howard, all of you on me. Assign yourselves to them and take them out quickly, we cannot afford delays. I will handle the Tyrantrum. The rest of you, divide the convoy away from our fight and then prepare for disengagement.”

Zach knew that he had put himself at a disadvantage by going up against the bursted Tyrantrum soldier. There was not only a size disadvantage, but his poison attacks would hardly be effective. However, he made up for it with speed. While Burst Forms were mostly humanoid, certain characteristics of the Pokemon passed onto the user. While the Hoenn soldier didn’t have to deal with small arms, he wasn’t agile. This didn’t stop the soldier from going into a head long charge, utilizing his heavily armored head. He was fast, and running with so much power the ground broke underneath him. Zach knew that speed wasn’t his expertise and shot a Dragon Pulse out, which recoiled the Tyrantrum, Then Zach charged himself, and met the powerful headbutt with an Aquatail, causing both to go flying in opposite directions, but he could tell the soldier was damaged from his second attack. Both were reasonably effective and disoriented him. He readied another Dragon Pulse and fired it dead on, and with that, the Tyrantrum was done for. He was unconscious and reverted to his human form. He threw a Sludge Bomb at the soldier, and watched as he disintegrated to nothing, along with his burst heart.

He looked around the battlefield and saw Slaughter, who had bursted with a Zoroark, dancing around the Rhyperior and cutting him apart. The fight was over, but he could tell that Slaughter was enamored with the pain he put him through.

“End it now, Slaughter.”

“Aw, I was just beginning my games with this one.” The voice had a cruel tinge to it, and Zach sometimes wondered what had caused this man to even exist. In his contemplation, Slaughter finished off the soldier, and with that his squad had beaten the main obstacle to the mission, while the rest, successfully demolished the convoy.

“Our mission is done here, pop smoke and escape, make sure that they can’t track your location, be prepared to engage any pursuing soldiers, and don’t follow Slaughter’s example and make it quick.” He fired a red flare into the air, and Zach and his comrades had left as fast as they came as the convoy was engulfed in smoke from their grenades. Zach left his burst form and brought out Talonflame, who’s back he got on and quickly departed from Rusturf Tunnel. A standard successful mission, although had the Burst soldiers delayed them anymore, he felt as if reinforcements would have come in some shape or form and eventually brought down Zach and his squad. He would have to prepare more carefully for this in the future.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Tazz

Still wearing my gas mask, I had Smoky let out a nice, long fart through the ventilation system, releasing toxic gas throughout the interior of the ship. It called for an immediate evacuation, and they pulled the alarms, but eh, so what. I couldn't care less.

While the gas worked its magic, I had Smoky the Skuntank and Snuff the Dragonite guard the doors while I started up the Entourage and prepared to sail it out of here. I managed to get the Entourage out of the docks before I was suddenly greeted on the radio.

"Captain Thompson, what the hell is going on in your ship!?" The obviously cranky as hell operator shouted at me. I didn't know whether it was a commanding officer or some two-bit chump working the radio lines, but all these army snots were all the same to me.

"Well howdy-do," I told him sarcastically. "Captain Thompson... man, I've always hated that name. Anyway, Captain Asscrack was thirsty. He's not here right now. If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again. If you need help, hang up and dial your operator."

"Who the hell are you!?" He shouted. "You are commandeering government property, and we will shoot you down if you do not surrender immediately!"

I kept wasting his time.

"Sorry, you're breaking up," I told him. "Or... you're congested. What was that?"

"You deaf!?" He shouted again. "If you do not surrender now, we will board and you will be shot on sight!"

"Oh, oh, ok," I replied, nodding, trying hard not to laugh. "Sorry buddy, your radio was... you know... kind of fuzzy like and I didn't get what you were saying. I mean, at some points, you were coming in like REALLY LOUD, and then other parts I thought you were just whispering or something. You said something about coming on and boning right? And sandering or sundering or something like that?"

"Boarding and surrendering!"

Meanwhile, the ship kept moving on. Buying time and distance. If anything, he was now going to have to deploy Rhib boats to try and board, as I had already left port. Slateport City was going further and further into the distance.

"Oh, geez!" I laughed. "Ha ha, big difference! My bad, I hope no one else heard that!"

"This is your last chance!" He exclaimed.

Definitely cranky. Yeah. But I was making good time, and he was wasting it. In the meantime, the Hoenn military was only just starting to notice one of their ships was waving goodbye, and chances were good they'd never see it again. I knew it would cause a commotion, but hey, I had a backup plan for that also.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi (Norb Whitehall)

I was notified that some of the peeps on the higher up wanted to be absolutely sure PokéTarts wouldn't backfire on Aqua. They wanted to be totally certain Happy Buneary Candies wouldn't be traceable to Team Aqua, and that it would be just as secretive as an invisible Willy Wonka chocolate factory. I mean come on, I even made a cute and convincing website for it! It even featured an interactive Flash game!

Someone, I wasn't sure who, was concerned about the candy causing the Hoenn FDA to investigate. PLEASE. The Hoenn FDA? We were building gatling railguns for stolen aircraft carriers, preparing to wage war on these peeps, and they're worried about a few suits showing up at our doors? Let me guess, they're afraid of heights, germs, boogers, his own reflection, and that scene in Game of Thrones where the Mountain guy makes that dude's head go splat with his hands. Who were these saps anyway? I kept asking but hey, it was all hush.

PokéTarts was going to make money like a crazy Spinda on CRACK. These guys had nothing to worry about, just so as long as they didn't feed any of their Pokémon that stuff.

In the meantime, PokéTarts was being mass produced on islands away from Mirage Island. I was told by a dude by the name of Craig Jones that the stuff would be ready for distribution throughout Hoenn in just a short while. Couldn't wait for the action!

With the working prototype of the Liquidator complete, the actual gun itself was now being created and would soon be operational. In a one on one fight with any other ship, the Deathwing was sure to win now. Sure, it had a stronger chance already, but now, we were going to rock the waters.

Shadowfall tanks were now being produced after prototype tests worked and aced the testing exams. It would be a while before they were ready to be deployed, but once they were ready, we were going to have an armored division that would totally beat the ugly stuffing out of anyone else. And I was going to bring popcorn to that flick.

There were also rumors floating around that some people didn't like MEND and thought the project should be whacked. Probably because they didn't know anything about it! MEND was started as an experimental project, but Tiantus confirmed this was really possible and we were going to make it work! Once they saw it in action, they were going to love it, but canning the project now was really going to be a waste.

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
Marigold's Fine Dining, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

DyneTech was going to be an incredibly tough nut for Whitehall to crack. However, if he wanted to be able to keep his newly acquired chess piece in play, he was going to have to find a way to ensure money flowed freely from DyneTech into Orson Barkley's coffers, even if Hoenn (or Team Aqua for that matter) declared war on Orre. It was for this reason that he was sending Makoto on site to find a way to take control of all or part of DyneTech through whatever means possible. He knew that Makoto was probably going to have to acquire the necessary wealth on site to acquire a piece of DyneTech. All that really meant was a few more dead rich people in Orre--no consequence to him.

Across from him at the dining table was Isaiah Carnegie, Hoenn's Secretary of the Treasury. Before his stint in public service, Carnegie had earned the nickname "The Last Financial Wizard of Hoenn" for his almost perfect predictions of the world's stock market. So good that the general consensus was that there never would be someone as brilliant as Carnegie. With Carnegie at the helm of the Treasury, Hoenn law required him to liquidate all of his assets. This liquidation caused a brief, worldwide recession a few years ago, which gave the Financial Wizard second thoughts about the position.

"So what is it that you want to know about Orre?" Carnegie asked in between bites of steak. Whitehall had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to pick up the bill--Carnegie was that kind of guy. Whitehall would also be wont to put it on the State's tab were he to pay for the meal, something that Carnegie was opposed to in principle. "I understand that the Defense Committee is running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to figure out who to aim our cannons at."

Carnegie was very staunchly anti-war. As he constantly reminded the country on his blog, "War is bad for trade." It was true. It's hard to trade with a country if, say, the shipment of pineapples Country A was sending to Country B could just as likely be grenades. Whitehall was unconcerned with the drop in trade for he assumed the entire world would be under his thumb at the end of World War Terminus. "Oh, I know, Isaiah. We cannot go to war. It would do untold damage to Hoenn's economy. What I need from you is information about how Orre's economy is essential to the functioning of Hoenn's, so I can bring it back to the committee and bring them back to their senses."

Carnegie pondered this for a second, "I could just testify for you."

His plan threatened, Whitehall replied, "That's very kind of you to offer, but I think it would sound better coming from me. These men work with me all the time--they're used to me and they'll listen to me eventually. Now, if the Last Financial Wizard were to descend from the heavens and issue commandments, well, I assure you that they'll be aiming their cannons to heaven* after they're done with Orre."

"Right, right, that makes sense," Carnegie copped a smile. Whitehall was immediately relieved that Carnegie didn't need to be talked down from the idea of testifying. Not only would that throw a wrench into his plans for the Defense Committee, but he wouldn't find out what he needed for Makoto. "Well, Orre's biggest company is one by the name of DyneTech Industries. You may have heard of them--I'm pretty sure that they're Orson Barkley's biggest donors."

"Why no, I haven't, and it saddens me to hear rumors that one of my esteemed colleagues is illegally taking foreign campaign contributions," Whitehall feigned disappointed. "I really thought you were a better man than to spread gossip, Isaiah."

Carnegie scoffed. "Oh, I know about every single dollar that comes in and out of this country. I just can't prove it. That's what the HECU is for anyways." Carnegie cited the Hoenn Election Contribution Unit. "Though, I can't seem to figure out how Team Aqua keeps moving money in and out of this country. I'm confident that we'll catch up to whoever is laundering their money soon enough though."

The old politician feigned another emotion: laughter. He made a mental note to find a way to throw Carnegie off of his tracks later.

"Anyways, DyneTech... But Industrial company: makes everything from computer chips to cell phones to refrigerators. They mostly employ cheap labor comprised of the massive amount of refugees in Orre from the sectarian violence in the northern mountains. The lack of labor laws really makes it cheap for them. Many of their principle shareholders are government employees, actually, which is why this arrangement is still legal. Darwin Lynch is a majority shareholder that comes to mind, actually. He was a white collar criminal in Hoenn until he went turncoat and got Orre citizenship. The government set him up in DyneTech. He hates Hoenn with a bitter passion."

Whitehall smiled. He had what he needed.

*For more of Norb Whitehall and Isaiah Carnegie's adventures, be sure to read Cannons to Heaven, kids. This product placement paid for by "rusty really wants someone to read his fan fiction" Inc.

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX

Helena's oceanic eyes tracked Bane carefully, noting for future reference the Ice Punch he was preparing. Obviously she knew her Crobat was quicker, but there was no guarantee that the bat wouldn't get nicked by the ice and potentially damage her powerful wings. The woman made sure Lance had clicked his Pokeball shut before withdrawing her own Pokemon.

"Narcisa," she called calmly. The bat seemed disappointed not to have had a battle, but allowed herself to be tucked safely into the ball anyway. Helena cocked an eyebrow as Lance circled her, the only sign of emotion she willingly showed as he attempted to size her up.

Honestly, there wasn't much to see besides her tiny form and comfortable, close-fit clothing that was purposefully dark in color. Her hair was up in a plain ponytail, Pokeball belt slung across her hip with leather wrappings securing each ball so they wouldn't clack against one another as her body moved. She looked a common thief, if anything.

His circling was irritatingly macho, though she moved slightly every time he entered a blind spot so she could counter if needed. He reminded her of a fighting dog, sizing up its opponent before diving in for an attack. Men.

In contrast, she was a cat--small, cautious, ready to be attacked, with slicing claws and nimble feet that could climb away.

"Information, Harper," she answered finally, and met his eyes unflinchingly. "There are things I need, namely from your parents' killer. Tell me..." Her voice changed, more lilting and curved into the form of a question. "Do you plan on going after him, or am I to find him without your aid?"

[Homura]

Jans "Agricola" Hanson
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, Death's Spook

“You’ve been a big help for me and I’d hate to risk you, especially on something trivial. I should be arriving in the building shortly, and I want to know why you’re telling me to send you into danger. If the reward is greater than the risk, I may be amenable, but I’m not sending you there if you just happen to be thrill seeking. It would not be right for me to do so to a friend.”

Jans heard the message loud and clear. Alastair Harper was to Jans a stepping stone to wealth. Unfortunately, despite Oliver's best efforts, the money wasn't quite where he wanted it to be at, so a few odd jobs here and there with Alastair was well within reason for him to take. Of course, he was aware that he would be dealing with yet another Harper. They weren't quite the right type of people to associate with often. This Alastair had his way with words, but his kindness hid his intentions too much for Jans. He felt he needed to be careful with him. He sent a message back.

"Since when is Hoenn a dangerous place? I assure you that I need transportation to Slateport. Something small. Nothing more than a small trip to deal with some work related issues with the goings on in the company. I cannot tell you the details, but I can also assure you that this will be useful for the company in the long run for me to go there physically."

He was not persuaded that his tracking of Whitehall would be something that he could reveal to anybody. The price would be too high. However, Alastair would most certainly have eyes wherever Jans himself would go. No doubt. He had a plan to take the crew with him, but to abandon them as he arrived at Slateport afterwards. He needed, for the most part, to be alone for the job, and having anymore around would be trouble. He'd simply have to operate while doing his best to put a veil on Alastair's eyes.

Jans readied his gear. If anything, Alastair should only need the press of a button to summon the transportation he needed. Over that time, he could go over the complex alogrithms he'd need to deal with the architecture of the communication satellite. Funk was his target, and nobody would know about this.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: TheProtobabe

---

"Uncle Van, what's the point of learning all this? I don't see where this will become necessary in life," Lance groaned to his uncle. He was bored of all of the tactical rubbish that Giovanni was feeding him.

"If you don't realize the point of this, then you prove your own ignorance!" Giovanni snapped at Lance, "You need to work on the way you speak to people. To be able to hold and control a conversation is essential for when you become a businessman. Control is the key to power, success, and leadership."

It wasn't certain if Giovanni was trying to teach Lance to become a man, or to become a puppet. He spoke of control and power almost as fondly as he would speak of Alastair. For some reason, Giovanni favored Alastair over Lance, which didn't bother him, but did beg to question why.

"Uncle Van, I'll do my best to be the best man I can possibly become. I'll make you proud!" Lance declared, with his own pride showing through his words.

"Idiot child! You need to do this for you, not for me! I'm not your father, I am not the one you need to make proud. Focus on you, and make everything you do for your benefit. If it doesn't go your way, either make it your way, or abandon it. It isn't worth the time and effort when you could be doing something more worthwhile. This is business, this is how things get done. These lessons are to teach you that principal."

---

His pacing was slow, relaxed, and genuinely nonthreatening. He took note of her defensive reactions as he approached her blind spots. Then she asked him a question that he almost didn't know how to answer. He stood to his back to her, where he could not see her, to test her. "If you are asking if will I be hunting Giovanni to avenge the death of my parents, the answer to your question is 'no.' Revenge is something I've never believed in, and there is a much bigger work here that my parents didn't give me much detail in. I need that information, and I know who can get it. My goal at this point is simply to learn. To assess this situations from all sides before deciding my next move," he spoke with an indirect tone, hinting his split feelings on the situation. It hurt him to say that his parents weren't the bigger picture. That revenge wasn't the answer. However, he needed to look at it as a man, and not as a son. His heart was broken, and his mind was clouded with various thoughts and memories.

He stood silent for a moment, then spoke up, "You watched the video, meaning you know about as much as I do. You also know not to tell my brother should we encounter him." He turned to face her, once more, after fighting back any emotions his previous statements might have surfaced, "We have a common goal, and I see no reason why we shouldn't work together to get this information. Clearly you prefer stealth as a tactic. While I could detect you, I'm well trained in detecting your sort. I prefer a direct approach. I've got a bit of a silver tongue, and a reputation as 'bad boy.' It works for me in getting what I want."

He recalled in his mind the many times his mouth got him out of sticky situations, then recalled how many of those times his mouth got him into those situations to begin with. A look of horrified revelation appeared on his face for a moment, until he scoffed and shook his head. He wondered for a moment if his own tactic was the correct one. But he wasn't really comfortable in any other form, so it had to be this.

He strode over a short distance to a wall, which bore a knob. He twisted the knob to the right, and the office room got brighter. Everything became more clearly visible, and everything that was hidden in shadow was revealed. He twisted the knob until it clicked. Then he pushed the the knob into the wall, which caused the wall to separate and form into a doorway. The door way led to a small room which had several fine suits and clothes.

For the first time in what seemed like months, he closed his eyes, and cracked a smile. He turned to look at Helena "I guess it's time for Lance Harper, Bachelor CEO, to make an appearance. Unfortunately, to the public eye, I can't be seen with someone dressed like she's ready to go to a Saffron City rave. Don't worry though, when the time comes to infiltrate, you can wear whatever you want. This is merely for your public appearance."

Lance paused, and thought for a moment. "Of course! I know how to rebuild this company! This is perfect. Already a step in the right direction. This will also deliver a blow to Giovanni's pride," he walked into the closet and grabbed a suit as he spoke, the suit was black, with a red dress shirt, and black tie. He also grabbed a pair of dress shoes to match the suit. "I know we just met and all, but I need you to trust me. I'll fill you in on the details if you go grab something dressy that will fit you out of that closet. If this works, we'll have our information, and we'll be able to pursue Giovanni to stop him."

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX

"If you are asking if will I be hunting Giovanni to avenge the death of my parents, the answer to your question is 'no.'"

A wave of icy heat crashed through Helena's chest. So, she'd have to do it alone, then. Lance Harper was probably one of those people who didn't believe in revenge... his continued speech confirmed this. She had half a mind to slip away right then, seeing as Harper would be useless to her... but she stayed and listened until he was finished.

His voice was uncertain, and try as he might have to keep it hidden--emotional. Helena absently wondered what that was like. Then he mentioned working together to obtain a common goal. If she had a cat's ears, they would have perked forward in interest. She ignored his comment about himself and faced him directly, arms crossing, chin tilting up as if to say 'I'm listening'.

But before she could even answer him, he strode away to click a button, revealing a huge closet of clothing. He picked out an outfit for himself, gesturing for her to do the same. If she was a more expressive person, Helena's mouth would have dropped open as his blatant display of power. He knew she'd take the offer--he was so confident, he was talking to her about the next 'mission' already! Talk about arrogance...

But she did need him, as much as she was loath to admit it. So she strode forward, swallowing her pride, and selected a simple but elegant black dress. This one was cocktail length, and covered her entire front with a formed fit all the way up to her throat, clasping at the back of her neck and dropping dramatically to expose her elegant spine and shoulder blades. A pair of patent black heels finished the look, along with a simple comb to put her hair up into a simple bun at the crown of her head. She left her single earring in her right ear, but added a pair of black feather earrings to the second ear piercings up the side of her cartilage. There wasn't any makeup around, but her dark lashes really didn't require any. Not to mention her natural beauty was far better than the cheap makeup, anyway.

"All right, then, Lance Harper," she sighed, tucking away her various tools and hiding her Pokeball utility belt under her skirt as a garter. "It seems you've a new partner. Oh, and it wouldn't look very good to the public if you didn't even know your lady friend's name..." A tiny smile curved the corner of her mouth, barely perceptible. "It's Helena."

[TheoreticalSelkie]

Clarisse Thompson
Oceanic Museum, Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPer: Tazz

Clarisse scratched her chin, smiling gaily as she crossed the large hall to where the main exhibits were -- the meteorite. She was wheeling a stout metal cart with several boxes, intended for some of the artifacts. Or rather, should it be him we are talking about here? Donning a beard and glasses among other things, Clarisse easily passed for the museum curator, a short, meek man, who certainly did not deserve to be shoved into an uncomfortable cabinet somewhere in the archives. If it was any consolation for the poor guy, once this was all over, the soldiers should at least be able to find him.

Her target was the meteorite. She had received news a while back about how the rock had been moved from its usual place at the space center to the more lightly guarded Oceanic Museum in Slateport. As to why she wanted to steal it, it was really for the challenge... or lack thereof for a thief of Clarisse's skills. Well, she did intend to return it at some point. Considering that a good amount of the Hoenn navy was stationed near the city, it was reasonable to assume that the firepower would be a deterrent to any would-be thieves, her excluded. Clarisse had flown out from Johto, leaving Ace to fill in for her while she was gone. And perhaps, she could pick up some of the other rarities she had her eyes on -- the stone tablets on various mythos in the world for instance.

"Good day, Mr. Haputenal and Mr. Ralles." Clarisse greeted the two navy members guarding the entrance to the meteorite's exhibit, pitching her voice to match the curator's. She pointed at the cart, holding up a set of keys lovingly filched from the real curator's desk. "I need to take in some of the exhibit items for daily inspection, so could you make sure no one enters the exhibit in the meantime? I'll return them as soon as possible because of our crowd today."

"Morning, Mr. Rosehall. It all looks good. We should expect you back within the hour?" The guard commented, checking the cart.

"Yes, it shouldn't take too long."

She had a bit of an easier time pushing through the crowd with the cart in front of her. At least, no one wanted to be run over by a short curator on their fun day out. The meteorite was on a stand in a glass case, unlocked with one of the keys on the ring. She pulled on some surgical gloves and put the meteorite into one of the boxes lined with packing peanuts. Since her interests also included some of the mythos of various regions, she also took the array of stone tablets in the other cases and then closed the boxes. First step... done.

Smiling, Clarisse, or rather, Mr. Rosehall bid farewell to the guards. She strolled across the hall with the cart in tow, humming a light melody.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
HAN Entourage, Route 134, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

These chumps were starting to pursue with RHIBs and a patrol boat. I managed to get all the way to the sea route 134 before they finally caught up to me. Figured it was time to play my hand on this trick.

"You're a dead man, whoever you are!" The commanding officer shouted into the radio. "You don't stand a chance when we board you!"

Nuh uh.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I told him, snickering. "You see, Captain Chumps, you're going to give me this ship and back off. Like, right now in fact."

"The name's McBride, you half-wit!" He shouted back at me.

"McBride, Chumps, what's the difference?" I asked, shrugging and smiling as the Entourage made great distance. "Any-who, you're going to give me this ship because if you don't, I'm blowing up the Enforcer, Paladin, and the Legionnaire. So you're going to end up losing three ships instead of one. While you weren't looking, I had a few friends disguised as your friends wire up the engine rooms of those ships. A little click and those nice, big, expensive ships become real estate for all the water Pokémon in the bay."

It made me wonder if he thought it was going to be a bluff. If he did and tried to continue his attack, I was blowing one of these suckers up just to prove my point. Also, I lied about the engine rooms and having the help wiring the bombs. But, why not get them wasting the time to look for the bombs in the engine rooms and suspect some of their own navy soldiers? Seemed like fun to me.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists!" He shouted. "You're nothing but a thief!"

Oh yeah, figured he'd say that sooner or later. They always do...

"Aww, I think of this more like an adoption," I smiled, figuring I might as well continue wasting his time. "It sounds so much nicer. Don't you think so?"

"Where the hell are you taking my ship!?" He shouted.

"Why, back to Orre, of course," I lied again, laughing. "Think of this as an exchange for what happened at Realgam Tower and for 'adopting' our Dracaria. You send your clowns to steal our metal and blow up one of our iconic buildings... yeah, you can bet your crotch you'll pay for that. Generously."

That would get them thinking this was more payback from Orre. What's better than killing two birds with one stone? Having those two birds kill each other.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

After only one glance at the docket Whitehall had given him, Raidon Makoto knew that this mission was going to be a long one. He was to find a way into DyneTech through whatever means necessary, either through coercion or through on-site wealth acquisition. Both would be tough to pull off, but Makoto had done it before and Makoto knew that he could do it again. The dread lord of the Deathwing had returned to his seat of power momentarily in order to visit his old friends and prepare for the new mission. Aqua's flagship and headquarters was parked at Mirage Island in the East Hoenn Sea. This made it particularly hard to track the movement and location of both Aqua's headquarters and Aqua itself. While normally it would be impossible to find Mirage Island again to either reunite with the Deathwing or redock it, Tyrus "Tiantus" Hale had installed a homing device on the island so all the Aquas would be able to find their way home.

"Commander on the deck!" one of the grunts in the Navigations Room yelled as Makoto walked in. Non-essential personnel immediately dropped what they were doing and saluted Makoto. Makoto waved his hand and mumbled "at ease." He slouched back in his chair, one leg over the armrest and his opposite elbow dug into the other supporting the fist that held his head up.

Makoto waved his free hand, "Captain Lando, catch me up."

Captain Reg Lando of Internal Affairs approached Makoto's sea throne and fumbled with a tablet for a moment. Lando was easily the oldest soldier on the Deathwing. He has to be pushing sixty by now... Makoto pondered. The Captain was an enigma: one day he just showed up at the Deathwing and asked for a job. When Makoto had Internal Affairs do a background check on him, they couldn't find a damn thing. It was almost as if he had been born the day he had joined Aqua. Lando proved to be an excellent soldier and climbed the ranks of Aqua very quickly. "The prototype for the Liquidator has been completed at our foundry on Mirage Island. Captain Sasuka of the Aqua Corps of Engineers had reported that the prototype is in good working order and construction on the working model has begun. They hope to have it attached to the Deathwing shortly."

"That's good to hear. I'm looking forward to being able to fire that thing," Makoto said excitedly, pointing at a big red button on his armrest. "What about Project MEND?"

"It's chugging. I haven't seen Tiantus in a few days now. I hate to imagine what the lab smells like..." Lando trailed off.

"He had a shower installed in that lab for a reason. Besides, he's working with Kaede. There's no way she'd let Tiantus work like a scumbag. As far as she's concerned, "Skunkworks" is an ironic title, not a literal one," Makoto explained to the Captain.

"That does sound like Kaede," Lando agreed rather readily. "Anyways, that's pretty much it. Janine is working on a few projects of her own down in her lab, but I haven't had a report on my desk in a few days now. I'm thinking I should pay her a visit soon."

Makoto yawned. "Excellent. Dismissed, Captain." Lando hung around the Navigations Room to obtain reports from the crew operating the ship's essential systems. Makoto emerged from his chair and wandered below deck to the common area. Finch Reynolds was playing billiards with Frank Bueller and Peter Jennings, two Aqua skippers.

"Not with the Skunkworks?" Makoto asked Reynolds. Reynolds finished a trick shot from behind his back before even processing what Makoto had asked him.

"Oh, no. Kaede kicked me out hours ago. Said I was "distracting" her," Reynolds laughed. More like Tiantus was tired of the heavy sexual tension... Makoto thought. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on them though. I'll be the first person to know if there's an intruder in his lab."

"Actually, Finch, I was thinking of taking you off of Skunkworks' security for a few weeks for a special mission. Our patron saint wants us to go to Orre and take care of some business for him. I'd absolutely hate to go alone, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to spend some quality time with you," Makoto summarized his plans.

Reynolds gave Makoto a thousand-yard stare. "Orre... We haven't been there since Incident 731."

Makoto threw a piece of paper with a photograph paperclipped to it onto the billiards table, "I'm well aware. This is more than a social call. Check out who the current President of DyneTech is: Hank Riley. Orre's former Defense Minister. He worked with Hoenn to cover up 731 and to pin the blame on us."

Reynolds smiled, "Say no more, boss."

[bronislav84]

(This is sort of a meanwhile post, and starts before Neo is too far away. I took a while fixing my character, so excuse me just this once)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
HAN Paladin Dock, Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Ah, war. Tis a cruel mistress. Lives lost, messed up, or otherwise ruined. I'd trained to be the best, even with what I'd had to give up. Few actually graduated Hebijo, and most gave up about half way through or somewhere around the end of the High School portion. Those who graduated were pretty much guaranteed to be hired. But enough about that. For these two weeks, as for the past two years or so my team and I were working for Team Aqua. We had no shortage of missions really. I'd received the mission parameters along with the pay. We were, as usual, to help the team in any way we saw fit.

We were dressed as Hoenn Special Forces, observing some sailor guy yelling into a radio. He wasn't happy. Not one bit. He then started barking orders to get the Paladin to follow whoever stole the other big ship. Really, now? If they were with who I thought they were with, this wasn't even a contest. At the same time he was also yelling into the radio. I motioned to my squad to follow. While all of them had similar shionbi training, they chose to specialize in other things as well.

Dan Zembrovski was the tallest of our group, but thin as a branch. A regular brainiac in software. The resident computer expert, he could break through just about any encryption given enough time, and was the designer of all my hacking software.

Amanda Highborn was our sniper and gun expert. Nobody could shoot a gun like her, and she often competed with me on who's better with guns. Though she's better at long distance shots than I am, I let her win on everything else to make her feel better. She's often polishing her sniper rifle, which she calls Flashy.

The mysterious man named Scar never really told anybody his real name. Even at the Academy, he said the only one who knew his real name was Madame Hebijo. If anybody else knew it, they weren't telling. Scar was our muscle and could bench about 500 pounds or carry it around. He gives some Fighting types a run for their money. While not as tall as Dan, Scar's physically the strongest of us five. Whether he uses steroids or just works out when nobody is looking is unknown.

Anna Lang is our medical specialist. A regular wiz at chemicals and how the body works, this medical ninja keeps us going when we would otherwise be taken out of the fight.

"Sir." The five of us stood at attention and I showed him our forged papers to prove who we are. "Sarah Hathaway, Hoenn Special Forces. Give me a sitrep." I manipulated my voice to sound like I'd lived on the farm most of my life.

"Captain McBride. I command the navy ships in this city." He handed me back my papers as I put them in a pocket in the camo uniform I was wearing. It was authentic. We'd lifted our armor from real HSF officers who were probably eaten by Sharpedo by now. He nodded to us to at ease and we relaxed. Have to keep up the charade. "Some yahoo has made off with the best ship that we had parked here. We're going to be giving chase and the Paladin will be chasing the Entourage. We found a bomb on it and disarmed it."

"We'd like to help sir, but we need a ship though. Mind lending us the Paladin?" I gave him a smile that looked quite genuine. My team nodded.

"You know the crew won't follow you, Hathaway." He looked at me sternly, crossing his arms. He wasn't looking at my face.

"Sir, with all due respect, eyes up here." I pointed to my face and sighed. He coughed and stopped staring, then I continued. "They don't need to. Tell them to abandon ship and that HSF Blue-92 will handle it. While not as well armed, being smaller means we can catch up to the Entourage. They won't stand a chance with the HSF boarding them." He thought about this for a moment while I shuffled my feet bored.

McBride nodded to me. "I'll radio the men to abandon ship. If you need it, there are enough Burst Hearts for everyone on the ship. Surely there's enough for you five."

"Actually, I already have one but my team could use some. Thank you kindly." I pulled mine out from my shirt as the captain looked on from where I pulled it out. It was hanging on a necklace and I waved it to him.

"That's fine. As I was saying, the important ship systems can be controlled from the bridge in an emergency. Good luck." He started barking orders into the radio for his men to abandon ship, and then went back to yelling at who I assumed was the thief. I could hear him yell "We don't negotiate with terrorists!" as the five of us filed into the ship past the sailors who were leaving. Dan had already downloaded an inside floor plan to his laptop by interfacing with the ship using the codes McBrirde gave us and we got to the bridge pretty easily.

The ship to ship radio was ready, and also connected to McBride. Good, it would be all the more bitter for him when he found out exactly who he signed his ship over to. I took the wheel while Dan manned the gauges and the others took the rest of the bridge stations. Over the comm I could hear McBride threatening the thief that the bomb was already found and disarmed, and that HSF Blue-92 would be boarding the Entourage shortly, saying to give up and turn around. We were gaining on the bigger ship, but if it was who I thought that had stolen it, they'd know that Blue-92 was actually a code word Team Aqua used. McBride had no idea, and had handed over yet another ship. I'd contact him soon with the 'good news' of having caught up to the Entourage. That, and that it plus it's large amount of Burst Hearts previously reserved for the crew were being seized by Orre. That would get these dummies hopping.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Slateport Aquatics Museum, Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Theoretical

Yarvick got greeted with a blast of cool air as he walked through those automatic sliding doors. He was greeted with at least two people in line, though they passed through quickly. Yarvick could see almost a quarter of the museum itself from where he stood alone. This place was tiny for all of its many exhibits on saltwater and freshwater science. It was a no-brainer why this place was so small. If it wasn't for that meteorite and a 5-dollar fee to get in, this place would have become a parking lot before Yarvick was born.

"Hello, welcome to the Slateport Aquatic and Naval Museum!" The attendant said, cheerily, turning away from a computer she was working at. Her smile faded a little upon seeing Yarvick, though. He looked like a homeless man. She was completely oblivious to the Porygon-Z slipping from Yarvick's shirt, under her desk, and into her computer.

"Hello to you to, madam." Yarvick answered, handing her the 5 dollars-a little torn and a little dirty, just like how he looked.

"Thank you." She said, the smile completely gone as she took the money. She didn't voice it, but it was clear she wasn't happy with taking the money from a 'homeless man.' Oh, how little did she know. She went back to her computer, not knowing that, through it, Atlas had already gotten into the security system. Or was about to. It didn't matter when, so much that he did. Once inside, Atlas would make sure that everything that was recorded since his entry would be deleted, and anything after that unrecorded by default-in other words, the cameras were now useless, and they wouldn't realize it until after Yarvick had left.

Yarvick immediately walked up to the second floor-he glanced at everyone else in the room and found almost nothing of importance whatsoever. The guards were likely clustered upstairs, where the important naval artifacts and the meteorite were-and there was no point wasting time.

"Good day, Mr. Haputenal and Mr. Ralles," Said someone from upstairs. Yarvick wouldn't have cared at all if the voice didn't follow up: "I need to take in some of the exhibit items for daily inspection, so could you make sure no one enters the exhibit in the meantime? I'll return them as soon as possible because of our crowd today."

Yarvick had cleared one row of steps to the second floor when he saw the scene: among the crowd (and boy was there ever a crowd today) was a curator with a cart, a man that was about Yarvick's height and stature, not too far from the Meteorite. He could only see his back and right side, and certainly didn't see him speak, but Yarvick could tell that he was the speaker going off of appearance. Nobody was yappy in a museum, after all. Yarvick focused in on him and the two guards nearby-Navymen guards today, it seemed.

"Morning, Mr. Rosehall. It all looks good. We should expect you back within the hour?" The guard commented, checking the cart, as Yarvick did his best impersonation of a man interested in an old steering wheel from a ship from the age of sails. He kept a sharp eye on the curator's back, though.

"Yes, it shouldn't take too long," Mr. Rosehall replied. Rosehall then went to collect the Meteorite and several other miscellaneous artifacts. Yarvick could see a complication coming in any job-just not exactly what. He’s dealt with this situation before, though, so that helped…Something bugged Yarvick about how he looked, though. He couldn’t pin on what.

Yarvick followed at a considerable distance from the curator, keeping out of line of sight without hunching over or anything. The high density of exhibits was a blessing in this regard, and the shuffling of feet and the many bodies would keep him mostly under the radar if he was seen. The meteor was his target, and if he had to cause a ruckus to get at it, well, that was the other half of the mission accomplished immediately.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
HAN Entourage, Route 134, Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

Good times.

I was having some fun with this McBride sap. In the meantime, I was playing some Metallica to give the bridge of the Entourage a warmer, cozier feeling. "For Whom the Bells Toll" was a personal favorite of mine.

"We found your bomb, you thug," McBride whined again. "Already disarmed. We're sending in the Paladin with the HSF Blue-92, and they will be boarding you shortly. Enjoy your last moments of life, you withering maggot."

Nice guy. He said it with so much arrogance. So confident he had this in the bag. And I was really laughing, especially when he mentioned HSF Blue-92. In another realm he didn't know about, Blue-92 meant you were screwed over by Team Aqua. Looks like we'd be coming home with two ships instead of just one. And that's how professionals do it. As for disarming the bomb, I had my doubts about that.

"Really?" I asked him. "Well, let's see how good of a job you did."

I pressed the detonator for the HAN Enforcer. I snickered when I heard an explosion and there was the sudden background noise of panic in the radio. Seems like McBride's bluff didn't work out so well against him. I couldn't see the damage to the Enforcer, but I figured by now, that ship was taking on more water than they could hope to handle. It was like flushing it down the toilet, crap and all.

"D-Damn it!" McBride shouted. "I'll make you pay out your ass for that!"

"Aww, you said you disarmed it!" I laughed. "I really thought you were telling the truth! Or maybe your peeps aren't as good as you thought they were! Oh gee, I hope I didn't blow up any of them in the process!"

Actually, I hoped I did.

I heard him shout crap like "get in there" and "light up that bastard." Boy, sounded like he was having fun in that posh little commander's hut.

In the meantime, the smaller ships, the Paladin and the Legionnaire were gaining. The folks on the Legionnaire probably had no idea what was really going on. Still, it was adding to the fun.

"You're alone now, maggot," McBride taunted me. "In five minutes, your whole party is going to come crashing down."

"Last chance..." I teased him, toying with the detonator for the Legionnaire. Don't make me blow up another one of your toys. I'm sure Hoenn's taxpayers won't be too crazy about how you handled this one, Chumpy."

But, he was willing to run the risk. The Legionnaire was shifting their position and already there were chumps on the bow, ready to board. They were within seconds of making the jump, but...

I then pressed the button. With a quick kaboom, some of those saps were thrown right overboard from the tremor of the blast. Already, the ship was beginning to teeter and sink faster and faster. I could hear the alarms going off in the distance.

"Blue-92... stand down," McBride stated with unnerved anger. "I'm not risking any more men today."

But we just kept on sailing. And sailing.

"Blue-92...?" He asked, wondering why they weren't listening to him. "Come in Paladin, why aren't you responding!? Hello!? What the hell's going on!?"

All he could do now was just watch as we sailed off to the horizon. I decided to kick back and start cleaning out the captain's liquor cabinet. I even poured a bowl of beer for Smoky the Skuntank to enjoy shortly before clinking beer bottles with Snuff the Dragonite. With the ship's transponder now sitting in a remote control boat heading toward Orre, they'll blame Orre for the crime and would never know what really happened.

As I sat back, leaning in the captain's chair, I did have to admit, this Captain Thompson sap sure had a good taste in beer.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi

At long last, the masterpiece of PokéTarts was now on store shelves and no one suspected a thing about it!

From what I had overheard from the factory lines, PokéTarts had a tendency to attract Pokémon that hadn't even tasted it yet! Something about the colors or the smell, I think. But one little bite and they'd be hooked. Trainers would have to find ways to manage their pack of spoiled brats and hit the poor house, or suffer the painful effects of withdrawal! Either way, we'd be making major bucks. If those nuts on the top were afraid this wouldn't be worth the return on investment, heck, they were about to bite their tongues on this one!

In the meantime, they put the finishing touches on the Liquidator and now had it fully installed on the Deathwing. So shiny! I watched from the deck as they had it installed. Seeing them install my brainchild... that leaves you with a really nice, warm, and fuzzy feeling inside!

In the meantime, Shadowfall Tanks were undergoing mass production. Team Aqua was definitely preparing to conquer the world, but first, it was better to watch our enemies swat each other for a while. And then we'd scoop up the winner of the losers and flush those guys out of the picture! But in any case, the Shadowfall tanks were way better than anything Orre and Hoenn were using. Plus, rumor had it some of our friends were out stealing ships.

And that was when Craig Lando showed up, probably asking for a report. This old dude was the Captain of Internal Affairs. At least he knocked, but yeah, he'd be asking for the report, and he never liked the fact I doodled all over my notes.

"Janine, we need the update on your research," Lando told me. "You know the drill, need to make sure we're a well-oiled machine."

"Yep, got it right here!" I handed over the notebook to him. "Heh, heh, don't mind the doodles."

He started flipping through it, and I could tell he was not the kind of guy that thought doodles of a winking Buneary, a dancing Chatot, and a Furret cuddling a heart were the kinds of things that belonged alongside on research notes. But hey, he never said that wasn't allowed!

"What the... PokéTarts?" He asked me, looking all googly-eyed at that. "'Made to be a hyper-addictive candy that...' Janine, what the hell is this stuff you're having those guys make!?"

"Why, only the next big sensation!" I laughed, spinning around in a circle. "In a nutshell, Pokémon get hooked on it, constantly want more, trainers drain their wallets on it, and suffer if they don't!"

He read through it more, but decided to save that for later.

"What's up with MEND, by the way?" He asked me. "You've been working with Tiantus and Kaede on that one, right?"

"Yup," I nodded, pointing to the notebook that had those details also. "You'll find the stuff starting on page 67. Look for the musical Pachirisu playing the guitar!"

"We're wondering about the progress of MEND, mostly," Lando replied, probably curious about it for now. "What are the specifics of this project? Everything up until now has been pretty vague"

"Like I said, all in the notes," I smiled. "It's been kinda slow, but getting there. Read up on it though, I'm pretty sure you'll find it interesting. But hey, make sure you give that back when you're done Xeroxing it or whatever you're doing!"

Ha ha, I wondered if he really would make Xerox copies of those. Would be even funnier if he was intending to distribute them!

"Don't worry, I'll be back with this," He told me, preparing to leave. "You'll have it sometime this afternoon."

I shrugged and decided to get back to work. Now... what to make after the anarchy of PokéTarts, I had to wonder...

[TheoreticalSelkie]

Clarisse Thompson
Oceanic Museum, Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Tazz

Clarisse drummed her fingers on the cart as she headed towards the plain side doors leading to the archives and the curator's offices. There was a slight weight upon her shoulder as she felt that something wasn't right about this whole thing... she called it intuition at least. Was there someone watching? Clarisse studied the crowd out of the corners of her eyes. The crowd swarmed between the exhibits like bees, escaping the heat. Their only saving grace was that they didn't give her a second glance and that they parted easily for her and the cart. She shrugged and kept walking.

As she approached the doors, Clarisse tapped out a louder rhythm for Loki, hiding in her shadow. On guard, keep a lookout. Her other Pokemon were either in their Pokeballs or lying in wait in the back of the building for her getaway. Smiling to herself, Clarisse unlocked the door and wheeled the cart through. The door was left unlocked; as far as she knew, no one was going to go through the door with all its "ENTRANCE FORBIDDEN" stickers splattered all over it except maybe for some adventurous kids. She was a bit short on time too -- the quicker she left, the more time she had to get away. From there, it was a simple matter of leaving the cart in the curator's office, putting the keys back, and moving everything into one box.

There was nothing out of the ordinary in the curator's office. Well, except for the actual curator sprawled out behind his desk, out cold. Those weren't on the security cameras because there weren't any in the office. Hence, why no one actually went to check out what the commotion was. Patting the man on his head, Clarisse stood up and took off her disguise, revealing yet another disguise underneath. This was what the cameras in the hallway would pick up when she walked out there: a blonde-haired man in a blue shirt and tie carrying a box.

"Jannis is back, yeah!" She laughed, taking out a replica of the meteorite. If anything, they could cover up the fact that the meteorite was stolen with that. She spent so much effort and time making that, so they should at least use it, right? Giggling, Clarisse picked up the box with all the stolen goods in it and kicked the office door, making a loud slam. The noise echoed throughout the hallway and out into the museum proper, bringing with it the sound of running guards.

"Well, time to go!"

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Slateport Aquatics Museum, Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Selkmeister General, TheoreticalSelkie.

Yarvick kept shadowing poor Mr. Rosehall until he hit the backrooms. The sucker would have no idea what hit him. Yarvick waited a few seconds, then followed in after him, making dead sure to close the door quietly behind him.

The backrooms were not populated with guards, only cameras. Yarvick hadn't seen all of the museum, and it may have been that the guards were almost all in the exhibits. Their most valuable pieces were the ones on display, the rest was mostly junk or cheap aquatic exhibits. The only other living thing here seemed to be the curator. Yarvick made sure not to get in any place where he could turn his head and see him-follow from a distance, dead silent and out of any place where the curator could just turn his head to see him.

...And, good thing he did, for he saw something else. Something in the Curator's shadow...Something unnatural about it.

Normally, a regular joe would just not notice it at all, or if he did, he would accredit it to a trick of the light. But Yarvick knew better. Training with his own Gengar and seeing it in action spoiled the surprise for him. The Curator was either being shadowed by a Gengar, or Rosehall had one of his own watching his back. Fortunately, it followed too closely to not see what the Curator couldn't by turning his head, so Yarvick just kept doing what he was normally.

Eventually, the Curator reached his destination, entering his office, his Pokemon in tow. Nobody was in sight, only a camera.

Yarvick, as quietly as he could, sent out his own Pokemon, or at least half of them. Hyperion was a definite choice, right off the bat-his Psionics would allow him to quickly grab the Meteorite right from the box, then teleport away. Iapetus would be critical to his success as well, as Iapetus was privy to his own kin's tactics and could easily recognize-and attack-the hidden Gengar, distracting it from the rest of the crew. Lastly, Rhea, who Yarvick compared to a female Bruce Lee, flying in with insanely fast and hard hits to basically everywhere. She'd be the muscle here-fast and furious, the one to physically attack the Curator and make sure he's not going to yelp. Yarvick considered bursting with her after she had knocked out the Curator to cause MORE trouble. A thief going after the meteorite was one thing, a thief that had a burst heart would make paranoia spread like wildfire, attract attention to Orre, and all of that lovely stuff the Aqua higher-ups wanted done here.

"OK, guys, a Curator has got the meteorite, and he's dusting it off in there. He's got a Gengar guarding it, but this shouldn't change much. Iapetus, go after your counterpart. Hyperion, take the meteor and teleport away back to the bench. Rhea, you and I will take the Curator head-on and KO him." Yarvick said, clutching his baton. He hadn't actually taken firearms for this particular job, though he wished he did. That would have helped make a good scene.

His intention was to burst in there and do the damage, but, in a stroke of unknown luck, the 'curator,' now a blonde-haired man in a blue shirt, busted out of the door with a box in his hands. He wasn't a curator, he was a thief in disguise!

Five to two, counting Atlas in the cameras. This was unfair, and Yarvick liked it.

Yarvick whipped out the baton and attempted to nail him in the face almost as soon as he saw him; Rhea took a third of a second to follow suit with a Mach Punch; Iapetus almost immediately found the Gengar and shot a Shadow Ball at it; and Hyperion used Telekinesis on the box itself, attempting to grab the meteor. Atlas hadn't revealed himself at all yet, though he'd likely aim for the incoming guards unless Yarvick told him otherwise, and Yarvick used gestures to commune with Atlas through the cameras.

[Neo Emolga]

OOC: Nail 'em, Tazz!

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
HAN Entourage ASF Fairy Dragon, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

McBride was an idiot. A loser, a moron, an arrogant chump, a schmuck, or whatever. He sucked but his ship was sure nice. And since it was my ship now, time to give it a new name, because a name like Entourage sounded worse than a rolling ball of snot.

I decided to call it the ASF Fairy Dragon, because nothing would make me laugh more than to see all the chumps getting blasted apart by a heavy battleship called something like that! I'd even get someone to paint a mellow-looking dragon with butterfly wings on the side by the name, just because it would be that much more hilarious.

Once we made it back to Mirage Island, I figured I'd get started with that whole process.

"You... that's the ship you managed to steal!?" Kip Marston asked in shock. "Holy crap, that thing could take out a whole navy!"

The dude was the Captain of Marines, so of course he was going to see it in action. Considering the size of this hulking thing, yeah, it was impressive. A whole lot of guns, heavily armored, and was a total beast of war with the latest and greatest Hoenn technology, save for the transponder. My idea of a good time. It seemed to look pretty nice next to the Deathwing.

"Yep," I told him. "I call it the ASF Fairy Dragon. The Entourage sounds like turd in the mouth."

"The ASF... wait, why would you give it a name like that?" He asked me, looking funky at that idea.

"You kidding?" I asked him with a smile. "Hey, we're already calling the air force the All Clown Squadron of Fun. I like humiliating my enemies as much as Raidon does, so yeah, we're calling that the ASF Fairy Dragon, because it makes it that much more fun and hilarious."

"Eh, well, suit yourself, you stole it," He shrugged.

I sure didn't wait long before I had the Entourage name wiped off and had the Fairy Dragon name put instead. I was also getting that funny rainbow butterfly-winged dragon painted on it as well. He did a pretty good job, and he gave it a special touch I didn't even ask for. Said fairy dragon was now holding a minigun in his claws and winking at the viewer. Gotta love this crew.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
HAN Paladin, heading to Mirage Island, Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga maybe. I swear, you didn't wait for me

So I'd given up my emotions. That never meant I couldn't have any fun, and right now I was enjoying overhearing the conversation between McBride and the other person I was by now sure was another Aqua.

"We found your bomb, you thug," There was a pause. "Already disarmed. We're sending in the Paladin with the HSF Blue-92, and they will be boarding you shortly. Enjoy your last moments of life, you withering maggot."

"Really?" I could hear the other voice. "Well, let's see how good of a job you did." I could then hear and see as the Enforcer exploded. Well, one out of three ain't bad. Okay, it really is bad. Well, at least he disarmed the bomb on one ship, the one I was stealing. How did he even find the one and not to think to check the same place on the others? He told us on the way that the bomb had been on the side of the ship. Ok you dummy, so why didn't you check the other hulls before sending out the other ships? Loser.

"D-Damn it!" McBride shouted. "I'll make you pay out your behind for that!"

"Aww, you said you disarmed it!" Laughed the other guy as he said it. "I really thought you were telling the truth! Or maybe your peeps aren't as good as you thought they were! Oh gee, I hope I didn't blow up any of them in the process!" I was sure he was kidding.

He was barking orders at the others, and not enjoying he lost a ship. Probably was going to lose another soon if the explosion was any indication.

Our cruiser and the other cruiser had gained considerable distance on the bigger ship, but I was sure he still had no idea. We had so much wool over his eyes it was just sad. How did he ever make it up the ranks?

"You're alone now, maggot," I could hear McBride taunting into the radio. "In five minutes, your whole party is going to come crashing down." He actually thought he had this. Really?

"Last chance..." There was a pause then he spoke again. "Don't make me blow up another one of your toys. I'm sure Hoenn's taxpayers won't be too crazy about how you handled this one, Chumpy."

I kept the charade on a bit longer and our two cruisers started to pincer in the Entorage. McBride was probably watching on some GPS map or something.

And as expected, the Legionnaire blew. And how. Amanda and Anna actually high fived each other then.

"Blue-92... stand down," McBride stated with anger that could be felt even over the radio. "I'm not risking any more men today."

I dropped the charade, speaking in my deadpan and emotionless voice. "You've risked all your men already. The rest abandoned ship. Thank you for falling for it."

"Blue-92...?" He asked, confused. We were listening, but smiling at each other. "Come in Paladin, why aren't you responding as expected!? Hello!? What the hell's going on!? Hathaway?!"

"Hathaway never existed." I could hear him growling mad on the other end. "Orre thanks you for your contribution." More growling as I motioned to Dan to disconnect us from the mainland. Scar then ripped out the ship transponder and it was a simple matter for us to set it up on an automated lifeboat heading to Orre. Job well done, if I do say so myself. I then used the device I was given to guide us to the nigh impossible to get to Mirage Island, and we parked the Paladin cruiser near the bigger ship and the flagship. Looked like it was already being redone, if what I was seeing out the window could be believed. This guy didn't waste any time. Couldn't quite make out who I'd ripped the ship off with from the bridge since they had their back turned, so we made our way down to where they were.

We appeared in a puff of smoke behind the men and I spoke, deadpan and emotionless. I couldn't quite remember if they'd told me it bothered them. "Ah, of course. Mister Marston and Mister Ashfield." The five of us pulled off the HSF uniforms and put them away in the large duffel bag Scar carried, having our usual clothes underneath. We also pulled off the rubber masks we'd been wearing, so if anybody had pics or vids said surveillance was completely useless in identifying us. People with those faces didn't actually exist. "You may do whatever you want with the Paladin and it's Burst Hearts, sirs. I suggest name it Deathknight if you could. My team's already helped themselves to some Burst Hearts. Unless we're needed here, we're tracking a lead." I nodded to Dan, who had folded his laptop into a tablet by now. We started getting ready to leave.

[TheoreticalSelkie]

((RIP Clarisse))

Clarisse Thompson
Slateport "About to Get Socked" City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Tazz

What the- holy crap people. Clarisse was sent flying by the Mach Punch, crashing into the desk. The baton hit her hard in her right arm. To her credit, she was still holding tightly on the box. She cursed the fact that she didn't tape the box closed, though it was a bit late now. Her free hand instantly went for the two Pokeballs in her pocket and out went a giant burst of water followed by a blur of red, headed straight for the door, splitting the attackers. Loki narrowly dodged the other Gengar's Shadow Ball, flitting from shadow to shadow. Seeing the glow around Clarisse's box, he darted forward and attacked the Alakazam with a Shadow Punch.

Arm sore, everything sore, Clarisse scrambled up and jumped onto her Arcanine. "Cu, we're getting out of here. Se, Hydro Pump the hallway. Everyone, afterrrrrrr me!" She ordered, fleeing towards the back doors.

The few guards that were in the archives swarmed into the hallway. Easy work for an escaping thief. Behind her, she heard the churning of water as it rushed down the hall out into the museum proper. The force of the water should be enough to keep them, whoever the dude with the baton and his motley crew were, from chasing after her. As for the guards... they didn't know what hit them as the Arcanine shoved them aside.

Hard right, a good slam at the back door annnnnd nothing. What unfortunate luck today! Someone locked the damned door during the time she was out skipping about as Mr. Rosehall. Damn their common sense! And it held up to the power of Cu's slams. Clarisse swore and hopped off her Pokemon. No lockpicks today -- she didn't think she needed it, and shooting the lock off never ever worked.

"Why now of all the times..." Clarisse grumbled, rubbing Cu's head.

[Grassy_Aggron]

(Fiiiiiiiiiiinally. And no I don't expect to post such large...well, posts constantly. This is just my entry :P)

Grassy_Aggron
Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod City Hospital in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: None, unless you are in said hospital.
The first entry is always the longest in paperwork.


“Paging Doctor Nissa on line three. Paging Doctor Nissa on line three.”

A deep, exasperated sigh was ushered forth from the dry, yet not cracked, lips of the doctor whose name had just been called. Her thin form was currently fixed to a seat, hunched over a desk while filling out paperwork as quickly as humanly possible, yet with a dedication that limited mistakes. It was a dedication that she was renowned for, having made her popular among patients yet somewhat feared by her peers. She knew it was from her hot headed, stubborn personality, yet the very latter made her also believe that they should get over it and tend to the task at hand. Granted, she knew why they didn’t want to do that recently, and she rightly couldn’t blame them for it. Despite that knowledge, she still called them cowards for it if they walked out, and honestly, they deserved it.

Doctors are healers and menders, spreading hope and kindness to the wounded. Without them sickness and decay took root in body and soul, and the entire system begins to collapse. Granted, with the government barely keeping a reign on things and big powerhouse companies failing, the foundation was already crumbling. Pokemarts were beginning to have a hard time stocking their shelves, and Pokemon Centers were starting to feel the pressure of countless victims of war. The hospital, which normally treated people, was now beginning to overflow with Pokemon since they no longer could house all of them. This wasn’t too much of an issue due to the fact that many of the older doctors – herself included – were trained for both people and Pokemon, but the younger staff members were feeling the strain.

Of course, if and when they left, it put even more strain on the remaining members, creating a vicious feedback loop that only continued to make the situation worse. Such was the burden of war, as there were no winners but only survivors…and only if they received adequate health care. They could also just avoid the war entirely, but to be frank; with every region becoming involved it was increasingly unlikely. The world was turned on its edge and it was cutting into every life that existed, all because of some horrid device a man invented. The world had not been ready for it, and now lives were the cost. If she ever got her hands on-

“Paging Doctor Nissa on line three. Paging Doctor Nissa on line three.”

The woman jumped a bit as the persistent voice breached her thoughts, and with a hiss she snatched at the receiver. “This is Doctor Nissa. Lisa, what do you need? I’m filling out medical forms, and you know I don’t like to be disturbed when doing that!” While she was annoyed, it was only because she hadn’t been sleeping well. She was tired and slightly disheveled, and while she kept her uniform as clean as possible it was beginning to show that she was overworking herself. Listening to what Lisa had to say only soured her mood, and with a snort she informed her she would be coming down and shut off the transmission.

Getting up and grabbing her clipboard, she adjusted her glasses and moved out of the room. The hallways were well lit and clean, their familiar bright white hue being a comfort as she walked quickly, passing rooms stuffed to capacity or otherwise nearly full. The bottom layers of the hospital were already filled, and the middle – where she currently was now – was quickly approaching the same fate. The upper floors were mostly vacant for now, but for a hospital of this size – fifty floors with a helicopter pad and large ambulance bay – that was no comfort. It shouldn’t even be halfway full, and the fact that it was…was a shame, really. There was nothing else to say other than it being a large shame.

Brushing past a coworker who scrambled out of the way, she pushed into an empty operating room that was currently being cleaned, being greeted by a gruff, darker skinned doctor – the lead doctor, Dr. Murkiv – as well as two other senior staff closer to her age, who quickly exited upon her arrival. His face was grim and riddled with wrinkles, and she could swear his graying hair was even lighter than before. Clearing his throat, he began to speak, a low calming rumble made raw and strained from overuse.

“Dr. Nissa, I am glad you were able to come as quickly as possible. Most of the other senior staff already know about this, but you were holed up in your room and I wished to give you as much time as possible before delivering this news.” Pausing, he waited for a response, to which she only gave a curt nod. “Lighthouse Clinic in Olivine City has become full and is requesting aid from clinics and hospitals everywhere. They are transferring some of their patients here.”

Claressa blinked a few times as his words registered. “That shouldn’t be much of a problem, but so many people are coming in and fewer are leaving...We can’t keep taking in the wounded. There aren’t any more hospitals in that area that can take them?” He shook his head no. “This isn’t good, you know. Supplies are…stable for the moment, but at any time we could lose them. If this hospital fails, it’ll kill Goldenrod City. It’ll kill a lot of hope, too, for all of Johto.”

“I’m well aware of that, but we can’t turn them away. It is risky to transport them across the sea to Cianwood, so we need to bring them here. Ecruteak. Mahogany, and Violet City are also taking in some of the victims, so it will not be as much of a strain. This is not the only thing I wanted to discuss with you, however…”

She held up her hand, stopping him from speaking. “If you’re going to ask about the Burst Heart research, it’s not going very well. It’s difficult to get a clear feel for what is going on, and I admit it’s really frustrating me. I have some severe concerns about the host and Pokemon staying fused for too long, however, I need to study it longer to be sure. Tony sure is enjoying the power, but I’m making sure to keep his ego grounded.”

“You will write a report on anything you find, correct? Even if it is preliminary, I want a copy of it on my desk. Anything you discover will be invaluable information, and you are very good at what you do.” Dr. Murkiv stopped for a moment, thinking. “Even if you are incredibly stubborn in your ways, it does get the job done most of the time. I trust you will be able to figure out something, at least.”

Snorting, the female was already halfway out the door as he finished. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll find something, and you’ll know about it. Just don’t give it to the military until I’ve confirmed anything or we could have even more casualties in our hospital. Not that you seem to mind,” she tossed over her shoulder with a sly smile as she slipped out, leaving the man alone to shake his head towards her attitude. She didn’t mean it entirely, but he could see where she was coming from and hoped that in time he could disprove her theory about him.

As for Claressa, she quickly headed toward a room that needed to be tended to, stopping for a moment to weigh in on what he had said. Invaluable information. Wouldn’t that make her a target? Maybe…but she was just trying to stop the war. She couldn’t stop now, nor would she, even if it painted a big red Tauroseye on her forehead. Very few knew of her research, and even fewer had hope it would turn anything up. She’d only been researching for a few months as well, so time was against her. There was a dizzying amount of hurdles to be overcome, and for a second she had to lean against the wall as they all once again became apparent to her.

But as always the dizziness passed and she stood tall once more, resolute in her mission and ready to perform her duties as a doctor. Nothing was going to stop her now, and with a simple shuffle of her papers she slipped into the room to help the injured inside. Now was the time to act, and not the time to ponder about what ifs. It wouldn’t help the sick get healthier, the wounded become physically sound, or hope to be rekindled. It would only allow guilt to breed and insanity to swallow the mind, and frankly?

That was just an expletive way to go.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84, Lord Celebi

Our partners in crime were in fact Kar and her squad. It was cool, I didn't think we'd be coming home with two ships, but this time around, greed actually paid off. McBride was probably going to attack Orre now, they were going to kick his ass, and we'd flush them both out. But right now, I was sure he was going apeshit over the fact he got two of his ships blown up and the other two stolen.

Now, both ships, the Fairy Dragon and the newly christened Deathknight, were disconnected from Hoenn, had their transponders gutted and sent to Orre, and were totally ours now. In addition to the Deathwing, we were building up a pretty nice armada now. An aircraft carrier armed with a kickass gatling railgun, a heavy battleship, and the latest advancement in naval cruisers. Not to mention Kar and her team managed to secure a nice, big box of Burst Hearts for us to have fun with.

"Kar, that was deliciously badass, thank you for that enjoyable experience," I told her, still chuckling over imagining how irate McBride must be right now. "That jackass never suspected a thing. Anyway, heard you were heading out, but yeah, anytime you'd like to work again, let's do it."

Now, I just needed to plan out the next target. I was sure those ships weren't the only juicy thing Hoenn had to steal. In the meantime, I decided to phone the boss about the successful heist. He was going to like this. A lot.

"Commander, if you look outside for a moment, you'll see two new ships docked besides the Deathwing," I told him on the radio, enjoying that happy moment. "Well, those are our ships now. Oh, and by the way, Hoenn thinks Orre stole 'em."

It did make me wonder how plastered people were going to get tonight over this.


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

I had overheard PokéTarts were now being enjoyed by many Hoenn Pokémon owned by trainers. The candy seemed to be rating in quite well, but oh man, they had no, no idea what they were getting into! Sure, it seemed sweet and innocent now, but in the weeks to come, it would be PURE AND UTTER MAYHEM!!! I really had to laugh. I'd be laughing even more if someone turned their overstuffed Eevee into a beanbag chair.

I had just overheard some Aqua peeps managed to steal not one but two Hoenn ships. Man, these guys were crazy, but I liked that about them! I'd do it too, but I was more crazy about making cool stuff.

Shadowfall Tanks were nearly complete. We already had a lot of them produced, but they weren't finished and still needed their electronics systems installed and weaponry configured. And these things had lots of weapons and stuff. It was every combat junkie's dream.

Lando gave me back my research notes, and it seemed like the details on Project MEND were starting to make sense to him. Sure, to anyone who didn't know what it was about, yeah, I could see where it looked like we were smashing the piggy bank for stupid reasons and wasting it on nonsense. But the truth was, with MEND, there was crazy return on investment considering the kinds of costs it would wipe out. No more need for first aid, prosthetics, or anti-infective medications! Before, he was looking at me like I was nuts, and now he was convinced we should have been making MEND even sooner.

"Janine, what you and Tiantus have here..." Lando told me, handing me back my notebook, "...this is... the stuff of genius."

"Aww, thank you!" I told him with a wink and a smile. "I know doctors and nurses would hate us if we ever sold it to the outside. You know, maybe once we have control over the entire world, we can do that."

"Some of our 'investors' were slow to pick up on the prospect of this project," Lando told me. "I don't think your doodles helped with that. I was able to present your research findings in a more... 'professional' manner. I think this will be more likely to get through to them."

"Whatever floats your boat," I smiled, although I still think the notes were more fun to look at with the doodles.

"Anyway, I'll let you get back to work." Lando told me, heading out.

"Cheers!" I told him with a smile.

In the meantime, Kar and her team managed to bring back a bunch of extra Burst Hearts, which I felt like looking into further. Given what we were able to do with MEND already, I wanted to see if there was a way to further screw around with genetics.

A Burst Heart gave the user the ability to merge with a Pokémon and wear them like armor. It was the craziest, weirdest feeling. I tried it with Cream the Cinccino, and it was kind of funky. It allowed me to use crazy Cinccino powers, but it only lasted for a few minutes. Great for a combat situation, but I didn't really see it being used for too much else.

In the meantime, the MEND project had required Tiantus to map out the DNA structure of humans to be able to make MEND's restorative properties work. Since he had that whole thing mapped out anyway, I thought hey, why not keep going with it? I kind of wanted to see if there were other ways to further screw around with it. I was curious and sometimes I felt like doing something crazy just to see what happens.

I figured I'd first start with me. I took a blood sample and had Tiantus's software do the readout of my own DNA. All cool stuff. This thing he programmed was really handy. I could use the software and filter down what parts of the DNA code reflected how each part of my physical body was constructed. I figured doing that would help create a kind of map to recognize the genomes and what they affected. The same genetic reconstructor cells that were being used for MEND could be used here to overwrite old DNA with new DNA and make the physical changes accordingly. I noticed that when I tried using Burst with Cream, I used those few short seconds to take a blood sample in that form, and make the check to see what had flipped around.

Really interesting stuff. But I could see where I could make stuff that would be able to create fast nucleotide sequence changes and replications and finding ways to engineer polymorphism for humans. Hard part was, I needed to make sure these mutations would be seamless and quick. That, and make sure there weren't any errors that resulted in nasty stuff like cancer or brain damage. Typically, cells didn't like being messed around with, so we kind of had to have a polite but forceful way of getting them changed.

I figured it would probably mean I would need a little experimental trial and error here. Might be fun box of surprises!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Slateport Aquatics Museum, Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Selkmeister General, TheoreticalSelkie.

The blondie responded to his brutal beating (which didn't nail the KO blow) by sending out two other Pokemon. One, a Floatzel, unleashed a Hydro Pump on the group, sending Yarvick spiraling backwards into Rhea and out into the hallway. Rhea jumped up in response to the other Pokemon-an Arcanine who split the party between Yarvick and Rhea on the left side, and Iapetus and Hyperion on the right. The other gengar went after Hyperion with a Shadow Punch, but Iapetus got in between the two, Shadow Ball held in front, with the cruelest of grins. However, Hyperion had given up on Telekinesis after losing line of sight of the thief, and in any case the box was held too tight. He teleported to Yarvick's side instead.

"Cu, we're getting out of here. Se, Hydro Pump the hallway. Everyone, afterrrrrrr me!" shouted the blondie...In a rather feminine voice. Another disguise. Or his voice was REALLY feminine in general.

'Se,' the Floatzel, shot out another Hydro Pump, but this time Yarvick and Rhea were ready for the obvious move, and they hopped over the Floatzel's head. Hyperion just teleported to the side. Iapetus and the other gengar were still duking out their literal shadow war as 'Cu,' the Arcanine, rushed by, to the right-and the back of the museum. Yarvick sent out his fourth Pokemon, Eos.

"Eos, incapacitate that Floatzel, then meet with us! Target's escaping!" Yarvick said.

"Whim,' the Whimsicott replied, smiling, calm, ignorant of the general chaos of a hydro pump in the hall, the rushing of the Arcanine behind her, and all of that. She went as close as she could and launched a Sleep Powder in the Floatzel's face. Making it go to sleep was as good as beating it to a pulp. Of course, Eos was ready for an actual fight, including the all-too-obvious Ice type moves.

The rest of his Pokemon were doing their best to catch up to an Arcanine, which, as one could expect, was barely. Any guard that didn't get done in by the Arcanine's passing were definitely slammed to unonsciousness by either Yarvick's baton, Rhea's Mach Punch, or Hyperion's Psychic attack-in passing, of course. Yarvick's target was the Meteorite, and he would not let it go that easily.

In all honesty, all of his mission-to distract the guards and navy, to cause a general uproar-was done just by this alone. Yarvick would be unsatisfied if his target got away that easily, though, even if it meant the heat was on him rather than whoever his opponent was.

When he finally caught up, it was a sight to see. His/her way was blocked by a locked door, and he/she seemed quite stumped on how to open it. The thief was off of his/her Arcanine...And there was a camera overlooking. Their backs were to him, briefly.

"Yarvick, I'll grab the meteorite in the box with telekinesis, Rhea will distract the Arcanine, you and Atlas should go for the girl herself. And she IS a girl, just disguised," Hyperion telepathically said to Yarvick. It was a game plan AND an answer to a minor question that would have bugged him for a while. Hyperion was the best.

"Sounds like a plan," Yarvick said, smiling a devious smile indeed. "We have to do it now!"

Yarvick hadn't made it obvious he was behind her...

Hyperion used telekinesis again-this time on the meteorite itself, just subtly revealed in the box. As planned, Hyperion would teleport away the instant it was in his hands. Rhea went for a Close Combat on the Arcanine, and Yarvick pointed at the blonde, gesturing for Atlas to use an Ice Beam on her while Yarvick came in for another whack with the baton.

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
President Jonathan Frisby's Office, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

President Jonathan Frisby was an old friend of Norton Whitehall's. Whilst Frisby was from the bustling city of Slateport, his family maintained a cottage in Fallharbor. While the two were never explicitly "friends" as children, they both have known about each other since their humble beginnings. This relatively minor thread connecting the two was enough to arouse respect from one another. Whitehall, along with several other prominent members of the Defense Committee, had been called in Frisby's office personally to discuss Hoenn's position towards Orre.

"Gentlemen, Orre has attacked our navy and absconded with two of our ships, in addition to destroying several others," Frisby began. "This news is going to go public in four hours. We need to have a strong response to this or the media is going to have my ass. If I could unilaterally deploy Hoenn's military and invade Orre, you damn well know we'd have boots on the ground right now. However, our Constitution prevents us from doing that. I have brought you all into here to answer one simple question: what do I need to give you to authorize a military campaign against Orre?" Whitehall looked behind Frisby and saw a vulture-eyed Hans Vehlstein watching the room closely with a look that could be described as being somewhere between disgust and disdain. Whitehall and Vehlstein locked eyes for a moment. Next to Vehlstein was the current Secretary of War, Bron Krad, who was Vehlstein's boss despite Vehlstein's vehement denial.

Orson Barkley was standing on the other side of the room as Whitehall, his face was ghostly white. He knew that he couldn't speak against Whitehall, yet he was also aware that going to war with Orre would mean the end of his political funding. For Barkley, he was stuck between a rock and an iron maiden.

"I think its finally high time to blast Orre back into the stone age!" Blazes Boylan, junior representative from Lavaridge bellowed across the room. Several other politicians echoed his resolve immediately. Boylan's wholehearted endorsement, however, did not automatically generate enough support to bring the war proposal to the floor of the entire Parliament. By Whitehall's count, he still needed two votes. He smiled. So looks like I'll be deciding this one after all.

Everyone in the room, quickly realized that Whitehall and Barkley were the only undecided votes in the room. One of the peace supporters, Myron Asch, looked at Barkley and said, "I'm sure you're going to be voting against this sham of a war, right?"

"I'm not so sure right now. We should listen to what Norb has to say," Barkley replied. All eyes fell onto Whitehall.

"It's quite clear that we have some very divisive opinions on the subject of war," Whitehall began, approaching the front of the room. He stared Vehlstein directly in the eye as he approached the table Frisby was sitting at. Whitehall had a hunch that the General was twisting Frisby's arm to go to war. "But perhaps shooting first and asking questions later is not the best way to approach this problem. Likewise, ignoring the problem won't fix anything either. I propose a two layered solution to this problem. Mr. Krad, as Secretary of War, I'd suggest that you meet with a diplomatic party from Orre and try to work out the problems between the two of us. In the meantime, I'm aware that Mr. Barkley has... extensive connections with several important Orre politicians and businessmen. While Mr. Krad is putting pressure on them in public, Mr. Barkley's associates will put pressure on them from behind to yield and perhaps make some economic concessions to us. If this blows up in our face, then a military campaign against Orre will be warranted."

The room was quiet for a second until Barkley spoke up, "I agree with Norb." Voices in the room quickly echoed Barkley's sentiment.

"Well then, I suppose its decided," Frisby said begrudgingly. "We'll be speaking softly, but carrying a very big stick."

--

Raidon Makoto
Hellcat, En Route to Orre
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Raidon Makoto and Finch Reynolds had opted to take the Hellcat fighter to Orre. It was an experimental VTOL helicopter with enough speed and fuel to take a trip around Maridia's twice over. Makoto had activated the autopilot while himself and Reynolds had a beer in the back. As he was making his way to the mini-fridge to grab a second beer, Makoto's phone buzzed. Noah Ashfield's picture popped up on the screen.

"Commander, if you look outside for a moment, you'll see two new ships docked besides the Deathwing. Well, those are our ships now. Oh, and by the way, Hoenn thinks Orre stole 'em."

"Excellent, glad to hear about the new ships," Makoto began. "I just hope our patron saint doesn't think you've rocked the boat too much with the Orre thing."

[Neo Emolga]

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

Hoenn had considered the ship theft a total act of war against Orre. Now that was just hilarious. Well, I figured they were already at war, so this didn't change much. Them blowing both of each other up solved everyone's problems.

What did draw me in was the unveiling of a new type of cybernetic implant research going on at the Progressive Science Expo in Mossdeep. Definitely Honen's hot spot for lab rats and potential specimens they disguised as "volunteers." Supposedly, some guy by the name of Malcolm Hayes was presenting these new cybernetic toys before a crowd. Some big shot scientist. Supposedly I would have known more if I bothered reading those stupid magazines that I didn't give two boogers about. Expo security was always tight, so I'd have to work around that. The research would be something of worth to us, so I figured heading over there to take it off his hands would be worth the time.

I was going to make this a three man operation. There was me, and then Luke "Strangler" Benton, who was good at recon and getting a sitrep on situations. Then there was Kenneth "Racket" Fields, who was good at disabling security alarms, surveillance cameras, and stuff like that. As much as I would have liked to head into there with guns blasting, I was going to have to reserve that as a Plan B. Or just resort to that when I had what I wanted and knew it wouldn't go running off in some damn chopper or something.

Raidon was impressed with the ship captures, but made it clear that we needed to be careful about how we bashed around the hornet nest. Once this operation was done, we'd probably have to piss off Orre for a while to balance things out. I was cool with that. With Hoenn getting all pissy with them, I was sure they were preparing some kind of very steal-worthy countermeasure.

"Hayes has some deep connections," Luke told me, almost as a warning. "You planning on framing Orre again for this one?"

"Hmm... maybe," I replied, not really caring too much about that. "Might not even need to do any framing at all. We'll see."

Once we got all our gear together, we headed off in an unmarked gray speedboat. Really, if this Hayes freak had connections, just the opportunity to piss all over his media image would be worth it all, nevermind whatever the research junk contained. Now given, I was sure the hardcore stuff was not what he was showing to the public. That was a duh. Nah, I was hoping we'd be able to get way more out of this than just some brochures and some stupid, mind-numbing tour of science garbage that would bore me to bleeding tears anyway.


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

PokéTarts were starting to take root in Hoenn. You could just smell the doom in the air! A great internet search engine, Chatot's Talk, got me the latest scoop on how most trainers felt about PokéTarts. And the social site MyPlace had people commenting on them constantly.

"My Vulpix seems to really like them. I have yet to find one Pokémon that doesn't seem to enjoy these things."

"I have a Chespin that seems to really enjoy PokéTarts. He keeps begging for more."

"My Pachirisu snuck behind my back and ate the whole bag yesterday. She's a naughty girl, but she sure loves her PokéTarts."

Oh, oh, oh, you could just feel the nightmare unfolding behind the scenes with those words! The hints were there but no one noticed them! I giggled at first and then couldn't help but let out a burst of maniacal laughter at times. The pandemic would be slow at first, but when it began to escalate, pow, these silly sap trainers were royally screwed, ha ha!

In the meantime, I checked and saw they had recently recreated the first batch of Shadowfall tanks and were now training people in how to blow up lots of stuff with them. One dude told me they weren't even that complicated and did a lot of the lock-on aiming and blowing up stuff for him. Heck, I think even a lab rabbit like me could take on one of those things! Might be fun.

MEND was reaching the last steps of completion. The first rounds of tests were working great and the testers were actually totally baffled at what MEND could do. I mean heck, anyone could benefit from it, but the combat guys were the ones that would probably like it the most.

I used the research from MEND and carried it over into my genetics side project. Since Tiantus and that Lando dude wanted documentation on everything I was screwing around with down here, I figured I would just label this as a "Metamorphosis Investigation" just to make those guys happy.

I managed to conjure up an early mutagen, but I wasn't too crazy about it. Cancer risks and brain damage potentials were too high, and I highly doubted anyone wanted to use anything that would turn them into a drooling, cancerous freak. The risk had to be totally 0% or no one was going to want to touch it. I mean heck, people were even superstitious about opening an umbrella indoors!

But, first part first, I had to construct the mutagen's sequence that would be doing all the grunt work and fluff. In order to be effective, it had to work fast. People liked things fast, so yeah. Metamorphosis in the field had to be quick. I figured a syringe delivery system would be the best. All someone needed was for the mutagen to enter the bloodsteam and it would quickly run around on it's own.

With just a little time I could get the engine on this project rolling. But the real fun stuff would be coming up.

[Death's Spook]

Alastair Harper
Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Velocity, XaiakuX, TheProtobabe

Lenore took a moment to think, then accepted Alastair’s hand, "I'm more than prepared for trouble, as well you know. It just troubles me. This upheaval, it's like its own atmosphere. I suppose paranoia is contagious." She smiled.

Alastair let out a little laugh, “Well, you know, as a bodyguard, it’s going to be your job to be paranoid. I hear protection detail is just the worst.”

Alastair was about to continue, when Leviathan contacted him, <Speaking of protection detail, Alastair, how do you want to enter the building? I know it’s supposed to be friendly, but I’m sure you understand that->

<That it’s very easy to turn our hidey holes into fox traps, I’m well aware, thank you. I don’t put anything past our disturbingly large number of powerful enemies. Let’s talk strategy.>

Alastair had long discovered a few nifty things about telepathy that made it useful for the trainer coordinating his Pokemon in a campaign. For example, provided that the psychic communicating was powerful enough (and Leviathan was extremely powerful), it was easily possible to include multiple beings in the conversation at once.

<Behemoth, I want you posted on the ground. Be friendly, but if anyone tries to be hostile, raise the alarm. Leviathan, Kodama, with me directly. Be prepared to accept collateral to the building to get people out if we’re attacked, especially Lance. Onna, you’re coming too, but stay in the shadows. Lance should be able to see you, but that doesn’t mean anyone else will. Abaddon, join Simurgh in the skies and update her on the situation.>

Abaddon seemed uneasy, <Are you sure I cannot come inside with you? I am not exactly a weak individual.>

Pushes and pulls. How to phrase this…, <I get that you’re concerned, Abaddon, but you should be able to do more to protect us from the outside. Simurgh is a good eye in the sky, but she’s only one person, and can only direct her focus one place at a time. You’ll keep us far safer in the air, watching and preparing to help us get away if we need it. You aren’t weak, but you’ll be able to protect us more outside.>

Abaddon grumbled, but conceded the point, taking to the air.

***

Walking into the Harper Industries building was a surreal experience for Alastair. It had been years since he had come to Goldenrod, let alone the company building, and the contrast between the last time he had seen it and now was stark. The way Alastair had remembered the building, it was alive, filled with activity and business. The building was grandiose both then and now, but while then its extravagance helped it look opulent, it just made the place look both depressing and disconcerting. The building now was wide open and empty, and both Alastair’s and Kodama’s steps echoed as they walked along. Leviathan’s gem glowed slightly as he levitated beside his trainer, and it served merely to further disquiet Alastair.

When Alastair made it to Lance’s office, he took a moment to erase any discomfort off his face. He gave a big grin as he opened the door to see Lance and… some girl?

Alastair decided to ignore the girl as he pulled his brother into a hug, “Hi Lance! It’s been a while! How have you been?”

[Akaida]

Zach Pierce
Route 115
Affected RPers: None

Zach and his squad had arrived at their camp area before their next mission, the thick forest outside of Meteor Falls. Rustboro City was the main city for Hoenn’s military. While other Aqua forces and agents operated in Slateport, stealing already built ships, Zach was meant to stop any support for Slateport from Hoenn’s military. The successful mission at Rusturf Tunnel delayed that support in a huge way. With reports of the attack hitting the news, Hoenn is in a state of disarray.
The next mission would be different. This time they would have to invade Rustboro City itself and enter the military’s Research and Development department for a set of stealth fighters and bombers named the HAF Skarmory and HAF Salamence. Both would be highly efficient for Aqua’s force, and the bombers could also be used as a double for squads like his to jump from the plane into other missions similar to this. This time however it was a matter of getting in and out quietly, something he feared with Slaughter in company.

They would take flying Pokemon and airdive onto the building in the night. From there they would have to descend to the proper floor and find the plans. He expected resistance, but Burst Hearts would not be the ideal form of combat. They were flashy, explosive, attracted a lot of attention and caused an amount of destruction that could endanger the whole mission itself. He expected some tough security, but with himself and his squad all capable close combat specialists, he had confidence in the mission.

He pondered the possibility of Burst Heart soldiers. They came at just the right time and Hoenn would rather see their plans destroyed than fall into the hands of the enemy. Getting into a long protracted fight was not what he wanted. Potentially, he could kill someone before they were able to enter a Burst form. The greater abundance of these could easily overwhelm Zach’s squad, if they were ambushed at all, responding with their own burst forms may prove to be too slow. Zach prepared his equipment, and readied his mind for the mission only hours away.

---

Taegon Erenor
Route 119
Affected RPers: None

Taegon walked amongst his fellow followers throughout the forest camps that they had set up around Route 119. They had used their Pokemon to create shelters from the caves and trees and making small huts of their own. Their equipment and supplies far outmatched their shelter, courtesy of Aqua. They had been raging a guerilla conflict against Hoenn, going throughout the forests and poking at Mauville and Fortree City. Over this time they had only gained more supporters.

The amount of new supporters they gained each day easily outweighed the casualties they would suffer in the skirmishes and fights. Taegon knew that now was the time to press out from the forests they had sufficiently taken over and make their first move. The Weather Institute had become Hoenn’s last eyes and ears in Route 119. Before their resources were required elsewhere, it had been fortified and used as a science research outpost to study more about Burst Hearts as well as the use of Legendary Pokemon and how to harness them for war.

Not only would taking the institute be yet another loss for Hoenn and further cement the Followers of Kyogre as a force to be reckoned with, but their studies would further Taegon’s mission to meet his savior, the one that brought him back from the dead as a stronger man than he had ever been before, Kyogre. With the power of this Legendary he would bring about the rebirth of the whole world as Kyogre brought his rebirth.

He had called together the hundreds almost reaching thousands of people together. In front of all of them he would announce the attack on the Weather Institute. Using that fervor they would march and take it down through sheer force of numbers. He stood on top of a large wooden platform, his giant machine gun resting on his back, and he stood imposing over everyone

“My fellow followers of Kyogre!” Taegon bellowed. “We have grown over these weeks and months, bolstering the numbers of the faithful and we have stricken harsh blows against the nonbelievers who have done nothing but ignored and hurt us ever since we were reborn in Dewford. Now we will land the largest blow that Hoenn has ever seen. We will march on the Weather Institute, and take it for the one that has given us life! Our fervor will drive us to victory. Ready yourselves, we march to battle now!” Taegon roared and the crowd of followers were in a frenzy as they gathered weapons and supplies, already on the march, north towards the Institute, going through the forest.

They would never see it coming, a small army of furious devoted followers of Kyogre, marching through the forests and demolishing what forces Hoenn had guarding their last post on the Route.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
En route to Mossdeep, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

We typically loaded up the speedboat with alcohol, but we saved the drinking until after the mission. Getting plastered before a mission usually resulted in us doing something stupid. While I drove the boat, Kenneth and Luke were getting gear ready. Depending on the situation, we figured we might end up having to take Hayes hostage. Or at least get him to tell us where the real stuff was.

The plan was to appear to be media reporters. I would be the interviewer, Luke would be on boom mike, and Ken was the camera guy. Our approach? Pushy. Really pushy.

According to Luke, this Hayes guy was a big shot researcher, but something about the whole cybernetics thing seemed a little weird to him. I figured I'd ask why and how, but he said that Hayes was usually into biological research and not technology, but it was possible he was working with others.

"Thing is, he's the kind of guy that will work with a team of other labs, but wants his face and name to be all over it," Luke told me, making it clear it was this guy who wanted all the fame and credit.

"I see what he's getting at," I replied over the sound of the speedboat. "Why do you suppose he's sharing this info anyway?"

"Definitely investors," Luke replied. "These guys work on a budget and the crowd he's looking to appeal to are medical professionals. We're talking robotic limb replacements. Sounds like he's found the answer to getting the nervous system to work in conjunction with cybernetics flawlessly."

In Hoenn? Obvious answer was he was planning on weaponizing something like that. He knew there was a war going on and he was just another guy that wanted to profit from it.

"Shouldn't be too long now, I see Mossdeep in the distance," Luke told me, pointing it out ahead. "Convention will start in an hour, gives us plenty of time to get set up."

Good, I was looking forward to seeing what we could squeeze out of the weasel.


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

PokéTarts were becoming a Hoenn sensation!

Already, I proved to the higher ups in Aqua that they would seen a nice chunk of change from this whole thing. The candy still seemed to be in a state where people didn't see anything wrong with it... yet. I imagined most people were thinking everything was fine while most Pokémon were in that stage where one or two PokéTarts was keeping the greedy little buggers under control. Considering the cost of what it took to make these things compared to the cash they made in return, we had a great business venture going on here!

People wanted to invest in stock in the company, but everything about Happy Buneary Candies was a total mystery. It remained a closed corporation with only a P.O. Box address. Meanwhile, we acted as our own trucking company and acted like we had no idea what we were carrying for the retailers. Nonetheless, this kind of crazy vertical business integration was throwing people off from tracking down the real origins of the candy. And most people didn't even care as long as it made their Pokémon crazy happy.

In the meantime, Project MEND was almost complete, nearly readying the last stages of finalizing the completion. Live subject testing was a success, and the results were positive. Any mishaps of the project were being addressed and weeded out. Call it biological debugging or whatever, but it was working pretty darn good, I'd have to say.

As for my "Metamorphosis Investigation," I finally managed to come up with a mutagen that wouldn't cause cancers or brain damage! Now that was really good! Yep, so I wouldn't be creating ugly zombies with this thing. Using the mutagen as a kind of software program, I could have it identify what parts needed to be modified, allowed it to perform the speedy transformations, and presto, it should work then. It was just a matter of deciding what needed to be changed. Kind of like picking an ice cream flavor!

Now, with MEND, I had an easy time getting volunteers. When told about what MEND entailed, a lot of guys liked the sound of it. With this, pft, they looked at me like I grew a second and third head out of my butt. I asked about ten Team Aqua grunts if they wanted to volunteer and see if I could give them the tail of any Pokémon they wanted, just to see if it was working correctly. No dice. Turns out, most Team Aqua grunts can do their job just fine without tails and having a tail just wasn't a socially acceptable thing yet.

Well, poo.

Then I got a better idea! I could just skip the silly process of asking other people and just test it on myself! Dang, should have just went with that sooner! I could have just skipped the silliness of asking these guys! At this point now, it was just a matter of picking what Pokémon's tail I wanted to try on. I figured if I could swing it around, make it wag, or sway from side to side, I was doing this right.

Now, just needed to find a good Pokémon's tail to use...

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: TheProtobabe Grassy_Aggron Velocity Death's Spook

---

"So, you want to play this way, Speedy?" Lance asked, challenging his Scyther. The emerald mantis hissed at him and raised his scythe arms to intimidate Lance. Lance simply grinned and laughed at Speedy, "You'll need to do better than that, Speedy. It's been two years, and that old trick doesn't work on me."

Lance reared back and swung on his own Pokémon. Speedy simply ducked to the side, buried a scythe into the dirt, and using his own arm as leverage, delivered some level of drop kick which knocked Lance to the ground.

"That's not even a Pokémon attack, you idiot!" Lance cursed his Scyther. Lance stood to his feet, and immediately charged the giant insect. His shoulder slammed into the Pokémon's chest and knocked it back a couple of feet. The creature was surprised that his trainer finally managed to land a hit. However, this also made him angry. He glared at Lance, who was gearing up for another charge. At this point, Speedy was ready for him.

Lance came running with a fist back, ready to strike the Scyther. Just as the fist was coming down, Speedy stepped back, and threw out one of his incredibly sharp arms. The original intent was to strike Lance with the blunt side of his arm. However, blinded by fury, the Bug Pokémon nailed Lance Harper in the chest with the sharp edge of his scythe.

Lance hit the ground, writhing in agony. Blood was pouring from his chest, and his screams echoed throughout the courtyard of the Harper family estate. This brought everyone readily available to his immediate aid. Lance's father, Oliver Harper, returned Speedy to his Pokéball, and readied his family for the worst.

---

Lance looked her up and down, "Wow, you clean up nicely, Helena," he said, hinting a genuine interest. Just as swiftly as he spoke his comment, his attitude shifted back to business. "Alright, so there's this doctor that used to be connected to my family and Giovanni. There's a good chance that she probably knows something about where he might be," he opened up a drawer and retrieved a tattered leather-bound journal. "She was an old friend of my mother's, although they grew distant after Alastair was born. I don't know why, and I don't know all the facts. But this hunch might be our best connection at this point."

He began to flip through the pages of the journal and pace about, "She's a doctor over at Goldenrod General Hospital. I'm hoping I might be able to get some contact information from this book, because it'd be a real pain in the backside to have to drive all the way across the city to get to her." He noticed other possible links that he didn't bother sharing with Helena. However, when he didn't find Claressa's information in the journal, he sighed, and closed the journal.

"It looks like we're going to have to head over there. That's the first actual step here, it seems. So, here's my idea," He held the journal in his right hand, and turned to face her, "After we play our public roles and head over to the hospital, we'll split up. At that point I'll distract the doctor, if she isn't already busy with patients. While that's happening, you can sneak into her office and try to dig up some dirt."

Lance paused for a moment, and sighed. He turned his gaze to the laptop that sat upon the mahogany desk right next to him. "Part of this is to get back at Giovanni. But I want to make sure he learns a lesson. I don't want him dead. I want him to learn that every crime he's ever committed has a consequence. I want him to pay the right way," he closed his eyes as he finished speaking. "Part of me hates him. But, if I act out violently, or attempt to take revenge.. That doesn't make me any better than him."

"I can't forget about this war, either. The people will look to me for some level of direction. I can't imagine myself being any level of soldier, general, or warlord. While Kanto is blaming us for this, the real enemy is going to be Hoenn. They started all of this. We must make amends with Kanto, then join forces to take down Hoenn, and put a stop to all of this madness." At this point, Lance was just thinking out loud. When he realized this, he quickly snapped back into focus.

He tucked the journal into the inner pocket of his blazer, and closed the desk drawer. "Listen, I'm sorry for just kind of forcing you to do all this. I sometimes get really caught up in the moment of things," his voice was honest, but he spoke to her indirectly. He turned to face her, and smiled, "Since I didn't ask you, before, I'll ask now. Will you help me to take down Giovanni? Will you, the only other person who knows this secret, help me save my company, my city, and my country from this tyrannical psychopath?"

It was at this point that an unexpected surprise came bursting into his office. A tall fellow who appeared brooding in physique, yet otherwise cheerful. You wouldn't expect such a positive vibe off of this tall stranger. Yet, this was no stranger to Lance. Lance was present for this tall man's birth, and every day after until he turned sixteen. This cheerful giant was his younger brother, Alastair. He was thrown off guard with the sudden embrace, and feigned being crushed by his arms. "Oof! Alastair, it has been too.. long," he stuck his words, gently squirmed from the hug, and then placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Little brother has come home! I haven't seen you in.. well.. two years," his words trailed off at the end, with unhappy memories resurfacing. He immediately shrugged off those memories, in order to retain a comfortable reunion with his only living family member. "You must have many stories to tell of your travels! We were just leaving, and you're welcome to join us. We're going to the Hospital across town to visit the patients and wish them well. To also thank the soldiers who have been fighting for us against Kanto and Hoenn. Sounds like a good tactic to say that the Harper name isn't going down without a fight."

He patted his brother's shoulder and turned focus to Helena, "My goodness, I was so caught up in the moment, I forgot to introduce you to my new friend! Alastair this is Helena, she's a potential investor in the company. I'm really trying to pick this company back up after everything that's happened. It's hopeful that she will be a great asset to us in the long term of things."

[OoC: I imagine a response will also be allowed for my question to Helena before Alastair walks in.]

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX, Death's Spook

"Wow, you clean up nicely, Helena," Lance told her. His voice sounded distantly impressed.

"Tch," she scoffed dismissively. Another woman might have been flattered, but Helena never truly cared about her looks--or anyone else's. Her beauty was only a tool to her, another thing she could use against people. She wasn't much for outright manipulation, but sometimes it was needed.

"Alright, so there's this doctor that used to be connected to my family and Giovanni. There's a good chance that she probably knows something about where he might be."

Her eyes dropped to the journal he pulled out--old, and obviously well-used. But that battered old thing promised information. Her fingers itched to snatch it out of Lance's hands, but obviously she restrained herself from doing so. Lance would take offense, since it was something so personal... and she really couldn't afford to offend the only person who had the resources to the Ancient Burst heart she so desperately needed.

"She was an old friend of my mother's, although they grew distant after Alastair was born. I don't know why, and I don't know all the facts. But this hunch might be our best connection at this point."

He continued thumbing through the pages, gleaning more information out of them--enough for a lead, anyway. She knew he probably didn't divulge anything he didn't want her to know, the information being too personal, but at least he was helping her out somehow. Helena nodded thoughtfully after he snapped the journal shut, claiming that they had to visit the actual hospital to find anything out.

"Sounds like a plan," she conceded after he voiced his idea on how to gather information on the doctor. "I can do it blind, but having a blueprint or at least a layout of the place may make the operation go more smoothly. I suggest we do that before heading inside."

She crossed her arms as Lance went on about how he did want to play Giovanni back--but not with violence. Helena resisted the urge to scoff. In this world, being kind equated to weakness. But Lance, so far, was useful to her, so she shut her mouth and made no response to his words.

"I can't forget about this war, either. The people will look to me for some level of direction. I can't imagine myself being any level of soldier, general, or warlord. While Kanto is blaming us for this, the real enemy is going to be Hoenn. They started all of this. We must make amends with Kanto, then join forces to take down Hoenn, and put a stop to all of this madness."

"Making amends with a country who points fingers so quickly will be so close to impossible that it's pointless," Helena said in her flat tone. "Even with proof that Hoenn is the culprit, Kanto's hatred of Johto is so deep-seated that it will take some sort of sappy miracle for it to work. War means that people die. Deaths of relatives aren't so easily forgotten," she pointed out. "You should know, Harper."

"Listen, I'm sorry for just kind of forcing you to do all this. I sometimes get really caught up in the moment of things," he told her. His voice sounded sincere, but she just raised an eyebrow in answer.

"I couldn't tell," she answered dryly. Her crossed arms moved to plant a hand on her hip.

"Since I didn't ask you, before, I'll ask now. Will you help me to take down Giovanni? Will you, the only other person who knows this secret, help me save my company, my city, and my country from this tyrannical psychopath?"

Helena stayed silent for a few ticks of the clock, her eyes flicking from one of Lance's eyes to the other. Oh, he was sincere all right. One of those 'hero' types, probably. A good guy. But she honestly admired his resolve, at the least. She sighed.

"Yes. I'll help you, Lance Harper--so long as you know I'm in it more to find Giovanni than anything else. One other thing--" she added. "I'm used to working alone. Don't throw people at me without asking, first."

Her eyes flicked over to the door just before it burst open, a cheerful man entering and throwing himself at Lance. Helena had moved quickly to the side to avoid this, and she watched with more than a little satisfaction as Lance was crushed in the embrace.

'Good. Serves him right for pinning me into his little tag-team,' she thought vindictively.

But as Alistair--for she knew his name--turned to look at her after being introduced, she gave her best demure smile. It was well-practiced over the years, and it made her look positively harmless. She reached a hand out, palm-down, to Alistair.

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, her flat voice now more lilting and soft.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

The Progressive Science Expo was a place for nerds, geeks, and freaks to all convene and drool over the latest geeky crap lab rats like this chump Malcolm Hayes was showing off. Once we landed in Mossdeep City, it was easy to notice this joint was devoted to science. Most of the civilians here were researchers, technicians, mathematicians, and engineers. All the guys that could literally puke math by the gallon.

Sure, I knew most of the weaponry and technology we had was thanks to crap like this, but it was the technical garbage that made me angry enough to punch babies. This was definitely not the place I wanted to live in. I would blast heavy metal all day just to piss people up a tree.

The sun was out and the day ordinarily seemed typical. The ocean breeze made me feel like doing other things, like drinking up the beers and booze in the boat. My three-man crew got our equipment together and headed toward the expo, leaving the beer behind. Meanwhile, the camera and boom mike weren't real, they were simply containers holding our real equipment.

The crowd wasn't nearly as big as I thought it was going to be. Sure, a few people from Science Tomorrow Magazine were there, along with Computer Guru. All magazines I wouldn't be caught dead reading. And there was one other news channel team there. We blended in pretty well. Crowds were light so we wouldn't be facing too much screaming and stupidity.

I took note of the helicopter that Hayes used to arrive. Ken managed to get a tracking bug on it pretty quickly, but my plan was to get what we wanted before Hayes even left the island. Still, I could tell this schmuck was rich. Rich people always love to fly away.

In the meantime, the place was lightly guarded. The guards here were armed with handguns and nothing more. It seemed like things around here couldn't possibly be more boring for these guys. And from the look of it, it seemed like these guys hadn't seen anything in years. I imagined they were probably out of practice at that.

The expo was pretty big. Open, airy, lots of stupid triangular windows in a dome formation, white pillars, marble floors, potted palm trees, and other expensive crap. It was hard to resist the urge to just break something. Couldn't be by accident either.

Hayes was just one event of the expo. There were six others that went into other various crap that I wouldn't care about. One was ancient archaeology. Sure didn't give a crap about that. Those tribals were dead and I didn't care about their pots or ugly figurines. Another was for future communication. So what? I figured I'd just buy whatever was at the store in due time. But there were always some people that ate this stuff up. Nerds.

Mission step one was to act like we weren't actually all that interested in Hayes's stuff. I actually made it look like we were interviewing the joker by the space exhibit. He went on and on about describing a planet out there that didn't have a dang hint of life on it anyway. Who the hell cares about it then? It sounded like he was trying to sell it. Idiot. I might as well be buying a star.

Next exhibit, the botanist girl. All I really cared about was that she looked hot. While she was going on about some kind of sunflower or whatever thing, I was trying to picture her naked. In only minutes, her lecture was over and only when she leave did I snap out of it.

Then, we moved onto Hayes. And this was where the fun would begin.


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

PokéTarts had reached that stage between "hot seller" and "there's gotta be something wrong with this stuff." Trainers were becoming concerned that their Pokémon were quickly becoming PokéTarts junkies and now downing entire handfuls at a time. As many trainers had discovered, Pokémon were turning into whiny, greedy beggars if they didn't get their fix.

But most of the general public still refused to see it as a problem, which was funny. People just figured hey, it's a popular item, Pokémon love it, ain't broke, don't fix it! And hey, I was cool with that! In the meantime, production of this stuff was rolling along and each bag of the stuff was a pretty much guaranteed seller.

In the meantime, we finished and finalized the successful results of Project MEND! Total, sheer victory on this one! Team Aqua quickly realized what MEND does when we pulled the bow and wrapping paper off of this baby.

Regeneration. It was that simple! If you got shot, stabbed, burnt, pierced, impaled, or whatever form of wounding the other side came up with, all you had to do was give it a handful of seconds or so, and the injury would start healing totally on its own! Now big injuries, like getting your hand chopped off and such would take a few days to grow back, but you would totally grow another working hand! It was freaky and weird, but kinda cool in a way! But, unfortunately, it didn't exactly make people immortal. Total destruction of the head or heart would still be deadly. You could still get killed by drowning, falling into lava, or getting crushed to death by a whatever. But minor and even some serious injuries... no problem! Bandage sales go down 100%!

MEND was kept under tight wraps. Team Aqua only. We weren't even thinking of selling this thing. It meant whoever thought of fighting us was in for a big surprise! Among all the other things, of course. Now, how to get MEND? It was a special kind of injection that was only being given in the labs. We really didn't want anyone to steal this.

Meanwhile, I was working on the Metamorphosis project. Since I wasn't making too much progress with getting a lucky Team Aqua volunteer to try on a new Pokémon tail, I decided to go for it myself. Had a tough time picking, though! But in the end, I decided to go with a Furret's. Every Furret had a nice, cute tail to work with, so I figured I'd try that out.

Tiantus had plenty of Pokémon DNA samples and Furret wasn't exactly the most legendary Pokémon out there. So, I decided to work the Furret DNA with the mutagen I created and worked through the configurations to give myself a nice Furret tail. Now, I needed to compensate the mutagen with a threshold value to make sure my body could actually move it around and feel natural as opposed to being a limp coil of useless fluff that I would drag everywhere. That'd suck.

Once it was ready, I figured hey, time to give it a spin. So, I took the syringe, jabbed myself, and inserted the mutagen. Easy money.

First check was it was working quickly. Great! If it was too slow, no one would have bothered with it. So at least the mutagen's effective speed was great! So, within just a few seconds, a nice, fluffy Furret tail tore its way out above my butt, through my jeans and lab coat, and extended for a few more feet. So far, I couldn't feel it, but it was still working so I give it a little time. It was really quite a big tail!

Then, I tried to move it, and hey, that was working too! Wow, it was crazy, having a tail was like having an extra arm that could bend in any direction you wanted it to! Everything seemed to be working great! No crazy cancer or brain damage either! And those potential volunteers didn't trust me!

And then it happened.

I felt pretty good about the mutagen's success, and then as luck would have it, I suddenly realized the mutagen wasn't stopping at the tail. Nope. I suddenly realized I was growing brown and beige Furret fur all over my body, and then I felt like my bones were starting to shift and transform as well.

"No, no, no, you can stop now!" I pleaded, as if the mutagen could actually hear me. "Yikes, why isn't it stopping!?"

But it didn't. It kept on going and going because hey, the mutagen was dumb and though well, to make the threshold work, the cells near the tail need to be transformed. And the ones next to that as well. There wasn't really any special kind of stop indication that said "this is Janine's DNA that you're not supposed to mess with!" Nope, it just decided to mess with everything!

I was coated from head to toe with Furret fur, my freaking arms and legs were sucked into my body, leaving me with only hands and feet, and my ears grew long and pointy. Meanwhile, my entire skeletal frame was changed around with a lot of crunch, snap, and pop sounds that could have make me puke.

I felt like I had been turned from a human into a furry Slinky with hands and feet. Oh sure, it was extra cute, but I didn't want it to turn out this way!

End result: 100% Furret, tail and all. 0% human. Way to go, Janine! My clothes were now just in a pile while I slinkyied my way out of them. Crap, I mean, wow, being a Furret was really cool, cute, and fun, but it was not what I wanted. Plus really, turning people into Pokémon, Bill figured out how to do that years ago. This was like me suddenly inventing the HAM radio... again.

Oh well, time to get back to work and figure out what I did wrong!

[TheoreticalSelkie]

((Crap, this took too long, sorry!))

Clarisse Thompson
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Tazz

Today was one of those bad-luck days for Clarisse. A rare sight at that, since a fair amount of the time, her plans went off without too much of a hitch. This was not one of them. With the appearance of the 'rat' and his equally as formidable Pokemon, she was really thinking on her toes there.

A customary grin plastered across her face, Clarisse turned around. Her sharp ears had picked up on Yarvick's quiet footsteps, allowing her to respond a little faster to his attack. Well not that quickly, as the meteorite was wrenched out of the box by the Alakazam's telekinesis. It floated above their heads. Despite the meteorite being her main target, Clarisse was okay with having it slip out of her hands for the moment. What was going on right now was far more interesting than a hunk of rock. There was a thud as she dropped the box and whistled loudly, hopping backwards out of Yarvick's range. With that little hop, she had dodged the Ice Beam also, feeling the chill as it whooshed past her into the door.

The sound echoed in the hallway, causing several different responses from Clarisse's Pokemon. Sequana was slumped over, snoring away. It received a faceful of the powder and went down without much of a fight. Loki, fighting nearby, scowled as he duked it out with Iapetus. He was clipped in the shoulder by the earlier intervention when he was aiming for the Alakazam, but that was nearly nothing compared to the bone-crunching bites Sequana could deliver... and had delivered in the name of training. His ear-horns perked up as he heard the whistle and he grinned. What the whistle meant was 'Do whatever the hell you want, but get back here~' and he was going to do just that. This damn upstart wasn't going to stop him at all.

Loki threw a handy Sucker Punch, a blow that wasn't meant to damage but only to catch Iapetus off-balance. He instantly darted away into Sequana's shadow. While that wasn't going to stop Iapetus for any length of time, it gave him the opportunity to hit Sequana up to the ceiling with a Thunder Punch. If that didn't wake up the Floatzel, nothing would. Then again, it was a drug-induced sleep. That could be different. Sequana crashed back into the ground without so much as a twitch. Lazy... Loki sighed and turned back to answer Iapetus's next moves with a Dark Pulse, keeping an eye on that creepy Whimsicott floating around. It would be nice if Se actually got around to waking up.

As for Cu, he was getting badly beaten by the Infernape. His only consolation was that he turned aside to reduce the damage from the blows, meaning that he was still standing afterwards. In the narrow hallway, Clarisse darted past Yarvick, getting behind him. Her hand reached out and slammed down on her opponent's back.

"Fire Blast, Cu, I don't mind the heat. Try not to hit anyone, however. As for you, you're quite the interesting fellow. You can have the rock for now." She addressed Yarvick, lapsing back into the persona of the blonde thief "Mark my words, I'll be back for it eventually."

As she finished her words, Cu spat out star-shaped flames, scorching the hallway behind the tussle. The flames quickly dissipated, reflecting the pain Cu was feeling at the moment. There was a click as the sprinklers turned on, drenching everyone in the building.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Slateport Aquatics Museum, Slateport, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Selkmeister General.

Hyperion had gotten the rock with Telekinesis, and quickly whipped it into his hand the instant it was above everyone's reach.

In that instant, all else was irrelevant. The other thief, her Pokemon, the guards, everything. It was time to go.

"Everyone, back to Yarvick, I've got the loot!" Hyperion Telepathed the group. Yarvick kept on-guard and backed off of the mysterious female thief. Her unconscious was not the goal-she had let it slip away in self-defense. Logical, but just as planned.

Rhea could have made a Mach Punch to the Arcanine's face, making it faint and ending the Thief's getaway cold. However, She didn't need Hyperion to tell what Yarvick wanted of her, and so, like a loyal student to her master, she returned to Yarvick's side, and into her Poke Ball. One of four.

Atlas realized what was going on from the cameras, and didn't need Hyperion to tell him what to do. He fled the cameras, knowing they were still not recording by default, and also back into his Poke Ball. Two of four.

Eos was done with 'Se,' and turned her attention to Loki, keeping her distance. She found it incredibly odd that the other Gengar attempted to wake up the Floatzel with a Thunderpunch to the face. That ought to have hurt...Really, it probably made it sleep deeper. Nevertheless, the fellow Iapetus fought was a tricky one, but two against one was not a hard battle at all. It would have been fairly easy, despite her types being quite insufficient against a Gengar-the distraction alone was gold for Iapetus. But, Hyperion telepathed to get back, he had the loot. So, she fled down the hallway, where Yarvick went, above the ceiling and above the conflict with her light and floating body. She quite liked that part of herself. She touched down next to Yarvick and poked her own Poke Ball, which sucked her in, complete with a flash of red light. Three of Four.

Iapetus was quite infuriated with his counterpart. If Humankind was its own worst enemy, then Gengarkind had a thread to share with it. The duo's fight was comparable to a boxing match-a Sucker Punch became a hit-and-run jab, a Shadow Ball a hard hook. If Iapetus was Ali, this one was Frazier. However, he found it a laughable mistake to use his Sucker Punch as an opportunity to punch his teammate awake. Even if off-balance for a brief second, it was not enough. He was preparing to aim a Hypnosis during that time. Most of the time, he just had to use it, but aiming it meant great things, and a Hypnosis was as good as a KO. But, Hyperion's call went, and he did not stick around. It became irrelevant. He took a Dark Pulse to the back for turning his back on his foe, but it was still irrelevant, they could meet again. He fled with Eos, back down the hallway, darting into the shadows, narrowly avoiding the Arcanine from before as it came by, and touching his Poke Ball, sending him back inside with a red flash. Four of four.

Yarvick, in response to the girl shoving her in the back, just went into a roll and stood up again, not chasing her at all, grasping Hyperion's arm with his free left hand. He didn't respond to her threat of stealing it back at all. He's heard it a few times before and they could not deliver. Or, rather, they couldn't deliver when it mattered to Yarvick. By the time the rival thieves had caught up to their intended prize, he had already been paid. It did NOT matter to him that his customer got stolen of the prize, just that he gave it to him. That was the contract, and that was what he got paid for-back then at least. Aqua wasn't even going to pay him for if he got it back, just that he stirred up the requisite chaos.

Hyperion teleported himself and Yarvick away from the hallway, just as the showers rained down, back to the bench at the front of the Slateport Aquatics and Naval museum, where they sat minutes before. The guards had all been lured to the back of the museum, the alarms were mercifully silent, and in any case, who would expect a thief to escape to the FRONT of the museum? No footage existed to tell who, exactly, stole it, in any case. Atlas ensured that much. Only the disguise thief knew.

Hyperion circled around Yarvick, checking for where the disguise thief touched Yarvick, and in several other places. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he checked himself, then the meteorite he carried. Finally, his diagnosis: "No tracking devices on either of us or the target...And this is the real Meteorite...Yarvick, we did it," Hyperion said. An Alakazam's intelligence in any subject it knew a good deal of was never to be questioned. That was excellent news: The disguise thief would have to be quick to find him, and The Raticate would give her no quarter in this.

Yarvick sent Hyperion back into his Poke Ball, the Meteorite safe inside. He would not risk losing it, and henceforth Hyperion would not be sent back out until he returned to Mirage island.

But, before any of that c**p, to actually get back there. Which meant dealing with him.

The last Pokemon. The one he hadn't sent out against the Disguise thief. Oceanus. If he had REALLY wanted to kill the disguise thief, he'd have sent him out. But he was dangerous. Without Hyperion or Rhea by his side, it was an invitation to kill Yarvick, and even with them around he was still quite tempted. Yarvick attempted to make amends: He apologized, he explained it was an accident, he fed him, sheltered him, trained him to the best of his ability, and didn't give him much sass for his lack of cooperation. Oceanus was not an ungrateful a** and he was, slowly, warming up to Yarvick, but he was still all too angry about losing his original owner, Colonel Brillo.

Yarvick had two hard counters to his incredible strength and intelligence: Hyperion, who was smarter and who could probe Oceanus for his plans no matter how hard he tried; and Rhea, who Oceanus had a huge crush on. Yarvick would not risk the meteorite being out in the open, even if it meant Rhea had to get close to the water and Water Pokemon, so out Rhea went. She was unscathed from the last fight, mercifully: Oceanus loathed it whenever she was wounded.

Then, without further ado, Yarvick called out Oceanus in a flash of red.

Oceanus took a look around at his surroundings, including Rhea, next to Yarvick. Oceanus gave a hard gaze at his trainer, but softened upon looking at Rhea. Rhea repriocated his feelings towards him...To a limited extent.

"Oceanus, we've got to get out of here. We're just heading out back to the you-know-where..." Yarvick said, checking around him, even above him, to make sure nobody was looking from above. He would not refrence the AMS Deathwing by name in public. Or even refer to it as a ship in public. "...We need to get back there. Rhea is coming along because I know what you'll do to me on the water without her."

Oceanus looked at Yarvick, hard. Rhea saw this grabbed Yarvick's hand in response, a reminder of the bond she had with Yarvick, the bond Yarivck knew that Rhea would not break, a bond that would make her love of Oceanus wither away upon his murder. Oceanus knew this, and so did Yarvick. Oceanus gave a nod.

The trio quickly found a dock that wasn't under heavy scrutiny by the navy-for suddenly they were abuzz like a hornet's nest, rushing to and fro, officers angrily shouting orders to their men, an attitude of anger surrounding them. From what he could gather from the Navymen, 'Orre Terrorists' stole two ships from the docks and blew up two others. Yarvick didn't know if he was early or late to the party in that regard. Eventually, they found an isolated patch of water, away from the millitary hubbub. Yarvick would dodge as many confrontations with them as possible.

"Thank you," Yarvick replied as he situated himself on Oceanus, "For giving me the pleasure of a ride today."

Rhea grabbed onto Yarvick as she stepped onto Oceanus'es back. Yarvick knew she was not a good swimmer, but both of them knew the importance of keeping Oceanus in check. That, and Yarvick knew she was the type to brave her fears.

Oceanus started off slowly, and they were off at respectable speeds in no time, though still slower than Oceanus'es top speed. Probably because of Rhea. Yarvick made sure to look back, up, and around, to check for pursuers or anyone watching him, as they left the Slateport coastline.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Hayes was everything I figured the prick would be. Arrogant, annoying, and he thought he was such a smartass. The way he talked, he felt I should only be so damn honored to be here. He acted like his cybernetics bullcrap was the life of the planet.

I was beginning to think this whole heist was a bad idea. But then again, it would pull this maggot off his high horse and it would allow me to kick a few of his teeth out.

In the meantime, the mission wasn't going as I thought it would. His brochures were barely usable research. It was all crap, might as well be an advertisement. And the only reason why he was passing them around was to get investors. This guy wasn't a scientist, he was a damn salesman! I really felt like grabbing two brochures, one for his throat and the other for his anus.

"I have connections that might be interested in investing in this," I told him, figuring I might as well lie as much as he was. "However, you would need to promise them your implants can't be detected."

"Depends," He sneered. "What would they use them for?"

"Athletic enhancement," I told him, knowing a more unusual case might seem more believable. "The steroid market is wearing thin. Not to mention the side effects. The guy I know is willing to pay big money toward something like this. He feels pretty strongly about there being a future market for it."

The whole thing was bogus, of course. However, Hayes was greedy and figured he might already have what we were looking for. The whole point of him being here was for money. For all I knew, this could either be legitimate research or the whole thing was a scam anyway.

"I have connections myself," Hayes sneered again. I was getting sick of that face.

"That's great, but what's in it for him?"

"I'm also a member of the anthropology community," Hayes bragged. "Perhaps, if he is willing, he would be interested in a joint venture?"

"No way," I told him, first bursting his bubble. "Not until he sees more than just this brochure. This thing is just as useless as the back of a kid's cereal box. He wants to see the real stuff. Studies, journals, CADs, yeah, that kind of real stuff."

He nodded. He seemed to know what we were getting at. A serious investor was going to want to see some serious evidence. Not an ad. Now, we just had to turn him in...


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

In between trying to reverse myself becoming a Furret, I listened to the radio and PokéTarts were becoming a problem. Not for me, though! Addiction rates were rocketing up and it was becoming quite the issue. Trainers complained it cost them massive amounts of money to keep up with the drug desires of their Pokémon. And for even more fun, some people were trying to give advice or even come up with fixer drugs to remove the addiction! Nah, those wouldn't work! Just about nobody was trying the chain 'em up for a few weeks thing.

Ah well. Their problem, our money.

As I realized, the mutagen seemed to really like changing human cells. Well, it certainly enjoyed changing all of mine! Typing and using a computer mouse as a Furret wasn't the easiest thing I've ever had to do, but hey, at least I still could! Thankfully I could still work like this, but it was a little trickier. I was just hoping no one would walk in to see what I just did to myself. Especially Lando.

Now, from what I figured out, the mutagen had to be reconfigured to understand the whole picture, not just part of it! So I couldn't say "hey mutagen, give me a Furret tail." Nope, I had to tell it "hey mutagen, here's the DNA game plan, it's me with a Furret tail, now get to work!" The mutagen would need the full DNA mapping of what it was changing, not just the one part. Otherwise, ha ha, I was the result of doing it the wrong way! Oh sure, being a Furret was ultra-fun and cute, but hey, I had better things in mind.

I put more time and research into it though. I still had my human DNA, which was good. If I didn't have that, KA-POW! I'd be stuck as a Furret for life! I could make a reversal mutagen that would change me back to human, but again, I needed a full mapping program for the mutagen before it worked. I figured this might be helpful to get people back to normal, in case... whatever I was hoping to create out of this wasn't so preferred.

"Now... let's see," I muttered, looking over the computer.

And then, I had to blink twice. Wow... it even changed my voice! Ha, ha, that was cool! I was a talking Furret! Wait, wait, wait, I had to try this out. I stepped away from the computer and stood in the center of the lab.

"Hey, hi everyone!" I laughed and exclaimed, spinning around, waving my little paw at the empty room, "I'm Janine and I'm a cute lil' Furret!"

Aww, it sounded so adorable! And so... eh, wrong. Yeah, I had to get this fixed. I didn't have a mirror, but I imagined it must have looked pretty comical. But yeah, later times.

[Homura]

Jans "Agricola" Hanson
Enroute to Slateport
Affected RPers: None

Alastair was kind enough to allow him to borrow a small cruiser with a bare bone skeleton crew of 4. As Jans walked out to the hanger with some of his equipment, he noted the general features of each of the crew members and assigned them a name within himself. The first was Fatso, not because he was fat or anything, but rather that his facial features were rounded. Crew of this sort was trained for operations that would be far too dangerous for anybody obese. He liked the irony of it all. Stick, on the other hand, was just thin as a twig. Jiggles was a clearly delicious woman whom he wouldn't mind spending some alone time with. Beard, for his beard. In any case, he never really cared enough about background characters to remember much about them, and also he expected these people to be every last bit spies for Alastair anyway.

The cruiser, however, was a small sight to behold. It was a sleek design, capable of traveling quickly through the air, but sacrifices armour and defenses for speed. The wings were at the back of the plane, and merged seamlessly with the body, almost like a rocket ship designed to travel into space. He theorized that the similarities in design was to minimize friction between the air particles and the plane itself, so that its travel speeds would be higher. This must have cost at least a fortune to acquire and maintain. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised at how well this was equipped inside.

"Men, let's get going." Jans uttered as he walked into the ship.

Jans took the center seat, with the rest of the crew manning the stations of the ship. In just a few minutes, the ship launched into the air, and Jans was on his way to Slateport.

Inside had a full suite of computers and hacking devices, capable of limited remote hacking of enemy ships. He likely couldn't do much, but manual hacking of a few doors here and there would be easy to do, with more difficult tasks such as disabling weapons systems being possible. The ship had a full suite of anti-hacking devices as well, designed to keep itself protected on the cyber front. Jans was impressed something like this was around, and he meticulously looked for every tiny bug and listening device in the ship, picking them out one by one.

The bugs were easy to catch for the most part. Several near the captain's chair, a few with the crew members' displays, a few more with the hacking devices and anti-hacking devices. As an example to Alastair, he would pusposefully take the bug just above the central hacking device, and crushed it, mumbling "Oh? a fly!". The ones on the ceiling of the cabin were a bit more difficult to figure out, but after some searching he was able to deal with those as well. It did help that he personally had surefire ways to find those buggers as well with his own devices. He purposefully left one bug near his seat alone, which can only record video but not audio.

With that, he sat back, and looked at the computers to see what Whitehall was up to. Orre just attacked Hoenn's navy, but news of how much the damages were still unclear. It seemed to Jans that he would have some clues as to what Whitehall would want to do, and it would involve taking Orre. However, he was interested in what he seemed to be planning. If a military attack from Orre would provoke Hoenn to invade, then it would be likely that Whitehall was looking for resources in Orre. What would he gain from these attacks outside of straight resources? This couldn't be simple retaliation, after all.

He looked into Whitehall's ties with other less savory aspects of Hoenn. Every politician has his own demons. This one happens to have a lot of power. But that would take some time, for he needed to keep searching through the rumours and false data.

[Death's Spook]

Alastair Harper
Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Velocity, XaiakuX, TheProtobabe

Alastair let out a teasing smile as he shook Helena’s hand, “An investor. I’ve seen your point of view on ‘investors’ such as this lovely lady before, Lance. But yes. We should definitely go visit the hospital. Perhaps a donation to the place, too...”

Alastair was simultaneously thankful and disgusted with the fact that he was already extremely practiced with hiding his emotions from Lance. The petite woman in front of him looked positively harmless. But Alastair had submerged himself in monsters, in the vilest of individuals, and he was still alive.

One did not get to be that way without being able to recognize the dead eyes, such as the ones on this woman. In his opinion, if Helena didn't have hamburger made of human in her fridge, that would be because she was lazy, not out of any conscience.

Leviathan, as a psychic with a direct link to Alastair’s mental state, registered his trainer’s anger and panic. So the starfish suggested, <If you want, I can kill her and make it look like an unfortunate health defect.>

<Maybe later. Hold off for now. Although, advising Deborah that Lenore should keep an eye on Helena would be a plus.> Leviathan gave Alastair a thought of agreement.

He was suddenly very glad he hired Lenore to obliterate any threats to Lance. He was a tad worried about Lance seeing her as eye candy and not being able to look past that, but now he didn’t particularly care: any Elite Four level trainer guarding Lance, regardless of his brother’s gratitude, was a big huge plus.

He continued smiling as introduced Lenore, “Speaking of new people doing business with us, this is Lenore Valdis. I hired her to act as your bodyguard, effective immediately. She’s a very powerful individual and I trust her.” As much as I can trust anyone, at any rate.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

The currents of the routes they had to traverse-or avoid-were bad, and they had to completely avoid Pacificlog on the way to Mirage Island too. All of that said, it was easy as taking a bathroom break. They just had to stay a good distance away, and in any case, loads of trainers surfed around these days. The only oddity would be the Infernape on board as well, but would anyone be THAT picky, to stop Yarvick and inspect him over having an Infernape riding with him?

Oceanus was doing a fine job of carrying them both, and Rhea had a firm grip on the ride and wasn't getting soaked. He had nothing to attend to at the moment, so he had time to think about whatever came to mind, and what came first was the disguise thief.

He hadn't seen the last of her-not until he fenced off the meteorite. Until then, she'd do everything in her power to get back the meteor. She was the type to make sure she got the mark even after it was stolen from her, and he knew that type. That she got it in the end was irrelevant-just that Yarvick got it and sold it. Nevertheless, keeping it safe on-route was important. It would be humiliating to lose it now. He looked up, around, and back, many times, to keep an eye on anyone following him. It didn't seem to be that way right now, though. There were no clouds and no signs of the water being stirred up behind or in front of him. But, who knew? Maybe she was smarter than him. Definitely not smarter than an Alakazam, though. Nobody was smarter than Hyperion except his brethren Alakazam. Hyperion could have easily told if there were any trackers, or if the meteor was fake. He gave him training just for loot identification.

As for the loot itself, Yarvick gauged a lot of money coming from the meteorite's sell. He wasn't sure how much, though, every client and fence paid different. The meteorite was rather devoid of rare minerals or metals, but it was huge-as far as meteorites went, anyways. Most were barely larger than pebbles. He had a REAL rock in the museum's meteorite, about as big as a football. He could see a hundred thousand to a million just for that-and more due to the historical significance. He could see a good market for it as well, covering a lot of areas and grabbing the attention of multiple collectors. It would be good news for the Aqua Fence as well. That meant more funds for Aqua.

But, of course, this was only payment for the larger job of stirring up chaos, distract from the boat stealing, make sure that Noah wasn't overwhelmed. Judging from the looks of things, he succeeded in causing chaos and Noah got his boats. Was he on-time, did his distraction matter? That was a bit harder to judge, but he'd know when he got back. They weren't going to terminate the contract early just for one screw up, the operation was a success on all fronts, and in any case, properly sold, that Meteorite would be additional funding. Yarvick didn't see a single problem with this, bar his performance. And that was theoretical. Yarvick was fast by the standards of a museum raid. The whole thing was over in minutes. That was incredible by all standards.

Yarvick was satisfied with his performance and confident he would not get killed by his own employers, failure or no. He was worth their investment.

And this was all just to get at the next heist, the next thrill. That was the other big reason Yarvick stuck to his criminal ways. Yarvick wasn't just all 'greed.' It helped, but Yarvick learned a life lesson a good while ago: having a job that pays a lot that makes you unhappy is not worth it. This 'job,' if he could call it that, was not only a high-paying job, it was exciting and cathartic. He was no robin hood-this was all for him, he was sensible. But, there was always that certain thrill he got from stealing things. He could not describe it as anything other than a thrill, excitement, suspense-a beautiful thing that kept him smiling. He excelled under the stress and pressure just as much as out of it. He was in and out in minutes-and in those minutes were the real reason he stole things. He was in it for the challenge of taking what was not his, he was in it for the excitement of dodging the many forms of security that man could make up, and he was in it for the unbelievable satisfaction when he gets away and vanishes.

He was in it for the money, and he was in it for the thrill. He was a firm klemo, and he would not relent from his habits.

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
Benefit Dinner, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

The scene: a black tie charity dinner for something Norton Whitehall couldn't be bothered to remember. I mean, they're all the same, aren't they? he pondered to himself at a table surrounded by politicians and businessmen from all across the country. Sitting next to Whitehall was his estranged wife, Mitzi Whitehall. The two were entirely separated, however, Mitzi understood that her monthly check were entirely dependent on her keeping up the appearance that Whitehall indeed was still married. For some reason, voters just didn't seem to trust divorced politicians as much as married ones. The two, obviously, hated these occasions, but both knew that they were for the best.

Someone at the table was talking about how often him and his wife frequented church. "Norb and I go to mass each Sunday," Mitzi lied through her teeth to the table. That's what Whitehall had initially liked about her--she knew how to play The Game. Sometimes, she played it too well for Whitehall's tastes. Besides Raidon Makoto, Finch Reynolds, Tyrus Hale, and Noah Ashfield, she was the only other person to know about his connections to Team Aqua. For that reason alone, Whitehall must ultimately submit to her.

To cope with this, he drank heavily, as the politician was wont to do when he wasn't playing The Game. It was moments like these--moments when the old politician was reminded that he was truly alone in this world with nothing but his thoughts that he tried to fill the void with alcohol. The Game merely offered a distraction, a way for Whitehall to use his immense wit that he normally basted in booze. He downed a complete glass of Jack Daniels in one swig and then set the glass down, looking at his estranged wife with eyes begging her to stop it all. Mitzi Whitehall smiled. He knew exactly what it meant. You belong to me, Norb. This is how I'm going to pay you back for all those years. Her bruises faded, but her hatred for him grew with each passing year.

"Excuse me for a moment," Whitehall said, placing the napkin in his lap on the table. He needed to get away from the absurdity he had surrounded himself with. Out on the balcony, he bummed a cigarette off of Blazes Boylan and lit it up as the Slateport politician vacated the balcony. Much to his chagrin, Mitzi had followed him outside.

"Those are bad for your image," she said coldly, snatching the death stick out of Whitehall's fingertips and tossing it over the edge. "Your drinking is bad enough."

"You've taken my dignity," Whitehall began, finally drunk enough to slur his words. "But you will not take my liquor."

"Taken?" Mitzi laughed haughtily. "You never had any to begin with, you cretin." A woman passed by whom Whitehall thought Mitzi was friends with. She turned to the onlooker and smiled, somehow indicating to her friend that the two were sharing a passionate moment instead of a horrific quarrel.

"Are we done? I'm going to need to bum a second cigarette off of Blazes because of you," Whitehall fumed.

"I suppose-" Mitzi was cut off by a gunshot. The people inside the building started screaming, until a second gunshot quieted them down. Standing at the entrance of the room was a face that Norton Whitehall recognized from his Aqua file: Captain Kip Marston. Marston, a fat blob that looked more like a pirate than a soldier, was holding a sawed off shotgun. Behind him, several Aqua grunts had cabled the doors shut. No one was getting out until Marston was satisfied. If any of them were going to get out. "Really, Norb. I can't believe you went to these lengths to get out of this."

"I didn't. And unfortunately, this one doesn't know who I am..." Whitehall said, surprised at the turn of events. "Damn you, Raidon."

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

The real question was whether this guy was a scammer or not. He acted like he had real research on this stuff, but signs were beginning to point toward "phony." His brochure on cybernetics could have easily been created by any chump with Photoshop skills. I wanted to see the real deal stuff. He was more and more reluctant to show it, and I could tell he didn't even have anything to show after all.

"Very well, meet me after the showing," He told the three of us.

And so we waited for about three hours doing near nothing. I was pissed. The beer was going to be hot by the time we made it back, if it was not found by anyone else. Part of me just felt like obliterating this guy and being done with it, but we wouldn't accomplish much in the process. When the showing was over, I felt like giving this douchebag a piece of my mind.

"This better have been worth the wait," I told him, knowing if it wasn't, he was going to have his head handed to him.

"First, your end of the bargain," Hayes sneered at me again. "Show me you have at least ten million to fund the research."

"Are you out of your bastard mind?" I asked him, thinking that was just stupid even for a rich freak. "I'm a reporter, and I don't cut my boss's checks. We haven't even contacted him to negotiate. You're nothing more than a prospect at the moment, so don't think we have any deal here."

"I don't let anyone view my research until I am rightfully paid," Hayes sneered again, even laughing now. "Now show me the money or this conversation is terminated."

This idiot talked like robot. In any case, I didn't feel like having Whitehall wire me ten million. Next thing I knew was this guy was going to want it in bills. It was all part of his own scam. I could see it through his damn, fugly sneer.

"I knew it," I spat at him. "You don't actually have anything, do you?"

That was when he signaled to two of his goons, hiding behind two of the support columns. They stepped out of hiding and drew two pistols out. And that prick Hayes just kept on smiling. I at least tried to play along, looking like I was shocked and surprised and didn't have squat to try and get myself out of this.

"Now then, how much do you think your investor would pay for your release?" He asked, laughing. "If you three aren't worth ten million to him, then your only future will be as three of my test specimens."

So that's how this crapsack did his dirty work. Well, this was one chump who was about to have another thing coming.


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

Hoenn tried to ban all sales of PokéTarts and officially called the candy a "national pandemic." But... uh oh, guess what? Pokémon can't get that essential fix if their trainers can't buy the stuff! Ha ha, they tried to fight it but they couldn't! Legal action was attempted, but there was no one to sue! The money was great for our distributors and the whole operation was underground, so they couldn't do squat but just keep buying the stuff! Or just let their Pokémon get fat. Which some did.

The whole situation was a slippery slope for everyone in Hoenn. Doomed if you do, doomed if you don't! Once a Pokémon got hooked, escape was very difficult. It made me wonder if some people really were going for the "cage 'em up" tactic. Maybe someday they'd figure it out, ha ha!

As for my research, I tried playing around with the mutagen a little more. I figured I wanted to try something that blended multiple Pokémon together. With the thanks of Tiantus's DNA mapping program, it was more of a matter of making a jigsaw puzzle and customizing the puzzle pieces. And then it got more complicated. I wanted to have a decent way to blend them together into one creature.

That was when Lando knocked at the door. CRAP. I jumped and quickly backed away from the computer. Umm...

"Janine, you in there?" Lando asked.

I quickly ran to the corner of the room and just sat there. I just... needed to act natural! And soon enough, he opened the door and walked into the laboratory room. I looked up at him and just blinked twice. Meanwhile, Lando looked around the room, and he realized I wasn't there.

Or at least he thought I wasn't there.

"Fur-Furret?" I asked him, pretending I was just another ordinary Furret.

He looked at me once and then just turned around. He didn't suspect a thing!

"I swear, you can never find that crazy psycho girl you when need her," He grumbled, heading out the door.

Well, thanks for that, good sir! Now I knew the kind of stuff he was talking about behind my back! Ah well, screw him. As soon as he was gone and shut the door behind him, I got back to the computer.

I figured I'd have to guinea pig myself for this next thing. If people didn't want to try on a Pokémon tail, oh, forget it, they'd never subject themselves to this experiment. But hey, I was always ready and willing to try something new for fun!

[Grassy_Aggron]

(I strongly apologize if I step on toes with this post, but I saw nothing in the rules for info on what BHs could do to the person, soooooo...I took some liberties. Tee hee. And apologies for another long post...Oi.)

Grassy_Aggron
Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod General Hospital in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Possibly everyone, considering the information revealed (for readers) about health effects from Burst Hearts :P
Heart Burster? Surely you chest!

Having dealt with several people in the room, cleaning up after them and addressing their injuries, Claressa began to walk down and check on every room on the floor. It was robotic to her, a natural instinct which decreed that it had to be done. She could hear her patients talk to her and her own automatic responses, feel her hand writing down information that she would later read for reports, but her mind was only half there. Unless they said something that required all of her attention, her mind was focused on her research, pondering about what to try next. This did not make her a bad doctor, no, as she was excellent at multitasking, but rather made her a grand one in that regard.

Burst Hearts fused people with a Pokemon of their choice, really, and took the most desirable parts to compliment the human. The minds were merged, but they retained a distinct sense of self – aware that they were together, yet understanding that they must remain apart. Communication between the two was instantaneous and perfect. It apparently did this by modifying appropriate genes, perhaps liquefying the Pokemon in question to allow the host to absorb them through the skin. Through the Pokemon’s power they remained alive and supplemented the host.

At least, that was the theory she had.

The issue here was the health effects, and she was trying not to become alarmed about what she had so far discovered. Occasional use was not too detrimental to one’s health, but the Pokemon was another story. She had attached receptors to Mr. Shoatter – her helper and “lover” – and his Dragonite, Stark, and monitored them several times when he used it. The results were quite clear. Tony experienced a rapid sense of euphoria while Stark had experienced extreme pain. Afterward, she had him perform clinical tests such as matching puzzles pieces and strength, and they were above the average, which was to be expected.

She quizzed him on facts about his home life that he had informed her about before. Normal response here, which was good, and watching the monitor as the “de-fusion” occurred, she noted that both were slightly sluggish but quickly snapped out of it. The first few tests happened this way, and it seemed there was nothing to worry about…until the later tests, where symptoms began to develop, and develop quickly.

The euphoria was akin to a high and, after using MRI scans, the same parts of the brain showed heightened activity that was comparative to a cocaine user, for example. Stark’s pain seemed to be getting better with every fusion, which was odd, and she had to wonder why exactly. Each fusion seemed to better mend the two together and increase strength and prowess, as if reaching a perfect equilibrium. Yet, worryingly, Mr. Shoatter was having more and more trouble recalling facts of his past life, such as high school or even worse, his own birthday. It was as if the fusion was giving him amnesia.

He stayed fused for longer and longer periods, and when they eventually did separate, he reacted negatively and often was scatterbrained – more than usual – for hours or even days, being irritable to anyone who came near. Stark on the other hand didn’t react much to stimuli, almost as if in a zombified stupor. At one point he had managed to knock over equipment as we pushed him to move, and it had drawn blood from his thick hide. There was no reaction, and when he finally became aware again, it was clear the Dragonite had no idea where the injury had come from.

She had put an immediate stop to experiments and allowed them a month or two to recuperate. He continued to insist he was fine, and when she allowed another test, she was, admittedly, relieved when he seemed react much better this time. She was even able to confirm that injuries on the Pokemon did not transfer to the host – and the Pokemon would be healed upon being separated – but injuries to the host itself remained, healing at an accelerated rate if given enough time. As they ran more tests, however, the same negativity and stupor began to emerge once more, and an immediate stop was called for yet again.

The conclusion to her was clear, and it was that Burst Hearts were even more dangerous in nature than others thought. The issue was finding some sort of blocker to the effects entirely, and unfortunately that was where she was having trouble. Time was not a luxury; it was now a red hot commodity. She couldn’t release this information yet, not without a way to counteract it. Governments were stupid enough to ignore the negatives in light of the positives, and it could cost them greatly. Hoenn would likely start feeling the effects soon, she imagined.

The very thought of what the Ancient Burst Hearts could do to the mind made a chill crawl up her spine, and with a sigh, she decided that it was time to visit the duo and make sure they were recovering well. Even if they had agreed wholeheartedly to the testing and signed paperwork for it, it still caused her guilt for what they went through. Everything is such a mess. Why did those wretched things have to be invented? There are some lines that should never be crossed…

Yet, perhaps, and she hoped this growing feeling of suspicion was correct, everything was not as it appeared. She was putting all of her blame for the health effects from numerous tests on a single item. Numerous tests were good; using a single product is bad. If that product itself was flawed, then the results for a normal test were completely thrown off. Burst Hearts were manufactured, and presumably in mass quantities to supply Hoenn's army. Mass produced goods were notorious for being of cheaper quality than the originals or those that were produced by hand, so perhaps...this one wasn't functioning properly.

Now she had even more reason to revisit Tony, since she needed to take a look at the actual device. She didn't know what they looked like normally, but maybe she could figure out if something wasn't right. Ugh, why didn't I think to check it before? Granted, I didn't have much of a reason to suspect anything...I'll have to look up online and see if people are having similar issues. If worse comes to worst, maybe I can get in contact with the one who invented them. I don't have a choice. If this follows my new theory, it could have even more terrible consequences.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers:

After a few hours of nonstop surfing, where Yarvick looked every which way like a paranoid conspiracy theorist certain that a man in black was about to give him a memory wipe, he was back at Mirage Island and the AMS Deathwing, a mighty beast of a ship. New guns had been installed on the thing while Yarvick was out-they looked like massive gatling guns, ready to rain lead death from above. There were also two new ships-one the AMS Fairy Dragon, a battleship armed to the teeth with basically every heavy gun in existence (and adorned with a butterfly-winged Dragon, grasping a minigun and winking). Yarvick heavily approved. The other was a cruiser, looking rather plain in comparison to the other two, the AMS Deathknight-though that was adorned with an armored skeleton, holding enough machine guns to make any orc jealous. In any case, he climbed aboard the Deathwing, withdrew Oceanus and Rhea, and prepared to meet the Aqua Fence.

The Aqua Fence was Eric Sequoia Brailis, or 'Greaser' for his permanently greasy hair and the fact he never took his sunglassess off. He wasn't the most ruthless fence Yarvick saw, but his prices were stingy and he was very adamant that what he would buy was not directly illegal. He was a fence, not a drug dealer, as he said. Yarvick traveled through the many halls of the Deathwing, considering how he'd argue to him what the thing was worth. He tried to aim for its size compared to other meteors and it's 'incredible' backstory. It would all be targeted by collectors, but they paid big for stuff like this, and this covered multiple markets.

On the way there, Yarvick passed by the skunkworks, where all of Aqua's science happens. It was infamous for two things: It smelled of chemicals and sweat almost constantly, and they were all just a bit crazy, except maybe the man in charge, Titanus Hale. From what he heard of passerby grunts, a few of them had been asked by one of the 'skunks' if they wanted a Pokemon's tail.

Yarvick would avoid it like the plague if he could. He did not distrust science or scientists, it was just he distrusted the skunks of the skunkworks. They were all mad scientists in their own way, and unless something awful happened he would try to dodge direct contact. He would accept any boons they gave to him, but he'd try to stay away. Mad science was not in his interests.

After a few more turns, he finally found the man in his usual spot-a small break room. The 'break room' was more of a bar than anything, with a bartender and various alcaholic and non-alcaholic beverages. There was also a jukebox, a couple of pool tables, a few chessboards (surprisingly), and even an XBox 360 with 4 controllers and a small cache of video games of any man's tastes. Not too surprisingly, Greaser was in the middle of his favorite pasttime-getting utterly hammered with scotch.

Yarvick wasn't a boozehound by any means. He only drank for big parties and his ability to hold down more than a single can of Miller Light without puking his guts out was nonexistent. He didn't smoke at all, either. A few people called him a pansy for it, but Yarvick needed good lungs. In any case, Yarvick sat right down next to Greaser, tapping the space between them a few times with his thumb.

"Huh?" Greaser went, turning his head towards Yarvick. "Oh, it's you, Yar...Sup? Got Sumthin' fer me?" He said. Yarvick and Greaser only talked when there was something to sell, and even drinking as hard as he can, Greaser knew. Yarvick liked it that he was drunk-easier to barter with.

"Howabout a Meteor?" Yarvick said. "The one that dented that old navy ship...I don't know the details, it's a space rock with some naval importance, can't remember the names or places. Space geeks will be all over it." Yarvick said. "Nicked it from the Slateport Museum."

"Oh, yeah, 'dat job of yers...Yeah, I fink it was 'da HAS Halberd, or somethin' like 'at. Yeah, I know what yer talkin' 'bout," Greaser said. His heavy drinking didn't inhibit his memory all that much, it seemed. Or maybe he just remembered his National History class. Greaser took another swig of his bottle. "Lemme see it," He demanded. "Need to see if it matches."

Yarvick pulled out Hyperion's Poke Ball and sent out Hyperion, who still had the Meteorite.

Hyperion fell, back first, onto the floor, Meteorite clutched tightly in his hands. Yarvick's face fell like Hyperion's body, and a frown appeared on Greaser's face. Even drunk, he could tell that wasn't good.

"That 'Zam looks as sick as f***, Yar...Didn't know 'bout no weird virus on 'dat rock...Yar, take it to 'da meds, get rid of 'dat sickness, and 'den we'll talk...But it looks like the rock I'm finking of, yep." He said, turning back to his booze.

Yarvick was still staring at Hyperion, before heeding Greaser's good advice, returing Hyperion to his Poke Ball, and rushing to medbay. What the hell was going on? All those cleanings and s**t, did they do nothing?!

[Lord Celebi]

OOC

Grassy_Aggron, I am invalidating your post. I'm sorry, but the background you're giving for Burst Hearts completely subverts the RP. They general idea with Bursting was that it was how the Nasmar became closer to their Pokemon, however, your post instead asserts the opposite. It removes most incentive to Burst (basically the "gimmick" of the RP) and makes the Ancient Burst Hearts much less desirable.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A
Devastation

Yarvick waited patiently just outside the medbay. Team Aqua hadn't started really attacking yet or doing much, so it was mostly deserted, though due to the meteor still being on Yarvick's person and still possibly a valuable item to fence, Greaser had accompanied Yarvick, in all of his drunken glory. Eric could, for the most part, coherently think while completely stoned, but his ability to move was worse than a regular drunk. His 'walk' to medbay was better described as Yarvick dragging him around like a sack of potatoes to his intended destination.

Once there, the medical experts gave a quick check-up on Yarvick, Greaser and Hyperion for any signs of illness, but thus far only Hyperion seemed to have symptoms, which ran the gamut from a runny, stuffy and bloody nose, to extreme stiffness that bordered on total paralysis and a drastically increased blood pressure. Yarvick and Greaser, however, were totally fine. They concluded, quite logically, that the meteor was the source of the virus, and demanded it to remove it of the disease the hard way-taking only a small sample for skunkworks and otherwise leaving them be. At this stage, Yarvick and Greaser were shown outside while the group tried to heal Hyperion. It was NOT a standard illness that regular Pokemon medicine could remove...

Hyperion legitmately cared for Yarvick, perhaps more than his mother even. Yarvick had only caught him as a thief's aid, yet as he grew physcially and mentally, he also grew more concerned for the klemopatric growing within Yarvick, and had often asked him, politely, to stop, reconsider, and use his skills to turn his life around. Yarvick never considered the arguments for too long, if even at all, and even if he died he probably would not reconsider. It was still an obvious proof that Hyperion was more than a good friend, to be concerned, even if Yarvick wouldn't believe him. Hyperion was also the first to make a safe plan, the only one to arrange his Pokemon when regular words would never work, the first and final consultant on any heist's execution. He could move objects with his mind, offer instant getaways, and was powerful against things that several of his Pokemon were worthless against. Hyperion was a part of his success, a hyper-competent sidekick, practically a blessing for a man who's ability to capture Pokemon was all of s**t, and Yarvick made sure he was treated right for his considerable aid in his plans, even though at this point Yarvick could realistically start doing it on his own. Obtaining the Meteorite itself was proof-it would have been a hell of a lot harder, if not impossible, without Hyperion. Losing him severely crippled Yarvick's abilities. He could still do it without him, but Hyperion was still incredible. He was a friend and an ally, far too good to lose.

Let no man say that Yarvick was heartless to those that cared.

Even when sober, Greaser was not exactly the guy to go to for comforting words. "Maybe it's just tha' flu?" He queried.

"Isn't a d**m flu strain, Greasy, they said this was definitely not a familiar disease they were working with..." Yarvick responded.

"Oh, d**m...Are you 'fected?" Greaser asked.

"We're both clean, he said." Yarvick said. The 'he' was referring to Doctor Harland Volso, the medical expert for people and Pokemon aboard the Deathwing. Even pirate terrorists needed doctors.

"Oh, good, wouldn't wanna catch 'dat." Greaser responded.

"Eric, I don't really want to talk right now. This is pretty stressful s**t I'm going through." Yarvick said, putting his left hand on his face. There was suddenly more activity-more voices-in the medical room, and the conversation got a bit more intense. Then, the doors opened. Yarvick stood up, expecting Harland.

It was not Harland. That was Tyrus "Titanius" Hale, king of the skunkworks, flanked by two of his skunks. It was undoubtable that what was going on here was...Special, somehow. Tyrus did not leave the skunkworks for many reasons. It was a good thing, too, Tyrus was known to be a big-a** prick. Being Raidon's closest friend made him practically invincible.

"Um, sir?" Yarvick said, having utterly no idea on what question to ask. He was braced for anything.

"I will be curt," Hale said. "The disease your Alakazam carries will kill it. It also will not spread, sadly...Only Psychic-type Pokemon can accept the virus, and we cannot get the virus to infect other Pokemon. Considering what we are dealing with, that is more of a shame than you'd realize..."

Yarvick did NOT like the idea that Hale wanted the sickness to spread, but whatever was preventing him was likely a good thing. As for his issue with being the smartest man on board, Yarvick just shut up, to not make a fool of himself and to let Hale talk his a** off.

"...Are you familiar with Deoxys? The Pokemon that came to be when a virus from the depths of the void we call 'space' crashed down to earth and mutated? This virus that gave it birth was almost a total enigma, as was the process of its mutation-But researchers did, in fact, manage to create what we believe to be a facsimile of the unmutated virus, just in case we would need to vaccinate it. Though I myself was never involved in its creation and the facsimile lacks key properties to mutate into Deoxys, the fact remains...The meteor you stole seems to carry an almost flawless match for that facsimile, with only a few errors off of it. This indicates that this could just be the unmutated form of Deoxys, and a form of the virus capable of mutating into it."

OK, Yarvick had not heard that one before. He's seen a few movies on such crazy things ever since Deoxys was discovered, but he never really understood the hard science behind it, while Doctor Hale here stood there, going on about it as if he studied it most of his life. Yarvick just stood there doing his best impression of a block of cheese while Titanus went on, unable to intelligently respond. Hyperion might have had an enlightening conversation with him, but Yarvick could not raise a finger against Titanus'es mighty words. Titanus realized this and kept an undertone of smugness about him, looking down upon the mentally inferior Yarvick like an Alpha wolf to his pack.

"...Why this concerns you. Aside from the fact that your Alakazam caught the Proto-Deoxys virus and is dying of it, if my theory is correct, we can mutate your Alakazam into a new Deoxys, saving its life and giving us access to a Pokemon as strong as mewtwo."

THAT got Yarvick smiling again, a genuine smile. The news that not only would Hyperion remain alive, but be quite truly better than ever, was possibly the best news he ever got.

"That being said, no matter how fascinating the chance may be...Well, do not expect to keep it, or at least not as you know your Alakazam. The nature of the virus itself is still quite an enigma. Though I am almost one-hundred percent sure that we can easily mutate the virus, what effects the virus may have on your Alakazam are...Undetermined. Likely, what comes out of this project of mine will be a blank slate, and your Alakazam will ultimately have died, only in a different manner."

Oh.

"So, you know your choice: You either allow your Pokemon to slowly die and I miss out on critical research opportunities while it is alive, or you donate it to my care with some adequate compensation and we'll see if we can't turn it into a hyper-lethal sapient space virus."

Yarvick didn't really see a good side of either option, but he was NOT about to argue with Titanus. He was practically invincible. It was one or the other in this case. He either let him die slowly and painfully, or gave him over to mad scientists for experimentation to turn him into an alien.

That, and maybe, just maybe, Hyperion's mind would be left intact afterwards.

It was a slight benefit-and it might just mean Hyperion came back better than ever. And, it was money. It was hardly wonderful news, but it was SOMETHING.

"I'll give Hyperion to you. Being that he's an Alakazam, I'll just tell him what's going on..."

Titanius rolled his eyes. "Yes, I suppose he deserves to at least know what's happening...Granted, the Alakazam's psionics are currently unusable due to the virus."

Yarvick nodded and walked into the room ahead, where Hyperion laid on a bed. The medics had stopped doing anything the instant Titanius came in.

"...OK, Hyperion, I had two options. The virus isn't possible to be cured...So, either I let you die here for no reason, or I give you over to titanus and see if we can't make an alien out of you for some financial compensation...Crazy," Yarvick said. "I understand you can't really respond to me right now, but I chose the latter option. It seemed like you'd die either way, you get to be a Space alien, I get money...And...There's a chance your mind won't go. Slight, but it's better than nothing. If you don't agree, then I'm sorry, Hyperion, but...The choice is kind of Binary." Yarvick said. He kept from tearing up. "Let's hope all goes well."

Yarvick have Hyperion a pat on the head. "If not...Well, we'll know where we'll meet." Yarvick added.

He hardly considered himself religious. In fact, didn't at all. Hyperion wasn't very religious either. They believed in an afterlife and a creator-that was it.

Titanius walked in at the end of the display. "I'll be taking them over to the science wing-you too, Yarvick. Your compensation will be...Different from just money, if you would like." Titanus said. "Have you heard of Wolverine?"

...Hoo boy. Hopefully Titanus was referring to the regeneration powers rather than the painful adamantine skeleton or the claws.

[Lord Celebi]

Grassy and I came to the conclusion that the ill-effects of bursting her post described are regarding mass produced Burst Hearts. Player characters have the genuine article and no side effects. NPCs with Burst Hearts will not be so lucky. Likewise, Ancient Burst Hearts have no side effects.

Now back to your regularly scheduled RPing.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: TheProtobabe Death's Spook Velocity

---

"Lance, if there's one things you need to remember throughout your life. It's to love and protect you family. You and your brother will need to be there for each other. Because There will come a time where your mother and I won't be here, and you'll need to survive without us. You have such a mind for business, you are smarter than anyone in this region could ever believe. The day that comes when you take this company from us will be the day that I can die proud and happy. I hope Alastair is by your side, and I hope you'll take this company to greater heights.

I love you, son. I love Alastair. I love your mother. I know I don't say it enough, but this is always my last thought before I go to sleep. I am truly blessed with a beautiful family. This success is nothing without you three. If I died tomorrow, I would die happy. But, it is my hope that I live to see you and your brother become great men. So that I can die forever proud, and die happy. If I should die before I see that, It is my wish that you become those men in my honor. It is my hope that you will be strong, that you will survive, that you will succeed, and that you will live."

- Oliver Harper to Lance Harper on the Eve of his 18th Birthday.

---

Lance temporarily looked puzzled. A bodyguard? He didn't need a bodyguard. However, his brother had only meant to look out for him. He sized the woman up, and profiled her. Something told Lance that he would end up protecting her, instead of the other way around. He huffed and smiled. "My notoriety with gorgeous investors is just as such with my bodyguards, Alastair. Good to meet you, Lenore! I should have you know that I'm well known for ditching the bodyguards my family members hire to follow me around. So, I also wish you luck. Do try to keep up."

He turned his attention to Helena, approaching her and getting quite close. Keeping his mind clear of though, he took her by the hand, slipping an ear piece into her palm. He then stepped back to make it appear as a handshake. "I would much appreciate your involvement in out visit to the Hospital." Lance said, looking Helena in the eyes, and smiling, "It will assist in our public vision being restored. An investor speaking on our behalf will definitely provide positive feedback."

He then turned his attention to Alastair, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I look forward to stories of your adventures! We can talk in the limo on the way to the hospital, I've already paged for it, so it should be waiting for us! Let's go make some people smile, shake some hands, and tell Johto that we aren't going to lose this war."

He made his way to the office door, and stopped for a moment. He actually felt good. The surprise visit, the positive direction that this plan was going in. He hadn't felt this way in a while, and it was nice to feel this way, again. He, with the help of the people standing behind him were going to fix Johto, bring Giovanni down, and settle this nasty business with Hoenn and Kanto. Harper Industries will be the name that this world will remember forever. With this final thought, he stepped through the office doors and made his way to the elevators.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

10 million flat for our release. So, now instead of striking up a deal for cybernetics research, which obviously was never there to begin with, it was now 10 million for our freedom, which was something we already had. Or, become a lab specimen. Heck, why not? Everyone was always itching to sell their bodies to science.

And that was when Luke and Ken revealed that the boom mike was actually a shotgun loaded with 12 gauge slugs and the camera was in fact a P90 submachine gun. It seemed this was not what the good doctor had intended to see.

"Light 'em up!" One of the henchmen shouted.

A very amusing and quick ten second firefight broke out. Those two with their peashooters maybe only got two shots out before they went down. They were schmucks for hire and it seemed like Hayes cut corners with who he had employed. Either that, or he really wasn't actually expecting anyone to be better armed than those two were.

In the end, the boomstick and P90 proved they were a little bit more special than .22s. One of Hayes's bodyguards ended up like Swiss cheese after the P90 pumped him up with more lead than a pencil and the other was now missing his face while his brains were sprayed across half the expo. With that mess resolved, I gave him my best golf clap.

"Thank you, Mr. Hayes, I was very much entertained by that performance you arranged," I smiled as I approached him. "For that, I'll actually tell you the truth. You've earned it. There was no investor. Or ten million. But, given your research was fake after all, I suppose the trade was fair!"

"You're slow," Hayes laughed, reaching into his pocket. "I don't specialize in that kind of science, you dimwit. But it doesn't matter, because you're dead now too."

He then pulled out a rather interesting-looking relic out of a compartment he actually grafted into his own flesh. Unlocked by only biometrics, it was clear Hayes possessed something he absolutely didn't want anyone to steal.

"Ooh, is that what I think it is?" I asked, having a good hunch about it. "Hayes, you kidder! I never thought you'd-"

But, he didn't give me the chance to finish! He confirmed my hunch right away, showing he in fact possessed exactly what I thought it was. An Ancient Burst Heart.

But, the reality of the situation was he quickly used it to Burst and become a massive Mega Krookodile. The hulking red and gray reptile had glowing red eyes, plenty of knife-like teeth, spikes all over his head and face, a heavy metal chain around his two cuffs, and he stood about eight feet tall. He roared loudly, giving the whole expo a nice rumble.

"C-crap, what the hell...!" Luke shouted, nearly wetting his panties over the sight.

Good, I was hoping this wouldn't be too easy.


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

The Hoenn Council arranged an emergency conference and forcefully declared a complete ban and full removal of PokéTarts from all store shelves effective immediately. I was honored my candy got that kind of attention! The authorities were up in arms, trying their darnest to track down the infamous creator of PokéTarts and bring them to justice! Little did they know, the mastermind behind their whole plan was me, a cute lil' Furret in a makeshift lab inside an aircraft carrier parked at an island that was nearly impossible to find! As for Happy Buneary Candies... you can't fight what you can't find! Their Bureau of Investigation looked like a bunch of jokers when they kept trying to find where the real manufacturing plants were, only to keep running into dummy warehouses! Wee, was this wild goose chase fun or what!?

The penalty for trying to destroy PokéTarts... their black market value went SKYROCKETING!!! Other already impoverished trainers faced the bitter music as their Pokémon gorged themselves to deal with the inability to get their PokéTarts fix! It was a sad, sad day for everyone in Hoenn!

Except for us, of course. So far, the return on PokéTarts was an estimated fourteen billion in cash. Ha, and those kingpins on the top didn't think my stuff was up to it! I wrecked just about every Pokémon trainer in Hoenn and raked in a fortune from it!

Anyway, back to work, and less giggling at the television news reports.

I decided I wanted to try and blend a Furret and a Lopunny together. Well, why not? It would be like a Lopunny, only the ears would be pointed like a Furret's, and it would have a Furret tail. Oh, no reason, just to try it out! Hey, I had to try something, and going out there as a Furret all around the Deathwing asking all the Team Aqua grunts "hey, want to try becoming a mix of a cute Furret and Lopunny?" Forget it, I was a lone ranger on this assignment!

Once the DNA configurations were set up the right way this time, I managed to complete the mutagen. This time, I did it without goofing up and cutting corners like I did last time. So, only question was... did I do it right? Only one way to find out!

I took the syringe with my cute, little Furret paws, jabbed myself, and pressed down on the plunger to let the unpredictable fun commence! I stepped back, and wow, my whole body began changing. I mean, at least I didn't suddenly explode! No one to blame for that if that happened!

It was a good sign the tail remained the same, but everything else was undergoing a total metamorphosis. My legs suddenly grew long, along with my arms, and again there was that grizzly crunching and popping sound with the bones getting transformed! My ears grew long and wide while I was suddenly standing much taller.

When it was all done, I got a good look at myself. Oh my gosh, I think I got it to work! I mean, work the way it was supposed to! I really did become a Lopunny with a Furret tail! This was awesome! And the tail wasn't screwy either, it was like this was a totally natural situation! Awesomeness!

Wait, wait, wait, I had to keep going with this! I was going to go out on a limb and try something that would really put this thing to the test. I managed to combine two Pokémon into one and actually make it biologically work. This... whew, it was going to wrack my brain a bit, but I wanted to see if it was really possible. Okay, I was arguably doing some real mad scientist stuff right here, but... I challenged anyone to deny this couldn't be a massive amount of fun.

So... it all came down to how I wanted to really go out and try this. So many fun and crazy options, it was nearly impossible to pick!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Titanus had sealed himself tightly within the skunkworks with two assistants. Their plan was simple-to figure out how the Deoxys virus mutated, then mutate Hyperion into a Deoxys before he died. However, Yarvick was no part in it, because he was no scientist. He would probably kill the department by not understanding which two chemicals were which, or something stupid like that.

Yarvick had obtained MEND from the department before being expelled outside of the main lab, so the skunks could do their work in relative peace. Yarvick was not all that surprised to figure out it was regeneration, but what really shocked him was that quite a few people had insisted that it was pretty awesome. Even though it would still hurt, the basic premise was that any wound made that wouldn't kill you would, over reasonable amounts of time, grow back, as long as it wasn't a huge wound or outright lethal. Head-shots still killed, heart-shots still killed, any critical damage still killed-otherwise, in some period of time, it would just grow back. Less extensive damage would be repaired in minutes, seconds if it was like a paper cut or a bruise-things like limbs being cut off would take weeks if the blow didn't kill you. MEND did not work as fast as, for instance, Wolverine's ability (or Alpha forbid, Cell's ability). The would would also be naturally disinfected, though how that worked Yarvick truly did NOT know. One was still fully prone to being knocked unconscious, one still felt all the pain of the injury, and as long as something physical was in the way MEND could not repair in that area, from what he gathered. He'd have to remove bullets from his body before MEND covered it up, or they'd require some surgery to remove. Some very annoying surgery.

But, it would be incredibly useful. At the bare minimum, Yarvick could be a bit more risky in his plays, and not have to be like he was a character from Hotline Undella, going down in any attack. Being less frail had its incredible perks. He had tested it by cutting the palm of his hand, lightly, with a scalpel. Within seconds, the wound repaired itself without some fuss. Still hurt like it should have, but that was fantastic. If Titanus bothered to sell this to the millitary (through some shadow operation), Aqua would make a fortune. A ridiculous fortune. This was especially considering that all it took were a few syringes: it was a three-part process to get MEND properly, one syringe per part. Yarvick caught wind of something involving a literally exploding tumor being the cause...

Meanwhile, well, he had NO clue what they were doing in the skunkworks to Hyperion. He could see what they were doing, and he would hardly call it torture: Titanus and his two skunks scurried from instrument to instrument, talking about things Yarvick was beyond understanding. They took blood and skin samples, but honestly, Yarvick could have mistaken them for completely ethical scientists. It was probably out of pragmatism more than anything-they didn't need huge grafts of skin or half of Hyperion's blood. Meanwhile, Hyperion's appearance had only gotten worse: He was now as red as the pelt of a fire type. He also was apparently attempting to move his body around, which, considering the borderline paralysis, didn't really work, and all it did was get him restrained with some straps. He couldn't make out details any better than that, but it seemed to be going OK. Curse his unenlightened mind! Outside of that, all he could pick up was that it was smelly enough that whoever lived in there could live with a Skunktank on a diet of prunes and burritos without noticing-hence, skunkworks.

He had politely requested he be filled in on what was happening from time to time, hence why he was standing around out here. Outside of keeping track of progress, the only think he could do was sit around and wait, or more accurately pace around. He was too tense for sitting. Titanus had confiscated the meteorite, as well, though it was likely that he'd give it directly to Greaser once it was done-MEND was the full compensation for his donation to the skunkworks, as it were.

He didn't really pay attention to the other lab areas, until one of them happened to catch his eye...Inside was the standard assortment of science-y tools, occupied only by a Lopuuny. You'd see them all the time in Sinnoh, the favorite of teenage girls as their Buneary evolved, so Yarvick could tell what it was on sight...Except, the Loppuny's ears were just not correct, and he knew for a fact Lopunny did NOT have tails that big.

It was only the next station over from the main lab, so Yarvick decided to...Investigate. It wouldn't kill him. Hopefully.

However, only when he made up his mind did a man from the main lab come in, another scientist. Yarvick was at least polite. "Hello, there, um..."

"Doctor Yantil Massadar. You've requested a small summary of happenings as they occur, so we're just giving you a quick update. We haven't gotten much data from the Proto-Deoxys Virus that the facsimile didn't already tell us, though we have a few new theories on Psionics that we would like to test out in the future, very interesting ideas, but that isn't your concern. We're now focusing on mutating the virus itself, trying to find what stimuli caused the mutation. We think that we can gather much more from the virus as it mutates, you see. We're merely weeding out various stimuli as we stand. It's mostly cheap, unlikely stuff, like water, living non-Psychic Pokemon, noise of various frequencies, that sort of thing. Highly unlikely, but we cover all of our bases. We are currently testing if the cause was related to temperature, extremely cold temperature. The original Deoxys was 'born' near one of the arctic poles, so it is reasonable that conditions there may have caused the mutations."

The Doctor said quite a lot, very quickly. Yarvick's head was spinning a little. "Thanks for the update."

"You're welcome, now, back to work," Yantil said, returning to the Skunkworks almost as quickly as he left.

OK, they were focusing on the mutation aspect of Deoxys. Trying to figure out how that happened, and why. Hopefully they'd be getting onto the actual mutation soon-the sooner this was over, the sooner he could figure out if Hyperion truly survived...The better. Yarvick wanted his friend, liked his intelligence, and needed his assistance. In the meantime, Yarvick decided to just look back at the weird Lopunny. It was still inside the lab. There was only one window in the frame of the door, so he or she may have just been out of the line of sight...

Yarvick, not looking to steal anything this time, decided to knock on the door first. Maybe he or she was testing out some kind of invisibility potion, or something?

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: XaikuX, Death's Spook, TheProtobabe

The entire scene at the top of the Harper Tower was a lot to take in. She decided to look away from Alistair and Lance for the moment - she sensed that whatever was passing between them was private, after all - and focus on the third, more mysterious person. At first, given her fine clothes and attractive appearance, Lenore assumed that she was perhaps Lance’s wife or escort. As it turned out, however, Helena was a new investor in Harper Industries. This was on its own enough to rouse Lenore’s suspicion - after all, there wasn’t exactly much left to invest in, let alone in a time of such fear and tumult. A second later, Deborah relayed a warning from Alistair sent through his Staryu - that Helena was an individual to be watched. Hmph, Lenore thought at Deborah. Tell him I got the message. And that I didn’t really need it.

Just as Lenore was mentally resurfacing, she realized that Lance was addressing her. She met his eyes calmly as he spoke, betraying no outside emotion in spite of her irritation. The comments about “gorgeous” and “keeping up” annoyed her - they reminded her much too much of Eusine, and that fiasco had been bad enough when blood relation had been there to prevent flirtations. However, Alistair had never implied that Lance was a fool, and therefore if he thought that she was nothing more than a pretty face he would realize his mistake sooner or later.

It was with this in mind that she proceeded to give her most winning smile and say, “Good to meet you too, sir. Don’t you worry about my keeping up. In fact, my Nidoking and Absol are waiting in the lobby to keep any fresh rabble at bay,” she tried very hard not to glance at Helena as she spoke, “and my Xatu has already telepathically scanned your limousine and its driver for any hazards or harmful intent. Which there is not,” she continued, matching her new charge step for step as they crossed the threshold toward the elevator, “so, no, I do not think that you should be worried about me at all.”

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

I had to say, the Mega Krookodile was so not Hayes's style. I thought for sure that science nut would have been more into Mega Porygon-Z or something whack like that!

"Eat **** and die, you lab freak!" Ken shouted, firing the shotgun again.

But, nothing was ever that easy. The slug was deflected off of the metallic cuff that Hayes now had as a Mega Krookodile. Shortly after that, Hayes grabbed a nearby stone statue of a globe, ripped it off of its mount, and hurled it at Ken.

Ken didn't have much time to react, and was quickly struck by the stone globe, which carried his squashed body into the back wall, which then collapsed upon whatever was left of him and the globe, burying them under what I probably thought was at least twenty tons of stone, metal, and debris.

"Well, thanks for your service, Kenneth," I shrugged, seeing as there wasn't much I could do about that "Say hello to the angels for me!"

"You and your men are pathetic!" Hayes shouted and laughed with a growly snarl, grabbing a large chunk of a marble staircase. "You have nothing that can stop me!"

Well, nothing yet. Luke opened fire on the hulking croc, blasting lead, fire, and hatred at Hayes with the P90! Unfortunately, most of the shots bounced off or harmlessly sat in his toughened reptilian hide and didn't do jack to stop him.

"Here, catch!" Hayes laughed, tossing the massive marble chunk of stairs at Luke.

"Oh... holy fu-!"

I'll admit, the squish and the crunch that came out of that was definitely one of the more gruesome things I've had the displeasure of hearing during my career. I didn't exactly see what had become of Luke when that massive slab landed on top of him, but the sounds gave me a good idea of what went on anyway. That wasn't something I thought Hayes could pull off, but I suppose there's always someone out there willing to outdo what you thought just couldn't be done in the first place!

"Crap, and we were supposed to celebrate with beer after all this!" I exclaimed. "Aren't you quite the devil, Hayes!"

"Haw, haw, you don't take your death seriously enough, do you?" Hayes laughed. "Well, no matter. I'll be your reaper for this evening!"

And this was the exactly reason why I usually liked to carry a rocket launcher on me. Because just way too many times, I found myself running into situations like this! And right now I didn't have one!

Hayes quickly threw another heavy stone pot at me, but I quickly dashed out of the way just a split second before it broke into a million pieces in the exact spot where I had been just a moment earlier. I was going to need a creative way to get rid of Hayes.

And preferably sooner than later!


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

While Hoenn kept dealing with the zany effects of PokéTarts, I was busy in my lab as well! But I was probably having WAY more fun than they were!

Not to spoil such fun, but I decided it would probably be a good idea to clear the slate, just to test. I wanted to see if there was a way to actually reverse the crazy double Pokémon as one and return myself to my human form. I know, totally lame to give up the cute Lopunny and Furret form to go back to being just a run of the mill human, but I had to see if this worked. Then... then I'd go all out, of course!

The DNA mapping of my own human DNA seemed about right. I doubled checked to make sure nothing goofy had happened to it! It was everything I remembered about me! So, I loaded up the mutagen with that, but just before I used it, there was suddenly a knock at the door!

Holy crap, it was Yarvick!

Crap, I couldn't let him see me like this! Imagine trying to explain this mayhem! I quickly ducked out of sight, and headed to a corner of the room where he couldn't see me.

"Hold on, just need a minute!" I called back to him.

I then quickly jabbed myself with the syringe, and pressed down on the plunger. Oh boy, I sure hoped this worked and didn't do anything really stupid!

It was really kind of sad in a way, but the cute Lopunny and Furret form began to vanish, with the fur being sucked back into my skin and my body shifting and transforming back to my normal, old fashioned human self. The cool and super-cute ears were suddenly pulled back into my head and just seemed to vanish while the Furret tail just seemed to shrivel up and get pulled back into my rear. Well, it was a perfect restoration back into my natural human self, but aww, it was so disappointing! But hey, at least it worked. Now, if someone really regretted the mutant form they picked out, no worries! Either that, or they could change into something else. Variety's the spice of life!

After swiftly getting dressed again, I quickly grabbed the door. Thankfully, he was still there, probably not suspecting a thing!

And I was really lucky that reversal agent worked exactly the way it was supposed to just in time!!!

"Oh hey, Yarvick, sorry for the wait," I smiled, acting like nothing unusual happened. "Come on in!"

I casually strolled back into my lab. Yep, nothing weird going on in here!

"So hey, what brings you to my place?" I asked, wondering how I could help him out.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

The mutated Lopunny ran away the instant he knocked. Then, when it was out of sight: "Hold on, just need a minute!"

Yarvick was immediately convinced that the Lopunny was definitely not a product of nature. The simple fact of where he was should have said it all.

He waited a few minutes, then...She came to the door. She looked quite like a regular Aqua grunt, which isn't saying much as the only addition most of the skunks made to their outfits were labcoats and goggles, and only inside the lab. She seemed to be of the same mind as those middle-school girls that he'd figure to be into Lopunny, just judging from the interior-if not scientific in nature, it seemed to be dedicated to cuteness, and even the research notes seemed to have doodles of standard cuteness on them.

He would make a mental note to be extra cautious and not approach syringes. This skunk looked disarming but was likely dangerous. General rule of thumb, he found: The more disarming they looked, the more unhinged they were.

"Oh hey, Yarvick, sorry for the wait," said the unknown female doctor. "Come on in!"

Yarvick helped himself to the door, as the woman stepped back into the lab. "So hey, what brings you to my place?"

Yarvick decided to ask the all-important three questions; who was she, how did she know Yarvick, and what did he just see? Before doing so, he gave a look over throughout the room, keeping an eye on her hands and on every sharp implement in the room. "OK, I was here for no reason except to inspect the clearly mutated Lopunny that I saw in passing, so I'll ask two-no, three questions: First, what's your name? Second, How do you know my name? And last, what was the deal with the Lopunny with the weird tail and ears? I've seen Lopunny before, that thing was not just a Lopunny," Yarvick said. "I'm not here with you for any reason other than to sate my curiosity and pass time, is all."

He opted to not talk immediately of the the fact that Hyperion was literally a room over, being experimented on. He could imagine that they were going to try the Electromagnetics stuff now, officially through with all the unlikely reactive substances-though Yarvick wasn't there, so maybe the fringe idea was the trick. He didn't really know, he wasn't a scientist, or at least not a scientist who specialized in those fields, and he definitely wasn't there actually seeing the progress, standing in the room. He at least knew what Electromagnets did because of his own knowledge: The one 'nerdy' thing he knew a great deal of were computers. He could effectively hack databases, websites, a lot. Atlas usually handled tech, but when circumstances arose that Atlas'es wizardry with computerized gizmos was unavailable, Yarvick made do. The fact that Atlas WAS naturally a master of computers was pretty much the reason Yarvick learned how to screw around with computers-sneaking him into school through their own wires.

Of course, computer science was not biology. Unless you were Atlas or another Porygon, but that was a rather loose connection. Yarvick didn't understand DNA beyond it being a sequence of 4 proteins, and that it was how every living being was unique. Screwing with it was the only reason he could think of for the weird Lopunny, so the girl in front of him was a genetics expert.

...Yarvick got an urge to ask her the odds. Two opinions.

"...You know what's going on in the main lab right now?" Yarvick asked. "That would be why I'm here, in the labs at all." He said.

He still kept an eye out for sharp implements and kept a steady eye on her hands. He didn't want to become a guinea pig because she was THAT crazy.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Figures the one time I need a rocket launcher the most is the one time I decide to dress up like a reporter and not carry one. But then again, I thought I would be scamming Hayes out of his cybernetics, not fighting him as a Mega Krookodile. Hardly my fault. Meanwhile, the shotgun and the P90 we took along sure didn't do squat to stop him.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Hayes laughed. "Legs, arms, head... all going down your *******!"

He picked up another stone chunk of a marble banister and then hurled it at me. I quickly threw myself on the ground just a second before it flew past just inches from my head. Crap, that was a close call. I could see why Ken and Luke got turned into gooey ketchup.

I didn't have much to fight him with, so I was going to need Pokémon. I quickly grabbed the Pokéballs for Snuff the Dragonite and Cyclone the Floatzel. With two flashes of light, they emerged, and it was obvious who I wanted them to fight.

"Excellent, I was looking forward to killing your Pokémon too!" Hayes laughed. "You can all die together! And when you're all dead, I'll stuff each one of their corpses down your throat until your belly blows open!"

"Snuff, hit that prick with a Hurricane attack!" I shouted to the Dragonite before turning to Cyclone. "Cyclone, attack with Hydro Pump!"

In the meantime, I got my ass off the ground and knew I needed to be more of a pain for Hayes to fight. I quickly grabbed my Burst Heart and decided to Burst with Speedy, my Emolga. I was suddenly surrounded with a brilliant flash of light, and like that, I was merged with Speedy. My body became exactly like his, coated with white fur while I had his arm to leg membranes that would allow me to fly. Meanwhile, I had his ears and his yellow cheek patches. I think the only thing that wasn't quite like an Emolga was my face and hair.

Of course, Speedy's electric attacks weren't going to jack-piss to Hayes, but the flying techniques might be a bit more useful. In the meantime, Snuff attacked Hayes with the Hurricane, but it didn't do too much besides stun him for a moment. Seconds later, Cyclone's Hydro Pump slammed into Hayes's ass. It really pissed him off, but didn't seem to put much of a dent in him.

I could already tell this prick was going to be a die-hard son of a *****.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

I was wondering what Yarvick was doing here, but hey, I was okay with company! Besides, I figured there was something he could help me with! I just had to see him try out this mutagen thing!

"OK, I was here for no reason except to inspect the clearly mutated Lopunny that I saw in passing, so I'll ask two-no, three questions," Yarvick told me, looking a bit perplexed. "First, what's your name? Second, How do you know my name? And last, what was the deal with the Lopunny with the weird tail and ears? I've seen Lopunny before, that thing was not just a Lopunny. I'm not here with you for any reason other than to sate my curiosity and pass time, is all."

"Ha, ha!" I laughed. "Okay, I'm Janine Price, one of the coolest researchers you'll ever meet! I also use 'Angel" as a code name. As for you, ha, well... okay, I'll admit I sometimes snoop around when I'm bored. I may have overheard your name once or twice."

I guess I let that little secret of mine slip. No biggie, though!

"As for that Lopunny, ha, ha, you'll never believe this but... that was actually me a second ago," I admitted, feeling a bit bashful about that. "I've been working on these cool mutagens that can turn you into a mix of several Pokémon! Dude, you have got to try one of these out. You'll totally dig it!"

Okay, I didn't expect for him to believe that. He was probably thinking that was just impossible, but if that crazy Lopunny combo didn't convince him, ha, he hasn't seen me in action! Actually, that was true, he really hasn't.

"...You know what's going on in the main lab right now?" He asked me. "That would be why I'm here, in the labs at all."

"You mean that Tiantus dude?" I asked, figuring he might just be up to something new. "Hey, not too sure to be honest! I... yeah, I probably should be helping him out rather than screwing around here, but hey, I'm pretty sure I'm onto something even that guy could appreciate!"

I really had to try and sell Yarvick on this combo Pokémon mutagen thing. I mean sure, it wasn't fully tested yet, but maybe... just maybe if I showed him how it worked in action, he'd be like "Whoa Janine! I've got to try that myself!"

"So check this out," I told him with a smirk, showing him my research notes. "This mutagen can turn you into a combination of several Pokémon into one! I'll admit, I was just trying two at the same time with that Lopunny and Furret thing, but I was really thinking of cranking things up to the next level, you know?"

I tried to show him how it worked, putting together a combined Pokémon form piece by piece and then having it come together as one creature that had all the separate parts together as one. I imagined if I tried to explain it in scientific terms, it would get a little complicated for a guy like him, but Tiantus's DNA mapping software did make it a lot more easier for the Average Joe to understand. I invited him to take a peek at it.

"The good part is that if you get tired of the mutated form, as long as you have a sample of your human DNA, you can just return to normal anytime you'd like!" I told him, trying to sell him on the whole idea. "I mean heck, it works! It managed to help me go from Furret-tailed Lopunny back to human in just a few seconds!"

Of course, I doubted a thief dude like him would want to try the exact same Furret and Lopunny thing as well. Totally not his style, even though it would be really cool and cute!

Okay, so I showed him I had the workings of a mutagen that could transform people into combinations of Pokémon, and the same mutagen could also return them to normal if they decided hey, being a mutant of multiple Pokémon got a little boring after a while. Or if they wanted to go visit Grandma and not look like a mutant that some crazy imp coughed out! At least now people might be more out to try this if it worked and there was a safety net to return to normal. This Yarvick guy had to see there was really no risk involved and it could be a lot of awesome fun!

Now then... I wanted to try a Pokémon form with a whopping eight Pokémon rolled into one. Totally and completely nuts, I know! But it was the ultimate test to see if this would work and Yarvick had to see I wasn't kidding about this mutagen. If this worked, well, then just about any amount of Pokémon gene splicing should be okay to rock and roll with! Maybe with the help of that Tiantus guy, he could work on the software needed so just about anyone on Aqua could request one of these Pokémon mutant forms and program the DNA coding for the mutagen based on what they wanted. After that, it was just up to their imagination! But it would also keep their normal human DNA on file just in case they wanted to go back to their old, vanilla selves again. It was great to make it user friendly!

"Okay, check this out!" I told him, knowing my creative reputation was on the line. "You've got to see this to believe it. I'm putting this mutagen to the ultimate test by having a whopping eight Pokémon combined. Watch, it's really not that hard to set this up."

What I didn't tell him was I hadn't actually tried this many before, but hey, it was all for the fun, right? Hopefully this wouldn't cause me to explode or die in a weird way! That would just be bad, and I knew he wouldn't even want to go near it if that happened.

As I got to dreaming up the form I really wanted to try out, I decided to start with Lopunny again, showing Yarvick the whole process. Well, because Lopunny is ultra cute and sweet, that's why! I figured that would be a great "base" form to start with. After that, I'd go with the Furret tail again. But, then I dash in a bit of Ninetails into the mix to multiply that Furret tail into nine of them. After that, I'd give the form some of that extra plushy white Cinccino fur. That covered four. After that, I'd add in the combination of a Togekiss, and give the whole form some white fur instead of brown fur, plus the really cute wings to be put on the back.

Already this was getting to be kind of ridiculous even for my standards, but I really had to push this thing to the limit to make sure it could go that far! So, I kept going with it. I decided to give the winged, white bunny form some extra fluff by adding in that giant cotton ball of a Whimsicott on the back. And while we're working back there, maybe add in the extra-long furry hair of a Zoroark, only make it nice and white this time. Lastly, top it all off with a Shedninja's halo thing.

So there I had it... eight Pokémon smack-dabbed and rolled into one! It all added up to one ultra-fluffy mess of an angel bunny, but hey, it'd do the job and would ensure this thing was totally fully tested. When the mutagen was finally created, boy, I was subjecting myself to some really, really crazy stuff right here, but it could be serious fun!

"And that's pretty much it!" I told Yarvick, taking out the processed mutagen from the machine. "All you need to do is just jab yourself with it, and presto, you'll transform! See, watch what happens!"

I then showed him how easy it was. Just jab the needle, press down on the plunger, take it out, and step back. I could imagine this was probably going to look really overly goofy to him, but hey, he was free to pick whatever he wanted!

Well, I wasn't even sure if this eight-Pokémon form was going to be too excessive for the mutagen to handle, but as soon as I saw it working, it seemed good so far! I was suddenly covered from head to toe with snow-white fur, and my entire body starting changing. And suddenly, I had lots of really huge, white tails come out of my rear, two fluffy white Lopunny ears came out of my head, along with a gigantic ball of Whimsicott fluff, long white hair in Zoroark style, two giant Togekiss wings, and a halo above my head. My entire body had been reformed into this ridiculously super-fluffy angel bunny look. I imagined it must have looked either really cute or really silly or even a combo of both.

"Oh man, I... think I overdid it!" I laughed, feeling a bit goofy about this overly-fluffy form. "Wow, geez, just look at this, it's nuts! Yeah, I don't recommend mixing this many Pokémon, but hey, it really does work! So yeah, why don't you pick a few, mix 'em up, and give it a try! It seems to be working great! Just let your imagination rock and roll!"

Ha, ha, wow, I felt like a white bunny that had been glued to a giant, fluffy cloud! Everything seemed to be working, though. I could flap the wings, move the tails around, and all that jazz, but yeah, I think I would get stuck in the door if I tried to leave the lab like this!

I was curious to see what Yarvick was going to pick... or if he was just going to run out the door screaming for his life! Ha, ha, that would still be pretty funny!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Le Chevalier Hotel, Gateon Port
Orre
Affected RPers: None

Raidon Makoto and Finch Reynolds touched down near the outskirts of Gateon Port. Once their pilot had confirmed their safety, the Hellcat took back off towards the Deathwing. The pair of Aquas began their journey on foot towards Gateon Port, the new seat of power for DyneTech Industrial. The port was the single largest import/export hub in the world, so it made sense to Makoto for DyneTech to set themselves up here after the destruction of their former headquarters, Realgem Tower. Once the two were within the town, Makoto purchased himself and Reynolds the penthouse suite at the top of the Le Chevalier hotel using money specially laundered by Whitehall to set up their base. Their patron saint had sent them information on the most workable target: Darwin Lynch, an executive at DyneTech and former Hoenn citizen.

Makoto's plan was to make contact with Harlan Ericson, Orson Barkley's campaign financier within DyneTech, and win him over in order to guarantee Barkley's contributions. In doing so, he'd use him as a stepping stone to give himself a larger foothold within the company. He didn't need to control DyneTech, but he did need to make sure he was influential enough for Whitehall to be satisfied.

The commander's phone buzzed. "Raidon, what are you doing right now?" Tyrus "Tiantus" Hale asked.

"I just sat down in my hotel... Shouldn't you be performing surgery right now? I read the docket on what you're up to on the way here," Makoto replied.

Hale chuckled condescendingly. "Yes, yes I am. Thank Arceus for Bluetooth headsets. Now turn on the TV. It's on literally every channel." Makoto listened to Hale and picked up the remote. He didn't even need to change the channel to find out what the scientist was talking about.

TEAM AQUA HOLDS UP CHARITY BENEFIT IN EVERGRANDE read the blurb at the bottom of the screen. A helicopter shot of the banquet hall was broadcast in the corner of the screen while anchors and analysts tried their best to inform the populace of what was going on. "What the...? I never authorized this!" Makoto protested to Hale.

"Oh it gets worse," Hale said. Makoto heard something pop in the background and Hale let out a flurry of curses. "Sorry, I popped a vein. Fixed it though. Anyways, look whose in the crowd." The commander scanned the helicopter footage on the screen looking for familiar faces. Blazes Boylan was the first person to pop out to him, but he wasn't important enough for Hale to tell Makoto about. After another second or two of looking, he saw Norb Whitehall and his estranged wife Mitzi on the balcony of the banquet hall.

The dread lord of the Deathwing's phone buzzed. He removed the phone from his ear and put Hale on speakerphone. It was a text message from Norb Whitehall. It simply said: "Explain yourself."

"Tiantus, who the hell is doing this?" Makoto asked.

"It looks like Captain Kip Marston. The report he filed for this mission said that he took his squad out for "wealth acquisition." He dun goofed, alright. I am with others right now, but I think you'll understand when I tell you that you're going to need to handle this one," Hale consoled his friend, implying that he needed to fix this to keep Whitehall happy. Makoto had no idea how he was going to smooth this one over with old, white, and political.

Think, Raidon. You've got Finch with you... who else can you trust to carry out this mission? Makoto contemplated. Reynolds and him met eye to eye for a moment, both speaking to each other without talking. "Reg Lando!" Makoto exclaimed. He nonchalantly hung up on Hale and dialed in Lando's phone number. "Captain Lando, this is Raidon Makoto. I have an S-Class mission for you. I need you to round up the best damn soldiers on the Deathwing and storm the banquet hall that Captain Marston is holding up. Your mission is to kill Marston and his entire squad. We are going to disavow them all."

Without even questioning the orders, Lando said, "Yessir. I will activate the 08th Assault Team."

Makoto smiled ear to ear. Miles Kieron, Anton Rodan, Kei Nguyen, Jack Rinage, and Tanis Raistlin were some of the most capable field soldiers that Makoto had. They would show absolutely no mercy to Marston. "Excellent. Make it so, Reg."

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

"Ha, ha!" She laughed. She didn't SOUND insane. "Okay, I'm Janine Price, one of the coolest researchers you'll ever meet! I also use 'Angel" as a code name. As for you, ha, well... okay, I'll admit I sometimes snoop around when I'm bored. I may have overheard your name once or twice."

'Snooping around' was clearly not enough. At bare minimum, she'd have to have also heard of the fact he looked like a hobo and had a rat-like face. This was concerning.

"As for that Lopunny, ha, ha, you'll never believe this but... that was actually me a second ago," She said. "I've been working on these cool mutagens that can turn you into a mix of several Pokémon! Dude, you have got to try one of these out. You'll totally dig it!"

OK, what?

Yarvick was not immediately distrusting of this claim. This place was where crazy people went to attempt to defy the laws of, well, everything. She was at least open on what she was doing, and he could IMMEDIATELY see the applications of this. Having 4 arms and a stupidly high intelligence was an incredible benefit from the word go, and this was just two Pokemon. If properly advertised, everyone on-board would be a Chimera. Everyone. Even himself, if a mercenary like him could get that privilege. He could see this being so ridiculous it hurt just to look at it.

"You mean that Tiantus dude?" She asked, on the question of why he was here in the labs. "Hey, not too sure to be honest! I... yeah, I probably should be helping him out rather than screwing around here, but hey, I'm pretty sure I'm onto something even that guy could appreciate!"

Yarvick would have told her of the fact he was attempting to mutate a Deoxys out of his Alakazam in there, but he didn't decide to get a word in on that incredibly dark spectacle. What was happening in there was, to him, the salvaging of a bad situation. Janine here...She seemed so bubbly, so carefree! No wonder they called her 'Angel.' Granted, this did not make Yarvick's guard go anywhere near down.

"So check this out," She said, smiling and showing him research notes. "This mutagen can turn you into a combination of several Pokémon into one! I'll admit, I was just trying two at the same time with that Lopunny and Furret thing, but I was really thinking of cranking things up to the next level, you know?" She said as she started to work on a computer. Yarvick could easily see the DNA of 2 Pokemon having separate parts of them removed and then combined into one with every click she made. It didn't seem all that complex...Which was good for his understanding of it. If he knew of anything about DNA, he might have even helped out improve it. "The good part is that if you get tired of the mutated form, as long as you have a sample of your human DNA, you can just return to normal anytime you'd like!" She added. "I mean heck, it works! It managed to help me go from Furret-tailed Lopunny back to human in just a few seconds!"

Yarvick was already planning on indulging...The problem was, he wasn't entirely sure of if he had his DNA tucked away in the Aqua DNA Archives.

"Okay, check this out!" She told him. "You've got to see this to believe it. I'm putting this mutagen to the ultimate test by having a whopping eight Pokémon combined. Watch, it's really not that hard to set this up," she said as she got to work.

While she was creating the most fluffy angel bunny ever, Yarvick plucked a hair from his head, used his saliva to clean it theroughly, then shove it in a convenient, empty container almost specifically for it. He labeled it "DNA of Yarvick Xelses. Do NOT destroy." It was HARDLY a defense against anyone who did want to destroy it, but hey. At worst, who ACTUALLY cared? She wouldn't really.

Or maybe she would. But in a good way.

Great, here Yarvick was, getting a crush on a woman he has JUST met, who he was certain would stab him with a syringe to test her mutagen on someone that was not herself.

Yarvick couldn't even think of 1 Pokemon to turn into, and she picked a whole octect out like it was on the tip of her mind, making a Lopunny with enough fluff to be mistaken for a walking cloud, and enough lightweight Pokemon DNA added in that Yarvick was certain she could use her like a balloon if she breathed in some helium. He was trying to think of something that didn't make the mutagen screw itself over while still being...Flexible. Not powerful, flexible. Wide toolkits did great service if he didn't know the obstacles ahead. He knew of a Pokemon that could, in theory, do ANYTHING, as long as they were given proper time, but were restricted by simple anatomy, apparently...What was it? He didn't remember the name, or even what it looked like. If he had that along with a few others...

A machine next to the computer whizzed to life for a few seconds, popping out a syringe loaded with mutagen. "And that's pretty much it!" Janine said, taking out the mutagen. "All you need to do is just jab yourself with it, and presto, you'll transform! See, watch what happens!"

And with that, she injected herself with the mutagen on the spot. Jeez. He was almost certain she had MEND, as otherwise he'd be hard-pressed to think of a reason why she didn't rub some alcohol on it.

THen, the magic happened. She suddenly shot out white fur from every which way. Even her hair turned white in response to it. Then it got really weird-what were basically clouds sprouted out of her back, she suddenly sprouted Lopunny ears as the human ones vanished, and a moon-shaped halo suddenly grew on top of her head, eventually completely separating, floating up and hanging above. Nine tails of a beast he didn't really know of shot out the backside as well. The only thing that didn't change was her height...Which was odd, as the Lopunny-hybrid form he saw earlier was correctly proportioned to a Lopunny. Might have been so that she could actually move around that massive cloud. Even Eos occasionally struggled with her own load.

It was all white, or light gray, a fluffy mess of an angelic bunny practically stapled to a cloud. And quite frankly, it was all crazy. 8 separate pieces of DNA...Whoa. She didn't even flinch...

...Or maybe flinching was kind of hard to do while having most of your bone structure re-written.

"Oh man, I... think I overdid it!" She laughed out. She definitely did go overboard-there was more cloud than the rest of her, doubled over "Wow, geez, just look at this, it's nuts! Yeah, I don't recommend mixing this many Pokémon, but hey, it really does work! So yeah, why don't you pick a few, mix 'em up, and give it a try! It seems to be working great! Just let your imagination rock and roll!" She said, testing out her body, revealing Togekiss wings in the back.

"Thanks...You don't look too overblown, you have an eye for design. Urm, I have something in mind for that crazy thing, actually, but I can't actually remember one of the Pokemon I'm thinking of doing it with..." Yarvick said. "I think it has a tail that it uses to draw art with, that's what I'm thinking of...Don't know the name...Uh, Johto native..."

Yarvick was trying his hardest to not drool at the amazing sight that was the new merged body, either out of dumbfoundment or out of a slight crush. Really, either would work. Yet, at the same time, he was still convinced that she was pretty crazy, and kept a GREAT distance away from her as she flexed her various parts, ESPECIALLY the tails. He knew of the one Pokemon that had nine tails; the aptly named Ninetales. It was a Fire Type, which was always concerning, but those tails were cursed. Like, the tails actually caused incredibly crippling ailments on contact. He actually saw a guy fall victim to that, so he knew what was more dangerous. Poor sod was blind, deaf, paralyzed, and he felt like he was freezing to death, even as he was then burned to death. It quickly became far less of a wonder why they were so popular around the Black Market after that incident.

Then Yarvick actually bothered to question if the caution around the tails was actually required, or if it was just aesthetic.

"OK, so you can move all of those body parts, but I just thought of asking this: You chose a lot of Pokemon that are pretty lightweight. I know Whimsicott are very physically akin to a cloud, I have one of my own...So, can you just jump up and float? Or is all of that just aesthetic? I mean, people might be more interested in volunteering if it was clearly more than just an aesthetic...Bit odd to ask, I know. The answer is probably yes, you're brilliant enough to think of that, but I ought to ask now, rather than rush in as part-Bastiodon, thinking I'm invincible, when I'm not, for instance." Yarvick said.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Speedy's flying cape thing, membrane, whatever the hell it was called, was making it that much harder for Hayes to hit me with those man-mashing chunks of rock and marble he was throwing everywhere like there was no tomorrow. In the meantime, with my mind merged with Speedy's mind, the Emolga was now an extra voice in my head, giving me tips and pointers on how to fight this guy.

Dang, gotta ask, when did a Mega Krookodile become possible?

"Yeah, it's an Ancient Burst Heart. Does the same thing as the regular ones do, only it turns them both into a Mega. Means you got to pump their ass up with more pain and hellfire than before."

And it was already obvious how much mayhem Hayes was able to cause with it. Instead of just being a pasty-face scientist, he was now this hulking reptile of hell and carnage.

Stick to flying around the ceiling, it'll be that much harder for him to hit us up there. As soon as he's got a chunk of something, start turning. Makes it that much easier for him to predict what direction you'll go in!

Damn, couldn't help but say Speedy sure wasn't stupid. In the meantime, I used his Agility power to boost the speed and effectively became harder for that hulking snot to hit me.

In the meantime, Snuff the Dragonite and Cyclone the Floatzel were having a pain in the ass time with trying to fight Hayes. Hayes had slammed the ground to cause an Earthquake attack. Snuff tried to save Cyclone's ass by trying to pick him up off the quaking ground, but Hayes took advantage of that and struck them both with another chunk of the expo. The idiot was so swept up in his own mayhem that he didn't even realize the chunk he had used was part of one of the support columns that kept the ceiling up.

Snuff attempted to attack with an Ice Beam, but Hayes held out his fists in front of him. The clawed fists were soon solidified with ice. It didn't seem to stop Hayes very much. In fact, it really only turned them into rock-hard clubs of icy death. He then stomped toward Snuff and struck the Dragonite in the face with one of his new hand clubs, sending the Dragonite flying toward the back wall. Snuff wasn't dead, but he would have looked better if he had only just woken up in a minefield after a 30 shot glass hangover.

"Your Pokémon are pathetic!" Hayes laughed. "Bring out some more so I can kill them too!"

Ha, ha, that idiot! Hit 'em with Acrobatics. He's a slow lug and he's not going to be able to pick up any more chunks of stuff with his hands like that.

Good point. I flew down quickly, faster than Hayes could have anticipated. He tried to use his ice-rock hands to guard against the attack, but I quickly swooped around and struck the scaly bastard in the back of the head. It hit him pretty hard, enough to the point where I was surprised one of his eyes didn't just launch out of its socket.

"You wretch!" He shouted.

He tried to swat me with the ice clubs, but I was too damn fast for that overgrown fatass. When he missed, I flew under and struck him hard in the neck. All of a sudden, he had a tricky time gasping for breath.

I flew back and that's when the idiot swung hard again, missing me and striking yet another support column. And that was when the ceiling started to groan as it couldn't bear the weight anymore...


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Wow, just wow, I was a total fluffy mess! I imagined if I tried to take a shower like this, it would take six times as long and would take hours to dry off! As for Yarvick, well, he didn't seem completely freaked out. I guess it was a good sign he secured a DNA sample of himself! Maybe he really was ready to take the plunge!

"Thanks... You don't look too overblown, you have an eye for design," He told me. "Urm, I have something in mind for that crazy thing, actually, but I can't actually remember one of the Pokémon I'm thinking of doing it with. I think it has a tail that it uses to draw art with, that's what I'm thinking of...Don't know the name...Uh, Johto native..."

"Oh hey, a Smeargle!" I told him, knowing what he was talking about. "Yeah, they're kinda cute too. Trust me, I'm sure we've got DNA records on that one in the system!"

Made me really wonder what the guy was going to combine it with, but hey, anything goes in my lab! In the meantime, he seemed really paranoid of my nine tails. Oh yeah, totally forget a Ninetales can slam people with a curse just for touching the darn things! I tried to back up a little to give him more room, but the lab was only so big and already I had practically half the room filled up with my own fluff.

"OK, so you can move all those body parts, but I just thought of asking this," Yarvick told me. "You chose a lot of Pokémon that are pretty lightweight. I know Whimsicott are very physically akin to a cloud, I have one of my own...So, can you just jump up and float? Or is all of that just aesthetic? I mean, people might be more interested in volunteering if it was clearly more than just an aesthetic...Bit odd to ask, I know. The answer is probably yes, you're brilliant enough to think of that, but I ought to ask now, rather than rush in as part-Bastiodon, thinking I'm invincible, when I'm not, for instance."

Oh, I definitely had to try that flying/floating thing out with this! Now, there was no chance I'd be able to squeeze my gigantic fluffy bunny self through the crampy corridors of the Deathwing to get back on deck, but I could just copy the same mutagen, get on deck as a human, use it, and then try it out! Just had to make sure I carried the reversal agent too, or I was definitely going to need someone else to run back to the lab to get one. Since most people would have no clue what I was talking about since they hadn't been introduced to it yet... yeah, I needed to make sure I didn't forget that!

"Dude, I'll be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but that sounds totally awesome!" I told him, totally itching to give that a try. "But hey, judging from the DNA, I should totally be able to fly and use the same kinds of Pokémon moves as these Pokémon. Of course, I just don't have the room to do it in here. We're just... you know, trying these out in here like a fitting room before stepping out the door with them, you know how it is!"

Oh, perfect analogy! Had to applaud myself for that one! But yeah, I'd probably wreck my lab if I tried any attack in here! And both Yarvick and I might lose our human DNA samples in the process and we'd be forced to try and leave the lab like this! Oh wow, I could just see it...

There I was, trapped in the doorframe of my lab that led to the hallway corridors with my giant cotton fluff and giant tails totally stuck, and who comes along? No one but Tiantus himself! And probably one of the other researchers, Makoto, or some other dude.

"And so we were looking for the schematics for the new battle tech and I was...- what the... **** is THAT!?"

"Hey, Tiantus, it's me, Janine! Got a little stuck here, think you can lend a hand? Ha, ha, I know, I know I can totally explain! Hey, you've gotta help me! Yarvick's in here too and... well, he's stuck in there if I can't get out!"

Oh, that would be so embarrassing! But hey, it would be the kind of thing I would laugh about for years! I always knew how to turn total mishaps into great conversational pieces!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

"Oh hey, a Smeargle!" She said, on his question of what he was thinking of. It all snapped together-that sounded correct. "Yeah, they're kinda cute too. Trust me, I'm sure we've got DNA records on that one in the system!"

"Yeah, that sounds right, thanks." Yarvick replied.

As for the question on the abilities a Chimera had: "Dude, I'll be honest, I haven't tried it yet, but that sounds totally awesome! But hey, judging from the DNA, I should totally be able to fly and use the same kinds of Pokémon moves as these Pokémon. Of course, I just don't have the room to do it in here. We're just... you know, trying these out in here like a fitting room before stepping out the door with them, you know how it is!"

"I see...You're definitely talented. Most of this would have just flown over my head..." Yarvick said. "I'm not a prodigy at computers, I'm just an expert, and that's all I've got for standout education, other than being really good at taking things."

His Chimera form was, in his head, a bit crazier than what Angel came up with, or at least less themed. He would need Pokemon that could be stealthy for the base body, so he would not be easily seen-just as he was now. He needed to keep to his stealth tactics-go with what worked, what he trained himself to do. A Weavile sprang to mind almost immediately. Gengar was thought of as an instant second, Iapetus proved how impressive they were in action. Either of them worked, and he couldn't pick between them immediately. There weren't any clear advantages over one or the other...Were there any more Pokemon like them?

He figured of other additional Pokemon to add to the base form while he figured that out. Since he was working with what were essentially pirate terrorists, if they got anywhere beyond Hoenn (He could at least see there was a chance with taking over a Region or two), he would NOT want Oceanus as his only viable surfing Pokemon. He would need a Water-type, either a new partner or another form. That's when the answer hit him: Greninja. He was familiar with the infamous Ninja Frog, another Black Market favorite for it's unpredictability and assassination skills. Proetan was the ace in the hole for the thing-he was not sure how that worked, but there were very few signs of it on the ninja frog, and it made it absolutely deadly if used properly. He decided against both his previous choices for Greninja instead-it was just as sneaky and twice as unpredictable.

So, Greninja as a base.

He knew about a combo he wanted to try: Ninetales and Smeargle. The former's tails were absolutely crippling to touch, while the latter's ability to copy anything were based on its tails. He slipped in Smeargle DNA, and used Ninetales DNA to grant the cursed nine tails. While he was at it, he made the Greninja form seem a bit more like a mammal than an amphibian-still keeping the general idea of the body but adding sleek fur and some mammal features. While he was at it, he thought of Ampibom, a Pokemon with hands for tails. That was going in on the tails as well-eleven hands were crazy, especially since nine of them had the biological side effect of being cursed as all hell. The result seemed to also give the 'fingers' some 'fingerpaint' to keep the Smeargle's most useful ability in play.

That Pokemon was already looking kind of weird in his head, even though, on screen, they merged quite well. Didn't look terribly awkward.

There had to be somewhat more than that, though...Perhaps a Pokemon that stuck to walls? No, that was too obvious, wouldn't work. the ability to slip into any space, like a Whimsicott, would be excellent, but the large fluff of hair was too obvious unless he shrunk to a useless size...Greninja, Ninetales, Smeargle, Ampibom...Perhaps a Psychic type?

...Yarvick was reminded of Hyperion's presence in the room next to him almost immediately, which kind of brought a damper on things. He had almost forgotten, one of his very few friends were in there, dying, and likely only to come out of it as an alien. He wasn't sure what was going on at the moment..

Yarvick heard a knocking on the door behind him, and turned around to check who it was behind the glass: Yantil Massadar, as if summoned to answer his questions. He looked quite wide-eyed at Janine, the Lopunny angel with a cloud on her back. He helped himself inside: Yarvick still didn't trust Janine to have her head on straight.

"...Janine?" He asked, quickly.

"Yes, that's Janine. I saw a mutated Lopunny in here, decided to investigate, turns out it was her, she's testing out a mutagen, and this is the result of really pushing it," Yarvick said, summarizing it quickly. "Really interesting stuff going on with that, but, I assume you're here to talk about the virus?"

"...Yes, yes, the proto-Deoxys Virus investigation, yes." Yantil said, having a hard time averting his gaze from Janine. "The virus is...Non-responsive to any singular stimuli. All attempts thus far have failed. We believe that multiple stimuli were involved instead, but more on that later. The conditions of the host are worsening, considerably, and Titanus had to do some quick surgery to prevent his death, in fact," Yantil said.

"...What?!" Yarvick said, panicking a little.

"Relax, I assure you that the Alakazam is still alive. Not well at all, of course, but alive. The surgery went off without a hitch. As it happened, we discarded our old theory on how Deoxys mutated, and came up with a second one: the virus is not just trying to reproduce in there, the Proto-Deoxys Virus is attempting to do some sort of mutation to the host to turn it into something else entirely. It's quite in the nature of a virus to do that, actually, but not on this scale, veins were snapping and trying to rearrange themselves, organs were shifting. It was...I'll leave out the details. The Alakazam is still alive, though, due to quick reaction. However, we cannot save it once the major organs start attempting to resize themselves."

That was...Incredibly disturbing imagery.

"In any case, we're now also theorizing that it is not a case of IF we can mutate it, but rather WHAT we can mutate it into...And if we can do it in any timely manner. It's harder than it looks, Deoxys is...Well, all known DNA samples are currently under tight government regulation, to prevent ANY sort of attempts at mutation or the like. In other words, the only way to reliably recreate Deoxys is to, naturally, recreate the environment. This is incredibly difficult, but possible with our assets on-board. The Aurora Borealis, the extremely cold temperatures, the Spring Equinox, a colony of Starmie in mating season...Deoxys was born in some very complex conditions, to say the least. But again, we're trying to replicate them to the best of our ability, and it's not as hard as it seems," Yantil said.

Yarvick tried to dig beneath Yantil's words a little to see how HE thought the odds were, but he seemed about as positive as his words were: It was hard, but possible, even likely.

"Thanks for the update, doctor...I'd rather stick around here and be of some service to Angel here than just sit around, if that's not a problem," Yarvick said.

"Certainly not," Yantil said. "Volunteers are a hot commodity in these labs, to be honest...I'll leave you two at it."

Yantil, still having some difficulty trying to keep his eyes off of Janine, closed the door without another word. It was quiet for a second.

"...So, yeah, want to hear the story behind how I'm involved in all of that?" Yarvick queried. "It's rather on the long side of things."

[TheProtobabe]

Helena Gray
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: XaiakuX; Death's Spook; Velocity;

The tension in the air couldn't have been cut with a katana, it was so thick. Like straining steel cords, being teased and plucked, vibrating and singing humming songs that rang in Helena's ears.

It was obvious that she was surrounded by powerhouses. Though she'd dealt with plenty in her time, she realized suddenly what she'd gotten into when she decided to spy on Lance Harper. A single, discreet bead of sweat rolled between her shoulder blades, causing gooseflesh to appear down her spine. The chilled air of the building didn't help.

Lance's sibling's charming smile didn't fool Helena for one instant. The small woman gave him her most charming smile, though she knew he saw right through her facade. His dimpled cheeks and harmless grin could not hide the look of worry and calculated caution in his eyes. He feared her. Or, at least, had a respect for her similar to fear. His call to make Lenore Lance's bodyguard only cemented that as fact.

Speaking of Lenore... the dark-haired beauty turned to face the large woman, her sweet smile plastered on her face effortlessly. Instantly, Helena thought of several ways she could possibly take down or escape the bodyguard if she needed to, using Lenore's power against her. And yet, the polite look on Helena's face didn't move. It paid, sometimes, to be able to keep her composure. And the mention of Psychic-type Pokemon...

Great. Now I'll have to be careful around these freaks. She knew Psychics could communicate silently, effortlessly. Her own Alakazam was proof of that, even though she didn't use his power as often as some other Pokemon trainers would. Those Pokemon were nothing short of killing machines and assassins. Good thing Helena had Tonsiru, her Greninja, as a counter to that if she so needed him... Helena snapped to at the mention of 'rabble' by Lenore. She was certain the bodyguard was referring to her, but of course with these mind games, it was impolite to point out people's subtle plays. Helena narrowed her eyes slightly behind the blonde's back. Oh, she already hated that woman.

So instead of speaking to either of them at length, she merely concurred and agreed and exchanged simple pleasantries, even going so far as to take Lance's arm with a delicate touch.

"Lead away," she told him. The other two already knew she wasn't a simpleton, but it would be better to keep up the act. It wasn't good to show your hand; better they didn't know that she knew they'd noticed her killer instincts.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

For that quick moment, Hayes was winded from me hitting him in the throat. As he was gasping for air, he didn't pay attention to what was happening around him.

Oh snap, better fly out of there!

Snuff and Cyclone quickly cleared out of the way, and that was when the ceiling started coming down. Hayes caught his breath just in time before a nice chunk of concrete knocked him over and made his head the fleshy equivalent of mashed potatoes. More piles of crap came down, but thankfully it didn't bury the body too much.

I found out what happens when a person in Burst form dies. Didn't think about it until now, but it caused both the Pokémon and the human to be suddenly vaporized. The body of the Mega Krookodile disintegrated into nothing.

Somewhere in that crap heap, there was the Ancient Burst Heart. I dug around for it, trying to move as much junk out of the way as I could. I was definitely not leaving that behind for some other chump to find. I lost Ken and Luke and my Dragonite and Floatzel had the stuffing beaten out of them. Not to account for all the times I was a second away from getting tagged by the Grim Reaper.

And then I heard sirens. What the hell, now the cops arrive? I looked up and yep, three police choppers heading to the expo. Crap, if I tried to flee by the boat, they were going to see it and give me more hell over it.

"Come on, come on," I grumbled, trying to find the darn Ancient Burst Heart by shifting through as many rubble piles as quickly as I could. "Where the hell is it?"

Try that pile over there.

I did, but no dice. Meanwhile, the choppers were starting to land. I estimated I only had about three minutes to find this thing before they had me surrounded. I then just started to pick stuff up and throw it aside, letting me know what was already searched and what wasn't.

"WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED, THROW YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND SURRENDER!"

I looked up to take a peek and damn, these guys sure were fast at getting mobilized. Given, all this destruction wasn't my fault... most of it anyway, but these guys wouldn't know that. Last thing I wanted was to turn myself if. Crap, if they figured out who I was, I'd spend eons in the slammer.

And that's when I found it. I grabbed the gem and took a quick look at it. Yep, this was definitely no ordinary ruby or that kind of gem. It made a regular run of the mill Burst Heart look like cheap glass.

And that was exactly when the cops breached the building. Well, time to have a little fun with these losers.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

The computer system was, well, at the moment, a little technical. Yarvick was probably a little confused by it, but hey, we could easily make this user friendly when we got the time!

"I see... You're definitely talented," Yarvick told me, being ultra nice! "Most of this would have just flown over my head. I'm not a prodigy at computers, I'm just an expert, and that's all I've got for standout education, other than being really good at taking things."

"Ah, no worries, dude!" I encouraged him. "We'll make this whole configuration thing easier. Once we've gone over it, it'll be so easy a caveman can do it!"

Now where have I heard that before...?

But shortly after that, Yarvick went through configuring his mutagen. He really did a lot of playing around with it! I couldn't help but think yeah, you could play around with this thing all day long and still have quite a fun time! Eventually, he was set on using Greninja as a base with some Ninetales, Smeargle, Ampibom mixed in as well, but before he got to finish it, we got another visitor!

And I found out it was that Yantil Massadar dude. Ah man, I knew he was going to tell Tiantus about this if he saw it. Ah well, better to just play along with it and introduce him to this crazy concoction I made up!

"...Janine?" He asked, wondering if the big, fluffy Lopunny was really me.

"Oh, hey dude!" I waved to him, just playing it casual.

"Yes, that's Janine," Yarvick told him. "I saw a mutated Lopunny in here, decided to investigate, turns out it was her, she's testing out a mutagen, and this is the result of really pushing it. Really interesting stuff going on with that, but, I assume you're here to talk about the virus?"

"...Yes, yes, the proto-Deoxys Virus investigation, yes," Yantil told him.

Proto-Deoxys Virus? Dang, I must have been cooped up in here for a while now. I hadn't heard a thing about that and I couldn't help but say I was curious now. In the meantime, Yantil kept looking at me, totally baffled. Ha, ha! Awesome, I had to try to get him in on this stuff too!

"The virus is...Non-responsive to any singular stimuli," Yantil told Yarvic. "All attempts thus far have failed. We believe that multiple stimuli were involved instead, but more on that later. The conditions of the host are worsening, considerably, and Titanus had to do some quick surgery to prevent his death, in fact."

"...What?!" Yarvick said in a panic.

"Relax, I assure you that the Alakazam is still alive," Yantil quickly assured Yarvick. "Not well at all, of course, but alive. The surgery went off without a hitch. As it happened, we discarded our old theory on how Deoxys mutated, and came up with a second one: the virus is not just trying to reproduce in there, the Proto-Deoxys Virus is attempting to do some sort of mutation to the host to turn it into something else entirely. It's quite in the nature of a virus to do that, actually, but not on this scale, veins were snapping and trying to rearrange themselves, organs were shifting. It was...I'll leave out the details. The Alakazam is still alive, though, due to quick reaction. However, we cannot save it once the major organs start attempting to resize themselves."

Ouch, wow, that sure sounded pretty serious! I didn't have all the details about the research, but yeah, didn't take a scientist to figure out stuff like "veins snapping" and "organs shifting" was probably bad news! I mean... well, I was kind of doing the same thing, but at least my way of mutating things was a little bit more user-friendly!

"In any case, we're now also theorizing that it is not a case of IF we can mutate it, but rather WHAT we can mutate it into...And if we can do it in any timely manner," Yantil continued. "It's harder than it looks, Deoxys is...Well, all known DNA samples are currently under tight government regulation, to prevent ANY sort of attempts at mutation or the like. In other words, the only way to reliably recreate Deoxys is to, naturally, recreate the environment. This is incredibly difficult, but possible with our assets on-board. The Aurora Borealis, the extremely cold temperatures, the Spring Equinox, a colony of Starmie in mating season...Deoxys was born in some very complex conditions, to say the least. But again, we're trying to replicate them to the best of our ability, and it's not as hard as it seems."

"Thanks for the update, doctor..." Yarvick replied. "I'd rather stick around here and be of some service to Angel here than just sit around, if that's not a problem."

"Certainly not," Yantil replied. "Volunteers are a hot commodity in these labs, to be honest...I'll leave you two at it."

Boy, was he right about that one! Do you know how few people ever willingly walk into my lab? Geez, I don't bite, people! And I didn't booby trap the place either! But in the meantime, Yantil simply left, still shooting glances at me. Wasn't sure if he was spooked or wanted to give this a try himself!

"...So, yeah, want to hear the story behind how I'm involved in all of that?" Yarvick asked me. "It's rather on the long side of things."

"I... think I have a pretty good idea already," I told him, figuring as much. "Trying to recreate Deoxys... definitely sounds like tricky business!"

I wasn't sure what process Tiantus and Yantil were using, but hey, he had the best guys working on it! As for what Yarvick planned on using Deoxys for... I didn't have a clue. Not really the cutest companion anyone could ever hope to have, but I supposed he might be a handy guy to have around in some cases!

As for the mutagen form that Yarvick was working on, I felt like putting in my own recommendations, but then I kind of realized they probably wouldn't be his style. Nah, he really did seem to be going for the cuter Pokémon, but hey, if he ever asked, I knew just how to respond!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

"I... think I have a pretty good idea already," Janine told Yarvick. "Trying to recreate Deoxys... definitely sounds like tricky business!"

Yarvick felt like she was really misinformed of the whole story, but he didn't bother trying to correct her. That was grisly business with minimal payoff. MEND was truly incredible, but losing Hyperion would be more than a fair tradeoff for the deal...Unless extraordinary circumstances were in play, or Titanus didn't have too much common sense to NOT give someone he didn't trust with a hyper-destructive Pokemon. Even if Hyperion remembered...It would be REALLY tough to get him back for good. He understood exactly what donating the Pokemon to Titanus meant-Titanus would be keeping it if he could.

To be fair, If Yarvick and Titanus switched roles, Yarvick wouldn't give Titanus Deoxys either, and would tell him that MEND was more than adequate compensation in exchange for an Alakazam that was dying.

Yarvick focused back on his plans for his mutagen. He thought of levitating Pokemon. Flapping wings were not very silent and it was a lot of movement, levitation was not. That being said, it was mostly impractical except for getaways. Most guards DID have the common sense to look up and around, as it turned out...He still considered it heavily though. Getaways were going to be harder without the immediate teleportation Hyperion could provide.

...He then thought back to Gengar and Weavile. Eight was stretching it, apparently, so six might still be a bit dangerous...But it was still a good idea to shove a few extra bits in there if he could. He incorporated the claws and darker fur of a Weavile-the result turned the Chimera's fur to a much darker yellow. That was good; absolute black was noticeable even in total darkness. As for Gengar, he just slapped on the spiky backside. He was not ENTIRELY sure if he could levitate with that, but he knew those spikes were poisonous as hell. Even if people bypassed the tails, they had toxins to contend with if they wanted a backstab on Yarvick.

All seemed good...Yeah, that would be it for now. Six. It may have still been pushing it...He hit the confirm button, and the machine whizzed to life, creating another Mutagen. This one was a clear liquid, encased in a needle. He could probably fill his pocket with four of them-counting the reversal vaccine, this meant two transformations of a Chimera per pocket.

Dear lord, he hated needles with a passion as a kid, but he got over it...Somewhat. He'd have to shoot himself with the liquid in the field if he wanted-or needed-to use it that way.

He found an appropriate vein to jab himself in, hesitated greatly, then injected the needle and pushed on the plunger. Once all the Liquid was gone, he almost immediately took it out and stood as far as he could from the lab apparatus and Janine.

...Nothing happened initially...Then, he could hear quite a grizzly noise as most of his body started to shift. The sound of bones and organs harmlessly resizing themselves in his body was a nauseating one. It also reminded him quite sharply of Hyperion and what he was going through, but in his case, it didn't seem to hurt Yarvick at least. He kept his eyes firmly shut-he did NOT want to see it as it worked its magic. However, he could feel something grow on his back, things bulging out just atop his rear-likely the tails-he could feel his arms and legs shift into something else, feel webbing grow in his toes and arms, feel the body narrow and shift. His clothes became mostly useless. It also got a great deal hotter in the room-fur meant for the icy temperatures of northern Sinnoh meeting common room teperature. Perhaps the most gross aspect was his tongue suddenly grew far longer, practically shooting out of his mouth. As soon as he got control of his body, he almost instinctively wrapped it around his neck, quite like an actual Greninja.

Then he actually bothered to look at himself.

To his honest surprise, he kind of looked like a black Lucario with Anorexia, except he hadn't been under-eating at all. His fur was a very dark, golden color, hard to tell when dark. His three-finger one-thumb hands on his arms had retractable claws spring from them with a flex, and between them was webbing to swim with. The webbing was loose enough that it did not interfere all that much with his digits moving, though he would have to stretch his fingers out as far as possible from one another to swim effectively with them. Most of the fancy stuff, though, was on the backside: The tails were fully functioning, able to extent forwards about as far as Yarvick's regular arms. Looking at the three-digit tails, Yarvick noticed that there was a small well in the center of each tail-palm for 9 different varieties of pigment: one tail-hand for each color of the rainbow, as well as black and brown. that being said, most of the colors were very darkened. He avoided touching Janine with them at all costs, though, he remembered the tails were as cursed as all hell, and he knew no cures for magic crud like that. He could also feel the backside spikes of a Gengar. He didn't really know why he threw that in-it was very unlikely he could have merged into shadows without having Gengar as the base instead of Greninja, and it would be a gamble to see if he could float, but that wasn't too important.

Checking a nearby scale, Yarvick's weight had decreased to around eighty-five pounds and his height sat at five feet exactly.. He had gotten shorter by a whole half-foot. He really didn't pick Pokemon known to be tall, of course, so no surprises on his part.

"...Well, it's worked!" Yarvick exclaimed. Apparently Greninja could speak with most of their tongue hanging out like a scarf. He was happy to know he didn't feel any bit sick or dizzy. "I'm going to have to get used to this if I'm going to really use this form in the field...Thought of my primary job of a full-time Klepto, thought of things that might work with it...And the Smeargle-Ampibom-Ninetales combo...I thought of that one pretty quickly and that one was too good not to use...I don't look too bad, do I?" Yarvick asked.

Yarvick had full intention to exploit the ever-living s**t out of these tails as much as possible in any CQC situation he found himself in. The powers of smeargle also meant he could copy techniques-ANY techniques-he desired. Even the kinds of things reserved for legends (granted, they were still always going to be stronger than him). He then thought of how cheap it would be if, on top of all of that, the pigment JUST so happened to also carry the curse as well as the the tails-pigment traps suddenly paralyzing or muting people would be hilariously cruel. But, that was probably not the case...But, then again, this was magic he was dealing with. It would be hard to tell, so he would treat it carefully in case it was. He wasn't even sure which tail and pigment did what, if that WERE the case.

At this point, between the two of them, there wasn't much space left in the room itself to move around in.

"...So...I guess we ought to see if the, Um, thing that reverses the Chimera process works for me, right? I think this is completely brilliant, don't get me wrong, I'd just rather train myself in getting used to this form somewhere where I won't accidentally knock anything fragile over," Yarvick said. "That, and we're kind of running out of room in here..."

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
La Chevalier, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

Makoto still had not replied to his text. Tyrus Hale had just finished assuring Noron Whitehall via text that Makoto had indeed heard about the hold-up at Evergrande.

The bloated pirate of an Aqua Captain raised his gun and shot into the air violently. "This is an old fashioned stick-up. It's pretty simple, you give us your cash and your valuables, we kidnaps a few of you as hostages. Whitehall had to laugh to himself. I'd just be giving money back to myself, he thought as he undid his Rolex watch and put it in as alms for Aqua's collections sack. He then fired a devilish smile off at Mitzi, whom was forced to remove her opulent diamond necklace and put it into Captain Marston's sack. Whitehall whispered, "Looks like I get that necklace back now."

"You bastard, you really did set this up to get at me!" Mitzi shrieked at Whitehall. Marston heard the exclamation and returned to the couple-in-name-only on the balcony.

"This yours?" he asked Whitehall, thoroughly objectifying Mitzi. Whitehall was amused because he knew that this would get on her nerves. The fat Aqua growled at Mitzi sexually and said, "Not bad. Mind if I take a spin?"

Norb Whitehall so badly wanted to scream to the heavens, Please, take her out of my sight! but was too wary of the nearby cameras to do so. Often, thing that felt good to say and the thing to say that got you what you wanted were wildly different. He was also going to have to think of something to quell the accusation from his wife that he set up Aqua's hit. He ultimately decided that actions would speak louder than words. He belted Captain Marston across the face, completely breaking his fist and Marston's nose in the process. Marston was completely taken aback: he was not at all expecting Whitehall to stand up to him like that. Likewise, the only reason Whitehall felt at all comfortable hitting the Captain was because he was fairly certain there would be no consequences.

Marston screeched obscenities at the Senior Representative while holding his bloodied nose in the air. He then informed the politician, "I'm going to rape your wife bloody now and you're going to ****ing watch. Boz! Hold this bastard down." Another soldier came up behind Whitehall and put the aged man into a full nelson. Any time now, Raidon...

Just as Marston began to unzip, Secretary of War Bron Krad leaped from his table wielding only a dinner knife and stabbed Marston in the back, straight through a lung. Marston gasped for air through his mouth, but was only barely able to keep conscious with one lung. Krad twisted the knife, sending waves of pain through the Captain's body. Boz let go of Whitehall and shot Krad point blank in the head. Whitehall turned around and slammed Boz's head into a nearby railing. Several other Aqua's homed in on the scene. Marston croaked shortly afterwards.

"You're going to regret that, buddy," one of the Aqua soldiers chided him. "You thought he was bad... You'll be rotting in a cell on the Deathwing for the rest of your life. I can't wait to see what Raidon does to you."

Whitehall couldn't contain his laughter anymore. Condescendingly, he told the soldier, "That's adorable." Almost as if it was on cue, a grenade rolled into the banquet hall and exploded at the mob of Aqua soldiers' feet. Whitehall looked towards the entrance and saw Captain Reg Lando leading a squad of Aquas on a rescue mission. Well well, Raidon, looks like you've delivered.

[bronislav84]

(Small post to ease back in is quite small)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: I think nobody

I kept thinking back to the words I said to Neo when I last saw him. "We're chasing a lead." Chasing as in we had to leave immediately. Yea, that didn't quite happen. We ended up staying at base for a good while. Felt like a couple of days actually. Dan needed access to good computer software and hardware, while the rest of us went to the training dojo. Between meals and sleeping, we would just fight each other into exhaustion. It was a good workout and something to do. I also had time to draw up some mechanical items I might want built. But finally Dan called us together.

"Are we going somewhere finally? I'm tired of staying at base doing basically nothing." I said to him, crossing my arms under my chest and sighing.

"I've followed the trail of breadcrumbs online and hacked into more databases than I could count, but I've finally found some places that might be of interest on our mission to help Aqua." Explained Dan, pulling out his laptop with all the data downloaded and showing us a map of the points clearly marked.

"Do I get to break stuff?" Asked Scar with a grin as the burly man bent down to study the map, scratched his head, and turned away confused but continued to listen. That stuff wasn't his area of expertise.

"We're going to be world traveling, so maybe." Continued Dan as he showed us the map again. "Might be better off if I just tell you guys where we're going each time?"

"I'm good with that. So where's the first location? We can grab a Hellcat chopper." I said, already heading down the corridors of the ship to get to the deck with the others following.

"Our first stop is Saffron in Kanto, but we'll be arriving in Vermillion first." He nodded to Scar who had by now turned back around. "Scar I trust you have our Police outfits?" Scar nodded a yes, grumbling that he had way more than that in the duffel bag.

"And what are we looking for exactly?" I asked as we filed into an unused chopper. The team had tons of these going back and forth and being used, so us using one was completely normal. I did wonder when the ship would be used though.

"You have to ask? More Burst Hearts of course. Like I originally told you and you told Neo, we're following a lead." Continued Dan as everybody strapped in and I started the Hellcat on it's flight path. It was really easy for me to understand the controls, and I pretty much didn't need to move the stick. The autopilot did most of the work. It was almost tragic how easy this thing was to pilot. The new built in cloaking device would mean that we could store it and not have anybody find the thing.

The chopper lifted off, heading to Kanto with us five on board.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: All aboard the Deathwing

Without any warning, the lights in the room suddenly shut down, as all but the emergency lighting came aboard. He could hear something incredibly loud going on in the room over-the main lab. It sounded like some very powerful machines were being used in there...This concerned him, greatly.

"Sorry, I'll be right back...I think this may concern me." Yarvick said, as calmly as possible.

Yarvick's sight in the darkness was not at all altered by his transformation. He hadn't bothered to grab the EYES of a Weavile, an idea which didn't strike him, just the claws and fur. Nevertheless, the emergency lights were bright enough that Yarvick could, in fact, grab the door and head on out-and mercifully, his slim frame allowed him to exit without much trouble, he just had to manipulate the tails a bit.

Almost the instant he left the room, Yantil rushed back to the door. The duo could see each other perfectly clear-and it was clear as day that Yantil's eyes popped out even further from his head from gazing at Yarvick than from looking at Janine. "Y-y-Yarvick?!"

"Yes, I'm fine! What's happening?" Yarvick responded, trying to keep as calm as possible.

"Y-y-y-Yarvick?!!?" Yantil said, more panicked, unable to hear at all due to that insane noise.

"YES I'M FINE! WHAT THE F*** IS HAPPENING, YANTIL?!" Yarvick yelled, much louder to compensate.

"Holy Arceus, this is a lot to deal with in a day...Uhh, we got it assembled and we're trying to mutate it now! We assembed some Starmie and got them to create the kind of wavelengths we use when mating, and make sure those wavelengths were caught while exposing the Proto-Deoxys Virus to an electromagnetic field, which caused the virus to finally react and mutate! Of course, this was just a sample! What's going on now is the full-size version of that! We had to use a LOT more energy than we planned, though!"

Yarvick just rushed back to the main lab and looked through the window while Yantil was uselessly running his mouth. Whatever the hell they were using was beyond him completely, but it looked like a complicated setup designed to do exactly what Yantil said it would. It was a process that he did NOT at all understand. However, the machine itself kind of reminded him of an MRI-as of current, all he could see of Hyperion was his very stiff feet. They were strapped to the operating table, and Yarvick could tell that now, instead of being as stiff as a tree, Hyperion's body was now attempting to have some severe spasms, thrashing to get free. His coloration was a very blotchy mix of red and white, from what little he could see.

"Dear Arceus that is absolutely disgusting." Yarvick said.

"I cannot hear you!" Yantil said. He seemed to naturally catch on to not touch the nine tails. Or maybe he was just absolutely scared s**tless of the Chimera form, too much to come close. He didn't exactly choose non-threatening Pokemon for his combo.

"DEAR ARCEUS THAT IS ABSOLUTELY F***ING DISGUISTING!!!" Yarvick yelled. "THAT IS WHAT I SAID!!!"

"Thank you!" Yantil exclaimed. "Tiantus wants you inside, says he wants to make sure if the new Deoxys has any memories!" He added, opening the door.

Yarvick rushed inside. The noise was almost deafening inside, and Tiantus was standing in the middle of all the noise as if it was a simple tuesday for him-until Yarvick entered. "What the...What the actual f*** is THAT?!" He said, briefly losing his normally iron-hard composure.

"I ASSURE YOU, SIR, THIS IS YARVICK!" Yantil yelled, pointing at Yarvick "JANINE! HE VOLUNTEERED!"

His face hardened again, resuming composure, like he almost expected something of this nature. "I'll get a better report from her after we're done with this!" Tiantus said.

"SIR?! I CANNOT HEAR YOU!!" Yantil yelled.

"I'LL GET A BETTER REPORT AFTER WE ARE DONE WITH MUTATING DEOXYS!!!" Tiantus yelled back.

Yarvick noticed Hyperion's thrashing get far worse in the machine, while the duo yelled back. It almost seemed like the thrashing would start damaging the binds somewhat-they were fabric, but the tough kind that made for seatbelts. Alakazam were not known for their ability to attack with their actual bodies. They used their brains and crazy powers instead.

Then one of the binds was actually ripped off, as the culprit left leg now turned completely bright red. "Um, WHAT THE F***?!" Yarvick yelled, pointing at the now-loose leg.

"Huh...Yes! It's working! " Tiantus exclaimed, now taking a marked interest in the leg, even as it began to move about even more erratically without the binds to restrain it. It seemed to lose form as a 3-toed creature with a large foot, shrinking down into a single point, as the mass that was formerly the leg now seemed to...Slide, up the leg, like some kind of gooey liquid.

It was as gross as all hell.

Tiantus had a smirk on his face, reminded of his incredible genius, already marking it as another success. Yantil was mostly just a little panicked by all the loud noise, but was also able to stay relatively calm about it all. Yarvick could NOT stand the sight of the slithering bio-mass and, finding the nearest bin, promptly spilled his guts. It was doubly as bad as a Chimera which included Greninja's tongue, as he felt the incredibly gross taste of stomach acid on his tongue as he spat. He also spat out some water, actual water, as well, though that did not even remotely help. He did NOT want to see the remaining transformation, he did NOT, if only a small part of it was that absolutely puke-inducing...And yet, some incredible bile fascination urged him to look anyways, the kind that made absolutely disgusting and disturbing horror movies good to watch. His sudden sickness won out in the end, forcing his head down for a while. However, he could still hear-he heard another bind breaking, and another, and the final one, with rapid succession.

"Oh, s**t." Tiantus said. "GET OUT! HE'S GOING TO DESTROY IT!"

Uh-oh.

Yarvick, despite having several genes of very fast Pokemon, had the large issue of currently barfing rooting him to the spot while the gag reflex took care of business. In the meanwhile, Tiantus and Yantil rushed out of the door and into the main hallway. Yarvick only managed to get to the door.

And that's when the issue of a mid-transformation Deoxys destroying a rather heavy piece of machinery became a blatant issue. Yarvick's frail body was suddenly and brutally thrust to a wall by a large piece of metal, splattering his pile of stomach acid and half-digested lunch over a wall. He was not unconscious, still alive, and notably the insanely loud noise stopped, leaving a sharp ringing in his ears. His back half was trapped under the fairly heavy part, and his tails seemed to not really help much. Not much muscle, even united. Curses! He could feel MEND working it's beautiful magic back there, but it was still slow and only diluted the pain rather than fully remove it-and the machine part that pinned him down was fairly hot as well. Not burning hot, thankfully, but it was making him sweat from heat.

And, of course, the biggest problem; he was trapped in a room with a newborn Deoxys. That thing was one of the last Pokemon to EVER piss off, and he did NOT know how it would react. He was panicking, severely now. This was looking incredibly bad...Kind of. He couldn't even see what was happening. All he knew is that the machine was torn to pieces, and that it probably had to do with Deoxys.

He didn't know what Hyperion would think of his alteration into Deoxys. That was either a blessing to him, or a massive curse. If it was the latter, Yarvick was a dead man. This assumed Hyperion still remembered Yarvick at all, or that it was even Hyperion thinking in there. But, really, he wasn't banking on a peaceful Deoxys in there. It TORE the machine to pieces.

Yarvick took some calm in the fact that he was knocked to a dark portion of the room, that main power had NOT been restored yet, and that his newly-bestowed dark fur meant he blended in well. Perhaps Deoxys wouldn't see him? Perhaps Deoxys would leave him be? He took a quiet, but deep breath.

As if to spite Yarvick, his bad luck came back with a mighty vengance, and the main power came back on as he exhaled. He wasn't sure how much of him was covered by the machine part, but he feared it was probably not enough. Yarvick was now sweating out of stress.

Maybe he'd luck out here?

Nope.

Yarvick was grabbed by a hand, a hand with a texture that was simultaneously like human skin and thick slime. The odd feeling did not detract it's power, and Yarvick was yanked out from beneath the machine piece like a ragdoll, and brought face-to-face with the new Deoxys.

It had no facial muscles to speak of. No eyelids, no noses, no mouths, no ears, none of that. Just two angry-looking eyes, face-to-face with Yarvick, who he held with a single hand, the other hand at his side...Untangling into two tentacles, from what Yarvick could comprehend of the motion. If he would have dared to turn his head enough to see behind him, Yantil and Tiantus were in plain sight from the window of the door, watching, and at least two Pokemon from each side were now out and ready for action.

"Yarrrrrr...vick." Deoxys thought to Yarvick. It sounded of nothing other than a voiceless whisper in his mind. He couldn't tell any emotion from it, no hate, no love, no friendlyness, no sorrow, nothing. It was impossible. It was merely Deoxys saying Yarvick's name. But, he either remembered enough to know it in some manner, or he decided to read his mind for the information. Either way, he knew exactly what he was, he probably knew what he did to it, and now had completely uncontested reign to do anything to Yarvick.

Anything.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

I thought I was all set to deal with the fuzz and then only a few seconds after grabbing that Ancient Burst Heart, I heard something that was just... disturbing.

{Yes... yes... bring on the suffering!!!}

I couldn't help but blink twice. I looked around but no dice, I couldn't see who or what pray tell was saying that.

{Think you can last longer with this than the previous owner!? Let's see how long you live until someone else kills you for it! Mah, ha, ha, ha, ha!}

Seriously? No one was going to kill me. Whoever this punk was, I really wanted to see them try.

I had recalled Snuff the Dragonite and Cyclone the Floatzel back to their Pokéballs. After that fight with Hayes, they looked somewhere between half-dead and raw hamburger. After that, the Burst effect with Speedy the Emolga wore off, and we had to separate. He went back to his Pokéball and I was left having to deal with the fuzz. Whether these chumps would recognize me from the time I stole the Entourage and framed Orre, I wasn't really sure, but I didn't feel like testing my luck.

In fact, it was better to give this Ancient Burst Heart thing a try. I had to get back to the speedboat one way, and I knew of only one real way to get them all to buzz off really fast. I grasped the Ancient Burst Heart, and performed a Burst with Smoky the Skuntank.

Bursting was one thing, but becoming a Mega Evolution of a Pokémon was something totally different. In the end, I was turned into a hulking, 6'8" Mega Skuntank, standing bipedal now with a gigantic skunk tail almost as big as the rest of my body, lots of white and purple fur, a wild batch of furry hair, and a whole lot of fat. Now I knew what it felt like to have suddenly eaten ten thousand burritos. Considering the outright disgusting level of power I could feel in this form, a Mega Skuntank was one hulking behemoth of stinky anarchy.

As the loser cops rolled on in quickly, I was going to make sure they fled for the hills even faster. I took a deep breath, and tried to flood the expo with as much disgusting gas as I could in one, massive, monumental fart. It wasn't just loud, it was explosive and disgusting even for my standards. Now, most farts can't actually be seen, so when you have one that's actually a putrid green-black color that rapidly decolorizes the air everywhere like an apocalypse pea-soup smog, you know it's epically bad.

Any cops that got close risked getting sprayed by my lovely concoction of skunk juice and were at gassy ground zero, which most of them couldn't even bear for a fraction of a second. And I kept rolling on the stink for as long and as hard as I could, and I could see with amusement that even the SWAT teams with their gas masks couldn't fight against it.

"D-damn it, let's get the hell outta here!" One of them shouted, holding his breath while gagging.

Man, this was just too amusing. I decidedly to casually waddle toward the speedboat, and not a damn thing was going to even go near me. I had to keep this in mind if I ever wanted some alone time, har har har.

They see me rollin'. They hatin'.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

I simply watched as Yarvick went on letting his imagination loose on the machine. A little bit of Gengar there, little Weavile there... wasn't quite sure what he planned on doing, but hey, it was cool to watch the surprise! When he finally conjured up the form, he pulled out the mutagen, and... I can say I was honestly surprised when he jabbed himself with it. For once, I actually managed to find a willing volunteer! And they just happened to come to me instead of the other way around!

Given, the darkish Lucario look was... not really my thing and I probably would have recommended something else, but hey, it seemed to work for him! With nine hand tails covering every color of the rainbow, it was crazy! He wouldn't need a paint set ever again! Totally cool and weird at the same time! So in the end, Yarvick had become a Greninja/Gengar/Weavile/Smeargle/Ampibom/Ninetales dude! Again, the mutagen worked without mishaps! Bingo!

"...Well, it worked!" Yarvick exclaimed.

"Yes, we've got a winner!" I shouted, overjoyed this mutagen was actually now working totally the way it was supposed to!

"I'm going to have to get used to this if I'm going to really use this form in the field..." Yarvick told me. "Thought of my primary job of a full-time Klepto, thought of things that might work with it...And the Smeargle-Ampibom-Ninetales combo...I thought of that one pretty quickly and that one was too good not to use...I don't look too bad, do I?"

"Duudde, you look great!" I told him. "I mean, I personally would have probably added a lot more cute and cuddly into that, but hey, whatever works for you is great!"

Still, at the moment, the room was getting a little cramped with the both of us in here. I knew I probably should get working on another reversal agent, just so I could actually get out of this room. I mean, I really loved this cozy, fluffy angel bunny look, but I was essentially stuck in here unless I managed to undo it... or they pulled half of the Deathwing apart!

"...So... I guess we ought to see if the... um... thing that reverse the Chimera process works for me, right?" Yarvick asked. " I think this is completely brilliant, don't get me wrong, I'd just rather train myself in getting used to this form somewhere where I won't accidentally knock anything fragile over. That, and we're kind of running out of room in here..."

"Yeah, no kidding!" I nearly laughed. "It's not too complicated, trust me. Thanks for doing a double-check to make sure this thing was working! You're a great assistant, Yarvick!"

And then, suddenly, the lights went out. Oh crap. The emergency lights suddenly went on, but still, the lighting was very dim and it was just enough to only slightly make sure you didn't bump your head on something.

"Sorry, I'll be right back..." Yarvick told me calmly. "I think this may concern me."

And then, he went out the door. Unlike me, he managed to fit through just enough, but as I got close to the door, yeah, there was NO WAY I was fitting my colossal fluffy bunny butt through that door. I only just managed to see Yarvick run down the hall before he went toward the surgical wing.

I was just about to shrug and make that reversal agent for myself when suddenly... I noticed the computer was now off. Oh boy. If the power to this place never came back on, I'd be stuck like this! In this tiny little room!

I heard Yarvick and that Yantil guy shouting something down the hall, but I wasn't sure what it was about. You know, making more than one reversal agent... that might be a great idea to keep in mind for when the power came back on, because as this showed... you never know!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga.

Yarvick only saw one way out of this-shove the 9 cursed hand tails into his face. However, he figured Deoxys may have had a way around this-just restraining him psionically could work. As it stood, he had done nothing, not yet. He was incredibly intimidated by that face. With a grand total of zero facial muscles, not even eyelids, it was just a permanent, hard gaze, and Deoxys kept a dead eye lock on Yarvick.

"Why...?" Deoxys questioned.

"It was either turn you into a space alien or slowly watch you die. Tiantus said you probably wouldn't remember, too, but you try picking next time and see how easy it is." Yarvick thought.

Deoxys did absolutely nothing. No lessening or tightening of grip, no movement whatsoever. Just, nothing. He didn't even twitch. Honestly, that he kept THAT still was creepy as all hell. Yarvick could NOT tell what Deoxys was thinking at any given moment. There weren't even hints.

"Pain..." Deoxys thought.

"It was going to hurt either way," Yarvick shot back.

"Intense pain..." Deoxys clarified.

"Look, I'm sorry, but, um...Think of it as a vaccination. It hurts, but it makes you feel better! It really hurt, but you're stronger now, a lot, and you're still the same Pokemon, that's really good, right?"

Deoxys did not respond.

"Right...?"

"...My body is strong, much stronger...My mind is...Weaker...I feel so uncomfortable, so...Wrong...I do not like it, Yarvick..." Deoxys said.

"...Is that seriously it?! You're just being fussy over the fact you're not-"

Deoxys gripped Yarvick much tighter. Almost lethally tight, in fact. If he held down any tighter he'd probably break a whole ribcage and crush his organs.

"...I'm eventually going to be old as all hell someday and all of my old skills and fast thinking are going to be thrown out of a window. This kind of c**p happens, and when it happens to me I'm not going to be happy about it either," Yarvick said.

"My kind...My previous kind...Did not do that." Deoxys said. "My previous kind kept their intelligence until they died..."

"So, you'd rather die than be mother-effing Deoxys, something Mewtwo would think twice about crossing, because you want to keep smart as you died? Didn't know you were petty like that."

Deoxys-or rather, Hyperion, he had to remember that-did not respond in any way whatsoever. MEND tried to repair the damage to Yarvick's body while they just floated there, eye-to-eye.

"You kept me alive for a few years now, I tried to repay the favor. Was I wrong for trying to save a friend?" Yarvick asked.

Absolute silence, not a twitch or a word, and even the breath Yarvick breathed didn't seem to make sound. Then...

"...Good point..."

Deoxys loosened his grip a little, but did not release Yarvick. A good sign.

"...Promise me something..."

"What, Hyperion?"

"...You will change me back someday...When it is safe to...Promise me that much..." Hyperion thought. "I know what you've been doing back there, with Angel...It is possible."

"...OK then...Yeah, I promise you. If you really want to, anyways." Yarvick thought.

Hyperion seemed satisifed, but he did NOT stop holding Yarvick. Finally stopping the huge stare-down, his eyes moved to the window on the door.

"...Tiantus...He does not like this..." Hyperion thought.Yarvick couldn't see behind him

"He's smart enough to realize what will happen when he crosses you. He can't take it out on you in any way right now, he'll know who will win in the end. He'll probably try to just keep us in tighter...To be fair, if we swapped shoes I wouldn't trust him with you either."

"Of course...He will want to run his tests on me," Hyperion thought. "I can forsee him forcing you to join Aqua as an actual member, meanwhile..."

"It will all work out in the end, I suppose. Just the required complication." Yarvick thought.

"Of course." Hyperion thought.

And with that, Hyperion's powerful arm finally let go of Yarvick's chest, letting him drop to the ground. With a thought, the metal pieces were shoved into a corner of the room, including the one blocking the door. Yarvick opened it.

Tiantus and Yantil were standing in the hallway, equally distant from the door and by extension Hyperion, but their body posture told two completely different emotions. Tiantus was slightly frowning, but was otherwise his incredibly calm, incredibly smart self. Yantil, on the other hand, was shaking like a twig, eyes ready to fall right out of his head, sweating like he just ran a marathon. The duo were protected by a group of 4 Starmie. 2 other Starmie were also a small ways away, guarding what looked like an egg. Considering the situation required, Yarvick assumed that the skunks would just give that to someone else.

Upon seeing Yarvick come out mostly OK, Yantil breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, dear Arceus, you're alive...Please, tell me Deoxys is not going to kill us! We did not expect such a violent reaction to it all!"

"He's alright, just needed some talking to on the situation is all," Yarvick said. He was kind of lucky that actually worked-though, he figured it was just that 'bond' between Pokemon that trainers always talked about that helped. "He's braced himself for the imminent testing, while I'm at it." He added.

"Good, I would be less than pleased if he was not willing to partake in some simple physiological tests and some DNA sampling..." Tiantus said, as calm as ever, but without any smugness in his voice. It was a clear sign he was not in a good mood.

"...Yarvick, I would like you to keep on-hand while I do this...There are certain concerns I must address. It is obvious that your Alakazam's mind is still in there, and it would be difficult to remove a Pokemon's attachment to its trainer...And to not be able to use a Legendary to benefit Aqua would be quite the shame...So, I will need you to prove you can, in fact, be trusted with it. It is incredibly powerful, after all...It would be a shame if it fell into the wrong hands...Do you understand?" Tiantus asked.

"Yes, sir. I fully understand your concerns and will be willing to do anything to...Um, allay them." Yarvick said, briefly stumbling over what word to use.

"Excellent. Yantil will fetch you when you're ready. In the meantime, go back to Janine and...Reverse that. I'm interested, but I have a great feeling that will interfere with your ability to burst, and I warn you, that will be...Important."

"Yes, sir." Yarvick said.

"...He wants us to be able to burst, for some reason...I can't exactly tell what he's going to do to test you, Yarvick...It could be anything. I am perfectly capable of any task we need to do without needing to burst, so why he would need us to is concerning..." Hyperion thought to Yarvick.

"Whatever it is, we just have to roll with it." Yarvick thought back.

"Of course."

Yarvick went back inside to Janine's office. "Sorry about that, just wrapping things up. It's all went OK! Hyperion, the new Deoxys, was a little...Er, concerned about everything, but I told him it would all work out. Titanus will do some physio-whatnot tests on Hyperion, then I just have to just ease his concerns a little...I'll need to turn back into a human now, though. He wants me able to burst. Don't know why just yet." Yarvick said.

[Grassy_Aggron]

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod General Hospital, Goldenrod City, Johto
Affecter RPers: None. This is getting redundant, yes.
Preparing a pretty pitiful post is a particularly powerful putdown.

Brushing open the door, Claressa was almost trampled by an overly eager orange blob of scales. They hugged her tightly, making her wince from the pressure and, with a heave, she managed to convince Dragon Barney to let go. Don't ask her why Dragonite, in the Pokedex, were classified as "brown" - she believed whoever had done the classifications had been colorblind, because Stark was very far from that color. There was very little she could do, however, so with a shrug she wandered over to the blender on the table, a lovely shade of blue that added a splash of color to the otherwise drab room. Apriblenders were great for trainers on the go, using the natural power of exercise to fuel their blades, but for home or the lazy bum who had a robot fetch their drinks, a normal kitchen blender with a reinforced blade did as good of a job. Better, actually, since you didn't have to wait bloody forever, running around like a nutcase to get a drink.

"HELLO NURSE!" She nearly cringed at the silky, oftentimes described as "ravishing", voice that was thrown her way. She ignored the pilot, instead plopping in one red, two yellow, and three blue apricorns. Pressing the button, it began to whir and grind the fruit together, before she finally decided to deal with the annoying pest that was staring at her back. At least, he better be staring at my back and not any lower if he knows what is good for him. Tony Shoatter, age fourty-eight and still stuck in his teenage years. He was out looking for love, and while he thinks he may have found it, she wasn't really convinced. Claressa was far too focused on her work to deal with a casanova with a hero's complex.

"Nuuuuurse~"

She turned around, sending him a sharp glare. "I am a doctor, not a nurse. The fact you disregard my credentials in favor of trying to sound cute really annoys me." Without hesitating, she picked up the clipboard and looked over his history. He was a fighter pilot, and his jet - he had named it Romeo as it liked to romance its opponents with a "fireworks display of passion" - had been shot down near Tohjo Falls by anti-air missiles set up by Kanto. He has safely ejected, but the resulting flames and shrapnel had riddled his back with plenty of wounds. Getting shot as he fled to safety didn't help much either, but thankfully it had only impacted the arm and had been easy to remove.

Granted, with Tony, you would have thought he had lost a leg the way he favored it and wailed about his appearance being ruined. He was, admittedly, handsome, with jet black hair and a masculine figure decked out in army gear. He was fond of boots anyway, as he had bought a nice pair of black leather boots for normal wear. Men and their boots, honestly. She wasn’t really aware of what else he wore outside of his uniform – she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask the obnoxious flirt, as he would no doubt see that as an invitation. Claressa didn’t do invitations; she dragged your butt where she wanted it to go regardless of complaints filed.

“So, here to give me my medicine?” No, but she would love to give him a tranquilizer. Picking up the top of the blender, she poured the liquid into two cups, handing one to Stark and the other to Tony. While the dragon appeared to greatly enjoy the batch, his trainer crinkled his nose. “Needs more sugar, darling.” Next time, Claressa decided, she was going to add a Spelon berry to the concoction for spite. This man was just grating on the nerves.

“How have you been feeling? The last test was a week and a half ago, and even though I utterly despise you, I need to make sure you are okay.” He reported nothing unusual, and the same went to Stark. The cold cut to the Burst Heart seemed to have greatly helped their bodies, and both were functioning correctly. Stark had taken to practicing his moves on the rooftop, trying to keep in tip top shape while his trainer recovered. It was apparent Tony could return to combat any time he wished, however, he was proving to be very useful with research.

Speaking of research… Pulling out a key and approaching the nightstand beside his bed, she unlocked it and removed a palm sized piece of glass. It was colored red, almost as if someone had taken the “heart” part literal, and honestly remained her of stained glass. In that regard, it was beautiful, and she examined it closely, barely making out the machinery inside. It was most certainly manufactured, but there was a lot more going on than just simple machinery. She wasn’t an engineer and couldn’t hope to figure it out, but there had to be something wrong.

And then she had the bright idea to shake it lightly.

There was a rather notable rattling sound as she did this, and she nearly dropped the device at that moment. Asking both Tony and Stark to listen, she repeated the motion, and they both agreed they could hear it. When asked what it meant, she simply stated that she believed it was a malfunctioning Burst Heart, but since she did not have a genuine article she could not be sure if the noise was normal or not. Considering it was a device with gadgets and junk on the inside, rattling was not something that should be heard.

“You made me use a malfunctioning device?” He was incredulous, to say the least.

She quickly held up a hand. “I didn’t know. I only realized it earlier today, as I was thinking about the results. I intend to get a genuine article…somehow…and test it that way. I would like to test it on someone else, since I can’t risk you and Stark anymore with the side effects. There is the chance…if you kept going…that you wouldn’t be able to come undone. As much as you annoy me and make me lose my mental stability, allowing a patient to slip into an unhealthy condition is against my policy.”

He grinned. “Well, glad to know you care about me.” She rolled her eyes, groaning. He was never going to change. Still, she had to find a way to get an actual Burst Heart. This meant a variety of things, but the difficulty would be to find one that was not manufactured. She might have to go to the one who created them in the first place, and in fact had an unsent email that had been sitting for quite some time, ready to be go on its epic internet voyage. She'd have to add on some details to it, but she had to consider the risks. The government was more than likely keeping a close eye on him, and if they read that email... Well, to put it bluntly, she might suddenly have a blade to her throat. They didn't exactly take well to research being done on their precious military items.

Everything is so complicated. Greed is such a pain in the gluteus maximus.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, En route to Kanto
Affected RPers: Nobody unless you can fly in the sky in the middle of nowhere

I woke up with a snort-like snore and felt like I'd been sleeping. I don't snore, so why did I wake up like I'd been snoring? I had slid halfway down in the pilot's chair and was actually about to fall off it, probably bumping my mouth against the control panel. The others were asleep too. Kinda weird. I didn't even know when I fell asleep. I checked the display and realized only a half hour had actually passed. We weren't even anywhere near Kanto, let alone Vermillion City. This might take a while.

I looked around the chopper, taking it all in because there really was nothing to do. There really wasn't much to it. Just gray metal walls, floor, and seats with straps for us. There was also a nailed down table for what I assumed to be briefings. The chopper control panel and joystick were in the front of the cockpit, with the chair I'd been using in front of it. Chair. A memory bubbled up to the surface. Another life. A happier life, when I was allowed to truly feel things. I looked as an observer, not even remembering what my parents looked like. I never saw them again after I went to school. Either they went on to do their job without me burdening them, or they died somewhere along the line.

Ekruteak City, years ago. A little girl was returning home from school on her birthday, when the phone rang. Her mom picked it up and was suddenly silent. "Yes sir...yes sir....yes sir. Don't worry, we'll explain it to her." Her mom hung up the phone and greeted the little girl with a warm smile. It was her birthday. Nothing goes wrong on your birthday, right? "Karai, we need to talk honey." Mother motioned the little girl to sit in a chair in the living room.

"What is it mom?" She looked at her mother, who was not making eye contact. "Dad?" The father also wasn't making eye contact. This confused the girl, but her mother pulled a small box from a bookcase shelf. She opened it and pulled out an antique coin.

"Do you know what this is?" The coin was tossed into her hands and she caught it. There was a snake engraved on the coin on one side with an H on the other side. The little girl shook her head no.

"This is the 'ticket' to your new life. A life our family is born into. A life you're destined to lead. You will learn much and become strong, but there is a price." Explained her father as the little girl examined the coin and even bit it. It was real gold.

"A price? What kind of price?" The little girl looked concerned, solemn. Confused even.

"You'll find out when you meet Madame Hebijo. Be strong. Know that we love you very much." Her mother hugged and kissed her as did her father.

The family left the apartment, never to return.

A memory. A different life. No. That's not me anymore. That hasn't been me in a long time. The squad woke up and I could now see the Kanto shoreline. We started to change into our Police outfits and masks.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Mossdeep Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

The trip back to the boat was an interesting one. Some of the cops tried to give going after me another go. One chopper came flying toward me, thinking they could use the awesome power of technology to try and gun me down. And then a sprayed them with a generous slathering of skunk juice.

One cop managed to shoot me twice, hitting me once in the shoulder and another time in my gut. It did hurt, but the actual amount of wounding was minimal. I gassed that bastard so hard I was certain his own family and police force would disown him. Then for good measure, I sprayed him to the point of being soaked in skunk juice, which lead to him puking and then passing out.

Lastly, the SWAT team decided to give it another go while the rest of the cops were withdrawing, having seen what happened to all the other cops that even came close. Sure, their gas masks would suppress some of the stink, but I knew those things had their limits. However, I knew in this form, a Mega Skuntank was quite monstrously obese, so I wasn't going to be able to make a sprint for the boat. Everyone who showed up was something I was going to need to fight back against, since there was no way I'd be able to run off with a massive lard gut like this.

"Open fire!" One of the squad leaders shouted.

I quickly tried to spray them as hard and as thoroughly as I could, starting with the ones that were the closest and were in bunches. Sure, the stink was effective, but it was actually the spray smothering their visors that proved to be the most effective. I decided to slather on the overkill. Even when it looked like they had enough, I sprayed on some more and they definitely decided they had it. They withdrew, and I knew from these chumps, the ride home wasn't going to be any less pleasant. Trying to get that smell out of their skin and clothing... heh, that might just be impossible.

In the end, the whole area around Mossdeep was smothered with a dark, foul-smelling smog and puddles of skunk juice were everywhere. A few cops that couldn't even stay conscious were laying about.

I decided to waddle my way back to the boat. Sure, taking off the Burst form might have been faster, but I wanted to be ready in case any stupid cop stragglers came on by. And then, I heard that voice again.

{I see you're enjoying yourself quite well, aren't you?}

"Piss off, whoever you are," I told that annoying voice.

I mean come on, finally I manage to find one of these things, and then this evil-sounding bastard comes along for the ride. Regardless, I simply found my way to the boat and managed to undo the Burst effect, as there was no way I'd be able to climb in there as a two and a half ton skunk Pokémon.

Once I started up the engine, I got rolling. Sure, I didn't get the cybernetics research, but I was sure this Ancient Burst Heart would be good for something. For now, I just focused on getting back to the Deathwing. I figured Raidon would want to know about this.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

I was beginning to think I'd be stuck in this tiny, little lab like this when suddenly the lights came back on! Whew! I quickly headed back to the computer and quickly requested another reversal agent, typing in the commands as fast as my furry paws could go!

I made a bunch, just in case. I quickly injected myself with it, and long and behold, I rapidly began to return to normal, with all of that fluff and puffy getting sucked back into my body and then just seemingly vanish. I was soon back into my own clothes, fully human again. Oh sure, being the ultra-cute puffy bunny was awesome, but not when it meant being stuck in here!

As I had discovered, the reversal mutagen couldn't be applied to other people. I couldn't use Yarvick's DNA to suddenly become Yarvick. I was curious to see why that didn't actually work, but then I realized that the mutagen built the "Chimera" form as Yarvick called it to fit me and my DNA, just as much as the reversal agent did the same thing, just in reverse! So if Yarvick used the same crazy fluffy angel bunny mutagen I had used, his final form would be slightly different. Maybe a little taller, plushier, but yeah, there would be at least a few teeny differences from his Chimera form and mine, along with everyone else. Ha, ha, now imagine Tiantus or even Raidon using that fluffy bunny mutagen! Epic!

That's when Yarvick came back. He seemed a little shaken about the whole thing, and I could only guess what just happened that knocked the Deathwing's lights out. Was the ship possessed now?

"Sorry about that, just wrapping things up," He told me. "It's all went OK! Hyperion, the new Deoxys, was a little...Er, concerned about everything, but I told him it would all work out. Titanus will do some physio-whatnot tests on Hyperion, then I just have to just ease his concerns a little...I'll need to turn back into a human now, though. He wants me able to burst. Don't know why just yet."

Weird...

I really didn't have too much of a clue as to what was really going on over there, but hey, getting Yarvick that reversal agent was not a problem at all. I quickly headed back to the machine, used his DNA to create the reversal agent, and presto! The machine sprang to life and prepared the syringe he needed to be back to his old, human self again. I handed it to him and winked.

"There ya go!" I cheerfully told him. "See, it's totally easy!"

Now, I just needed that Tiantus guy to build the easier software program to make it a cinch for everyone else to make Chimera mutagens. To him, it would be a cakewalk.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Harper Industries Headquarters in Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Velocity TheProtobabe Death's Spook

There was a long, awkward silence, and the tension was felt like a bad vibe off of the shady character you just crossed paths with. It was uncomfortable. The only thing that felt remotely right in this entire scenario was having a woman on his arm. Although, even this was ruse just to play face with the unknowing. Thoughts raced through his mind, as the numbers lit by a fluorescent sign counted down to the lobby. His brother didn't know that Giovanni killed their parents, it was his secret from the man who happened to be standing within arms length of him.

There was an easing of the elevator cables that slowed the elevator to a halt. This motion always made Lance want to hurl, but he never actually did. It was just an uneasy feeling, like the cable was ready to snap and send him hurdling to his death. These feelings only ever lasted for a second before the doors would inevitably open up and bring him and his party into the very large and open lobby space that was seen from the street which was a distance away given the equally large courtyard. His parents had spared no expense making this empire look beautiful. It remained surprisingly untouched by the war, there were a few scrapes and bumps around, but the yard remained pleasant to look at, all the same.

True to her word, Lenore's Pokémon stood at the ready by the entrance of the building. The Nidoking stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the lobby's neutral colors. He personally stopped next to the armored beast, and spoke. "Well done, my giant purple friend! Your menacing disposition scared away all of the wicked people trying to hurt me," he spoke in a genuine tone. No one would believe sarcasm or lies if they left his mouth. As if he had total control of his emotions. Something a common Lance Harper isn't known for.

He then shifted his attention to Lenore, "You can recall your Pokémon, now. I am safe. As far as your Psychic Pokémon, Alastair should have already told you to keep it out of my head. Unless it wants to see a horrible rendition of what I think you look like without clothes on. Something Alastair learned the hard way." He cracked up a bit, and gave them a goofy 'I'm-trying-not-to-laugh-at-my-own-jokes-but-I'm-failing-miserably' face. Letting the Lance Harper that his brother knew out into the open to make things a little less awkward.

He gazed out to the road, and you could see helicopters arriving and leaving from the hospital's roof from the distance. However, Lance's gaze was fixed on a man standing on the other side of the road, he was tall, dark, and brooding. Similar to Alastair but without the the friendly disposition. The man was staring right at Lance, and the most unique trait that Lance could make out was the bold red "R" just left of the top button of his suit jacket. He knew exactly who that man was, and it took everything Lance had not to run at him.

The man stood with a wicked grin. He was holding an object that was similar to Lance's Burst Heart stone, only bigger, and much more.. shiny. In the instant he saw the stone, a bus drove by on the road, and the man was gone. Had the man's image down the way just been a figment of Lance's stressed mind? An illusion? Maybe he was more distressed than even he had thought about the information on that flash drive. In any case, Lance stepped out into the drive where the limousine was waiting for them.

The driver opened the door, and waited patiently for the party to enter the vehicle. Lance helped Helena inside, then opted to enter the vehicle last, while he gazed out at the street where the man had been standing. 'What am I getting myself into? This is bigger than anything I've ever faced before. But I can't back out, now. This city, this region, and these people need me. They need Alastair, Lenore, and Helena. This all needs to end,' Lance's thoughts rang throughout his own mind, as he entered the vehicle.

"To Goldenrod General Hospital, we have an announcement to make!"

[OoC: The man is indeed only visible to Lance. He's going coo-coo.]

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga.

Janine was already human when Yarvick made his question. She responded to Yarvick by immediately making the...Whatever it was that undid the Chimera whatnot. Yarvick didn't recall her stating what it was by name.

"There ya go!" Janine said, still cheery, handing the syringe to Yarvick. "See, it's totally easy!"

"Thanks!" Yarvick said in response, taking the syringe. Yarvick had to calm himself down a little for his shot, but sweat nevertheless formed on his brow.

"Still afraid of needles? After all this time?" Hyperion thought to Yarvick a room over.

"...Oh, quiet you." Yarvick thought back, injecting himself.

As Yarvick's familiar proportions returned to normal to the 'tune' of the barf-inducing sound of bones and organs rearranging, he really wondered how the hell this worked so...Painlessly. Considering Yantil's description of Hyperion's illness earlier, it clearly was not a small matter. Was it MEND?

Yarvick just decided to assume it was MEND, or something similar to it.

Once Yarvick was fully himself again, he gave a smile to Janine. "Again, thanks for your time, Janine." He said. Not spicing it up with her, just being fairly plain. Then again, did he really have much else to say? Janine seemed incredibly interested in her own work, they didn't talk of almost anything else, bar the new Deoxys. That being said, what they did together was...Interesting. "If there's anything more I can do to help later on, just leave me a message."

He'd talk more, he decided. It was a short-lived experience overshadowed by a catastrophe and some drama, but the time they spent was quite...Interesting. That being said, at this point, he was more than anxious to return to the field. He was a kleptomanic, he was not comfy with not stealing things. He hoped, quite frankly, that Tiantus'es imminent test of loyalty involved stealing something far more dangerous to take than normal. It was a hope in obvious vain, of course. His luck was horrible. It was probably one of the rare bursts of fortune that he had that Deoxys retained Hyperion's memories, or regained them, or whatever happened...It was probably going to be something involving guns pointed at him. Something involving Hyperion's new destructive potential.

Of course, in theory, he could just kill Tiantus and run with Hyperion. Considering the destructive power he now wielded, it wasn't a bad idea...In theory. But, this was Tiantus, a man of unlimited potential who had the capacity to pull something nasty out from under his lab coat. It would also involve escaping the Deathwing and shaking off pursuers, pursuers who likely could burst and probably packed a great deal of heat. Burst troops and heavy weaponery aside...Finch's men would find him and kill him if he managed the escape. They were on-par with Yarvick at least, and even if Hyperion was now a DEOXYS, that did not mean the element of surprise would easily dispatch him, and by extension Yarvick.

And really, why would he? Aqua has been mostly nice to him. The higher-ups in charge of his jobs know what he excells and loves doing-thievery. He was infamous for being a master of larceny and they knew it. Why screw him over that badly? This was going to be the exception, of course, but outside of this ONE justified instance, he was going to be doing what he liked doing.

There was really no reason to betray Tiantus or Aqua. He was arrogant, but he was not cruel nor stupid. Why would he backstab Yarvick without at least testing if Yarvick would not backstab him? That was the point behind the imminent, obvious loyalty test upcoming.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
En Route to Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Finding the way back to Mirage Island would have been impossible without the homing beacon I was using to follow the path Tiantus laid out. I wasn't sure what the cops would think about the whole encounter with a Mega Skuntank, but I could imagine how funny their conversation with the police chief would be. It would take them months to figure out how to get the smell out.

{ I see you're not like the others. You have a gift for combat, a thirst for bloodshed. But no matter how strong or powerful you become, you're nothing but a puppet, just like all the others! In the end, I will decide who gets to live and who dies. Trust me, there's nothing that I enjoy more than to see you foolish people laying about in bloody pieces!}

"Who the hell are you anyway?" I asked this annoying, growly voice that didn't take a clue when to shut up.

{ I am Diabora. Trust me, it is a name you will never, ever forget. As for you, all of you are just players in my game. But no matter which one of you wins, you still lose. And you will still die.}

"Piss off and just go watch some TV instead," I told him.

What a douchebag. In any case, I helped myself to the beer case, but the beer wasn't as good as it could have been. Ken and Luke were turned into people paste and I didn't get the cybernetics research. And the beer was hot now from all the ice melting. Sure, I managed to get one of those incredibly coveted Ancient Burst Hearts, but why the hell did this annoying bastard voice have to come along with it? What kind of name is "Diabora" anyway? Sounds like someone puking out a boar.

In any case, I was thinking this Diabora guy was suddenly realizing someone more combat capable now had his hands on the Ancient Burst Heart. Unlike Hayes, yeah, it was not going to be plucked so easily out of my grasp.

In the meantime, the ocean was pretty quiet. Trying to find Mirage Island without the beacon was next to impossible. I mean heck, it was amazing one of us managed to find the joint to begin with.

{You don't see it, do you? The Ancient Burst Hearts are simply a part of my game. A game to see how good humans are at killing each other over such power!}

"And you're telling me this... why?" I asked him, thinking he was an idiot.

I was beginning to realize these things might not have been what everyone thought they were. I wasn't an idiot, something seemed off for these things to have only been found just recently. I took a closer look the Ancient Burst Heart I had, and then looked at the regular, run of the mill one.

While the Ancient one was definitely bigger, more powerful and was radiating with a powerful, ruby light, it sure didn't look ancient at all. To have been found in a temple, there should have been centuries worth of dust and debris on this thing and least caked into the nooks and crannies. But nope, it was beginning to look like they were made just a short while ago and totally placed there.

{You're catching on, I can sense your thoughts. The scientists were intelligent, but unlike you, they lacked intuition. But in the end, it never mattered.}

Still, I wasn't afraid of this bastard. Considering what Team Aqua had at our disposal, this guy was just some prankster prick that needed to find another hobby. As long as the Ancient Burst Heart did was it was supposed to, this guy could just go crap his pants for all I cared.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Yarvick was pretty thankful about the reversal agent. Good thing I came up with these, because it gave people the chance to enjoy a whole fun variety of other forms next time! Maybe the next time Yarvick wanted a mutagen, I could convince him to try out something cute and plushy! That would be adorable!

He then used the reversal agent, and soon he turned back to his normal, human self again. I mean, the transformation sounds were... yuck, but I guess it was better this way than with pain and other funky feelings. His weird hand-tails were sucked back up into the area above his butt while all the fur was pulled right back into his skin again. All the Gengar spikes were pulled into his back and just like that he was human again like the whole thing never happened.

"Again, thanks for your help Janine," He told me. "If there's anything more I can do to help later on, just leave me a message."

AWESOME! A lab volunteer for life! There were SO many crazy science things I still wanted to try out, and having a guy like him work with me to test them out was fantastic!

"Hey, no problem!" I told him, giving him a wink. "Well, I gotta take all this stuff to Tiantus now so he can make it available for everyone. Trust me, once he gets the Chimera selection software finalized, this stuff will be even easier to work with. It'll be just as easy as selecting what soda pop you want from the vending machines!"

Which reminded me, I could really use a root beer right now. And some ice cream with that.

I then put everything I needed on a cart and decided to take it to Tiantus's lab. He was going to wonder what I've been doing this whole time, but when he saw this stuff, I bet even a stiff like him would think this was cool! I mean sure, I could show him the whole fluffy bunny thing again just to show him it really did work!

I mean why not, he knew I was that kind of nuts already!

"Till next time, dude," I told him, wheeling the cart toward Tiantus's lab. "Catch you around!"

I then headed out the door, humming on the way there.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Coffee Shop, Gateon Port
Orre
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Harlan Ericson approached the coffee shop in a trench coat and sunglasses, obviously wanting to protect his identity. To his credit, he dropped everything to meet Makoto once he called him "on behalf of Orson Barkley." The dread lord of the Deathwing figured that if one of your primary investments calls to talk about "the state of their relationship," it would be paramount to have that meeting post-haste. Makoto hoped that Ericson didn't think Barkley was breaking up with him, though to his own credit, that would put Ericson off guard just enough to succeed.

Ericson recognized Makoto by the description the commander had given him over the phone and sat in the coffee stool directly behind him. The two sat sideways in their stools, leaning one arm on the backseat of the chair and another on their expensive frappuccinos. The DyneTech shill inserted a BlueTooth headset and started speaking to Makoto whilst still looking forward, pretending he was on the phone. "What do you want?"

"Well, you see Mr. Ericson, my boss The Honorable Orson Barkley sent me over you to explain a predicament he's in right now. Now, he is aware that your payments hinge upon his keeping Hoenn out of war with Orre, but the Hoenn military is adamant about punishing Orre for harboring refugees. Not at all DyneTech's fault, but he is aware your business is going to suffer," Makoto got out his phone and texted Finch Reynolds one word: "Now." "So Hoenn is looking to test the waters. The military has sent one of their most skilled assassins to take out Darwin Lynch, an executive at DyneTech and one of the highest targets on their most wanted list to test the waters. They want to see how Orre will react. If they lash out, Hoenn is going to have an excuse to charge in and ruinate Orre. On the other hand, if you can ameliorate the government into playing cool. Mr. Barkley is confident you can avert a war."

Ericson was silent for a moment, taking in what Makoto was telling him. A moment later his phone buzzed. He looked down at the phone and then looked Makoto in the eye, shocked. "Well, like you said. Lynch was just iced. I'll speak with my contacts right away and see what I can do about preventing the war. Please extend our gratitude to Mr. Barkley and tell him the payments are going to continue."

Ericson began to get up. Makoto put a hand on his arm, "Wait, there's something more."

"What?"

Makoto took a deep breath, "Mr. Barkley is looking to deepen his relationship with DyneTech since they have been such loyal partners over the years. He has sent me to... invest my efforts in the company. What can Mr. Barkley do for you to make this happen?"

Ericson collected his thoughts and said, "DyneTech is currently in the process of buying unused capital from what's left of Harper Industries but the lawyers in charge of the liquidation are being particularly resistant about pricing. Could Mr. Barkley give them a reason to lower their prices?"

Makoto smiled. "I think he can do that." He paused for an awkward silence. Both men realized that their business was concluded. The dread lord of the Deathwing offered a tacked on, "It's been a pleasure," before both men parted company. Ericson left first. Makoto finished his drink and then left the coffee shop, leaving a $20 bill in the tip jar for the barista. Once he was a good distance away from the building and the crowds, he made a conference call between Tyrus Hale, Finch Reynolds, Noah Ashfield, and Reg Lando.

"I just made contact with Harlan Ericson. Finch and I were able to play our way into his good graces, but we're going to need to go a bit further to keep our patron saint happy with us. DyneTech wants to bleed Harper Industries to force them to liquidate some capital cheaper," Makoto explained to the Captains' Conference. "Captain Ashfield, as the expert on Special Weapons and Tactics, would you have any suggestions on how to go about this?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing, En Route to Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz, anyone on the AMS Deathwing

After that long speedboat ride, I finally made it back to the Deathwing. For now, it seemed like Diabora had gotten tired of chatting, which was good, because I was sick of his asshattery. I made it back on deck, and I got a nice whiff of that salty, ocean air again. It sure felt fresh. In the meantime, the sight of the Deathwing, the Liquidator gatling railgun, and all the mayhem Aqua had been stockpiling... yeah, there was no place like home.

I then got a phone call, and after whipping out the smartphone I had, I found it was the head honcho himself. Always a welcome sight. I then realized it wasn't just him, but a whole conference of most of the big shots in Aqua. Sounded like something big was about to go down.

"Sup, Boss?" I asked.

"I just made contact with Harlan Ericson," Raidon told me and the others. "Finch and I were able to play our way into his good graces, but we're going to need to go a bit further to keep our patron saint happy with us. DyneTech wants to bleed Harper Industries to force them to liquidate some capital cheaper. Captain Ashfield, as the expert on Special Weapons and Tactics, would you have any suggestions on how to go about this?"

Oh, oh man, I thought he'd never ask!

"Harper Tower in Goldenrod City..." I stated.

"That's right, their HQ is still there," Tiantus confirmed it among the rest of the conference.

"Yeah, that one," I told him. "Let's light it the hell up. You want to make these pricks bleed, that's how you make them bleed."

"I'm in," Reg Lando replied. "How do you want to do this?"

Plenty of options. LOADS of options. Man, it was going to be tough to decide exactly how we were going to make that place fry, but hey, we'd have our fun and that's what mattered.

"Bring in the trinity armada," I told them. "We'll get the Deathwing, Fairy Dragon, and the DeathKnight in on the bombardment. Oh, and gentlemen, I'll have you know that just managed to get my hands on one of the Ancient Burst Hearts. You won't believe the amount of damage you can do with this thing!"

I thought there would be cheering, but there was a weird silence. Then Tiantus spoke up.

"There was a new development while you were away, Neo," Tiantus told me. "Yarvick and my team resurrected Deoxys. It's a long story about how it was made possible, but now Yarvick has command of one of the strongest legendary Pokémon."

Oh man, I was totally itching over that, but then I connected the dots. Holy crap. Just the thought of it was beyond insane. But... I sure was hoping we could trust Yarvick with this kind of thing!

"You want me to lend the Ancient Burst Heart to Yarvick and have him Burst to become Mega Deoxys," I confirmed.

"Good lord, I didn't even think of that!" Reg Lando exclaimed in surprise.

"Precisely," Tiantus confirmed, his voice just filled with confidence. "Nothing in Johto's first response will even be able to lay a scratch on him, let alone the naval trinity."

I would have liked the be one to unleash that kind of utter WRATH, but eh, I could give it up for a while and let Yarvick have his fun, but he'd owe me a favor for this.

"Get the ships moving toward Goldenrod City," I commanded the team. "Have Yarvick meet me on the deck of the Deathwing. I'll hand over the Ancient Burst Heart to him, but he's got to promise not to play nice with it. Get the forces together and let's unleash all hell on this place. Those are the orders, Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much is in effect starting now. Now let's make those asshats our *****es."

"Copy that, sir," Finch replied.

"Hell yes," Lando replied, hissing with delight.

The wheels weren't just in motion. They were going to steamroll that place into nothing more than a crap-heap of ruins and corpses. And we were going to generously adore every maniacal minute of it.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, En Route to Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: N/A

Well, news sure travels fast! Sure didn't take long before the Deathwing was suddenly sailing and going on course. Down in here, though, I had no clue what we were heading toward, all I knew was the ship was suddenly moving and heading somewhere. I figured maybe they were just going out for a routine voyage. Maybe fishing. Well, whatever, I wasn't sure what they were doing but I figured I'd at least get my stuff done. Tiantus was busy with some other stuff, so hey, not a big deal. I mean sure, I was excited to show him this Chimera stuff, but then again, I figured Yantil probably informed him of the whole crazy thing by now.

Yeah, I was pretty sure he wouldn't forget that puffy bunny form anytime soon. Probably never. That kind of thing is hard to ignore, I'm sure!

"Ladies and gentlemen, Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much is in effect!" One of the order relays shouted down the ship's halls.

"Prepare for assault, all personnel to your battlestations!" The voice on the loudspeaker came on. "This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, dude, who's the unfortunate sap we're frying today?" I called back to officer, wondering just what the fudge was going on. "All this suddenly out of the blue?"

"Target's Harper Tower in Goldenrod City," the officer told me. "Official orders from Ashfield and Makoto. It's a long story, but that's the target. There's mutual benefit for us and our patron saint if we level that place. So anything you could provide to assist in the siege would be most appreciated."

Oh... oh... yeah! This was totally an awesome time to have these guys try out these Chimera mutagens! I mean, sure, it would be a really good idea to bring them onto the deck so people wouldn't get stuck down here as giant Pokémon Chimeras like I did! Better they're on deck so once they transformed, size or shape wasn't an issue. They could get right into the action fast and furiously! Oh man, this was going to be awesome to see.

"I'm all over it!" I shouted to him, giving him a wink.

I decided to cart the equipment, computer, and mutagen creator to the deck. Sure, not everyone was going to be able to get one of these, but if a few good troops did, hey, it was that much more fun mayhem on these Harper saps! I'd be like a kid selling lemonade, only this was WAY cooler and WAY more fun!

Man, I just couldn't wait for the excitement!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga, Lord Celebi (I guess)

"So, Yarvick, have you heard of Harper Industries?"

Tiantus had fetched him in quite a hurry, practically yanking him from the labs. Hyperion was in his Poke Ball (apparently it still worked). He could see the need for a rush. The Deathwing and its new companions were mobilizing, and Operation "Atlas Shrugged Too Much" was officially underway, whatever THAT was, and now he was fetched for his little test of loyalty. He had a good feeling he was involved in all of this.

"Barely. Some bigshot corp in Johto, specializing in entertainment. Why?"

"Our little test of faith for you involves blowing it-and the rest of the city around it for good measure-to the high heavens." Tiantus said, quite calmly. "And not subtly. You're going to personally tear it down while bursting as Deoxys."

Sweat formed on Yarvick's backside on the thought of it. They were bringing in a thief and expected mass destruction. This sounded more like a way for Deoxys to conveniently fall into Tiantus'es hands.

"Now, before you get concerned about not having enough firepower...Obviously, I was intending you to Burst with Deoxys for a certain task. However, what I had in mind isn't quite as...Risky, as kicking off Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much, and for that matter, not as important. However, to compensate for this sudden leap in significance...Noah Ashfield, our captain of Special Weapons, has decided to temporarily loan you his recently-acquired Ancient Burst Heart."

"...Um, what?!" Yarvick yelled.

The news that they secured an Ancient Burst Heart almost immediately assured Yarvick that he may have made a really smart move. He hadn't figured they were REALLY capable of such craziness, until now.

Now he was told that they had a weapon that was being treated as the new nuclear bomb. Dear lord, Aqua may have actually had a shot.

"Yes, an Ancient Burst Heart...I don't think I need to elaborate why you're leading from a tactical standpoint, do I? With the Ancient Burst Heart, you will have more than enough power to demolish the Harper Tower, which is your first and primary target. After it's down, go for the naval vessels parked in the bay and any other ground defenses on the coastline. Do it right, and my problems with your allegiance shall simply vanish. Oh, yes...Do take this." Tiantus said, fishing in his pockets for something, then pulling it out. It looked like some perscribed medicine-blue, half-millimeter pills. "Focalin, to keep you dead focused on the job." Tiantus said, taking out a pill and a water bottle from another pocket.

Those were some deep pockets. Nevertheless, Tiantus handed him both, and Yarvick didn't need to be told what to do. Once he took the pill, he handed the bottle back to Tiantus. They kept walking, briskly, until they got onto the deck of the Deathwing.

Once atop, he could see Janine with her Chimera stuff and a few curious soldiers. Tiantus and Yarvick were going nowhere near her now, though-Yarvick had to use an Ancient Burst Heart, and he probably couldn't while he was a new species of Pokemon.

"One more thing...I must stress it, the Ancient Burst Heart is a loan. Barring Noah allowing you to keep it for some reason, you are to give it back to him the instant this is over." Tiantus said. "I understand the temptation would be great, but...I have my ways of dealing with you if you fail to be cooperative. Are we clear?"

Yarvick honestly feared Tiantus more than Makoto. If it was Makoto, he'd just cut you to shreds, behead you, something very violent but something fast. Tiantus would probably knock you unconscious, then use you as a guinea pig for his next experiments in the most painful ways possible. He was cold, remorseless, and very aware on how to make everything hurt as much as possible. Yarvick would avoid his wrath like a magnet avoids the same poles.

He may suddenly become the most powerful thing Maridia has ever known, and he was not going to cross Tiantus. Ever.

In any case, the duo found Noah pretty quickly: He was wearing the Aqua Uniform, yes, but he was also a muscular man who Yarvick would probably not want to get in a fight with. His hair was wild, black with some crimson highlights, and he looked like he could be in charge of a biker gang, no sweat.

"Good to meet you, sir." Yarvick said. "I'm Yarvick Xelsez...So, you're loaning me an Ancient Burst Heart just to get a Mega Deoxys to blow up basically the whole city to hell, right? That's my role in the plan in a nutshell?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz

As the trinity armada sailed on in triangular formation, I could start to see the skyline of Goldenrod City in the distance. They really had no idea what was coming their way. In the meantime, the sky was going gray and it looked like it was going to start raining any minute.

All Team Aqua soldiers on all three of the ships were prepping from what was essentially going to be a slaughter. Judging from the target, there weren't any real defenses there, but we were pretty certain the most we would probably be facing were some operatives and possible small arms fire. Considering what we were packing, those useless asshats might as well be trying to blow pepper at us.

In the meantime, Yarvick was being informed to rendezvous with me on the deck. I wasn't sure how or where the hell he managed to get a Deoxys, but if Tiantus said it was real, hell, it was real.

"Everything in place?" I asked the radio conference.

"Yep, all armaments fully stocked and loaded," Hank Clyde, the captain of the Fairy Dragon, replied. "Just give the order."

All three ships were ready to launch all that we needed to turn Goldenrod City into cinders. But of course, I wanted to make sure we started blowing Harper Industries to shreds and everyone inside of it.

I then sent a quick message to Raidon Makoto.

Raidon, this trinity armada is approaching Goldenrod City now. We'll be launching the attack on Harper Industries likely within the next fifteen minutes, and we'll be making the place look to be in a worse condition than if they were being deep fried in their own puke.

And after sending that message, that was when Yarvick showed up. Word had it that he was a pretty talented thief. I mean hell, if this guy managed to get Deoxys into his hands, I wasn't about to ask if he could pull off this attack. He had the guts for it. He had dirty-blonde hair, dark skin, and his clothes made it clear this wasn't the kind of guy some nerd or piss-wit wanted to meet in a dark alley.

"Good to meet you, sir," he told me. " I'm Yarvick Xelsez...So, you're loaning me an Ancient Burst Heart just to get a Mega Deoxys to blow up basically the whole city to hell, right? That's my role in the plan in a nutshell?"

"No need to be formal," I told him, really feeling 'sir' was something only rich, snooty bastards liked to use. "Anyway, yeah, you got it, that's the plan. I have no idea how you managed to get a hold of Deoxys, but hey, it doesn't matter to me."

I reached into my pocket and took out the Ancient Burst Heart. Sure, getting this thing from Hayes had been a total pain in the crotch to get, but Yarvick was in an obviously better position to make way better use of this thing considering he had a legendary under his command and I just didn't. Tiantus himself confirmed this Deoxys was authentic, so I wasn't about to waste time seconding guessing that over nothing. Yarvick was in a unique position to make mayhem more possible and I could easily roll with that.

"Simple orders, really," I told Yarvick, handing him the Ancient Burst Heart. "Unleash all hell on these maggots. As Mega Deoxys, you open up with the first strike on the tower when I give the command. The trinity armada will then follow up with the bombardment once we've assessed the damage from the first strike. After that, it's all about mowing these worms down like hay."

Once it was in his hands, I gave him a grin.

"And most of all..." I told him, patting him on the shoulder. "...have fun with this. Now get out there and enjoy yourself."

I then headed to my battle-station. Goldenrod City was drawing closer and closer and already the rain was starting to come down.

Time to light this place up.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Wow, things were definitely getting hot and spicy! I felt like I hadn't been outside for weeks, so it was nice to breathe in some open air again! It was raining a bit, but hey, a little water never bothered me.

I had to give a lot of Team Aqua grunts the two-minute intro to Chimera mutagens as I brought the computer and the cart on deck. I swore, I felt like a salesperson, but I was getting better the more I did it! But in any case, some Aquas weren't too convinced while others got a little intrigued.

"You can totally make a Chimera form with any Pokémon!" I told them, making a quickie that just about anyone would like. "Here, try this Charizard/Salamence/Weavile one!"

The grunt looked at it, a little doubtful, but I managed to convince him to try it anyway. When he transformed into a hulking blue dragon with Weavile claws and quills totally perfectly, the other Aquas around were pretty impressed. He looked like he couldn't wait to start tearing stuff up!

"Holy crap, how did you-?" One of them asked, totally baffled!

"Hey, I'll share the details later, but I think they're about to start pounding stuff any minute!" I told him, knowing obviously they were going to blow up something in Goldenrod City to the high heavens. "And don't worry, you guys will totally be able to change back to normal after the battle's done. That's... if you even want to!"

A small line was beginning to form at the machine, but in the meantime, I saw Yarvick talking to Neo on the deck. I wasn't sure what exactly was going to go down, but I knew with these guys, it was usually all fire and mayhem. And a whole lot of fun doing it!

I looked back to the Chimera generator and it seemed like most of these guys were picking out some pretty tough Chimera forms that I knew could easily make whoever was on the opposing side just totally crap their pants! The peeps that weren't so convinced in the beginning were suddenly drawn in when they saw the Chimera mutagens were totally working and were totally beefing up the infantry. It was a lot like kids discovering the awesome power of ice cream for the first time!

Shortly after, the ships came to a stop, a nice safe distance away from the burning barbeque that was to be Goldenrod City in a few minute. I had to say, Harper Tower definitely seemed to be the target considering the way all the guns on the ships were staring down on it. Even the Liquidator looked like it was ready to turn the place into the building equivalent of ground beef!

"Alright, Yarvick," Neo told him, pointing his finger toward Harper Tower. "Rip them a new *******!"

You just had to love how these guys trash talked!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Hellcat VTOL Craft
En Route to AMS Deathwing En Route to Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

"Harper Tower in Goldenrod City..." Noah Ashfield was quick to reply. Makoto thought it would make for an interesting target. Entirely annihilating the building would definitely force the liquidators that Ericson was referring to to panic sell whatever they could to get their money's worth. It would be easy for DyneTech to get everything they were looking for at low, low prices. The dread lord of the Deathwing had to smile at the genius of the target.

"That's right, their HQ is still there," Tyrus Hale popped in.

Ashfield continued to reinforce his idea: "Yeah, that one. Let's light it the hell up. You want to make these pricks bleed, that's how you make them bleed."

"This is brilliant," Makoto said, throwing in his support for Ashfield's idea.

"I'm in," Reg Lando said. "How do you want to do this?"

Once it was clear to Makoto that this attack was going forward, his bloodlust got the better of him. He called in the Hellcat to pick him from the outskirts of Gateon Port and take him towards Goldenrod City. His hope was that he could catch up with the Deathwing before he made it.

"Bring in the trinity armada," Noah suggested. "We'll get the Deathwing, Fairy Dragon, and the Deathknight in on the bombardment. Oh, and gentlemen, I'll have you know that just managed to get my hands on one of the Ancient Burst Hearts. You won't believe the amount of damage you can do with this thing!"

Makoto was flabberghasted. He hadn't read any reports filed since he left to Orre. Noah Ashfield's work was commendable. The dread lord of the Deathwing made a mental note to give Ashfield a raise upon his return to the ships. He hailed a taxi and told it to take him towards the edge of Orre. Makoto then closed the window between himself and the driver so he could continue his line of conversation with the Captain's Conference.

After a brief silence wherein Makoto was sure the others within Aqua's leadership were pondering the significance of Ashfield's archaeological find, Makoto's best friend spoke up: "There was a new development while you were away, Neo, and my team resurrected Deoxys. It's a long story about how it was made possible, but now Yarvick has command of one of the strongest legendary Pokémon."

"Well **** me twice and call me Sally. Tiantus, I really need to commend you on your work. That's a god damn powerhouse you've brought my ship," Makoto told him.

Hale's voice was noticeably more bashful, "Thanks, Raidon. That means a lot."

"You want me to lend the Ancient Burst Heart to Yarvick and have him Burst to become Mega Deoxys," Ashfield connected the dots.

"Good lord, I didn't even think of that!" Captain Lando exclaimed. The taxi had completed its journey. Makoto paid the driver and emerged from the vehicle. He grabbed a can of green smoke and threw the targeting device a few feet ahead of him. A column of green smoke shot straight up. The commander quickly saw the Hellcat coming in the distance. It dropped a ladder and Makoto climbed aboard, stowing himself in the passenger dock.

"Precisely," Hale said, reassuming his confident voice. "Nothing in Johto's first response will even be able to lay a scratch on him, let alone the naval trinity."

"Get the ships moving toward Goldenrod City," Ashfield commanded. Initially, Makoto felt uncomfortable with Ashfield giving orders that only he himself should be given, but after realizing he would have given the same exact orders, Makoto decided all Ashfield did was save him the breath. "Have Yarvick meet me on the deck of the Deathwing. I'll hand over the Ancient Burst Heart to him, but he's got to promise not to play nice with it. Get the forces together and let's unleash all hell on this place. Those are the orders, Operation Atlas Shrugged Too Much is in effect starting now. Now let's make those asshats our *****es."

"Finch," Makoto caught the attention of his other best friend. "I need you to stick around in Orre and keep some pressure on Ericson to follow through with his end of the deal. There's no one else I can trust other than yourself to carry out this mission."

"Copy that, sir," Finch Reynolds replied disappointingly. Makoto could tell that he wanted in on the action, but someone had to hold down the fort. Makoto fired off a text to Kaede Kuoykisaka, informing her that he was granting her additional leave time, effective immediately, to spend with Reynolds in Orre. The dread lord of the Deathwing figured he could try his best to make it up to the Captain.

"Hell yes," Lando summarized the thoughts of the group.

"Excellent. I am on the Hellcat right now. I should intersect the path of the Deathwing within three hours. Gentlemen, I'm looking forward to this. Good luck and see you soon."

[Grassy_Aggron]

(Canonically this post continues after post 90, due to the agreement reached.)

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod General Hospital/Goldenrod City/Johto
Team Aqua: Neo Emolga, @The Nonexistant Tazz, Lord Celebi
Team Awesome: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook
Stormy tides and clashing sides.

The sky was growing swollen with the promise of rain, and all Claressa could do was sigh. The situation was tense, and she could not understand the feeling of dread within her heart. It was an odd sensation, creeping up like ice upon the spine and sinking its claws into ever fiber of a person's being. It spoke of misery and the promise of grief, and all the while it played upon the fears of its prey. The feeling was an insidious one and she cared little for it, tapping away on the monitor while Tony watched television. She had finally decided that she needed to talk with the creator of the Burst Hearts, and thus, was preparing to send the email.

It read something like this;

"Dear Dr. Petrovich,

You may or may not have heard of me depending on how often you keep up with research, or if you are focused on your own. My name is Dr. Claressa Nissa, and I work at the Goldenrod General Hospital in Johto. I wrote the book "Too Juice or Not to Juice?", a study about the effects apricorns have on both human and Pokemon bodies. Regardless, this is just a formality, and not me blowing a horn about myself. I am contacting you with a very grave concern considering your invention, the Burst Hearts. I have been studying them for just a short year, but I already have noted several problems with them. They are mass produced, correct? I had the chance to study one and I believe it is defective, as it rattles if you shake it softly. I do not have an actual device, mind you, but I have reason to believe this is not normal behavior.

I would attach my research notes, but I have a strong belief this will be intercepted by the Hoenn military. If that is the case, they should know my only qualms is the gross misuse of power of your product, and that there are some very real health concerns that are attributed to it. This is not an issue that can be ignored, and I insist that they discontinue the use of the devices immediately. It is a health hazard with repeated use, and the effects seem to point towards a very...grisly end. It has to be stopped, and this whole war has to end too.

I hope you will meet with me in private, Dr. Petrovich. You have a voice to them, and they will listen. I hope to hear from you soon, and I hope we can meet quickly. The sooner we can, the better chance for those using the Burst Hearts that are unaware of their effects.

Sincerely,

Dr. Claressa Nissa"

She hovered over the "Send" button. If she sent it, as her letter said, there was a very good chance Hoenn would intercept it, and while her intentions were clear, they were rather...paranoid and drunk on power. While she doubted it would trigger anything between Johto and Hoenn, who was to say she would be safe herself? No, she wouldn't be. The message was encrypted but any good hacker worth their money could easily break it down. Was it worth taking the risk?

...Of course it is. All I'm trying to do is help people, and there is nothing wrong with that. I shouldn't be afraid to follow what I believe is right. With that thought, she pressed the mouse, and with a blip the message was sent on its merry way. This was just in time for her to hear Tony suddenly swear, and she turned to view the television screen. Her mouth nearly dropped as she observed three large ships - they appeared to be Hoenn ships, but at the same time, not - lined up in the bay, guns cocked and ready to fire.

The navy ships that had been anchored in the bay had already turned and locked their guns on them, and undoubtedly the aerial reinforcements would arrive quickly if the situation took a turn for the worst. While the news could not report the warning sound, undoubtedly they were blaring a message akin to something like "THIS IS THE JOHTO NAVY. YOU HAVE INTRUDED INTO THIS TERRITORY WITHOUT PERMISSION. LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING." Granted, she wasn't sure if that was what they were saying - it was probably something more grand and intimidating than what she could think of.

"Those damn fools! Barging like that into Johto... We weren't doing anything to them! They're going down, and down hard." Stark was off to the side, pumping his fists together and looking decidedly annoyed. "It's only three warships. We have a few of our own and smaller ships... And the air force can be called in at a moment's notice. They're not going to win." Well, Tony seemed to be sure of the outcome.

Claressa, however, raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. Unless they are idiots, they wouldn't just bring three warships... They have an ace up their sleeve. Something isn't right here. They have to have something that makes them feel confident enough they can take this city with little reinforcements to do this. In which case, it's about time we take our precaution to the next level. Lifting up a radio that every other doctor and nurse had, she pressed the button, fully aware of what she was doing. The hospital would never attack, but that didn't mean they couldn't defend themselves.

"Everyone, this might be it. Initiate Emergency Plan Dark Mime. The situation might get serious and fast, so work as quickly as you can without screwing up." As a side note, she hadn't come up with the name, and an agreement from Dr. Murkiv signified that the entirety of the staff, even those higher up than her, were also on the same page. Our job is to protect these patients, and we are not going to fail them. That is our sacred duty, and we will uphold it even if it costs us dearly. She hoped whoever was on those ships, however, had the decency to leave the hospital alone. There were children, mothers, fathers, and Pokemon here, not just the wounded military soldiers. Attacking a hospital never garnered any sympathy, and it rarely helped the attackers either - the wounded already could not fight.

Killing them wasn't an achievement, it was merely a slaughter.


(That's probably not what Johto is blaring at Team Aqua, but Claressa isn't very military savvy in terms of the warnings and that is what her mind thinks is happening. Feel free to tweak the warning as you like, so long as it's powerful and intimidating because that's what a military does :P Well, it would probably be more intimidating if you guys didn't have a Mega Deoxys XD)

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Goldenrod Bay
Johto
Affected RPers: All
Suggested Listening: Pompeii by ES Posthumus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GusLypfx7OQ)

The VTOL craft landed on the Deathwing bay as the dread lord of the Deathwing himself, Raidon Makoto, stepped out of the craft to lines of Aqua soldiers saluting their captain. As Makoto worked his way down the tarmac of the Deathwing, each soldier he passed immediately assumed the at-ease position and grabbed their own assault rifle, ready to attack. Near the Navigations room, Captain Jamie Davenport was suiting up the dive squad for undersea operations. Daveport saluted Makoto and Makoto saluted right back.

Once he arrived in the Navigations Room, he assumed his rightful throne within the black ship's central cortex. Leaning his head on his fist, he asked politely, "Gentlemen, give me a sitrep."

With Reg Lando and Finch Reynolds in different regions and Noah Ashfield preparing for his own personal assault, the duty of right-hand man fell to none other than Makoto's best friend, Tyrus Hale himself. The scientist has emerged from the skunkworks to deliver to Makoto a full report. "Sir, the Trinity Armada has positioned itself to attack the Johto Navy on your command. Meanwhile, Captain Oreskovich of the All Clown Squadron of Fun has prepped her troops and is prepared to begin bombing runs on the Johto fleet. For our ground forces, those soldiers that are willing have been injected with Janine's Chimera formula, changing them into horrific abominations. They're absolutely wonderful, beautiful crimes against God. Really brings a tear to my eye."

"Good. Tiantus, get back to the lab. It's probably going to be the safest place for you," Makoto told his best friend with a concerned look on his face.

"Of course, but one more thing," Hale said, pulling a syringe out of his lab coat pocket. "This is the fruits of my recent labors. Project MEND. I think you'll find it most useful in the battle ahead." Makoto took the syringe and stabbed himself in the neck with it. "What...? Raidon... this probably wasn't the best time to do that."

Makoto copped a smile. "Nonsense. I can take whatever... oh my..." Makoto said, waves of pain shooting through his neck. Each individual muscle fiber in his body burned as Hale's mutagen rewrote his genetic code cell by cell. Makoto initially was brought to the floor, but through sheer force of willpower, he brought himself back to his feet.

The commander exited the Navigations Room and faced the group of soldiers on the tarmac, still in agonizing pain. He kept himself upright and gritted his teeth to keep a relatively unpained look on his face. As he looked upon his soldiers, his heart was filled with pride. These were men that he had trained personally to go with him into battle. Most were human, some where chimera, but all were unified in the fact that they would lay down their lives for Makoto's dream of world domination.

The dread lord of the Deathwing drew one of his katanas and pointed it towards Goldenrod City. The metal gleamed in the sunlight. Makoto roared, partially in excitement and partially in pain: "Gentlemen, I see a peaceful, sleepy city before us. Happy folk going about their lives, working in their offices, dining in restaurants, drinking with friends, spending time with their families... What do you say, men? Let's go ruin their ****ing day!"

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: (By Lenore): XaikuX, Death's Spook, TheProtobabe; (By the evacuation): Neo Emolga, Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
Thank God for prophets.
* Sidenote to Xaiku - if you need this removed for whatever reason, fine, but I figure we still need at least a little bit of momentum.

Rain spattered the windows of the limousine, doing nothing to improve Lenore’s mood. It wasn’t very good to begin with - she still detected tension from everyone around her, and she wasn’t a big fan of car travel, having almost never used it. In her humble opinion, if your city was so big you needed to cram yourself into a smelly metal box with wheels to move around through it, your city was too big. She didn’t care to be so close to Lance or Helena, either; her natural paranoia made it seem likely that she would be groped at or stabbed, and she -

<Lenore.>

Usually, Deborah’s tone was calm, unhurried, neutral. But now her psychic voice practically burned with urgency. “Excuse me for a moment,” Lenore said to the other limousine passengers with a quick, tight smile before lowering her head, closing her eyes, and pressing her hands against her ears. She needed to concentrate. <Deborah. What’s wrong?>

The reply was a long time in coming, too long. Finally, fumblingly, Deborah managed to say, <I don’t know. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before, or seen…> There was a brief pause, during which Lenore only sensed undiluted distress from the bird. When the voice returned, it was a bit more controlled, but still overlaid with unease. <Three ships,> she said. <Three warships are entering the harbor, Lenore. I do not know much about your human weaponry, but I do not believe that they are from our enemy Kanto. There are seven Johto ships sailing out to meet them. Everyone on board the Johto ships will burn. Everyone.>

Nausea rolled through Lenore’s stomach. Neither time nor distance meant much to Deborah’s eyes; she was seldom wrong. Lenore was trying to formulate a response when Deborah continued, <There is more. On board the lead ship… I do not know what it is. But I sense two sources of immense power. One similar to your Burst Heart, but stronger, darker. The other similar to the energy signature of a Psychic-type Pokemon, but… Twisted. Strange. Immensely powerful and infinitely adaptable. Its is the power that will kill the Johto sailors. Then the killing will spread to the city. First Harper Tower. Then...>

The limousine jostled as it drove over a bump and Lenore’s concentration was momentarily broken - no bad thing, considering that Deborah’s vision was beginning to spill over into Lenore’s own mind, giving her the wonderful image of boats, buildings, and bodies rent to cinders in a flash of light. She looked up, out the window, hoping to perhaps wipe the memory away. In the distance, the bay stretched out into seemingly endless ocean. Several dark smudges dotted the horizon - hard to say for sure, but they weren’t necessarily not advancing ships. Lenore swallowed painfully. <You’re sure about this, aren’t you, Deborah?>

<When you arrive at your destination, consult with Micah - much as you can with him, anyway. Even Hananiah or Asiyah might be able to sense the coming disaster.> She fell silent, though Lenore could tell that she still had something on her mind.

<Do it.> When she received no reply, Lenore pressed on. <You know what I mean. You want to start warning people, start trying to get them away from the coast. I’m telling you to do it.>

More silence as the limousine pulled into the hospital’s parking lot. When Deborah spoke up again she sounded faint, far away. <I am near the tower, projecting my voice as loud as I can to try and spread the fear. Some of them are moving away. But most are caught up in the spectacle and they will not be moved.>

The others began to pile out of the limousine. <Show them what you saw, then. That’ll get them moving in a hurry. Now, I need to go. Good luck.>

Much as she wished she could help Deborah, she knew that the situation was out of her hands, and she had to focus right now on more immediate problems - like that the hospital, and the entire group she was with, was fairly close to the coast. She decided, like Deborah had suggested, to see what Micah thought.

Almost as soon as the Absol was released, he hurried over to her, nuzzling her so hard as to almost unbalance her. Alarmed by his alarm, she held his head between her hands. “Calm,” she whispered. “You need to be calm. You can feel it too, can’t you? Something very powerful will be here soon.”

She released her grip, and Micah nodded, muttering his own name and frantically gesturing with his tail to Helena and the Harper brothers. Sometimes Micah could get hard to understand, but his message was clear: “Why are these people still here? They need to move.”

“Lance, Alistair, Helena,” Lenore said to the others. She did her best to keep her voice calm, but she was pretty sure that her stress was obvious, if not in her tone then on her face. Quick as she could, she relayed Deborah's message, doing her best to keep it word for word. "Micah senses the danger as well," she added, gesturing to the still-anxious Absol. "If we stay here, our very survival may become unlikely. I don't know how much time we have, but I'd estimate no more than -"

<Between ten and twenty minutes, Lenore.>

"Between ten and twenty minutes before everything gets ugly." For once, Lenore was actually grateful for Deborah's interruption, quiet and strained though it was. "I suggest that anyone with a Psychic-type use that Pokemon to spread the word through the hospital en masse; it will save time. My next polite recommendation is that afterward we get the h*ll out of dodge."

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected Aqua RPers: Neo Emolga Lord Celebi
Affected Awesome RPers: Grassy Aggron Protobabe Death's Spook Velocity XaiakuX
BOOM! Here comes the BOOM! Ready or not!

"No need to be formal," Noah said. That was wonderful, he preferred him to Tiantus already. "Anyway, yeah, you got it, that's the plan. I have no idea how you managed to get a hold of Deoxys, but hey, it doesn't matter to me."

Yarvick, looking back, found it all just...Insane. It was SUPPOSED to be just a quick job for some huge money and a distraction for some ship-stealing, but somehow it turned into his Alakazam mutating into a Deoxys, then a mission for massive, ridiculous damage with the assistance of a freaking Ancient Burst Heart. Noah reached into his pocket, searching for the aforementioned Ancient Burst Heart, as some ships from Goldenrod in the distance started moving towards them.

"Simple orders, really," Noah said, handing Yarvick the Ancient Burst Heart "Unleash all hell on these maggots. As Mega Deoxys, you open up with the first strike on the tower when I give the command. The trinity armada will then follow up with the bombardment once we've assessed the damage from the first strike. After that, it's all about mowing these worms down like hay."

Noah gave Yarvick a grin of pure evil fun. "And most of all...have fun with this. Now get out there and enjoy yourself." He said, patting Yarvick on his shoulder."

"I think I will, Noah..." Yarvick said, immediately bursting with Hyperion the Deoxys.

Once he did...

...Holy s**t.

He felt like Arceus.

Yarvick's new form was two whole feet taller than Yarvick normally was, and definitely much heavier-he gauged he put on an extra hundred pounds or so of pure muscle. His face became that of Deoxys'es almost entirely, with only his eye color preserved to tell the difference. This was boring news, however, compared to the fact that he now had FOUR faces, each exactly the same, bar positioning around the completely round head. He could see from every angle...Which took a few seconds to get used to.

The upper body was more accurately described as four torsos merged together, with four arms and four legs. It also seemed like each body part was plucked from a different form of Deoxys. Yarvick knew there were four, but only knew the normal, attack and defense ones. The chests, pure-red and muscular, seemed to be the chests of the Defense Form, considering how big it was-or rather, 'they were'. The arms were either the normal form duo of tentacles that could twist and coil into a four-finger one-thumb hand (somehow), or the much more streamlined, stronger Attack Form tentacles-either way, he had two of each, one for each shoulder. Lastly, the legs were probably from the unfamiliar form, a totally gray quartet of legs, giving his lower half a distinctly crustacean apperance.

Smack dab in the center of his torsos were the 'cores' of Deoxys. The cores normally didn't glow when Psionic powers were not in use, from what he could see, but these cores glowed pretty brightly...And this was him doing a whole lot of standing around, impersonating a sausage.

Everyone on board, bar Tiantus, took a second to really absorb what they were looking at. Even Yarvick.

...However, Yarvick noticed a few crewmen apparently flapping their lips, pointing at him. No sound whatsoever, however. Just the flapping of lips. It took Yarvick several seconds to realize that he had no ears whatsoever, especially not with four faces.

"I've had to 'hear' strictly with telepathy. You'll get used to it quickly, Yarvick...Though, having four faces right now, I think we can keep an eye out for anything attempting to attack us." Hyperion said within his mind.

Yarvick had some experience with bursting with Hyperion, and definitely knew how to operate the whole psionic game at this point...With copious assistance from Hyperion, some Psychic types, and a few people who bursted into Psychic Pokemon. It just required focus, in good amounts-suddenly that Focalin pill made a lot of sense. It was essentially thinking about making the world your personal b***h, then having it actually happen. It would probably be as easy as actually speaking with an actual mouth to just use telepathy to speak and listen like this...But it would still annoy him.

He practiced with someone else, someone Yarvick recognized immediately. With two katanas, an incredibly dark-blue trenchcoat over standard Aqua uniform, a stature of six-foot-three, and a REALLY good tongue to bend others to his will, Raidon Makoto the 'Dread Lord of the Deathwing was instantly recognizable. Yarvick focused in a little "...a peaceful, sleepy city before us. Happy folk going about their lives, working in their offices, dining in restaurants, drinking with friends, spending time with their families... What do you say, men? Let's go ruin their f*****g day!" Raidon yelled.

He also sensed that he just took some MEND. He was in some severe pain over it-to see him able to keep a good posture despite that...Well, it proved that he was, in fact, charismatic.

He was looking forward to seeing what damage he could cause as Mega Deoxys...He felt like he could probably turn people into a nice, red pile of goop like this. He had about 5 minutes or so to go like this...5 minutes of unstoppable carnage.

He could already hear evil laughter in his head. He just had to pick a target...He had to help blow up Harper Tower or Tiantus wouldn't be very happy with him, but after that, he had free reign.

In the oceans, defending Goldenrod, were eight ships more than double the numbers of Aqua's forces. Poor sods probably had no idea a Mega Deoxys was on-board. He eyed a particular ship-an Aircraft Carrier by the name of JND Water Dog. Yarvick might get points for helping them out in blowing that up...Or taking it for them. It was definitely a juicy prize...

It took a few seconds of recalling how to do so, but after that was done, he shot a telepathic message to Noah: "Before I get to the tower...Do you think you'd like that Aircraft Carrier over there added to this fine fleet? Because, if I have any say in it...It's all yours." Yarvick said, making sure he pointed to the Water Dog.

He had a good feeling this was going to be excellent fun. He could already hear maniacal laughter in his head.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected Team Aqua RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
Affected Team Awesome RPers: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron
You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind!

I was pretty sure the lovely people of Goldenrod City were probably wondering why the hell there were suddenly three naval ships staring them down right now. Meanwhile, the Johto Navy was getting their balls itchy. Seemed like we were uninvited to their party.

I saw there were about seven ships in total. I just stood and smiled as they blasted some loud crap on their speakers. Stiffy, snotty soldiers like to do that.

"THIS IS THE JOHTO NAVY. YOU HAVE INTRUDED INTO THIS TERRITORY WITHOUT PERMISSION. LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING."

Eww, I didn't want to let some stuck-up Johto pricks on our ships. I could smell their stink from here, and that was more than enough. It smelled like something between a dead Garbodor's ******* and Satan's week-old vomit.

And that was when I heard what sounded like a VTOL in the skies. I turned around and couldn't help but smile. That could only mean one thing. When the gunship landed, the bay doors opened and immediately, none other than Raidon Makoto himself in the flesh emerged. I casually saluted and smirked. And that was when Tiantus arrived and gave Raidon the heads up. He then handed him one of the MEND mutagens, and I suddenly realized I hadn't gotten one of those yet either. I had only heard about them, but while they had been handing them out like Halloween candy, I was out getting that Ancient Burst Heart.

While they were talking, I decided to get one of my own. Thankfully, I managed to find Kaede Kuyokisaka, standing besides a few other Aqua grunts on the deck. I wasn't sure if she had one of those MEND things on her, but I figured I'd ask before it was too late.

"Kaede, any extra MENDs?" I asked her. "Rather have it now than when I'm half dead."

"You sure could have picked a better time to ask for this," She told me, rolling her eyes but reaching into her pocket. "You're late, but consider yourself lucky."

"Thanks, you're one dynamite gal," I told her with a grin.

She then handed me one, and I didn't waste another minute. I quickly flung off the needle cover, jabbed the needle in my wrist vein, and pushed on in that sweet, self-healing juice. And holy **** did it burn. It crawled up my whole freaking arm and throughout the rest of my body. It burned... but it felt good, and I don't even consider myself a masochist. All I had to do was grit my teeth and turn my hands into fists, and this kind of burning could even feel pleasurable.

Raidon was then on the tarmac, armed with his katanas, pointing them at the targets ahead. Those sweet, sweet, burnable targets.

"Gentlemen," Raidon shouted. "I see a peaceful, sleepy city before us. Happy folk going about their lives, working in their offices, dining in restaurants, drinking with friends, spending time with their families... What do you say, men? Let's go ruin their ****ing day!"

The Aquas on board all roared in response. I then turned and looked at Johto's fleet. We needed to shut those pissing mouths of theirs.

In the meantime, Yarvick sure didn't wait a second when it came to Bursting with Deoxys. I was curious to see how this was going to work and if we were just screwing around, but damn, it was the real deal. He was freaking huge and now had four faces. Damn, how the hell did that work? Was one of those his real face or were they all a face he could see out of? I didn't have a clue.

The upper body looked like four chests mended together with four arms and four legs, likely combined from all the Deoxys forms mashed into one. His lower half looked like a spider or a crab, and in the center, there were his cores, glowing brightly with some kind of ridiculous power. I just stood there, not sure how to explain what the hell I was looking at, but I knew it was pretty damn powerful just from the sight of it. Was that thing still Yarvick or was he just out of the picture for now?

For a minute, it tried to speak, but I couldn't understand a word of it. And then, it was like the guy jumped into my brain and just outright made me think I was hearing stuff in my head.

<I have a strong feeling that I'm going to have fun with this, Noah...>

"Yeah... no kidding," I muttered, still trying to figure out someone suddenly figures out how to use telepathy in the first place.

He then headed toward the end of the deck, facing the Johto resistance. So far, no signs of resistance anywhere on their behalf, but they probably had no clue what the hell was going on. But they were sure bound to find out in a few seconds.

<Before I get to the tower...Do you think you'd like that Aircraft Carrier over there added to this fine fleet? Because, if I have any say in it...It's all yours.>

I took a peek at it. The JND Water Dog. I liked the aircraft carrier and wouldn't mind seeing it in our hands, but that name had to go. Sounded like the kind of name someone gives to their wiener.

"Go for it, bad boy," I told him with a sneer.

In the meantime, something caught my eye. I saw Janine, and from what it looked like, she was handing out what seemed to be mutagens that were somehow transforming some of our troops into what looked like super-soldiers that were combinations of multiple Pokémon rolled into one. Damn, I swore, the stuff these scientists came up with... they could easily make the whole planet their ***** with this stuff.

With Yarvick borrowing the Ancient Burst Heart for now, I figured looking into these mutagens might be a good idea. There was still a lot of Goldenrod City left to annihilate and we were just getting the party cracked open and started.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing deck, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers:
TEAM AQUA: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
TEAM AWESOME: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron
Bringin' your little adventure to a screeching halt!
Recommended Listening: Powerman 5000: Drop the Bombshell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZ5FcV64EE)

I was casually chewing some cherry bubble gum, handing out Chimera mutagens like an ice cream vendor gal. Service with a smile! And that was when the mayhem began! I had to watch.

The AMS Deathwing's Liquidator Gatling Railgun then began to warm up and soon began to fire! My own brainchild, pride, and joy! It was awesome to see it blast apart the JND Golden Glider Cruiser like a machine gun shooting a piñata! Almost instantly, the ship was shredded into bits, and I could easily see that was quite a shocker to the Johto Navy!

"WHAT THE **** IS THAT THING!?!?" I heard some sorry sap scream on their loud speaker.

Oh yeah, totally forgot to introduce them to the Liquidator! Ah well. In the meantime, the AMS Fairy Dragon and AMS DeathKnight launched cannon attacks of their own on the Johto fleet. And here they thought they were really going to board us. I couldn't help but giggle at the fiery display of explosions that used to be the Tide Changer. Sure, it looked like heavy ship, but it seemed like Hoenn had the better naval technology, as what used to be their heavy battleship could seriously sucker punch an opposing ship. So with the Tide Changer now in fiery pieces, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Aww, sorry, guys, but you're the weakest link!" I laughed cutely. "Goodbye!"

And I almost missed the AMS DeathKnight launching a rocket salvo at the JND Drunkard's Revenge off to the right! Come on, guys, I want to see all the fireworks! It was hard when they were happening all over the place!

"Wooo hooo!" I cheered.

"YOU HAVE COMMITTED AN ACT OF TERRORISM AND WILL BE-"

So that nonsense was actually coming from the JND Thunder Boom! I guess that's why it suddenly stopped when the Deathwing's Liquidator just turned and performed a nice seppuku on it! That is, if you were performing seppuku with a giant, invisible chainsaw! I didn't know what was funnier, the fact they were still trying to talk or the way they got grinded down into metallic kibbles and bits!

Shortly after, I had been approached by Noah. I could tell he was pretty interested in these new Chimera mutagens! I guess seeing a bunch of the infantry get pumped up with them was getting his interest! But yeah, it did look like he was in a rush. No surprise with that considering we had a whole attack going on!

"Hey, Janine, quick, I need one of those," He told me, interested in the Chimera mutagens. "Something good and quick. Gotta get in there fast!"

"You got it, dude!" I smiled at him.

Awesome, sounded like he wanted me to decide! I swear, the opportunities you get when people get hasty! But yeah, I quickly stepped in front of the computer, and rapidly got to work on making a mutagen for Noah. He wanted something quick for good reasons, so there was definitely no screwing around with this.

Impulsively, my mind just decided to go with Lopunny again. I mean, Noah as a Lopunny would be cool and cute! And maybe the Furret with Ninetales thing would be great for him too! But I knew he probably wouldn't go for the same white puffy look, so I decided yeah... might put Umbreon, Zoroark, and Honchkrow into that instead. No need for that crazy Whimsicott puff! So yeah, he'd kind of use the same form as I had, but he'd be a black nine-tailed bunny without all the unneeded fluff. Hey, he said he wanted something quick and good! I sure don't think he'd complain about how long I took with this one.

The machine quickly processed the mutagen and once it was done and was ejected from the release chamber, I quickly handed the syringe to Noah with a smile. And I could tell he hadn't been watching the screen as I was working, so he didn't even know what kind of Chimera mutagen it was! Oh, I'm sure he'd love the surprise!

"All done, have fun!" I told him with a wink.

"Damn, that sure was fast," Noah replied, liking how quick this thing could pump out mutagens. "Thanks, I swear, the stuff you white coats can do..."

"Ah, don't mention it," I replied to him, blushing. "You'll love it!"

He then left to get back to the action. I looked over for a few seconds to see how the utter carnage was coming along and yeah, it sure was coming along quite well. Johto Navy... yep, still blowing up! It reminded me so much of earlier days as a kid, busting open a piñata and grabbing all that sweet, sweet candy. I even got to catch a glimpse of Noah's Waillord, taking a smack at the JND Whisper Shot, causing it lurch and miss the Fairy Dragon

I quickly unwrapped a Cocoa-Power chocolate bar, just enjoying all the lively action. Mmm, I love this job!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Goldenrod Bay
Johto
Affected RPers: All

The sting of Project MEND gradually wound down for Raidon Makoto, but his cells never felt more alive than ever. With each flex, Makoto felt every single microtear in his musculature stitch itself back together. He picked up a fifty pound sledge from the Deathwing tarmac and curled it over and over. He was unable to tire himself out--the mutagen healed each tear in his muscles and prevented the cells filling with lactic acid. He hurled the sledgehammer into the ocean and howled at the Johto Naval Forces--like the hyena he knew he was.

He affixed an ear piece into his outer aural lobe and pointed out to the nearest ship to the Deathwing. It was the Tide Changer, one of the JND's larger battleships. He made a fingergun at the hulking craft and shot at it. Commanding over the radio, the dread lord of the Deathwing bellowed, "Deathknight and Fairy Dragon... Knock out the Tide Changer!" The Deathknight's mortars were the first to change position and fire at the battleship. It sailed across the ship, peppering its left side with shells. The Fairy Dragon graced the Tide Changer's right, spraying the ship with bullets leaving the air thick with the smell of the magical fairy dust called gunpowder.

As the ship's corpse sank to the bay that was fated to become a graveyard, Makoto commanded that the Liquidator start to rev itself. The Gatling gun began to turn at a high speed, screeching in Makoto's ear like a rip cord. The atmosphere around him warmed up as the advanced Gatling gun achieved enough speed to ruinate the the Johto navy. Referring to his mental map of where the ships in the bay were placed, Makoto ordered: "Deathwing, target the Golden Glider!" Makoto's baby turned itself sixty degrees right as Frank Bueller, Aqua's demolitions expert, loaded the rounds into the railgun. A loud popping sound was heard as the machine spat out thousands of softball-sized rounds at speeds that could only be measured in fractions of lightspeed. Not only was the Glider, destroyed, it was turned into a fine Swiss cheese. Blood ran thick around the cruiser as it too rest beside the Tide Changer.

"Sir, the rails still have enough integrity to take another shot," Bueller reported.

Makoto again referenced his mental map of the battlefield. "Point the Liquidator sixteen degrees starboard and fire on the Thunder Boom." He pointed towards the Battleship, painting the target with only a finger for Bueller. The Liquidator creaked as it turned and unleashed a similar hellfire upon the Boom, as it too joined its brothers in the Goldenrod sepulcher. The Gatling gun's rails--the pieces of metal that guided the softball sized rounds into their targets--burst off the Liquidator and dropped into the ocean beside the Deathwing. The air around the aircraft carrier was shrouded with steam as the ultrahot straight pieces of metal cooled within the ocean's waters.

"That's it for the Liquidator. We can repair it after the battle," Bueller reported.

"Excellent. Navigations Room, full speed ahead. We are going to make landfall on Goldenrod!"

[XaiakuX]

---
R
---

Giovanni
The Airspace above the Goldenrod City Harbor
Affected RPers: Fairly certain it's all of you.

(OoC: If these posts are at all inaccurate, let me know, and I'll change them to be better. I very much consider this RP post as 'testing the waters.')

'Soon, my plans shall come into fruition. With this Ancient Burst Heart in my possession, I shall soon make the world tremble in my wake,' he thought to himself. He was calm, and proud to be in the position that he was in. He had claimed a powerful artifact, and had greatly desired to use it against a worthy opponent. He was ready to use it. There was one most of all that he desired to use this new weapon on. His own flesh and blood, Alastair Harper. That miserable little cretin had started to become a problem, turning up at random Team Rocket missions, and trouncing the units that he had placed. Then there was his older half brother, Lance Harper. No doubt he would soon find that his parents weren't put down by just anybody. It was only a matter of time.

There was a moment of silence, as he patted the head of his Persian. He then received a transmission. One of his spies at one of the radio towers picked up on a tapped transmission that Team Aqua was headed for Goldenrod City, and specifically for Harper Industries. The good feeling turned into a dark pit in his stomach. That pit caught on fire almost immediately, as Giovanni began to boil with rage at this oncoming armada of Aqua ships. He stared at the screen as they began to invade the harbor. Soon enough, they started blowing up military ships, and then he realized that he must take matters into his own hands if he is to prevent them from meddling in his affairs.

"How DARE these fools come storming into my territory?! Don't they realize the already sizable dent they're putting into MY plans?!" His words carried a venomous hatred behind them. His left hand squeezed the wine glass it original held so gingerly, causing it to shatter in his grip. Wine mixed with blood trickled down his arm, tarnishing the sleeves of his new suit. His attention, however, was fixed on the monitor before him. The screen showed Hoenn ships invading the Goldenrod Harbor, and attacking military ships. This wasn't just an invasion of territory, but also a blockade for his personal business routes. He would not be standing for it.

As the ships neared the harbor, his helicopter sped across the sky, dumping a handful of mines into the ocean. There weren't many, but well enough to take a decent chunk out of their precious ships if they ended up hitting one. He had the chopper tilted so they could see the R painted on the side. He wanted them to know who he was. He then commanded that the helicopter hover just over the AMS Deathwing. It was at this stage that he stood from his seat, stormed over to the automated lift, and emerged from the top of the vehicle, glaring down as if to cast a looming shadow over Team Aqua. Blood still trickled from his hand as he snatched up the radio receiver, and held it in front of his face.

"You miserable, worthless, arrogant little imbeciles! How dare you invade the turf of Team Rocket! I will give you this one warning: Turn your ships around, and go home. If you comply with hostility, you come under the worst fire imaginable. I am Giovanni, and my will be done!" He threw the receiver down, causing a deafening, yet brief feedback. The missile systems locked on to the enemy ships, as three more choppers appeared from behind the much taller buildings and joined Giovanni's helicopter. Men and women dressed in black outfits, branded with an 'R' on the chest, dotted the shore line. Some held cannons, some held rifles, and some held Pokéballs.

Giovanni stood upon his balcony, still glaring and fuming, and his bleeding hand now gripping the side rail in front of him. The pitter-patter of the rain being drowned out by the whirling of the choppers' blades. He wasn't ready to reveal himself just yet. But these idiots made it impossible when they decided to target his future base of operations. He wouldn't allow it. So for this one time, Giovanni would defend this land, for it would be his land. He would not see it fall to scum like Team Aqua. If they wanted it, they would have to go through the most dangerous man in Johto and Kanto combined. A man that commanded the respect of Team Aqua, and had better damn well get that respect.


-----------------

Lance Harper
Goldenrod City
Affected RPers: Death's Spook, Velocity, TheProtobabe

It was a quiet car ride, Lance had focused on his phone, secretly studying his mobile phone, and researching Team Rocket. He wanted to find anything and everything on Giovanni. Some of the sickest things that Lance had ever seen is what the internet had shown him of Team Rocket. How could Giovanni do these things? How could he just get away with it all? He didn't know how he was going to take him down, but he was going to find a way. Although moderately lost in his own thoughts and internet searches, the quiet humming of rain drops hitting the roof of the limo was rather soothing to his ears, and his mind.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Lenore said before apparently deciding to take a nap.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Alastair," He said, before returning to his investigations. Helena rested on his arm, to keep appearances, although no doubts sneaking in the occasional glance at his phone. He didn't mind it. He wanted her to see. To see the destruction put into play by Team Rocket, and what we all would have to look forward to.

When the limousine slowed to a stop, Lance got out of the vehicle, and noticed Lenore talking to an Absol. She carried on a conversation with it, before directing her attention to the group. "Lance, Alistair, Helena,” Lenore said, addressing the group. She did her best to keep her voice calm, but the stress in her voice and expressions were starting to seep through her facade. She began to explain the details of the situation that went on in her head as she pretended to nap. Lance decided to speak up, and address this whole ordeal.

"Lenore, if what you're saying is true, then our plans are going to be foiled. I can't give a speech to these people if we're walking into an assured Armageddon," he said, not sure if even he wanted to take himself seriously. But part of him wanted to believe her visions, as ludicrous as they seemed to be. Lance learned through his training to never leave anything to random chance. He would need to be certain of her explanation first.

"Micah senses the danger as well," she added, gesturing to the still-anxious Absol. "If we stay here, our very survival may become unlikely. I don't know how much time we have. But I'd estimate no more than ten to twenty minutes before everything gets ugly." She paused for a moment to think, and then spoke up once more, "I suggest that anyone with a Psychic-type; 'Use that Pokémon to spread the word through the hospital en masse; it will save time.' My next polite recommendation is that afterward we get the h*ll out of dodge."

"Well I don't have any Psychic Types, So I'll leave that to you, as for getting out of here-" He was cut off by the noise of a helicopter flying overhead, and heading for the harbor. A chopper that he had seen before, and knew without a doubt, who was on it. At the same time, barriers had started to form around the hospital. It was at this point that he decided to speak up, again, "As for getting out of here, that just isn't going to happen!"

In an instant, Lance took off in the direction the helicopter was headed, he managed to make it out before the barriers sealed him in there. He followed it all the way to the edge of a pier, only to find himself suddenly surrounded by Team Rocket goons. They weren't necessarily focused on him, though. They were focused on the objects in the distance slowly coming into view. They were ships. Were these the ships that Lenore had spoken of? If so, her visions were about to become very real. By the time everyone had caught up with him, Lance was pulling a studded leather bracelet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

"Sorry, Lenore. But running... Well that just isn't going to happen. So let's instead get ready to defend our home from these invaders, and let them know that we aren't going down without a fight. What do you say, Alastair? Helena? Lenore?"

[Death's Spook]

Alastair Harper
Goldenrod City
ARPers: Everyone

Leviathan tensed at Lenore’s words, <Alastair. Lenore is absolutely right at the prospect of danger. But there’s something she’s either left out or is not picking up. There’s a… thing with these people. It’s psychic signature promises power enough to raze buildings in a single shot and malevolence enough to do it as a fun little exercise. It’s Wrong, and Evil.> The Starmie managed to put capital letters on those words.

Alastair was more than a little surprised at Leviathan’s vehemence on this new creature’s character. The starfish wasn’t a[/]moral, exactly, but he was certainly [i]undermoral. The water type did not usually hold stock with moral judgements and preferred instead to do things that were “interesting”, thanks to a century of life. Alastair even doubted the star stuck with him out of anything resembling loyalty in a typical sense: Alastair was just one of the more interesting people the Pokemon had encountered, and sticking with the trainer had increased the psychic’s power besides. So, by anything resembling a rational thought process, Alastair should have wet his pants.

But Alastair was irked more than anything at this new development. Life and death situations had long since been able to muster up the same impact on him as they should have. He still felt absolutely terrified, of course, but there was no sting in it. His annoyance was far more prominent. Not only were these people going to destroy the city that he thought of as his home, they were apparently going to do it with a powerful creature that by all rights they should have kept as a backup. While Goldenrod was the home of Harper Industries, the company in its decrepit state was hardly the be all and end all of Johto. There was no tactical value in using an unstoppable superweapon to take it with the small exception of morale. Yes, using such a creature would be damaging, but it was entirely too possible that it would become a rallying point in convincing everyone to ally against this group. It would have been far more intelligent to keep the creature as an ace in the hole to take out a far more valuable target.

Alastair wanted to think there was no one smart running things from his opponents’ ends, but he had not gotten as far he had by being arro-

Why the hell were there Team Rocket munitions here? And why was Lance staring at them with hatred? Had he found out about “Uncle Van’s” origins and take offense to that? Did he know about Alastair’s? Did he think that Team Rocket had done them some wrong?

The only “wrong” Alastair could think the Rockets did was either that Lance knew about Alastair’s shadow wars or if they had some sort of hand in taking out Oliver and Mary. The latter, in Alastair’s thoughts, was far less probable than the former: while Oliver and Mary were probably not particularly sympathetic to the Rockets, Giovanni had no particular difficulty in twisting them to his whims before. So Alastair was going to cautiously proceed with the former assumption. He wasn’t going to reveal anything to his brother (a lot of his intelligence was very sensitive), but he’d have to keep an eye out.

<Alastair. I’m reasonably certain Giovanni is in that helicopter. I haven’t met anyone else with quite that kind of psychic imprint.>

Alastair wanted to berate Giovanni for stupidity while simultaneously cursing his luck, but realized that Giovanni had ulterior motives. The megalomaniac couldn’t have wanted a region historically under his influence to be destroyed, so he would defend it. They had the same objective in this, no matter Alastair’s personal feelings on the man. And if Alastair could arrange “friendly fire” without endangering that objective, so much the better.

Then another thought then occurred to Alastair: could Goldenrod be more valuable than he previously thought? Something Giovanni and these players had information on that Alastair did not?

It would explain the superweapon without assuming his foes were afflicted with terminal stupidity.

Plans bloomed in Alastair’s mind. Lance wasn’t going to go, so the younger Harper wasn’t going to either. Several elements began to slide into place as Alastair’s mind flew into trying to survive this fight. He grabbed his Burst heart. He was going to need it.

“All right. Lenore, if you would not object, try to defend Lance. My brother may be doing something dumb,” making his feelings on the subject well known, “but you’ve been hired to keep such things from being fatal. Helena, I suggest you leave. My brother is stubborn and Lenore and I are both massively powerful, but you don’t have to stay here.” Especially since I’m worried about Giovanni getting the same idea about “friendly fire” that I did, and you’re already in place to carry it out. “I have plans in the works, but we’re going to have to see how this situation plays out. They appear to be interested in mass destruction, so try to stay unnoticable. They’re the juggernauts, but we’re the guerilla fighters, and if we’re going to hamper them at all, we’re going to need to go for the oblique angle. I don't think they'd care about a couple of ants, which is exactly what we're going to seem to them.”

[bronislav84]

(I'm not dead! Really wish I had a tablet so I could write posts on the go, though.)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, Arriving in Vermillion city, Kanto
Affected RPers: N/A

The chopper touched down on a helicopter pad near the city reserved for police and military. The stealth feature that we had on this particular one allowed it to change the appearance on the outside. Right now it had identification as a Kanto Police Department helicopter, though of course we couldn't change the look from a military helicopter. There was a big KPD emblazoned on it now, as well as the proper identification. The chopper auto pilot was programmed to take off afterward for a nearby clearing in the wood where we would find it later anyway so it's not like it was going to be staying around very long. We just didn't want to be stepping out of thin air or out of a door to nothing. That would look even more suspicious. The five of us had our masks and KPD uniforms on, which had long been swiped from the real KPD. We weren't planning to stay in the region long if we could help it, anyway. We headed over to the guy in the sailor suit checking papers, clearing our throats to prepare for changing our voice to match the pitch and accent in Kanto. He was a bit taken aback at us just showing up, but quickly regained his composure.

"Papers, please. Kanto is at war and I can't take any chances. I'm sure you understand." He held out his hand for the papers.

I nodded. "Of course." We each reached into our pockets and pulled out our completely authentic badges but forged papers and handed it to the man. Dan had hacked into their database on the way here and inserted our info. He would remove it when the Op here was done.

He scanned them with a gadget that looked like a metal detector and it chimed a pleasant chime. "So, what brings you here Officers? Usually we call the KPD if we need it or patrols just show up."

As the usual voice of the squad I answered the questions unless one of them was addressed directly. We were a tight-knit group and what went for one went for all. Though this time I really wasn't aware of what the Op was, so Dan stepped up and handed the man what looked like a warrant. "We're chasing a wanted criminal last seen in Saffron City. He's wanted for two counts of murder and one count of burglary." Of course I was sure the warrant was completely forged, but it would come up as authentic when scanned. The machine beeped a pleasant chime again and the man nodded.

"Everything checks out Officers. Welcome to Vermillion City. If you're not in too much of a hurry, you should check out our tour which includes the Gym and the S.S. Anne." He said with a cheerful smile. Dan smiled back and we filed past the sailor. Once we were out of view I had to ask him about this.

"Dan, are we really chasing a criminal?" I asked him as we hurried north toward Route 6. He looked at me like I was crazy and otherwise didn't say anything. I answered my own question. "Of course we're not. So what are we doing on this globe trotting adventure?"

"We're tracking the black market and sales of manufactured Burst Hearts. I figure more of them for Aqua's cause counts as helping." The rest of us nodded as we quickened our pace.

~*~*~

About ten minutes of walking we reached Route 6. We were about to just continue when what seemed to be a trainer completely not watching where he was going bumped into me. It was always an awkward feeling when somebody bumped into me like that, especially since he was shorter and his head ended up in a weird position. "Kid, keep an eye on the road next time and not on your phone." I told him, still in the same Kanto dialect.

"You bumped into me, lady!" I looked him over now. He was wearing a white t-shirt over his tanned skin with a vest, and blue jeans. He also wore a local team cap. He pulled out a Pokéball, made it large, and gripped it tightly.

"Oh, a rude one eh? I can detain you for annoying an officer of the law!" I yelled at him, though really I couldn't and didn't know where I'd take him anyway.

The kid gripped his ball tightly. "Rude?! Seriously, YOU bumped into ME! Battle me and let's settle this the fair way!" I shrugged as he grinned and threw out a Charmander. It had the same cocky grin as it's trainer. I decided to play with him, tossing out my Venusaur.

"Saur!" Leafy bellowed as he roared out his name. The Charmander started laughing with pieces of his voice in there.

"You're really using a grass type against a fire type? What kind of trainer are you?" He was laughing really hard, but managed to ask his Pokémon to make a move. "Charmander, Ember attack!" The fire lizard started spitting embers as he jumped up.

"Leafy, Razor Leaf!" Leafy spit out a colossal storm of leaves from of his flower bulb. Some of the leaves got burned by the embers, and Leafy even took some hits as well, getting knocked back, but most of the leaves hit the Charmander, taking it out.

"No way!" Yelled the cocky kid. "There's no way. That attack only burned some leaves, but it did hit, I saw it!"

"So? My Venusaur is just trained better. You never had a chance." Leafy nodded and smiled, proud of himself. I then patted him on the head lightly. "Go and train then maybe you'll have a shot at the Gym here." The boy sighed and recalled his collapsed Charmander.

"I'm sorry. I really should be watching where I'm going while I use my smartphone. So what are you going to do now Officer, arrest me like you said?" He sighed and put his arms out to be cuffed.

"I was kidding about that." I slapped his wrists, recalling Leafy. "Just go train." The five of us walked past him as he let out a long sigh and leaned against a nearby tree.

We headed north toward Saffron City and were at the gate in no time. The guard didn't even pay attention, the slacker.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected Aqua RPers: Neo Emolga Lord Celebi
Affected Awesome RPers: Grassy Aggron Protobabe Death's Spook Velocity XaiakuX

"Go for it, bad boy," Noah said, sneering at the JND Water Dog.

He didn't have much time to lose on its...Aquisition, as it didn't take long after that for the fight to start. Without much warning, the JND Golden Glider was torn to shrapnel by the sheer force of the giant Gatling gun. That thing couldn't' be JUST a Gatling gun, he decided...Had to have more kick to it. It was like a machine gun that fired sniper rifle rounds, only much, much bigger.

A machine gun that fired sniper rifle rounds...That would just tear people to shreds. He might just put that idea in with the skunks sometime, if only to see the carnage that would result. If he remembered to, anyways. However, he had to focus on flying, levitating, whatever it was Hyperion did before by not being on the ground at all. He had to grab that ship, after all.

The Fairy Dragon and DeathKnight, quickly after the massacre of the JND Golden Glider, proved that you didn't NEED an overpowered Gatling gun to blow things to hell. Just the latest naval technology of a region who's navy was often considered one of the best in the world...Before all the bursting nonsense just made them the best. In any case, down went two MORE ships. Yarvick's quarry might just be targeted if he's slow, though hopefully him notifying Noah would make sure Aqua left that ship well enough alone for the taking.

But first, to figure out how to fly, because his form was quite unsuited for swimming.

"Yarvick...To fly, you need to just focus about moving yourself...Just like telekinesis, except on yourself..." Hyperion said within his mind. He seemed very distracted.

"Thanks for the advice, but you seem kind of off somewhere else, Hyperion. Any trouble?" Yarvick thought back.

A small period of silence ensured. When it seemed Yarvick would get no answer (for some reason), he tried to focus on...Moving himself up. He focused...And almost immediately, without even putting much effort into it, he was off the ground. It didn't take much, as it turned out. It was like standing up.

"Ah, good...You're flying," Hyperion said, still sounding like he was focused on something else.

"Hyperion, what is it?" Yarvick said, as he willed himself forward, towards the Water Dog. To his surprise, he moved VERY fast, faster than he expected. It would be quick. "Is something up? You can tell me."

"Yes, actually...Yarvick, something feels VERY wrong about this. I don't mean what we're doing, or that we're about to help engage a massacre...I mean...The Ancient Burst Heart itself, that's what I mean. It just felt so...Wrong." Hyperion said.

"Wrong how?" Yarvick queried.

"...It definitely didn't seem very old for something called an 'Ancient Burst Heart,' for one, but that's your memory of it. This...It feels like something...There's no other word for it, something inherently wrong made it. Not just evil, but wrong, Yarvick, very wrong. I feel that evil behind the burst...It's not harming us, not touching us, but what keeps us like this is a force that just feels like it should not exist!...Oh, and I feel like we're being watched...VERY closely...." Hyperion stated.

Yarvick kept a light focus on flying. It took about as much effort as a jog, now that Yarvick got used to it. Really, his speed on learning this might be Hyperion's memories boiling over, or just the natural instincts of Deoxys helping things along. However, what focus he could spare he spent on searching around for anything...Noteworthy. Anything watching him. He found a lot of curiosity coming at him from the Johto Navy, what with him being an unidentified flying object, but he found nothing...wrong, as Hyperion put it. He did see the JND Thunder Boom, well, go boom, courtesy of the crazy Gatling gun plus a million.

"I'm not sensing what you are...It might be suited for a better time, though. We know our target. Time for some grand theft...Naval? Grand theft naval?" Yarvick thought.

"...It's certainly no Grand theft auto..." Hyperion thought back.

"Oh, whatever."

Yarvick had already made it to the Water Dog's deck. There were several planes on-board, and one was just about to take off. The navymen, now that they got a good look at him, had thoughts of confusion, curiosity and fear-and any of them that had guns were opening fire on him, but Yarvick quickly went under the deck, away from their bullets. They hadn't seen much like Yarvick currently was, after all, and rightfully believed it was some foregin Legend they hadn't heard of yet. The only other event of note was the JND Whisper Shot suddenly being slammed with a freaking Wailord. Several of the navymen were looking at that spectacle, as well as the spots where the Golden Glider and the Thunder Boom USED to be, and at the flaming wrecks that were the Drunkard's Revenge and the Tide Changer.

Looking at all of that, they thought that THEY were the lucky ones. Oh, how little did they know.

Yarvick was about to focus on a Psychic attack, but he noticed a helicopter as he was doing so. With four faces and every angle covered, it was hard not to. It was dropping mines into the ocean-not a problem for some diving squads, but frustrating nevertheless. However, what really caught his eye was the big red 'R' on it. The Helicopter had actually tilted itself just to show it off.

He could not hear at all, but the crew of the Water Dog were all ears for it: Apparently, it was Team Rocket, back from the grave, and it was Giovanni giving the speech for the 'terrorist ships' to stand down. A few of them chuckled inwardly, either out of amusement that they were being saved by terrorists or out of amusement that they were now facing a faction that, rumor had it, was defeated by teenagers twice. Teenage prodigies with excellent Pokemon, but still, teenagers, and still, twice.

Yarvick did not really give a s**t. He didn't really know much about Team Rocket other than it was a stereotypical 'bad guy' group with no courtesy to Man nor Mon. Even Aqua had better public relations and deeper complexity than that, though he figured there may have been more to it deeper in. He definitely could pick up on how arrogant Giovanni was, even if he had the army to back up his claims. He needed a huge lesson in humility...And Yarvick felt like today, he'd be a teacher.

Yarvick knew how to use a Psychic attack...He would have taken a deep breath, but he had no nose, so he just focused, and focused hard, on psionic energy...He wanted a wave of blue to kill everyone onboard, fast and hard. When he felt like he had enough, he thrust one of his arms forward, re-appearing above the deck, unleashing the psychic energy.

Several huge waves of destructive blue energy crashed forward and basically destroyed everything on-deck. Everything. What was once a fully-operationable Aircraft Carrier capable of sending armed planes to ruin Kanto's days, was now a pile of wrecks. As for the crew, they were either dead, or flung off the side of the ship from sheer psionic force.

If there was ever a time for the Johto Navy, for Team Rocket, for EVERYONE to have lost hope, it would have been RIGHT THEN. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, there was a man with an Ancient Burst Heart, and he had a Legend on top of it, and one of the strongest in the world to boot. He wasn't going to draw more attention to himself than he already had, though; he had a ship to steal, and it was still sailing. All he had to do now was kill whatever navy-men were within the ship in a fast and deadly game of hide-and-seek, then set a course for the Aqua Fleet and have it join the family. If those Rocket twits wanted to blow it to hell, then they'd just attract the attention of Yarvick the Mega Deoxys, and that was practically suicide. Not like they could sneak in an attack on him directly, having four faces to look out of simultaneously...

"Oh...Oh my...We are so...Powerful...But...That presence...I feel it...I can feel it, and I think it's laughing at this..." Hyperion said.

"I'd certainly love to hear this laughter..." Yarvick thought. "Look, just call it 'Mud,' just name it 'Mud.' It'll give 'ya a good giggle. Don't have much advice for this kind of situation...And I'm kind of busy taking care of this. Let's just focus on this, if you can."

Now that Yarvick was thinking about it, though, he could almost hear a maniac's laugh in his mind, that of...Something quite unidentifiable. He certainly hadn't heard of it before. Sounded quite...Human. Yet...It didn't sound human at all, in a way. It felt more like him thinking OF laughter than actually hearing it, though, so it could have just been Hyperion.

Yarvick found the door inside the ship, and opened it. He also accidentally ripped the door off of it's hinges with his newfangled physical strength as a Mega Deoxys, and he just tossed it aside casually, entering the confines. If he sensed any attack, he'd rush out to meet the poor idiots, but hopefully Aqua would keep the Navy and the Rockets away from his target.

Ready or not, Navymen, here he comes!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Goldenrod Bay
Johto
Affected RPers: All, mostly XaiakuX

The Deathwing went full speed ahead through the carnage that was once the peaceful Goldenrod Bay. The only enemy ships left standing were those being scavenged by his forces, bound to Raidon Makoto's will, and impressed into service. It was a true feast for crows. Makoto had to hold down a chuckle at the destruction around him; his Trinity Fleet was enough to take down eight ships, and it was only going to grow ever larger as the battle continued.

Around fifty yards separated the Deathwing from the bay. Makoto's soldiers were preparing for battle. All loaded into Shadowfall tanks, they were ready to raise hell on the city of Goldenrod. Harper Tower was their main target, but Makoto wanted to have a little fun while he was out. His Aquas, of course, were sworn to not harm women or children, lest the memories of Incident 731 boil back to the front of his mind. Once the land was just in reach, something unexpected happened. A helicopter dashed by, unleashing several hundred underwater depth charges. Several other attack helicopters swarmed the Deathwings like they vultures around a fresh kill. The shore was instantly lined with guns, mortars, and men in black jumpsuits. From the Deathwing's tarmac, Makoto could see the big red Rs emblazoned on the front of the soldiers' uniforms. He gritted his teeth, "Team Rocket..."

The closest helicopter opened up in mid-air, as a man in an orange suit hung over the side of the craft, yelling into a transceiver. The helicopter's front-mounted speakers transmitted the message all over the bay. However, Makoto knew by the man's stare that it was directed towards him. "You miserable, worthless, arrogant little imbeciles!" The Rocket Leader, Giovanni, screeched into the microphone. Makoto could have sworn he had read this punk was dead. However, stranger things have happened. Makoto opened his mouth to retort but then realized that Giovanni had more to say. Oh, god no. Don't tell me... No... he is! He's monologuing! Really? I need to sit through this ****? Makoto thought.

"How dare you invade the turf of Team Rocket! I will give you this one warning: Turn your ships around, and go home. If you comply with hostility, you come under the worst fire imaginable. I am Giovanni, and my will be done!" he commanded. My will be done? Who the hell does he think he is, super-villain Jesus? Christ almighty, might as well twirl your mustache while you're at it. Makoto riffed the speech in his head.

Deciding to respond, he grabbed his smartphone and rerouted his headset to the Deathwing's speaker system. Normally, it was used to play Kenny Loggin's Danger Zone while the All Clown Squadron of Fun ran air drills. Today, however, it would be repurpose for one goal: pissing Giovanni off. Makoto thought that a full retort would just give this bastard the satisfaction of pushing Makoto's buttons. Instead, he decided to just blow him off. The dread lord of the Deathwing looked the crime boss in the eyes and replied: "Cool story, bro." The flippant comeback echoed across the bay. Makoto heard the Aquas in the Navigations Room erupt into laughter. He was pretty sure that he made the crimelord look like a fool in front of everyone.

The commander looked up at Peter Jennings, the sniper perched on top of the Deathwing's Navigations Room. Switching his headset back to radio, he told Jennings, "Take him out." Makoto's personal bodyguard nodded and shot at Giovanni's helicopter with a Carl Gustav homing rocket launcher. Jennings, looking to ensure the kill, fired two rounds into the enemy craft. Makoto then switched to the Navigations Room frequency, "Push the Deathwing ahead. We can definitely take a hit or two. I want to make landfall. Captain Davenport, we need your dive squad to disable as many of the depth charges in the bay as you can to ensure our other ships can travel safely. Captain Oreskovich, deploy the All Clown Squadron of Fun and take out these helicoptered creeps."

The Deathwing drove ahead. It hit a depth charge almost immediately. Makoto lost his balance and fell forward. "Minor hull damage on the starboard side. Radar says two more depth charges ahead before landfall," Tyrus Hale reported over the radio. Another bump. "The Deathwing is taking in water. Captain Sasuka and his Aqua Corps of Engineers have been dispatched to plug the hole." One more bump. A final shake as the Deathwing plowed itself into the Goldenrod sandbar. The hatches on the front opened and several squads of Shadowfall tanks spilled out, opening fire on the Rocket scum stationed on the beaches.

Makoto stood up, dusted himself off, and prepared to join his troops.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
JDN Silver Scale, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected Team Aqua RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
Affected Team Awesome RPers: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron

More than half of Johto's ships in this bathtub had been utterly ripped to shreds right before all of Goldenrod City itself. The mayhem was just orgasmic. Anyone who still survived on Johto's side was quickly getting into a panic and becoming demoralized. They seriously had no idea what kind of stuff we were packing, and now the surprise of it all was hurting like hell to them.

I had recalled Moby my Wailord, and while the JND Whisper Shot managed to get a few trivial hits on the AMS Deathwing, the AMS Fairy Dragon and the AMS DeathKnight both fired upon the destroyer, instantly blasting the tiny warship to flaming, twisted metal pieces. The ship was ripped in half and both flaming halves just sunk into the water slowly. Johto, witness your tax money at work!

And there it was in front of us, the JND Silver Scale. Its crew was in a state of panic and were demoralized as all hell, but the ship itself was generally intact and hadn't been hit too much.

"This is Noah, sights set on the Silver Scale," I told the others on the radio. "Team Anarchy, move in! We're hijacking this thing."

That's when I decided to put this mutagen Janine gave me to good use. Hopefully it had wings or fins that would help me reach the cruiser so we could hijack the vessel with ease, but if not, hey, the PWCs were a quick option either way. I quickly flicked off the vaccine cover, jabbed myself with the syringe in the arm, and pressed down on the plunger to insert the mutagen.

The transformation effects of the mutagen were just... deranged, weren't too many other words for it. I was covered with burning and tingling sensations while my bones were being totally rearranged. I was suddenly covered from head to toe with black fur, and I quickly recognized the glowing Umbreon markings on my thighs, upper arms, and...

Oh ****...

I was really wondering just what the hell was running through Janine's mind when suddenly I had nine ridiculously giant tails just sprout out of my ass, each of them with a yellow ring the way an Umbreon had them. The giant black Honchkrow wings with the glowing yellow highlights weren't a bad touch at all, and then add in the gigantic black wad of pony-tailed Zoroark hair with glowing yellow highlights as well. And then... the pointed Lopunny ears. Those huge... ridiculous ears. She... freaking turned me into a nine-tailed Umbreon-colored Lopunny!! With wings and a hell of a lot of hair. Man, I felt ridiculous. All these freaking tails made it feel like I had a furry octopus glued to my ass! And don't even get me started on the fact I was now a ****ing bunny of all things. Could have been a dragon. Could have been a wolf. Or a bear. But nooooo, we had to go with THIS!?

With all the mayhem going on, I didn't have time to go run back and get another one. I'd lose my chance at the Silver Scale and a big share of the action over a little pride about being a cute bunny. No, that just sounded stupid. I figured I'd just get in there and put this to use while working with what I had. I quickly grabbed a rocket launcher from the weapon crates, spread my feathery Honchkrow wings, and headed toward the JND Silver Scale, signaling for the Anarchy team to follow. A lot of them were also Chimeras, which I was sure would make the Johto Navy piss their pants. It was tricky trying to get used to flying for the first time, but it was easily learned in the first fifteen seconds.

We all closed in on the JND Silver Scale, already beginning our attack on the unsuspecting Johto Navy sailors. While they were trying to gun us down with small arms fire, we attacked with Pokémon attacks, significantly stronger than their little rifles. I unleashed a furious Shadow Ball at the bow, causing several soldiers and a wimpy Espeon to be suddenly blown out of the way and thrown overboard. And that funky scream... was that the Espeon or one the soldiers?

Now that was just comical.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing deck, Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers:
TEAM AQUA: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
TEAM AWESOME: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron

I saw a heli hovering over the Deathwing, and it made me wonder just who had some crazy death-wish to fly over the nastiest aircraft carrier on the planet. And then I saw the red "R" on the side. Oh boy, not these losers again.

And then, the dude wearing an unmistakable orange suit emerged on a lift, all puffed up like a goofy princess! Or an ugly peacock. Maybe both?

"You miserable, worthless, arrogant little imbeciles!" Giovanni shouted into his funky megaphone. "How dare you invade the turf of Team Rocket!" He shouted. "I will give you this one warning: Turn your ships around, and go home. If you comply with hostility, you come under the worst fire imaginable. I am Giovanni, and my will be done!"

Just... wow. I was surprised his ego hadn't made him pop!

"Cool story, bro," Raidon replied, his voice booming across the bay from the speaker system.

Everyone broke out laughing! So much for trying to inspire even the tiniest figment of intimidation! And then, shortly after, the All Clown Squadron of Fun boys were deployed to attack Giovanni's sudden swarm of choppers. We were about to make landfall, and shortly after, we had hit one of the depth charges. I wasn't an engineer, but I was hoping that wouldn't wreck the Deathwing too much...

As the Deathwing approached land, the Clowns were making a mess out of the Rocket choppers. See, the problem with choppers is... they suck against planes! Especially planes with awesome pilots!

Once the Deathwing made it to the sandbar, the hatch was opened and the Shadowfall tanks were deployed to wreck fun and havoc all over Goldenrod City. I decided hey, it was time to get in on the action too. While those guys were being deployed, I got to work on making some more Chimera mutagens, only these wouldn't be for Aqua soldiers. Those would be for the enemy soldiers, and they were the dumbest, ugliest, and stupidest Chimera forms I could conjure up! And without reversal agents... ha ha, they'd be stuck like that!

I had at least two dozen created by the time the Aqua forces broke their way into Goldenrod City. I toyed with the idea of taking on that funny, extra fluffy bunny angel form again, and decided hey, why not? You only live once! Plus havoc, mayhem, and anarchy in the form of a cute, fluffy bunny was always sheer comedy of epic levels!

After jabbing myself with that crazy syringe, yep, it was back to old times, only now I wouldn't be cramped into that tiny lab I would have been stuck in earlier. Once again, I was coated from head to toe with soft, fluffy white fur, two huge bunny ears, lots of fluffy tails, the gigantic cotton Whimsicott puff, two plushy wings, and lots of soft hair and a halo. Epic cuteness, epic anarchy!

I then grabbed those awful Chimera syringes and flew toward the action in town. And man, those Johto soldiers were already in a panic! Right in front of me, one of their tanks got blown up and the others were running out of there, screaming. Their attempt to form a barricade was a total epic fail as the Shadowfall tanks just rolled the hell right over it!

"WE'RE LOSING CONTROL OF THE SITUATION!!" One of them shouted on a loud speaker mounted on one of the APCs.

"THIS IS COMMANDER BARNES, FALL BACK! I REPEAT, FALL BACK!"

The Johto armed forces were trying to create distance, not expecting tanks to be part of what might have looked like only a purely naval attack. Oh, and they weren't expecting Chimeras either! I swear, the look on their faces! It was the same kind of look someone would get if they woke up one morning, took a look in the mirror, and suddenly saw they had become a tragically obese sumo wrestler with purple skin and a pink tutu during the night!

I flew down to one silly elite soldier dude wearing a red barrette hat with some gold emblem. Ha ha, that dude thought he looked tough with it, his tough guy uniform, and his oversized machine gun. Time to give him a new look! He was distracted, keeping watch on a Shadowfall tank, but he turned around to see me swoop down and give him a quick jab to the neck with one of my naughty mischief-inducing syringes! I then pushed him aside, leaving him wondering what I just jabbed into his jugular vein.

"What the-!?" He exclaimed.

And then, ha ha! I realized which one that was! He was screaming as he was suddenly turned into a Bellossom/Lilligant/Venusaur Chimera, surrounding his waist with a leaf dress of green and yellow leaves, a giant Venusaur flower on his back, two red flowers on the sides of his head, and a really big Lilligant one of the top! For a guy... it was epically idiotic! First an elite soldier, and now a hilarious flower bouquet!

"W-what the... f-**** is... this...!?!?" He exclaimed, suddenly whimpering like a baby!

Oh my god, I had to be careful with these, or I was just going to die of laughter!

[Grassy_Aggron]

(I cleared the whole "crashing the Silver Scale into the DeathKnight" thing with Rust. Did not anticipate Neo posting right after I sent that PM to him, but I cleared it with you too dude, unless you want me to change it a little bit since I didn't wait for your second response. I was antsy to get this up :I

Also, hospital is close to the docks, so it wouldn't be a long trip on Dragonite.)

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod General Hospital and then Goldenrod Bay Docks/Goldenrod City/Johto
Affected RPers: All, I suppose? Especially Neo Emolga.
I'm a doctor, Jim!

The barriers were in place, and the Zoroark were at the ready. And people say Mr. Mime are only good for giving children nightmares...Pfft. Just in time for her thought to finish, all heck broke loose in the bay, and now she had to deal with Tony nearly punching the table to smithereens as he watched the ships sink like pitiful toys. "THIS IS RIDICULOUS! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Stark was giving a roar beside him, and Claressa's own heart was sinking along with those ships. I have to do something. Hmm... It's risky, but I don't have a choice.

"Tony, may I borrow Stark for a moment?" His attention affixed on her.

"...Claressa...No. No, no, no. You can't go out there. I know you well enough that you're going to try and help those people, but you can't." She gave him a look that suggested she wasn't going to listen. Sighing, he smoothed his jet black hair back, shaking his head. "...Look, I'll come with you. We both know I'm fit to fight, and I can burst with Stark, even if it is risky. Someone needs to look out for you."

As much as she was against it, it was either this or not leaving at all. She nodded, and with a quick word to a nurse both she and Tony mounted Stark. How that Dragonite squeezed through the window, she will never know, but dang if she was glad he did. He took off through the pounding rain as fast as he possibly could, and she could see panicked civilians running away from the coast. Smart move on their part, as the ships were sinking fast...and now there were men in black lining the beaches.

"Is that Team Rocket? What are they doing here?"

She thought for a moment before responding. "Well, they consider Kanto and Johto their turf. Having someone else invade would probably be a huge blow to their pride. ...Well, other than getting beaten by two teenagers at different times." He laughed a little at that, and by now they were landing on the farthest area of the dock, where no Rocket members were. The scene before them was nothing more than a horrible slaughter, with ships sinking and fire upon the water. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out several Pokeballs, releasing the contents of those within. One took shape within the water, pink and heart shaped, and almost certainly related to Luvdisc. Stark joined her within the turbulent water.

The others were a pink and tan rabbit...creature, as well as a pink and white giant ball of puff, and what appeared to be a yellow, leafy dinosaur. "Rayne, Stark, try and rally other Pokemon to help and bring the injured back here, to shore." The Alomomola and Dragonite nodded, diving beneath the waves for safety. Turning, Claressa next addressed her Audino, Blissey, and Bayleef. "Get ready to heal anyone that comes. We need to help these people, and we're the next in line. If we can get them to be able to walk, they can get to the hospital and help others." The trio nodded, turning and waiting.

It wasn't long before the first survivors were brought ashore. Immediately she set Sympathy - her Audino - to healing the soldier with the most severe wounds, one of which appearing to miss an arm. It was gruesome, but it appeared the fire that danced upon the water had managed to cauterize the wound, as well as burning a large portion of his body. Sympathy placed her hands on the man's shoulder, letting a heart shaped pulse of energy ripple through him while Joy materialized a bell above her head, letting it chime even amidst the storm. The combination of Heal Pulse and Heal Bell helped them, but they could not heal all. The burns were less severe but still there, and that man certainly wasn't going to regrow his limb anytime soon. The others were lucky to only be burned with minor cuts and scrapes, and together they hoisted their comrade and began to take him back to the hospital. The barriers normally prevented anyone from leaving, but the Mr. Mime guarding the entrance would allow them to pass.

Rayne and Stark departed again for more survivors, and it allowed Claressa an opportunity to look at Tony. His expression was one of both grief and horrendous rage, along with an unnerved tremble in the eyebrow. "...I don't get any of this. The only one left is Water Dog and Silver Scale, and the latter isn't...doing well. Even Water Dog, its whole deck has been destroyed by that thing. What is going on?"

"Destruction. They ripped through our defenses like nothing. The only reason the Silver Scale is still going is because they are on the defense. I'm sorry, Tony."

"It looks like they're under attack again." Tony pointed at the ship, now under attack by strange creatures that were humanoid yet also Pokemon. They weren't burst hearts, as the features, even from this distance, were far too strange and mixed to be one possible Pokemon. They were under severely heavy fire, yet the ship itself wasn't taking too much damage.

It was then the ship turned and pointed itself straight at the AMS DeathKnight.

The JND Silver Scale floored its engines and rapidly picked up pace. A medium sized ship, it didn't hit as hard as its larger cousins, but what it lacked in firepower it made up for with speed. Its weapons were all but disabled by the forces now fighting on its deck, but there was one last weapon that it still had. A weapon so powerful it would destroy the ship and leave a rather large hole in its opponent, and one that every single ship always had.

Itself.

The captain was not stupid, far from it, and he had also just lost his brother, whom had been the captain of the JND Golden Glider. Undoubtedly a good deal of grief had also influenced his decision to ram the AMS DeathKnight, as well as recognition his ship had been spared for a reason - and not one of pity. As it approached, the ship continued to build up speed, and quite suddenly its speakers screamed out static in a deafening roar of brazen defiance. It was either that or someone fell asleep on the speaker, which would also lead to the same effect.

It only took minutes before the ship slammed into the side of the AMS DeathKnight, spewing up a small fireball as the oil ignited, along with a horrendous screeching of metal upon metal. The ship began to tilt backwards as water flooded into it through its smashed bow, survivors from both sides jumping into the water in order to escape the wreckage and flames. As the JND Silver Scale began to drift to its grave and join its sibling ship, they could see a gaping hole left in the side of the warship, and it was apparent it was taking on water. The damage would have been worse had it been a warship hitting it, but it still had taken considerable damage, and the combination of oily fire and ocean was going to make it difficult to deal with.

Claressa worked on helping the survivors that were coming ashore, while Tony knelt down to talk to his Dragonite. "Stark," he began quietly, a devious grin set upon his face, "I've got an idea. Help the people that just jumped off the Silver Scale... and use Surf into that hole in the enemy ship. That'll give them even more to deal with in terms of water, and it should sink. It might not, but it'll be crippled, that's for sure. Easy picking for Team Rocket if they can launch weapons enough to hit it."

Stark grinned in response and dove beneath the waves.

[XaiakuX]

---
R
---

Giovanni
Goldenrod Harbor Airspace
Affected RPers: All, specifically Lord Celebi


Laughter.

They dared to mock Team Rocket, and they dared to mock Giovanni. But, that wasn't the worst of it. They decided to add injury to insult. They decided to fire off two missiles at his helicopter. The pilot was ready for this. While Giovanni remained perched upon his balcony, the helicopter deployed flares, and took to evasive maneuvers. Once the smoke settled, he realized that one of his choppers had gone down in place of his own. 'Damn it all, it seems they've made their choice.'

"It's time to retaliate! Radio all Team Rocket personnel, and send these boats down to the depths! If these huffed up ingrates want to reach our shores, they'll f**king swim there!" Giovanni shouted at the pilot. He then pulled a Pokéball from his pocket, pressed the button twice, and tossed it into the ocean. From the ball erupted a white flash of light that shined from the surface of the water, the array molded into a massive blue and orange amphibian creature. The beast proceeded to swim around in circles, moving faster and faster, making the water descent into a maelstrom. The fresh whirlpool was enough to slow down any ship in its wake.

The Rocket Leader then retreated back to his hide-away at the heart of the chopper. Giovanni's chopper then targeted the AMS Deathwing, hoping to see it slowed down by the whirlpool started by Swampert. Or, at the very least, pulled away from the shore to put a damper on their plans of storming the shores. The very ship that tried to take him down was about to have a taste of its own medicine, as Giovanni's pilot fired off a few heat seeking rounds of his own. The chopper wasn't built for combat as much as with built for capturing and imprisonment.

The foot soldiers took aim at the ships, and started to open fire. RPGs and M-16 Automatics sprayed ammunition in hopes of really damaging these rust buckets. It appeared to be hopeless when the ship eventually touched ground, and their forces were clearly getting the upper hand. Over the years, Team Rocket's numbers had dwindled, and the few that remained after the initial attack started resorting to their burst hearts to combine with their Pokémon. Giovanni spared no expense to obtain burst hearts for his following. Many would fuse with Weezing, or Hypno. Some with Crobat, and some with Houndoom. Lance and pals would be very close by, and be readying to get into the action.

The other two choppers had their own problems with the "All Clown Squadron of Fun." They initially resorted to their gatling guns to tear down the sheer number of Team Aqua members pouring out of the AMS Deathwing. While they weren't sure just how many they'd have to take down, or how long they'd last being tailed by the enemy, they sure weren't going to stop until they were either dead, or they send them home with their tails between their legs.

Something then caught Giovanni's eye. These humans were morphing into mutant Pokémon hybrids without even using a Burst Heart. "What in the hell?" he asked himself, before pausing on the deck of the AMS Deathwing. He noticed a man which seemed to have the wings of a Honchkrow, the hair of a Zoroark, the ears of a Lopunny, and the patterns of an Umbreon. This bizarre mutation piqued his curiosity. This was no time to gawk like a child in a candy store. He was in a fire fight, although he still wanted to know what Team Aqua had unleashed upon his foot soldiers.

[bronislav84]

(I could have a lot of gore in here, but really trying to cut down on the gore for the potential kids reading. If there's a bit much, please let me know and I'll attempt to tone it down.)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Saffron City, Kanto
Affected RPers: Anybody on Aqua who wants to pick up this shipment, or just say it arrives in Mirage Island safely

Ah, the big city, the city of lights. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere and all that jazz. Why was I suddenly thinking of this? No idea. We had entered the big city. Just five officers looking for a criminal. Nobody cared. If we were already in the region, we belonged there. And of course we were already in the region. Dan led us to an address he had tracked down with his online hacking and searches. It was marked as a storage warehouse, and was in the poorer part of the city. Lots of smelly bums keeping warm from burning garbage in trash cans littered the streets. I could literally smell them in the wind it was so bad. We staked the place out until it got dark, and saw a well dressed man and a lady in a cocktail dress enter the warehouse. Perfect. They'd open the doors for us. We jumped out of the bushes, soaring like the ninja-cops we were, and landed quietly behind the pair as they entered, closed the door behind them, and turned on the lights. We were seen, but we really didn't care. Nobody except us was leaving this place alive. Earlier we had called in a second helicopter to meet us behind the place to pick up the shipment.

"Cheese it Marcie, it's the cops!" Yelled the man to his partner as they scrambled behind boxes to start shooting at us from his handgun. Marcie didn't need to be told twice and pulled out a semiautomatic machine gun.

The five of us jumped behind some boxes too. Dan, Amanda, Anna, and Scar pulled out their own weapons. Dan had a handgun, Anna had a small handgun, Amanda had her sniper rifle with a silencer, and Scar carried a two handed gattling gun. It really wasn't any challenge and I smirked at how pathetic these guys are. The squad purposefully shot to miss though, knowing what I'd do and letting me have my fun. They were a distraction. I jumped up to the ceiling and climbed behind the pair, gutting them from behind with my claws. They crumpled dead. So much for that. I sensed we weren't alone in here though, since I could hear some kind of machine from further in the warehouse. The four of them put away their weapons and I cleaned my claws as best as I could, using Marcie's dress as a rag. She didn't need it anymore anyway.

We slinked further into the warehouse, making sure to stick to the shadows cast by the boxes. Dan used his X-Ray scope to see what was in there. It was all just random junk, and according to the analysis for Burst Hearts none of this was used for it. Though maybe if it was reconfigured, but definitely as is this stuff was worthless. This operation must have been secret and just using this place as a temporary hideout. Or this place hasn't been checked in a long time and this black market Burst Heart group wormed their way in. Whatever the case, these boxes were nice cover. We made it to what seemed to be the factory further in. Now I saw what was making the noise. A Burst Heart manufacturing plant.

A robot was sorting the stuff in boxes and dumping it in one side of the assembly line. Glass went in one chute and computer parts went into another. They were using the stuff in the warehouse to make these things right under the Kanto military's nose, then selling it to the highest bidder. Probably trainers who wanted to defend their home turf. People like these really don't care who they sell it to assuming it makes them money. An operation right after my own heart. Of course these things were probably cheap and not well built, but of course they probably didn't care about that either. The finished Burst Hearts were being moved by machines to a storage room, probably to be sold off later. A lone man was overseeing the operation, sitting at a large computer console. I couldn't see his face quite yet. I slinked up behind him completely unheard and pressed a claw to his neck.

"You're busted." Still acting like a member of the KPD, but at this point I didn't care if he didn't think I was one of them. He wasn't getting out of here alive to tell the tale either.

The man was calm, and his breathing steady. If I didn't know better I'd say he actually thought he had a shot of getting out alive. "You're in no position to say that, Officer." He calmly wiggled out from the position I put him in, and faced me. His eyes were hidden by the black cap he was wearing. Then he snapped his fingers and a whole lot of goons stepped out of the shadows. They were dressed in suits and didn't look like his clothes at all. Must be just hired help. They were burly goons, with semiautomatic and automatic weapons. Even a couple of women. There were about fifty of them total. This guy actually came prepared. Adorable. Simply adorable. I liked a challenge, and had at first thought I'd be disappointed.

"Light 'em up. Leave none standing!" He yelled, knowing the place would probably be trashed. He then turned away and just simply put up reinforced steel around himself then laid back in his chair, thinking he was safe.

The first thing that happened was that Amanda jumped up high and into the rafters. She liked it there. She would be in the perfect spot for head shots. Dan and Anna jumped up to a walkway above, splitting up to confuse the goons. Scar and I on the other hand stood where we were. The tall and muscular Scar tossed me a multi rocket launcher, while he pulled out his gattling gun again. Oh yea, I could have fun with with this. And the firefight broke out around us!

Some of the goons started dropping from Amanda shooting them in the head, some had went off to chase Dan and Anna, while Scar and I just stood in the circle of goons and shot the bejeezus out of them. We could dodge the more dangerous shots, but we wouldn't be coming out of this completely unscathed. Scar activated his gun and started moving in a circular pattern, while I was ducking out of the way of shots wizzing by and shooting rockets into the screaming goon squad. And really they were screaming, what with not expecting rockets and a gattling gun.

Above I could hear shots being fired and then grunts of pain as Dan and Anna dispatched the goons that had gone up to engage them. Some of the ones around Scar and me were dropping even before we could shoot them, with Amanda head shotting them from above. The two of us had more than a couple of bullets lodged in non essential parts of our bodies, but with the adrenaline rush it really didn't hurt. Yet. I suddenly missed having the HSF body armor.

And we were finished with the goons. The whole fight took about two minutes and the five of us were breathing heavily while stained with not only our own blood but the blood of our enemies. Ah, I love a good bloodbath. I licked a wound on the back of my hand, savoring the blood like some kind of vampire. It was my blood, but Anna would make it all better later. Dan hacked into the system, and lowered the metal shield the man had put up around himself. He gasped and turned around. He was illuminated by the light from his console now.

"You-you survived? And all my hired help is dead?" He looked around, really shaking now. Amanda, Anna, and Dan jumped down from above. Scar put away his gattling gun and I handed him my rocket launcher to be refilled later. We calmly walked up to the guy, blood caked and happy having enjoyed the fight.

"It was fun, but still not a challenge." I leered at the man who was still shaking.

"W-what do you want?" He asked, gulping and whimpering. What a wimp. And he was so confident before.

"Nothing. You're already out of business." I simply stated truthfully. Crippling Kanto's access to Burst Hearts was good enough, though stealing what hadn't been sold was even better.

Dan sat down at the computer console and worked his magic. The genius with a 325 IQ didn't take very long to crack the system. "I have what I needed. This place can be reduced to rubble for all I care."

"R-rubble? But I'll be out of a job...." The scared gentleman said. He really hadn't caught on yet. Nobody was leaving this place alive, including him. Well, except us five of course.

Moving quicker than he could see, I ran at him and then ended up behind him. Seemingly nothing happened. About a second later, the man gasped and let out pained gasps. I cleaned them on a nearby goon's jacket and clicked my claws closed. Then the man's head cleanly popped off. Our Op here was over.

Dan had the information he needed. Everybody here was dead, Dan's X-Ray scope confirmed that much. Bodies everywhere. I'd totally need a shower after Anna did her thing with our wounds, probably when we got to our next destination. No other signs of life as the factory continued to make Burst Hearts. There was a good crop of them in the storage room though, and should be enough. We shut down the Burst Heart factory, moved enough boxes out behind the warehouse to be carried off by the other Hellcat chopper that was parked there, and set the explosive firebombs. The Hellcat flew off on autopilot, cloaking itself and the shipment. It should arrive at Mirage Island soon with a couple of thousand Burst Hearts to add to our cause. The cheaper kind of Burst Hearts would be fine for the lower ranked soldiers.

We got in our own Hellcat which by now had showed up to meet us as called by Dan, took off our masks and Police outfits, and he set our next destination in Johto. Anna started to treat her own and everybody's wounds as our chopper flew off. The timer on the bombs ended, and we could hear an explosion behind us. It would look like random arson when it was all done. The warehouse was reduced to melted rubble and slag. The factory and the Extra Burst hearts that couldn't be loaded in the other chopper would be destroyed, and any bodies would be so burned they wouldn't be able to be identified. Job well done if I do say so myself.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

"Please, please no!"

The last words of the last navyman on the ship that was not in the navigation room. Every time he met a navyman in these d**m cramped quarters, it ended in either a tentacle impalement or melting them through sheer force of will. He checked with his mind-he'd cleared out every last man in the area, bar the navigation room.

"Yarvick, this is a slaughter...I...-"

"If they came back to the Deathwing in any shape that could remotely resemble 'intact', they'd resist, and honestly, better now than later. And it's not like I'm torturing them, It's just a quick stab through the heart..." Yarvick reasoned.

"It doesn't help your case...Dear Arceus, that thing is still laughing." Hyperion thought, with an almost audiable shudder. Yarvick could DEFINITELY hear some mad laughter, and he hoped the guy laughed himself to death.

"Tell Mud to STFU or I'll rip his throat out. As for my case, you're saying I should let them have a chance at killing me? If we let them live, their first instinct is to shoot us for the ABH because we're not immeidately killing them! You know what they're thinking just as well as I am!" Yarvick thought.

"Yarvick...Urgh, I'm just happy this is a borrow and not a permanent fixture. Silver linings, Hyperion, Silver linings..." Hyperion thought.

"Yeah, it's crazy!" Yarvick thought as he searched for the last minds aboard in the nav room. "Like, if you could just do this all the time...That would actually be scary powerful."

"I fear that the sheer fact this power exists is a greater problem, Yarvick..." Hyperion thought.

"OK, think of all the good it could do! Make construction and safe demolition a breeze!" Yarvick thought. "...OK, that's all I've got, but that's still crazy!"

"...Yes...Yes, it is crazy." Hyperion thought. "Yarvick, I'm just checking here, but after this is over, you'll turn me back into an Alakazam, right?"

"Of course, buddy, if you really want to." Yarvick thought. He could understand what the reasoning was about; Hyperion was OK with the power but not with the loss of intelligence...Still, Yarvick would have a hard time grasping it. Deoxys was immortal; Hyperion would never worry about dying of natural causes.

"Yes, thank you. I think we've found them...Perhaps a less violent approach?" Hyperion thought, as Yarvick found the navigation room. From within, the ship was steered. Yarvick had...Low experience with ship-sailing, in fact...

"...Let's try brainwashing!" Yarvick thought, punching the door open with a Fire Punch. He had long since abandoned the idea of opening them gently, and it always made them freak out. A crazy 4-faced space crab with a flaming fist knocking their doors down. Inside were only five men.

On his entry into the room, at least one man shot at the window and thrust himself forward, committing suicide out of fear. Or maybe just his lousy attempt at escape. Yarvick heard no thought of him again either way. A second pulled out a gun-Yarvick introduced his face to a nice tentacle impalement. The other two men that weren't the captain thought likewise, but Yarvick gave them a taste of Psychic, and turned them into sludges that could be mistaken for Red Aprijuice. Lastly, the captain...

"You f***ing scumbag terrorist!" The captain of the JND Water Dog, a man named 'Barnabus Hellstrand.' D**m, that was a ridiculously cool name, 'Hellstrand.' Nevertheless, it was time for Yarvick's more...Nonlethal brand of enemy disarment. "What the HELL are you doing?! WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL ARE YOU DOING?! Who are you?!?!" Barnabus yelled as Yarvick touched his head with his normal form hand.

Now, this is where it got a little...Interesting. Yarvick didn't predict it, but his previous thoughts that Deoxys had the texture of a fleshly liquid were dead-correct, as the 'hand' started to melt over Captain Hellstrand's face, completely covering it and his head. It also shortened the tentacles as the mass shifted, making sure Xelsez and Hellstarnd were very close together.

"You, Hellstrand. You're officially Aqua. You'd give your life for the Dread Lord of the Deathwing, without question." Yarvick thought to Hellstarnd. He thought VERY hard, attempting to overwrite his will with Yarvick's. It felt...Well, it felt quite thrilling, the kind of thrill he got when stealing things. The incredibly satisfying thrill. Oh, oh yes. "You are to completely abandon the Johto Navy, ignore all calls of retreat or attack on their part, and join the fleet of the Deathwing, and await further orders of Raidon Makoto, Noah Ashfield, Tyrus 'Tiantus' Hale, or failing all others, myself, Yarvick Xelsez. You will do anything they say, and you will put your experience to their exclusive use. Are we absolutely clear?" Yarvick said. To think of all of that, it took about three, four seconds.

"N-n-n-Never!" Hellstrand thought back, attempting to resist.

Yarvick sighed. It would take more than one repetition, it would seem.

"You, Hellstrand. You are officially Aqua. You would, will and always will, give your life for the Dread Lord of the Deathwing, without any question. You are to completely abandon the Johto Navy, ignore all calls of retreat or attack on their part, and join the fleet of the Deathwing. Await further orders of Raidon Makoto, Noah Ashfield, Tyrus 'Tiantus' Hale, or failing all others, myself, Yarvick Xelsez, once you get there. You will do anything they or I say, and you will put your experience to the benefit of Team Aqua. Are we absolutely clear?" Yarvick thought.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nnn-Nnnnevvvvver!" Hellstrand thought.

"Hellstrand. You are OFFICIALLY Aqua. You would, will, and always will give your life for the Dread Lord of the Deathwing, without any f****** question. You are to completely abandon the Johto Navy, and completely ignore all calls of retreat or attack on their part. You will pilot this ship and join the fleet of the Deathwing, and await further orders of Raidon Makoto, Noah Ashfield, Tyrus 'Tiantus' Hale, or failing all others, myself, Yarvick Xelsez. You will do anything they or I say, and you will put yourself under them all, no matter what. Are we absolutely clear?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nnn... Nnn-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nn-n-n... Nnnnnnneeeeeeeevvvvvveeeeerrrr..." Hellstrand thought. He was weakening. Good.

"You, Captain Barnabus Hellstrand. You are now officially on the side of Team Aqua. You would, shall and will give your life for the Dread Lord of the Deathwing, without any question. You are to completely abandon the Johto Navy, ignore all calls of retreat or attack on their part, and join the fleet of the Deathwing. Once that is done, await further orders of Raidon Makoto, Noah Ashfield, Tyrus 'Tiantus' Hale, or failing all others, myself, Yarvick Xelsez. You will do anything they or I say, and you will put your naval experience to their use, for the rest of your life, until the moment you die. Nothing else matters to you, nothing. Not your wife, your children, your honor, your morals, your anything. Only Team Aqua. Are we absolutely clear!?"

"nnn...N.........Nnnnn.........Y-yes...Yes..." Hellstrand thought.

"Are we ABSOLUTELY CLEAR?!?! Yarvick thought.

"Yes Sir!" Hellstrand thought.

"ARE WE ABSOLUTELY F****** CLEAR?!?!?!"

"SIR YES SIR!!!" Hellstrand responded, in a fierce yell. It wasn't just thought at this point.

It was done. Hellstrand was now Aqua, firmly. Yarvick released his mind-sure enough, the thoughts persisted. No thoughts of mutiny were hidden. Nothing of the man remained but his experience and his insane devotion to Aqua.

...Yarvick had to take a moment to admire what the f*** he just did. He made that man his absolute b***h. When Yarvick released him, he wordlessly followed his orders. Yarvick didn't even need to tell him what to do. He just got right to it. This level of power sent a chill down his neck.

It was...OK, yeah, that was actually creepy. He'd probably go to hell just for this.

"...Y...Y...Y-y-y-y...Yarvick?" Hyperion asked, very shaken by the events he just witnessed.

"Yes?"

"Please don't use that ever again, no matter what! Dear ARCEUS, that was...I don't even...I wish I had tear ducts right now, Yarvick, I really do! That was too much! Too much!"

"That was as creepy as all hell, I d**m well agree...We're not using that unless we have to, buddy." Yarvick agreed. "In any case, that took, like, a quarter-minute, which isn't long...Unless you're comparing it to just snapping his neck or something. Then it's practically years." He added.

Impractical...And creepy. Yeah, the main reason why people don't typically kick Lillipup that are out of their way is because it requires work and there isn't much reward. Yarvick would try to think of that of brainwashing.

He was going to focus on the destruction he could cause to buildings in the future.

Meanwhile, Hyperion was kind of in a right state, trying to remember the happiest memories he possibly could. Yarvick didn't want to stay in the room too long with him, and he just left the way he came. It would still take a few minutes of awkward movement to get out again, though...

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
In transit, Kanto to Johto
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

While I would have liked to pilot the chopper myself, it really wasn't practical. I'd passed out as we climbed in, and woke up later in a bit of pain from being treated after that fight. If I had to guess, I'd say each of us got at least ten bullet wounds in that fight, so it's not a wonder we passed out from blood loss. Well, it felt like ten bullets each anyway, but it could have been less. We were all a bit sore and had to be given numbing in some places, but our training taught us to deal with such pain. Not like we were hurt in any major places anyway. It would pass eventually.

Our KPD uniforms had to be cleaned, as well as we in general had to clean up. Thankfully we had a Water type that could help with that task. I threw out Lappy the Lapras who helped us shower. The guys had wanted to wait until we got to our next destination to do that, but as usual they were out-voted 3 to 2. Our uniforms weren't so much damaged as stained, and they had to be thoroughly washed. On the way we probably dumped a lot of water on people's heads below, but they'd likely think it was a rogue raincloud or something. We needed to be clean and to clean our disguises to reuse them later. With the cleaning done, I recalled Lappy and sent out Flame the Blaziken to dry things off. The five of us were dried in no time, as well as the uniforms and masks.

"So Dan, where are we going this time? Johto by the looks of it, but where exactly?" I inquired as I watched Amanda hold up her hair to be dried by Flame and also looked out the window.

"The data I got from this base we just trashed and the other info I have points to Mahogany Town." He showed us a map with the location highlighted and we all nodded.

"So I guess we're dressing as Johto cops this time?" Asked Anna, also drying her hair by the heat from Flame.

"There's no need. We can just wear our normal clothes and blend in, though of course they're likely to check papers on entry to the town. I've already hacked into the database and inserted our temporary identities while wiping out the data from the Saffron Op." He handed us IDs to memorize, though by the sound of it we wouldn't need it. I went to dry my hair next as Flame sighed at being used as a hair dryer.

Dan went back to his tablet, Amanda was polishing and cleaning her gun, Scar was making sure the contents of his duffel bag were all there, and Anna was going around us making sure we were all treated from the fight. Herself included. Dan suddenly spoke up again. "Well, this Janine chicky is interesting........." The three females in the chopper shot dirty looks at him calling women that. "Well, she is. Listen to this." We shrugged and listened. "She's created an injection that speeds up healing exponentially, even regrows lost body parts. Of course critical injuries would still be fatal, but what doesn't kill you you'd be able to recover from given enough time. And the recovery times are pretty quick when compared to normal healing."

Anna turned to Dan and pulled the tablet out of his hands. "Seems I'm out of a job. Years of medical ninja training out the window....." Dan pulled the tablet away from her.

"Not quite, not quite. You'd still be needed to pull out bullets or shrapnel. Otherwise wounds like that wouldn't heal properly." Dan explained to Anna as she read the information over his shoulder this time.

"So I'd be reduced to doing simple patch jobs and operations that pretty much even people without formal doctor training can do if they tried hard enough. Still doesn't sound reassuring." Anna wasn't completely convinced she wasn't useless.

"Well I guess, but would you rather we died of losing limbs or something? You'd still be helping save lives." Dan tried to sound optimistic about this.

"So what's this miracle drug called anyway?" Anna sighed and nodded while asking that. One of Scar's bullet wounds had opened up and she was using medical stitches to close it up after giving him some local numbing. "I'm gonna miss doing this, since I really do enjoy it." Scar winced as she pricked a bit below the skin level. "Hold still or I'll cut you deeper." Scar grunted and she closed up the wound then looked to Dan to continue.

"It's called MEND, and I'm ordering an injection for each of us to be delivered in a cloaked Hellcat that would meet us at Lake of Rage." Explained Dan as he punched the request into his tablet to have HQ send us some.

"Catchy name." I said as Anna nodded. "But it seems an awful lot of trouble to send a chopper to deliver what's probably a small box." I said to him, looking over his shoulder at the request as he typed it out.

"Boxes can't cloak. Aqua Hellcats can. The box will be inside the chopper and it should meet us at our destination." Explained Dan as he finished the request and sent it out. "Also there's been some other developments from the labs which I'll let you guys read on your own when I pass the tablet around, and some of the organization is leading an attack on Goldenrod City." He continued, updating us on what's going on. He then passed the tablet around for us to read the other stuff that's happened in our absence.

It would still be a bit of time until we got to our destination, so we could read up just fine before we landed.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
JDN Silver Scale, Coast off of Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected Team Aqua RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
Affected Team Awesome RPers: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook
MAINLY: Grassy_Aggron

I flew down and landed on the JND Silver Scale, making me one of the first to arrive. The naval soldiers were already in a panic after seeing all of their other ships get ripped to bits. As I fought a few of the soldiers, this awkward nine-tailed Umbreon-colored Lopunny form with wings felt weird, but I couldn't deny, it had some nice uses to it. All I can to do was just get one of these tails to come into contact with one Johto soldier and it was an instant 1,000 year curse on the bastard. I made one prick stoned-stupid, another think he was a Magikarp trapped in a human's body, and the third suddenly inflate like a balloon and float away. That certainly had to suck. These tails were DEADLY, and they were so huge that it was impossible to attack me from behind without running into them.

Meanwhile, the giant bunny ears... I could hear those Johto bastards WAY sooner than as a human. It was almost like cheating with psychic powers. Well, given this form did have wings as well, it wasn't half bad actually. I was making pretty good use of it.

And that was when these Johto bastards really surprised me. I was about to head to the ship's navigation bridge to really put the hijack process into action when suddenly I realized what they were doing. They stepped on the gas and the ship itself was heading right for the DeathKnight.

They aren't seriously thinking of...?

Damn it, they were. I tried to make a dash for the bridge, but I quickly stopped myself and I knew there was no way I'd get there on time to stop the collision. If I tried to enter the ship now, I'd be going down with it. There was no choice but to jump up and fly away from the inevitable impact.

The groan of metal upon the heavy impact was vicious, and the oil in the JND Silver Scale caught fire and exploded. The ship was a total wreck smothered in flames and that would have been me on there if I didn't fly away. I kept flapping my wings to stay aloft, but the damage on the DeathKnight was pretty savage. It was taking on water fast, and I knew if that wasn't fixed, it'd sink for sure.

"Hold it together!" I shouted to the others and the survivors. "Put some ice attacks on that opening and keep the hole sealed!"

And that was when I saw some PRICK and his dipshit Dragonite using Surf on the DeathKnight to get the water gushing in even further. It pushed several Chimeras and Pokémon that were trying to patch the damage out of the way, and caused more water to rush in. If that bastard kept at it, we'd lose the DeathKnight and this douchebag would probably go brag about it to his grandma.

I attacked him with a vicious Night Daze assault, unleashing a dark wave of pure-black energy right at the Dragonite. Yeah, I'm sure he'd love this.



Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing deck, Goldenrod City, Johto
Affected RPers:
TEAM AQUA: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
TEAM AWESOME: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook
MAINLY: Grassy_Aggron

Mayhem. Destruction. Torment. So much for Goldenrod City!

It was just comical to see the AMS Fairy Dragon unleash a cannon salvo at the Harper Tower, punching in a nice batch of holes in it. Meanwhile, Chimeras were rushing into finish the job. I sure had my doubts insurance would cover something like this!

Meanwhile, the collateral damage from the rest of the attack was just nuts. Quite a few other buildings were being trashed and civilians were just running for the hills, wailing and screaming. In the meantime, trying to nail guys with these crazy Chimera syringes was becoming a pain in the neck. I'd have to get up close and personal and that was just risky. I needed something that could shoot these things.

Well, with all the police going nuts, I managed to find one SWAT truck laying on its side that looked like it had been abandoned in the bedlam. Now, I knew usually the fuzz carried around tranquilizer rifles for sedating Pokémon. I climbed inside and among all the body armor, assault rifles, gas masks, and other police junk I managed to find two tranquilizer rifles and a bunch of darts. The darts probably had some sedatives in them, which wouldn't nearly be as fun. I mean come on, between making someone take a snooze or turn them into something goofy and stupid that would make them scream themselves silly, what was the better choice?

I got to work on draining the sedative liquid and loaded them up with the mutagens instead. I had to do them one at a time, which was tedious, but it would be worth it. I had about ten syringes left, so it only took me about four minutes. Once I had them all loaded up, I went with loading in the rather comical Raichu/Snorlax/Wigglytuff/Beautifly dart. Yep, imagine a fat, pink Raichu with butterfly wings. Now, I just needed someone to test this on!

I quickly got out of the SWAT truck and headed out like a kid with a new Christmas present just itching to try it out. After scoping out the situation, I saw one brown-haired doctor in a white overcoat trying to help the surviving sailors of the Johto armada (OOC: Claressa). She was probably one of those yuppies that hates millennials. Either way, I felt like screwing up her day anyway! But something like this was way more fun than putting laxatives in brownies any day of the week!

She was probably too busy and too distracted helping out the sailor boys to notice. I hid behind an abandoned SUV, mounted the rifle on the hood, and took aim. Oh man, if this worked, it would be priceless and I'd go all over town shooting people with this thing. I lined up the snooty doctor's neck in the rifle scope crosshairs, lightly put my paw on the trigger, took a breath, and then squeezed the trigger.

As the dart quickly flew toward its target, I was just brimming with giddiness to see what kind of havoc this was going to cause!!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

Yarvick was halfway out of the ship when Burst time came back onto him, and he was forcibly ripped apart from Hyperion. The sounds involved reminded him of flesh being ripped, only a lot louder and definitely mental just as much as physical. He could feel Hyperion's mind separate from his just as much as his body separated. With his ears back in working order, the first thing he properly noticed was the sound of guns, explosions, and a whole lot of nasty war noises.

He had around...45 seconds? Yeah, 45 seconds. He had 45 seconds to wait out before bursting again, as was the standard for Burst Hearts, or at least the kind he had. But, 45 seconds were crazy critical. This boat would be dead in the water if it went undefended for long, and Yarvick and his Pokemon with it...Considering the only thing aboard capable of defending it right now were Yarvick's and Hellstrand's Pokemon, and Hellstrand was busy, it was critical Hellstrand got away.

...His Pokemon! Dear lord, you could forget about how useful they are. He couldn't really access them while he bursted. Of course, flying around as fast as he was would mean he could only bring one or two Pokemon along for the ride, and he'd have to carry them somehow. He thought it over in his head, who else to join up with him?

Oceanus was a no-go on principal. Yarvick feared the thing even if he was Bursted as Mega Deoxys, partially because it wasn't just tough, it was smart as well, smarter than Yarvick-and that meant he could eventually figure out how to kill him, or worse, kill him after he's fully debursted.. Only Hyperion could outwit him consistently, and only Rhea could keep him from killing him at all. With Hyperion as his burst and now a Deoxys...Well.

Rhea would be dead weight in a naval battle on her own. Simple as that. Yarvick DID trust her, and she trusted him in kind, and she would not hold back a single punch if it meant defending him. She was also very easy to carry and handle...But, she had minimal ranged abilities and would sink like a rock. Bad idea.

Atlas was much harder to carry, as he found out the one time he tried it as a human. Too small, and not fast enough on that matter. He might even accidentally crush him in his palm, and there weren't many good grabbing points for the poor thing. He might lose him.

He didn't like being alone with Eos, even bursted. She was not trustworthy. Given time and resources, she'd make a world full of those crazy Fairy Tale Girls, Yarvick knew it. She was useful, that's why she kept around. Yarvick would gleefully await the day he'd get to snap her neck because a more sane Pokemon came along and offered similar services.

That really only left Iapetus, the Gengar...Who was owned by a former Rocket Executive. It didn't seem like he really liked the Executive, so revenge seemed imminent, which could be troublesome, but with how Iapetus typically acted, and considering he was probably the best candidate thus far...Well, he wanted a Pokemon ally on his shoulders.

Before he could unleash Iapetus, however, he felt Hyperion grab him by the shoulder.

"Yarvick, I really think we made a hideous mistake in joining Aqua, I really really do..." Hyperion thought.

"I did not intend to join them, it was a long-term hire, and they offered a lot of money! I take jobs as they come, Hyperion, and I knew that it could be trouble, like this-"

"What happened back there?! What happened?! Because I still can't believe that!! I can't believe I-we, actually-honestly did that?! We KNOW Aqua is too good to last, we know it! Why did we even join, KNOWING it was too good to last?!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, OK?!" Yarvick said aloud. There was nobody else around. "And how could I predict this would happen?"

"Yarvick, again, promise me, you WILL quit as soon as possible!" Hyperion said.

"Oh, for the love of Arceus, we are only doing this kind of thing once!" Yarvick yelled, turning to actually face his partner.

Yarvick didn't know Deoxys had tear ducts, but the fact Hyperion was crying told him quite a bit. He was also kind of slumped over, sitting down, his other hand pressed against his face. If he could make whimpering noises he probably would, but, no mouth. It was a sorry sight to see, indeed.

Yarvick, ironically, did not notice the fear his partner felt while in the most merged state of mind. If there ever was a serious epic fail, this would probably be it.

Yarvick had several seconds, he could afford some patience. He didn't say anything, he just sat down by Hyperion and gave him a pat on the shoulder as he just kept crying. He honestly hadn't much else to do. He hadn't really dealt with this before, he's seen Hyperion sad, but...Not this sad.

...Yarvick's life had gotten crazy weird all of a sudden. He was just a normal thief, but now he was the wielder of an Ancient Burst Heart and the most powerful man and the tide-changing power of terrorists hell-bent on ruling and/or flooding the world, and also the friend of the world's second Deoxys, formerly his Alakazam. Even then, looking farther back, his mother had avoided mentioning his father like a plague, no matter what, and it seemed like she had honestly blocked of, if not outright erased every bit of evidence to suggest he even HAD one. But that was still kind of tame compared to this. And this was all not including the fact that he had a small attraction to a mad scientist.

"...It...It has to stop, Yarvick...It has to..." Hyperion thought. He sounded somewhat more composed than he actually looked, but it was still quite somber.

"I promise that we'll eventually stop...But, we're deep in the hole now, buddy," Yarvick said. "We've got to work to get out of it, and I doubt it'll be an easy ride. It never is. We have to get going and help out...Or, the Ancient Burst Heart goes to them. Aqua isn't exactly a morally white faction...But the Rockets? They're infamous. If for nothing else, fight to keep them away from it." Yarvick said.

"...Yes, yes...I know, Yarvick...I just...I just...I can't put it into eloquent words, Yarvick, I'm just scared for our future. Very scared."

"If we just stand around here doing nothing, it'll be much worse than if we get back out there...And we're not doing that...Thing we did back there again, dear Arceus we are not. OK? We're going to be alright, we just have to keep on moving. To stop is a foolish move..." Yarvick said.

Hyperion stopped crying, and though he still felt like a sack of c**p, he was at least ready to stomach more.

"Are you ready?" Yarvick said, trying to get him to stand.

".........Yes. Yes I am." Hyperion said, more confident.

"Great. Now, Iapetus will be with us next...I figure having a buddy around will help us out, even if it's only in a few ways." Yarvick said. "Iapetus, let's roll." He said, throwing out Iapetus'es Poke Ball.

The Gengar popped out, looking around the metal environment. It was similar to, but at the same time different than, the Deathwing.

"Iapetus, we're at Goldenrod City, Johto. It's a long story, but we have an Ancient Burst Heart, on loan." Yarvick said. The instant 'Ancient Burst Heart' was said, Iapetus'es eyes widened. "We're helping out an offensive on the city-our goal and target is the tower, financially cripple Harper industries and help some people, cement some trust overseas, blah blah blah." Yarvick said. "Now, we're NOT Bursting...That's Hyperion's duty." Yarvick added, pointing at the Deoxys.

He could easily tell there was a mental conversation between Iapetus and Hyperion, and Iapetus just looked more and more surprised as time went on. The Ancient Burst Heart was already ready for another burst, and it still took time. Finally, the Gengar turned to Yarvick. "Did he basically tell you everything?" Yarvick said. The Gengar nodded.

"OK, so you know we're fighting those crazy TR a**es, right?"

Iapetus did not know that, but a furrowed brow of conviction formed on his face. He did not like his former trainer, Yarvick could tell.

"I have to remind you, we're not actually out there to kill, our objective is to blow up a tower and a city, but after that, those grunts are mighty-fine targets." Yarvick said. "So, just help keep everything off of my back, and we'll go blow that thing sky-high. Like the arrangement?"

He nodded, with that seriously creepy Gengar grin on his face. He didn't grin much, Iapetus. Pretty serious dude for all of his complicated tactics. However, when he did, he was really happy.

He wanted revenge, and even if it was indirect and only a blow at the Rockets rather than the specific executive...It was golden.

"OK then...Let's get out of here." Yarvick said, leading Hyperion and Iapetus out of there.

Due to his lack of two additional feet to his height, Yarvick was much quicker in navigating out of there, though it was still kind of cramped. He was back on-deck, and the Water Dog's flag was still Johto Navy.

Yarvick didn't hesitate, again. Back to the 4-chested, 4-faced, 4-armed, 4-legged Mega Deoxys Form he went, joining with Hyperion in ultimate unison and losing his hearing. Again. He grabbed Iapetus with one of the back arms and held tightly: it was important that he did NOT let go of him at any time. Even if he could fly because of Levitate, he'd be nowhere near as fast as Yarvick was. Iapetus helped by grabbing the torso as tightly as he could.

Before he went, though...He ripped the Johto flag right off of the flagpole of the Water Dog.

With that business taken care of, he surveyed the field. Almost all of the Johto armada was gone...Bar a single ship with a Harpoon. A freaking Harpoon. It's name was originally the JND Maddening Dash, but it had been vandalized by some idiot to be the Derpydash, which Yarvick found hilarious. It was a ship meant for speed, but it seemed to be almost totally decommissioned from the looks of things. It would be but a single Psychic attack away from sinking.

It was the only funny sight to see. In the distance, the Deathwing, though taking a few beatings, had already docked, and it and the Fairy Dragon were unleashing hell on the streets in the form of some really big tanks. As for the DeathKnight...The wreck of the Silver Scale, only barely identified, was visible right next to a HUGE hole in the cruiser, and some dumba** was trying to make it sink with Surf, but the NUMEROUS Chimera aboard were trying to repair the damage by using the water to freeze the wound-and those that weren't were firing at him, mostly with Ice attacks though some with other kinds.

That 'freezing the hole' tactic was brilliant. It made Yarvick wish he thought of that himself.

But, the tower was still standing. That was the most important thing and the thing he was asked to do. So, without further ado, he went up into the sky again, rushing towards it. It would not stand if he had any say in it.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing Tarmac, Goldenrod Bay
Johto
Affected RPers: XaiakuX, everyone else tangentially

Giovanni's helicopter deployed several flares to distract the missiles Peter Jennings had fired at it. The heat redirected the missiles to a helicopter next to the Rocket leader. The crime lord released a Swampert into the water below. The water-type Pokemon swam in circles with successively quicker and larger radii until it formed a healthy whirlpool. Just as the dread lord of the Deathwing was getting ready to step off the tarmac, the ship was pulled away from the sandbar. While certainly not big enough to sink Raidon Makoto's ship, it was going to annoy him.

This guy's a real powderkeg, Makoto thought. Giovanni didn't react well to Makoto's taunts, as the dread lord had expected. Now he was shouting at his pilot: "It's time to retaliate! Radio all Team Rocket personnel, and send these boats down to the depths! If these huffed up ingrates want to reach our shores, they'll ****ing swim there!" Huffed up? Please, huffing paint is for poor people, Makoto thought, rolling his eyes.

The Rocket troops did as ordered and opened fire on the hull of the Deathwing itself. Makoto didn't understand why they would fire at a ship with a hull constructed with several hundred steel layers with only automatic rifles... until the RPG rounds came in. The Deathwing rocked back and forth from each RPG round. Jennings whipped out his VSS Vintorez sniper rifle and started tagging enemy Rockets in the head before they could deliver their deadly paylod to the Aqua mothership. The few Shadowfall tanks that were able to be deployed before the whirlpool started were seriously tearing up the beach. Few of the troops actually deployed. Instead, they were just choosing to run the Rocket footsoldiers over. Each tank combed the beach for Rocket scum at about fifty miles an hour. Screams and limbs flew from the shore.

While that took care of the naked troops, the Bursted soldiers were a whole separate problem. A platoon of Chimeras deployed from the Deathwing to tango with the Bursted Rockets on the beachhead. Makoto had full faith in his abominations to get the job done.

The whirpool was becoming a problem though. The Deathwing's stern as getting sucked into the whirpool in addition to several of the mines that the crimelord had deployed earlier. Captain Davenport's squad was attempting to disarm said mines, but were caught in the whirlpool. "Captain Davenport, how attached to you to your Pokemon?"

"Not very. They're rentals from Aqua," she replied.

"Send out what you can and order them to activate the mines before they hit the Deathwing. It costs less to buy a new Gyarados than it does a new Deathwing," Makoto replied over the radio.

There was a noticeable silence over the radio for a moment before Davenport replied: "Y-yes sir." A few moments later, the whirlpool gleamed with explosions. The field was cleared of mines and the Deathwing only took one more hit to the portside. The old jalopy would make it through the battle again.

"Navigations Room, full forward. I bet you the Deathwing has more horsepower than this weaksauce whirpool," Makoto ordered. The ship picked up speed and once again lodged itself into the sandbar. The hatches opened again, deploying more Shadowfall tanks full of troops. "Captain Oreskovich, have the All Clowns engage Giovanni's helicopter. I want that **** shot out of the sky."

"Yessir!" Janice Oreskovich replied. The All Clown Squadron of Fun fighters exclusively targeted Giovanni's fighter, sending a fury of bullets and rockets towards it. Makoto himself boarded the Hellcat VTOL fighter and flew over the battle on the beach towards Harper Tower. Once the VTOL was locked in a straightforward flightpath, Makoto jumped out of the ship's hatch and parachuted into the fray that was the Battle of Goldenrod. The Hellcat crashed into Harper Tower. Smoke billowed out of the building's wound.

It's coming down...

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

Yarvick could clearly see the battlefield that was fast becoming Goldenrod city: On the beach, those huge tanks were rolling out all over the Rocket Troops...Literally. As in, they were actually crushing them underneath their treads at impressive speeds. Yarvick didn't know tanks could move that fast, but it seemed like that was top speed. Nevertheless, what wasn't being run over were dealt with by Chimeras, including and especially the Burst Troops. Clearly Janine's work. Some were also using some kind of gun to fire at the helicopters. Anti-Air guns? Yarvick wasn't sure. A few were actually opening up and spewing out troops...Were they Tanks, Mobile Anti-Air, or APC?

It seemed to be all three at once. The things those Skunks could come up with.

Iapetus hurled a Shadow Ball at unfortunate Rockets below, attempting to snipe. The Rockets were a bit occupied with the tanks and the Deathwing, so they wouldn't be dodging the death from above until it was too late. Iapetus was having a hard time aiming, though, considering the speeds Yarvick was flying around at, so the hits were very few.

Above, the air scene was...Interesting. The Deathwing had decided to send in the Clowns, and they were focusing on a single Chopper. They all looked alike, so it was hard to tell, but Yarvick took a guess and figured Giovanni was in that particular helicopter. Poor sap. He was pretty much dead. Yarvick didn't really give Gio much more thought after seeing that. Really, he felt bad for those Helicopter pilots in general. Helis were pathetic against jets, as far as Yarvick could tell, so the All-Clown Squadron of Fun would have a field day against them and probably come out A-OK.

As for the tower, a single helicopter-an Aqua helicopter-was flying straight towards it...Then into it. The pilot parachuted out. It would have been a war crime to nail that parachute, and in any case, the Rockets below were HIGHLY occupied. However, the man who did the parachuting, from what Yarvick's telepathy could gauge, was none other than Raidon Makoto, clearly looking forward to the fight.

Yarvick decided to stay away from the points of contention. Taking rest on a building that hadn't been targeted, cleverly hiding away from the fight, Yarvick was ready to attack the Tower. He'd nail it from the hole in the building the helicopter crashed into to ensure maximum devastation.

...That laughter, bordering on there and bordering on not, picked up again. Dear lord, that thing was a pain in the a** to listen to if that was how it laughed.

"Ugh, Mud is laughing..." Hyperion thought. He was still a bit shaky on it, he could hear.

"I may just be almost-hearing what you are, but I agree. Mud is annoying as hell."

He could almost-hear the laughter pick up in there. Wonderful. It was definite that Hyperion wasn't imagining things at this point. It would definitely be a reason for him to not spam this in the future, if it meant that he'd have to put up with that.

In any case, he was looking forward to blowing up the tower. Hyperion didn't seem too bothered at the prospect: Those below were either the Johto army or TR, the latter of which were basically the literal definition of 'amoral' in most world dictionaries. The building was clearly evacuated at this point, and it was already structurally weakened.

He focused in on his Psychic attack, getting it ready. The instant he unleashed it, if he wasn't already being targeted, he'd be targeted quite hard by the Rockets. Once he felt he had the same level of power he used against the deck of the Water Dog to completely clear it, he flew up to the hole in the building, and unleashed his powerful Psychic on it.

A wave of absolutely devastating blue energy crashed into the hole, destroying any and every pane of glass the tower had through sheer foce, and dealing catastrophic damage. The tower groaned in misery as it started to tilt away from the blow. If that tower wasn't capsizing already, it was now-and definitely away from the Aqua forces, onto the city itself. Or at least half of the tower.

Yarvick did NOT stick around to admire his work, or even if it actually would fall onto the city. He was almost certain that he'd be targeted for the massive destruction he just unleashed, so he flew off, trying to hide behind the buildings that weren't touched by the fight, keeping low.

All the while, mud almost-laughed in his head. It was probably the single most destructive thing he'd ever do in his life, it was absolutely excellent, and it was being ruined by this nigh-existent a**. All he'd needed now was an uppity hero-type to try to attack him for bringing down the completely empty tower. Of course, his four faces would be a detriment to any sneak attacks, so he figured that much would at least be out of the picture.

[XaiakuX]

---
R
---

Giovanni
The Airspace Above Goldenrod Harbor
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi

Giovanni noticed the jets coming at him, and it was at this point that he knew what must happen in order to survive, as well as deal one last blow to Aqua's assault. He swallowed his defeat with grimace as he retreated down to the cargo area where the mines were held. There he found a shell with the explosive removed. He took refuge in the shell, and left the explosive for the helicopter. It called for an immediate cargo drop, which would ultimately send him hurdling towards the ocean. His shell was mixed in with several cases of ammunition, and rations for long expeditions. So it was certain that Aqua wouldn't target it. At least not in time for him to escape.

The next thing he knew he felt a crushing force over take him which caused him to dislocate his shoulder and give him a mild concussion. Such a fall would kill any normal man, but Giovanni was no normal man. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled a device from his pocket that emitted a blinking white light. This signaled his Swampert to retrieve him. He grasped the amphibious creature's hand, and fled to safety. He would certainly live to fight another day, and to see his revenge on Team Aqua come to fruition.

As for the helicopter, its final order was to kamikaze into one of the jets. So that's what it did. The pilot was a retired air-force pilot who was well experience in dealing with jets. He knew he was going to die, but so was one of these sons of b**ches. He faced the coming onslaught. With missiles he deployed flares, and with the machine guns, he vehicle took several hits, but somehow managed to avoid getting hit himself. As long as he was alive, he'd make sure his death was on his own terms. He started to sway the chopper, building up speed as he approached the jet he had his sights on.

He locked on target and fired a single missile at the enemy jet, the other weapons chambers and systems had malfunctioned due to the heavy artillery fire that the chopper had taken. This was, however, a diversion. Because the swaying that had started previously was now in something of a full on swing, with this, he attempted a move that was going to get him killed either way. On the very last swing he swung it with all he had, and flipped the chopper upside down.

To anyone watching, they'd be in awe of the spectacle of an upside down helicopter. At least before seeing that chopper swing back around and crash side to top into another jet that happened to be firing on him. The impact sending both vehicles and both pilots down to a firey and watery grave.

---

Lance Harper
Goldenrod City Docks
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Lance watched in horror as his home city became ransacked by violent mutations and angry terrorists. His eyes surveyed everything. This was nothing that he had prepared for. He was ready for a fight, but not for this. He watched as Giovanni's helicopter went down, and suddenly realized that it was all over. His mission, his goals. All went down with that firey explosion. Giovanni was dead. His parents couldn't be avenged properly.

He also saw something that he had never seen before. An odd looking Deoxys. It must have been burst with a human, and since it had come off of an Aqua ship, it must have belonged to them. Lance had sharp eyes and perfect vision. He knew the beast had multiple faces, as he felt himself lock eye with at least one of them. There was no way he could sneak up on the creature. He would have to be smart about this.

He took off down the docks once more, and fled into the city. He watched the Deoxys, and where it went. Somehow, he didn't know if he'd been seen by it, but he was going to make sure to interfere with whatever it was planning. He watched the creature land a building that wasn't all that beaten up from the battle. So Lance ran into the building. The building was actually an apartment complex with shops on the bottom floors. He made his way to the top floor, and was ready to make every attempt to attack him from below.

Then it happened. He watched his huge blast of energy fly towards another building. Then it hit him. That was Harper Industries. There had already been a huge hole in the side of it where a chopper had slammed into it. 'What the f**k?' Lance struggled to keep it together. But he just couldn't handle watching his empire come crashing to the ground. Everything he was going to fight for, everything he was working to rebuild. It was gone. Just like that.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a studded leather bracelet. Those studs were actually the broken down burst stone that his father had given him. And with that, he pulled the bracelet over his wrist, snapped into place, and pulled out a Pokéball. He touched the Burst studs to the red and white sphere, and got sucked inside with the Pokémon that inhabited it. The sight was euphoric, yet completely empty. This was what it was like inside of a Pokéball? It's no wonder the Pokémon enjoy being inside of these things. It's like the device knows what the Pokémon wants to see, what it wants to be a part of, and allows it to live out that fantasy within the ball.

The ball suddenly burst open as a man stood over it, decked out in a light weight red armor, which faded to black around the inner points of the armor, like the under arms and inner thighs. The neck remained black, as well as the waist belt which carred a black and red bo staff. The gauntlets were actually golden with pointed black claws to enhance the effectiveness of hand to hand combat. Finally the helmet took the form of a Scizor's head, but only the top, as the rest gave the appearance of a motorcycle helmet. The visor was yellow like Scizor's eyes, and information such as weaknesses, resistances, and various other stats would appear on this visor to tell Lance what to expect in coming battles or fights.

He remembered the direction in which the blast came from, faced that direction, and blasted through the ceiling of the building so he could stand and meet his foe directly. There it stood, fresh off of its Psychic blast that destroyed everything. It looked to be ready to flee before Lance emerged. It was interesting to see, however. Part man, part Deoxys, but the burst didn't feel normal by any means. Still, through the visor, his enemy could see the hate, the pain of loss, and the desire to kill. There was no hero standing before this Deoxys. Instead it was a warrior, ready to strike his enemy down.

"You.. will pay," he spoke softly, but clearly he wanted his opponent to know his intentions. The entire back half of his body began to emit a purple aura. His body began to blur as it hovered over the hole he had initially created. At the same time, his fists began to glow with a lime colored array. He didn't hesitate any longer. He sped towards his foe with intense agility, as his arms folded to make an X-shape. Such an impact would surely send any foe flying, and with Deoxys being a Psychic type, to be hit by such a powerful Bug attack, it'd be hurting a bit, no matter how powerful it was.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

He could see it from where he was: Giovanni's helicopter, first ditching some cargo for some reason, then going down in a blaze of glory, flying upside-f***ing-down as it crashed into one of the jets as it made a pass. But...The man himself wasn't on there. Yarvick did not sense his Psionics aboard it, only the thoughts of the pilot...

He looked around at the cargo. He didn't see anyone leap below, only a Swampert towing a disarmed mine away. He'd have ignored it as part of the Diving team, or possibly even Raidon's own Swampert...if he wasn't simultaneously searching for a Psionic signal. Yarvick was, though, and the lie of the scene was quickly revealed. Inside the mine...

Giovanni. The head of the Rockets. He escaped, the clever a**. But, he didn't, in a way, as Yarvick noticed his exit strategy, and could kill him.

...Killing Giovanni...That would be brilliant. His attempts at fleeing were spoiled as it stood, that already was a nasty blow to the Rockets. Any attempts at fooling them with a new leader would go out of a window, they'd still know exactly who was in charge. But, putting his head on a pike for the Rockets to see would destroy them utterly.

He was about to execute his impromptu plan when the floor of the building he dared to stand on-funny, he thought he landed in an alleyway-exploded a little, and out came a REALLY angry Scizor burst.

D**mit, it was one of those uppity hero-types, here to spoil his fun!

"You.. will pay."

...OK, maybe not 'uppity.' But it was still pretty stupid, even with that HUGE type advantage. Yarvick was not just stronger than pretty much everything else in existence, but also faster. Much faster than a Scizor was, anyways. Much, much faster. Plus, he could just constrain his movements with a thought. Maybe not totally, but he could throw him around like a ragdoll.

Yarvick didn't have the time to react with an attack, though. The idiot decided to go for the X-Slash almost immediately, an attack that could have possibly done a bit of a number on him. Unfortunately, Yarvick was simply much faster in this form, and though he clearly trained to fight, Yarvick wouldn't find much of an issue if he just kept his distance. He just flew off the building, so much faster than the Scizor burst, too far away. His attack simply never reached him at all.

That was the only attack he'd let him use. Yarvick lit his arm aflame and rushed forward, a mostly red blur, a pair of Normal Forme tentacles coiling into a fist: Fire Punch. Meanwhile, Iapetus jumped off of Yarvick and onto the building, melting into Shadows and becoming mostly intangible. He wouldn't strike immediately, but when the time was right-even if he noticed him, in the heat of battle, you could lose track quickly.

And people said it was stupid to teach the elemental punches to Hyperion when he was an Alakazam. No matter how unlikely, Yarivck's concerns about Hyperion's minimal close-range options was clearly paying off for more than just showy door-punching. Pain, incoming!

It would be so much more fun if that thing wasn't almost-laughing in his head.

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: Let’s face it, basically everyone at this point.
The author wishes to apologize for her novella. She also wishes to be called out if her use of Disable contains bunnying.

Alistair was calm, cool, collected - everything Lenore wasn’t feeling, basically. From head to toe, her whole body felt like it was welling up with electricity. Johto troops were starting to blockade the hospital, trying to force those still on the streets into buildings, where there was at least some semblance of safety and less chance of them being gunned down by their own military. She nodded to Alistair, “I’ll take care of it.” As she reached into her bag for a specific Pokeball, she called on Deborah again. <Alright, first things first - we keep our idiot from killing himself. I need the play-by-play.>

<The Johto ships are burning; the attackers have made landfall,> Deborah reported. Her tone was back to its usual modulation, although Lenore suspected that her calm was forced. <Some of them use firearms, some Pokemon… Others have become hideous mutations, hybrids of humans and multiple different Pokemon. They are being resisted actively by both the Johto military and Team Rocket.>

<Team Rocket?> The question was asked in surprise rather than disbelief. From the last she knew, they’d gone underground completely, but now wasn’t the time to be sorting out the affairs of crime syndicates. She recalled Micah. <Anything else I should know?>

<Definitely,> Deborah replied grimly. <I have identified the source of the psychic signature, as well as the Burst Heart-like energy. There are now not one but two Ancient Burst Hearts in play; one on one of the Rockets’ helicopters, and the other in the hands of the enemy. As for the psychic signature… You will be able to better confirm this than I.> Before Lenore could object, she found a new image in her head - a man with an iridescent gem shimmering in his chest, four faces looking every which way, arms a mix of human hands and twirling blue-and-red tentacles. <You recognize it.> Deborah could clearly sense Lenore’s dread.

“Deoxys.”

The Pokeball in her hand flashed, and before her appeared a grinning Gengar. Not that ‘grinning’ meant much; Hananiah was always smiling about something. It wasn’t always a good thing. <Deoxys, eh?> Hananiah mused. <That’s bad news, innit boss? Good thing you’ve got me around to lend a helping hand. We gonna Burst or what?>

<I’m staying out of this as much as I can,> Deborah said abruptly. Her mistrust for Hananiah couldn’t have been clearer if she had trumpeted it from the rooftops. <I’ll have my eye on you. Good luck.>

“Bursting it is, Hananiah,” Lenore replied calmly. Hananiah’s rivalry with Deborah was an annoying fact of Lenore’s life. The Gengar loved to play tricks on the team, Deborah especially, possibly because it left her more flustered than it did the others. Not to mention that he had a vicious streak a mile wide, which even Lenore as his Trainer sometimes had trouble keeping in hand. But his handiness in a pinch was undeniable. She held out her Burst Heart. “Ready?”

Bursting with Hananiah was always strange. All of Lenore’s other Pokemon were biological, but Hananiah was decidedly not. She felt as if her body was heating, cooling, and utterly disintegrating all at the same time. When it was over, she stood robed in an elegant cloak of deep purple. While she couldn’t see it herself, she knew from past experience that her ponytail had turned deep violet and fluffed out in wicked spikes, and her eyes had turned crimson. Clawed boots and gauntlets wrapped around her wrists and ankles. She flexed her fingers in appreciation. While this form was somewhat difficult to maintain - Gengar, rather than feeding conventionally, leeched off ambient warmth to gain the energy that their constant phasing required - it was strong, mobile, and highly versatile.

To Alistair and Helena, she said, "Well, in case you didn't guess from my cryptic mumbling, someone out there has used an Ancient Burst Heart to Burst with Deoxys and is unleashing a lot of carnage. It's a flagrant abuse of a Legend's power; the crazy b*stard has to be taken down, Deoxys itself removed from servitude I hope to Arceus is unwilling... But I have my obligations." She looked pointedly at Alistair. "I will keep your brother safe. But I ask that, whatever you do, you stay safe, too." With that, she took off at a run, her feet hovering just above the ground.

<A bad situation all round,> Hananiah observed as they rushed toward the Rockets. He sounded less antagonistic than usual, but he quickly switched tracks, <Probably a bit hard on your faith, eh, Lenore?>

The question was troublesome. While Lemore had little faith to speak of - the Legends were meant to be respected, revered even, but not worshipped, even those deeply rooted in the world's creation - but she couldn't help but believe that even the most fierce of them were inherently good, and would never take human life without cause. Deoxys's presence was alarming; the creature, though often regarded with suspicion, was usually harmless to humans, only interfering when its own kind was endangered. She might've prayed to vigilant Ho-Oh, gentle Celebi, or even serene Suicune for guidance, but they weren't there, and even if they had been she doubted that her prayers would’ve been heard above the noise of battle. Lenore and her Pokemon had only each other to rely on.

<We need to shadow travel, Hananiah,> she replied coolly, leaving the question for a day when she wasn't in danger of being shot to death, incinerated, electrocuted, mauled, and so on.

There was no direct reply; maybe Hananiah sensed that he'd pushed her farther than he intended. Instead, he shifted mental gears entirely, pulling in as much heat as he could. The human in Lenore shivered as the air temperature around them plunged. Just as it would continue to plunge as they slipped into the shadows of the teeming brawlers on the coast, eating up energy to keep their body incorporeal, invisible, barely even real.

Deborah, using Lenore's mind as a psychic anchor to pinpoint their location, began to guide them toward Lance. They moved quickly, mostly ignoring the battle; however, by this time Lenore was angry enough to act and Hananiah was thrilled to back her up. They left the Johto military and the Rockets unmolested - the latter group was a collection of unmitigated *ssholery, but they weren't the present threat. Rather, Hananiah seamlessly integrated several stops along their route. Each stop took only ten seconds of so, and was very simple in purpose - catch one of the foreign attackers, particularly the mutant amalgams of human and Pokemon, by the ankles and phase them until they were in concrete up to their knees. The process wouldn't kill or injure them unless they tried pulling their limbs free by sheer force; those sensible enough would soon realize that they could simply break the concrete that entombed them. However, anyone stuck like that would be panicked, immobile, and severely distracted - easy targets for the Rockets. It was grisly work, seeing the terror on the faces, but even grislier was the thought of letting these brutes loose in the streets of Goldenrod.

One of the mutants broke through the line; Hananiah's senses were somewhat limited during shadow travel and they were even worse during Bursting, so the details were difficult to make out. The ankles Lenore took hold of were craggy, rough, and warm; the shape above then dragon-like and glowing gold. As soon as Lenore let go the thing floated back to the surface, then whirled and with brutal claws snatched Lenore out of her hiding place.

What she was looking at was a horror. Its build was like a human's, but bent low beneath the weight of armor plating that shifted like a mix of plate metal and lava. Dragon's wings sprouted from its arched back; its human head wore the helm of an Aggron. Some sort of seam ran along its broad chest, sealed by a gold bar. The creature held Lenore's shirt clenched in one huge, clawed fist, the other already drawing back for a punch.

Hananiah saved them both, phasing out of the grip of the Aggron/Charizard/Golurk/human/freak of nature before Lenore could blink. The punch that would've taken Lenore's head off passed through the air and left the hybrid reeling. Rather than wait for the next attack, Lenore lunged, gripping the abomination by the head and staring into its slitted pupils. "Rest," she commanded, her own eyes aglow with a Hypnosis attack. The hybrid shuddered, then collapsed, a limp, sleeping huddle on the ground.

<Must've phased through the blockade,> Lenore thought at Hananiah. <Wonder how many others ->

An earth-shaking noise broke Lenore’s concentration so badly that she almost came unBursted from Hananiah. The Deoxys-Burster had taken to the air again, this time striking out at Harper Industries’ tower. <Is that what this is about?> She thought. <Dear Arceus, all this destruction for a building? What’s wrong with mother*****ing bombs?>

<Not about the building,> Deborah chimed in tersely. <They’re trying to send a message. One of absolute strength. Right now I am trying to send you a message - specifically, the message that your charge has Bursted with his Scizor and has seen fit to take on the Bursted Deoxys himself.>

<He WHAT!?> Lenore shrilled mentally, so loudly that the Machamp/Sandslash/Toxicroak hybrid directly above her reeled in confusion. Fueled by blind emotion, she tugged the hybrid down so deep that only one of his sets of arms still projected above the concrete. She then took to the air, lifted up by a combination of Hananiah’s telekinesis and lack of density. Within seconds, she was over the coast, and she could see everything clearly - Lance, fully Bursted, flying too far and too fast, claws still glowing with power from some unknown attack. And the Deoxys creature, similar to what a Bursted Deoxys should be but more twisted than Lenore would've imagined, rushing to slam him in the back with a brutal Fire Punch.

<Haha, *****ing idiot's going to get killed before we can even get our first paycheck,> Hananiah's dry, sarcastic chuckle was meaningless. Lenore was already moving. Calling on her Gengar's power, she lifted one clawed hand and summoned all of her strength. The hand and the Deoxys Burster himself flashed in sympathy - a Disable attack. The physical component of the attack probably wouldn't hold someone with that degree of power for very long, but the ensuing immobility should give Lance plenty of time to escape. The mental component would assure no more Fire Punches for a little while longer. Not that that was particularly reassuring; she hadn't the foggiest idea what else this Burster was capable of and didn't want to know.

<Get out of here, Lance!> she snapped, using Hananiah's psychic capabilities to get her point across. <No way for even the two of us combined to beat this. We have to fall back.>

As she spoke, she maneuvered to Lance's side, laying a hand on his shoulder. She might need to hold him back, or phase him out of the way of another attack. To Deborah, she added, <I need you on us like white on rice. You see anything coming our way, you make us move. Got it?>

<Understood,> she replied. <But take caution. I sense that you are being watched by something other than Deoxys.>

Take caution, Lenore thought. If that wasn't the understatement of the century she didn't know what was.

[Lord Celebi]

Norton "Norb" Whitehall
Capitol Building, Evergrande
Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz, Velocity, and XaiakuX

Raidon Makoto had proven himself a faithful servant of Norton Whitehall. Whitehall had to try and hide a smirk as the entire Hoenn Council watched the television set in horror. The headline read "Team Aqua Decimates Goldenrod." Reporters trapsed all around the city, showing destroyed buildings, corpses, and injured children wailing for mothers that weren't there. The "human interest" journalism bored Whitehall--he wanted to see his boys fight. The camera cut to black for a moment and then returned to the newsanchor. The Hoenn newsman with his perfect blonde hair and perfect smile began to report, with tears in his eyes, "We have just received some very disturbing footage from one of our news helicopters. Ladies and gentlemen, no words can express what has just happen."

The television cut to Harper Tower being hit by one of Team Aqua's Hellcat fighters. The familiar form of Raidon Makoto then parachuted out of the Hellcat safely onto a nearby building. Moments later, something that looked like a Deoxys launched a beam of blue energy through the building's wound. Harper Tower immediately came crashing down, filling the streets of Goldenrod with smoke and debris. Screaming was audible in the background. The camera then cut back to the television host who broke down crying. "Harper Tower has been destroyed along with half of Goldenrod. Thousands are dead, hundreds of thousands more left injured, and most of the city homeless. This is, without a doubt, the single most destructive terrorist attack in Maridia's history."

The camera then cut back to the quasi-Deoxys, who was challenged by a Scizor hybrid. The two scuffled in mid-air while the news helicopter camera zoomed in on the fight, hoping to get a good shot. "HNN has identified the Scizor hybrid to be Lance Harper of Harper Industries, valiantly fighting to protect his hometown against the menace. From what we can tell, Team Aqua and Team Rocket are not working together, making this a three-way brawl between Aqua, Rocket, and Harper." With Rocket being involved, my guess is that DyneTech wanted Harper Industries attacked to lure Giovanni out in the open. I've been played. Brilliant, Whitehall thought.

A Gengar Burst came into view of the camera and made contact with the Scizor Burst. Friend of Harper's no doubt, Whitehall thought. From a nearby building, Raidon Makoto, now Burst with his Electivire, leapt down on top of the Gengar Burst. The dread lord of the Deathwing, now sporting a yellow and black armor, attempted to drive his twin blades crackling with electricity into the Gengar Burst.

President Frisby turned to Norb Whitehall, "Norb, this is insane. One moment these bastards attack the charity event you're at, the next they completely sack Goldenrod City. A terrorist organization that big should not have aircraft carriers. Luckily, using some advanced satellite imagery from our Daisi Satellite, we've tracked down their base of operations. It's on a place called Mirage Island. I'd like to ransack it, but as our new Secretary of War, I'll need your approval."

Whitehall was quick to be given Bron Krad's position following his heroic death. The former Secretary of War was hailed as a badass martyr by the Hoenn public for saving Whitehall's wife and killing an Aqua captain with only a dinner knife. Since the names "Krad and Whitehall" were spoken very often by the people of Hoenn within the same breath, it was only natural that Whitehall, the ranking member of Hoenn's Defense Committee, become the new Secretary of War.

Whitehall smiled at Frisby. It was time for him to enact his endgame. "Yes. Schedule an attack for 0600 tomorrow." The pair refocused their attention back to the television as Whitehall texted Miles Kieron, who was still staying at his apartment with the rest of the 08th Assault Team and Reg Lando until Makoto returned. Miles: Toss the Frisby at 0600 tomorrow. Aqua would serve their final purpose to Whitehall while simultaneously being wiped off the face of the Earth by the Hoenn military. There were be no survivors or loose ends to expose Whitehall's less-than-legal rise to the Presidency.

Tomorrow night, Whitehall would be President of Hoenn and Raidon Makoto would be rotting in his grave.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Fairy Dragon, En Route to Hoenn
Affected Team Aqua RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
Affected Team Awesome RPers: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron

We managed to get the AMS DeathKnight away from the storm, just barely hanging on by a thread. The ice would be okay for now, but man, we would need to get this thing patched up fast once we got back. Any more damage to that thing and it would have been a goner.

In the meantime, half of Goldenrod City was in flames or in a pile and Harper Tower was totally wrecked, especially after Raidon flew his own Hellcat right into it. It was really time to peel out of here. As much as I'd like to sack the entire city flat, Johto was probably scrambling more ships and crap to intercept us here before we got a chance to pull out. Considering the damage on the Deathwing, now might be a good time. We left more than a flaming sack of **** on Johto's and Harper's doorstep. Definitely couldn't be bummed out about that. It was a mission accomplished here. We nailed the Harper Tower and plenty more at that.

I landed on the AMS Fairy Dragon, which had only taken some trivial damage, but out of the three ships we had brought, it was the most intact. Ravaging Goldenrod City for now was good, but until we got more assets, conquering Johto completely would have to wait another day.

"Let's go people, we've fried this place enough!" I spoke to the others on the radio. "The fire will likely take care of the rest."

A few last buildings were being demolished, but the others got the word and were on their way to head back to either the Fairy Dragon, the newly captured Water Dog, or the Deathwing. Another cannon salvo from the Fairy Dragon had wrecked several more buildings, causing the once pristine office buildings to crumble apart like punched peanut brittle. It would likely take Johto quite a few years, if not decades, to repair this level of destruction. I'm sure that would help them remember us for a nice long time.

Giovanni's Team Rocket pricks were still out for revenge, but as we were pulling out of the combat zone, they tried to pursue us and finish off the damaged ships. But, long and behold, two helicopters pursuing the Fairy Dragon were busted out of the sky. One got hit by a IGLA missile while the other got nailed by a Shadow Ball attack and exploded into fiery little pieces. Oh, yeah, and that Shadow Ball was mine.

The Water Dog and the Deathwing managed to recall most of the Shadowfall tanks and ground forces that had been deployed to wreck havoc on the city. Whatever was still standing would likely need to be torn down anyway due to the structural integrity of the buildings being compromised from the attacks that were going on all over the city. But in the meantime, those two ships had taken quite a bit of damage, and keeping them in the fight would put them at risk, just like the DeathKnight. But in the meantime, Giovanni's toadies were being gunned down by suppressing fire from the other two ships, forcing them to fall back or risk getting blown out of the sky.

There wasn't much time to do a headcount. I was pretty sure that if anyone got intentionally left behind, they'd be able to get back. We pulled out and quickly started heading back to Hoenn to repair the ships and prepare for the next assault. Given how much damn fun this one was, I imagined it wouldn't take long before the next field day arrived.

"Ah, come on, man!" One of my fellow Chimeras complained. "We could have leveled that stinkin' town! Why pull out now!?"

"Ha, look at it this way," I told the Blastoise/Scizor/Dusknoir Chimera, looking at the black, heavily armored warrior turtle. "That place is going to be crawling with looters, pillagers, and scavengers trying to steal, loot, and take whatever's left in just a few minutes from now. That's more of an insult to injury than just flattening the joint."

"Ha, ha, ha!" He laughed. "Damn, didn't think about that. Someone else's tragedy is always someone else's opportunity, isn't it!?"

Story of my life, yes.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, En Route to Hoenn
Affected RPers:
TEAM AQUA: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz
TEAM AWESOME: XaiakuX, Velocity, TheProtobabe, Death's Spook, Grassy_Aggron

Wow... just wow. Half of Goldenrod City was sent back to the stone age while the other half looked like something out of some crazy morbid post-apocalyptic movie. I really felt like taking a picture, and in glittering letters, put "Wish you were here! ~Team Aqua."

And in the meantime, Harper Tower went from being an "is" to a "was!" Well, it was going to take a lot more than crazy glue and a few all-nighters to put that thing back up! I liked Harper Tower like this. Hey, I could lay down and make a snow-angel out of the dust! I could draw a smiley face too! Couldn't do that before! It was better already!

And that was when Noah ordered for the forces to pull out, feeling like we had enough fun. It was like kindergarten all over again, only we didn't have to clean up after playtime! And hey, he sounded different... cuter even! Aww, I hoped he really liked that bunny Chimera form I made for him! I just had to get a look at him before he decided to go with something else!

I got to using the last of my awful Chimera mutagens on the last remaining soldiers that tried to get close to the Deathwing as it packed up the tanks, foot soldiers, and Chimeras. One dude was just speechless as I turned him into a really goofy Miltank/Swalot/Likilicky Chimera. Imagine that, a fat, gooey and slimy cow with a giant tongue! Definitely not a good day, ha ha! He still tried to pursue but tripped and landed flat on his face. Yep, I figured it would take time to get used to that!

Once most of the guys were packed and ready, we headed out, following the AMS Fairy Dragon out of Goldenrod to head back to Hoenn. Some of those idiot guys from Team Rocket tried to pursue the ship, but I figured they were still trying to learn just how much butt Chimeras could kick! One was struck down by one Chimera's Ice Beam while another it it's rotor smashed by a Rock Slide attack sending them flying into the nice, ice-cold water below! And the third got the classic "riddled with bullet holes" treatment. They managed to bail into the water before the chopper exploded into a dazzling array of bright, fiery colors! Sure hope they wanted a drink!

As we sailed further and further, following the AMS Fairy Dragon and sailing alongside the newly captured Water Dog, we just smiled at the smoldering ruins of Goldenrod City. Thick, black smoke was bellowing up from the city while most of the buildings looked like some giant creature got a case of the munchies and took a bite out of them, or they were in a pile scattered all over the place. Hey, you know, this would give them the nice opportunity to start over and make a totally new city! It might encourage them to go for some kind of new theme... something ultra-high tech, rustic, or maybe even go with a fantasy theme! Hey, that would be pretty cool!

Why, this wasn't the end of Goldenrod City! It was us giving them the push to give it a whole new makeover!

I couldn't help but smile and wave goodbye cheerfully as we sailed away, off into the wild, blue yonder! Boy voyage!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

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

It had only been TWO attacks! TWO ATTACKS!! The first two attempts at a strike! Yet, clearly luck was in favor of the Scizor Burst already. First, an absolute a** of a Gengar Burst came out of almost literally nowhere JUST to use Disable on him. Try as he might, for a few seconds, he could not move, something that she'd doubtlessly take advantage of.

Except, she didn't. She didn't bother doing so at all. She just flew over to the Scizor Burst and put her hand on his shoulder, probably prepared to phase into the building.

Yarvick had to internally laugh at this display of epic stupidity. Hyperion just got kind of confused, on the other hand. To top it off, Mud the evil voice in his head was REALLY cracking up, no longer 'almost-laughing' but ACTUALLY laughing a noticeable laugh in his head. It was also not the evil, creepy and half-human half-not human laugh that he had just consistently used. It was a laugh that a regular dude used on an idiot, the kind Yarvick would have used on her.

He focused on movement, as much as he could-the paralysis of Disable was a right pain in the a**, but it was all in the mind, and he wanted to move. The girl had done nothing to capitalize on the situation, and before he knew it, within three seconds, he'd broken free.

"...You didn't think this through, did you?" Yarvick shot at the duo. His mental words were acidic, of course.

And then, helicopters were roaring about, clearly here for a news story...They did nothing but annoy Yarvick. He was tempted to swat them into the duo, but Iapetus was on the same building, rendering the idea kind of stupid, so he had to deal with their reporting on how it was a massive catastrophe and their rooting for the homeboy Lance Harper-who was apparently the a** he was fighting. That was interesting.

...And, last but not least, Raidon Makoto. Coming out of nowhere, the backup he didn't ask for but appreciated so, so much. If he was a general, he probably wouldn't have risked Makoto, but he was still pretty happy about the ONE positive turn of events. He leaped down from the building 'behind' Yarvick, aiming for the bodyguard with electric blades of death. To add to this attempt, Iapetus decided that the best way to introduce himself to the fray was to split them up as well-A Shadow Punch straight to the girl's outstretched arm, the one that connected the Scizor Burst to her, the one she planned to use to phase them through the building. She couldn't phase through Shadow Punch.

Now, what was he doing? He vaguely recalled setting his fist on fire for some reason, but he didn't recall how. D**mit, probably another Disable effect...Disable was a really ridiculous move, to paralyze and make a move completely vanish from your head for several seconds.

But, now wasn't the time to remember. It probably was not THAT important. He charged up a Psychic attack instead, well out of range of the Scizor burst-it was a known fact Scizor and Scyther could hover, but not actually fly. It wasn't the kind that would blow up the whole building or cause massive collateral damage, because again, Raidon and Iapetus were onboard. Friendly Fire wasn't, and would never be. Doubly so, charging that powerful attack that he unleashed on the deck of the Water Dog and against the Harper Tower? That took some time. He didn't have time in a fight, and even like this, he'd be at least somewhat pragmatic.

He focused, for but a quarter of a second, building energy to precisely shoot at Lance the Scizor Burst. It was unlikely to kill due to valuing speed over power here and the accursed Steel typing, but if it landed, it would not be an unnoticeable blow.

In the distance, he could see the ships sailing away from Goldenrod, Aqua in retreat. The tower had been blown to hell, it was time to go. All four survived, including the Water Dog...Which meant he had to get this fight over with quickly. If he could get the two away from him, he'd grab Raidon and leave fast. If the duo knocked them too far away, he'd grab Raidon and leave fast. But, they weren't going to knock them away. They were going to keep them close and fight.

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, The Nonexistent Tazz, XaikuX; everyone else indirectly.
Seriously, though, kids - don’t play with knives.

<Phase! Lenore, PHASE!>

It was too late. The caustic, powerful psychic voice of the Deoxys Burster too distracting. The attacks too unpredictable. Before she knew what was happening her arm was burning from the impact of some sort of energized physical blow and her body was dropping like a rock. Something heavier than her had slammed onto her back and had no intention of removing itself. While Hananiah, solo or Bursted, could carry his own weight with ease, there was no chance of flight with what felt like a ton of bricks on top of them. The ocean, the ground, the gunfire, loomed closer.

With a burst of telekinetic energy, Lenore rolled herself to face her attacker. The man was big, muscled, fully Bursted with what appeared to be an Electivire - Bursted, and holding high a pair of katanas just bristling with electricity.

<***** off!> That was all Hananiah, voicing annoyance from their shared head. Lenore did not deign to reply; rather, she struck, reaching forward and sending a pulse of psychic energy from each hand. The resulting blast wasn’t intended to be powerful, but it did the handy trick of sending the blades spinning, end-over-end, out of Lenore’s unknown assailant’s hands and above both of their heads. <Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with knives, kid?> Hananiah laughed giddily while Lenore strained to remain calm.

Now that her opponent was disarmed, Lenore might’ve been able to finish him. Hananiah wanted her to. But a strong man Bursted with an Electivire was going to be decidedly tough to kill, very long knives or no, especially while in mid free-fall. Rather than engaging him directly, Lenore had Hananiah phase through him. Electricity crackled through Lenore’s half-resolved form as she passed; then, it was over, and she was floating alone in open air.

The man could probably retrieve his blades from the air, if he tried; Electivire were excellent at manipulating electromagnetism. He might even be able to guide his own safe landing back onto one of the ships. Who knew - maybe he wasn’t even falling fast enough for a direct ocean landing to kill him, if he just allowed himself to fall.

If.

Lenore didn’t look back. The thought of killing him, or leaving him to die, or not knowing what his fate might be or whether he would strike at her again, unsettled her.

<C’mon, you signed on for this,> Hananiah was chipper, but not taunting. <Well, maybe not full on *****ing terrorist warfare, but you were almost definitely going to have to kill somebody sometime. Those people back there we left to die, for instance ->

<Less talking, Hananiah,> Lenore shot back, <more fighting. Distraction will get us both killed, I’m sure we can agree?>

While she argued with the little demon in her head, she was wheeling back toward Lance and the Deoxys Burster, and one more variable - ah, yes, another Gengar. So that’s what the punch had been, why it had sent a cold chill flowing down her arm, why Deborah - who sometimes had trouble predicting the acts of those of a Psychic, Dark, or Ghost-type bent - hadn’t been able to warn her in time. As she approached, she could see the Burster readying another attack, this time some sort of Psychic-type move, most likely Psychic itself. <What’ve you got for me?> she asked Hananiah. Disable wasn’t too likely to work; its effects were probably still active, and as long as they were the Burster would be immune to a fresh application. Useful move in combat with a really stupid drawback.

<Now she wants my help,> Hananiah grumbled to no one. But he sped up his mental pace, getting his point across as fast as he could. <Look, my advice? Let the kid take the hit. His defenses are kick*ss at the moment and he’ll be resistant to that move - it’s a Psychic, I’d lay money on it. It’ll sting the living ***** out of him, but kill him? Nah. Besides, we can’t phase him through an energy-based attack like that, and we’re a lot squishier than he is right now, so we can’t take his bullet. I say play wounded, drop below him - four-face over there doesn’t look like he can’t move his neck up or down worth *****, especially past that ridiculous chest - and slam Deoxys and my dear brother Gengar with an Ominous Wind. Then we shoot a Shadow Ball through the slipstream and up Deoxys’s hideously mutated *ss. There’s even a chance we’ll disrupt him before he can fire off.>

Lenore didn’t like the thought of leaving Lance unprotected and alone against mother*****ing Deoxys, but she had only seconds to act. And while Hananiah’s plan was insane, and pretty likely to go fatally wrong… <D*mn you, you’ve got a point,> she grumbled at him. She slipped low, hovering just over the water and hiding in smoke where she could, her flight path wobbly and erratic but leading directly beneath Deoxys. Shooting upward just a tad, she sent a poisonous, bitter blast of glowing purple wind flying toward the Burster and his Gengar. This is stupid, she thought as she pulled back her arms. Spent my whole life studying Legends and I’m going to get killed by one probably, she mused as black-and-purple energy formed a roiling cloud between her claws. She poured the power on thick; she wanted to do serious damage rather than just pissing the Burster off. ***** both of you Harpers for dragging me into this, she added to herself as an afterthought, then threw the Shadow Ball with all her might, sending it traveling up the path of the Ominous Wind and straight toward what appeared to be the Deoxys Burster’s back.

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Goldenrod City, Johto
Affect RPers: Velocity and The Nonexistent Tazz

The Deoxys rolled off the X-Scissor seemingly unharmed, and retaliated with a Fire Punch. How the ***** did Deoxys learn Fire Punch? This wasn't the time to debate, he side stepped as his Agility seemed to be improving the longer he worked the attack. He was getting fast. Faster was better, especially going up against the fastest Pokémon in existence. He flitted back, before noticing that the shoulder pauldron of his armor had come clean off from that Fire Punch. The adrenaline died down a bit, causing him to notice the intense amount of pain that he was actually in. It was searing, hot, and agonizing. At the same time, Lance spoke no words, or expressed any level of despair from his fresh wound. But yes, it really hurt.

"Bastard," Lance finally said before seeing the Deoxys get blasted by a Disable from a Gengar Burster. 'Now's my chance to do some real damage!' he thought, readying his Agility/X-Scissor combination one more time. The speed boost was ready and as he was about to strike, the Gengar Burster came in and asked him to retreat. It turned out to be Lenore, the person his brother hired to 'protect' him. The only thing she's doing at this point was distracting him. When she tried to phase him, he pulled away and let her take a sudden Psychic blast. Lance was too blinded by rage to care. She seemed well enough, having taken a super effective hit.

It looked like another Aqua scumbag had entered the fray. He didn't care. His focus was that Deoxys Burster. He'd make sure it remembered Lance Harper. Because it'd be the last face it ever saw. With his speed at its peak, he zipped around the rooftop. 'Try to keep up, you mind-reading prick.' He started flitting circles around the Deoxys, and everything else on this roof. What was he doing? He was building momentum. He was going to feed this Deoxys Burster every ounce of pain that he was feeling. Lenore decided to take care of the Electivire, which made it easier to focus on his target.

His visor then let him know there was a massive slew of Ghost attacks headed towards the fight. This was it. This is how he'd take down that Ancient Burst. He started zig-zagging around the Deoxys. It may be faster, but was it smarter? Was it able to read his thoughts fast enough. Then he got bold, he was well aware that his Fire Punch was Disabled, so he couldn't use it. He got close to his foe, and started throwing punches at him. He'd circle around abusing the speed boost from Scizor's Agility, and attempt to strike from another angle and did this repeatedly. Not to harm, but to distract. To confuse and disorient the Deoxys Burster. At this point, it was all the man, Lance Harper, using his natural fighting abilities to take on something one might call an 'entity.' All while the Shadow Ball raced towards their location.

Then he got hit, again. Somehow that freakin' clown landed another Psychic attack. His visor didn't warn him, or let him know it was coming. Was it really that sudden? Maybe his focus on one thing had prohibited him from even seeing it. All the moving around he was doing in an attempt to slow down and confuse his opponent, maybe his tactic hadn't even been working. This was such a surprise that it launched Lance off of the roof of the building. As he plummeted towards the ground, he saw the Shadow Ball pass overhead. He looked back at Lenore, who would surely see him falling. He saw the rubble of his tower behind her. He was suddenly overcome with despair, He didn't know if he would ever see that Deoxys Burster, again. But if he did, he'd definitely win. Then he hit the ground and everything went black as the two bursted bodies separated to their original states.

[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, *****, 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 ****."

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.)

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Ilex Forest
Johto
Affected RPers: None

The Dragonite dropped off Raidon Makoto smack-dab in the middle of the Ilex Forest. Makoto stood still for a moment and breathed deeply, taking in the crisp aromas of the ancient forest. This is nice... peaceful... I can see why these are Celebi's stomping grounds... he thought, as he proceeded forward on the beaten path. Considering the creature had summoned him into its home, Makoto was entirely unconcerned with a surprise attack. Besides, he wasn't even sure he could take the creature in battle anyway.

He didn't have to hike long before he found Celebi's shrine in the middle of a clearing. The worn down wooden shrine contained a small figure of Celebi. On top of the sloped roof, the Enternal Chronarch sat, watching Makoto like he was a guilty curiosity. It giggled when Makoto approached. <Confident, are we?>

"You're not going to hurt me," Makoto said. "You would have if you were going to." Makoto's mind suddenly flashed with a million images of himself. Each one was just slightly different though. Implicitly, he knew that he was looking at images of himself from a hundred different timelines. One version of himself was fighting a Lugia on the deck of the Deathwing. Another was glad with a horrific claw that stretched all the way up his elbow. A third was a cyborg with piercing red eyes. Each mirror image of himself had the green onion fairy floating over his shoulder. What do all these images mean?

<For all you know, I could have already killed you in the future... or in an alternative timeline. Can you even fathom the vast expanse of time, Raidon?> Celebi taunted the dread lord of the Deathwing. <Of course you can't. You're not time-aware yet. We'll get you there.>

"Why are you doing this?" Makoto gasped in between painful visions of himself. The visions were playing their lives in front of Makoto's eyes, birth to death (and for many, second death). Each tortured childhood. Each individual murder.

<Morbid curiosity, really,> Celebi explained, unaffected by Makoto's pain. <You see, I've been told by my compatriots, and by that, alternative versions of myself, that we meet and we become best friends,> Celebi emphasized mockingly. <After seeing your show in Goldenrod, I had to gag at the concept. Yet, what all these other Celebis had in common was that they were all far older than me... I'm talking in the trillions of years, Raidon. You seem to intervene in my life when I am at my lowest... and for some reason I look in the lowest of all places for some companionship. Time travel is a lonely business, after all. Considering that I am immortal... a fact of time, I don't doubt that my consciousness will be subsumed by madness at some point.>

Celebi floated above me and summoned a storm of wind. The calm breeze ended and leaves began to dart across the forest like shuriken. The Eternal Chronarch's eyes began to glow purple. <I came up with this plan to nip you in the bud before I would be weak enough to associate with a villain such as yourself, but then I found out why we are actually fated to meet in so many timelines.> Makoto's mind's eye flashed with millions of images of a gaunt, black creature protected by a bony exoskeleton. Its sadistic smile burned a hole into the dread lord of the Deathwing's thoughts. <You see, Raidon, you and I are destined to fight this creature: Diabora.>

The flashes in Makoto's mind stopped. He took a deep breath and sprawled out his whole mind once again, thankful to have his entire head to think uninterrupted. The wind continued, however. <However, I am not going to give myself up willingly to you, Raidon. You will need to beat me into submission.>

[XaiakuX]

[OoC: Mah fingaz hurt.]

Lance Harper
Comatose
Affected RPers: None

Lance began to feel violent, angry, and attempted to swing on the alien Pokémon. It was way too fast. Even with Lance being as skilled a fighter as he was, he wasn't fast enough to catch the Pokémon that ruined his life. He was furious, and he kept trying, hopeless as it seemed. Then the Deoxys decided to retaliate. It hit him with a Psychic blast, the same way it destroyed Harper Industries Tower. The pain was excruciating without Scizor's protective armor. If he had his Pokémon, he'd be able to burst with them and take down that freak of nature. But he didn't have them, and he was definitely alone in this fight.

Then it got weird. His body became stiff, and he could only watch as Deoxys shifted forms. It became a mass of tentacles, and all that remained was the head. It was like what would happen if Tangela ever became untangled. The extra terrestrial began to wrap itself around Lance's body, and the head's eyes stared vacantly into his. Suddenly Lance felt himself aging more quickly than normal. His body began to feel tired. Deoxys was draining Lance's life force. It was terrifying, and as he neared that last breath of life, he closed his eyes, and tried to imagine something good, something wonderful, and nice.

It was at that point that the suffering went away. Had he died? Did this Deoxys really kill him? Or had the dream simply shifted? He opened his eyes to see that he was free falling from thousands of feet in the air. He couldn't even tell if he had been alive to begin with. Yet, here he was. He looked around and he saw something unfounded. It was clear that it was something you don't commonly see, and this was definitely a dream. Next to him, free falling just the same, was Mewtwo.

Of course it was Mewtwo. The disaster that shook the world, because his dear Uncle Van couldn't control it. The creator couldn't control his creation. A man created a monster, and it turned on him. Then he thought. He was not so different from this Pokémon. This creature was manipulated by Giovanni, used, and otherwise made to suffer because of him. Lance's family, friends, and associates share the same history of Mewtwo. Is that what this was all about? Trying to find Mewtwo to take down Giovanni? Is that what needs to happen?

That's when Lance noticed where he was falling. He was headed for Goldenrod Hospital, where his body lay limp on the shoulders of a Swampert. He suddenly froze up a couple of feet from his own body. 'Am I really dead?' he thought to himself, 'If so, then why am I seeing Mewtwo? What is the real point to all of this?' It was at that point that Lance was on the ground, still a distance from his own body, watching everyone standing around him.

"You are in a coma, Lance Harper."

'What the? Dan Green? Whe-... Wait, that's Mewtwo's voice.'

"I saw you fall from the apartment complex, and I witnessed your anger and fury towards that Burst Trainer," it said calmly. It floated next to Lance, looking over at the unconscious body as well. "However, you would have been conscious right now, if I had not intervened. I needed to talk to you, I needed to see into your mind, Lance Harper."

'Did you enjoy the show? Turns out I'm crazy, so what could you possibly want to see?'

"Your pain," Mewtwo replied, promptly, "I wanted to see how you were taking this loss, and I'm sure even you've noticed.. You aren't taking it well. This is not even the end of the sorrows you will face in the near future. You will experience great losses before you can come to be so triumphant. I can help you fight these battles, but I cannot help you overcome this growing darkness in your heart."

'Darkness? No, I only want to protect everyone. I'm probably the best fighter in Johto, or in the world. But I would never harm anyone. There is no darkness in my heart.'

"Tell that to Lenore, or to Helena and Alastair. You left the three of them to die to pursue an enemy that was more than you could handle, and you knew very well that you couldn't win. Claressa just suffered a heart attack because you weren't there to help. Come now, Mr. Harper, you were selfish, and impulsive. Then Lenore came to help you, and you let her take all of the blows for you. Something is hurting you, and its' not the loss of a building, or someone else stealing your revenge."

'Lenore wouldn't have gotten hurt if she had just left well enough alone!'

"There! That is what I'm telling you. That rage and retaliation in your heart. You need to expel that demon in your soul before I will be able to help you. I had to expel my demon's long ago, Lance Harper. Even today, the thought of Giovanni wants to send me down a dark path," Mewtwo went from seriously fierce to seriously quiet. It was almost as terrifying as the incident with Deoxys.

'I see. I understand, Mewtwo. I won't allow my emotions to take control of me like that, again. My friends need me, and they're all I have, now.'

Mewtwo nodded in understanding, and Lance Harper was pulled back into the darkness. It appeared that there would be one final test. But Lance had no idea what he was going to face. He also had no idea that what he would face would be the greatest of all the strange and weird stuff that he had already been through.


---
R
---

Giovanni
The Well
Affected RPers: None

Giovanni took his hand away from the glass, and began to think back on his time that was nearly twenty years ago. How he had aged, and he had absolutely lost it. Mewtwo had wiped his memory of his pursuits, and even his creation. Mewtwo, however, failed to cover all of his bases. There were files, documents, and evidence of Mewtwo still plain as day for Giovanni to discover. Then the lost memories returned to him. In his fury, he snapped the neck of the closest person to him, which happened to be the unsuspecting Agent 009, Domino. As her corpse lay lifeless in his arms, he stared at the image of Mewtwo. Revenge wasn't on his mind, however. It was determination. He would start again. He would create the perfect Pokémon weapon.

It was difficult, For all of the records were based on the DNA of Mew. By which Team Rocket was lucky enough to obtain a single hair off of the Pokémon. The entire time Team Rocket had worked on creating Mewtwo, they were attempting to create Mew. Several resulted in failure, becoming the Pokémon known as Ditto. An expressionless, and near lifeless mass that could transform into anything. Giovanni took everything he needed, and retreated to The Well, where he would begin his experiments to create a new Mewtwo. A better Mewtwo which would obey him, and bend sufficiently to his will. His time in Harper Industries attested to everything he worked on. Mentions of Pokémon experimentation, and the utter mutant bodies that were immediately incinerated.

Giovanni proved to be quite the mad scientist, as well as a productive leader of a criminal organization. He even managed to juggle Harper Industries while he worked. He failed several times to recreate that genetic code that would produce Mewtwo. That would be step one, that process would be the easy part. The hard part, and in fact, downright impossible part, would be to genetically code Mewtwo in terms of obeying Giovanni. It would likely require many tries, and as a result, countless hours.. days.. weeks... and potentially years. Bodies being burned in order to prevent another Mewtwo disaster like before. He would be careful this time, and he would not make the same mistakes as his scientific predecessors.

After a couple of years, and a few months, Giovanni would receive news of a child that he made with Mary Harper. He then got into a violent fight with Oliver Harper, her husband. Giovanni threw the fight to keep up appearances for that worthless family. Until then he would have to lie to his own son that he was an Uncle to the boy. Fortunately, the boy was sharp at a young age, and learned through his mother's obvious resentment that he was a mistake. Until the Alastair was 13 he grew attached to Giovanni, until came the breakthrough that he was looking for. He was able to successfully recreate the genetic make-up of Mewtwo, and begin phase two of cloning the perfect Pokémon weapon.

It was said that an Ancient Burst Heart was hidden in Johto. So Giovanni would send his best spies to scour this region and retrieve any information regarding the stone's whereabouts. He would also use Harper Industries advanced technology systems to create a scanner that would detect burst energy withing a five mile radius. It was a genius little invention, and soon it would be installed on every Team Rocket vehicle, to give his men an advantage in the next fight they'd be in. Of course, that didn't help much. Then came word that the stone was hidden in Azalea Town. There was an old hermit who guarded the stone named Kurt who had it, originally. But he died and passed the secret on to his Granddaughter, Maisy, who had become an accomplished expert in Pokéball Mechanics and Engineering. She was still young, in her late 20's when Giovanni showed up at her doorstep.

Unfortunately, she remembered him from 20 years ago, and felt no need to help him willingly. Giovanni being who he was, merely snapped his fingers and walked away from the house, while several Rocket Grunts swarmed her house. Her screams were audible, yet muffled, and eventually stopped entirely. He walked across town to the Slowpoke Well. He remembered everything that happened back then. He remembered his first son, as well. However, he didn't waste any time. He sent his remaining men into the well to search for the stone. Surely enough, a rocket grunt found loosed soil in a dark reach of the cave, and pulled out a box, leather bound and locked with a combination. This is where Giovanni's patience and mercy would be tested.

He returned to the home of Maisy, and to a rather grotesque scenario, the Rockets cleared out while Giovanni stood over her. He gave her a choice; Give him the combination to the chest, and receive a large investment into her studies and research, as well as become an agent of Team Rocket, OR fall victim to another Team Rocket raid, where she would be stripped of more than her dignity. She would lose her research, equipment, and everything she held of value. Then, after everything she had was ripped away, Giovanni would mercifully put a bullet in her head. Her choice was not a favorable one, and true to his word, Giovanni made everything happen as he described it.

To die with this secret. What was the point? Giovanni decided at that stage to start moving his operation to Azalea Town, in the old base in The Well. This would require breaking away from Harper Industries, and soon enough, that's exactly what happened. Then the Harpers had the audacity to threaten him. To expose him for everything he had been doing through Harper Industries with his illegal experiments and activities. So he would have to silence them. Just like Maisy, he tore the rug out from under the Harper Family, and put a bullet in the heads of Mary and Oliver Harper. His secret would hopefully have died with them. Upon returning to Azalea Town, he went into hiding to continue his work on Burst Bombs, Mewtwo, and the Ancient Burst Heart.

For two years, Giovanni worked day in and day out to perfect the code that would bend Mewtwo's will to his own, his scientists has been working, as well as progressing, on the effects of the Burst Bombs. The bombs would be able to tear any manner of human and/or Pokémon combination back to their truest original forms. The radius of the bomb depended heavily on the bomb being used. If it were fired out of an RPG, it would have the blast radius of about 75-90 feet. A small grenade sized bomb would have the blast radius of 10-30 feet. A missile from the helicopters or tanks would have a blast radius of about 120-180 feet. The effects of a burst would be rendered null for at least an hour, leaving Team Rocket the ability to over take their foes with their own bursts, given they aren't in range of the initial blast.

Giovanni was pleased with the work that his scientists had put into creating these weapons, and in time, the would be able to use them to conquer their enemies, and truly take over the world. The only thing left was Mewtwo. To create the perfect Mewtwo. Several attempts were made, and several failed results saw the destruction of quite a few Mewtwo clones. It certainly wasn't easy, but thanks to the technology that suppressed Mewtwo's body all of those years ago, it was less of a challenge than it could have been. Then he found it. The successful genetic code, the absence of a free will. A living breathing drone, tool, and weapon. A weapon of incredible power, and under the control of Giovanni.

It was time to move ahead with the next step. To take control of Harper Industries tower, and use it as the new base of operations for Team Rocket. He would help Lance Harper the same way that he helped Mary and Oliver, OR he would kill Lance and Alastair, and be the sole owner of the whole company through next of kin. Then he got the call about Team Aqua invading the Goldenrod City Harbor.

[bronislav84]

(This post might be a bit mature, with how much my char got hurt)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Black Market BH Ring Base (Old Abandoned TR Base), Mahogany Town, Johto
Affected RPers: N/A, for now

Scar engaged the muscular man with his own spiked gauntlets. The sound of metal punching metal rang all over the underground facility. The two punched fists against each other repeatedly, literally sending shockwaves across the floor from their feet when they connected. There was so much force being radiated from this fight. They would also jump around and kick each other occasionally, but mostly it was punching and wrestling. Scar didn't get a workout like this often, so he was enjoying having a worthy opponent.

Dan and Amanda were fighting the tall man with the bow staff. Dan was swinging a staff of his own, while Amanda used her sniper rifle like a bat. It was durable enough to take hits without breaking, being made of strong materials so as to not come apart from lots of shots. The three of them would occasionally switch it up by jumping into the air and having a quick fight up there where they swung their limbs and weapons at each other before coming down. While it was 2 on 1, the tall and lean man was unfazed by what would normally be an unfair matchup.

Anna and I engaged the dark skinned lady. She was slashing at us gracefully with her katanas, but we fought back equally as gracefully. Anna was using a pair of sharp daggers, while I used my pair of claws. The three of us would occasionally break weapon combat and start wresting, but somehow we went back to weapons every time. Again, while this would normally be an unfair matchup, the lady was being a good sport and holding her own.

Unfortunately nobody was actually landing any hits and everybody was just getting tired. Either we blocked it, they blocked it, or the attack got dodged. Oh they were good. Everybody was actually having fun, but the goal was to disable or kill the other team so something had to be done. I felt like I was getting tired too, but it was slower than my opponent. If I didn't know better I'd say MEND was having an effect on lactic acid production, slowing it down. We would eventually just tire them out, but I'd rather we have an actual fight.

Also unfortunately I was thinking too much and the lady slashed me in the side of the stomach on the right side, like almost half way through. The pain was immeasurable and I reeled back in agony. Somehow I was able to stand up. She couldn't cut my spine due to the Dracaria metal graft on it, but it still hurt a heck of a lot. I felt like some of my intestines got cut and I was bleeding out a lot. Oddly, the pain was subsiding the more I held it with my hand to stop the bleeding.

The woman stopped attacking and was incredibly confused. "How are you still standing? For that matter, how did I not cut you in half?" She was incredulous, even while Anna was helping me to not fall over. I chose to bend down on one knee, holding the rupture together. We both knew why this was happening. "What are you?"

I spurted a bit of blood from my mouth, but it soon stopped in a couple of seconds as the initial stages of healing started. "I am......shinobi. I.....cannot die. You....will not triumph!" I yelled the last part at her, stalling for time to let MEND do it's work. I wouldn't be up and about in seconds, but I'd definitely be able to hobble away from this in a couple of minutes. Maybe a full day and the cuts would heal up. I would still need medical stitches to avoid massive internal bleeding. Right now I held myself together to let the healing commence. Thankfully it wasn't mutilated in there, just cut cleanly. If I could hold the insides together there would be less blood.

She was reeling in what seemed to be fear. I'd actually scared her with that display. "That's unreal. What did they teach you in that last year?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I spat some blood at her as I spoke, feeling good about spitting it at her instead of swallowing it. As I struggled to keep consciousness I desperately reached for my Gardevoir's Ball. I didn't have the strength to throw it and just let it open. Beauty didn't need to be told, she started using Heal Pulse to help me as the woman stared in awe at my refusal to die, both from avoiding being cut in half and that the wound was in the early stages of closing up. Anna stood behind Beauty for protection and raised her daggers in defiance.

Meanwhile the muscular man and the tall man were still at a complete standstill with their opponents. Then Dan got punched in the face and Scar kicked in the stomach. They weren't going to lose, but they had the wind knocked out of them all the same.

"Your leader is beaten. Give up!" Yelled the muscular man at us as he and Scar got up and they started to beat each other up again after Scar shook his head. This time each landed good hits on the other with their weapon. The fight was back on and would take a while.

"I'm not giving up either!" Dan had grabbed the tall man's staff, only to get cut by small spikes when his opponent activated a mechanism. Dan winced at the cuts on his hands, but his own healing agent started to close up the wounds and the fight was back on.

"This is taking too long, and whatever this is will have her up soon." The dark skinned woman still stared at what was happening to my wounds, unable to tear away. "We gotta finish it quickly! You know what to do." She nodded to her compatriots as all three of them pulled out a piece of glass with a glowing center. I recognized it. They were going to burst. Each started searching their pockets, probably looking for their Balls.

I coughed a little. "Anna, quickly move my right hand and help me reach mine." I instructed her as she helped me pull my Burst Heart necklace from my cleavage.

By this time the three of them had already burst and disengaged their foes, posing dramatically. "Now you face us merged with our Pokémon!" They yelled in unison. The tall man was wearing high tech armor from a Crobat, the muscular man had the armor of a Nidoking on, and the woman had bursted with her Nidoqueen.

Meanwhile I'd bursted with Beauty and got up into a standing position with my squad covering me. I'd bursted with her before, so I knew what to expect. I was wearing her 'head' in a similar fashion to a visor, as well as her flowing dress and her arms as gloves. My wound was leaking a bit of blood on the right side of the dress. "It's ok guys.....I think I got this." I said as I struggled to stay up. I faced my opponents just as they started to try to attack. Then they realized I'd also bursted, into a Psychic type no less. They started to try to get away, but it was no use. They'd made a tactical error with their burst forms.

I raised my left hand and restrained them in midair with the telekinesis of Psychic. They struggled in the purple energy but it was no use. I then said one word: "Sleep." As my eyes glowed purple the three fell into a state of Hypnosis. "I'm going to finish your training myself. You will graduate."

<Kar, you're not actually thinking of brainwashing them?> I could hear Beauty's voice in my head. She was concerned I was abusing her power.

<No, I'm not. Not in the traditional sense. My plan is to teach them by sharing my memories, while making it feel like they themselves experienced it.> I explained to her. <I'm not going to force them to do anything they don't want to themselves.> There was a silence in my head which I assumed meant approval.

I closed my eyes and prepared for the mind meld. Recalling it all, I opened my eyes as they glowed bright white. I could literally feel like I was blinded, it was so bright. Like a copy and paste, I began to project my memories to the three dropouts. All the pain, all the suffering, all the toil I went through in that least year. The hardships, even the lashings I received for not trying hard enough. It all came back to me. All the training I received on how to suppress my emotions and morals. Then I showed them the great checks that Aqua wrote out, the amount of zeroes, and how to join up. I knew they'd want in. Nobody in the basement lair was moving. Not my squad, not me, not the dropouts. Nobody.

...........And then it was over. A years worth of training in the scope of fifteen minutes. I released them from my grip, letting them drop to the ground as they started to come to.

"I-I understand. You did it for power." confessed the tall and lanky man, ending his burst with his Crobat and recalling it. I nodded in approval. His voice had no feeling or emotion to it, completely deadpan like mine.

"The pursuit of absolute power is worth any hardship." confessed the muscular man as he also ended his burst with Nidoking and recalled it. Again I nodded in approval at the tone of his voice.

"And the money is quite good. Aqua has vast resources. We'd be fools to not sign up." lastly, the dark skinned woman confessed to me as she ended her burst with Nidoqueen. A third nod off approval. Her tone was also without emotion.

"So, Enforcers, you get it." I addressed them as I ended my burst as well and shakily recalled Beauty. They nodded to me. "What do you plan to do now?"

"You can do whatever you want here. I'm heading to Mirage Island to join up, like you. Together we can achieve ultimate power and get paid handsomely." Said the dark haired woman with short hair. "Shin, Roku, you're coming right?" So they had names after all. I never caught them, even back at the Academy.

Shin the muscular man just nodded, while Roku who turned out to be the thin and lanky man spoke. "I agree, Raiki. Let's join up. How will we get there though?"

I struggled with my cut, still holding it closed so it could heal better. If I released it, I'd probably start gushing out again. "We need to get rid of a certain somebody first, but we have an extra chopper you can take once it's loaded with Burst Hearts." I pointed with my left hand to where the robed man had slid under the floor ahead of us.

"Oh, that's no problem. We can call him up and tell him we handled you. He can't see up here, so he will believe us." Roku said as he made the call. Soon enough the man and his computer console slid out from the floor. He was surprised to see us gathered together.

"Wha-?" That was all he said as Shin cleanly decapitated him, his head making a thump as it hit the floor. I could see why he wore a robe. He was incredibly ugly.

"Problem solved. Let's get out of here guys." Said Raiki as the three moved to exit the base while Dan started to hack into the computer console and download information to his tablet. "We'll meet you outside." continued Raiki as the three ran off. I could hear sounds of a scuffle outside in the storefront.

A couple of minutes later Dan was done and spoke. "I have the data, and with the information I gleaned from the Internet databases I hacked into and the data from two bases, I can use the shipping records to find the source of the Black Market Burst Heart Ring. This will most likely allow us to shut down their entire global network once the central base is no more." He looked around, surveying the place. "Let's get some Burst Hearts loaded into the chopper and send them off with the three new recruits, then blow this place as usual." The rest of us nodded.

We carried out caches of Burst Hearts, noticing that the store employees had been stabbed to death. It's just as well. This base and the storefront would be reduced to rubble when the firebombs went off. The eight of us managed to covertly load the second Hellcat full of boxes of Burst Hearts, and the Enforcers flew off to Mirage Island in it. When we were far enough away from Mahogany Town, the firebombs detonated. Both the underground base and the storefront were reduced to molten slag. Nothing recognizable remained, and it would look like random arson. I passed out soon after.

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: None directly.
Your daily dose of Heroic BSOD.

For once, unBursting was a complete relief. Her cape, hair, eyes, and limbs all faded to normalcy; the only thing that remained the same was the belt on which she carried her Pokeballs and pistol, which remained present no matter what Burst she was in. Immediately, Hananiah’s mind faded; the only thing that was left of him was a trace of pain on her shoulder. Once Lance and his Scizor had been taken to emergency care, she stood outside for a moment, watching the waves and smoke roll slowly, the sirens washing over her ears. So much white noise, all of it.

Hananiah said nothing as he was returned to his Pokeball. Even though he wasn’t directly connected to her mind anymore, he could sense her turmoil, and declined to comment on it.

Neither Lenore nor her Pokemon had been injured seriously, and as such the Trainer wasn’t allowed past the waiting room, for fear that she would get in the way of patients whose lives were in danger. None of the others who had came from Harper Tower had been so lucky as her, however. Lance, Helena, and Alistair slept indefinitely for reasons unknown; Lenore couldn’t decide who to worry about more. Were it not for Alistair and Helena, Lenore would have put Lance’s exhaustion down to his little grudge match with Deoxys, but the three of them out of commission, all at once? It was too bizarre. And Deborah, perched upon the hospital roof, couldtell her very little.

Too many variables. Too much happening all at once. It was too much, much too much.

It was the wasting of a city. Most pressing was the presence of - no, the wanton destruction unleashed by - a Legendary with no evidence whatsoever that the Legendary was unwilling. Deoxys had always been an instability, from what Lenore knew, but she couldn’t fathom that any Legend would be willing to commit such atrocities. Who knew how many people were dead because of that Deoxys? How many more would die, were dying still?

<I am hearing many different estimates,> Deborah sounded grim. <I will only give them if you want them.>

<No,> said Lenore flatly, then, <You still have no idea what’s keeping everyone else under?>

<None whatever.> Deborah’s voice was flat now. Lenore knew that she probably felt a bit guilty about the outcome of the fight, but Lenore didn’t hold her responsible and they both knew that apologies and guilt would do no one any good. <Psychic-type energy signature - powerful and utterly unbreakable. I’ve tried to intercept it and the doctors have tried to correct it, but no one can figure it or fix it. But, Lenore? I am getting odd impressions of the future… and I suspect the meddling of another Legend. Not Deoxys, but slightly similar in feel. Like something that is not… Natural. Something that simply came to be. But not something from another planet; this is something that was made by man. Like a Porygon, or a Golette. Do you understand?>

<Yes.> Another Legend. The thought made Lenore’s heart seem to stick in her throat. Why now, of all times, were they resurging? What did they want with Lance, with Helena, with Alistair… Why, as selfish and infantile as the question sounded, was she the one ignored? She had spent her entire life studying the Legends; now she had watched one unleash absolute slaughter on innocent humans and the only allies she held at hand were possibly at the mercy of another. Had she been spared some horrible fate, or passed over because she was just like - dear Arceus, what if she was turning into Eusine, greedy and obsessed, blind to her own faults? It felt like the foundations of the world she knew were weakening.

“What could it be?” she muttered to herself. Several others in the hospital waiting room stared at her; she ignored them, her thoughts racing. What could it be? Like Deoxys, but not Deoxys… Something unnatural, man-made. Among Legends, that was incredibly specific. There were only two other Legends she knew of who might fit that bill - Genesect and Mewtwo. She ruled Genesect out immediately; its psychic powers were meager at best, to her knowledge, and anyway it had even less business being in Johto than Deoxys did. But Mewtwo… Was it possible? She had heard rumors that Giovanni, Team Rocket’s ferocious leader, had created the abomination from the DNA of the progenitor of all Pokemon, Mew; however, according to all accounts, it had disappeared long ago. A lot of people didn’t even believe such a Pokemon had ever even existed. Lenore wasn’t sure that she believed in its existence either, but combined with Giovanni’s presence, the possibility was too great to ignore.

Suddenly tired of sitting in the waiting room, unable to help the others or even be near them to watch over them, she stepped back outside, sending out Micah in case she needed immediate protection. She called down Deborah and returned her to her Pokeball; the Xatu would need rest eventually, and she trusted Micah to ensure her safety in case of an emergency. For now, she furiously opened her Xtransceiver and scrolled furiously down toward the familiar contact. Valdis, Eusine.

The answer was quick. Eusine appeared on the screen; her uncle was wide-eyed, overloaded with manic energy. “Lenore!” he practically squeaked her name. “Have you been watching the news? Some singularly remarkable person somehow managed to Burst with a Deoxys! Of course, their attack on Goldenrod is a terrible tragedy, of course, but think of the possibilities! Can you imagine the strength of a Legendary Burst, how much -”

“Eusine,” snapped Lenore. “First of all, I didn’t see the news; I was the news. The Gengar Burster fighting the Deoxys, in case you caught that bit - that was me. Secondly, there is nothing remarkable about whatever *sshole that did this. Do you have any idea how many people are dead because of him - them, if Deoxys was in cahoots?”

Eusine’s reply was rather prim, “No, no one’s come forward with a solid estimate yet. But, you know…” He tapped his nose knowingly, looking right into her eyes. “This may be an opportunity. The last time there was a great fire in Johto, the Rainbow Pokemon, Ho-Oh, created three new Legends from the Pokemon that died. If we could get the Firebird to return… Possibilities, you know. Possibilities.”

Lenore wasn’t sure whether Eusine’s excitement was due to ruthless opportunism or simple obliviousness to the situational gravity. She didn’t really care. “That’s a good thought,” she admitted grudgingly. “Maybe Ho-Oh will come back someday to avenge the dead, restore hope, that sort of thing. But for now, I need your help.”

“Do you, now?” Eusine asked. He still sounded like he was off in another world - a world where Ho-Oh returned in triumph and burnt all of Johto’s enemies to cinders, ushering in the start of a new golden age for the nation. The fantasy quite probably included Eusine himself as Ho-Oh’s champion-slash-liaison to the human world. “Anything for family, my dearest niece.”

She took a deep breath. She was probably asking for more information than she could ever remember, let alone use, but she spoke anyway. “Tell me what you know about Mewtwo.”

[Grassy_Aggron]

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod City General Hospital/Goldenrod City/Johto
Affected RPers: None
Heaven help me because things are going to Hell.

A soft breeze carried itself through the land, rustling the grass and the sleeping inhabitant within. She took a moment to stir, opening her eyes to the piercing rays. For a few seconds she had to blink a few times to clear the fog that clouded her vision, but once it was gone it was obvious that she was not in Goldenrod City anymore. Claressa blinked, frowning, trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she really recalled was having some sort of hybrid electrocute her, and incredible chest pain. What was it? Someone said she had been going into cardiac arrest? This place was so beautiful, so did that mean…?

…I can’t be dead. There’s no way. I am not about to die when more people need me. She pressed her hands to the ground, feeling the blades tickle her palms with their delicate touch. It was difficult to get up, her entire body feeling as if it was submerged within water – no, gelatin – and sluggish. Once she was upright, however, she was at least able to observe her surroundings, and with a start she realized that this world was very different.

On her right a beautiful forest spread out, trees lush with fruit and birds singing. Sunlight came down from the cloudless blue sky, dappling the terrain in its light. The grass was a vibrant green and long, but kept in check by the denizens of the forest. The scent that wafted toward her was delicious and sweet, a combination of fruit juices and flowers. On her left, however, was a barren world, the soil hard and black with dead trees acting like a barricade. A carcass remained of some poor unfortunate creature, and the smell was pungent and rotting. The sky was marred by clouds and through what breaks she could see, the sky was blood red.

Her space seemed to be a middle ground, a clearing between both areas. The grass was short and a dull green, marked with shades of brown, and the trees were diseased and dying. It was partly cloudy and it smelled musty, the sky seeming to be varying shades of red, blue, and where they met, purple. It was quite obvious to her that this was not a natural place but rather, one born from the imagination.

She had to wonder if she was in Purgatory when a voice, more focused from the healthy side of the forest, spoke. “You are correct…and incorrect, Claressa.” She gave a start, but remained silent, waiting for it to finish. She got a sense of power from this voice and she wasn’t about to be rude and make it angry. “Purgatory is where the soul goes when one dies…and has no entrance to Heaven or Hell. They are, effectively, stranded.”

“But,” a higher pitched, snarling voice from the dead forest spoke, “you are technically in Purgatory. Your life is on as thin of a line as the land you now stand on.”

Claressa took a moment to mull it over before folding her arms. “If I am in Purgatory, I have to be dead, then. Yet you just said my life is on a thin line… So I suppose that means I haven’t crossed the point of no return?”

There was a moment of silence and then the darker voice broke out laughing. “Oh, Brother, you were right! She is very intelligent…so far. Go on, then. Can you figure out why we are talking to you?”

It seemed expectant, but she knew it wanted an answer she did not have. “Well, you obviously mean me no harm… Or at least, the one with a gentle voice doesn’t. You, on the other hand… I get the feeling you’d leap at the chance to kill me.” Shrugging, she decided to continue. “In any case, no, I don’t really know why you brought me here other than to torment me and ask questions. Does that answer your question somewhat decently?”

There was a long pause before it busted out laughing and the other voice deigned to speak. “We cannot harm you in this world. We brought you here to speak, and in that regard you are correct. Torment was not my intent and I apologize for it. We are aware of what you do for a living, Claressa, and we both approve of it for…differing reasons. We are also aware that your city just got laid to near ruin and the war involving the Ancient Burst Hearts.”

“Ah, such destruction and death… It is a shame I was not there to witness it firsthand.” Oh, great, a nutcase. Wonderful. “We see this war and acknowledge it has to stop. As much as I enjoy the carnage, if it continues there may not be much left to destroy. Since I thrive on that, it would be…counterproductive to my desires.”

“And I agree it must stop to spare the lives of those still living. I feel their pain and grief. After war, peace must come…and then eventually war again. It is a continuous cycle, and we would normally allow it to run its course. The situation, however, is growing dire… There is more at stake than at any other war up to this point that most cannot comprehend.”

“Such as?” she countered, curious yet worried. These creatures were powerful, and for them to be concerned with the future over something, it was a very good cause for alarm.

They were silent, and then, quietly, they both spoke in unison. “An evil the world has not seen the likes of.”

…Well, dang. That didn’t sound good, but before she could pry for information the good one continued. “We contacted you for a reason, Claressa. We are not Psychic Types and thus our telepathy is not as strong, but we waited until you encountered a situation where you were within our jurisdiction.”

“In other words, we needed to wait for you to be dead, but not dead, to contact you. I represent death and destruction.”

“And I represent life and construction. We wish to assist in ending the war but needed a champion to help us break free of our confines.”

Claressa sighed. “I’m not really the hero type, and honestly, a creature of death wanting me as a champion? Seriously, I save life as much as possible. You’ve got the wrong person.”

“You have had, at times, to recognize when taking a life was better than giving it. That is what you doctors do. Do you abort the child to save the mother, or risk both? Do you give experimental medications with unknown side effects to people for the chance of finding a better cure, or let those already afflicted suffer?” He allowed his words to sink in. “Doctors are very much the givers of life as they are the harbingers of death. You must stop denying it and take greater risks.”

Pain rippled through her chest, spreading out to her limbs. The world shuddered, darkening before resuming its normal light level. “We are out of time. Claressa,” the soft voice spoke once more as another wave crippled her to the ground, “seek us out in the region known as Kalos. Wake our bodies from their self imposed prisons, and prove to us you really are who we seek.” Everything was getting dark. “Your life depends on it, and quite possibly the lives of others as well.”

“There will be great triumph…and great tragedy. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

Another sharp wave of pain and everything went out.

Then she woke up to the lovely sound of a defibrillator crackling on her chest and promptly punched the nearest doctor in the face as a defensive reaction.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

The instant it became apparent that Mud was likely more than a voice in one's head...It was high time to get back to Tiantus and Noah and give them back the ABH. His hopes that his contact with the thing would be minimized until he figured out what exactly Mud was were briefly doused to near-extinction when he saw smoke on the horizon, though...

"Oh, s**t. Hyperion, get us in close...Just not, you know, that close." Yarvick said.

Hyperion wordlessly complied, flying in. Yarvick was not entirely connected to Aqua on a personal level, outside of maybe Janine, but he did not want to become infamed as the last surviving member of the counterattack on Goldenrod on top of the murder of Colonel Brillo. Aside from it being bad for his business as a thief-for-hire, the massacre would have all sorts of ramifications; Johto natives would never hire his services, assassins would be coming in by the dozen, and of course, he really didn't want Mud's laughter to be an issue on his mind anymore. It was just. So. F******. Infuriating!

However, in a complete subversion of his expectations, the smoke came from two other ships, Hoenn Naval vessels, while the Aqua Fleet stood at a proud six. It took a second for him to reaffirm this was exactly what he was seeing. Mirage Island, totally intact as well...If very battered. Still all in one piece.

They were alive and well.

For now.

Yarvick did NOT bother with making a grand spectacle, attempting to land on the ground without much commotion. However, a small bit of cheering was done when he landed, the instant every one recognized him as the man with the ABH who laid waste to Goldenrod City AND got them a shiny new ship in the Water Dog. It died down rather quickly, though. Tiantus was also on-deck, with the same deathly stoic face, staring Yarvick down. Honestly, he could kill a man by staring at him, that lifeless face was just that creepy. They might as well immediately drop dead.

"You've done your job and more aside..." Tiantus said, without Yarvick even speaking. "...Consider yourself Aqua, officially. I have no further assignments for you right now, just find Noah and return the Ancient Burst Heart to him immediately. He'll be aboard our most recent addition to the fleet, the Thunderburst."

"Yessir." Yarvick said. "There's something else I have for 'ya."

"What?" Tiantus said, almost having turned around to leave.

"...Giovanni, that a**, he is NOT dead. Idiot escaped by a mine. Got tangled up in a fight before I could capitalize on it."

"...D**mit, I knew it was too good to be true...Very well, I'll make sure Raidon's aware of it when he gets back..." Tiantus said. He almost turned around again, but then froze and whipped back to Yarvick. "By the way...Do you know where he is?"

Yarvick swallowed his own saliva.Tiantus was intimidating no matter what, and even when he told the truth he was absolutely horrified of if he mistook it. Of course, his fear of a mistake made it all the more likely, and the more likely it was, the more fearful. Some kind of vicious cycle over a man who he met only briefly until today, and a man who cemented himself as dangerous beyond his wildest dreams. No man was that stoic.

"...He told me to go on ahead, he went south to Illex forest from Goldenrod. I have no clue WHY, but Celebi may have been contacting him...Or at least something powerful enough to fake it."

Tiantus'es eyes scanned Yarvick's like some kind of high-powered mind reading laser. It was utterly paralyzing. Raidon was a man of infinite charisma in all forms, but Tiantus had only one kind: extreme, cold, unmoving stoicism, shot straight at your soul. The most emotionless of beings would not help but instinctively tremble a little. Tiantus was never to be crossed. Yarvick was sweating-he did not fear a man, but Tiantus was more than a man. Yarvick was sweating now, and Deoxys, a Pokemon known to rival Mewtwo's claims of being the most powerful Pokemon in existence, was at his back.

After a second of absolutely icy-cold scanning that would make Mewtwo look like his mother, Tiantus relaxed his gaze from Yarvick, though something else, something unidentifiable, brewed in there instead. What was it? What was it? What was he thinking of him?!

"...I'll call Raidon Makoto as soon as possible to confirm this," Tiantus said. "Return that Ancient Burst Heart to Captian Ashfield on the deck of the Thunderburst, immediately," He re-asserted, before finally turning around and walking back into the Deathwing, taking a brisk, strong stride.

"...I cannot tell what that man is thinking, and I'm psychic...I'm not sure if it's just fierce focus blocking me out, other Pokemon doing so, or some technological advancement just for him...But, I'm fairly confident he believes you." Hyperion thought to Yarvick, reassuring him.

Yarvick wasn't very reassured. If anything, his non-identifiable immunity to mind-reading made him even more formidable. This was the man he'd put in a HEV suit and let loose on released alien scum, just because Tiantus being afraid seemed to be a physical impossibility.

Hyperion took Yarvick by the arms and flew over to the newest two ships to the Aqua Fleet, and landed on the deck. After asking a few crewmembers, he was pointed to a sight he wouldn't have guessed: Noah, as a black, nine tailed bunny with wings. It was like Janine's crazy Chimera, except without the fluff or the halo. She was probably involved in this somehow. That or they had something together. The thought of that kind of made Yarvick's heart sink a little, but he'd avoid asking for now. He'd also do well to stay a large distance away from the tails...Yarvick wasn't sure if they could restrain the curse on friendlies or not, and he did NOT want to be the guinea pig for THAT project.

"Noah, D**m I had a good time with this, but it IS yours." Yarvick said, holding out the ABH in his open palm for Noah to grab. "It was a lot of carnage, that was, pretty f***ing excellent if I do say so myself, so thanks for the joyride. If you need anything discreetly stolen in the near future, call me up and I'll see what I can't do for you."

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, En route from Johto to Orre
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

I woke up with a groan, laying on my back on a blanket. I looked down and saw the right side of my stomach was incredibly sore and there were a lot of stained bandages all over the floor of the chopper. It also had the telltale black and blue signs of internal bleeding. I was actually thankful for the clothes I wore, with blood being hard to clean out once it dried. Anna was at my side, having stapled me up. Although MEND was working, it was still a good idea to close up and hold together a wound that wasn't just external. I'd literally gotten my intestines cut too, and I was sure I had medical stitches in there. She would remove the staples later and would let the stitches dissolve on their own. "Thanks Anna, you're a good doctor. See, you're not useless." I half spoke and half coughed at her. It felt like the internal bleeding hadn't quite stopped yet.

"Shh, don't try to move too much. You should be in decent shape by the time we get to our next destination, and the bleeding will probably stop by then, but don't try to move for a while. MEND really is incredible." She said as she redid the bandages around my stomach then laid me back down. They didn't turn red on the right side. It seemed the external bleeding had at least stopped for now. She then spoke again. "As for not being useless, I doubt you guys will always get these kinds of wounds. Just don't be reckless and you should be fine. You would have died if you didn't have Dracaria grafted into your spine!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have. We do know MEND regrows body parts, so maybe if we stopped the bleeding I'd be able to regrow half a body. But who has time for that, though? Though I was just thinking too much. She shouldn't have gotten me like that." I nodded as I rubbed my right side and winced. Oh yea, it was quite live there and painful still. I was able to turn my neck far enough to see that Amanda was flying the chopper while Dan and Scar were doing something on Dan's tablet.

"Would you stop moving? You'll shift your staples and start bleeding out again!" She yelled at me as she forced me to move my neck into a normal position.

"Fine fine." I sighed and complied to our doctor's wishes, but I was sure Dan could hear. "So Danny boy, where are we going? Where's the central base for the Black Market Burst Heart Ring?" I asked him as Anna went to clean some bandages with Lappy's water. Apparently she'd taken the Ball while I was passed out.

"The mostly desert region of Orre. As we get closer I'll be able to pinpoint an exact location, but right now we just need to get into their airspace. Of course I've already hacked into the registration database and added our aliases while removing the ones from Johto and left no traces in either." He passed out our new paperwork and ID cards, which the others pocketed and Anna helped me put mine in my jeans.

"And that's all you can tell me?" I asked Dan as I watched Anna launder the bandages.

"That's all I can tell you, cause that's all I know right now. Seriously, if I knew more I'd tell you more. The shipping manifests will make more sense when we're there." Explained Dan as he went back to playing the game with Scar.

By this time the chopper full of the Burst Heart boxes and The Enforcers should be arriving back on the Deathwing, and whoever was in charge at the time could handle the details of getting them on Aqua's payroll. The other chopper full of Burst Hearts from the first Black Market Base should have long arrived by now too, but might have been held up.

I laid peacefully on the floor of the chopper and closed my eyes for a bit to relax, Anna laundered the blankets with Lappy the Lapras, Dan and Scar were occupied with Dan's tablet computer, and Amanda was focused on manually flying the chopper. She could see the Orre coastline coming up on the horizon.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Thunderburst AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz, bronislav84

Repairs on the Stormstrider and the Thunderburst were complete. Those two ships hadn't taken too much damage anyway, but hey, in the process of hijacking them, we didn't exactly play nice on board, hence why some of the walls had gotten blasted and slashed up. In the meantime, I had both ships renamed to the AMS Pure Anarchy and the AMS Total Mayhem. Now those were names that had class.

The Deathwing and the Water Dog were getting there, but there was still a lot of damage cleanup that needed to be done. Those two ships were shot to hell and back, but the engineers, technicians, and repair guys were doing a pretty damn good job. Couldn't complain.

The Fairy Dragon was pretty much an easy fix. As for the DeathKnight, it at least got taken off life support, but an assload of work still needed to be done on it.

In the meantime, I needed to figure out what pray tell I wanted to do with this black ninja bunny form I had on. I still wasn't used to the feeling of being totally covered from head to toe with black fur and glowing yellow markings. Not to mention the feeling of having nine giant tails always trailing behind me. The wings were also nice, but yeah, never had too much practice with those before this had happened. And my hair had always been long and wild before, but having a Zoroark's giant mane instead was a heck of a lot more hair than I was used to, but I figured I could get along with it in time. And the giant bunny ears felt a bit ridiculous, but that's a Lopunny's signature trait really. On one hand, it sure had a heck of a lot of great uses. Dark powers, flight, 1,000 year curses, powerful hearing, but on the other hand, I was...

...cute.

Could have been worse, but it was making me stuck between a rock and a hard place as to whether to actually keep it or trash it. I mean heck, Janine did find a way to make a Lopunny look a heck of a lot more badass, and I liked the idea of making things everyone always associated as being cute and friendly as violent and savage. It wasn't the goofy, stupid-looking cheerleader bunny look a regular Lopunny had. It was a black-as-the-****ing-night bunny that wouldn't mind giving your sorry ass a 1,000 year curse that would make your head sink in and reform your face on your now screaming chest. But in terms of chucking it or holding on to it, well, it was no rush after all.

"Noah, damn, I had a good time with this, but it IS yours," Yarvick told me, handing the Ancient Burst Heart back to me.

Holy crap, I turned around and didn't expect to see him here. And I didn't think he'd catch me looking like this. Well, could have been worse. Plus the form wasn't... that bad anyway. Maybe I'd keep it after all.

"It was a lot of carnage, that was, pretty ****ing excellent if I do say so myself, so thanks for the joyride. If you need anything discreetly stolen in the near future, call me up and I'll see what I can't do for you."

"You got it," I told him, taking back the ABH. "And hey, doesn't need to be discreet. Hell, I never am that way with anything."

Yeah, stealth was never my thing. Blowing stuff out as loud and as fiery as possible was more of my forte. But hey, different strokes for different folks. He liked being a sneaky bastard, and you know, I was always okay with that after all.

{My, my, we meet again, and aren't you just adorable.}

Ugh, damn it, not this ****wit again. Sure didn't miss this annoying bastard during the time I let Yarvick borrow the Ancient Burst Heart. Made me wonder if Yarvick had a hell of a time with this jackass, but I figured the answer was probably yes. In any case, he probably wanted a response, because I could tell he was trying to derive a lot of satisfaction out of being an annoying pain in the crotch. Yeah, well this troll wasn't getting fed tonight.

{Ha, ha, did you go soft in my absence? ♪Oh, here comes Noah Cottontails, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity-hoppity, Easter's on its way!♫}

I really hated this prick.

{That was quite a show of slaughter you and friends put on. So many destroyed ships, buildings ravaged by infernos, and countless lives lost in every direction! Oh, thank you for giving me a front row seat, I enjoyed that immensely. Please, please, keep killing everyone on the planet, I so savor every moment of it!}

I really felt like just chucking the Ancient Burst Heart out to sea, but then again, that really wouldn't solve anything and it would have meant a lot of time and effort wasted just because I couldn't put up with this annoying troll. Maybe just stuffing it in a locked safe for now might be good.

And that's when I saw two Hellcats landing on the deck of the Deathwing. I figured one of them might be Raidon, so I quickly flew over there and decided to check it out. The Deathwing was nearly fully repaired now, so I was thinking Raidon would be happy to see that at least. New ship additions might also give him the motivation to break out that "special" rum. Sure, not all the blast marks had been repaired, but the Liquidator was fully up and functional again, which of course rocked.

When the guys on the Hellcats emerged, it definitely wasn't who I thought it was. A few of the other Team Aqua grunts on board were a little apprehensive, but then again, I knew if these guys were the enemy, they'd be stupid to land on the Deathwing like this, outnumbered and outgunned. One guy was a heavy set dude, the other was tall and lanky, and there was another female soldier with dark skin. Meanwhile, it seemed they had brought over a large shipment of the Burst Hearts, good for those guys that needed extra power but weren't too crazy about the Chimera forms yet.

"Who... the hell are you people?" I asked them, wondering what the deal with these guys was.

"You..." The dark-skinned woman addressed me. "You aren't the commander, are you? My name is Raiki, and this is Shin and Roku. We are the Enforcers, and we're here to help Team Aqua."

Didn't know how they got our number, but these guys sure didn't look like wimps.

"Name's Noah, head commander's not here at the moment, but I'm sure he could use a nice pack of able-bodied asskickers like yourselves," I told Raiki. "Tell me, what do you like the most?"

"We desire strength and power above all other things," Raiki told me, definitely sounding like she followed the promise of that to this place.

"Good, I like that," I told her, smiling at her. "Welcome to Team Aqua, and Merry Christmas."


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

I tried, I really swore I tried...!

...but I just couldn't custom-write DNA. It was a total bummer! I really wanted to make Chimeras stronger, but I kept finding myself having to go back to using Pokémon forms to fill in the gaps. It sucked, but trying to write DNA from scratch would take FOREVER! There were BILLIONS of lines of code, and doing all that... well... I'd be an old lady by then!

So... how to get Chimeras to grow up and become bigger, crazier, more powerful than ever before without taking forever and a day? I really tried to think hard about that, but then a totally brilliant idea came to mind! That whole idea of bigger, crazier, and more powerful than ever before reminded me of something else that kind of did the same thing! Pokémon evolution!

Thing was, Pokémon... well, authentic Pokémon, needed to satisfy certain conditions like experience, or stones, or trading, or some other silly nonsense like that to evolve. Chimeras... well, they couldn't evolve, even though they were mostly like a Pokémon. Now, the way evolution triggered for Pokémon varied. I mean, Eevee for example... especially Eevee, could evolve into any number of different evolutions. What I needed to do was find some kind of crazy way to force an evolution without usually using battle experience, stones, or all that stupid stuff again. It had to work in a way that would "cheat" the process and push evolution there and now. If it worked on a regular Pokémon, it was possible the same "cheating" process might work on a Chimera by fooling Pokémon evolution into thinking the Chimeras were actually Pokémon and not people! Maybe then...

...bigger, crazier, and more powerful than ever before wouldn't just be a dream!

Now, if a Chimera did evolve, the evolution agent would have to work in a way that would take all the parts of that Chimera and have them blended and evolved to become a really powerful Mega Chimera. Whoa, just that thought of that would be really cool. I mean, that crazy fluffy angel bunny form I had before... would that get extra wings, more fluff, more tails, longer hair, and be bigger, cooler, and cuter too!? H-holy crap, that's would be awesome!! I'd be softer, fluffier, and plushier than a fluffy bunny that wrapped itself in clouds and then fell into a giant cotton candy machine!

I knew I'd have to start by studying Eevee, that one Pokémon that knew all the kinks behind Pokémon Evolution and how to screw around with it. Given, Eevees weren't exactly a dime a dozen, but it wasn't too hard to get a hold of them. It seemed like the best place to start.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga
Father Furtive

"You got it. And hey, doesn't need to be discreet. Hell, I never am that way with anything."

Kind of an expected response for the Captian of 'Special weapons,' which was a fancy way of saying 'Captain of blowing everything to the high heavens.' Noah took the ABH without much hesitation. He figured that the Chimera form would vanish at some point to allot the use of an ABH, because Pokemon couldn't use Burst Stones...Much lest the super-old super version. Yarvick had a good feeling the guy knew about Mud, but...He decided not to ask him about it in detail.

If he started acting funny, he'd get the hell away.

In any case, after another brief carry-over from the newly-christened AMS Pure Anarchy to the AMS Deathwing, he departed for his small room in the mobile Aqua base immediately. He would write some of this down, make sure he remembered, especially Mud. That was something that would NOT be forgotten in the near future. He could see himself being called to use the ABH again for more mass carnage...But, not immediately. Not now. His job description was 'primarily steal things.' It would be stupid to turn the thief into their personal wrecking ball.

After putting Hyperion back into his proper Poke Ball, Yarvick winded down the many corridors of the Deathwing. With nothing to pawn off to Greaser, he walked straight to his own private recesses of the mighty aircraft carrier.

His room was small, doubly so with an actual bed in the room, and a nightstand housing several pots and a watering can, with several more scattered on the floor, growing all sorts of plants-some in flowering, some still in the stages of shooting up, all without crop. The scent was lovely and sweet, and Yarvick was reminded of home. He was NEVER homesick, however. Home was not much of a place for him, in the end. Yarvick took a watering can and gave the standard, reasonable dosage of water to every plant, then sat down on the bed and pulled out a labtop from underneath his pillowcasing. Nobody bothered to look there for some reason...He definitely did ever since he found a freaking gold bar in one, once. He booted it up, ignoring the overly-familiar start-up screen of his Dynetech 'Harpmaster.' Dynetech had a knack of naming their products after musical instruments, apparently.

Once he was fully booted up, he clicked his way from the main menu to a web browser, then his email address. He kept it clean of everything bar job contracts, but he warned clients that he would be completely unavailable for an indefinite amount of time, so he just kept it clean of junk email, so it was typically six-seven emails when he got in, and none when he was done with it.

This time, there were only two.

The first immediately caught his eye. The title was simply 'Yarvick Xelsez,' and it's author's email address was completely redacted. Yarvick raised an eyebrow and grabbed Atlas'es Poke Ball. The Porygon-Z whizzed to life in a flash of red, alert.

"Check for viruses when I open this. Theroughly." Yarvick said to Atlas. He nodded, making curious beeps at the computer screen for a second, then flying immediately inside the screen. A small Porygon-head icon appeared on the bottom left, software he installed himself, telling him when Atlas was in his Labtop.

Yarvick clicked on the email.

It's contents were sparse:

"Yarvick Xelsez,

I am doing this on short notice and will not respond to this email. Tracing me will have consequences. You have that Porygon for a reason.

I have heard of the 'disaster' at Goldenrod. This and other contributing factors that you will hear more of later have made me decide it is finally time to subvert your mother's wishes and meet in person. Immediately.

Listen to the following instructions carefully, because the path you will take will help me confirm it is you. I do not know how much time I have to spend, so it is in our best interests you take as little as possible to our destination. I can guarantee I will not be available after the end of this month, and I will be unavailable indefinitely afterwards, so if you are unable to make it by then, do not bother at all.

First, take a FERRY to Sandgem Town, Sinnoh. DO NOT FLY IN BY PLANE OR BY POKEMON. DO NOT GO TO ANY OTHER SETTLEMENT IN SINNOH. GO LEGALLY. Once you have arrived, head into Jubilee City, then back to Floroma Town, by foot. Feel free to say hello to your mother, or not. From there, head to Eternia city, going AROUND the forest through a small shortcut east of the official entrance. This is CRITICAL. If need be, I may meet you there, though this is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY, so if you do not see anyone of note looking for you (that is not law enforcement) when you arrive, move on. As soon as you are in Eternia, check in to the Yggsdrasil Hotel. I have reservations for you specifically. No need to worry. Rest there as soon as you get there, even if you would waste a day there. this step is ALSO critical.

Once you have spent the night over there, you will head through Mount Coronet to Eastern Sinnoh, and arrive at Celestic Town. Someone will be meeting you there-not me. We will meet later, though.

I would hope to see you in the flesh at long last.

Your father.

PS: Memorize the steps, write them down out-of-context if you must, but above all delete this email and tell no-one else what you've seen. Especially your mother."

...Wait.

Yarvick gave it another read-through, and though it was incredibly ambiguous, there was no doubt. This guy knew JUST enough to be his father, or a close family friend.

...But, his father had not bothered to reveal himself to his son in all of Yarvick's life. He only knew his mother. His father was an enigma. His mother made it a life mission to not only make it impossible for Yarvick to find out, but to also erase the question from his mine entirely. Yet, it still festered...And, of course, this was all so much. He could relax in the boat ride on the way there, true, but...He was not getting a break today. The sense of urgency was too much to ignore.

...He was worried that this was a trap of some kind. It was too much like the words of a paranoid schizophrenic, thinking that something bad would happen. However, Yarvick was a thief, so drawing attention to himself would be unadvised, even if taking the most basic of routes...And how did he have a night's stay at a hotel all the way in Sinnoh?

Backing out of the email, he noticed the other email. His heart started to really race upon seeing it: It was a confirmation of staying at the Yggdrasil Hotel for one night. It was a basic package with only free meals and a small-sized room, and all expenses were covered. He didn't spend a penny. Atlas didn't encounter any viruses or hacking attempts, and traced it right to where it was supposed to be, the Yggdrasil Hotel in lovely Eternia City, Sinnoh. They even left a phone number, just in case.

...Dear Arceus. This was for real. It would take a hell of a scam to lure him in that far...Of course, there could be a trap in the Hotel, possibly just for the ABH he flaunted. But, that was a LOT of work for it...And of course, he didn't have it at all. If it was all a ruse, the perpetrators would be unhappy about his lack of Ancient Burst Heart, assuming they got around to figuring out how to defeat a Deoxys and the rest of his Pokemon, as well a a fully-armed thief...Or even just him, ABH bursted into Mega Deoxys.

But, no matter what it seemed to be, it definitely seemed that he would not be relaxing just yet.

He took out a pencil and a small piece of note paper to write down everything he'd need. First, he wrote down the instructions, out-of-context like his supposed father had insisted: Ferry onto Sandgem Town, head to Jubilee, then Floroma, take eastern shortcut to bypass Eternia Forest to get to Eternia City, stay at Yggdrasil hotel for 1 night, head through Mount Coronet next morning, arrive in Celestic Town. He made a space, then wrote down what he would need: His Burst Stone, his whole party of Pokemon, Chimera mutagens and reversal agents, a fully-loaded 9mm. pistol and a P90 SMG, with spare ammunition for both, flashbang and fragmentation grenades, food, money, and lababtop. He then turned the paper over, and wrote down a possible Chimera form. He wanted something very flexible and very powerful at the same time, and though the Smeargle/Ninetales/Ampibom combination theroughly stuck in his mind, he definitely axed his previous idea, and imagined a combination of several other Pokemon...Including, just maybe, Hyperion's new Deoxys DNA. He often scratched out Pokemon names, only to erase the name entirely then write it down again, but once he had an image in his head of what he wanted, he stopped writing altogether, put the note in his pocket, and started moving.

He had places to be, long-unknown fathers to meet, deathtraps created by conmen out for an ABH to evade, and a lack of time to dally around.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Neither Here Nor There
Time Unknown
Affected RPers: None

Raidon Makoto drew his twin blades and stared the Eternal Chronarch down from across the forest. It managed a s******. <Really? You're going to fight me with just those? I assumed you'd use your Pokemon against me, or those little Burst Heart trinkets that are all the rage...> It said, putting its hands over its mouth to suppress a condescending laugh. Makoto used the opportunity to make the first strike against Celebi, slicing it directly across the chest. Green blood leaked from the legend. <Oh no! Oh god! It hurts so bad! What have you done?>

Celebi fell down to the ground in two pieces. Staring in disbelief, Makoto approached Celebi to inspect the body. It cannot be that easy... he thought. He poked its lower half with his sword. The leg twitched. Suddenly, the top part and bottom part of Celebi's body fused back together. Celebi emerged from the ground and launched a Hundred Pound Psychic Burst into Makoto's belly, knocking him back into a nearby tree.

<Ha! Got you!> it shouted. As Makoto tried to pick himself up to recover, the trees around him began to glow. The leaves danced in a wind the dictator couldn't feel. Confused, he tightened his defensive position. Time began to swirl around him. A different Celebi popped out of each direction Makoto could look and launched their own psychic blasts at Makoto. The dread lord of the Deathwing felt like he was being compressed under an unbearable psychic pressure.

He twisted his head and scowled at the nearest Celebi, sputtering: "More weight!"

Surprised, Celebi replied, <What are you?> The forests around the two completely disappeared as the two were floating on a disk of psychic energy within space and time. Attached to no dimension, no plane of existence, and no temporal existence, the dictator was entirely dependent on Celebi for his survival. <We're beyond all planes of comprehension, Raidon. I could easily make the bottom fall out, if it were, and let you be devoured by the time stream itself. Bits and pieces of you would show up from as far back as the Nasmar Empire to somewhere on Ramdyne a million and a half years from now.> It laughed condescendingly again at Aqua's commander. <And your mind will shatter into an infinite amount of times! My god, it will break your mind in only a second, but feel like an eternity.>

"You're not going to do that," Makoto said, kicking Celebi. Celebi raised its feeble arms to block, but Makoto was much, much stronger. The Eternal Chronarch bounced off a psychic wall that it had created to contain their fight. It righted itself, floating back up and rubbing its head. Makoto sheathed his swords and then fitted himself with two electric knuckles. He punched them together to demonstrate their shocking potential and then went after Celebi. "The mistake I was making was trying to cut you in half--you're just going to keep putting yourself back together. Now, beating you to a pulp? I can do that easy."

The dictator socked Celebi across the head. Celebi fired back with another Hundred Pound Psychic Blast, squishing Makoto between the Chronarch's psychic blast and the psychic wall containing the two. The onion fairy rubbed the wound on its head until it glowed, healing it. <I'll just keep healing myself.>

"I wonder how long you can keep that up?" Makoto asked rhetorically, pushing himself out of the psychic sandwich.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

We managed to repair the damage to the ships, and even the DeathKnight seemed like it was ready once again to get back into the fight. As for the new Enforcers, they seemed like they were able to handle their own. They weren't too crazy about Chimera mutagens, but they did see the value of MEND mutagens.

Most of the finishing preparations were nearly complete, with ship ammo being restocked, the Liquidator gatling railgun getting a fresh new belt of ammo, and the like. I wasn't sure when Raidon would be back, but I was looking forward to the next round of mayhem.

{Off to war again, are we? I'll have you know... Hoenn is falling apart politically. I have to say that you and the rest of Team Aqua have been very instrumental in getting me exactly what I want! All the blood you spill, destruction you cause, I'm so happy my little invention has been doing so well for you... and for me as well!}

Diabora was like an annoying talk show radio station with a braggart radio host that you couldn't shut off. I was pretty sure any number of lockers in the Deathwing, or heck, any ship for that matter, would be a great place to just stuff this thing in for now and save it for another time. Like when I actually needed it, if ever. For now, it could go piss off for all I cared, I was doing just fine with Janine's Chimera mutagens anyway. Who needed this *******?

"Huh, that so?" I asked Diabora, thinking he was just stupid. "You know, I can do perfectly fine without your little toy."

{That's right, your cute little bunny powers! Of course that's a much better idea, Commander Cottontails! Hey, hey, why don't you see just how high you can hop!? Have you tried yet!?}

And I quickly remembered why it was better to just not even respond to this drooling maggot. In any case, he kept taunting me about the fight, the bunny form, and a slew of other stupid things before I stuffed the Ancient Burst Heart in locker #125 in the Pure Anarchy and shut the door on his yapping nonsense. What a prick. As soon as I released my grasp on the Ancient Burst Heart, there wasn't a single peep from him in my head. Man, not having to put up with Diabora was a special kind of nirvana.

In the meantime, word on the street was the fact that Diabora was actually right, Hoenn was falling apart politically, and there was the fact that I had discretely found out that Norb Whitehall was dead. Truthfully, I didn't care much about that geezer in the first place, but how he ended up dead was a whole other issue in itself. Truthfully, the rest of Team Aqua didn't even know about him, so obviously they wouldn't miss the old bastard in the first place.

Maybe, if we played our cards right, we could find a way for this paramilitary organization to adopt Hoenn in a tit for tat kind of way. I liked the sound of that quite a bit.


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

Eevee was cute, but studying Eevees for hours was like writing up a grad school dissertation on ice cream or rock music. What a way to make something you love so painful!

I had evolved a whopping sixteen Eevees just to record and observe the variances in evolution states. And yeah, I covered all eight evolved forms no less. So, after studying the ever loving crapola out of its unstable genetic makeup and to see how that could be tweaked around with Chimera, which also had unstable genetic makeup, it would help a lot with creating a what I called "Forced Evolution Serum," which would trigger evolution regardless of battle experience, stones, or whatever.

The trickier issue was finding a way to make it work with anything and everything. Triggering evolution had to create the illusion of using a stone, a trade, an experience, or whatever was needed to push evolution through. This was hard. I saw all the kinds of things that go on during evolution when it came to dealing with Eevees, so there needed to be a way to unite all of those reactions into one chemical agent. It had to fool the evolution process without causing mayhem.

Now, if I used the FES on an Eevee, it made me wonder what would happen. An Eevee couldn't become all eight of its possible evolutions all at once, so how would it be decided? Or yikes, maybe the poor Eevee would just explode or die some kind of tragic event because of a paradox situation being created? Well, had to give it a shot anyway... once the serum had been developed. This serum, once it was ready, would not only evolve Chimeras, but hey, if you wanted your run of the mill Pokémon to evolve also, you could do that with this! Like evolving Sentret into Furret, and Buneary into Lopunny! Plenty of uses for this thing!

But the whole process of Pokémon evolution all had to deal with what I called "trigger DNA," as in DNA that made the determination and said "hey, this is what I want to see done to have Pokémon evolution happen." If the Pokémon evolved via experience, well, that "trigger DNA" was based on battle experience and knowledge allowing that Pokémon to evolve and grow stronger. Evolution Stones had a positive reaction to causing reactions to the trigger DNA in some Pokémon, like Thunderstones with Pikachus and so on. Now, the way the FES would work is that it would track the trigger DNA and say "hey, screw you, I'm owning you and you're making this Pokémon evolve" no matter what the nature of the trigger DNA was.

I researched it further and got an interesting observation when creating the chemical concoction and nanomachines needed for this. If you had a case where the Pokémon had multiple evolution forms and different sets of trigger DNA, like Eevee or Gloom, both or all sets of trigger DNA would be satisfied, which would then wait for a signal from the Pokémon's brain to decide what it would rather become. If you had an Eevee that really just wanted to be a Vaporeon, you'd have a Vaporeon! How cool was that, letting the Pokémon decide how they wanted to evolve!? But if evolution just wasn't possible, like trying to evolve a Farfetch'd or Zangoose, there was no trigger DNA to interact with, so the effect was just a harmless no reaction at all!

Once the chemical agent and the nanomachines were successfully programmed, all that was really left was to give this baby a try and to see how it did. I had to see if it could evolve regular Pokémon and Chimeras. Time for some test subjects!

[Grassy_Aggron]

(Oh my gosh I have a short post for once what. Don't look at me like that. This is short, I swear!)

Claressa Nissa
Goldenrod City General Hospital/Goldenrod City/Johto
Affected RPers: None
Achy breaky heart.

Claressa sat there, frowning. This had been problematic. Shin was out with a bloody nose from her little punch, although frankly he had a habit of being far too close to patients that woke up quickly. This was not the first time he had taken a hit, and this was actually the second time it had been from her. The first time she had overworked herself and collapsed, and he had tried to wake her up. She didn’t like waking up to a face in front of hers, and the natural reaction had been to take out the threat. Honestly, she would think he had learned, although at this rate it was obvious he was a bit dense. Granted, it wasn’t every day someone came back to life swinging!

Still… The news that had been delivered hadn’t been good. She bit her lip, focusing on that pain rather than the wires and machines currently hooked up to her. Her heart was damaged despite the fact she was in good health, and it had been because of that electrical attack. It had been sustained for a relatively long amount of time for such a high intensity current, and the added weight of that…Chimera…on top of her chest had further compressed her heart. It hadn’t been able to take all of it, and the resulting heart attack had damaged it even further than it had been.

Her heart was failing, and no one could guess when exactly it was going to give out. She had already called her parents and told them she was going away for a while, and that she loved them, but now… Now she had to make a choice. There hadn’t been a response to the email yet – although she might not get one – but she needed to figure out exactly what to do. She summoned a few of the doctors along with Tony, already starting to remove the equipment that was attached to her. They complained, but she silenced them with a glare.

“Listen up. That soldier that attacked me… Treat him with care. Try and find a way to cure him, and if not… Give him purpose. Above all make him feel welcome and cared for. He needs someone in this time of need, and I’m not angry at him for what he did.” She waited for them to complain, but none were given. They were just as sympathetic as she was.

“I need a boat to go to Kalos.” It was absolutely crazy, yes, as she didn’t know who either of these voices were. However, they sounded like they could help her, and Johto itself, which was something she was going to take advantage of. She was also concerned about the danger they spoke of, and it still left her unsettled. They needed her help, and it was debatable how much she needed theirs.

“Kalos?! Claressa, you could die at any moment! You can’t afford to go to Kalos.”

She glanced at Dr. Murkiv, raising an eyebrow. “Call me crazy, but I have a distinct feeling that region holds some help for me.” Claressa raised a hand to his complaint. “My research will be on your desk, no problem. It’s incomplete, but at least if I kick the bucket, you’ll have a copy. I’ll have my Pokegear so you can contact me, and I’ll use computers when I can. Don’t worry.”

“Well,” Tony piped up, “I guess we should get going.”

Claressa shook her head. “I need to do this alone, Tony. Trust me just this once.” She thought for a moment. “Tony, find me a fast ship, and stock me up on plenty of Ultra Balls and healing equipment. I’m going to go and get my clothes. Be quick. I want to leave as soon as possible.” The others, knowing they couldn’t really argue with her, set off to do as requested. Even Tony with his stubbornness listened, and to that she was genuinely surprised. It seemed you could, in fact, teach an old Growlithe new tricks.

She halted, hunching over a little as her heart fluttered in protest to her movement. This was going to be a painful trip for her, but she had no choice. They said her life depended on it, which seemed to incline they had some sort of healing ability. At least, one of them did, anyway - she felt Mr. Slithery Voice would rather kill her than heal. Still, it was a risk she had to take. She had no idea who she was facing, but she had the distinct feeling they were Pokemon, and powerful ones at that. After all, if they ruled over life and death... That had to be some extreme power, although divided, it seemed, between two different entities.

As she walked back to her room, she put a chip into the computer and downloaded her research onto it, as well as sending a copy to Dr. Murkiv. She then searched for, bought, and downloaded a book on Kalos legends onto another chip, inserting it into her Pokegear. She was grateful that the devices had gotten powerful enough to essentially be miniature computers, without internet. Now I can study up on the boat trip there. My adventure is soon to begin... Pfft. I sound like a young trainer. Ha ha ha.

Well, they always said "better late than never", right?

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Arriving north of Pyrite Town, Orre
Affected RPers: N/A

I woke up to the feeling of the Hellcat chopper landing. Anna must have finished cleaning the bandages and recalled Lappy the Lapras for me, because Lappy wasn't there anymore and neither were the bandages. My waist was still bandaged, but it felt better. Almost being cut in half isn't fun even with a healing agent. The five of us packed up our gear: Weapons, tools, healing items, and clips. We had no idea what we would encounter in the central base for the Black Market Burst Heart Ring. Would it be something worse than the Enforcers? Though we won and recruited them, they sure weren't pushovers. My stomach was proof of that. The others had gotten hurt too, but since their wounds weren't serious it had already healed up. I on the other hand wasn't so lucky. We put on our rubber masks just in case so nobody could see our real faces and followed Dan.

"So why aren't we going to Pyrite Town?" I asked him quietly as we walked forward in the scorching sun of the desert region.

"The shipping manifests and the IP tracking puts the location of the base north of town, not in it." He explained as we continued walking. About ten minutes later we made it to an elevator in the middle of nowhere, the sign OUT OF ORDER was hanging over the elevator button. Dan spoke again. "I'm sure this is a trick to ward away visitors. This is definitely the place." He raised the sign and pressed the button to call the elevator. There was a chime and it eventually came up and opened the doors. "See, it's working. This is the place. Be on guard." He really didn't need to say that but made sure just in case. We had been trained to be on guard at all times. In fact the only time we weren't on guard is when we were asleep.

We got in the elevator and rode it down. Anybody else would have been totally blinded as they exited, but not us. Our shinobi training had prepared us with good nightvision. Of course technology could give better sight, but we definitely weren't blind like most people would be in darkness. I looked around. Boy, this place was a mess. Rocks and garbage were strewn about in the total darkness. It looked abandoned and IPs could be spoofed. "Dan are you sure this is where your tracking points? It's completely ruined in here, whatever here is." I finally spoke in the darkness.

"The Under." Said Scar in his gruff voice. He didn't talk often, but when he did it must have been important. "My parents spoke about this place when it was a bustling underground community. They both used to live here some 40 odd years ago before it was abandoned and they went to Hebijo to train." Explained Scar as we continued examining and exploring the ruined underground town.

Finally we noticed the way to another part of the town. The sign read UNDER COLOSSEUM in faded letters. There was a light coming from there. This had to be the place. We filed past the empty colosseum counter that was covered in dust and entered the colloseum proper. Lights had been installed to illuminate the colloseum. In the center where the battle arena would usually be was what seemed to be a laboratory with computer hardware spread out. There were tables with notes strewn about and blackboards with notes haphazardly written on them and even some beakers and flasks. There were also cardboard boxes piled on top of each other. It all generally looked like some kind of mad scientist's fantasy. In the middle of all this sat hunched over the mad scientist herself, completely alone from what I could sense. No guards, no defenses. She didn't get many visitors probably. I couldn't see her face because she had her back turned to the entryway, but I could tell it was a woman due to her long blond hair. Something was glowing red in front of her, but we couldn't see what. I cleared my throat and she swiveled around in her chair.

My eyes immediately jumped to her. She had pale white skin, baby blue eyes, long blond hair, and appeared to be in her early 40s by the looks of things. She wore a white labcoat over a plain blue t-shirt and black pants with basic white tennis shoes with a butterfly pattern. Under all that science clothing I could also see she was pretty well endowed and possibly had time to work out. Not quite like me, but still.

"Oh, hello. Can I help you?" She spoke in a pleasant voice, completely unafraid. I was about to answer when I finally saw exactly what she was hunched over: A brightly glowing crystal shaped item with a crimson center. One end of it had a hole drilled through it, presumably to hang on a necklace or something. That's where the red glow was coming from. It illuminated the entire desk it laid on. It looked like my Burst Heart, but much bigger and shinier. It could fit an entire hand. We seemed to have stumbled into not only the source of the black market Burst Hearts, but a keeper of what I could only guess was one of the fabled Ancient Burst Hearts.

"We're here to shut down your global operation and relieve you of the relic, by force if we have to." I stated bluntly in my deadpan and emotionless voice.

"I see....." She grabbed the relic off the table and held onto it tightly between her hands. "No, I won't give it up, don't worry." I wondered who she was talking to. "Who are you anyway?" asked the lady, gripping the ABH tightly with both hands and staring at us. She seemed to not realize I had the capacity to back up my threat. Or she was just stupid.

"You may call me Kar. This is Dan, Amanda, Scar, and Anna. We're mercenaries for Team Aqua." I said as I introduced myself and my squad in turn. Then I pointed an open palm to her. This woman was brave and had at least somewhat earned my respect. "Your turn." I asked her, meaning for her to introduce herself.

"Doctor Amelia Anthony. I used to work at Violet University in the anthropology department, but have since been studying Burst Hearts in seclusion. I supply the Black Market Burst Heart Ring with hand-made Burst Hearts in exchange for half the profits from all their sales and the technology for manufacturing them, as well as overseeing their shipping operations." Amelia bowed, while still holding the ABH tightly. I wondered what she was planning. She seemed completely unafraid for some reason. Either she was incredibly brave, or just incredibly stupid. Either way I was compelled to hear her out instead of just killing her.

"Hand-made? Why not just manufacture them like we've seen in the two other bases?" I inquired of her, wondering what the difference between the ones she made and the manufactured ones was.

"The mass produced manufactured Burst Hearts have a flaw in them. One I may have figured out how to fix, as well as other ways to improve the entire Magitek that is Burst Hearts." She explained, playing with the ABH in her hands, juggling it around a little. "As the chosen disciple of the Voice of the Heart, I've learned many of their secrets." She explained further, still playing with the ABH. "Meanwhile the funding I receive from the sales of Burst Hearts on the black market has been useful for my research."

"Hmm." I pondered on what she said. This woman could be useful to our cause. I was compelled to offer her a deal instead of just killing her outright. "How would you like to work for my employer? I'm sure Aqua would fund your research if you promised to work for them exclusively."

"An exclusive contract? And you'd be able to guarantee my safety?" She inquired, raising en eyebrow at the prospect.

"Absolutely.......Assuming you part with the relic you're holding." I held out my hand for the ABH, almost drooling but restraining myself. Would she give it to me?

Amelia was visibly wavering, fighting with herself to give me the ABH or not. The idea of all her whims being catered to and her work being appreciated really intrigued her. Finally she stopped moving and spoke. "I understand. I need to test their worthiness. And you're right. I'm not going to get much work done anymore, so might as well publish it now and mention that the fix is incomplete." Again she seemed to not be speaking to us. She reached out to her computer console to publish her findings to all the major science publications and forums. It had been sitting there in that state for months. "Now, here's my terms: I will agree to the exclusive contract, IF and only IF you fight me for this relic." Try as I might I couldn't restrain myself from smiling. I wanted to break out in laughter, but years of training had taught me how to not do that. I still couldn't resist smiling. She noticed this and spoke again. "You think me an unprepared fool? I know you're not going to kill me, so either we have a Pokémon battle or you will have to leave. These are the terms the Voice of the Heart decrees." Explained Amelia as she looked at me for an answer.

I'd have to inquire further about what she meant by this Voice of the Heart she kept referring to, but for now I had no choice but to accept. "We accept. Bring it." I raised a hand and motioned for her to come at me.

"That's the spirit! If you die, I'll know you weren't worthy." Boy, she sure was acting confident. I thought about this as I gave her the first move, thinking it would be easy. Amelia reached for a lone Pokéball on her belt, made it big, and threw it at the floor below herself. What did she intend by throwing it there? I also wondered if she had others. "Come out! Sovereign of Land! Groudon!" Amelia yelled loudly. The white light released from the Ball started growing under her.

"Did she say Groudon? I thought it was a myth!" I asked the others, watching the light get bigger as it expanded. I heard nothing. They were as shocked as I was.

The light under Amelia expanded until she slid down slightly and the light broke through the top of the coliseum. That roof wouldn't hold for long and started coming down. The white light finally solidified into the huge Pokémon Groudon, with Amelia sitting on it's neck comfortably. Groudon roared at us and the weather became scorching hot. Oh boy.

[VeloJello]

Lenore Valdis.
Goldenrod City, Johto.
Affected RPers: XaiakuX
A post by a nerd, for nerds, about nerds.

“Mewtwo.” Eusine seemed to chew over it for a second. “What makes you ask about Mewtwo at a time like this?”

“Team Rocket. They were present at the disaster, and -”

“I am aware.” Eusine cut her off snippily, although his snippishness didn’t seem to actually be directed at Lenore. “Those damnable fools. They seek the Legends for all the wrong reasons. They want to disrupt the balance, control the world, even if it means tampering with the nature of - ah. That’s it.” He gave her a shrewd look, like he had uncovered some great secret. “I see what you’re doing. Clever girl. I knew I taught you right.”

“What do you mean -”

“If Team Rocket has resurfaced, they may have leads to finding Mewtwo. Ah, yes, I can see it all unfolding.” His smile was distant for a moment; when he looked at her again, his focus seemed razor sharp. “Do you intent to pursue it? Mewtwo, I mean?”

She sighed. “At this point, I honestly don’t know. After all, I’ve got responsibilities here. But with this going on, there’s the distinct possibility that they could bring Mewtwo to bear, and I want to make sure I’m prepared if they do.”

“Not likely,” sniffed Eusine. “All known reports cite that Mewtwo escaped from Giovanni and has not been recaptured. My sources are not consistent on the timing, but it’s almost certain that it fled some time after Team Rocket’s fall.”

Just as Lenore figured. “It was created by Team Rocket, yes? As an attempt to clone Mew?”

A nod from Eusine. “Cloning is nowhere near advanced enough to recreate a Pokemon as powerful and genetically pure as Mew. The resultant Pokemon was a half-success. It possessed Mew’s strength, but none of the Progenitor’s kindness. It was violent, destructive, corrupt. But it's been gone for ages, retreated into the wilds of Kanto."

"So you believe it exists."

"I do. When a Legend is real, there is a certain convergence of rumors. As I said, the only inconsistent reports lie in the timing of its creation and escape. Everything else checks out - it is powerful, able to manipulate the human mind and physical world with only the barest mental effort.” He looked serious for the first time in the conversation. “Pray that you don’t meet this creature in battle, Lenore.”

“Oookay.” She wasn’t sure how else to respond to the melodrama. “Say I did. How would one -”

“Preferably attack with a Dark-type or Psychic-type with Dark-type moves,” Eusine rattled off. “You’d need to make your mind completely untouchable. Preferably you’d Burst with a Dark-type, so that Mewtwo doesn't make your skull implode while you're commanding your Pokemon. You would want to strike fast and hard, preferably with physical blows, even more preferably with attacks to the head to keep it blinded and dazed. One might have a second Pokemon waiting in the wings to drop a final blow if needed, although only one capable of masking its mental signature would be suited to the task of sneaking up on Mewtwo.”

Lenore blinked. “You’ve… You’ve thought about this far too much, haven’t you?”

Eusine huffed; this time he was clearly annoyed with her. “I have been hunting Legends for years, Lenore. I would have to be an idiot in the highest order to not have a plan of attack for any Legend I could meet, if and when I met it.”

Something in Lenore’s throat burned. Just thinking about fighting Legends made her sick; Eusine, apparently, spent time plotting ways to take them down. It was days like this when she abhorred having an uncle. “Well… Thank you, I suppose. It’s been enlightening.”

“As I said, anything for family,” Eusine replied. “Of course, I would ask that, if you do come into contact with Mewtwo, that you report all of the details to me. I am sure that that would be enlightening as well.”

“Yeah.” Micah was nuzzling Lenore’s hand, distracting her. “I’ll do that. Bye.”

She hung up before she could hear anymore. Micah was serious about the nuzzling now, but he didn’t seem to be doing it for attention - as soon as she began petting the soft white head, he turned round and twitched his tail toward the hospital door. “Sol,” he grunted.

“So you want me to go inside, okay.” She said. “Thanks, Micah.” She recalled him - she had her doubts that he would be allowed inside if he wasn’t hurt, even given the passage of time - and exchanged him for Deborah. “Sorry I couldn’t give you more rest,” she said to the Xatu.

<Don’t trouble yourself,> Deborah waved a wing. <Go inside. I sense that something’s changed in Lance’s psychic link; he's likely to wake soon.>

That got Lenore’s attention. She headed back into the hospital, which was no longer quite so bustling. While she was still barred from Lance's room, she was able to make her way to one of the waiting rooms near it. It was there that she settled down, closing her eyes but remaining awake in an attempt to let her frazzled mind rest.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((OOC: I think I went slightly overboard here and got mostly nowhere.))

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

He checked off every item off of his list bar one: Chimera Mutagens and Reversal Agents. He had a good idea of what his exact plan was for that form now, and he had to admit, he was quite sure that it was going to be a sad, sad day for anyone who thought they could fight him at all-finding him would be hard enough, and if they did, they'd probably die, fast. He wasn't going to flaunt this one, though...His primary goal was stealth. If he did it right, he would not even be seen, so the 'fighting' aspect would become irrelevant.

The rest was ready to go: Yarvick's articles of clothing were always shabby, dirty, torn and unkempt by design and purpose, but Sinnoh was one of the coldest regions in the world, so he had to wear heavier, less-torn clothes, and instead made them even more dirty and shabby to compensate. It also gave him more pocket space than usual, though most of the extra pocket space was taken up by concealed firearms and their spare clips and ammo. Yarvick had long gotten a license to use concealed firearms a long time ago from the Hoenn Government, one of the few legal things he ever did in his life. Sinnoh laws were roughly similar in this case, so it would be no problem whatsoever even if he was caught. His reason for being there would not be questioned, and if it was, it was ironclad; he WAS, in fact, going back to Sinnoh on family business, so not even a lie detector could deny him passage. Maybe a Psychic-type Pokemon...But if that happened, he knew how to screw with them. They didn't take sensory overload kindly. Just yelling loud with a slap to the face mid-concentration was enough to make them completely lose focus for a few seconds, which could be precious in some cases.

But, Yarvick was not looking for fights. He was looking to EVADE them like the plague.

The Chimera mutagens were for two things: First and foremost, because he really found the fact that he had been booked for a hotel stay AWFULLY fishy. He would get NO sleep that night, he had it planned out. Whether or not it was actually a trap was irrelevant. Looking at an online blueprint of the fire escapes of the map, it turned out that he had a room by the window. The room he was in was FAR too high to consider jumping, and Deoxys in Sinnoh would make Sinnoh go to war with Hoenn, and that would attract too much attention to himself-considering everything, he'd likely be pinned as the owner of Deoxys, and then Sinnoh would go to war with Aqua and get Johto in on it too, and they'd hunt him down like a Swellow does a tasty Wurmple. So, instead, he was going to do something more stealthy and instead become a chimera who could climb walls, and just hang out on the rooftop, hopefully eavesdropping in on the room with Eos while he waited out any traps.

His plan had holes in it-all plans did, even the best-but it was his best, so...

In order to maximize his chances of NOT having his plans ruined by them all breaking, he was going to take four mutagens and four reversal agents, keeping them in two pockets each. That would mean he had only one left for spare stuff he nicked down the road, like the wallets of the rich, but that would be in one of the deeper pockets. In any case, the capacity to potentially dodge a huge trap would be MUCH more appreciated than the capacity to nick more wallets.

What would be in the mutagens? Well, that was reason number two...He had already planned out the bare basics, focusing on climbing up the wall safely, with a few fallbacks. The form, for that purpose, was quite optimized in his opinion. But then he thought: 'why not keep to a single form so I don't have to get used to six or so for different situations?' He then scratched most of his work and restarted completely, adding more physical power to the mix at the expense of some of the wall-climbing potential, but...He believed quite firmly that he could still climb the wall. He also had a devious idea, but he had to check...

The end result of his Mutagen planning? Lucario and Greninja for the base form. He recalled his 'Anorexic Lucario' look from before and decided to build onto that. Greninja was the wall-climbing Pokemon, the only one. It was a stealth-oriented Pokemon, he HEARD (but could not prove) that it had wall-climbing capabilities, it was a Water-Type, which he needed to swim about, and Protean. Protean justified itself. He wasn't sure how powerful it would be with all the other DNA in there, but Greninja was too good to pass up. As for Lucario, that was one-half of the new muscle, it was still fast and could keep pretty quiet when needed, and it had the crazy ability to see through physical objects and fogs and the like. That effectively gave him Detective Vision. The instant he realized that, he was game. That, and they had steel bones, apparently...Yarvick had a hard time believing they were part-Steel Type and not just pure Fighting, but hey.

He also threw in his Smeargle/Ampibom/Ninetales idea. The Ninetales idea in general was quite popular, it seemed; from what he saw of the Chimeras, they quite appreciated the fact that it was now impossible to backstab them, and how frightening (and hilarious) the curses were. Of course, having them as hands made it all the better, and he did NOT forget how insanely flexible a Smeargle could be. If having one fluid-covered tail gave Yarvick the power to copy ANY technique, even ones that should have been pretty physically impossible, then he was game for nine, even if the copy power wasn't improved.

Then, in thinking of more muscle, something pretty good came to his mind. Machamp. What was worse than a Lucario/Greninja with Nine cursed tails that could double as hands, and theoretically infinite capacity to copy anything and unpredictable attacks? Why, it was one with FOUR arms, not two, and with MORE muscle mass pretty much everywhere. He didn't feel the need to go TOO deeply into the massive muscles; if he got too powerful he'd be unable to restrain himself without a REALLY tight, heavy belt, like an actual Machamp. It wouldn't have bothered a regular Machamp, but even with the added muscle Yarvick would not be the same size and it would be hard to wear, considering the form was still going to roughly be a very thin Lucario...So, four arms over two, and some muscle tune-ups. Never hurt.

Yeah, nobody would have approached him from the front end at this point either. Can't touch that.

...And lastly, the mean thing, the thing he had to check. The thing he really wanted to be as crazy as he was thinking, but at the same time KNEW it simply wasn't going to happen because it was just too good to happen. Deoxys DNA. Yarvick's hopes were that he'd get as strong as, if not stronger than, Hyperion by using the DNA, but he also believed that the DNA, however strong, would never match the actual Deoxys as long as it was mingled with others. Of course, he realized it may have not been that easy to even get at it in the first place for the Chimera mutagens...Tiantus had gotten a sample during the physiological tests he ran. Whether or not he had actually put it INTO the Chimera system, though, was up in the air, and Janine certainly didn't get her hands on Deoxys as far as he could tell.

He had a nagging feeling that Tiantus had not put the Deoxys DNA into the system. Tiantus had trust issues for people that weren't fierce Aqua supporters, as Yarvick had realized.

Yarvick was sitting outside the main lab of the Skunkworks, again. He didn't bother Janine this time...Though, something in his stomach seemed to dislike this idea. Casting the still-shallow thoughts of love from his mind, he entered the lab.

"-Because Deoxys doesn't-...Oh, Hello, Yarvick. I was actually meaning to talk to you," Tiantus said. Yantil was also in the room, looking like he just made an elementary math error. Several times.

"Uh, really, sir?" Yarvick asked.

"Yes. It's nothing really, I have no further assignments, and I would have known if you tried to sneak that ABH away from Noah...So, there's but one thing we need to do before you go off anywhere. We've been cast free of our "Patron Saint," If you've ever heard of him, out of necessity. You probably don't know who he was, but his identity is irrelevant. He attempted to betray us, he failed, he is now dead, and we are now taking Hoenn for Aqua, or at least a chunk of it. If you had any doubts in your mind about our success...Erase them," Tiantus said.

The hint of emotion, of euphoria, hidden in the stoic structure of his words...Combined with the knowledge that Tiantus had, on some level, the knoweldge that Yarvick had doubts about how Aqua would end up in the long run...Yarvick had vivid imagery of what Tiantus would be if he wasn't in Aqua; some kind of super Legend that made Arceus his b***h and conducted experiments on the whole of the universe.

"But, more to the point, before you do anything...Head to the bathroom and...Ring up nature," Tiantus said, returning to total ice.

"...Why?" Yarvick asked.

Tiantus actually rolled his eyes at that one. "You understand, I did not trust you to fulfill your obligations to Aqua, especially with THAT kind of power in your head. Power has a funny way of distorting thought. Hence, the Focalin pill you took, though otherwise genuine, had a small device that would, upon the removal of a certain radio signal...Kill you."

If Yarvick looked at a mirror, he'd have seen a man who looked like he just got punched in the face and didn't quite believe he got punched in the face. Yet, at the same time, it made almost perfect sense. Tiantus didn't really trust Yarvick, he even SAID he didn't really trust Yarvick...

"I'm not saying how it would have killed you, other than it would be fast and painful at the same time. Of course, anyone given that level of power and entrusted to do exactly ONE thing would probably deserve to die like that. Forgive me though, I may have been a bit paranoid...Clearly you know where your loyalties lie, and in any case, would you be paranoid if you were entrusting a man given Deoxys and an Ancient Burst Heart?. I think a man in the thrall of power would feel tempted to do...Anything." Tiantus continued. His subtle plea for a level of understanding to the situation was quite genuine, but the fact remained, Tiantus had effectively put a remote detonator inside Yarvick.

Yarvick could only nod, quite slowly, still quite dumbstruck at how close he really was to horribly dying. He was not entirely sure if Tiantus was actually being genuine, just because he techincally still had that...THING, inside him.

"...Thankfully for you, the device is easily removed. At this point, it is probably inside your lower digestive system, so...Go ahead and...You know." Tiantus said, gesturing to the door. "Oh, yes, and make sure you re-obtain the scoot so I can safely disarm the device, I have more to worry about now, but I could put that aside for another pet project."

Yarvick, still wondering why the HELL he was even listening to a guy who had (admittedly under severe suspicion of a legitimate threat) put a BOMB inside his stomach. If it was even a bomb...To fit in a five millimeter pill, what was it? He didn't even want to know what the process was. He would not ask for an explanation of it anytime soon. He had a very good feeling that he probably couldn't mass produce that. Otherwise he'd probably have heard of people who had fed their Pokemon PokeTarts suddenly having their Pokemon, well, die horribly. In any case, seemed kind of impractical to develop a million of those to shove in pills rather than just shooting them.

He found a bathroom and quickly did his business. He grabbed the dung from the toilet water without hesitation: He was already wearing a layer of dirt over his clothes. He then ran back into the lab, where he put it down on a tray Tiantus had prepared, and started washing his hands quite thoroughly at a nearby sink.

"Excellent...I would love to mass-produce these, unfortunately the proper chemicals are...Hard to come by..." Tiantus said, more to himself than anyone. "In any case...Why are you here, Yarvick?"

"I was just checking if Deoxys DNA was-"

He couldn't see Tiantus roll his eyes, but he felt it may have been the second time he did that. "Ready for the Chimera mutagens? Don't even bother thinking it's a secret, you knew what we were doing at the time and you had been introduced to Janine's lovely abominations against Arceus himself as well." Tiantus said. He could hear some level of happiness over it, which made Yarvick sweat. "It was as easy as Arithmatic to put them together and judge your next move, even if the Alakazam's memories didn't go away...In any case, it is all taken care of at this juncture. Everything is fine and dandy. Just don't expect actually turning into Deoxys. THAT idea was a little too dangerous even with our ambitions. Having an army of Deoxys to fight our battles, while an interesting idea, would probably give people...Mutinous thoughts. You understand that I am putting my life on Team Aqua, I could not separate myself if I tried, even without the 'Patron Saint' hovering over Aqua like some demented Guardian Angel," Tiantus said, pausing a little, a hint of slight anger in his voice. More sweat released itself from Yarvick's pores. Clearly this 'Patron Saint' was not exactly Saintlike to him. "In any case, the issue of too much power sorts itself out when other Pokemon are introduced to a Chimera form, as I have found. The resulting combination, even with other powerful Psionic Pokemon, simply cannot compare. Deoxys is almost perfectly optimized to be incredibly powerful of its own accord, to a pinnacle we rarely see in standard Pokemon...On-par with things some worship as gods. It is almost beyond my comprehension, how it could be so optimally engineered to such destructive potential, despite being almost totally a wild phenomenon. Even our efforts were a situational recreation, not a standardized way of creating sapeint alien viruses. It is needless to say that altering any of it would weaken the resulting creature even if the alterations are as slight as the weight of a hole punched in paper. It would be an improvement in most cases to most Chimera forms without Deoxys, let no-one be fooled, but it would not be to the superhuman levels some are obviously drooling over..."

Tiantus paused, while Yarvick continued to vigorously rub his hands all over each other. He really didn't follow the monologue...It was a little too long.

"...,Or, if you were too focused on washing your hands to notice...It is perfectly fine and safe, you just cannot directly turn into Deoxys." Tiantus said. "I think you have washed your hands thoroughly enough..."

Yarvick turned off the water and dried them with a convenient paper tower. Once he threw it away, he turned to leave and was almost totally out of the door.

"Sorry about the long monolouging...It has been a complicated day for me..." Tiantus said. "Oh, yes, by the way...You do appear to be ready for some traveling. Where to?"

"Sinnoh, Family business." Yarvick said, turning around. He didn't want the whole of Aqua on his back.

Yarvick and Tiantus locked eyes, briefly. It was clear Tiantus was giving his laser-eye gaze, checking for suspicion. However, Yarvick also noticed that Tiantus'es face, very briefly, twitched in an odd but noticeable manner. Yarvick wondered...What was that?

He hadn't heard much of Tiantus'es past other than he knew Raidon and trusted him like a brother. Yarvick knew neither of them were actually related by blood, as well. He had a pretty good feeling that, however little there was, a smidgen of emotion may exist inside Tiantus. The thing was...What WAS the emotion? He had never seen a face twitch quite like that before.

Then it twitched again, and Yarvick felt like slapping himself. It was just a mosquito that somehow got inside. Tiantus almost seemed to ignore the mostquito, even as he quickly brought his arm to the left side of his face and crushed it. "Alright then. Be prepared to leave at a moment's notice...We may need your services in a hurry." Tiantus said.

Yarvick left, trying to find the Chimera mutagen system he heard of on the deck, now officially putting Tiantus as the most frightening thing aboard the Deathwing. Tiantus was to be feared more than the ship itself, the Gatling Gun that literally tore two ships to pieces, the quarter of soldiers who turned themselves into genetic abominations for power, an Ancient Burst Heart, and a rat-like thief with the allegiance of Deoxys.

Especially the thief. Yarvick did not find himself very intimidating at all...As a normal human.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Neither Here Nor There
Time Unknown
Affected RPers: None

Raidon Makoto stood firm against the Eternal Chronarch within a psychic bubble floating through time and space itself. Celebi was momentarily disjointed but then resumed its look of condescending superiority towards the dread lord of the Deathwing. <You're going to regret this, Raidon.> Makoto blinked and Celebi had completely disappeared. In its place was the familiar figure of his master and step-father, Kasim Lordran. Lordran's smile was enough to break up the bleak backdrop of spacetime travel for Makoto.

"Raidon, what's going on? You're so old now! One moment I was training the you I know and another I'm here in this kinky disco bar with a face I barely recognize," Lordran began to explain. "Is this a dream?"

He seems genuine... Makoto thought. He shook hands with the disturbed Lordran and explained: "No, it isn't, Kasim. I'm Raidon from the future, or more appropriately, you're Kasim Lordran from the past. I was tracking Celebi a few moments ago and it managed to pull me out of spacetime. Understandably, I tried to fight it, but now its disappeared." Lordran's look of worry melted away when he realized his best student was in the same boat as him. A tear came to Makoto's eye. This is the man who raised me and was taken away from me by cancer, standing here in the flesh. I spent so much time longing to have just one more conversation with him and here he is, in the flesh.

"How's Tyrus?" he asked. "He was hitting the books last I saw him only a few minutes ago."

"You wouldn't believe what your support did for him... He's an incredibly accomplished scientist now. My god, you should see the things he's done. Smartest man in the world, as far as I'm concerned," Makoto sputtered, trying to encapsulate all the reasons why he appreciated his mentor and deliver to him as quickly as he could interpret his ravings. "And I..." Makoto hesitated. I don't want to tell him I'm a violent monster, framed for Incident 731 and razer of Johto.... "I've become a... proper swordsman because of you. Thank you."

Images of Lordran's death continued to flash through Makoto's mind's eye as the dread lord of the Deathwing finally broke down crying. Lordran held him. Makoto admitted... "You died so long ago... I just... I just..." As he struggled to tell Lordran what he felt, the specter of the forest spirit floated above Lordran, its eyes glowing bright purple. Like a puppetmaster to its marionette, Lordran stiffened up, his eyes glowing the same color as Celebi's. Makoto's mentor drew his blade and struck at the commander. Shaken, Makoto was just barely able to dodge. "What the hell did you do?"

<I only facilitated a tearful reunion between master and student,> Celebi said mockingly. Lordran swung at Makoto again. The dread lord of the Deathwing dodged, refusing to draw his blades against his mentor. <Well, close to a reunion. This is Lordran from a very similar, yet still parallel universe. He's my little meat puppet. If you want to get to me, you're going to have to kill him!>

"**** you!" Makoto shouted at the chronarch. "I can dodge this all day."

Makoto blinked. When he reopened his eyes, he was surrounded by at least 10 other identical versions of Kasim Lordran, each with their eyes glowing purple and their swords drawn. <I can just raise the stakes then. 11 versions of your master from parallel universes. Kill or be killed, Raidon. What are you going to do?>

[XaiakuX]

Lance Harper
Goldenrod General Hospital
Affected RPers: Velocity

There would be several flashes of darkness into light. Before Lance would find himself floating over the dead bodies of his parents, and being forced to relive the tragedy over and over. Lance couldn't take it. He broke down into tears and felt a pain that he hadn't felt since their deaths.

Giovanni then appeared, laughing at Lance, followed by Alastair, also laughing at him. Alastair remained silent, while Giovanni mocked him, "Look at you, a pathetic and worthless human being. How can you call yourself a leader, or a CEO when you can't even get over the death of your parents."

Helena appeared, laughing as well. "This woman wanted to kill you. She would use you to get to me, and then slice your throat. You weren't even man enough to earn the affection of a real woman," Giovanni mocked Lance further. Lance sat catatonic, dying from within as it all seemed to come crashing down around him, yet again.

He mind strained, and his heart ached. Why? Why was Mewtwo doing all of this? Why would he openly invade Lance's mind, and put him through all of this? What did Lance do to Mewtwo to deserve it? So many questions, with such little capacity for the answers. His mind felt as if it were swelling up from the immense pressure Mewtwo had been putting him under.

Lance felt as if he were falling into eternal darkness. "Mewtwo, what are you trying to accomplish, here?" He asked, hoping Mewtwo would answer.

"Your mind is weak, Lance Harper. While you know much, you don't have any prowess of keeping psychics out of your head. You know how to avoid them if you know of their presence, but any number of psychic Pokémon or even people can invade your mind and know what you'll do before you even do it," Mewtwo complied from the darkness.

"What do I have to do to make it out of this?" Lance pressed, still requesting answers.

"You must break my mental hold on you, Lance Harper."

'WHAT?! I HAVE TO BREAK THE MENTAL HOLD OF EASILY ONE OF THE STRONGEST PSYCHIC POKEMON IN EXISTENCE?!'

... 'Aw crap. Think Lance... How do you break something virtually unbreakable? How do you break the will of something that lives on willpower and nothing else?'

Then it hit him. Like a ton of bricks that seemed to come up the opposite direction in which he was moving. This was HIS mind. In his mind, he is the master, he is the bender of wills, and he is the god. If nothing else could stop Mewtwo from further invading his mind, as well as any Pokémon, he would have to force them away through willpower alone, and because it is his own mind, his will would always be stronger.

Lance began to focus on that urge. That desire to be free. To make himself stronger than Mewtwo, at least for the time being. To get him out and return to the real world, where he could confront this creature in person. The darkness that cocooned him shattered like glass and fell into the light. The brilliant arrays devoured the shadows, and allowed Lance to harness his own willpower. In this moment, Lance was a god. A god within his own mind, because it was his own mind. Mewtwo would know the force that compelled him to repel the entity within his mind. Mewtwo confronted it, and showed Lance the power that was suppressing him. Mewtwo would not make it easy for Lance, god or otherwise.

However, with the might he had found anew, he started to force the presence of Mewtwo out of his mind. Mewtwo appeared to be in shock. How could Lance learn such a skill so swiftly? How could he grow so powerful in such a short amount of time? "Very Well, Lance Harper. Meet me atop the roof of this hospital. I will speak with you there."

The image of Mewtwo faded, and Lance snapped back into consciousness.

His body flew up out of the hospital bed and Lance stood on his feet dressed in nothing but a Hospital gown. The doctors came fleeting into the room as his heart monitor flat lined from not being connected to his body. The attempted to place lance back on the bed, but Lance, not completely in his right mind, wouldn't allow them to get close enough. He reared back and slammed his fist into the face of the closest doctor, he fell back like a bowling ball, smacking into the other doctor pins, and knocking everyone down. Lance used this opportunity to grab his neatly folded attire, and zip out of the room.

As he entered the hallway, he saw many faces, but none familiar to him. He paused for a moment, and thought of where he would go next. He noticed a sign that pointed toward the elevators, and sped off in that direction. Once he made it to the safety of the elevators, he immediately hit the button to close the door, so he could change into his normal clothes in peace.


---
R
---

Giovanni
The Well
Affected RPers: None

The room was quiet. Giovanni stood there staring at the body in the tank. Giovanni held the key to the most powerful force in creation. Because it was HIS creation. Nearly twenty years led up to this moment. Soon, Mewtwo would be reborn, and Giovanni would have all that he needed to conquer this planet. The most powerful force in creation, and the Ancient Burst Heart. The item that would enhance the weapon, and make it even stronger.

A quiet beeping began to chirp throughout the room. Giovanni located the source instantly as the primary computer which was monitoring the status of the unconscious clone. It was completed, and the moment of truth was nigh. Would this be another failure, or would it be the perfect Pokémon? Giovanni pressed the release button, and approached the cryogen tank. The fluid within the chamber began to drain into several small outlets in the bottom of the device. As the liquids eventually drained out entirely, the heart monitors and various wires came detached from the body of the creature.

The Rocket Lord reached into his suit jacket pocket. Yellow lights were flashing all throughout the laboratory. An alarm blared around the room. Giovanni pulled the Ancient Burst Heart from the pocket, and held it before Mewtwo. As the newborn clone opened its eyes, and started intently at the stone, a wicked laughter rang out. It seemed to drown out the blaring of the alarm. However, the laughter did not resonate from Giovanni. It didn't come from Mewtwo, and there wasn't another soul in the room. The laughing came from the stone in Giovanni's hand.

Giovanni turned his focus to the Mewtwo, and spoke to it, "Mewtwo! Tell me your purpose in this world. What are you meant to do? What were you created to do?"

"The purpose in which I was created is to serve my lord and master, Giovanni. Who are you, Human?" Mewtwo retorted, not knowing who this person in front of it truly was.

"I am Giovanni, your lord and master, " He replied, with equal retort. Giovanni restrained himself, for he needed Mewtwo to do his bidding. He returned the stone to his pocket, and activated the chamber pod to release Mewtwo from his confined cell, "With that answer, you're free to walk about and do as you please."

Mewtwo hovered out of the chamber, and stood before Giovanni. The creature was both tall, and intimidating. Giovanni was impressed, but not intimidated. Mewtwo looked into Giovanni's eyes, and began to emit a psychic aura. Giovanni stood his ground. The aura intensified, as small flares of psychic energy began to fly out in every direction. Giovanni still stood his ground. The ground began to shake, and the lights started to flicker violently. Sparks fired out of electrical sockets, and Glass began to crack in various areas of the room.

It was at this point that Giovanni raised a finger to pause the fury of Mewtwo. "It is no question why a powerful Pokémon like yourself needs to test the willpower of its master. However, unless you want us both to be crushed under the Earth, you should quell your rage for someone more deserving," Giovanni stated, in a calm, yet forceful tone. His will would not be outmatched by yet another Mewtwo.

Mewtwo closed its eyes, and calmed down. When it reopened its eyes, instead of a blue aura, Giovanni saw the lavender irises he had grown so fond of over the years. Mewtwo connected its mind to Giovanni's, and established a permanent connection with its new master, "Who is it that is deserving of my rage, Master Giovanni?"

Giovanni simply smirked, and placed his hands in his pockets, implying a sinister thought had just rushed through his mind. Mewtwo knew instantly who its target was. However, Giovanni spoke his name aloud.

"Raidon Makoto."

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Without political leaders in place, Hoenn was just falling apart. We saw that as an opportunity, however. Team Aqua emissaries were rounding up the unruly Hoenn military officers and giving them a new purpose. Follow Raidon and Team Aqua, the ones that kicked a new ******* into Johto.

As the envoys had originally discovered, most of them thought the idea of joining Team Aqua was ridiculous, but then again, Raidon's bravery and ability to kick ass was displayed on international television against Johto, which had been doing a fantastic job pissing everyone off. Hoenn didn't like Johto either, so we were pulling the whole enemy of my enemy is my friend maneuver and seemed to be making good progress with it. Without too many leaders to look up to now, joining up with Aqua was making sense, but there was still a lot of work that needed to be done to convince these people.

In the meantime, I had been told by Lando that locking up the Ancient Burst Heart was just stupid after I told him what I did with it. Instead, he told me we should try to do something that either shuts Diabora up or removes his connection to the Ancient Burst Heart itself. I wasn't even sure how he linked himself to that thing, but it was damn annoying to hear his voice in my head every time I held it.

"I swear, this thing is the devil," I told Lando, showing him I still had the Ancient Burst Heart. "Not sure why we even still need it considering Chimera mutagens could be considered superior."

"Don't be an idiot, you never know what we can do with a power source like this," Lando argued. "Besides, we could look into ways to extract this 'Diabora' thing from it once we figure out exactly how it works and what the connection is. In any case, what's the big deal if he taunts you? What, you can't handle some immature jeering?"

Pft, yeah, maybe I'd let Lando hang onto it for a while so he could see just how damn annoying it was to have that bastard constantly blabber on about the dumbest things. Sure, I could imagine he'd be okay with it for a few minutes, but it would eventually grind his gears like he did to Yarvick and myself. That kind of **** isn't fun to deal with and it was damn annoying and distracting all the time.

"Fine, have a go at it," I told him, handing him the Ancient Burst Heart. "That prick keeps calling me 'Commander Cottontails.' Sick of him."

"Ha, ha, Commander Cottontails!" Lando laughed. "That's a good one. Well, just look at yourself, fuzz bunny. Makes me wonder just how the **** you can use the damn toilet with all that **** behind you."

Not a subject I really wanted to go into. But in any case, yeah, the bedpan was a hell of a lot easier considering.

"So what's the situation with Hoenn?" I asked Lando, figuring he'd give me something that was more up to date that what the grunts were telling me. "The place seems ripe for the picking, but Raidon's nowhere in sight. We could make a killing if we get Hoenn's military to accept us as the new order of Hoenn."

"It gets complicated, but yeah, it's clear democracy is a failure for this place and they need new leadership," Lando told me. "They're looking for some strong and charismatic asskicker that knows what he's doing and can prove it. Raidon is the man to do it. I probably imagine a full on dictatorship and maybe some martial law might be in order, but we'll have to wait and see on Raidon for that. He's not the kind of guy who wastes his time, so if he's not here, he's likely involved with something more important."

I figured as much. But in the meantime, I was hoping those researchers could pull Diabora out of the Ancient Burst Heart and maybe it would be more useful.


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

I totally did it! Forced Evolution Serum now totally worked and the nanomachines were working perfectly! I tried it on a lab specimen Ratatta and he totally evolved into a Raticate! No experience required! And it worked on a Growlithe as well, turning him into an Arcanine! Adios, evolution stones, you're now worthless! No matter what the Pokémon, if it could evolve, this stuff would evolve it! The only catch was it needed grace periods before evolution. I tried it on a Charmander to see if I could get her to evolve straight to Charizard in one bang, but I found out it would only work again fifteen minutes after the Charmander had become a Charmeleon. Definitely important to note!

So, this stuff really did work on normal Pokémon and totally had the evolution process at its mercy! Cool thing was to try using it on an Eevee. The Eevee realized it was about to evolve, but was free to pick which evolved form it really wanted! If they always dreamed of being an Espeon, bang, they became a Espeon! Or a Flareon. Or a Vaporeon. Or whatever the heck they wanted to be!

Forced Evolution Serum was a total success on Pokémon. Now... the big question was if it could work on Chimeras. Were Chimeras considered enough like Pokémon to the point where they could evolve like them? I couldn't see why not, but it had to undergo a test.

Heading up on deck of the Deathwing, I knew I was going to need to try this thing out away from the lab. Yeah, because I imagined this would cause Chimeras to grow much bigger if it worked and that would probably bust up all my stuff. So I found one Team Aqua grunt on the deck who was a Salamence/Skarmory/Dusknoir Chimera. Yeah, a really big, dark, metal-plated dragon with an evil-looking yellow face on his chest. You could still see a bit of the human still there, but for the most part, he looked pretty draconic and just downright nasty. Not too surprised, a lot of these guys loved the big, nasty Chimera forms that would make enemy soldiers soil their pants and run back to mommy!

"Hey, you!" I called out to him, dangling the FES syringe in front of him. "Guess what this is!?"

"Isn't that just another mutagen?" He asked, looking curiously at it.

Of course he didn't know. I only just made this stuff and decided to tease him with it!

"Nah, this is Forced Evolution Serum!" I told him, winking at him. "It forces Pokémon to evolve, and I think it'll work on Chimeras too! Wanna give it a try!?"

Word had gotten around pretty quickly I was practically the queen of Chimeras, and a lot of people trusted me to make awesome mutagens and other really cool things. He seemed pretty eager to try it, even though he hadn't seen it in action.

"Are you serious!?" he asked, looking excited. "...Go for it."

I could see my reputation precedes me!

So, I uncapped the syringe, and decided to give this really eager grunt a nice spin of Forced Evolution Serum. I gave him a quick prick, pushed on in the FES, and quickly stood back. I really had no idea what was going to happen, if anything at all. Oh man, that would have been disappointing if absolutely nothing happened.

But holy crap, something did happen!

He started glowing brightly and he just totally grew. He more than doubled in size into a huge, fifteen foot tall black metallic dragon with dark armor plates, huge dragon wings, all kinds of glowing, yellow tribal tattoos on his armor, and he totally looked like a dragon that would just totally eat humans for breakfast. He seriously looked like a whole new Pokémon, and I couldn't believe how his evolved form actually managed to blend all the Pokémon he was a part of together into one, gigantic and draconic powerhouse! I swore, if you were to tell someone "hey, that really huge dragon over there used to be a human," they'd call you stupid and then just run for their lives!

Oh, and he really, really loved it!

"This is... INCREDIBLE!" He roared, flapping his giant metal wings in sheer glee! "HOW DID YOU DO THIS!?"

"Oh, just messing with science," I grinned and winked at him. "Enjoy! You look great! Go scare some kids with that!"

Ha, ha, service with a smile! He immediately took flight and soared into the air, trying out all kinds of new attacks and other random acts of violence! Awesome, so it totally worked! Oh, I had a feeling news about evolving Chimeras was going to get around FAST. Trying to keep something this cool out of the limelight was like trying to keep a rainbow in a bottle!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Neither Here Nor There
Time Unknown
Affected RPers: None

Eleven different versions of Kazim Lordran charged at Raidon Makoto, their blades gleaming in the light of distant starts birthing and dying all at once in the distance. Makoto did the only thing he thought effective in this situation and ducked. The stab attacks all bounced off of each other, while Makoto combat rolled through the legs of two or three different Lordrans, knocking them over. The dread lord of the Deathwing was on the outer circle of Lordrans, but it wouldn't take long for him to surround them again. He was going to need to make the choice: Kill or be killed. He looked at Celebi, floating off in the distance, laughing while Makoto struggled with the decision. I didn't know that onion could be so sadistic. Makes me regret viewing it as my last hope.

The dread lord jumped off one of the Lordran's bald heads and into the air, taking a swing at Celebi. It was hoping that it could cut the Psychic links between Celebi and the versions of his master. He was successful and cut Celebi in half, however, the Lordrans continued to attack him. The pieces of Celebi's corpse lay motionless on the floor, waiting only a moment to knit themselves back together into a cohesive chronarch. One Lordran swiped and another swept under his legs. Makoto ducked then jumped to avoid the two attacks and elbowed the Lordran behind him in the nose.

As he pulled out his sword to parry an attack, Makoto realized that he accidentally sliced the Lordran in front of him down the chest. He started to bleed out as his guts fell out of place and onto the ground. Celebi broke its Psychic control on the Lordran just long enough for him to assess the situation. "Raidon... son... why?" he asked before falling to the imagined floor, dead. Makoto was horrified. He killed his mentor. Albeit, it was a version of his mentor from an alternate universe, but it was still a man that care for a version of him and completely trusted him. For Makoto's blood-soaked sword to be the last thing he ever sees...

Another Lordran came up behind him and attacked Makoto. Makoto dodged to the left, as the attacking Lordran killed a Lordran behind him instantly--straight through the head. Another pang of sorrow and loss his Makoto. 2 out of 11... If I want the legacy of my Kasim Lordran to live on, I'm going to need to press forward. Master, I am sorry. Makoto came out swinging, taking down two of the Lordran foes. Three surrounded him and tried to skewer him like an Iron Maiden. Makoto twirled around, deflecting the trifecta of blades with his only two. In their moments of weakness, Makoto chopped off the arm of one Lordan, than dove under the other two, slitting their Achilles' tendons on the way. They fell to the ground and the dread lord delivered the coup de graz.

Four more left. As the herd thinned, they got smarter. Makoto engaged two in combat and was distracted from the other two, who came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. The commander howled in pain, grabbing the two blades out of his back and tossing them away. He charged at the two offenders and dispatched one with a horizontal slice, and another with a headbutt to the nose that was so hard, it sent Lordran's cartilage up into his brain, killing him instantly. The only two that were left were those he was fighting before hand. "Two against one? Those seem like killer odds for you, Celebi."

The chronarch was flabberghasted. <How did you... they were your masters!>

Makoto finished off the last Lordran and replied: "And I the pupil of my Kasim Lordran. It still hurts. Quite honestly, I'm horrified at what I just did and will probably remember it for the rest of my life... At least until this Diabora chap comes around and kills all of us. I can deal with that later, preferably when I'm dead. In the meantime, you're a bigger prize."

[bronislav84]

(I'm using Primal Groudon as the Mega, since there isn't much info on it. Also going to standardize that ABHs don't make armor, with Yarwick using an ABH turned into more Poke than man and the scientist Neo fought did the same thing)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Ruins of The Under, Under Colloseum, Orre
Affected RPers: N/A

Oh boy. I blinked a couple of times just to make sure what I was seeing was real. Yup sure enough, Amelia had whipped out Groudon and was riding it. That's why she was so confident. I figured she wouldn't mind a two on one battle, what with Groudon being so huge compared to most Mons. I reached out and threw out Leafy the Venusaur and Drago the Hydreigon. Leafy was quite comfortable in the sun, while Drago took to the skies with me on top.

The roof was coming down more as Groudon roared and stomped the ground with an Earthquake attack. Scar threw out weapons for everybody while pulling out his own gatling gun. The ground shook but my teammates jumped out of the way. Dan had my rocket launcher from before, Amanda was using her sniper rifle as usual, and Anna had a semi-automatic machine gun. The four of them were shooting at Groudon but it was just way too big and dare I say, fat. They didn't quite the get the message yet and figured some more damage wasn't a bad thing. Leafy had jumped to avoid the Earthquake. We did want Amelia and Groudon alive though, which added to the complexity of this battle.

"Drago, Dragon Pulse! Leafy, Solarbeam! Let 'em have it!" Drago unleashed a wave of blue energy at Groudon, while Leafy shot a Solarbeam. The Solarbeam would normally take some time to charge, but the Drought being caused by Groudon made that a non-issue. While it did take damage, the legendary blocked the attacks with it's left claw and girth. It was working, but slowly. Thankfully Groudon was so much bigger that it's attacks weren't as accurate and it was a huge target. Might as well have a bulls-eye on it.

"Groudon, Fire Blast that pesky Grass type!" Amelia commanded the attack I thought she would. Leafy was ready for it and blasted another Solarbeam through the fire symbol, though he still got a bit singed from the force of the fire being thrown. Meanwhile my teammates were desperately attacking Groudon's feet with their ranged weapons, trying to bring it down. Besides being irritating, it wasn't having much effect.

"Drago use Aqua Tail! Leafy jump up and fire another Solarbeam!" Groudon had used another Earthquake as predicted, and Leafy got a direct hit on the stomach of the colossus. Meanwhile Drago's water covered tail hit Groudon in the face, causing it to wobble. I jumped off and started slashing it's crown with my claws.

Groudon was wavering and Amelia saw it. The mighty beast might actually be defeated. "It's time!" I was still slashing Groudon's head crown thing. "Yes Master, I shall do it." She reached out and held up her ABH. Oh boy. I was thrown off and caught in midair by Drago while my squad ran away just in case. Where would they go though? Debris was scattered all over.

Amelia and Groudon glowed a bright white as she melded into it's gargantuan form. In a flash of light she had bursted with the legendary. Something was different though. It didn't turn into armor like usual. Rather it just grew slightly. The patterns on it's body glowed yellowish white and Amelia had disappeared. Could she have failed to use the ABH? Suddenly the patterns energized and lit up momentarily brighter and Amelia's voice rang out in the colosseum. "Oh yea, that's the stuff! Ancient Bursting with Groudon has caused me to gain Primal Reversion with it!" I sighed. This was definitely new. "Now you die!" Amelia roared and shook the arena with an Eruption attack, causing lava geysers to sprout. Note to self: Mega bursting with a legendary leaves you more Mon than human. Or mostly Mon. I'd have to remember that if I got out of this alive.

I jumped down from Drago's back, dodging lava. There was just way too much of it though. "Drago, save the others. Evacuate them!" I called to him as they grabbed on to him barely keeping one hand on their weapons. Drago flew off into the air. By this time the arena had almost gotten destroyed and 'Primal' Groudon/Amelia was towering over it, taller than ever. If I had to guess, I'd say it had gained weight too. It's feet were starting to make holes in the floor. I ran over to Leafy who was running for his life away from the lava.

Holding up my Burst Heart I did what any sane trainer would do: I activated my burst with Leafy to save him. Gaining high tech body armor, I climbed the sides of the colosseum using Leafy's vines. I now had his flower on my back, blue-green metallic body armor, and a visor shaped like his head. It was alerting me to lava geysers below me. I know that, seriously. Climbing up to stand on top of the almost ruined colosseum dome, I looked Amelia-Groudon right in the face. "As you said before, bring it!" Yelled Amelia as she roared and slammed in my direction with a Hammer Arm. Except she whipped around and used her tail. For a behemoth, Groudon wasn't that slow.

With the size comparison, I could have dodged but the sun was too bright. It caught me in the eye and I was momentarily blinded. This was just enough time for the attack to connect. The wound on the right side of my stomach opened up and I winced at the pain. Falling to the ground of the arena I was about to be covered in lava as Amelia used Earth Power. I had seconds before the foot hit the ground.

<Take the hit, then use Synthesis. It will greatly heal us in the sun.> Leafy suggested in my head. But would I survive the attack with my wound bleeding out? Only one way to find out, and there really was no time to get out of the way anyway. I got hit with the ground eruption and knocked back into a wall in pain, with more lava coming out. Seriously where was all this lava coming from? Was The Under sitting on an old volcano, or could Groudon turn the ground molten? No time to think. I was hurt with my vision dimming and was about to get slammed with a boulder Amelia had picked up. Both of those attacks did have type disadvantage, but it was still pretty painful. No. Must not pass out.

I focused the light on my flower and activated Synthesis. In the Drought my Synthesis was boosted and I was healed by the light. Jumping out of the way I dodged the boulder and used my vines to climb up to the top of the ruined arena again. What was left of the dome that hadn't come down. I felt better, then I noticed my sliced side was completely healed, probably a result of using Synthesis. Nice! I then spoke to Amelia. "This is fun, but it's taking a while. How about you give up?!"

"No, the Voice of the Heart commands I kill you or I pass out! We need to finish this!" Amelia half yelled and half roared. And the battle continued with quakes that were probably felt all over the region. This might take a bit longer.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

I could have laughed at Lando's attempts to pull Diabora out of his own created Ancient Burst Heart. Lando was getting pissed at it, and I could tell Diabora was now talking in his head now too, taunting him and pissing him off about the way he was failing. And he was really wondering why I had locked that thing up in the first place.

"It doesn't make any damn sense!" Lando complained at me. "How the hell does he do it!?"

"I told you," I said to Lando as I gave him that 'told you so' look. "Diabora made those Ancient Burst Hearts to fuel wars and to get people to kill each other for them. You're not getting him out of there. And good luck trying to shut him up also. We're better off just grabbing all these things and just locking them up to end his fun."

"But what a damn waste that would be!" Lando exclaimed, trying to find another way. "There has got to be something that can be done!"

Yeah, don't hold your breath, old man. I had given up on the darn thing and to be honest, Janine's Chimera mutagens were just fine. Quite a few of the grunts were enjoying them, and it wasn't hard to see why. They had some pretty good ideas for forms, and while it was tempting to try them out... I had to admit, the one I had was really kind of growing on me. Plus I had been using it for a while now and I had gotten pretty used to it.

I decided to leave Lando alone and let him vent out his frustrations to someone else. He was treating the damn thing like an obsessed compulsive freak trying to solve some stupid puzzle just for ego. I was really convinced squeezing Diabora out of his own relic was just not going to happen. Diabora was an annoying prick, but he didn't sound stupid enough to overlook something that might let him lose control of something as powerful as an Ancient Burst Heart.

I headed to the opposite side of the Pure Anarchy, just to take a walk around and to let Lando get some fun alone time all to himself. And then I started hearing some rumor about Chimera evolutions from some of the other grunts. I thought it was a joke at first until I saw what clearly looked like a Chimera that had evolved, a dark black metallic dragon that seemed bigger than the others and a heck of a lot more badass, flying through the air, demonstrating his new attacks and powers.. There was no way someone got that to happen with just a regular Chimera mutagen. Sure, I knew I had no part in making these things, but he seemed double, maybe even triple the size of some of the other Team Aqua members. Whoever that guy was, he was definitely enjoying himself.

I figured I'd rather check this out than continue to hear Lando complain over this Ancient Burst Heart thing. I'm sure he was keeping Diabora entertained yelling at him like an old geezer trying to tell his big Arcanine to get away from blocking the TV. But as I walked away from Lando, I couldn't help but feel that yeah, it was pretty funny watching him get pissed like that. I could hear him clearly from all the way over here and man, he sure could be a cranky old bastard.

I decided to check out the story with this Chimera evolver, whatever the hell it really was. If Janine really did find a way to evolve Chimeras, this war was about to get a whole lot more interesting.


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

Well dang, the Meowth was sure out of the bag now!

"Guys, I ONLY HAD ONE AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A TEST!!!" I tried shouting to all the eager Chimeras who were going crazy and crowding around me.

I mean heck, I wasn't even sure if it would work! It could have made that guy explode or turn him into soup for all I knew! I mean yeah, I was going to make more, but it would take a bit of time first! And that was when Tiantus came up from out of his lab and onto the deck, wondering just what the heck was going on. I could have laughed, he really was always wondering just what pray tell I was up to!

"Tell me you didn't just 'invent' something new," Tiantus told me, giving me that crazy look again. "I swear, the amount of unapproved projects you keep starting-"

"I found a way for Chimeras to evolve!" I cheered at him, dancing a bit.

Ha! The look on his face was priceless, he wasn't expecting that but when he saw all the interested Chimeras waiting to see if they could get an FES syringe, it all added up to him.

"And just how did you manage to... nevermind," Tiantus grumbled. "I don't even want to look at your damn notes with all those god-forsaken doodles on them. At the rate you keep churning these things out, what do you think is going to happen?"

Oh, whatever, this stuff was fun and he just didn't want to admit to it. He also seemed surprised I had taken off the fuzzy angelic bunny form I had earlier. Hey, wasn't my fault I couldn't get through the tiny corridors with that on! But that also reminded me that, yeah, not everyone on Team Aqua could become evolved Chimeras. We'd still need some guys to drive the tanks, ships, and planes, and from the looks of it... yeah, evolved Chimeras were way too big for that. And here Titantus was thinking the whole team was going to get into this. Hey, there were some guys out there that didn't want to touch these mutagens with a ten foot pole! Those guys would be perfectly for the "we still need humans to do these" roles. And yeah, it was awful to think about it, but there was no way I could evolve the angel bunny form and still work in my lab. I couldn't even freaking work in there without an evolution!

"Oh, don't be such a bitter, little bunny about it," I laughed at Tiantus. "The configuration for Forced Evolution Serum isn't so tough, but it took me quite a lot of research to figure out. But yeah... boy do these evolved Chimeras get big. I imagine that big dragon dude is going to need ten times the amount of food to feed now!"

"Next time, let's work on the details together before you toss this stuff out there to everyone," Tiantus told me. "I'm looking at this and it can get out of hand if we don't manage it with care."

Well poo, where was his sense of fun? I mean yeah, having too many evolved Chimeras mucking about would be a lot to manage, but hey, I really felt everyone should get a chance at being one if they really wanted to! I mean heck, there were still quite a few members of Team Aqua that didn't want to be Chimeras. Couldn't we just say these evolved ones would make up for that?

But yeah, he was the head scientist of Team Aqua and I was one of his subordinates, but come on, I loved the freedom of messing around with stuff. You could make so many cool and new discoveries this way!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Neither Here Nor There
Time Unknown
Affected RPers: None

Raidon Makoto stood in as best a defensive position he could maintain in front of the Eternal Chronarch, breathing heavily. He took both of his blades and ran them through the crook of his arm, wiping the blood of Kasim Lordran onto his trenchcoat. He then sheathed the blades and then got as much blood as he could on his hands, wiping the blood of his master on his face. I will not forget, Kasim. This will be my cross to bear for as long as I live. If any of you knew the circumstances, you would understand. Celebi darted past Raidon and forcibly grafted images of the various Kasim Lordrans dying onto his mind's eye. Makoto screamed in pain. I will not forget! But I will not let it stop me!

Grabbing the electric knuckles, he bashed the speeding Celebi with as hard a punch as he could throw, knocking the Chronarch into the psychic walls surrounding him. Celebi levitated back up and healed the bruise with a touch of its tiny hand. <Let's see how distracted you need to be in order to stop being such a pest.> Celebi's eyes glowed purple again. Images of Incident 731 were flashed into Makoto's mind's eye, interspersed with the death throes of the parallel forms of his master.

Over all of the images, both 731 and the Lordran deaths, Makoto could hear Lordran groaning: "Unnnngh... Why Raidon?"

Makoto fell to his knees, the blood of his master dripping from his face. Images of the dead at Goldenrod flashed through his mind with the prior two horrors. Lordran's death throes grew louder, questioning every morally dubious decision that Makoto had made up to this point. He could no longer see the Chronarch in front of him, all he could see was the slideshow of terror. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he screamed at Celebi, swinging wildly around him to try and hit Celebi.

He stopped, realizing that the random outbursts weren't going to do anything. The dread lord of the Deathwing needed to regain control of his mind. He focused hard on where he was going: forward. Images of Tyrus Hale, Finch Reynolds, Noah Ashfield, Yarvick Xelsez were forced to the front of Makoto's attention. They were all on the Deathwing, calling for their commander to return to his throne. The harder he focused on his crew, the more he drowned out Celebi's horrors.

Celebi redoubled its efforts, grafting new images he had never seen onto his mind. These were images of him from a parallel universe fighting the creature called Diabora. Diabora ceaselessly ripped through carcasses, destroying minds as quickly as he did bodies. The creature then ate the bodies and shat them out as his twisted servants: The Diablos. Another image appeared of Diabora murdering a beautiful woman. Makoto was instantly drawn to her, and her death brought on a great sadness. My wife in a parallel universe? As the creature danced in her blood and guts, Makoto felt like throwing up. He had never met this woman in his life, yet the emotions his parallel self felt were flowing through his mind.

Makoto looked to his left. A parallel version of himself put his hand on Makoto's shoulder. This other Makoto said, "Fight it, Raidon. It isn't real... for you. You still have time to stop it."

Another parallel version of Makoto put his hand on the other shoulder and said, "People are not ruled by their memories, Raidon. Much less, memories that don't even belong to them."

Tears streamed down Makoto's face as he focused harder and harder on the Deathwing and his crew, completely ignoring the death of the woman, or Kasim Lordran, or the Orre refugees during Incident 731. He forced himself to his feet and saw the two parallel versions of himself smiling. The one on the right said, "Go get 'em!" The dread lord of the Deathwing pulled a cable out of each of his electric knuckles and plugged them into the hilts of his two swords. The katanas crackled with electric energy as Makoto charged like a cornered beast, chaining fifteen different sword swipes at the obviously surprised Celebi.

The diced Chronarch fell to pieces onto the ground, as Makoto picked up each individual piece and threw it to a different end of the bubble, leaving only the head. Makoto stabbed it over and over and over until it was only a bloody mess. "**** YOU!" As the raging beast stopped to catch his breath, the pieces of Celebi doggedly managed to reform themselves into a noticeably battered whole. The injured Celebi floated there, giving Makoto the stink eye. Makoto sheathed his blades and smiled. With a single sleight of hand, he grabbed a PokeBall and threw it at the Chronarch, enveloping it in a red energy.

The ball dropped to the ground as the psychic bubble around him faded, returning him to the Ilex Forest. It shook once, shook twice, and finally stopped, shooting sparks out of the front. Raidon Makoto collapsed. "It's mine."

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick had made his mutagen at this point. Yarvick just allowed the computer to auto-fill in the Deoxys DNA rather than screw around with specific parts, he was only interested in a general improvement. It kind of glitched out for some reason and couldn't show him the results, but oh well...He'd know if it worked. Outside of that glitch, which could be easily fixed by a few seconds of Tiantus'es time, it was hardly rocket science, the way it was laid out...Granted, it was still somewhat confusing to him. It was never the interface, of course, it was just so puzzling as to how Janine managed to do it...How she could even manage all of this crazy mad science...How it was just so easy to turn into an absolute beast...How cute she managed to be.

He slapped himself, trying to not think about that too much. He had important business to attend to, and quite a lot of it. The first of which was if the whole point of the mutagen would even work, the wall climbing he needed for his plan to be a success...

He hesitated. He always hesitated. He hated needles. Then, biting his own tongue, he plunged the needle into a vein and pushed down, then removed it.

The change was much more volatile than before. It actually hurt in several points, very sharp but brief-this may have been the penalty for stretching it to his limit. He worried that he may have gone too far, but the transformation was unhindered. He grew fur out from everywhere on his torso and legs, which were becoming more Lucario/Greninja-like by the second, from five digits to three, gaining webbing for swimming and suddenly resting on the balls of his feet, which got larger in response so his footing was steady, just at the pace he recalled it...Funny, though, his arms weren't changing at all.

Then, change picked up at a rapid pace, all of it very painful; The arms suddenly deformed into a rounded point of flesh, then tore into two sets of tentacles, one blue, one dark gray. Yarvick attempted to bite down on his tongue, but at that precise moment it vanished from his mouth, along with his mouth in general, filling in with some gooey substance, as a long stretch of tongue went out under his chin, wrapping around his neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. His nine tales rushed out of his backside, each with a Lucario Hand to crown it and a small pool of fluid in the palm. A spike shot out of his chest, but it was not the metal barb a Lucario had, but a crystalline structure, highly akin to the core Deoxys had. Two more tentacles shot out just under where his original arms were on each side. His whole head rearranged itself, becoming wolflike, depsite having no mouth to speak of at this point, going so far as to recreate the triangular ears on the top of his head. Finally, perhaps the most painful part, his whole body decided to cram a 5-week workout session into a second, and suddenly several of his muscles re-inflated, even the tentacles bulged out.

As soon as the transformation was done, he dropped to the ground, putting one of the tentacles to his chest. The pain had vanished, and the Mutagen was stable. He felt completely alright, like he should have been in this body the whole time. Yet, just turning himself into this was quite a bit of painful work. Thankfully, even with the tentacle arms, getting up was not.

His height had remained unchanged almost totally, but that was it. He was now had nine hand-tails with natural fingerpaint (though unlike before it all seemed to be shades of dark blue), a wolf-like head with no mouth, a tongue hanging from under his chin, wrapped around his neck, eight tentacles for arms, a crystal spike coming out of his chest, and a physique that would scream 'HUNK,' if it wasn't belonging to a mutant wolf/frog man.

He could easily manipulate any of the tentacles like it was his own arm, though it was clearly devoid of bones. He could not see this coiling up into an arm, which kind of ruined the whole plan. He face-tentacled, quite firmly, at his luck. Ugh. He put a palm to his ear, trying to figure out for the life of him how to do it.

Then he realized he was putting a palm to his ear, and looked at it, kind of expecting it to be a tail-hand. It wasn't, it was definitely the hand that he had just face-tentacled with literally moments ago. It altered into a hand, quite similar to the webbed feet below, except with an extra digit from the thumb, without even a remote sensation. Just because he wanted it.

He then uncoiled the arm-it just took a quick thought. Sure enough, in a completely weird process, the arm uncoiled into a pair of tentacles. He recoiled it-in an equally weird process, the two beefy tentacles came together in a tight coil, fusing into a 4-digit arm. It didn't have a Lucario's spike, but that was almost irrelevant.

He wondered how tentacles would be useful, but he figured he'd find out himself later on. He also wasn't sure what the deal with the tongue was this time...It felt quite slimy and not completely solid, yet it was still totally mobile. No, the real test. The wall-climb.

Yarvick was currently outside of the Deathwing, fairly far away from anyone else. He didn't want to be bothered. He was close to the navigators room, which was almost totally slanted upwards-if he could climb up that, he would know he could execute his plan. He looked at his hands-in his palms were large, blue bulges-the sticky parts that would allow him to climb, in theory.

Yarvick put his theory to the test, and put his palm to the surface of the navigation room, pressing down hard.

...Nothing happened. He certainly didn't feel like he was stuck to it. He tried jumping up and putting another palm onto the higher floor, but, nope. Darnit. It certainly wasn't like he could levitate-

He facepalmed so hard. He could have just busted with Iapetus instead. He could have hid in the room itself, or flown to the rooftop. Comparatively, wall-climbing up there, while hardly stupid, was definitely impractical compared to, say, flying.

Nevertheless, the form was hardly tested to it's fullest potential. He would do more training with it, later. For now, he had a ferry to catch. Stabbing himself with a reversal vaccine, he almost thought of calling out Hyperion, but then realized that flying with him over to Pacifidlog, where he would take a ferry to Sandgem town, would not cotton, even as Aqua was starting to reach in and take control of Hoenn. There were still those who did not appreciate Aqua in any manner, and would fight back. That, and Johto learning that the new government of Hoenn happened to be behind the attack on Goldenrod would make retaliation-very desperate retaliation, if not outright nuclear retaliation-imminent.

That, and of course, then everyone would know who exactly owned nigh-unstoppable psionic juggernaut (and likely the ABH would also be brought up), which would get him all sorts of attention he just did not want. No, no no, no no no, NO.

Instead, to his immense loathing, he brought out Rhea again, then Oceanus. Rhea tightly gripped his arm as Oceanus reappeared.

Oceanus, however, seemed to be initially attracted to something else on-deck. Looking at it, it now seemed to be quite a spectacle, with a massive armored dark dragon flying about, learning the ins-and-outs of mayham, while every Chimera aboard the Deathwing were begging for more of whatever turned the other Chiemra into THAT monster, while Tiantus, also present, briefly looked kind of like he just witness his girlfriend cheating on him, with said girlfriend laughing at him, then asking if he wants in on it too.

...Yarvick was quite intrigued by the prospect of becoming big enough to step on Oceanus, but, he was a sneaky guy and didn't need that attention, even as a course of escape. The Godzilla threshold was crossed only in DIRE emergency, the kind he would never be caught dead in.

"OK, Oceanus..." Yarvick said, with Oceanus suddenly looking at him quite murderously, then looking to Rhea and softening. "...I need you to carry me to Pacifidlog town. Just there, OK? Me and Rhea. You know why Rhea's coming along...And let's face facts, you like her anyways." Yarvick added.

Oceanus did NOT like that comment, but he nevertheless complied and let the duo aboard, then climbed down, off of the Deathwing, and into the waters below.

Time for a new adventure, hopefully one that ended in him a much more wealthy man than he was before, as well as finally putting the question of who his father was to rest.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Hellcat, En Route to AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

"My god, Raidon, I've been trying to reach you for hours. Where the hell have you been?" Tyrus Hale immediately launched into a tirade after picking up Raidon Makoto's call. Makoto was on a Hellcat, bound and determined to make it back home with his newest acquisition and trauma. "You've missed a lot. Norb is dead, first of all."

Makoto was shocked. For Norb Whitehall to just kick the bucket was something he wasn't expecting. He was sure that he would go out kicking, screaming, and clawing at whatever, holding on just barely long enough to irreparably damage it. He assumed that said "whatever" would have been Aqua-related eventually. "It's going to be awkward to work out funding now..."

"Well, what happened was that Norb betrayed us and tried to use the Hoenn army to ambush the Trinity Armada upon its return to Mirage Island. Fortunately, Reg found out about the plan in time and warned us right after putting Whitehall down," the scientist summarized. "Noah has been working in getting us a foothold in Hoenn in the meantime. The 08th managed to take out Frisby as well. The entire Hoenn government is in shambles, quite hilariously."

Once he realized that Aqua would be fine, Makoto grew disinterested in the conversation, "That's great," he mumbled.

"Something up, man?" Hale asked. "I'll fully admit, Yarvick told me Celebi was involved in your disappearance." The dread lord of the Deathwing could only reply with silence. Hale, realizing he may have asked an inappropriate question, blathered, "Though, I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay... I just wanted to know if you were alright or not..."

"Tiantus, stop," Makoto said, unwilling to listen to him paint a pretty picture of all the scientist's insecurities about their friendship. "You're my best friend. I need to talk to somebody about this." The dictator sighed. "It's true, I was contacted by Celebi at the tail end of the battle. It kept talking about this deterministic fate I was destined to fulfill. I'll admit I was curious, hoping I could perhaps erase Incident 731 from ever happening. I followed the voice and it led me to the Ilex Forest. There, it pulled me out of time and made me fight in some ****ed up Thunder Dome against 11 mind-controlled versions of Kasim Lordran from parallel universes..."

"What the hell?" Hale asked, unwilling to believe the story. "What did you do?"

"What could I do? They were all trying to kill me. I had to kill them all. Slayed where they stood. Yet, Celebi, this mother****er, released their mind-control in just enough time for them to process that they were killed by me. Each one died with the most betrayed look on their face I had ever seen while groaning out something along the lines of "Why, Raidon?" God dammit, Tiantus... I don't know how I'm going to live with myself." Makoto paused, reliving the horror over and over. "When I killed them, Celebi mindraped me. It kept showing me images of Incident 731, of me killing all the versions of my master, of those that died at Goldenrod, and even atrocities from other dimensions. I watched my wife... my wife... from a parallel universe murdered and desecrated by some... thing over and over and over, all while Kasim screamed in my ear, asking my "Why?"" The commander broke down sobbing over the phone. "Man, I didn't even know this girl, but the ****inging onion fairy managed to graft my feelings from a parallel universe onto her. I watched a lover I never knew... a woman that loved me with all her ****ing heart and I loved back violently destroyed. I wanted to reach into that memory and **** that thing up, but I couldn't, because it was a memory that wasn't even mine."

Hale was speechless. It was quite the heavy story to dump on the scientist. Despite his dual PhDs, emotion was an undiscovered country from whose borne no explorer had returned to tell Hale about. He was entirely clueless when it came to situations like this. The dread lord didn't care though--he just needed to talk to someone. He knew too that Finch Reynolds would probably have much wiser words than Hale once he told his other best friend.

"But I caught it though," Makoto managed a smile through the tears. "I caught the damn thing and I don't even know if I want it any more."

[XaiakuX]

The dread lord of the Deathwing could only reply with science.

Because science is the answer to everything.

Lance Harper
Goldenrod Hospital Roof
Affected RPers: None

Once Lance had safely closed the doors, he began to change his clothes. He removed the hospital gown, and slid on his underpants and slacks first, so that anyone who ended up joining him didn't have to see anything they weren't exactly ready for. It was lucky, too, as the moment he finished fastening the belt, an elderly couple joined him on the elevator from a higher floor.

The old woman stared at Lance in awe. Captivated by both his incredible physique and the abundance of age old wounds from past fights that no one had the chance to see until now. The first one that Lance explained was the massive bruise on his chest, from where he took the psychic blast from Deoxys that knocked him off of the roof of the apartments. Lance then spoke to the couple about the rest of his wounds. The old man didn't seem so impressed, especially since his wife of so many years was practically drooling over him.

When they finally reached the roof of the building, Lance apologized for making them ride all the way to the top, when they were headed to the Lobby to leave. He hurried out of the elevator to hear the husband practically scream to his wife, 'what the f**k was that?!' Lance couldn't help but laugh as he proceeded to put the rest of his suit on. He kept the jacket off, as he began to wander the rooftop in search of Mewtwo.

He didn't go very far, as Mewtwo found him, and greeted him with an Aura Sphere. Lance narrowly managed to avoid the blast of energy, only to cause himself strain from the fight just before all of this. Mewtwo floated before Lance, tall and intimidating. Lance, unafraid, stood his ground despite being in pain. "Lance Harper, you have proven that your mind is strong, now it is time to test your body. Time to test the will of your heart over the will of your mind. Prepare yourself, for your test begins, now."

"Damn it, all!" Lance exclaimed, reaching for a Pokéball. Since Mewtwo was a Psychic Type, he was ready to use Scizor and burst, yet again. However, before Lance could grab the ball, Mewtwo used its psychic powers to force the jacket from the man's hands. Mewtwo flung the jacket to the opposite end of the roof, putting itself between Lance and his Pokémon.

"If you want to use your Pokémon, you will have to earn your right to use them against me," Mewtwo commanded. He also commanded Lance's respect. His will would not be outdone by a mere human. Lance stood to his feet, and unbuttoned his shirt. As his shirt came off, Lance exhaled and glared at Mewtwo.

"If it's a fight you want, Mewtwo. It's a fight that you'll get," Lance also commanded the respect of Mewtwo. Lance had just faced Deoxys. Mega Deoxys, fueled by an Ancient Burst Heart. Not only did Lance face this entity of destruction, he managed to survive against it. He was ready for Mewtwo.

The two stood their ground, starting each other in the eyes. The icy blue irises of Lance Harper staring daggers into the lavender eyes of Mewtwo. Two bodies of great strength. One of incredible physical prowess, the other of intense psychic abilities. A small gust of wind kicked up. In that moment, a speck of dust was whirled into Mewtwo's sight. For a split second, the genetic beast lost focus. But in that split second, Mewtwo regained focus, to find Lance Harper speeding towards it with his fist reared back.

Mewtwo threw a hand up, and knocked Lance away with the force of its mind. Afterwards, the Pokémon's hand back returned to its original position. Lance stood up, and charged Mewtwo, again. This time, Lance would be repelled by an invisible barrier that became visible when he smacked into it. The Barrier immediately fell. Mewtwo found itself in a brief moment of shock. Very few things have ever shattered Mewtwo's barrier.

Lance stood toe to toe with Mewtwo, and face to face. Unafraid, and no longer shaken by the Legendary presence before him. To Lance, the Pokémon that he was about to K.O was just another Pokémon. One to be caught, and trained, just like any other. Lance was about to do the impossible, or attempt it at any rate. Lance was going to capture Mewtwo.

(OoC: Velocity is now out of this RP, so it is literally Cami and myself. I will post with Giovanni tomorrow as well as Lance Harper, again.)

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo Cottontails" Ashfield
AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Janine was gone by the time I arrived, but another Chimera named Riggs gave me the entire inside story about "Forced Evolution Serum" and that yeah, it was totally capable of evolving Chimeras into bigger, more ferocious Pokémon. The huge dragon guy that I later found out was actually once Derek was solid proof of that.

"She told everyone it was just supposed to be a test," Riggs the Flygon/Nidoking/Aggron Chimera told me. "Then Tiantus came up, went a little apeshit, and she headed back into the lab. Seems like she has the answer, but Tiantus thinks it should be 'rationed' or something like that."

Yeah, knowing Janine, she definitely wouldn't like hearing that. To her, science and nature were her ***** and anyone who thought otherwise could just go piss off.

But I could see where Tiantus was going with this. Derek was huge now, and I could imagine trying to keep that kind of power around would be tough to control. Without a doubt, the higher-ranking officers would need more access to these than the lower-level grunts. That, and we should couldn't have the whole faction go crazy with these things because everything would go haywire. Trying to keep a whole army of hyper-sized Pokémon under control would be a challenge in itself. Not to mention, where the hell were they going to stay? Sure couldn't fit a whole crew of guys like Derek now in the base or in these ships. I could barely even fit through those tight corridors even like this with no evolutions. Unlike Chimeras, I could imagine these bigger ones would need to be reversed or kept in separate areas.

In any case, I was pretty sure I could get my hands on a FES syringe regardless of whatever regulation was put into place. I mean heck, besides Raidon, I was pretty sure I was in a position that could decide who got it and who didn't. I was probably more lenient than Tiantus, especially considering Janine had already managed to create a reversal agent that would undo all the chaos anyway. I highly doubted anyone was going to use these to betray us, because if they did, I knew anyone else on Team Aqua would have them begging for death.

In the meantime, there was still the question if I'd actually go ahead and use this black bunny form for evolution. I knew Janine would probably thrilled, but I was still a little unsure myself. It had a lot of great uses and enjoyed using it. Thing was, I had no idea what evolution would do to this form, but I figured if it sucked, it could just be undone and I'd start anew with something else. There really wasn't much reason to be thinking of the consequences in a nothing to lose situation.

"Damn it, Cottontails, why the hell did you run off like that!?" Lando shouted at me again, obviously sounding like he sure hadn't made much progress on that Ancient Burst Heart. "I'm not doing this for charity's sake! We need this thing untainted by this *******'s voice!"

"You're still working on that?" I asked, nearly laughing. "Lando, give it up, it's like a Rubik Cube from the tenth level of Hell. Besides, Janine actually created chemical agents that can evolve Chimeras. It makes the Mega Evolutions that thing creates look like child's play."

"It's more than just a Bursting device!" Lando shouted back at me. "I'm convinced there's more to this thing that what meets the eye, and you're being a daft, little rabbit by just dismissing it! We tested Bursting with it and the energy resonance it created, but the operator also found Diabora's taunts and jeers very irritating. This Diabora prick is totally interfering with the process!"

So what pray tell did he want me to do about it, tell Diabora he should just go grab some lunch and take a walk in the park? What made him suddenly think I'd have any more success with it than he would? I had already given up on that thing and I sure wasn't surprised Lando hadn't made a scratch of progress on it either.

"Do what I did and lock it up," I told him. "Or give it back to me so I can do that. He made those things and he made sure people only know how to use them, not modify them. If you want to get back at Diabora, don't use it, spoil his fun of watching people kill each other with them by stuffing them in a dark, boring place, and stick with using something else. Trust me, Diabora's fun ends as soon as that thing gets stuffed into a locker and he can't see or feel how they're being used."

I hated to admit I was essentially throwing something I work hard for out the window, but hey, that's life and sometimes it can be a *****. Of course, sometimes you just need to be a ***** right back at it.


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

So... Tiantus and Kaede wanted to have a little "talk" about the FES syringes. We sat down in one of the research conference rooms we set aside in the Deathwing. Right now, Kaede Kuyokisaka was the only one there besides us two. Tiantus felt we needed to "organize" exactly how we were going to use these things. Pft, really? What was there to organize? In the meantime, I hated this conference room. It was poorly lit by the single overhead cymbal-shaped lamp, boring with its empty metal walls, and the stupid metal chairs in this room were always wobbly. Meanwhile, the metal table in the center of the room was colder than death so I didn't even like putting my arms or hands on it. Right now, the only thing on the table was my notebook of research, doodles and all. They didn't let me grab a soda pop from the vending machine!

"Janine, you're obviously a talented scientist, but for crap's sake, one of these days you're going to kill us all with something you conjure up," Kaede told me after she had examined my research notes.

"Oh come on, I always had this under control!" I told her, thinking she was just being a big party pooper about this whole thing. "Why would anyone in Team Aqua not want one of these? They're awesome, you saw what it did to that guy!"

"You mean Derek?" Tiantus questioned me, giving me the name of that really huge dragon guy now. "Are you absolutely sure that can even be reserved?"

"Well, it's a little hard to tell if we're down here just yakking about it!" I shouted at them both. "Anyway, yeah, the reversal agent will definitely work. It may take a little while longer because it'll need to work backwards through each stage of evolution, but yeah, should do the trick."

Tiantus still wasn't convinced. What the fudge, I had made really cool Chimera mutagens that were the stuff of awesomeness and this dude was just doubting it would work.

"Look, what exactly are we discussing here anyway?" I asked him, figuring just complaining about the stuff was nothing but dumb. "You're not afraid of Mega Chimeras rebelling against Team Aqua, are you? Please, I could easily invent something that turns a renegade Chimera into a big bowl of Soup Nasty."

"We're afraid of it becoming too popular," Kaede told me, actually giving me an honest answer for once. "The care and feeding of Pokémon that size can be costly if living arrangements can even be made. We want to make sure we don't exceeding our carrying capacity and can afford the resources necessary to keep them. Therefore, we're proposing only certain officers and captains get access to them."

"I just told you the effect can be reversed!" I told her again. "You'd have to be some kind of special idiot to say 'hey, let's just feed them ten times the amount of food we need' rather than revert them back to humans right before mealtime!"

My gosh, I thought she was supposed to be smart!

"We're convinced that it's unlikely they're going to want to revert back to normal size once they get a taste of the kind of power being a Mega Chimera gives to them," Kaede continued.

"So you shoot them with the reversal agent!" I told her again. "I used a tranquilizer dart for the Chimera mutagen and it worked fine! If they don't want to turn back, you shoot them with the reversal agent and you smack them in the nose for not listening! Here's what I propose. Let anyone who wants to use them use them, but only the Captains, Officers, or whoever's on the top be the only ones that get to decide if they want to stay in that form or revert back to human. Grunts and such have to go back to human at the end of the battles, but the higher-ups can stay if they like. REALLY SIMPLE, RIGHT!?"

Man, this really wasn't a big complicated ordeal! When I suggested that, Tiantus and Kaede looked at each other and wow, it seemed like they could actually agree with that!

"I think we can work with that for now," Tiantus replied.

"I guess," Kaede replied, shrugging. "We'll see how that works. But for all our sake, Janine, keep us in the loop out the stuff you're cranking out."

"We done here?" I asked, standing out of my seat. "Cool. You can go tell all your friends about the new arrangement, and I'll get working on making these FES syringes. Oh, and the reversal agents too."

"We're done," Tiantus sighed.

Man, sure was a relief to get out of that mess. I was sure it would be a whole other story if they had even bothered to try the Chimera mutagens out for themselves. But nooo.

Anyway, I was glad that was over with at least.

[Lord Celebi]

OOC: Meant to say "silence," not "science." Oh well.

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga and bronislav84

The Hellcat VTOL helicopter touched down on the Deathwing's tarmac and deposited Raidon Makoto back onto his home. He quickly walked the airstrip to check out the repairs that had been made in his absence, and impressed, turned to walk towards the Navigations Room of the Deathwing. Once he was there, he sat down at his throne nonchalantly. Absent mindedly, he started tossing the PokeBall containing Celebi up and down in the air, contemplating what exactly to do with the Chronarch.

A welcoming party of Tyrus Hale, a returned Finch Reynolds, and Reg Lando came to greet him in the Navigations Room, followed by three people the dread lord didn't recognize. "Raidon, it's great to see you back in action!" Reynolds said first.

Still sulking, Makoto replied, "It's great to see you too, Finch." He then turned his attention to Lando and Hale, "Likewise to you two as well... And Tiantus, thanks for that earlier."

"No problem, bud," Hale replied.

Clutched in Reg Lando's hands was the Ancient Burst Heart that Noah Ashfield had acquired for Aqua and that Yarvick Xelsez used to decimate Harper Tower at the Battle of Goldenrod. When Lando realized Makoto had noticed it, he said: "We've discovered that the Ancient Burst Hearts are... haunted by a creature called Diabora. I've been working on severing the connection between the device and the monster in order to make them more useful."

Makoto's eyes widened. He flashed back to the images Celebi projected into his mind of Diabora destroying the corpse of the unknown woman. A pang gripped his heart as Makoto desperately replied to Lando: "Give me it." Confused, Lando handed the device over to Makoto, who pocketed it. "Thank you. I will need to investigate this myself."

Lando tried to talk Makoto out of it, "Raidon, you don't know what kind of horror you're walking into."

"I know full well what I'm dealing with. Celebi showed me everything," he explained, showing off the Pokeball to his comrades. Reynolds seemed the most interested, whilst Tyrus Hale tried his best to look unaffected and Reg Lando looked entirely disinterested. Few things really ever phased Lando. Makoto mused that, at his age, the man had probably seen everything at this point. What's another crazy adventure with Chronarchs and Death Gods?

"We also have some new recruits from the Hebijo ninja academy that have pledged fealty to your cause, Raidon," Hale tried to explain. He pointed to the muscle bound warrior in the middle first: "This is Shin. The tall fellow is Roku, and the girl is Raiki." The three nin bowed to Raidon Makoto and each made an oath to protect the dread lord of the Deathwing with their lives.

Makoto forced himself to crack a smile, "More bodyguards, you say? This will make things interesting. Send them to Peter Jennings for training. He's been my bodyguard for years; I think he'll have a few things to teach them." The three bowed and scooted off the deck of the Navigations Room, leaving the two Captains and Chief of Sciences with Raidon Makoto. Makoto crawled down the ladder behind his throne in the Navigations Room into a planning room below called the War Room. Said room was illuminated with screens displayed all kinds of combat data. In the middle was a large glass table with the Aqua A etched onto it. He left the hatch open in the event Noah Ashfield decided to join him.

"I managed to acquire Celebi, but it mindraped me... I'm really not okay right now," Makoto tried his best to summarize without breaking down again. "The Chronarch's main thrust was that we would be facing a challenge together: a creature called Diabora. Amongst other things, it played this image in my head over and over and over again of a woman whom I was led to believe was my wife violently ended by the creature. It was apparently something Diabora did in a parallel universe, but it etched the emotions onto my psyche. I want nothing more now than to wring Diabora's pipe-like neck until it chokes to death."

The three seemed unaware of where this was leading. "In short, I'm going to use the Ancient Burst Heart to fuse with Celebi and see if I can't do... something to Diabora. Right now, it's the only thing I think I can do to stay sane. You three are my closest friends; I'd like you to be here with me for support."

"We have your back, Raidon," Hale summarized for the group.

Makoto smiled--this time it was genuine. "Thanks," was all he could muster. He grabbed the Burst Heart from his jacked pocket and released the Chronarch from its Pokeball. "Okay, Celebi, time to Burst."

<WHAT?> the creature spat out, clearly not okay with the idea. Before it could protest any further, Makoto gripped the Burst Heart and the minds of the two melded into one.

Now it's time for me to do to you what you did to me, Celebi.

[Grassy_Aggron]

Claressa Nissa
En route to Kalos, currently approaching Orre
Affected RPers: bronislav84, because character mention.
Chips ahoy! …No, wait, I got that wrong…

The salty spray of the sea was something that Claressa didn’t quite like. Well, it wasn’t that, necessarily, it was the utter mess it made of hair and clothes. She had kept her doctor outfit on, admittedly, because of it, and didn’t want to ruin her normal clothes. The ship she was on had survived the battle at Goldenrod out of sheer dumb luck, the JND Maddening Dash was being decommissioned from its long lived military career. Seriously, she heard it had been built well over thirty years ago apparently, and at this point upgrading it was costing more than it was worth. It retained the rusty old harpoon on the front as its sole weapon, which had been made of extremely hard material and launching into the propellers of enemy ships. The purpose was simple, really – the harpoon would shatter the blades and bend the shaft with its impact, and perhaps even impale the ship itself to let water in when it was pulled out. That act in itself did more damage as well, leaving the ship crippled and filling with water.

And this ship was considerably fast. Not as fast as newer ships built to do the same thing nowadays, but it still was a force to be reckoned with. It was almost sad seeing it in its debilitated shape, and the graffiti that had changed its name to “Derpydash” was still being washed off. It currently read “Mepdenyngdash”. There were letters buried underneath it, but at least it was slowly being restored.

The captain was a retired naval officer himself, having been with the ship for a considerably long time. It was ironic he had retired before the ship had, and was in the process of buying it out for personal use. He seemed a bit disgruntled from his age, but she didn’t really feel he was crooked other than the high price he had demanded for his ship’s use. Captain Brooke, he went by, but it was perhaps a little closer to Captain Broke. He had quite the alcohol problem, it seemed, and his second-in-command was desperately trying to keep him sober. There were only a few other crewmates around, helping to keep it running and fishing off the side as they traveled. Surprisingly they were able to catch a few Remoraid, which were going to make excellent food later on.

Beside her, tawny paws and head hanging over the side of the ship, a massive lion was purring rather loudly. His fiery mane was currently warm to the touch, and his tail wagged in a surprisingly doglike fashion. Circus was enjoying the ocean despite being part Fire Type, and she had to wonder if, had they not been moving so fast, he would have jumped in for a swim. He loved water and the fish that swam within it, and was doing quite well in this environment.

Her bag of goodies sat next to her leg, and within it was quite a variety of goodies and necessary supplies. Tucked even further into it was the faulty Burst Heart, as Tony had insisted that even with the negative effects, having a means to protect herself was a necessity and that it wouldn’t hurt to use it once or twice. She had to agree, and since she also knew of the effects, it wouldn’t cause too much risk to herself. At least, that was the theory. Before she had gotten out of range of Johto, Murkiv had informed her he had published her research, and that another similar research paper had also come out from a doctor in Orre, by the name of Amelia Anthony. Claressa shrugged at the name, as she hadn’t heard of them before and frankly, their research was similar but likely had found different effects. She’d have to read it later, but it was more backing for the cause, at least.

In the meantime, she had been researching Kalos and, other than the disturbing legend behind the war, she found two likely culprits for the ones who had contacted her. They went by the names of Xerneas and Yveltal, with the former being known as the “Life Pokémon” and the latter as the “Destruction Pokémon”. She had to wonder why Yveltal wasn’t the one of death, but at the same time, that would create a huge panic and make people try to kill it… which she had a feeling was an impossible feat in its own way. Xerneas was said to share everlasting life, and when it “died” it released what life it had back into the environment, taking the shape of a tree for one thousand years. Similarly, Yveltal took the life force of everything around it before turning into a cocoon for the same amount of time. While there was no mention of everlasting life with that one, she had a feeling he could also grant some form of it… Although it likely wasn’t a pleasant form, however.

Xerneas was said to resemble a deer and Yveltal, a bird. One was a Fairy Type, the other, Dark and Flying. This was a problem if they wanted to battle as none of her Pokémon had any advantage on them. Still, her best bet was to use Circus as he was the strongest member on her team. Herby would be good for putting them to sleep or inflicting ailments, but she had to be careful in her approach. The first issue was just finding the dang things – she had a suspicion at least – and apparently she had to wake them up, and again, she wasn’t quite sure how. Maybe if she just touched them? No, preposterous, it was never that easy.

There was the issue of the third member, Zygarde, who apparently watched the ecosystem of Kalos. If she awoke both of them, would he come too? Or perhaps, since she was waking up opposites, they would neutralize each other and thus, keep everything balanced? Ugh, so many questions… Only really one way to find out. She glanced up as Circus nudged her side, and from where she was, she could see the glittering buildings of Gateon Port.

And yet…why did she feel like something was so wrong? The sun seemed hotter than normal, and her Pokegear picked up reports of earthquakes ravaging Orre, with a location centered north of Pyrite Town. That was odd, considering that town or the areas around it were not known to lie on top of a fault line, and a Pokémon using the move would be rather localized and not felt throughout the region. This heat…even a normal Sunny Day wouldn’t do. Something is very wrong here in Orre… Just what is happening to the world? Those Ancient Burst Hearts…are they behind this?

She had no idea that she was half right.

[Neo Emolga]

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

Well, coming up with a compromise finally worked.

Back in my lab, I had created plenty of FES syringes, probably more than we'd need and more than Tiantus would be happy to see, but hey, there was nothing from stopping someone on the top from just locking these up for safekeeping. But I figured I could sneak a few here and there for friends and such.

The reversal agents were being produced on the typical regular schedule as well. Again, I couldn't see how this would be a problem if we just watched over it, but hey, these were Tiantus's orders, not mine. Heck, if it was up to me, it's be free game for everyone on Team Aqua! In the meantime, Tiantus was busy welcoming Raidon back home, so I was working through Kaede.

"See, here you go!" I told Kaede, wheeling the cart full of reversal agents and FES syringes to her. "All set to party hearty. Also, since you wanted to know what kinds of research projects I wanted to work on next, I figured I'd continue work on Chimera evolution."

Kaede was satisfied to see I had paid attention to Taintus's orders (this time), but she looked at me strangely when I mentioned 'continuing work on Chimera evolution.'

"Isn't Chimera evolution complete?" She asked me. "I thought you confirmed it was successful."

"No, no, no, silly!" I laughed. "Chimera evolution to Stage 2 is complete. I'm talking about Chimera evolution from Stage 2 to 3 is what I'm going for. We have Mega Chimeras all set, now Ultra Chimeras are next!"

And then there was a dark moment of silence.

"Tell me you're joking," Kaede replied.

"Pah-leese," I laughed, blowing her off with my hand. "It's not that hard, I figure modifying the FES to administer a larger dose is really all you need! It's essentially the same process, just bigger!"

Ah no, that's not what she was referring to. I had a funny feeling about that, but hey, no biggie.

"Janine, how big do you estimate an Ultra Chimera will be?" Kaede asked me, looking even more doubtful.

Well, I really didn't know for sure! Probably pretty big! I mean, if that dragon... I mean Derek... ha, ha, Derek the Dragon had a funny ring to it! Anyway, if Derek were to evolve again and grow more than double in size, I'd say...

"...Probably 25-30 feet," I told her, acting casual about it. "And please, I know what you're thinking. I thought we went over this! Trust me, we've got it under control. You do, trust me, right?"

"You make it very hard," She replied, sighing.

"But you do!" I smiled. "Cool, then don't go all whoa, whoa, whoa on me! Ultra Chimeras are going to be a whole lot of fun. You see, it's all because you haven't tried being a Chimera yourself, Kaede! Anyone who's tried it seems to really like it! And even if you don't, hey, you've got all those reversal agents right there! Why do you think I made those?"

Duh, basic stuff here! See, the reason why Tiantus and Kaede didn't like this whole idea was totally because they hadn't tried it out. That's like calling ice cream and chocolate unhealthy and fattening without having tried it, and that was so not fair. I mean, if they really sat down and thought it over, they could come up with a great Chimera form of all their favorite Pokémon and I was sure they'd really like that once they took the plunge! Or hey, I'd gladly make one for them if they had trouble deciding! Although I wasn't sure if Kaede was fond of Lopunny. Judging by how she really didn't enjoy the doodles on my research notes... I'd say no.

"Fine, but only Captains should get this exclusive access," Kaede advised. "We don't want to lose a huge amount of grunts trying to take down a wayward Ultra Chimera."

" Kaede, why do you think they'd go renegade, hmm?" I asked her, thinking she was just being paranoid. "They haven't done so yet! Just relax and go whip up a strawberry-banana smoothie or something like that. Anyway, I say let it be free for anyone, but hey, we keep reversal agent guns around just in case. Trust me, they'll turn a big Ultra Chimera back to human, although it may take a little while. But the whole backwards evolution process will make sure they can't attack or have a nutty."

"Fine, but these really should only be used for combat's sake, unless under the use of a Captain," Kaede told me. "In the meantime, I'm not even sure how Raidon is going to react to Ultra Chimeras. He doesn't even know about the Mega ones at the moment."

Wow, I didn't think about that! This was going to be like a double Christmas for Raidon!

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Ruins of The Under, Under Colloseum, Orre
Affected RPers: None directly, though maybe Grassy_Aggron indirectly

She was spouting flames all over the place now. The heat felt stronger, too. Did Primal Groudon furn Fire type? I bet Amelia was the only one who knew that for sure. I wasn't comfortable with her having a type advantage on me, and bursting with Lappy the Lapras would be a bad idea due to the Drought effect. Ah, I got it. I'll burst with Drago the Hydreigon and hit her with Aqua Tail. Sure it's also going to be affected by drought, but I'll be able to get into the sky so not much of a downside. I decided to distract her with some conversation to give me time to switch Mons.

"So Amelia, where's your lab? Did it get destroyed by all the lava?" I concentrated and ended the burst with Leafy, then recalled him.

Amelia roared at me and spouted fire into the sky. She was either angry or not completely in control of Primal Groudon while bursting. She rampaged a bit and threw rocks at me, but I jumped around and sliced the smaller ones in half with my claws. Need to wait a bit to be able to burst agian. Then she answered me. "You probably didn't notice it while I summoned Groudon, but my lab was swallowed into a protective storage cube I had the Black Market Burst Heart Ring install for me, then the cube slid into the floor. My lab is fine." She explained as I counted out seconds. I really didn't notice when that happened. Keep talking lady.

"Are you sure it's going to survive all the lava?" I asked her. 30 seconds had passed. She shot some more fire into the sky in anger as I slashed her in the head, disorienting the behemoth burst form a bit.

She shook me off and I plummeted to the ground again, using a claw to avoid plunging into an area of lava. "Of course it might get damaged a bit on the outside, but the lab should be fine." My Burst Heart flashed that it was ready and I called out Drago, hanging above lava for dear life. "What are you doing?" She inquired as she roared and shot fire at us, meaning to cause a KO. I'd probably die from falling in the lava if the fire didn't kill me.

I was unafraid as I merged with Drago and knocked the Fire Blast away with Dragon Pulse. "This! Time to end this!" Amelia roared in anger as she stomped around, using Eruption in futility as I flew around.

I now had Drago's main head as a visor, while his secondary heads were gloves on my wrists. His wings had turned into a jet pack and I also had his tail. I was wearing armor that resembled his hide. I concentrated and charged up a water covered tail attack. Though Aqua Tail would be weakened by Drought, I was hoping the force of the hit would make her lose consciousness. Flying at high speed I smacked Primal Groudon-Amelia in the face with Aqua Tail. There was actually a loud thunk as the attack connected. She would probably feel that in the morning............And it worked! Primal Groudon was teetering oddly and flailing around. Amelia shot some more fire into the sky in futility and anger as I hit her with another Aqua Tail to the face, bringing the behemoth down into it's own lava. There was a shockwave as Primal Groudon hit the ground. Amelia was about to de-burst and die from the lava. I didn't have any time! Have to do this fast.

I quickly called out Lappy. "Lappy, summon a Surf attack to cool all the lava!" I honestly had no idea if that would work, but she sent out a lot of water and summoned a wave. Guess it was true that Water types had a water producing organ in their body. Or something to that effect.

Regardless, the lava was cooled and Amelia de-bursted with Groudon. She was disoriented from the fight, having trouble standing up next to the behemoth. Groudon had lost it's glowing yellow coloring and was resting. Amelia recalled it and pocketed the ball in her lab coat shakily.

"It was a bit cheap I think, but we believe you've earned this Ancient Burst Heart. More or less. And it was a good fight. I hope you have as much fun talking to the Voice of the Heart as I did. In my seclusion I was able to learn a lot from him." Enjoy talking to him? I wouldn't go that far. Then she handed me the ABH and I added it to my necklace next to my regular BH, placing the two in my bosom. For now he was quiet, probably shocked at the change of hands. "Now if you'll excuse me, I feel tired from this endeavor. I will go ahead and shut down the other black market bases, except the one in Hoenn since I know Aqua operates from Hoenn." Amelia pulled out a small device shaped like a smartphone and tapped a couple of buttons onscreen. A large metallic cube then slid out from the floor. It was quite singed, blackened, and charred, but more or less alright. The eruptions had damaged the outside. If I had to guess, I'd say her lab was safe inside. She then fainted in my arms as I held her up, still bursted with Drago.

I then called up my squad to tell them our Op here was over. "You guys alright? Our Op here is over. I need an evac for a large cube."

Amanda answered for the others. "We're alright. Drago brought us to the landing point. I'll bring the Hellcat to pick you two up." I could hear the sound of engines as she started up the chopper. "What's this about a cube?"

"Just get here and you'll see." I told her as I hung up. I then ended the burst with Drago and recalled him, sending out Blaze the Blaziken and Leafy the Venusaur while I waited. Soon the chopper was here and Amanda was waving to me in the cockpit. She was very much bewildered about what had happened, but knew I'd tell her later.

"Blaze I need you to lift the cube while Leafy secures it with vines for transport. You two can handle that right?" The three of us moved over to the cube as the chopper hovered above it.

Blaze lifted the cube with her strength while Leafy wrapped it up snugly with vines, severing them from the flower on his back. The whole setup looked like a giant sling. We then attached it to the bottom of the Hellcat, I recalled my Pokes, and we all headed for Hoenn. Together we were five Hebijo ninja-assassins, one passed out scientist carrying one of the world's Legends, and an ABH I didn't even expect to end up having. I hoped all this was worth it. I had to remember to ask Amelia how she even came to possess Groudon and to explain what this Voice of the Heart was.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((OOC: This turned out to be an extremely short post. Also, as Geneva doesn't exist, I'll instead state that effectively the same event was made at the 'Zone' areas of sinnoh, specifically the Resort Zone.))

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Pacifidlog Town, Hoenn, en-Route to Sandgem Town, Sinnoh
Affected RPers: N/A

Oceanus got to Pacifidlog town in just a handful of minutes, what with Mirage Island being so close. Oceanus knew to come in covertly and without much attention, but it was easier than anticipated to pass; apparently they had launched half of their marine defense from here in some incredibly dumb maneuver to kill Aqua, which actually just made them stronger in the long run if the two shiny new ships were any indication of it whatsoever. The local law enforcement and military were either standing their ground, thinking of negotiation with Aqua, or just getting as many people on boats leaving Hoenn as possible.

He had been told to come legally. No stowing away or anything. He compensated for the need to pay by nicking some rich guy's wallet and taking out about 300 dollars, then putting it back in to avoid suspicion. It was supposed to be a fast cruise to Sandgem Town, but he decided, why not luxury while he was at it? As long as it was fast, it wouldn't kill him, it would still take the same time, and of course, as long as he paid in cash, it was legal, right?

Getting the ticket was a forgettable moment. His excuse of winning a small sum of money from a scratch-off and his forged civvie papers and passport were enough to get aboard a nice, quick ship to Sandgem, the S.S. Brazen. It was a civilian ship, it was relatively small, and it cut through incredibly rough waves like a hot knife through butter. Pokemon-proofed (to prevent those many casualties from stuff like Jellicient, Tentacruel, the like) and with a light military guard due to the 'Aqua Catastrophe' (Oh, that one tickled his heartstrings), it was unlikely he'd get visitors in his small little cabin. He also got a complimentary, brand-new jacket for being the 1,000,001st person to buy a boat ticket there (the 1,000,00th person, the father for a group, got premium tickets for free). A rare flourish of good luck for a man who seemed to only get bad luck. Of course, it was possible that someone would recognize him for being the owner of Deoxys, for some unfailable reason...

...Who was he kidding? Even if it was cocky, Yarvick would NEVER be found or even suspected his identity was so secure. He was a lowly, dirty street rat, not at all capable of reigning in the likes of Deoxys, and his face was never known outside of his eye color-and ANYONE could have his eye color. He paid to get on the ship legally, with legal tender (that he illegally took), and he was doing this in a completely legitimate fashion. Admist all the chaos and destruction and panic, who would pay remote attention to a lowly street rat? Not even the paranoid conspiracy theorists believed the lowly street rat could be responsible for anything.

It was just the way he liked it.

Yarvick had to admit though, Aqua was making a considerable turnaround from what he was initially believing. As Tiantus had said, any doubts in his mind that Aqua were actually going to succeed were now in question, at least-the military scattered, the government in no small manner of disarray after a pair of political assassinations (one being the President, the second his direct runner-up in the line of succession), and a new a**kicking dictator on the rise starting to reach out to Hoenn military leaders, asking to pull resources and join up with the man who ripped Goldenrod a whole new one. Suddenly his job security seemed more secure; now his job wouldn't evaporate into thin air because of a lack of proper employers.

Of course, knowing his luck, some region-probably Johto or Orre-would probably whip out a nuke, screw Resort Conventions, and punch the region's ticket to hell.

But, that wasn't really on his mind. What was on his mind was his dad. The question was only a minor one, until now. Why all the specific routes and the secrecy and the seeming paranoia? What was that important? Yarvick didn't need much to gather that it may have been related to why his Mother was equally determined to keep all information away from Yarvick, but no simple paranoid conspiracy theorist could inspire THAT much worry. Something was wrong about this in a manner he had no idea about.

He'd find out what all the fuss was about when they met. Hopefully.

Yarvick also kind of wanted to plan out what he'd hit on the way there, because no trip without a heist was a worthwhile one. He didn't get very far, though. He hadn't returned to Sinnoh in a long time, he needed planning time for a specific job that typically took a good while (at it's shortest, half of a day), and no particular targets came to mind. He would have immediately thought of Rowan's Lab, but he knew where he got Rhea from, what happened there, and he would not be fooled into thinking better security had NOT been installed since that incident.

He almost totally forgot: That incident at the Labs. In a typical burst of bad luck, Yarvick was caught stealing Rhea from Rowan by an Assistant coming out of the doorway without any warning at all. Sandgem police may have forgotten, but Rowan probably wouldn't have. Yarvick would make SPECIAL note to keep the HELL away from the professor, his assistants, and any other associates of the Rowan Pokemon Laboratories as much as humanly possible. It may have been possible they forgot as well, but Rowan was a stubborn old man with a great ability when it came to Pokemon Battling and a mind of great potential. There was no way HE (or the assistant that saw him) forgot about THAT.

The return trip home would be a little harder than anticipated, but it was only one small speed bump. Avoiding it was not a massive problem, and he could only see the rest of the journey going smoothly. Sinnoh was a continent currently not at war with anyone; what kind of problems could he cross?

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo Cottontails" Ashfield
AMS Pure Anarchy Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: [mention]Lord Celebi[/mention

I had overheard from one of the grunts that Raidon was back in town, but he was acting different and stressed out. I figured it was probably better to just give him some space for now. But according to the grunt, he had acquired Celebi, but not before the little green fairy had mind****ed him, showing him crap from alternate dimensions and universes. Yeah, I think my brain would probably be turned to mush if that happened to me.

"He mentioned Diabora," Frank Bueller told me. "It's... unsettling, considering the only ones that knew about Diabora before were you, Yarvick, and Lando along with the rest of his team. As far as I'm convinced, no one informed Raidon about him."

"Diabora is just an annoying bastard," I told Bueller, shrugging. "I don't see where the threat is. The only thing the guy actually knows how to do is just annoy and taunt people."

"Hate to say it, but considering what I overheard from Raidon himself, Diabora isn't just some prankster or some prick like that," Bueller replied. "He's a bona-fide mass-murderer that's out of control. You'd better talk to him yourself. Tell him that you, Yarvick, and Lando are already well-aware of Diabora's presence here."

Not exactly what I was looking forward to, but I figured it was now or never. This was definitely not something to delay another further. If we were looking to give this son of a ***** a long dirt nap, we needed to come up with some kind of idea on how to do that.

I figured I'd join Raidon in the Navigations Room. Raidon didn't know about all the other details, and I had a feeling he had seen something that we probably should start preparing for. I was all for kicking Diabora's sorry ass into paste, but the best way to do that was to know more about what we were dealing with.

I had headed into the War Room through the hatch. What I saw wasn't what I had expected to see, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Raidon had used the Ancient Burst Heart to fuse with Celebi. I was a little taken back at the sight, not sure what to make of it. What exactly what Raidon intending to do in that form?

"Boss, are you...?" I started asking.

But the answer was soon obvious. Diabora wasn't just some jackass playing around with humans or Burst Hearts and getting a laugh out of it. No, it sounded like something far worse, especially considering it was making Raidon react... strangely.

But from what it looked like, Raidon had another idea in mind when it came to the Ancient Burst Hearts and Diabora. He wasn't going to just sever the link between the two.

He was going to use the Ancient Burst Heart against Diabora himself...


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

What I held in my hands... was the key to ultra fun and exciting times for everyone!

I figured out the precise amount of FES to administer to turn a Mega Chimera into an Ultra Chimera! It was roughly about a half gallon of the stuff. So yeah, it was a pretty big needle, but oh, whoever got the chance to use this would be in Chimera heaven! Most of these grunts couldn't imagine how big, huge, and powerful an Ultra Chimera could really be! I mean sure, I did all the calculations, but it would be no where near as cool as seeing the real thing in action!

Normally, I'd give Raidon the chance to try it first since hey, he was the big cheese after all, but he hadn't even tried Chimera mutagens yet. Guess I couldn't blame him with him being a busy guy all the time, but man, it kind of felt like cooking a nice, porterhouse steak for Raidon only to find out he decided to become a vegan.

I decided to call up Kaede on the phone, considering she was busy working on something bleh that probably wasn't even nearly as exciting. Yeah, probably some killjoy thing like nutrition pills that would eliminate the need to eat actually something great and tasty. Anyway, she eventually picked up the phone and I gave her the great news.

"Hey Kaede, guess what?" I asked her with a smile. "It's Ultra Chimera time! Turns out all we needed was just a half-gallon dosage! Took a little balancing trial and error, but hey, it wasn't so bad! There was no trick or gimmick needed, just a little extra FES to kick Ultra Evolution into gear!"

"Hooray..." Kaede replied sarcastically. "We're doomed."

Man, with that kind of attitude, she was going to got a special Chimera surprise right in her sleep. Ha, ha, I could just picture that! Kaede, all snuggled up and cozy in her pajamas, trying to get her beauty sleep, suddenly wakes up screaming as she's turning into a big, goofy Pokémon! Hey, maybe I'd go with Lopunny/Aromatisse/Sylveon on her! But darn, then she'd definitely know it was me! That might evolve into a big "jab the other person with an awful Chimera mutagen" game and... hey, you know what, that actually sounded like fun!

"Aww, come on, don't be like that," I told her. "Look, trust me, it's going to work out fine! And if it doesn't, then fine, I owe you a pizza."

"Wha- a pizza!?" She asked, sounding totally baffled. "That's your idea of reparation?"

"Fine, geez, if you wanted Cinna-sticks too, I'll get them," I just laughed. "But hey, I know it's going to work out anyway. Anyway, if it would make you happy, I'll have someone dependable try it out. Trust me, you won't need to worry about a thing."

"Every time you say I don't need to worry about a thing, somehow I feel like I should trust you even less," Kaede moaned.

Yeah, someone really needed their naptime.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
International Waters, En-Route to Sandgem Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

"What?!" Said a voice outside the cabin, just loud enough to penetrate into the room.

Yarvick, awoken from his slumber and ever the curious one, moved out to look. It had turned to night at this point, the nearly-full moon prominent in the sky and glistening stars above, forming a cloak that was the visible galaxy. Yarvick was only wearing pants at this point, and his gear was on his other pieces of clothes, aside from some Reversal Vaccines-useless to him right now. Not that he had any intent of barging in and making a conflict imminent. He looked out the porthole and saw two men; shrouded by Darkness, he could only make out that one of them was HUGE, and another more reasonably built, and was now nervous judging from posture, as the big man looked down upon him.

"I assure you-there was nothing we could do about preventing the capture. Ours was only a singular scout without a weapon or combat-ready Pokemon, versus a man with a mastery of swordsmanship and a Legend as his ally," The average one said. "In any case...The majority of the fight did not occur in Ilex Forest. Celebi and Makoto vanished to else ware, presumably the time-stream itself, to carry out combat in peace. The Scout could do nothing to intervene."

THAT got Yarvick interested. He listened in as much as possible.

"...Tell the scout that next time he is not to come without a weapon. We could have assassinated Makoto and taken Celebi while it was in the Poke Ball if he was armed with so much as a pistol," The large man said, still stern. "This is a colossal setback, Month Helgus, a colossal setback...Months of hunting down the Chronarch, and we're upstaged by a man who just happened to visit just that day, after demolishing Goldenrod no less...A man now taking over Hoenn as well, worryingly. It was perhaps our only shot at obtaining the Chronarch and making the Altar, unless of course, Dialga decides to show himself to us. Make sure to express this to THAT scout in perfectly clear terms," He added.

"Yes, sir," 'Month' Helgus said.

"Is there any more intelligence that needs to come to my attention?" The big man said.

"No, sir, but I have made sure scouts are keeping track of Aqua's next moves, specifically Makoto's. We are aware that Raidon Makoto has bodyguards at this juncture, but not much else," Helgus said. "They can be re-positioned to other goals if you need them, sir, as always."

"Excellent. Keep them on Raidon and the rest of Aqua. I do not feel I need to be saying this, but if any plans to attack Sinnoh are made, especially those directed at the Coalition, alert us immediately," the big man said.

"Yes, Sir, Year Velvetine" Helgus said.

"That is all. Dis...Actually, no. I have one more thing." 'Year' Velvetine said, having moved away from the man a few paces, away from Yarvick's cabin, and finally becoming illuminated. The man was heavily scarred, with a massive slash mark coming from the back of his head to the front, and he had quite clearly shaved the whole head of platinum-blonde hair to nigh-nonexistence. He wore some kind of leather military jacket, fitting for extreme cold. He couldn't be older than thirty. In his hands was, quite visibly, a gilded pocketwatch, and on his hips, aside from his belt of Pokemon, was a singular, sheathed sword. It was NOT curved in any manner, it was straight as an arrow, and it was a one-handed weapon, but Yarvick could not begin to guess what, exactly, the sword was. He was not an expert on swords.

"What is it, sir?" Helgus asked, not moving.

Velvetine turned around, revealing the scar had went all the way around his head in a mighty slash that narrowly missed his right eye. His face was stern, and seemed to be as old and experienced as possible, for a man who could not have left his prime. He had no facial hair and a rather recessed nose, which made his frown and furrowed, protruding brow very prominent. "I did not go up to Mount Coronet with the intent to see almost everyone under my command dead. I did not go up to Mount Coronet just to come back with a massive scar, a few broken toenails, and my friends, soldiers and kindred spirits dead because of a spurt of madness on part of my superior. And I did not come back down and create our Coalition to see it fail. If you believe that there could be a point where we could assassinate Makoto and secure Celebi, alert me immediately, and tell your scouts to do likewise-and act on it if at all possible. Dialga is thus far proving to be a wild goose chase at best, but now Celebi is in a fixed position, within Makoto's grasp. This could still be it. We could make the Altar of Guiding Fate with just a few well-timed bullets to the skull. Do you understand how important it is?"

"Yes sir, I understand completely," Helgus said. "The Altar is absolutely critical...It's everything. I've put my life on the line for this, sir, I can't bear to see the Clockwork Coalition fall at this stage," He added.

The Clockwork Coalition...The Altar of Guiding Fate...Yarvick couldn't have claimed to know what those were. They were definitely in Sinnoh, though, and they definitely weren't friendly. He'd tell Raidon all the juicy details when he got back.

"Excellent, Helgus. That is all for now." Velvetine said, turning around again and leaving. Helgus walked off the other way, and Yarvick made good note to get back into bed as he passed.

The Clockwork Coalition could be some trouble, Yarvick figured, but hey, it was not as-if he was going to be looking for them anyways. He was just going on a trip to meet his 'dad,' and he'd already planned for whatever could go wrong there. There were clearly a few small speed bumps ahead, but as long as Yarvick was cautious, he'd be fine. He would not be intentionally attracting attention to himself anyways, so there should be no reason that he'd have an abnormally tough time of things...Right?

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
War Room, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga
==MEGA CELEBI BURST MODE==

The first thing Raidon Makoto noticed was that his body felt tingly. Celebi disappeared into a bolt of light and enveloped his body. The light invaded his very pores, creating a new skin around his body not unlike an exoskeleton. Muscular green armor covered his body, whilst green, rootlike claws with highlighted red tips covered his hands and feet. His face became a pale green as a head piece extended back from his head and curled its way around to his feet. Once his consciousness merged with that of Celebi's, the whole of time and space appeared before him. Suddenly, Celebi's ravings made sense. The multiverse could be cracked like a nut and the feelings that Celebi had grafted onto him earlier stuck out like a sore thumb.

Makoto floated into the air and crossed his legs, beginning a deep chronal meditation. As he began to do so, Noah Ashfield climbed down the metal ladder into the war room and joined the Tyrus Hale and company around the large table. "Boss, are you...?" he began.

In an effort to expend as little energy as possible, Makoto looked Ashfield and merely extended a single finger, beaming the entirety of the last four hours of his life into Ashfield's mind. The mind meld would give Ashfield a complete understanding of what Makoto intended to do.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the nascent tachyons--the time particles--in the room. They were not at all of place, and in no danger of causing a paradox. They were particles in the place Arceus intended them to be at at the time it saw fit. Calmed by this observation, the Mega Celebi Burst began to project what was going on inside of his mind to the minds of the other four in the room. I'll be damn sure to give them a show.

Raidon Makoto, sans Celebi Burst armor, and Celebi floated together in the nothingness of Makoto's mind. The two could read each other's thoughts explicitly. Initially, Makoto hoped to transmit what he felt to Celebi and hopefully force it to have a taste of its own medicine. However, once the dread lord of the Deathwing accessed the Eternal Chronarch's mind, millions of years of its personal history flooded his thoughts. Raidon Makoto went into Celebi's mind seeking revenge and instead found understanding. Celebi was brash--it was hoping to avert the future it feared for itself by ruining Raidon Makoto. It couldn't see itself at the dictator's side several billion years from now and wanted to nip it in the bud before he could. While his personal stake in the matter cried out foul play, Makoto's higher level reasoning understood Celebi's rationale.

And Celebi... despite Makoto's best efforts, experienced firsthand the terror that it put Makoto through. The Chronarch screamed in the same way Makoto did, watching a being that it loved with all its heard gored by Diabora. Feeling sympathy for the creature, Makoto put his astral arm around the projection of the onion fairy and patted it on the back. "It's okay."

Celebi's emotions were too much for the link though. A deep, growling laughter could be heard in the background as the mental link Makoto established amongst the five people in the room became taut, pulling the three Captains and Tyrus Hale into the dread lord and the Chronarch's shared mind. Astral projections of Hale, Reynolds, Lando, and Ashfield all appeared surrounding Makoto and Celebi.

"I wasn't expecting this," Makoto defended himself.

<Oh, but I was,> the growl bellowed, revealing itself from the shadows. A gaunt, black figure stepped before Makoto. Its cable like sinews threaded through a chilling exoskeleton, terminating in claws longer than Makoto's arm dripping in blood. The creature was topped with a helmet-like face and a smile enough to drive weaker men crazy plastered on top. It was Diabora. <I have gathered the three pieces that could possibly stop me, all in one convenient basket. Raidon Makoto, the seed of Zhu-Quiao... Noah Ashfield, the seed of Qinglong... and Celebi, the seed of Xuanwu.> Diabora started to laugh before it lashed out at Makoto's astral projection, hoping to slice Makoto into several pieces. The dread lord parried with his own swords.

"Let's teach you to put all your eggs into one basket," Makoto declared, smiling defiantly at the destroyer.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper, in transit from Ruins of The Under in Orre to Mirage Island in Hoenn
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, Neo Emolga, and (Indirectly) Grassy_Aggron

We flew in silence for a while, all of us reflecting on what we've been through. I was driving the chopper, while the others fought each other for training. Amelia was sleeping.

One, we recruited three Hebijo dropouts, successfully finishing their training.
Two, we successfully shut down all regions' sans Hoenn's access to Burst Hearts on the black market, and those bases were ordered to cease all operations then liquidate their remaining stock.
Three, we secured a contract for a Burst Heart expert to work for Aqua.
Four, we effectively obtained Groudon for Aqua, which could lead to finding Kyogre. I'd have to remember to ask Amelia exactly how she happened to have Groudon in the first place, though.
Five, I obtained an Ancient Burst Heart.

A really great turnout for this Op. Extremely great. I was sure the boss would be proud of us. Dan had sent our report ahead to HQ, to be forwarded to relevant people in charge, and that we were returning for debriefing. It was known I didn't stay around too long between missions. Well, not usually. Amelia finally broke the silence, waking up.

"I miss talking to my Master." She said rather curtly and bluntly.

"Oh? Well he hasn't said a thing to me since the ABH exchanged hands. Is he usually this silent?" I inquired of her, not turning away from the controls.

Amanda sat down in the co-pilot's seat, while Amelia walked up behind me to watch the clouds stream by. We were moving slower than normal due to carrying the cube with her lab equipment in it. "Why no, he's usually talkative. Maybe he's afraid of you?...........No, he wouldn't be afraid of you. He doesn't always talk to me, just sometimes."

"I see." I said as we flew over a small ship. It looked really run down and actually had holes in it, making me wonder how it kept afloat. No armaments, just a harpoon gun. I looked away as I suddenly had an idea. "Maybe if I use the ABH to burst?"

She shrugged, though I could only see it out of the corner of my eye. "It couldn't hurt. Try it. Maybe then the Voice of the Heart will talk to you."

"Amanda, take the controls." I requested of her, then when she did I walked over to the back of the chopper. No telling what would happen when I used this thing.

Pulling out Beauty the Gardevoir's Ball I summoned her out. She knew exactly what I was planning, being Psychic, and while she was hesitant she too was interested in how it would feel to burst using an ABH. "Just to be doubly sure, I will burst with the Psychic member of my Pokémon party." I turned to Beauty. "You ready? I have no idea how this will be different from using a normal BH, so I have to be sure."

<Uhmm.......yes. Let's do it.> She said as I pulled the ABH from my bosom and held it up to join with her. Without warning, Amelia ran over and put her hand on my shoulder. What was she planning?

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see if anything went wrong and hoping it didn't. When it was over I felt taller, like I was wearing high heels. I almost fell over but managed to keep my balance. I opened my eyes and looked down at myself. Something was obstructing my vision slightly. My hair had moved down my face and turned green with some locks moving over my eyes, while I had claws on my hands. Or maybe they were just really long fingernails. I honestly couldn't tell. Also felt like my ears had lengthened, since I could actually see Gardevoir ears out of the corner of my eyes they were so long now. I still had my body shape, but I also had white skin. Was it skin, though? The front spike Gardevoir had on their chest had turned into two and was wrapped around the front of my figure like a skimpy bikini bra with what felt like another in the back as part of my spine. I looked further down and saw I had a wide round dress attached to my body, and parting it I saw why I felt taller. I was actually wearing heels, kinda, though they were part of my feet in this form. I was also wearing some really tiny and skimpy green underwear more fitting for the beach than anything else, but it also felt like part of me and not actually underwear. And then it finally dawned on me. I felt almost naked, literally. This wasn't armor! It was actually what I had become, though it wasn't really that immodest. What the heck kind of twisted Mega-Gardevoir-human-hybrid did I become, though? Okay.........that would take some getting used to.

I was about to de-burst due to still not hearing a peep from the one Amelia referred to as the Voice of the Heart, when I felt like I was yanked by the neck by an invisible force. Struggling to breathe and trying not to pass out, I was moved across what looked like space as stars passed by. Still gasping for air I was dropped to my knees in blackness and drew in sweet oxygen as I looked around and stood up. Amelia was with me with her hand still on my shoulder, though she too was gasping for air. She must have somehow guessed this would happen, whatever this was. Then I looked down at myself and saw I'd lost my burst form and Beauty was psychic-floating nearby instead, also gasping for air, though I still had my weapons. Amelia stood up and looked around as well.

There were five other people in the 'room', the really high ranking members of the team, and was that Celebi? If they saw us, they didn't give notice. The boss spoke first. "I wasn't expecting this."

<Oh, but I was.> A loud and gruff voice spoke from the shadows as it stepped out, seemingly from nowhere. An extremely thin and lean black figure stepped before the boss. It's cable-like tendons threaded through a chilling exoskeleton, ending in claws longer than the boss' arm, and was that blood at the end? The creature was topped with a helmet-like face and had on a wicked smile. I only had seconds to analyze it as I ran over to join whatever this congregation was. WHAT. THE. HECK. WAS. I. LOOKING. AT? For that matter, where were we?

"MASTER!" Yelled Amelia, completely unafraid or surprised as she moved to hug the monster but I grabbed her arm and stopped her. Did she just call that Master? What the what? For a moment I twisted my face into an expression of confusion, then disgust, then I just sighed.

<I have gathered the three pieces that could possibly stop me, all in one convenient basket. Raidon Makoto, the seed of Zhu-Quiao... Noah Ashfield, the seed of Qinglong... and Celebi, the seed of Xuanwu.> The monster started to laugh as it tried to slash at the boss but was stopped by his katanas. It then turned toward us for a second. Curse Amelia for giving me away! <Ah, and the one who defeated my disciple to obtain her Ancient Burst Heart. The wildcard.> It turned back to the others. <Everybody's here. Delicious.>

"Let's teach you to put all your eggs into one basket." boss declared, smiling defiantly at the thing.

"Yes, let's." I clicked my claws open ready to attack if I had to, and nodded to the boss that I was ready. Confused as all heck, but ready. "Hope I'm not late to the party, boys?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, bronislav84

This was on a totally different messed-up level.

Raidon was totally covered from head to toe in pale green armor while his fingertips were replaced with red claws that reminded me of roots. I hadn't even seen Celebi yet, and here Raidon was Mega Bursting with him. And then, I could only wonder what was going through Raidon's mind when you suddenly opened up the doors of time and infinite possibilities in one bang like that.

I swore, his brain must have felt overcharged.

He began to float, and then he pointed his finger, and suddenly, everything Raidon had seen was rushed into my own head like a tidal wave. Alternate dimensions, alternate version of Raidon, his master Lordran and the fight he was forced to have with him, the slaughter of Diabora, and then... Raidon's wife, a total scramble of what was and what could have happened. Raidon's fight with Celebi wasn't just a battle, it was a god-forsaken brain-rape.

I felt like I was ready to **** bricks after having that sequence of images surged into my head.

"W-what the... hell was...?" I muttered, totally taken back.

I felt like I wanted to throw up, and while I was mentally exhausted, my body couldn't understand what had been holding me back. Raidon and Celebi were literally fighting a war of minds against each other, and until it was resolved, I knew this mind-rape wasn't going to get any easier.

Just breathe and don't puke.

Diabora wasn't just some prick. He was a mastermind of massacres and merciless slaughter. That bastard had power overwhelming and he was just toying with us only for as long as he was entertained by humans and Pokémon killing each other. The whole planet was nothing more than a god-forsaken jester's court to him and we were just the fools running around pointing guns at each other like this was just some theatrical performance. As soon as it got boring, we were all beyond dead. He could just char-broil everyone and everything at any given moment.

I barely recovered from that mind-screw until I realized Raidon was projecting the images in his mind into the room like a hologram. Thoughts and visions were thrown into chaos throughout the room, and I couldn't watch it fast enough until it was gone. What I saw next was retribution, Celebi being forced to experience the same rift of hell that it had put Raidon through, but before it could forever traumatize the fairy, Makoto consoled it, patting it on the back with a simple "it's okay."

And as if it couldn't even before more of a mind-rape for us, it only got worse. The growling laughter of Diabora echoed maniacally throughout the room, and while Finch and Tiantus were unfamiliar with it, Lando and myself knew that bastard all too well. There was no mistaking that. We were suddenly pulled into Celebi's and Raidon's shared mind.

The first thing I realized was I wasn't in that black bunny form anymore. Felt a little strange to regain my bearing as a human once again, but it wasn't that unfamiliar. As Lando would put it, there were a hell of a lot less tails, fur, and hair to go around. Almost made me feel more mobile. But something else was bothering me.

"I wasn't expecting this," Raidon spoke, taking a defensive position.

<Oh, but I was,> Diabora growled.

I then saw what Diabora looked like in full form. He was a huge, black and gaunt figure covered with a exoskeleton and four-foot long claws totally splattered in blood. Meanwhile, his face was just a dark and hideous helmet with a toothy grin that could shred souls apart.

"MASTER!"

I had turned to see some pale-skinned, blond-haired woman in a lab coat and Karai had showed up, thought I wasn't sure how. I didn't know who that other blond was, but she was suddenly enthralled by Diabora, fearless and almost mesmerized by him before Karai had pulled her away. Karai seemed to be a mix of disgusted and embarrassed almost.

<I have gathered the three pieces that could possibly stop me, all in one convenient basket. Raidon Makoto, the seed of Zhu-Quiao... Noah Ashfield, the seed of Qinglong... and Celebi, the seed of Xuanwu.>

And then he turned toward Karai. I could tell she was a little pissed that lab rat had just totally given her away. I didn't know who that dumb blond was, but I figured I'd just refer to her as Blonde Zombie.

<Ah, and the one who defeated my disciple to obtain her Ancient Burst Heart. The wildcard.>

It just seemed like no matter what we tried to do, he seemed to be one step ahead. It was as if he wasn't even fazed at the fact Team Aqua was one of the big players here in this world war. Potentially, we could end it and screw with his plans.

<Everybody's here. Delicious.>

He laughed at he attacked Raidon in his astral projection form, but Raidon was faster and quickly parried Diabora's attack with his dual katanas.

"Let's teach you to put all your eggs into one basket," Raidon grinned with a sneer, standing defiantly in front of Diabora.

"Yeah, let's," Karai readied her razor-edged claws. "Hope I'm not late to the party, boys?"

"Far from it," I told her. "Let's shove this assclown's face up his own ******* so no one has to see it ever again."

Still, there was something else that Diabora mentioned that was strange to me.

What the devil did Diabora mean that I was the seed of Qinglong?

And Zhu-Quiao... Xuanwu? What the hell were those? Was there something I was missing? It all seemed hazy for a moment, but there were scraps of ideas... dreams... I wasn't sure what they were but I figured it was an aftereffect of that mind-flay that had been done on me. Considering the aspect of Mega Celebi and all the cross-dimensions it had intersected, I wasn't surprised.

<...>

Who... or what was Qinglong? For a minute, I began to think I could sense the presence of this Qinglong that Diabora was talking about, but it seemed so distance that I couldn't tell if it was just a stupid part of my imagination or if in fact there was something else out there and there was more to this than I thought there was.

<Inhale sweet death.> Diabora laughed, floating higher into the air. <You entertain me with your bravado, your hope, and your dreams. And I give you Xoven and Saxiv, the spillers of intestines, the devourers of hearts, the prime nightmares!>

As if summoned through two black holes, Xoven had emerged from the left dark portal while Saxiv emerged from the one on the right.

Xoven was a forty foot tall black, armor-plated hydra with eleven draconic heads that had teeth dripping with what could only be described as shadow blood. Meanwhile, a massive, butt-ugly face was grafted into his chest, as if this bastard needed yet another mouth to eat with. The tail also had more spikes on it than a god-forsaken cactus from Hell.

"FEAST OF FLESH, FEAST OF FLESH!" The eleven heads in chanted in a deranged giddiness.

And Saxiv was some kind of unknown blob of boiling black goo, but it kept trying to create the image of a hundred eyeless faces, all moaning in agony. It looked big enough to cover a whole building, and I didn't want to guess what the hell it did to whatever edible thing it smothered.

<NOW ENTERTAIN ME, YOU FOOLS!> Diabora shrieked with laughter.

I was totally unarmed. No rocket launcher, no ninja black bunny powers, not a damn thing. Damn, all I had was just the regular Burst Heart. Didn't even know how or why I held onto it for this long, but it was better than nothing at this point.

I decided to Burst with Snuff the Dragonite. Wasn't sure how far I'd get with this, but it was better than nothing. With a rapid flash of light, I had melded with Snuff, but something went screwy with it. It was like the whole logic behind using a Burst Heart went wrong and I ended up with a totally strange outcome. I didn't just Burst with Snuff, I somehow had become him entirely. And unlike the previous times I had done this, our minds didn't meld together. I was just totally a Dragonite now.

The Burst Heart was also gone. The hell, did that mean I was stuck like this!?

There really wasn't any time to think about it. Saxiv the big, black blob of death, slithered toward me, and I had the option of trying to sit there in a stupor to figure it out and get slowly digested by this greasy bastard goo or actually fight this enormous sack of crap and worry about the details later. I immediately took flight, and despite Dragonite's pudgy gut and heavy body, the wings were actually still effective. I took the air, but again, something seemed weird about flying in this astral world. Everything was so dreamlike where the logic of everything made little sense.

I launched a Dragonbreath attack at Saxiv, at least for starters. I was too high up for him to attack, but I was sure he would home some kind of method to attack me out of the skies. For some reason, the Dragonbreath attack came out much stronger and intense than how it should have been. It stunned Savix for a few moments, but come a few seconds later, it didn't look like it had done much to stop him.

Somehow, I was going to need to figure what was really going on here.


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

Kaede just didn't understand. Typical.

I was going to try to find Noah and have him test out the big FES syringe to become an Ultra Chimera, but he just didn't seem to be around. I was also told he was having a chat with Raidon, so maybe it would probably be better to either wait for come up with something else. As much as I'd love to try it out myself, I was too tempted to use it on the fluffy angel bunny form, which might very well just become a giant cloud with bunny ears if I actually went ahead with that. Ha, ha, and one little wind puff might have me floating away like a balloon! Might be a good idea to think of something a little different.

"Okay, let's just agree on something for once," I told Kaede. "I know what you're thinking, that fluffy bunny form of mine isn't going to work. I realize that, but I'd like somebody to test this out. Noah's not around and I thought he'd be the perfect guy to try it."

"Go for something a little more mild," Kaede told me, thinking this conversation was probably already on the dumb side. "Eight Pokémon rolled into one... yeah, of course that's going to be a train-wreck if you evolve that. Stick with three or four if you're really insistent on using this thing on yourself."

I suppose that was a good point. Now, what would go well with-?

"And for once, do something without a bloody Lopunny in it," Kaede snarled at me.

"And why not!?" I asked, totally baffled. "They're cool and cute!"

"I'm tired as all hell of them," Kaede told me in a grouchy kind of way. "I certainly don't want to see you as one giant-sized with other nonsense going on. I know where that would be going. Come up with something... I dunno, sane for once."

Boy, and she wondered why I'd rather make this stuff in my own personal lab. Still, no Lopunny. Eh, I guess I could try to some up with something else, but it took the fun and the thrill out of it. It was quick to easily come up blank though.

"Not a clue," I shrugged.

"Try Dragonite/Vaporeon/Noivern," Kaede suggested. "I think a water dragon with bigger wings would be pretty cool!"

Pft, come now, that wasn't even close to what I had before. But it got me thinking... maybe if I let Kaede try that form, she'd support my Chimera projects and wouldn't be so naggy about it!

"Hmm, I think you're onto something, but Kaede, you should have the honors of that!" I told her, acting like I was excited to see that too. "Listen, you try out the form, and I'll administer the syringes! It'll be a piece of cake, and I'm sure you'd evolve into a really cool water dragon! Let's totally do this!"

"You really think so?" Kaede asked, looking pretty interested now. "Oh wow... okay, yeah, let's do it! We'll use one of the outlying islands as a testing area."

Oh man, this was going to be priceless. I finally talked her into not only becoming a Chimera, but for going Ultra Chimera as well! This was going to rock!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((OOC: OH EM THE GEES, THE SHORTNESS!))

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Sandgem Town, Sinnoh, en-route to Floroma Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick dreamed of him dancing with Hyperion (who kept changing from Deoxys to Alakazam and back) and Barnabus on a Goldenrod city rooftop to the tune of Mud's laughter while the massive gatling gun of the JND Maddening Dash just kept tearing the city apart around them, forcing the AMS Deathknight to ram into itself. Somehow. Raidon appeared as an Electivire burst to slash poor Barnabus to bits, but Hyperion and Yarvick just kept dancing even as they had to awkwardly step over Makoto to do so, who seemed highly preoccupied with stabbing poor Barnabus to ever-smaller pieces. Janine then decided to come out of a door in the sky, floating down and latching onto Yarvick's back in her mutated Loppuny form (which quickly shifted to her crazy angelic bunny form) and lifting Yarvick away from the rooftop, Hyperion levitating up as well, the duo continuing their dance in midair, all the while Giovanni escaped in the harbor below, hiding in a Swampert and being towed away by a mine. Yarvick, looking at the reflective surface of the water below, also just so happened to be Celebi.

When he woke up, he had to admit, that was a really weird dream. After assuring himself that he was not, in fact, the Eternal Chronarch and forest guardian, he got himself dressed.

"...Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at Sandgem Town, Sinnoh..."

Yarvick didn't bother listening to the rest, which was just a retelling of it in the native Sinnoh Language. He just got dressed fully and hit the beaches. He had some food for breakfast he could eat on the route, but he wanted to be far away from this town before he even bothered with breakfast. He had a good night's sleep and he didn't feel tired yet-he'd better expend that energy now, to leave this place before Professor Rowan decided to show his face.

"...As I was saying, killing that a**hole will not be the end of it," Said someone, a young woman. It was just loud and just close enough that Yarvick couldn't help but overhear it, coming from a small group walking more briskly than he was.

"So? We can fix that issue in a heartbeat, you know it," Said another, a young man. The group couldn't be older than 20, now that he looked at them.

"No! He will expect that and plan for it accordingly," The woman said. "I think this problem requires..."

Utter gibberish going on there...In any case, Yarvick walked out of earshot at that point, the group heading west, presumably to Lake Verity or Twinleaf Town, while he went north, to Jubilee City.

Snap! Yarvick turned his head around towards the source. He thought it was just a stick breaking, and he was right. Of course, who stepped on it turned out to be prudent-it was an average sized man in all regards, with black hair and a clean-shaven head.

"Is something the matter?" The man said.

Yarvick's eyeballs practically shot out of their sockets in sheer surprise. This man was definitely Month Helgus from before. Following him...Maybe. There was no reason to suspect he was an Aqua affiliate, much less one who had Deoxys.

"No, no, not at all. You just stepped on a stick, very loudly..." Yarvick responded.

"Ah..." He said, turning around and heading west as well.

"Like you were going that way to begin with..." Yarvick thought. If he was about to turn west right then legitimately, then Grumpig would grow wings and prep for takeoff. He kept going north, now more brisk than he was before, but still at a walking pace, and still avoiding the laboratory like it was a massive blob monster.

[Grassy_Aggron]

(Short post, but I'm just trying to get to a destination XD)

Claressa Nissa
Gateon Port/Orre/En Route to Kalos
Affected RPers: bronislav84 (indirectly)
Insert witty line here.

The JND Maddening Dash sidled up nice and gently to a dock, just in time for a few officers to approach. It was mandatory to check papers and see if everything panned out, and thankfully for Claressa, Captain Brooke had all of his papers and registration in order. While his crew set about gathering supplies, he hopped off, determined to go and refill his own private drink collection. It wasn’t everyday he visited Orre, and likely was searching for something vintage. Claressa, on the other hand, got up to stretch her legs and figure out what was going on. Circus followed, plodding along after her and taking in the sights and smells.

As they walked, a small tremor rocked the ground. People immediately scrambled out of buildings, the port unusually busy as for once humanity heeded the warning that staying inside a building was a bad idea. In the distance a long stream of fire shot forth, then another, each gradually losing strength as they watched. Just what is…going on there? Should I investigate? She felt her feline companion tugging on her jacket, eyeing her steadily and with a face that seemed to scream it was a bad idea.

Truth was, he was right. This didn’t involve her, and with her heart, she couldn’t risk running into trouble. Still, she had to wonder exactly had caused it. As if to answer her question but raise many more, a helicopter flew overhead, carrying what appeared to be a black box. The markings were irregular from what she could see, and her medical training allowed her to recognize them as burn patterns. That matches the fire, at least.

She shrugged, sighing. There wasn’t anything she could do, and the two Legendaries were waiting. Turning around she boarded the ship once more, just in time for another spasm of her heart to send ripples of pain through her body. Her hearing dulled and black edged around her vision, and in that moment, the spaces between time, between seconds, she heard them call to her once more, faintly and distantly. She was on the edge of death thanks to her heart, it seemed, but perhaps getting closer to Kalos was allowing them easier access to her head. Or, you know, she was almost ready to kick the bucket. That could be it too.

<You must hurry, Claressa. He is stirring.>

<Yes, yes, find us! Your intuition is correct. There is no time to waste. Celebi is already confronting him with several others. His strength…>

<They may win this battle, or they may not. But the war with him will be far from over in both results. There is much tragedy to happen…>

<The curtain has lifted but the cast is not yet fully revealed… Will you join them or watch from the audience?>

<Hurry, for the show must go on.>

She opened her eyes and watched as Captain Brooke came back with a box of booze, but upon noting her pale face, even he was tempted to ask if she was okay. “Turn the ship on and leave. We need to get to Kalos as soon as possible. Something… Something very bad is happening to the world… Please hurry. I can’t even tell if my heart will last long enough for me to be around for that doomsday.” Noting her serious tone, he didn’t hesitate to turn around and yell at his crew to get ready to leave.

Soon enough the JND Maddening Dash was puttering its way towards Kalos once more, and to where she knew there would be an inevitable clash with two titans.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Jubilee City, en-route to Floroma Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Jubilee City. It was easy to get there from, well, anywhere, though the walk between Sandgem town was particularly easy, and it wouldn't take a long walk to get to Floroma Town from there either. Most of the walking would, in fact, be done in the city itself, as he happened to stumble in on Rush Hour, which was never pleasant. At least he got his breakfast before heading here, though.

The city always had gossip going around, and Yarvick's ears were wide open since his run-in with Month Helgus (though he probably didn't know Yarvick's involvement, in hindsight). He picked up quite a bit of info about the going-ons of the region, and as it turned out, a few years away and things really DO change...

"Did you hear about those odd energy spikes up in Mount Coronet? Experts say that it was unlike anything previously recorded...That mountain always was weird, of course, but this time it was far different," Some woman said.

"Maybe Legends were up there? There were always those old rumors on Legends being up there, always those old myths and tales...Maybe they got up there for some reason?" Another woman responded.

"Legends on Mount Coronet? June, if Legends were up there we would never know, they're smart enough to hide themselves..." Some man said. "Considering that one of the rumors say that it's Arceus up there...He could easily get away with that nonsense and nobody would bat an eye. No, I think it's something more mundane..."

...So, there was some kind of thing going on atop Mount Coronet. Maybe Legend-Related. Maybe not.

"...You've heard about the right state of Hoenn, haven't ya? Those 'Aqua' terrorists, the ones that destroyed Goldenrod, are actually officially taking over the bloody place, establishing a dictatorship!" Said a young man. "The gallstones it must take! And yet they're doing it!"

"Yeah, yeah, the way I see it they ain't gonna last forever, son." Said an older man, probably his father. "They're going up against the Hoenn government, they've been in power ever since those d**m bust hearts came into the picture. They ain't gonna be around for long..."

"Father, I've seen the footage from Goldenrod...They've got some kind of mutant aboard, and quite a few of the refugees are saying that is definitely NOT a burst form, but some wholly new configuration...And they've got one of those Ancient Burst Hearts! And Deoxys, father, Deoxys!" The son said.

"Look, son-wait, Deoxys?...And one of those Ancient Bust Hearts that everyone's gettin' paranoid over?...It sounds like sheer rumor, but...Hrm...This may be more pressing than I thought...But it's not like we can just go up to the chairman and request that he does something about it, they're not attacking Sinnoh..."

Yarvick had to suppress a smile with that one. The idiots had no idea the guy with Deoxys was walking right by them...Granted, they really weren't idiots for not knowing. He wasn't exactly trying to be found out here. But, the sound of all that paranoia was just lovely...Of course, the fact the other regions were bracing for it would make direct conquest all the harder...Hrm.

"...I understand it's all complicated on paper, but in practice, it's just pulling a few strings and letting the rest handle itself." Said a woman.

No, wait. That was unmistakably the woman he heard of before. He looked around for the source, but he never even bothered to look towards the group that made the sounds before, so in the crowded city of Jubilee city it was nigh-impossible. Yarvick could gather it came from northwest of his position...But weren't they heading west from Sandgem?

"Yes, but WHY aren't we just doing it directly?!" Said the young man from before, almost certainly annoyed. Now that he focused in on them more, he could tell the young man had to be from Southern Unova. The accent was distinct enough to be noticeable even without familiarity.

"Again, if we did it directly, he'd have a contingency for it. That, and if our volunteer did it, the dumba** would simply not try his hardest to stop it until it was too late. It's not about just doing him, it's about, how do I put this..." The woman paused. She had to be native to Sinnoh.

"The expectations for our 'volunteer' are far lower than if we were to attempt it. As such, he will expend less effort and make himself vulnerable, on the incorrect assumption our volunteer is essentially nothing when the volunteer is, in fact, our trump card." Said a new man, also probably a native to the region.

"OK...Hrm...OK, yeah, that actually makes sense. But, who are we going to-?"

The Unovan man's question, as far as Yarvick knew it, went unfinished, as he was bumped into quite rudely by someone from behind, making him lose concentration on it. "Up, my bad, sorry!" He said, holding out his hand.

Yarvick accepted the helping hand and got to his feet. The man in front of him was only an inch taller than him and several pounds heavier, with a red-dyed mohawk and a long-sleeved T-shirt for 'YYings of the YYild,' a famous Kalosian heavy metal band, and some plain torn jeans. Despite the casual clothing, an old-styled Pocketwatch was hanging from his pants pocket, a feature which caught Yarvick's eye nigh-instantly. "Are you OK?" He said.

"Yes, I'm OK, thanks for the hand." Yarvick said, trying not to look like the pocketwatch was really on his mind. The man walked off without much more of a word, heading east, towards Route 203 and Oreburgh City. Yarvick kept north.

Was he legitimately being followed, or was the pocketwatch just a massive coincidence? And what was with that group?

...He just kept walking.

"I saw one the other day, Greg, I'm honest here!" Said some other young man. He sounded like a trainer.

"Kevin, I've heard a lot of rumors about the 'Shadow' Pokemon before this, and I'm having a hard time believing you on that much. I thought Cipher didn't make it beyond Orre before that Mike dude kicked their a**es?" Another young man said, probably Greg.

"That's true, Greg. But, screw the rumors, that doesn't mean that Shadow Pokemon can't still be running about," Kevin exclaimed. "And I really REALLY did see one, gosh."

"...You have a point there...What did it look like?" Greg asked, a bit more inquisitive now.

"It looked like a regular Pokemon, but...I don't know how to describe it, there was this dark aura around it. I didn't go and battle it and it was only a freaking Starly, Tesla could have taken care of it, but...It was really creepy. You'd have to have been there, man. It was just...Seriously creepy."

"...K-man, now I'm starting to doubt you on that much...I mean, come on, you're saying there's no difference except a 'dark aura,' and that kind of implies you're Aura sensitive. Didn't you check that yourself?" Greg said.

"Yeah, but-"

"My point exactly. Not buying it." Greg said.

Proof that people still spout bulls**t every now and then. Shadows in Sinnoh...Cipher's crazy secrets died with the faction, and they were pretty famous for being the only major criminal organization that ever used them. It wasn't like Shadows were made of baloney, it was just impossible to create Shadow Pokemon naturally, so it also implied there was another underground faction making Shadows about in Sinnoh. Yarvick knew two things about Shadows; their creation was not a quick-and-easy process you could do overnight without serious amounts of resources, and they were not exactly the most practical things in the world due to their knack of violent impulses in battle. Orre was pretty bad in all regards, but Sinnoh had a well-renowned police force and the Gym Leaders were tough cookies to break. It would take a REALLY clever hiding spot to not get noticed.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
Corporeally: War Room, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Spiritually: The Black Lodge
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga and bronislav84

As Diabora menaced the dread lord of the Deathwing, another Aqua appeared: Karai Horoshi. She said, readying herself: "Hope I'm not late to the party, boys?"

Makoto was momentarily confused. How the hell did you get here? Oh well, that's a question for another time. He briefly turned his head to reply to Karai and said, "This is a party? Then where the hell is the beer?" In the brief moment that Makoto had lost focus on Diabora, the destroyer struck sending Makoto spinning. He crashed into a conveniently placed keg about fifteen feet behind him. A keg? What the hell? Licking the spilled alcoholic drink from his hands, he realized where it came from. "Oooooooh," he cooed and smiled.

The destroyer wasted no time in taking advantage of Makoto losing ground. It waved its hands like magic wands and summoned two abominations from the shadows. One was an eleven-headed abomination and the other was a gelatinous mess that looked like something Tyrus Hale had begrudgingly snaked out of the Deathwing's drains. Diabora floated into the air and announced his minions names. <Inhale sweet death.You entertain me with your bravado, your hope, and your dreams. And I give you Xoven and Saxiv, the spillers of intestines, the devourers of hearts, the prime nightmares!> With another wave of its hands, the two creatures' were surrounded with human-sized creatures. They almost looked like zombies to the dictator, however the flesh was not nearly as defined as that of the archetypical zombie. These beings' blackened flesh had melted and dried and melted once again, hugging its skeletal system like burnt plastic. No details were visible anywhere on their body other than the shape of their skulls.

Makoto instantly recognized these things from one of Celebi's visions. "Diablos!" he yelled.

<NOW ENTERTAIN ME, YOU FOOLS!> Diabora let out a thick, lyrical laughter that echoed throughout the plane of existence they fought in. The sound was so sharp, Makoto could feel it stinging at the back of his eyeballs. Finch Reynolds and Reg Lando were hard at work fighting the Diablos that were swarming them. Hale wasn't as fortunate. He found himself surrounded on all sides by the creatures. Never one for combat, the scientist responded naturally to this situation by cowering in fear.

Raidon Makoto charged through the horde of Diablos, slicing them into several pieces to fight his way to his best friend. When he got there, he imagined a handgun in Hale's hands. "Help me, Tiantus!"

Hale looked down at the gun and instantly got it. Smiling, he transformed the dinky handgun into a gigantic Gatling gun with only his imagination. Feeling much more confident in himself, he revved the chain and started to fire madly into the masses, "Not so ****ing frightening now, are you, Diabora?" he taunted. It almost brought a tear to Makoto's eye to see Hale kicking so much ass.

<Raidon... Makoto...> a voice said in his head. It was faint, almost as if Makoto was trying to hear a sound underwater. He tried focusing on it, but couldn't find it again. This is going to nag at my like an itch I just can't scratch... he thought. Looking up, he noticed that he had a clear shot at Diabora. He took off running, jumping upwards into the air, throwing himself at the destroyer. The dread lord of the Deathwing struck at Diabora, bisecting him vertically. Just as quickly as Makoto inflicted the damage, the destroyer healed himself, looking exactly the same as before the commander had hit him.

<It's going to take more than that to end me,> it declared, sending a plume of fire from his mouth towards the dictator. Makoto dodged, but not without brushing his arm against the inferno. The flames' effects licked at his skin, even after he had put the fire out.

Gritting his teeth and swearing under his breath, Makoto began to focus on the memories Celebi had implanted in his head. Not just of his wife--Shairii Woldrac--but of all the parallel versions of himself that had to fight this creature. As he concentrated, he tried to find some way to defeat the destroyer. While focusing, parallel versions of himself populated the dreamscape without the dictator even realizing it. First there was a purple skinned version of himself, then one with a Lambda on his back, and another with a disgusting looking claw implant on his right arm. The parallel versions became crazier and crazier, as versions of himself that were partial or entirely cybernetic started to surround Diabora, all grimacing at the prospect of sticking it to the arrogant ****.

Celebi floated down next to Makoto, just above his shoulder. Something about it just felt right to both parties. <I think that they're all thinking what you're thinking,> he told Makoto. The dread lord of the Deathwing smiled, and swooped down to attack Diabora, slicing him horizontally. Seeing him as the vanguard, a thousand different versions of Raidon Makoto descended upon the creature, all throwing everything they could at it. One version turned himself into a three-headed dragon. Another adopted a giant rusted suit of armor. But the one that stood out most to him was a giant, red bird with four wings. The bird, who had once been the purple-skinned Makoto, delivered the final blow, crushing Diabora's body with a flaming talon. At once, all the Makotos named the attack, shouting, "INFINITE ZEPHYR GALE!" Makoto acknowledged it was cheesy, but it felt so damn cool.

The destroyer lied in pile of pieces as the parallel versions of Raidon Makoto faded. Confident he had extracted his vengeance, he smirked and sheathed his blades. Much to the dread lord's chagrin, the destroyer reformed himself like the onslaught had never happened.


The Interloper
Tower of Pain, Janzek Islands
Kazmar*
Affected RPers: All

(OOC: *Kazmar is the planet that is Maridia's outer neighbor. It is a waterworld with only a few patches of land)

The Tower of Pain erupted out of the Kazmar seas, a single, solitary, rocky tube that extended from the seafloor to the heavens. Stairs were carved into the cliff face, spiraling their way from the top of the prison down to the seafloor. Dotting the Tower were five-by-five depressions into the wall, covered in iron bars, each containing a single prisoner. The Interloped descended the staircase until he approached the cell he was looking for. Inside, an old man sat cross-legged, in a state was somewhere between dream and reality.

"I don't get many visitors," the old man said, his voice hoarse from the length of time since he had last spoken to anyone, even himself. The Interloped imagined it had been centuries since the old wizard had said a word.

"You're Diabora's creator?" The Interloper asked. The old man tried to get a good look at the Interloper's face, but was unable to even see him, save a outline. The setting sun made it entirely impossible for the old man to make out the identity of the Interloper.

Regardless, the old man pantomimed a bow, "I am Alvaj-Xoc, creator of Diabora and subduer of the Psychic Wars. How can I be of service?" The Interloper smiled and thought, No matter where I go, this man is the creator of Diabora... Created in last ditch effort to put an end to the thousands of years of fighting between Arceus and Yog-Sothoth, the Elder God of Chaos.

"Tsk tsk tsk, how is it that a man as important as yourself wound up in Arceus' private prison? One would think that the person that ended the very Psychic Wars himself would have himself a special place in Heaven," The Interloper teased.

"I rebelled," Alvaj-Xoc replied. The Interloper remained silent in an effort to get more information out of the wizard. "I still had the powers that Arceus had loaned me and those that I had stolen from Yog-Sothoth--the unholy forces I used to craft Diabora--after the end of the Psychic Wars." This rang true to the Interloper. Arceus' last ditch effort to end the Psychic Wars was to loan part of its power to the greatest Nasmar wizard, Alvaj-Xoc, whom had also stolen power from Yog-Sothoth himself. Combining the forces, Alvaj-Xoc created Diabora, a powerful berserker soldier that Arceus used to corner the Elder Gods in an unused realm--Kihara. Once they were there, Arceus locked them up there and threw away the key. "After we had sealed Diabora, I fancied myself a god... I thought I could run the universe better than Arceus... Arceus punished me, locking me in here."

"Hell not good enough for you?" The Interloper asked, lighting a cigar.

"Are you kidding? What I did was so bad, even Hell doesn't want me. If I were to die, my soul would go straight to Kihara--the realm of madness. To the Elder Gods, I am still Public Enemy No. 1. I cannot even fathom the pain that they would put my soul through were I to end up there," Alvaj-Xoc explained. He sighed. "And that's why I've been using the last of my power to prolong my life. I've been here 20,000 years, and I hope to have enough power to delay my death to just past the heat death of the entire universe. Then my soul can rest peacefully in Oblivion."

The Interloper had to laugh. "So this is what has become of the great Alvaj-Xoc?" He blew smoke into the wizard's face. Alvaj-Xoc was unaffected. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm going to need to take that power from you."

Alvaj-Xoc laughed condescendingly. "Good luck. This prison was meant to keep you out just as much it was meant to keep me in." The wizard blinked. In an instant, the Interloper was no longer outside the iron bars but instead inside, sharing the cell with Alvaj-Xoc. In a single motion, the Interloper shoved his sharp claws through the wizard's stomach and drained the condemned man's power. The wizard tried to scream, but his withered husk turned to dust instantly.

The Interloper warped himself outside the cell once again and flicked his cigar butt to where Alvaj-Xoc once laid. May you rest painfully in Kihara.

NICODEMUS CHESS HAS JOINED THE BRAWL.

[Neo Emolga]

Janine "Angel" Price
Offset Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

I had everything ready for Kaede's awesome transformation! I had a feeling she was going to like being a Chimera.

We decided to take a speedboat toward one of the outlying islands near Mirage Island. Sometimes Team Aqua grunts would do this kind of thing to get drunk and then nap the rest of the day where they wouldn't get caught, not like Raidon really had a problem with it in the first place. The island I picked was perfect, plenty of room with not too much attention. I had Kaede stand in the middle since she was going to be doing all the crazy transforming. This island wasn't too bad. A few palm trees, a big grassy field in the middle, and a small patch of rocks off to the side. Too small to build on top of, but big enough for just the transformation we needed.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" Kaede asked, really wondering.

"Nah, you'll be fine!" I assured her.

I then got the Dragonite/Vaporeon/Noivern Chimera mutagen ready, flicked off the cap on the needle, and pricked it into Kaede's upper arm, pressing down on the plunger.

"W-wha!" Kaede yelped. "I never said I was ready!"

"Ha, ha, oops," I shrugged. "Too late now!"

Really? When was she going to be ready, after panicking some more? Nah, using a Chimera syringe for the first time was like jumping into a swimming pool. Sure, you got a shock of cold for a second, but after settling in quickly, it was fun and great! This was like me pushing her off the diving board!

Kaede, quite shocked, quickly transformed from human into an aquatic blue Dragonite with really big dragon wings. She was mostly Dragonite, her human body was coated with Dragonite scales, had a Dragonite tail but was finned like a Vaporeon's, and her ears were given those fins that Vaporeon had. It was funny to see her little human feet get transformed into big dragon feet, and to watch her lean figure suddenly get plump as a Dragonite! That part was the best and probably the most hilarious! Out of shock, she instinctively flapped her new dragon wings, trying to stay up rather than tumble over.

"Oh my... look at me!" Kaede gasped in shock.

"Aww, cute and cuddly," I laughed. "And one FES syringe coming up!"

"WAIT!" Kaede pleaded. "Can't you give me a minute to settle in!?"

Oh come on, she totally volunteered for this. At this rate, it'd take all week for her to get motivated to go all the way, if she even wanted to! What was the fun of waiting around like that, I wanted to see this thing work! I waited a bit, tapping my toe, humming a bit to myself hoping she wouldn't have to just waddle around like this for too long.

"I feel so..." Kaede remarked, taking to walk in her new form, "...big. So... strange..."

Ha, she thought this was big? Yeah, this was nothing. She wasn't much taller than I was right now. I figured what the hey, I got the FES syringe ready for her and she just looked at me with anxiety.

"Wow... geez, Janine, I don't know if I can keep going with this..." Kaede told me, suddenly getting cold feet.

"Oh please, you're a big girl," I shrugged. "We only just got started! Let's go, I'm not getting any younger here. My ice cream break was fifteen minutes ago and I gave that up for this. So make it count!"

So I jabbed her with the FES syringe. I know, she didn't say she was ready, but hey, I was!

"You didn't!" Kaede yelped, suddenly realizing all the contents of the first FES syringe were now in her working their magic. "Oh... boy..."

And she grew. Really big. I quickly stepped back, quite impressed. The claws on her feet and hands got bigger, her tail grow longer and thicker with two sets of fins now, her wings were now perfectly shaped for both aquatic swimming and flying, and even her fin ears now seemed like a extra set of wings. Meanwhile, the two Dragonite antennae were more like frayed wisps now. Her body was huge and it definitely seemed like she weighed in at a few tons right now. And she stood a nice 15 feet tall.

"This..." Kaede bellowed, her voice now deepened a bit as she padded her huge, protruding gut with her bigger Dragonite hand, "oh... this shouldn't be. I can't believe how big I am!"

Seriously? I had the huge Ultra Chimera syringe in my hands and she was already complaining about the size and the height? Well, at least it seemed like she didn't hate the form after all. Hey, she did choose it after all!

"No, Janine, please...!" Kaede pleaded with a bellow, seeing I was already set with the Ultra Chimera syringe. "This is too much! And you're going too fast, I wasn't even used to the first Chimera form!"

"It's just one more!" I laughed, patting the giant syringe like a baby. "Come on, you know you want to! You'll be the first Ultra Chimera! After that, I'm done, you can stay like that all you'd like!"

She tried moving around in her Mega water Dragonite form, and I could already feel the booms and the vibrations in the ground. Man, looking at her now, the Ultra Chimera form was going to be a treat. I just had to make sure that once it was in her, I had to run to avoid getting squashed!

"Ready or not, here I come!" I laughed.

"No... please!" Kaede pleaded.

In trying to back up and escape, she stumbled and fell on the ground, shaking the round a bit. Oh, perfect opportunity! With her unable to run, I got her in the side, and pressed the automatic injection feature on this giant syringe, inserting all that lovely Forced Evolution Serum into her. I then ran for the hills, knowing she was going to become a colossal giant for sure! She managed to get back on her feet just before she suddenly realized what I had done. Her whole body just began to shake.

"Uh... oh..." Kaede muttered.

Ha, ha! That was all she got to say before the transformation quickly sprung into action! She grew like crazy, becoming a total tower of a blue Dragonite with really gigantic fish fins on the sides of her giant, cute dragon head, really massive ones on her back, and now she had extra fins on the back of her legs and arms. Meanwhile, her humongous tail now had three giant pairs of fins, starting small at the tip before getting bigger as they got closer to her colossal-sized body. And man oh man, was she HUGE! With a giant dragon belly like that, she'd probably never get to see what her giant dragon feet looked like now! And hey, I was right, she did end up being about 30 feet tall after all!

Every step Kaede took, it shook the ground. I totally knew she had to have weighed at least more than a few dozen tons. Made me wonder... could she still fly when she weighed that much? Ah, who cared, the whole Ultra Chimera thing was a success! Plus, it was hilarious to think the giant, huge-bellied, cute aquatic dragon I was looking at was once Kaede. Well, technically still was, but she looked totally nothing like she did before!

"Ohhh..." Kaede bellowed with a moan, barely sounding like Kaede anymore. "What did... what did you do to me... Janine?"

"Hey, how's the view up there!?" I laughed, waving to Kaede with both of my arms to get her attention. "See anything interesting!? Hey, tell me if you can see Kalos from there!"

Ha, ha! This was priceless! I was totally surprised at Kaede, she should have been excited! Instead, she kept looking at me like she had the worst bellyache on the planet. Come on, she should have been having fun with this! Heck, if I were her, I'd try prancing around and see if I could dance like that! That would be epic and awesome for all time!

"I..." She bellowed again, "Change... me back... please."

Oh poo, already!? Come on, that was just lame. Here I gave her the Chimera form she wanted, the chance to be the first Ultra Chimera, a deal she even agreed to, and she wanted to change back and it hadn't even been five minutes!

"Oh come now, enjoy it for a little while!" I called up to her. "I promise, no more evolutions now! Deal's a deal, but try it out for a while and see how you like it!"

Well, she tried moving a bit, but she really was totally gigantic and had a belly that would be a fantastic wrecking ball. Well, she gave it another five minutes, slowly walking and learning how to control her massive body, but yeah... I could tell it wasn't going to fly with her.

"Please... just... turn me back," Kaede bellowed yet again with a sad plea. "I don't think... I can handle this..."

I just sighed and shrugged. Still felt like a waste, but she played her part. I guess I couldn't complain, but I really thought she would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. And then I reached into my pocket and suddenly realized something.

In all my excitement and anticipation, I totally forgot to pack a reversal agent!

[Lord Celebi]

The Interloper
En Route to Yggdrasil Tree, Northern Sinjoh Mountains
Maridia
Affected RPers: All

Whilst he was able to teleport wherever he pleased, Nicodemus Chess was disturbed to find that the Yggdrasill Tree had a psychic barrier placed around it. This barrier was designed specifically to reflect the magic of Alvaj-Xoc and prevent him from approaching the Tree without prior warning to Arceus. Chess used the Orb of the Taskmaster to evaluate how close he could actually teleport to the Tree could be without being blown back and dropped into a sun. Once he had established that point, he used his Orb of Transcendence to teleport there and continued towards the Yggdrasil Tree on clawed foot.

This would be easier if Darius was still around, Chess thought after having almost slipped on a loose stone. Darius Rook was his loyal manservant in the original universe he came from. Rook had died during a last ditch rescue operation of the Interloper from Kihara itself. And damn that Jin Omnis for trapping me in Kihara and ruining my plans. Ever since his original plan unraveled in his home universe, Chess used the two Orbs he had secured from Darius Rook, the orange Orbs of the Taskmaster and purple Transcendence, to steal the remaining five Orbs throughout the galaxy. He found the white Orb of the Lifegiver, which made him immortal; the red Orb of Summoning, which allowed him to spawn nightmares into this world from only his imagination; the yellow Orb of Supremacy, an infinite power source; the green Orb of Nature's Purity, which gave him a litany of environmental-based powers; and the blue Orb of Alteration, which allowed him to bend all matter to his will. Having gathered all seven, he was able to merge them into a singular Rainbow Orb with all the combined powers. Using the Blue Orb's powers, he shrank the orb down to the size of a pea and embedded the Orb in his corpus callosum between the two hemispheres of his brain.

The Orbs were Alvaj-Xoc's final gift to Chess' home universe. Within that universe, Diabora was a creature of ancient history, completely defeated by the combined efforts of many different forces combining. Diabora's corpse left his seven crystallized Chakra points, the Crystals of Power, alive and well within the universe. Seeing his opportunity to revel, the Alvaj-Xoc of Chess' universe invested all of his remaining powers into the Crystals of Power, hypercharging them into the Orbs of Eternity that Chess possessed.

Since being freed from Kihara, Chess had been bouncing between universes, trying as hard as he could to put his plans into motion to completely dominate one. No matter where he went though, hundreds of years of his planning were always dashed by some random, unpredictable factor that the Interloper never could have thought of. After the third or fourth attempt, it dawned on Chess: he just needed to destroy the parallel universes in which he did not succeed in conquering all Creation to ensure that there would be a universe that he did. After this revelation, he began to travel from universe to universe, freeing each universe's Diabora and super-charging it, letting the Destroyer run amok and end all life as they knew it. As far as Chess could tell, this universe was the last of several thousand universes he had slated for destruction. With this universe gone, the universe had had chosen to dominate would no longer have any possible factors preventing him from ruling. From there, he would muster his forces and conquer Axiom Nexus, the extradimensional multiversal hub world that was a meeting and marketplace for all multiversal and time aware beings.

It wouldn't be long now. Chess could see the massive figure of the Yggdrasil Tree, Diabora's Prison, on the horizon. Soon, everything would be his.

[Neo Emolga]

Janine "Angel" Price
Offset Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Oops.

"Hey, look, I'll go back to the lab to get one, okay?" I laughed and shrugged at the towering giant blue water dragon... that was Kaede.

"HOW COULD YOU FORGET!?!?" She shouted in a booming voice.

Wow... she could get loud. I'll admit, I got careless there, but for good reason!

"Hey, I'll be right back, no worries!" I laughed, heading toward the speedboat. "Stay right where you are, this will only take a few minutes! Promise!"

Yeah, I just rushed out of there and got back in the speedboat. Silly me, couldn't believe I forgot that, but yeah, I was thinking more about the success of the Ultra Chimera thing more than just brining little Kaede back to normal. Seeing Kaede as that giant blue dragon, I was thinking way more about that than some silly little reversal agent syringe. After I turned around, I drove the speedboat and headed back to the Deathwing. Heading back to the lab did take a few minutes to get pulled back up on deck, head downstairs, and then go through all the corridors to get to the laboratory wing, but I managed to get the reversal agent that Kaede desperately wanted so badly, even though I felt she was just being a Debbie Downer over the whole thing that really wasn't such a big whoop. Please, I really didn't know why she didn't like being a really big cuddly dragon. It looked like fun! She just wasn't putting it to good use, and of course she wouldn't think much of it like that. That was like eating the wrapper of a candy bar and not the candy bar itself! She was totally doing this wrong!

A part of me was beginning to wonder if this small reversal agent would even be enough to reverse the effect! Uh oh, didn't think about that! I know Tiantus and Kaede were asking me about that before, but hey, I didn't know for sure, I was just hoping so! But in any case, once I got the reversal agent, I headed back to the island where Kaede was waiting.

Well, she hadn't flown or swam away! Once I arrived back and drove the boat ashore, I then got off the boat and waved to Kaede again!

"Hey, guess who's back!" I shouted out to her with a smile. "Got the reversal agent right here! No worries!"

I realized she had been stuck in this form for about two hours! Well, couldn't say she didn't give it a fair try, ha, ha! She just looked at me with a somber look, and I just shrugged and injected her with the reversal agent, right in the gut. Sure couldn't miss with that! I then stepped back, just to be safe. Ha, ha, if she rolled over, she could squash me as flat as a pancake if I wasn't careful!

I was a little worried when it didn't start working at first. Kaede probably thought I hadn't injected her yet! But then eventually, her form began to change, going slowly backwards this time, slowly but surely reversing each evolution stage. It started with small, subtle changes, but eventually, she shrank further and further and then even the regular Chimera form was reversed with Kaede getting her slim, human figure back and no more dragon tail, wings, or crazy dragon gut anymore! All of those features were just sucked back into her body and then vanished. When he was finally human again, she seemed pretty disoriented.

"Oh... thank god that worked," Kaede sighed, looking exhausted and woozy. "Janine, don't... don't ever do that to me again."

"Aww, come on, it wasn't that bad!" I laughed, shrugging. "Maybe you just need to choose different Pokémon, even though hey, your Chimera form wasn't bad at all!"

Well, even with two hours, she could have given it a bit more time! She should have been out enjoying it, not moping about how big she was! She was totally taking this the wrong way. But yeah, I figured Tiantus would be the same if he did this. Some people just didn't know how to have real fun!

"You think that was fun for me!?" Kaede got all prickly. "Fine, how about you try it!? You don't know what it's like, and all you've ever had to work with was that stupid fluffy bunny Chimera! That wasn't either a Mega or an Ultra!"

"Hey, that one's cool!" I argued with her. "Given, definitely not something to evolve into an Ultra Chimera, but hey, it has its qualities! Maybe you should give that a try too!"

Whatever, I figured I'd go let her blow off some steam and not get so hot-tempered out the whole thing.

"Whatever," She told me. "You have no right to say that was fun and easy until you go through that yourself! You'll see, once you try it, I bet you won't like Ultra Chimeras either."

Pft, sooo wrong. Maybe I'd take her up on that challenge, but later.

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Corporeally: Hellcat chopper, in transit from Ruins of The Under in Orre to Mirage Island in Hoenn
Spiritually: The Black Lodge
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi, Neo Emolga

And the fight was on! And how. The creature summoned monsters out of portals and zombie foot soldiers. Boss called them Diablos. Sounds about right.

I flipped out of that mess to not be on their dinner plate and to get a better view. Jumping fifty feet in the air was something they taught at the academy, and I didn't really get to do it very often. Beauty followed along, floating with Amelia hanging onto her leg. <Kar, you need to see this. Burst with me again. Something ain't right. I can just project it to you, but it would be better if you saw it yourself with my senses.> called out Beauty. I wasted no time and used the ABH to merge with her, now floating in the air with Amelia hanging onto my leg. Oh boy, I had the same exact form as before: Barely any skin covered with M-Gardevoir features. I was almost embarrassed thinking about what the men would think, and I didn't believe in showing off my body to my superiors. It just happened this way, and I still had no idea why.

The psychic's senses lit up the place in a way only they could see it. I was surprised boss didn't see it, or he was too distracted. Scanning for minds I could only sense the five of them, myself, Amelia, and bare traces of the creature and it's minions. They weren't fully there. None of it was. This was the monster's plan: To distract us into believing this was all real, and die in a dream. It's not. We're inside the boss's dreamscape due to his ABH, and lucid dreaming. The monster manipulated him like it did with me. The beer that was summoned when he answered about the party confirmed it.

Great attacks all around, but pointless. Dreams must defeat dreams. A lucid dreamer can be invincible in their own or a friendly dreamscape, if they will it. I was taught this at the academy in case we got captured and interrogated by a psychic. Time to try it out, but I wasn't the one who would do it. I turned to Amelia hanging on for dear life from my leg. "Hey, Amelia! Still think the Voice is good?"

"Yes, yes he is. He was there for me when I was alone with nobody to talk to. He said he was my friend, like a fluffy bunny I could hug when I was alone at night." She closed her eyes, concentrating on her memories of the time she spent with the Voice. O.....k......I figured he might have told her lies, but that's beyond twisted. Making her think a creature like that was nice. I'd have to snap her out of it. But there was no time right now. It was working, though. She was manipulating the dream. That sack of crap had turned into an adorable fluffy stuffed bunny. The hydra and the pile of goo were turning into stuffed animals as well, although slower cause they were different. Then the Diablos, each turning into various stuffed animals that couldn't hurt a fly. As soon as more appeared, each would turn into walking fluffy stuffed animals. And finally it was complete. The monster was a bunny, Xoven and Saxiv were a stuffed ape and gecko respectively, and the zombies were multicolored stuffed animals as well.

"That probably won't hold them for long, but it should show the others that they too could manipulate the dream. The Voice isn't the only one with power here." Amelia was breathing heavily, having forced out her own images of what the monster should be. "Good job Amelia, rest now." I conjured up a floating platform for her to rest on out of harms way, but I was sure the creature wouldn't bother her since she believed he was good for the world. If he did, Amelia could neutralize the attempts with her imagination of what he should be. If that didn't work, well there's always the theory of being invincible in a friendly party's dream to fall back on. Since Amelia would be working for Aqua soon, the boss's dreamscape was friendly to her. But just in case I spoke to him telepathically from 50 feet up.

<Boss, the blond haired woman is Dr. Amelia Anthony. She's on our side, more or less. Consider her an ally. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, use Celebi's psychic powers to see the conclusion I just came to. This is your dream. We're all astral. Your allies can't die in it if you wish it, so I need you to consider her an ally. Also, pass this around to the other high rankers: We're lucid dreaming.> Then I was about to lay the smack down on the stuffed animals with some psychic power when I heard a voice. Two voices in fact.

<Champion, hear me. There isn't much time.>

<We name you as our Champion.>

<From times ancient, the twins will help you if you find them.>

<Prove yourself. In this dream, our power can be yours if you wish it.>

The voices were faint, but in this dreamscape I could hear them. Then they faded. What was this about? Power can be mine if I wish it? They must mean manipulate the dream, but I don't need it yet. I have the power.

I landed in the middle of the stuffed animals, causing a psychic shockwave to knock the plush-zombies back then de-bursting with Beauty and recalling her. Time to burn some stuffing. But the cooldown. Cooldown shmooldown, this is a dream. I called out Flame the Blaziken. "Burn baby, burn!" Raising the ABH into the air as the zombie stuffed animals shambled back toward me, I closed my eyes to merge with Flame. I could hear the monster's laugh echo around the dream, even though he had turned into a fluffy plush bunny. He was planning something.

Opening my eyes I felt that parts of my hair were standing up. I had chest hair, which was a very odd sensation, though it seemed to be mostly moved off to the sides. Where I would have expected hair was an incredibly skimpy bikini top made of hair that just passed the modesty test and revealed everything else. I sighed in embarrassment as I examined the rest of me. My skin was red, and I had claws on each of my five fingers. I could still see right through myself. I had on a red pair of incredibly skimpy underwear like when I merged with Beauty, black hair up to the knees, and then red from the knees down. My wrists spouted flames uncontrollably. While the two of us felt incredibly powerful, we were also incredibly embarrassed. I turned to the creature and pointed a clawed finger at him, then I realized my weapons had become five feet long and set on fire. Oh yea, I could enjoy this.

"This is YOUR doing, isn't it?! Giving me this skimpy bikini?!" I yelled at the monster. With a flick of my finger and manipulating the dream, I got rid of all the stuffed animal zombies with a Fire Spin. If he tried to summon more Diablos, they'd all turn into stuffed animals again because Amelia thought he was nice. I was such a genius, turning her devotion around like that.

<Why, yes. While I can't control when or how the Ancient Burst Hearts are used, I can control the form somewhat. I made it so it brings out your inner image, and apparently yours is a porn star!> The creature laughed a sinister laugh at his own joke, but I didn't think it was funny at all.

"I will END you for this, fluffy bunny or no fluffy bunny!" I activated Flame Charge, moving faster than the eye could see, then attached myself to the fluffy stuffed bunny's back. "I'd like to say burn in hell, but that's too good for you! Burn in your nightmares!" All completely unemotional and deadpan, but still yelling. "You know, cause stuffed animals burn easily." I added in case he didn't figure that out. I then set myself on fire and caused a molten explosion with us in the epicenter. If he tried anything, I was ready for it.

Dream manipulation was quite fun. I just hoped the others would catch on to it soon.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Floroma Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Floroma Town. The town of pleasent scents, flowers, and very little else.

Yarvick knew and remembered the town of his birth. He grew up almost exclusively here. There were a few extra buildings added in his absense, but they were very little of note, merely more houses.

He knew the place like the back of his hand. The lore of the place was that Shaymin once decided to take a very barren plain and do her thing, and thus, the place was now in eternal bloom, even in winter. There was some truth to that; the flowers here were typically advertised as being nigh-immune to cold...Despite Shaymin's infamous weakness to ice.

But, Yarvick wasn't a lore kind of person. He was the 'steal stuff' kind of person. His time here would be limited. It was only halfway through the day at this point. He had to get to Yggdrasil Hotel as soon as possible, and 'today' seemed to be soon enough.

Nevertheless, he was reminded firmly of his childhood, which was, to him, mostly just a repetetive play-by-play of how to steal things. It wasn't much. Yarvick didn't exactly have the most exciting childhood in the world, and in all honesty, it was kind of OK that way...

"...About him? He's effectively going to just keep going about until-"

Yarvick swung his neck around for the source of the voice. It was the same group again! But, they seemed to be out of earshot. He even looked up at the rooftops, but no. But seriously, how did he keep waltzing into eavesdropping range of this group repetitively?

"No he will not. His plan simply fails if the primary piece simply evaporates, which was our plan from the get-go," The young Sinnoh-native woman said, sternly.

"OK, that kind of hinges on our plan, you know, working. It is prone to failure, like all plans, so what if we fail?" Said the young Unovan man?

"Fall back to our guaranteed fail-safe," The woman said. "It would be sub-optimal, but it would almost guarantee success...And of course, it would still be unexpected."

"...That...Works. We try our crazy plan, then fall back if it fails, which is almost guarenteed. I'd hate to be the poor sap we get for this one..." The unovan man said.

"Yes...That may be a small problem, as we'd have to get someone who has on-hand experience," the woman said.

"...That...May be a problem, but I think we'll find a suitable candidate in time. If we're patient." the man said.

With that, he heard no more.

...He had no idea what the duo could have been referring to, and probably would never find out.

In any case, he kept walking at this point, just hoping to leave without any confrontations or funny events or anything...He was just kind of privately hoping...

...He was getting overly paranoid, and even he knew it, but there were sure a lot of coincidences about if they WERE coincidences.

Yarvick looked around. It was midday in Floroma. It was a small town, easily walked through...So when someone was about, it was noticable. And he could not help but notice it...A man from afar...He was wearing brown but could not make out further details...He was leaving a house. His mother's house. The man turned, walking towards him.

Yarvick was going to have to cross paths with him. It was a wide road, though, but paranoia was not to rule here. He was walking forwards...Forwards...Forwards. As they approached, however...

...The man's identity became far more obvious. Year Velvetine. The man on the boat.

They crossed paths. Neither Velvetine nor Yarvick bothered to look at each other in the face, though Yarvick did notice some oddity with Velvetine.

The sword had blood on it.

...Yarvick did not increase his pace, looking as cool and calm as ever, but now a detour was in order...


...

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
The Skunkworks, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

"I think there has honestly been enough Chimera-related empowerment going around with Mega and Ultra Chimeras, and you suggest you're going to do more?" Yantil queried, aggressively. "We DO need regular footsoldiers, you know! And we decided we would be attempting to focus away from Chimeras now that we've got them so powerful?"

Evening in the Deathwing's Skunkworks, and Propizio's first project where he was NOT an assistant to someone else was already being attacked by Dr. Yantil Massadar, Tiantus'es right-hand man in the Skunkworks. Propizio knew Yantil had a high admiration of Tiantus, a man quite likely to sooner-or-later invent some world-changing creations. Or be involved in them. Probably why Yantil clutched to Tiantus so tightly, expecting to partake in fame with it. Granted, Dr. Yantil was pretty brilliant in his own right. Just not 'Tiantus' brilliant.

Of course, anyone else he looked down upon with an extreme scrutiny.

"Doctor Mass-Mass-Massadar, we-we-we have a gun-let's call these Chi-chimera Mutagens another form of g-g-g-gun. The g-gun had a few fff...A few...A few flaws, and could use some add-d-d-d-ditions, but it is otherwise workab-b-ble and very...Very leaf...Very lethal. If the flaws were removed and the additions, well added, we...We...We would have a more dea-dea-deadly gun. Deadlier guns are better guns! Well, unless you're a p-p-p-pacifist. But, that is what I am doing. Weapon imp-p-pp-provement," Prop said-or tried to say, rather. He was NEVER good with the English language. Nevertheless, it was better than it usually was. "In any case, if you think they're gett-t-t-t...Getting TOO popular, you can...You can, uh...You can restrict access of FES, or even the basic mutt-meta-mutagens, mutaens, in a heartbeat, and take all of that reversal agent and start shooting at any offond-offenders. You can restrict access of them in a heartbeat," Propizio added.

"That's not the problem, the problem is...Well, Doctor Pierce! Doctor Pierce is the problem!" Massadar said. "I don't mean to come off as rude, especially not to such a successful scientist such as herself, but Doctor Pierce...I think she's going about doing what she does without even THINKING that it could backfire on us. The oft-noted threat of power highs among the grunts aside...She simply has TOO much faith in her own creations. We haven't even gotten time to study any particular physiological OR psychological effects, who knows what could happen to our soldiers because Doctor Pierce did not think it through!"

Propizio couldn't take that argument. "If there are side-side-effects, then b-blame the suh-suh-sold-soldiers, for taking it so readily without thinn...Thinking about it at all. They should have thought of the...Thought of the side-effects when they took the syringe. It's either you have common sense or you're as dense as a rock. It's either you have common sense...Oh, wait, already said that." Propizio said. "But, you know my st-st-stance on that. Dock-dock-doctor Massadar, should I be telling Doctor Tiantus that you've been badmou...Badmouthing Doctor Pierce? I recalled that he was quite fond of the Chimera Mutagens..." Propizio said.

Doctor Massadar looked like he was being attacked by his own Mightyena for a second.

"...Let's hear the expected results of your experiment before we proceed any further. A picture of what you will do and what you think would be the result. A bit more than a two-sentence summery," Doctor Massadar said.

"Can you give me a minute to write it down?" Propizio said. That was one sentence rehearsed enough to say it without so much as a single stutter. Doctor Massadar nodded, and Propizio grabbed a pencil and wrote down his summary. In a minute or two, it was done. It read thus:

"A close look at the inner workings of the Chimera Mutagens shows several inefficient parts. Non-optimized structure of cells in the Mutagen itself, typically very consistent across all different types of Mutagen observed. This non-optimal structure is limiting the overall ability of the resulting 'donation genes'-The genes of the Pokemon that the Chimera is composed of-within the Chimera mutagen to combine efficiently. If these issues were fixed, we could see a small increase in the amount of donation genes a Chimera could safely adopt at maximum-a predicted improvement of 150%, or four additional 'donations.' In addition, there are specific functions of a Pokemon that simply cannot be used in Chimera form-A Pokemon's 'Abilities,' in layman's terms. This seems to be due to the current structure of the Mutagens, which simply cannot replicate those particular points of a Pokemon in a Chimera, even if every 'donation gene' comes from Pokemon who all have the Ability we call 'Levitate.' However, a closer look at the mutagen reveals that, without radical restructuring of the DNA or RNA sequences involved, we could easily repurpose the genes to include not one, but TWO abilities, safely. To clarify: This is not the same deal as most Pokemon only having one 'active' ability at a time, even with two-three noted choices in the wild. This is two 'active' abilities at once. This, of course, is just the theory. I have not actually started any of that yet, I've merely looked at it and made observations and a theory, as expected."

When Dr. Prop was done writing it, Doctor Massadar picked it up and watch as his eyes glided across the paper.

"I know the Scientific Method, Haruangi," Yantil said sternly. Dr. Te Haruangi sighed. 'Te Haruangi?' That was a whole word. 'Haruangi?' That part of the word. Whether it was not a word on its own or not a word at all was beyond Propizio's understanding. He didn't really know the language it was derived from well at all.

Despite his misgivings before, Yantil paced around, pinching his small beard and twirling the hairs between the fingers, the other holding onto the paper. He always did that when really contemplating something. A good sign.

"...Hrm...I have a simple question, Dr. Haruangi. Would there be any other perceived benefits?" Yantil asked. "I mean, obviously added flexibility and unpredictability is always a plus. But, is there more?"

"No, Doctor Massadar. Not any predicted effects, anyways...I can always attempt to...To...To...Uhh...Derive! I can always attempt to derive possible effects from the results of the use of the Mutt-mute-mutagen on the cells I will be working with."

Something in Massadar's face relaxed. Dr. Prop had a small level of infamy due to clumsiness, an inability to speak without stuttering 95% of the time, and a slight disregard for some safety precautions regarding volunteers and the like, though it seemed Angel's inventions had him a bit...Sour. A possible mix of her talent suddenly being recognized and her talent also causing a bit of panic.

"I'll go check with Doctor Tiantus if any restrictions will be in order, but I think you will be in the fair here, Doctor Haruangi." Doctor Massadar said, smiling a bit. "I'll be off." He added, walking out of the laboratory.

Dr. Prop turned back to his work. At this stage, it was just conceptual, ways of tacking it and lots of equations. He admitted to himself; He was not Angel, nor Tiantus. He only had a Master's in biology. However, he knew enough to know what he was doing.

Hypocricy ruined any argument. If he was to keep a mental campaign of THINKING of the side-effects going, he himself would have to take every precaution to safety himself-especially when testing beyond the cellular stage came about. He found it kind of boring during the theoretical stages, he always did. It was hard not to think that. It was just endless writing, solving equations over and over again, and for Dr. Prop, just writing things got boring, fast, especially since making his lips move in a coherent manner was always an endeavor doomed to fail. there was one time he mispronounced 'thank you' as 'hang you.' Hoo boy.

But, the practical stages...That's where all of that theoretical stuff paid off, big time. Mounds of equations in his notes were worth having a crazy flamethrower in his hands...It was also where lot of the infamy of his came from. His self-imposed need to make himself the sole guiena pig of his own experiments aside, the time he got said crazy flamethrower of his, he accidentally dropped it while it was still pushing out flames, setting himself on fire.

It was the joke of the labs for weeks.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
Corporeal: AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Spiritual: The Black Lodge
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi bronislav84

Diablos.

This was nothing compared to what Diabora was really capable of. The Dragonbreath attack on Saxiv was only enough to stun it for a few moments. Finch and Reg Lando were trying to fight them off, but nothing seemed to make sense when fighting these asshats. Tiantus, however, couldn't fight for the life of him from the looks of it. The guy was a researcher, not a warrior.

And yet somehow, Raidon managed to give him a handgun, and then somehow he transformed that into a massive gatling gun through... nothing. How the hell was he doing that? Regardless, he opened fire and tried gunning down the Diablos that Diabora had summoned. He easily made my attempts look like a Magikarp Splash attack.

"Not so ****ing frightening now, are you, Diabora?" Tiantus mocked the destroyer.

<It's going to take more than that to end me,> Diabora declared, launching a torrent of hellfire at Raidon.

He managed to dodge most of it, but the fire burned the hell out of his arm. Relentless, I saw something I just couldn't believe was possible. Across all dimensions and universes, alternate versions of the boss suddenly joined as one fighting force. One was a purple-skinned Starmie hybrid, another was some kind of cyborg, and many others, all baring some resemblance to the boss, but yet were different, all alterations simply based on what would have been and what could have been. Damn, it was quite the mind-rape to see something like that.

They all swooped in to strike Diabora in all different patterns, one becoming a three-headed dragon, another a four-winged bird, another a giant rusted robotic sentinel of armor. It was the bird, however, that struck Diabora's body with a talon of pure flames, crushing him with hot, fiery death.

"INFINITE ZEPHYR GALE!" They all shouted in unison.

Diabora was reduced to only bits upon being destroyed in the chaotic frenzy of fire, explosions, and spine-ripping, thunderous strikes. He was rapidly ripped to shreds like a twisted jigsaw puzzle from the depths of Hell, falling and rolling upon the floor like the trash pieces from a spilled trash can. However, despite Raidon's confidence, Diabora simply reformed without a scratch. When his body was fully reassembled, he simply looked fondly at Raidon as if to mock him.

<I adore how you try and try,> Diabora sneered at Raidon with his hideous fugly face again. <All part of the equation to just break you, and watch you squirm and squeal like a hopeless swine. You will either struggle forever, or you lose and die.>

"Try me, you prick," I spat at Diabora. "You think of yourself as some mighty god, but you're just a pain in the ass. Struggle? Try again, I wouldn't mind blowing up your daft, little carcass up again and again."

I wasn't sure what the boss's strategy was going to be for handling this dipshit. So far, it seemed like this place could be manipulated, but something about it made it feel like a trap. Like we were just wasting time here.

I wasn't sure what Karai and Blonde Zombie were planning, but they had manipulated the astral realm to try and attack again. Diabora was... transformed into what looked like an oversized plush rabbit while Xoven and Saxiv were turned into a stuffed ape and a stuffed gecko. As for Diabora's horde, they also looked like a bunch of stuffed animals taken out of some kid's bedroom.

"What in the hell...?" I asked, wondering how that came about.

It only got weirder. Karai went all out against the army of plush toys before trying to use an Ancient Burst Heart to burst with her Blaziken. The result was just... freaky. Mega Blaziken with chest hair, skimpy clothing, and other weirdness. I knew Mega Blazikens should not at all look like that. It made me happy I was just a Dragonite.

"This is YOUR doing, isn't it!?" Karai screamed at Diabora the plush bunny. "Giving me this skimpy bikini!?"

She then incinerated the army of plushy toys with a Fire Spin.

<Why, yes.> Diabora laughed hysterically. <While I can't control when or how the Ancient Burst Hearts are used, I can control the form somewhat. I made it so it brings out your inner image, and apparently yours is a porn star!>

My mind was just blown away.

"I will END you for this, fluffy bunny or no fluffy bunny!" Karai shouted, attacking Diabora with a Flame Charge as she latched onto Diabora's fluffy bunny back. "I'd like to say burn in hell, but that's too good for you! Burn in your nightmares!"

She set herself on fire and then struck him in the back with a massive explosion. I had a feeling the only thing this was going to result in was just Diabora reforming, and I was totally right. The stuffed bunny that used to be Diabora was incinerated to a black pulp, but seconds later, Diabora in his original form simply recreated himself, laughing maniacally.

<That's right, embrace the violence! Lose your mind in your anger! See how useless your attempts are!> Diabora laughed. <I'm coming to kill you, Karai! And all your squealing, pathetic friends!>

Damn, it was making me think... was there something we needed to do to kill him the "right" way?

<... Listen...>

Who are you? Qinglong?

<...That's right. There is... more to him than you think. More to you as well.>

Where the hell are you?

I didn't get much of a response, and already Diabora was summoning additional Diablos. In fact, it looked like he was summoning a whole god-damned army of them. This time, it wasn't just zombies. It was something that looked a whole lot worse.

<Rise, Fallen,> Diabora laughed with darkness before looking back at us. <How can you fight an army made of pure sin? Gaze upon this horde, all of them comprised of each person's sins, vices, and crimes. They are the entourage of Hell, all to pull you into its depths, screaming for all eternity!!>

Billions... there were billions of these deranged, shadowy figures with blood-colored flames gushing from their hollow eye sockets and grizzly-toothed mouths. Their arms and elongated tongues were their weapons, made of jagged knives and bladed tentacles. I couldn't believe what the hell I was seeing.

"Damn it, that's a whole hell of a lot of soldiers he's got there!" Reg Lando remarked bitterly.

Lando imagined a futuristic tank, made of chrome armor and capable of technology that wouldn't exist for likely another few hundred years. He climbed inside, and immediately the dual gauss-cannons fired blazing razor-fire ammo upon the army of Fallen with power and fury that would have easily toppled over today's cities in a heartbeat, but no bullet or tank shell could even faze these Fallen. Meanwhile, the Fallen all chanted together in some dark, gibberish language that just sounded to be pure evil. Somehow, even just the words were painful to listen to.

Tiantus's gatling gun, while ferocious against the other Diablos, was useless against the Fallen.

"What the hell is this!?" Tiantus spat, tossing aside the firearm in frustration.

Damn it, there was no way in hell we could take out an army of billions of renditions of sin without usable weapons. The Fallen army was drawing closer and we were rapidly running out of options.

<...Listen, this isn't what you think it is. It's... a trap. Diabora is... buying time. If you continue staying here... he will weaken your minds and you will not be prepared to fight him in reality.>

It was making sense. This whole... simulation... I could see it frying our brains about how things really worked. The level of mind-raping Diabora was putting us through would screw with our real perception and what we knew was real and what wasn't. If this crap went on for too long, by the time we woke up, everything could be a wreck and we'd actually think the Diabora we were fighting and manipulating here was the way the real one would fight. It was like... taking drugs.

There's got to be some way out of this...

<...Focus. Focus on your body, and direct your soul to it. The more you wake up... the more your soul will be pulled back into your real body, and you'll wake up from this. Don't be alarmed... I have sensed your soul and I now know where you are.>

I did as he told me, and I shut my eyes and focused my concentration. By shutting out this astral plane, it was easier to focus on the Deathwing War Room. I knew what it looked like and I told myself that's where I wanted to be right now. I knew my unconscious body was there, most likely still in that black bunny Chimera form, but I could use that as a home point.

Wake up!

It was as if a giant set of hands pulled me far, far away, and with my eyes still shut, I had no idea where I was going...


* * *

I woke up with a bit of grogginess, right back in the Deathwing War Room with all of its monitors, display screens, and computers. As I had suspected, I was still in the black rabbit Chimera form I had on before, but as I looked around, I saw Reg Lando, Finch, Tiantus, and the boss were still totally out cold, lying on the floor. I didn't know where Karai was but I figured she was in the same situation.

"Boss!" I shouted to Raidon, shoving him to get him to wake up. "Boss, it's a trap, you've got to wake up! Get your ass up!"

No luck. Trying it on Tiantus and Lando was not any more successful either. This wasn't just a nap, it was something way deeper. The only way they'd be able to get out is if someone... or something told them how to wake up.

And in the meantime, I needed to figure out how to reach Qinglong... wherever the hell he was.


Janine "Angel" Price
Offset Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

"Gotcha!" Kaede shouted with glee.

Holy crap, I had fallen asleep!? I suddenly found myself lying in the soft grass, and wow, after blinking twice, I really did doze off for who knows how long. It had to have been for at least an hour or so considering how I felt and how much the sun had gone down. I looked to where Kaede's voice was coming from and she was looking over me, smiling, looking proud of herself...

...and then I looked at the syringe she had stuck in my arm.

"Whoa, you sneak!" I laughed. "What did you... is that a Chimera mutagen?"

"Sure is!" Kaede laughed. "Payback time!"

Ha, ha, okay, I'll totally admit I should have seen this coming! I couldn't blame her, it was silly and careless of me to forget the reversal agent and to leave her as a big blue Dragonite for two whole hours. I quickly got off the ground and saw Kaede was just smirking, and she for some reason had been wearing an advanced, high-tech chemical hazmat suit. In fact, she had started to put the helmet on, casually, just smiling.

"Hey, what's all that for?" I asked, curiously wondering why it looked like she needed to prep for some pretty intense chemical warfare.

Ho boy, definitely should have known. That's when I started to transform into a Chimera, and definitely not a very good one. I felt like I had the breath sacked out of me when I saw I was having purple and white fur grow out of my skin and suddenly I had gained an awful amount of weight. A massive skunk tail suddenly grew out of my butt and suddenly I felt like a gigantic ball of stink!

"Ohh... what did you do!?" I asked, feeling so messed up.

"Oh, just a Skuntank/Snorlax/Weezing/Muk Chimera mutagen," Kaede winked.

Eww, was she serious!? How totally gross! But she was right, I was a really fat Skuntank with... oh man, extra gas and skunk juice! In fact, I was having trouble holding in the gas. Oh man, how embarrassing! I really tried not to fart but after a while, it just couldn't be held in anymore! And how gross, I was so obese, as if I raided a pastry bakery and ate everything in sight!

"Hey, this isn't fair!" I complained to her. "Your Chimera form wasn't nearly this bad!"

But she really didn't care! And then... oh no, she had actually brought FES syringes with her as well! She was just casually playing with them, caressing them like pet Pokémon!

"Kaede... Kaede, we can talk this over, you know!" I shouted at her, trying to back away. "We can be reasonable, right!?" Right!?"

And yuck, the whole time, I just couldn't hold it in anymore. It felt so gross to fart, and it felt like it couldn't stop once it started! Meanwhile, trying to move around like this was just awful. I swore, I tried my best never to get this pudgy!

"Let's see, how did you say it before?" Kaede asked with a sinister smile. "'Oh please, you're a big girl?' 'We only just started?'"

"But... Kaede, you...!" I cried out.

Oh man, she just walked up to me and just jabbed me with the first FES syringe like there was nothing to it. Holy freaking cow, this was just going to be awful. She stepped back with a casual strut, leaving me there all fat and stinky and helpless to do anything!

And then, I started evolving. I suddenly became an even bigger, fuzzier, bloated ball of stink. Yeah, no kidding, forget about actually trying to find some way to enjoy this! I felt so heavy and oh so gross. I was fat and my insides were chugging away to be a total stink factory! And yeah, there was no holding back the gas anymore. It was loud, stinky, and sounded like a motor coming out of my butt! Meanwhile, the giant skunk tail I had on my butt was huge. I was now fifteen feet tall, and I was quickly turning this poor, little island into a toxic waste dump!

So totally not fair, she got to choose her Chimera form! I wouldn't have done this kind of thing to her! This was just... cruel!

"Hey, this is so unfair, you know!" I shouted back at her, my voice sounding all stuffed now as my fat arms just laid on my bloated skunk gut. "Kaede, you and I both know a Ultra Chimera of... this... is just definitely going to be awful! Please, let's not go there, okay! You've proven your point!"

"Guess what?" Kaede shrugged and giggled, preparing the giant Ultra Chimera FES syringe. "Not my problem."

Oh man, I was not going to want to remember this when it was over with. I tried to waddle away as my pudgy feet could carry this gigantic body, all while my butt just couldn't stop it with the stinky, slimy pollution. And I didn't get very far. Kaede was enjoying this thoroughly and I couldn't do very much but just play along with it. And she was so totally taunting me with that Ultra Chimera syringe.

"Aww, but didn't you tell me payback is fun?" Kaede asked me. "You were right! So you should totally be enjoying this too!"

And then she got me with the giant FES syringe. I just watched in dismay as the auto-injector just pushed all of that FES juice into my already giant skunk body. Yeah, I knew this was going to be pretty bad. She quickly jumped back. While her high-tech hazmat suit kept her safe from the smell, she could still easily get flattened if she didn't get out of the way.

"Oh crap," I muttered as I suddenly felt a heavy rumbling inside me.

I then grew and grew and totally felt like I'd never stop growing! I got even fuzzier, fatter, and my innards were turned into even more of a chemical weapons factory! She had totally turned me into a giant, fuzzy stink blob that I swore could have easily be classified as a chemical weapon of mass destruction. The evolution didn't stop until I was standing there, thirty feet tall as one gigantic pile of pure grossness. The skunk spray and gas was just relentless now. I couldn't exactly see considering my puffed up Skuntank face could barely even turn, never mind look behind my colossal skunk tail to see exactly what and how much was coming out of my behind. It felt like massive bucketloads of skunk slime were dumping out and I was able to see the darkened, black-green cloud of stink and noxious fumes coming up from behind me. Man, I didn't know what was worse, letting all that stinky sludge out or trying to keep all that grossness stuck inside me!

Well, certainly was a little too late to say I was sorry.

"Hey, why the long face, Janine, I thought you'd be enjoying this!" Kaede laughed. "Why not try to make the best of it, you've got a whole two hours to kill."

Two hours of...! Oh geez, this was terrible! She was definitely not letting this go for anything, was she!?

"Urf..." I muttered and spat, barely able to even talk with my cheeks and chin so stuffed with fat. "Kaheed, youff... ovadone et wid dhis."

Yeah, so much for talking! It was like trying to speak with my hands pressed against my cheeks and face and with a mouth full of mashed potatoes!

I tried walking, but it was so, so slow and I felt like I was glued inside some kind of giant sack of... eww, something really gross, thick, and gooey. It was hard to believe that when I looked down the tiny bit I was allowed to, that giant, protruding belly of white and purple fuzz that was sticking out over everything... that was all me. Meanwhile, Kaede was just sitting there, looking at her watch, and twirling my much desired reversal agent in her gloved hands.

"Ha, hasn't even been six minutes yet!" Kaede taunted me. "Having fun, Janine? Please, let me know how much you think your Ultra Chimera project is a whopping success! Was it as big as you thought it would be!?"

Oh, so not cool or funny. But she did that the entire time, taunting all two hours while I just sighed, stunk up the place relentlessly with more poison gas and goo than what should have ever been possible. I couldn't even move my bloated arms, and walking was like a chore just to move a few steps. Bleh, by the time this was over, all of Hoenn would probably have to be quarantined.

It went on so, so slowly. Minutes felt like days practically. And all I could really do was just sit there, my puffed up head just glued to a giant pile of stinky, fuzzy goo that was actually the rest of my body. Meanwhile, I couldn't stop just grossing up the whole place! Yeah, well, I certainly wasn't going to do much dancing, skipping, or prancing like this. I didn't even want to try rolling, because that would just be... ugh, totally goofy, gross, and I'd probably get stinky goop all over myself.

By the time two hours was up, I gave up all hope for hygiene and I think a part of me died inside. Kaede finally got up, and not a moment too soon.

"Well congratulations, Janine!" Kaede sarcastically cheered. "You survived as an Ultra Chimera as long as I did! I have the reversal agent right here, but if you'd rather stay like that...!"

"Nuuu...!" I moaned, trying to get her to not even think like that!

"Oh, ok..." Kaede muttered with sarcastic sympathy before laughing hysterically. "Hopefully this reversal agent syringe doesn't make you POP!"

Oh, sweet mother of mercy, could you possibly get any grosser thinking like that!? Eww, I didn't even want to imagine what that would look like! Well, she injected me with the reversal agent, and thankfully I didn't... well... you know. The few seconds it took to get working felt like forever, but then slowly, painfully slowly... the disgusting, massive Skuntank blob of stink, misery, and total disgust was undone. I slowly shrunk down, down, down, with all of the grotesque mutations reversed and whipped back into my body until all the purple and white fur was gone and I was finally back to being human.

And oh man, turning around to see how much gunk and ungodly stink I had created was a sight out of a horror movie! It was over, but man, I felt like I needed to take a really, REALLY long shower.

"Well, glad you had fun," Kaede told me, giving me a clue not to ever mess with her again. "Now let's get out of here."

Yeah... no kidding. Definitely done with this place!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga AND Lord Celebi

Two whole massive stacks of papers almost devoted exclusively to equations and notes, and he was off and testing on the cellular stage now.

He figured this would only be mildly interesting compared to the unambiguous trudge through near-infinite papers, but he found out that the Chimera Mutagens, even at a microscopic level, were FAR more interesting than he thought. This was only a control, though; his theories had not been put to the test. But even then, these things surprised him.

What he did was essentially take human cells and apply a small amount of Mutagen to them, then inject them with Reversal Agent. They both did something that quite defied his expectations; rather than just passively re-code the DNA and allow the changes to come on their own, the Mutagen and Agent both tore the cell's insides to pieces, not just altering the DNA sequences but also immediately shifting the very cell's insides itself. Several times, the cell barely changed, though some of the more outlandish Chimera combos, especially those that involved Ghost-Types or Pokemon that did NOT need to eat, had extremely radical restructures. The whole thing was fascinating, possibly more than just seeing the transformation; imagining this was going on billions and billions of times through every part of the body was astounding.

Some said that living bodies were the most complex machines in all of nature, with bodily structure that has less chance of error than a computer, and far more range and versatility of movement, with the capacity of mostly-unlimited gain of knowledge. And that was just humanity; Pokemon had additional capacities, including the ability to generate electricity, chemicals, fire, and even water within their bodies and safely manipulating it. The Legends were, in particular, amazing; the Chimera Mutagen that had the Deoxys genes in it was a thrill to behold.

Speaking of which, he had heard from the crew that Raidon had captured Celebi as his most recent exploit. As if that racket caused by the Battle of Goldenrod (or more accurately, the catastrophe of Goldenrod) was enough huge news. Dr. Prop made a mental note; he'd HAVE to get the genes for that thing and examine them, closely. Deoxys'es genes alone had the capacity to reveal whole new fields of energy generation and conservation, even the possibility of a Psionic Generator; and that alone could lead to how to harness Psionic power in everyday devices. He could already TASTE the possible applications; the ability of telekinesis, a force often considered stronger and more varied than magnetism in attraction and repulsion, could make great use in self-defense tools, long-range object grabbing of all varieties, and even weapons enhanced with psionic capabilities-the power of a shotgun in a weapon the size of a pistol! And that was just one subset of powers he knew to exist, and that wasn't even the more outlandish ideas, and all from just ONE legend!

But, he was just improving Chimera Mutagens now. He also had a practical, non-chimera idea immediately afterwards to grab, one that was simple and probably would take little convincing to get off the ground. I mean, a superior assault rifle shouldn't be too difficult, right?

In any case, back to the microscope...Though, Dr. Prop's mind was also kind of one one other idea: What of his own Chimera form?

He honestly thought that everyone should be a Chimera at some point. Mega and Ultra forms aside, just the base form had SO much potential. He saw a LOT of people have fun flying around and being terrifying, or cute in the case of others. There were also a lot of people discussing which forms were the most powerful. Stacking effects seemed to have a nasty result; one person noted that having a lot of Pokemon with poisonous claws made their claws even more poisonous than either Pokemon, acidic even. Others noted some rather cheap combinations; Ninetales and Ampibom made rounds, making close-range combat against them from ANY direction a frightening aspect likely to end with some hideous, painful, humiliating curse, followed by quick death from an eleven-handed technique. There was also Donphan, Cloyster and Garbador; apparently the combination could just use Rollout and roll around, causing destruction and picking up the debris as it went, growing to impressive sizes without needing FES and being nigh-indestructible on its own. If they were ever stopped, the debris remained on them (as part of Garbador's trait to absorb garbage no doubt), and hence they just continued the rampage as a 10-foot tall junk monster that would not flinch to almost anything. Unless Pokemon specializing in energy-based attacks came in. Then he'd be unconscious.

Dr. Prop theorized that, with abilities thrown into the mix, the combinations would get even more stupid powerful. He thought of a lot of combinations. At least one, in theory, was totally invincible, but there was an extreme, lethal drawback to go with it and wasn't all that offensively powerful anyways-Dr. Prop saw no practical use for it even in the most dire of circumstances. Several were frighteningly effective and very destructive, but they required a level of repetition in tactics that a flexible, clever opponent could use against them. Dr. Prop couldn't settle his mind down on any single one of them, in any case. He'd still need his human form, unless he got really clever about what he chose and made a form mostly the same in size and structure, which, while possible, were hard to optimize to combat.

"DOCTOR HARUANGI! DOCTOR HARUANGI! WE HAVE A CRISIS!!!" Massadar screamed. Dr. Prop, out of shock, shoved his eye a LITTLE too close to the microscope, which wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Getting up and now holding his eye in pain, he barely had a time to even ask what the crisis was before Yantil dragged him away. "It's Doctor Tiantus! He's unconscious, along with Finch, and Noah, and Raidon! I CAN'T GET THEM UP! I even kicked him in the face!" He said, hushing himself.

OK, that was...That was REALLY serious. Massadar and Te Haruangi rushed through the Deathwing, up to the Navigation rooms, all the while Massadar muttered to Dr. Prop all sorts of worries and concerns, including how he simply did NOT ever get enough sleep. ("I told him four hours would simply NEVER work, I told him!")

When they finally arrived, Noah had managed to wake up. Neither he nor Massadar had any idea he was into bunnies, but they wouldn't bug him about THAT. Massadar rushed in to Tiantus'es side. "Captain Ashfield...You woke up, what happened? I couldn't wake up any of you before! How did you wake up! We can't leave them like this!" Massadar yelled, still attempting to shake Tiantus awake.

Propizio simply could not get what was going on right now...They looked totally unharmed (Except Tiantus, with a red patch where Yantil kicked him in the head), and yet, they were literally so lifeless...Only adding to the strangeness of the scene was the fact that one of them-likely Raidon-was not acutally human at the time, but rather, in a Burst Mode...He heard that Raidon caught Celebi-this could have been his Mega Evolution. After all, they definitely did have an Ancient Burst Heart...But, it was all so confusing.

"N-n-noah, what is happening?" Dr. Prop said, really just repeating Yantil's question.


...

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Xelsez residence, Floroma Town, Sinnoh. En-Route to Eternia City.
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick came onto a scene a lot less pretty than he imagined it.

Blood. Just blood, everywhere. A few bits of innards, too, but mostly just blood, almost everywhere. The corpse had been moved-he could not CONFIRM it was his mother slain here, but he had a VERY good feeling that it could be nobody else.

OK, so, adding up all the madness that occurred this day and the last alone: He stole a meteorite from a rival disguise thief; it turned out to make Hyperion sick; Hyperion got mutated into a Deoxys while he poked around with Chimera Mutagens and a Mad Scientist he has a crush on; He was given an Ancient Burst Heart and turned into Mega Deoxys; He had blown up a whole ship's defense and moved inwards to eradicate it of crew; he brainwashed a captain to freverish Aqua Loyalty; he blew up Harper Tower; he laid witness to Giovanni's crafty escape; he fought some a**holes, didn't remember because they did jacks**t; he flew back and RETURNED the ABH, officiating his membership of Aqua beyond mercenary.

He had gotten an email SUPPOSEDLY from his completely-absent father, requesting they meet while taking explicit steps to ensure it WAS Yarvick and with the utmost secrecy; he found out that Tiantus had decided to put a bomb in him and had said bomb put out; he left for a ferry, and that night discovered the existence of the Clockwork Coalition; he got up to Sandgem Town, where a man that was quite clearly one of the two he saw talking about the Clockwork Coalition obviously spying on him, found another POSSIBLE spy for the CC, and then Velvetine himself as he just most clearly murdered his mother. Oh, and there were a group of people he JUST so happened to keep overhearing, talking of some cryptic plan of theirs.

Dear Arceus his life got interesting by the truckload. Next thing he'd knew he'd learn of his origins as Yog-Sothoth, become a trillionaire-crime fighter by night, and eat the sun.

But...His mother! She was dead! Yarvick could NOT say that it was a spectacular mother-son relationship due to his lifestyle choices and his then-relentless pursuit of his dad, but holy s**t, she was dead! His mother! Dead!

OK, maybe it wasn't her? No body...OK, again, who'd be most likely to be here? She's dead!

If he met Velvetine again, he'd draw fast and shoot his sorry a** straight to the express delivery service to hell. He could have totally done it during that long walk, but he didn't have any reason to draw attention to himself.

This was unbelievable! He was angry! He was REALLY angry! He didn't even realize he'd get this angry! But here he was, really angry!

...Then it came across his mind to search his mother's jewels and sell them.

No, screw that. He'd leave them there. This was more important!

But first...His dad. Unless it was a trap-and it was possible-he didn't know who he was. It could be that he had some role in this. This was too much coincidence, SOMETHING was going on, Yarvick didn't know what, but there was something, and he figured his dad had a hand to play in this.

But, he had to get going. Now. Yggdrasil Hotel. He could chase Velvetine the rest of his f***ing life, but the sooner he got to his father the better.

Yarvick left. Nobody was in sight, and he knew if people were hiding. He went east, towards Eternia Forest and subsequently the city. He rememebered to take the shortcut around the forest...No time to waste now.

[Lord Celebi]

OOC: Sorry for the short post. I did not sleep well last night, so I'm a zombie.

IC:
Raidon Makoto
Corporeally: War Room, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Spiritually: The Black Lodge
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga, bronislav84, and Tazz

They just kept coming and coming. Diablos fell and gave way to even more twisted horrors: the Fallen. To the naked eye, they looked only like wisps of shadows, but as one stared into the vast expanse of their soul, one's mind flashed full of pure sin. They were more just than monsters, they were symbols of all atrocity committed past, present, future, and in parallel dimensions. Diabora's laughter rumbled throughout the room as the Shadows swarmed the tired Raidon Makoto. He struck one with his swords, but the shadow remained stalwart and continued to advance, completely ignoring the blow. Try as he could, he couldn't stop the beings of pure nightmare from surrounding him with sin. Their bodies resembled grew arms, eyes, and tongues in places they didn't belong, as the edges of their shadows turned into razor sharp arms. The shadows began to lick Makoto, tasting him before taking a bite.

<Raidon, this is a dream, remember!> a voice screamed into his heard. Makoto was surrounded by a flash of fire, warding off the Fallen long enough for it to continue. <And what is the only thing you can't do in a dream?>

Die, Makoto thought. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his blade and cut his stomach open, committing seppuku like the Samurai Warlords of days past. The topical pain was quickly supplanted by the phantasmagoria of the dream breaking. The dread lord of the Deathwing came to in the War Room of the AMS Deathwing. Noah Ashfield and a member from Hale's skunkworks (Makoto believed it was a scientist named Dr. Prop) were violently shaking the bodies of Makoto and his Captains, trying to wake them from the dream.

Hale came to first after Makoto, "Ugh. Why does my ****ing face hurt?" Lando and Reynolds soon followed. Groggily, the dread lord wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked down at his hands--they were normal. When the dream broke, he lost his Burst with Celebi. In one of the chairs, the Chronarch still laid asleep. Makoto brushed his hand over its hand and realized that it wasn't still locked in the nightmare--it was just all tuckered out.

We'll resolve this later. I gave you a lot to think about, he thought. And I need to figure out who that voice was...

"Captain Ashfield, priority number one right now is stopping Diabora. This incident has proven him too powerful to exist. He questions my stranglehold on Hoenn and eventually all of Maridia. As such, we will use whatever means necessary to wipe his scum from the face of this planet. Is this clear?"

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi The Nonexistent Tazz

I wasn't sure if we really dodged a bullet there or what, but I believed it was a trap. In any case, I wasn't alone for very long.

"Captain Ashfield... you woke up, what happened?"

Massadar. The guy was freaking out and it was quickly getting annoying, so I figured I'd get him to relax.

"I couldn't wake up any of you before!" Massadar shouted again. "How did you wake up!? We can't leave them like this!"

"Shut up, sit down, and relax," I told him, really giving him the look that he should just chill out. "It was some kind of shared dream, and Diabora was there. They're not dead if that's what you're thinking."

"N-N-Noah, what is happening?" Some other scientist dude asked me.

I honestly wasn't sure myself, but I knew for a fact that freaking out like these guys were doing just made me feel like smashing glass to work the irritation off.

"I think it's some kind of trap," I told him. "I doubt it's going to take Raidon long to figure it out."

And it was true, it wasn't long until the boss and Tiantus came to. Shortly after, Reg and Finch soon followed. The only one who was still sleeping was Celebi.

"Ugh, what does my ****ing face hurt?" Tiantus asked.

Probably because some moron kicked it.

"Captain Ashfield, priority number one right now is stopping Diabora," the boss told me. "This incident has proven him too powerful to exist. He questions my stranglehold on Hoenn and eventually all of Maridia. As such, we will use whatever means necessary to wipe his scum from the face of this planet. Is this clear?"

"You bet your ass it is," I nodded. "I have a feeling that asshat meant to keep us trapped in there much longer, but we're nobody's *****."

I got back on my feet, but then I could tell something happened in that dream that I felt I needed to speak up about. If I didn't mention this now, it was going to peck my brain apart.

"I dunno about you, but while we were in there, I had a feeling we weren't alone," I told the boss. "I made contact with the guy that Diabora referred to as Qinglong, and Diabora mentioned I was the seed of Qinglong the same way he said you were the seed of Zhu-Quiao, whoever the hell that is. Now, at first I thought it could have been just part of the dream, but then again, that wouldn't make sense. Qinglong actually helped me bail out of that dream trap, which would be total paradox if Qinglong was only limited to Diabora's dream itself. There's no damn way Diabora would have put in an exit guide in his own dream trap. That means somewhere out there, I owe somebody named Qinglong a beer."

As for where the hell he was, I didn't have a clue. But in any sense, I was hoping he'd find me first. And I was hoping he would beat Diabora when it came to that race.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Oh, that was awful! After a really long shower and getting myself dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I knew that horrible experience was going to give me nightmares for years! I still think Kaede didn't have it nearly as bad as I did, but if I tried to get payback for a payback, oh boy, this cycle could go on for years and it would be UGLY.

It really made me think about something though. Being trapped in that... oh, totally disgusting skunk body was not cool considering that hey, I'd be stuck like that if I didn't have anyone inject me with the reversal agent. I mean given, no one should ever, EVER mix Snorlax into their Chimera form, but it did present a pretty iffy scenario. Some Ultra Chimera forms could leave the person trapped and stuck like that unless they got help. I mean heck, Keade could have been heartless and just left me like that for days if she wanted! Yikes. But in any cases, I was thinking... maybe we should look into allowing reversal evolution be possible without the need for reversal agents, just so as long as it was all in the mind.

This was going to be tough though. But hey, where reversal evolution could be allowed, so could forward evolution! Now... how to make evolution and reverse evolution possible without chemicals, all controlled by mental focus. Ho boy, I might just be trying to do the impossible here. The Chimera's body would have to be "naturally" producing both evolution and reverse evolution chems in their own body, and said chemicals would need to be mentally activated... somehow. But hey, if it were possible, that would mean...!

...a Chimera could just keep evolving... possibly infinitely!

No way, could it really be possible!? It was really cool to think about it this way, but yeah, I'd have to really think this one over.

In the meantime, I heard they were making "improvements" to my Chimera mutagens. Pft, yeah, whatever. Apparently, I first learned that some knucklehead thought "hey, it's inefficient, we found a way you could add four extra Pokémon forms to it to make for a total of twelve." TWELVE!? Who was the nutball who thought hey, slapping a whopping twelve Pokémon parts to a single person was a good idea? I mean heck, I was even feeling the overload with just that bunny angel form, and that only had eight! Whoever had twelve was going to be like some crazy, funky multi-headed carnival freak show that would give little kids nightmares for years! Really, I tried HARD to think of four extra Pokémon I could tack onto the angel bunny form without making a total mess of it. And yeah, I just couldn't do it!

And then I found out that knucklehead was Massadar. Yeah, because that lab clown liked putting his own touch into everything we made around this joint. Kind of like finding out he put raisins in the batter you meant to be for chocolate chip cookies! Why did he have to go mess around with something that was great already?

In any case, I figured I'd try toying around with the idea of evolution and reversal evolution. A MAX evolution... hey, that made for a cool name! AMAXA. Sounded.. epic! So, Project AMAXA... totally about seeing if it were possible to have a Chimera mutagen equip a Chimera with a reversal agent gland and a FES gland and somehow have those both be connected to the Chimera's neural network. I dunno, sounded like a fantasy dream, but hey, maybe Kaede could be swayed to work on it. I did give her a pretty convincing reason why it might be handy in the case a Chimera got stuck!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Route 205, En-Route to Eternia City, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

This was officially Yarvick's first time of going onto Route 205-or at least, onto Route 205 beyond the energy plant. He didn't expect it to be so...Rugged and confined. Two small cliffs made it a more cramped space than he anticipated, and as it turned out, going between the valleys just lead to a dead end, forcing him backwards and making him climb onto one of the cliffs. All the while, pesky newcomer trainers kept asking him for a battle, which he forcibly declined at every instance. He was not in a fantastic mood right now, and the older trainers would have respected that. The Newbies, however, were always eager for an a**-whooping that Yarvick simply was not in the mood for.

It didn't matter if it was coincidence at this point. His mother DIED (and had her body missing, so no burial to boot), his dad was still a total enigma and was being far too paranoid (if he could just FLY there without disobeying his dad's orders he'd have done so already), and this was assuming it was even his dad and NOT a giant trap for an ABH he simply didn't have. As for himself, he was feeling far more angry about it all than even he anticipated. He expected it to be painful, but it felt worse. He felt...Hollow, like a large chunk of him just vanished. He didn't even REALIZE how much of him was gone.

Bluh, his mother worried too much about him, specifically over his habit of compulsive larceny. It was an obviously legitimate concern, but she didn't understand why HE did it...It wasn't just a simple greed (though money helped), and though he had a sense of self-preservation, safety was not his primary concern. It was the simple, pure thrill of going in, taking something important, and getting out, all under the noses of some of the most powerful, wealthy individuals in the world. He was facing forces that by all rights he never could and injuring them in ways that could otherwise be impossible...It made him feel pretty powerful! It made him feel alive, more importantly, like that pumping blood in his veins and the breath in his lungs was actually being put to good use-if not WHOLESOME use. Plus, had she been more open with his father's identity from the start, it would put this whole crazy scheme to waste-he'd KNOW who his father was and wouldn't have curiosity get the better of him and drag him here.

And this was not counting the Clockwork Coalition, the murderers responsible. Their leader, Duke Velvetine, specifically. He looked so utterly calm when they passed...The only indication of something hideously wrong was a small stain of blood on the handle of the sword, and that was utterly it. It was like this was a routine performance, to go into households and murder random bystanders. It was tasteless, messy, and generally lacking in moral fiber-even from a pragmatic standpoint, abiding by some simple moral customs (in his case, only theft, no assassinations or murders) garnered more folk than people realized on the black market. And, of course, the crazy guy was probably out to gut his current employers. Literally everything pointed to them being the next logical targets of Team Aqua, barring their demise or some more important thing coming up.

He was going to get payback, most likely through Aqua's continued domination. If there was one thing he could do before their possible demise, it would be to direct them at the Clockwork Coalition through his knowledge and watch them burn to ashes. If there was one thing that was certain, there was no faction bada** enough to stop Aqua...At least, not completely.

"Hey, hey mister!" Yelled another 12-year old, obviously far too eager to get battling experience with his Pokemon. Yarvick knew the Trainer code of honor involved looking someone in the face as part of accepting the challenge. Hence, one of the best ways to refuse a challenge without talking is to simply avoid staring at it, like an angry wolf, and walk away.

Unfortunately, unlike an angry wolf, the trainer was looking for a fight this time. "Hey mister, I want to battle you!" yelled the snot-nosed brat. Yarvick didn't even bother looking his way.

"HEY MISTER! TURN AROUND! I WANT TO BATTLE YOU!" The obnoxious trainer yelled.

"Not interested!" Yarvick snarled. He seriously wasn't in the mood.

"But you have Pokemon!" The trainer said.

"That doesn't mean I'm obliged to fight every battle I come across, kid!" Yarvick yelled back, without turning his head towards the source. "I'm busy and I've got places to be!" He picked up his pace.

A Poke Ball was thrown overhead, and out came a Prinplup. "I challenge you to a Pokemon Battle, like it or not!" The kid said.

Oh, dear lord. It was THIS kind of trainer. He only knew of one other guy, a guy called Vergil Brianson, some transfer from Unova back in 5th grade notable for having albinism. Unlike Yarvick's position as vertically challenged, Vergil's blood-red eyes and white hair were the talk of the town (though everyone who didn't like him made note of his abnormally large ears). Yarvick having a Porygon back in the day, and he having a Timburr, it was almost incessant whining on wanting to battle. He wasn't one of the people who derided him for his lack of height, though, so every-so-often he granted his wish, which usually resulted in Atlas taking a mighty beating due to Type Advantage and not having a clue on tactics, being only eleven at the time. Unfortunately, after 90% of the battles ended in a loss and the Timburr evolved, Yarvick just started avoiding him too, which lead to him tossing his Poke Ball overhead to force him into a challenge that he, at that point, still lost a majority of the time until he got to the finer points of using his single Pokemon. Yarvick also saw him basically beg anyone with a Pokemon to fight him. He was d**m well determined to become the very best he could be, which, while admirable, just got on Yarvick's nerves after a good long while.

"Kid, seriously?! You know this is really just wasting my time, and I don't have much of it!" Yarvick said.

The kid came around. Yarvick saw a few of Vergil's features in him, including his elephant-sized ears. It was probably Vergil's son, or nephew, or some other relative. He must have gotten married...Briefly contending with images of himself and Janine in a cathedral, kissing deeply after having just said the vows, he faced the brat. Like father like son...Though, he lacked Vergil's albinism, instead with blue eyes and a shaven brown head.

"You can't back down from a challenge, unless you're a chicken! And you're not a chicken!" The son of Vergil said.

"Kid, I've got to go meet my dad, I haven't met my dad, like, EVER. Seriously, passing." Yarvick said. He didn't have to lie at all, that was dead true. However, the Prinplup just got in his way.

"You either take us down or we'll just keep blocking your way!" The obnoxious kid said.

Oh dear Arceus he really was like his father.

"I am so going to crush you. Eos, finish him quickly." Yarvick said, with a noticable venom in his voice, throwing the Poke Ball to meet his opponent as the kid got behind and to the right of his Prinplup.

The creature that came OUT of the Poke Ball was DEFINITELY not Eos. In fact, it was a finned creature, blue with some orange spikes on the cheeks, hunched over...Oh dear Arceus no, he confused Eos and her Poke Ball with Oceanus.

Yarvick's face looked like he just saw his best friend eaten by Rayquaza, and was now next on its menu.

"F***! OCEANUS, NO!" Yarvick yelled. Even the kid immediately realized (from the unambiguous look of 'oh s**t' on Yarvick's face) that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. He ducked immediately, and thanked Arceus he did so as fast as he did-Oceanus immediately shot at Yarvick with Aqua Jet, missing by inches, making the ground quake slightly where he landed from sheer force, only a few feet behind him. He got up quickly and reached for Oceanus'es Poke Ball, attempting to return it.

Oceanus eyed the Poke Ball, and, in an incredibly fast motion, destroyed it. He was now in CQC range, the last range Yarvick wanted to be at.

"Bubblebeam!" Shouted the kid. The Prinplup responded, sending a distracting jet of bubbles at Oceanus. It was harmless otherwise, but Yarvick used the brief blinding of the light as cover and got WELL out of range of Oceanus'es hands, attempting to pull out Rhea and stop this conflict.

Blinded by bubbles but hardly fazed by them, Oceanus did something natural and WAY too destructive-Earthquake. The ground suddenly rattled, sending rocks off the cliff-side, and Yarvick tried his best to get away. He was almost away from the falling rocks, when luck dictated that it would finally stop working in Yarvick's favor and send a Rock straight at his head.

BONK!


...

Yarvick awoke with a pounding, painful sensation focused on his head and several painful sensations on his chest. He managed to get up alright, and looked around. Route 205. His head was the only thing that was hit-he wasn't buried in rocks...Mercifully.

"Prinnn..." Said a sad voice to his left. Yarvick turned, and saw two things: An unconscious Oceanus, KO'd by a considerably large boulder to the head, and a dead obnoxious trainer, his skull shattered like porcelein by a pile of smaller boulders that covered most of his body. The Prinplup looked longingly at the dead kid, tear streaks down its eyes.

Yeah, he wasn't recovering from that even if the brat had MEND.

Oh dear Arceus. Nobody was around. They'd think he was directly responsible for this, whether Oceanus was clearly out of control or not! D**mit, not another one of these instances! He stomped the ground angrily at the d**m stupidity of it all. If only he sent Eos out as planned, or managed to send out Rhea before Oceanus used Earthquake, then he wouldn't be in this bind! He recalled there was technology to discover the last known owner of a Pokemon even if it appeared wild, so even if the case seemed to be another murder by an overly-territorial wild Pokemon, they'd know in time that it was him.

The Prinplup looked to Yarvick-a response to his angry stomp. Yarvick expected some level of anger or whatnot, but it seemed that he couldn't even bring itself to do that, merely staring at his chest with a sad look on its face. Then Yarvick looked down and noticed the pinpricks of blood where the stinging pain was-the Prinpulp probably got a bit angry and used Peck. Repetitively. But it seemed this was some time after this...An hour, even.

In any case, he was alive...And the sooner away from this catastrophe, before someone else discovers it, the better. Also, the sooner he could apply some bandages to the wounds, the better as well. He no longer wanted to give any association with Oceanus-he had attempted to kill Yarvick for the last time, and Yarvick had extended the olive branch quite openly for some time. Truly his loyalties to Commander Brillo were undying and unyielding, to the point where even with the love of his life on the line he would still murder the accidental murderer of his trainer.

This was NOT looking good for Yarvick. It was a matter of time before it was discovered he was responsible for the crazy destruction at Goldenrod (at least partially), a clear act of terrorism that would land him on execution row without doubt...Even if it was Johto and not Sinnoh that got blown up.

Then again, who'd take the risk of having anyone with the loyalty of Deoxys left alive?

He was so focused in his thoughts and worries that he did not at all notice the Prinplup walking behind him...


...

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga AND Lord Celebi

"Shut up, sit down, and relax," Noah said, trying to give off calming and reassuring vibes despite his clear irritation. "It was some kind of shared dream, and Diabora was there. They're not dead if that's what you're thinking."

That did not do anything to internally calm Massadar down-anyone could tell by the looks in his eyes, his absolutely terrified, panicked-to-hell looks, but he nevertheless took a seat, shaky. Propizio recalled Diabora only through some recent testing; he was apparently the voice in the ABH, an unrelenting troll that would find the rowdier corners of the internet to be to his liking. If this was any indication, he clearly had more power than just teasing people...

"I think it's some kind of trap, I doubt it's going to take Raidon long to figure it out," he added.

And, with that, just as it looked like Yantil was about to faint from sheer worry, Raidon came to, debuting, leaving an unconscious Celebi. Not long afterwards did Doctor Tiantus, with an abnormally agitated remark about his head hurting. Dr. Prop decided not to bother with why it was so, the situation looked...Tense. Reg Lando and Finch Reynolds came to shortly thereafter. Dr. Prop's attention was almost wholly focused on the unconscious Celebi-so much potential.

He refocused on Raidon once the Dread Lord spoke: "Captain Ashfield, priority number one right now is stopping Diabora. This incident has proven him too powerful to exist. He questions my stranglehold on Hoenn and eventually all of Maridia. As such, we will use whatever means necessary to wipe his scum from the face of this planet. Is this clear?"

Hoo boy...This had to be pretty serious. Whatever Diabora was, it was now blatantly clear that it was a massive pain in Aqua's side and Raidon intended to eliminate it, which also meant it had physical presence.

"You bet your a** it is," Noah said, nodding his head. "I have a feeling that a**hat meant to keep us trapped in there much longer, but we're nobody's b**ch."

"I dunno about you, but while we were in there, I had a feeling we weren't alone," Noah said, after a brief silence. "I made contact with the guy that Diabora referred to as Qinglong, and Diabora mentioned I was the seed of Qinglong the same way he said you were the seed of Zhu-Quiao, whoever the hell that is. Now, at first I thought it could have been just part of the dream, but then again, that wouldn't make sense. Qinglong actually helped me bail out of that dream trap, which would be total paradox if Qinglong was only limited to Diabora's dream itself. There's no damn way Diabora would have put in an exit guide in his own dream trap. That means somewhere out there, I owe somebody named Qinglong a beer."

Qinglong and Zhu-Quiao. Well, he hadn't heard of those names before. Definitely didn't seem to be anything to take lightly...


...

A few minutes later, and Propizio was now altering the DNA sequences within the very structure of the mutagens as planned, in an attempt to perfect the mutagens. He figured that, regardless of what some people might think-ranging from "It's Overkill," to "Thinking of eight Pokemon is hard enough," to "I still don't want to try Chimera Forms yet," all of which were valid, but in Propizio's opinion, if something wasn't brought to its full potential, it was a waste-and there were many who thought like that. Potential is not a thing to waste, and if there was anything that had potential, it was Chimeras.

Thinking about it: Now humanity had a way to go freakishly far beyond JUST bursting, and had just SO many applications! Sometimes the powers of multiple Pokemon even interacted in ways that made them incredibly dangerous-IE, Ampibom and Ninetales combos for an extra nine hands of cursed potent, and why not throw in Machamp for even better control and a LOT more power? The combinations were amazing-and having more room to combine Pokemon could undoubtably lead to some truly amazing things. Granted, it was pretty hard to think of effective Chimera forms past eight donors, but there were a lot of ways this could go.

Whether or not the extra potential for extra donor genes was appreciated, a Pokemon's actual Abilities, ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary, had quite an impressive power to them, especially in pairs, and Dr. Prop could not see that going to waste. He could think of brutal combinations, or things that cover weaknesses. Rain Dish and Dry Skin to effectively give a MEND-like effect in rain; Simple and Contrary, which would take the well-known Serperior strategy of spamming Leaf Storm and crank it up to eleven in a hurry. Even having one ability could be incredible; A Chimera that would struggle against such moves as Earth Power would find Levitate a blessing (to say nothing of the fact that Levitate makes one FLY.)

All based on some simple tweaks to genetics. Well, theoretically. In order to PROVE that, well, he'd need more testing. He'd always need more testing, he'd need it to prove anything, even though he was fairly confident he was correct just based off of his theory. Testing was how any scientist could back up their theories, and a good test could prove even the most outlandish ideas, and for Dr. Prop, testing was the FUN part of his job, at least as soon as it got to the life-sized models.

That was the fun of being a scientist-for being alternatively recognized as absolutely insane and an unparalleled genius, sometimes both at the same time, or sometimes one after the other.

Of course, the actual process of modifying the mutagen, though still quite better than just endlessly writing down equations, was still tedious. He had to make note of EVERY change he made, no matter how minor. It was for the simple reason that, quite frankly, if it could not be reproduced in a laboratory setting under the same environment-scientific common sense here!-it was effectively a spoiled theory, and he would NOT fall victim to that. So, with every alteration to the base mutagen he made, he wrote down WHAT the alteration was, with what tool did he make it, and if he dared to backspace because he made a mistake (a reoccurring event due to his klutzy tendencies), he wrote THAT down too.

Science was only boring when it first started, or int he opening stages. The fun came when it was time to actually use the crazy tricks he had planned out. Dr. Prop already had ideas on how to woo people over to the idea: Make a Chimera with the capacity to use Flash Fire, stuff it with no less than ELEVEN other Pokemon who were all unanimously weak to fire, and have someone shoot flames at him and watch as he sits through it unharmed. He could already see the looks on their faces when a Chimera that by all rights should instantly die to fire instead thrived without even blinking. It made him smile through work that, when not frustrating, was simply tedious.

Being a scientist was a job where you EARNED your fun.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

I didn't even know where to begin looking to find Qinglong. The bottom line was he was going to need to contact me, because I wasn't about to start searching randomly for no good reason. I figured maybe the dream gave him a homing signal or whatever. I didn't know, but as far as I was concerned, it was either way for him, or forget it, I'd have to work without him.

In the meantime, I got a report from a guy named Dan on my tablet. It was the report on Karai's op, and it seemed optimistic for the most part.

Aqua correspondence:

First item is we have recruited three Hebijo dropouts, Shin, Roku, and Raiki, who have successfully finished their training. We feel their help and support will provide Aqua with a significant amount of combat efficiency.

Second, we have shut down the black market distribution network for Burst Hearts and gave Hoenn exclusive access to it. All other bases have been ordered to cease and desist all further Burst Heart activity and liquidate any remaining inventory they have in their possession.

Third, we have secured an arrangement with a Burst Heart expert to solely work for Aqua. This agreement is binding, and combined with the second item on the list, it secures Team Aqua's control over the Burst Heart inventory in Hoenn.

Foruth, the legendary known as Groudon has been captured and is fully in Aqua's possession. We believe this may be the key to obtaining Kyogre as well.

Lastly, Karai has obtained one of the four Ancient Burst Hearts.

We are pleased to report that this operation has been met with a significant amount of success, and we hope our future ops go as well as this one did. In addition, we will be returning soon for debriefing. Over and out.

Damn, these guys sure had been busy. I didn't know these Hebijo guys, but I figured as long as they were with us, it was good, but I had to see them in action before really making a judgment call here. As for the Burst Hearts, it was good to know any resistance we'd face in Hoenn would have a tougher time given they wouldn't have such an easy time trying to access these things. As for Groudon and the ABH, I didn't even know where or how they managed to track those things down, but whatever, it was all good in my book.

But in the meantime, I was still thinking about Qinglong. I wasn't even sure if there was a way for me to contact him or try to make his mission to find me easier or whatever, but I figured I really didn't have too much control over that. He was the guy who seemed to have found me in the first place, so if he could find my spirit, maybe it was all he needed to trace it back to my living body.

But in the end, I didn't really know for sure.


Janine "Angel" Price
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: The Nonexistent Tazz

Kaede and I agreed NOT to tell anyone else about the whole... incident.

"We found an insane amount of toxic pollution over by one of those outlying islands," One of the other grunts told Kaede. "Would you know what that was about?"

"Yeah, just a failed chemical weapons test," I smiled and shrugged. "Nothing more. We pulled the plug on that and just destroyed the research."

"Well, didn't seem so much like a failure to me," The grunt just smirked. "Smelled awful though."

I just smiled and let them mosey on by. Yeah, I didn't really want to go into detail about what really happened.

"So what's this... AMAXA thing you were talking about?" Kaede asked me. "Surprised you even trust me enough to work on it with you."

"Ah, you see, that's the thing," I smiled at her. "You most of all would understand why it might be helpful. The whole idea behind AMAXA is to give Chimeras the ability to decide when they'd like to evolve and un-evolve by themselves."

"Oh, I get it," Kaede smirked. "You know, just in case said Chimera's not capable of injecting themselves with a reversal agent."

Yeah, she got the picture.

"So yeah, any Chimera could move forwards or backwards in terms of evolution just by deciding whether they'd want to evolve or un-evolve at will," I told her. "Easy cheesy. The only catch is... how to get their bodies to actually create the FES and reversal agent naturally and then release them when desired."

"Well, hey, that's what research is for," Kaede smirked. "I'll see what I can do to help you with that."

I hadn't told her about the infinite evolution part, but I figured that surprise could always wait!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga, kinda sorta.

He heard Janine's next project was a simple 'Don't need FES to evolve, don't need Reversal Agent to devolve,' kind of thing.

Considering that this was the girl who somehow found the space to put doodles into every research note she took (because quite frankly every inch of his was jam-packed with nigh-microscopic words), Propizio had a hard time believing that was all it did.

However, it was not his business what Janine did and didn't do...Kind of. Janine would know about this just as much as he knew about this 'AMAXA,' but he doubted that the Improved Chimera Mutagens he was making would clash with it.

He had witnessed the cellular rearrangements for the Improved Chimera Mutagens, one of each type, and he made sure to test out all variety of genes, hundreds of times over. In all instances, compared to before, the Mutagen now tore up and reconstructed the cell at about the same time as before, he noted, but the cells restructured themselves differently, a more efficient way. The cells, when using the original mutagen, were only altered somewhat, to make room for the powers of the Pokémon Abilities as well. It wasn't too much of a change, but if it changed too much the whole nature of the invention was kind of kaput and he'd have to restructure the cells again, a process that he could foresee himself repeating...If he didn't die to any of them. He was VERY confident that he wouldn't, though.

Sakura and Mitocon were nevertheless out of their Poke Balls, ready to strike with an emergency Reversal Agent if the effects seemed to be lethal or the form unstable. He hated other test subjects. He tested only on himself. He didn't like it when they whined. As for where it was going to be done, well, he decided on an empty room rather close to the labs, spacey enough that he could still walk around in it.

In any case, he had his form picked out for the occasion of actually testing himself so he could go straight to demonstrating the insane usefulness via the ability to block fire of a form that would, otherwise, pretty much die to it. Immediately. The form was including Houndoom as the Pokémon with Flash Fire, as it was subtle-just a black tail. But, he would have Flash Fire through it-any donation genes could get the potential for abilities, which was all that mattered. The rest were Pokemon who should combined, by all means, die to getting close to an ember. There was Abomnasnow (ice crystals on the back and a general whitening of the leaf-like parts), Levanny (the leaf-like arms as arm guards), Ferrowthorn (The Spike pods, as well as being spiky in general), Scizor (the actual hands and the base of the armor), Foretress (a kind of helmet on the head), Durant (Steel armor on the other parts of the body), Escavalier (that odd decoration on the head), Mamoswine (the icy tusks, which would not be a part of his mouth than Arceus), Tangrowth (there would be a LOT of vines around his body, spiky from Ferrowthorn DNA), Bisharp (the main body, as well as extra swords everywhere-Propizio realized he would not be something he'd want to touch), and Weavile (to make his hands literally a feast of claws). If he was looked at funny by anyone with fire, without Flash Fire, he'd die horribly.

The end result? Propizio would stand several inches below his usual height, but would look like a creature with a poncho of thorny vines often ending in metallic pods, with icy spikes poking out the back. Under the poncho would be a thickly metal-clad man with a black, pointy tail and arms with a singular leaf covering a ridiculously sharp-looking pair of Scizor-hands. Resting above all of that would be a helmeted head, the metal of a Bisharp and Foretress forming a helmet that left only the eyes and ears visible, with a frock of red hair styled like some kind of ponytail atop, reflecting the helmet of a Escavalier, and two tusks, which, due to the helmet, would not connect to his actual face-oh, and it also had an extra 'horn' in the form of the ax-like head of a Bisharp. Its abilities would be Flash Fire, natch, and Iron Barbs, to make the pain of coming in close even more than usual, further showcasing how a smart pair of abilities could make crazy good Chimeras even crazier and better.

It definitely sounded very flammable. It also looked very bada**, and he'd have to consider a variation of the form later, without nearly as much weakness to fire, later on. Maybe.

But, for now, the part where he actually injected himself with this. He rubbed some alcohol on the vein he'd pick for the injection. Oh, and Sakura was making a LOT of noise, a good sign she disapproved of what was going to happen. They went over it several times; he'd slam his foot to the ground if he needed the thing happening, above anything else.

"Sakura's sayin' that she really doesn't want to see you get hurt, bossman. She's sayin' to NOT do it, bossman. I say do it anyways, you know what you're doing, and if things aren't looking good I'll stab you with the Reversal Syringe just as planned, bossman. We got this planned out, and I know you've got the brainpower to make sure it doesn't kill 'ya before then, bossman!" Said Mitocon, via telepathy. He liked calling Dr. Prop 'Bossman.'

Mitocon was definitely the type to be into mad science, more-so than Propizio. He'd probably kill for the chance to have one of THOSE injected into him as well, turning him into something even more awesome. He had an idea focusing on regeneration and defense that would render bullets effectively useless, making what would otherwise be overkill the only kind of kill possible-though that would be for later. Mitocon would still be prone to death, of course, a stray rocket to the head would probably do the job...It would just be a lot less easy.

But, without further ado, he shot himself and pushed hard on the plunger.

For a second, nothing happened...Then, quite an unexpected feeling came over him. He was...Well, shrinking, but he was also growing...Quite a few things. Aside from the spikes and blades, which just felt like bumps on his skin quickly growing, he also noticed that several of them around his chest and upper back...MUCH further than bumps. Then he realized that THOSE were the vines. Meanwhile, his body coated itself in steel, suddenly replacing his skin, an incredibly odd sensation. His arms got it particularly bad-a Leavanny's arm-leafs shot out from his wrists, just in time for the whole hand to alter, his hand separating into a pincer, a really sharp pincer with a lot of blades. He'd really hate to get punched by that.

Then the mutagen focused on his face...Hoo boy. First, his skin went pitch-black, which was barely felt. Then, the feeling of steel growing out of his skull, extending to everywhere bar his eyes and ears, while atop him he could feel his hair order itself from a blonde afro to a red Mohawk of sorts, with a singular axe-like horn on his head. Finally, two VERY long icy spikes jettisoned out of his lower 'helmet.'

And then it was done.

He looked at himself in a mirror. He was loaded with spikes and blades, and clearly didn't seem fun to touch. The many vines were really more akin to additional limbs, as limber as could be, so getting close was a stupid, stupid idea. Close-range combat was death.

Yeah, he could rock this.

"Bossman, you look sick! I really want to try them crazy Mutagens now!" Mitocon said.

Sakura just made more noise that was still unintelligible to Dr. Prop. He figured he just didn't know Pokemon Language, but the mental messages made a clear translation...That was interesting.

In any case, time to demonstrate exactly how this worked to the masses.

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Yggdrasil Hotel, Eternia City, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Eternia City wasn't a place he visited often. When he was 'journeying,' Yarvick kept usually to Jubilee City unless BIG bit hits were to be made else-ware, and he rarely came here. The only points of interest was the statue of a mash-up between two of the three Pokemon that made up the 'Dimensional Trio,' the Gym, and the ominous-looking Galactic Building. Otherwise this city was pretty forgettable.

the Yggdrasil Hotel required some directions, as a lot of the buildings looked roughly the same, but eventually he found it. It was rather unremarkable a building, quite identical to the stone-brown architecture around it, only distinguished by a sign. He saw a lot of cars parked in its parking lot, though...

He was nervous in a manner that simply would never go away. This was where he needed to be. It was almost at the end of the day. He was dead certain that this was SOME kind of trap. He had plans to counter that, of course, but a trap nevertheless. Not to mention, he was (indirectly) involved in a tragic accident that would doubtlessly be seen as murder, so if anyone knew about this and had a beef with him, then him trapped in a room would be death.

It was actually scary to go in there. But, if he wanted this craziness resolved, he had to. He went in, as casual as it got.

"Welcome to the Yggdrasil Hotel!" Said the cheery attendant, immediately greeting him on opening the sliding glass doors and entering the lobby. "Sir, we don't allow Pokemon out of their Poke Balls here." She added.

"I don't have any Pokemon outside of their Poke Balls, madm," Yarvick responded.

"Then what about the Prinplup?" She said, pointing.

Yarvick turned around, and too his genuine surprise, the Prinplup from before-the one who's trainer he had (by complete mistake) committed manslaughter on, offering his Poke Ball, bringing it up to Yarvick's chest.

"...Um. Well, I didn't notice he was following me, and honestly I don't know exactly why," Yarvick said quite truthfully. "But..."

Did he really have much choice? In any case, he now was short a Pokemon due to Oceanus (who Yarvick REALLY hoped didn't know how to follow him), and the Prinplup was visibly asking him.

"...There's gotta be a reason he's doing it, ya' know?" He added, taking the Poke Ball and returning the Prinplup to his rightful home.

How that escaped him he will never know. Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he guessed.

"How sweet! Well, hopefully, it takes guts to make a Pokemon take his-or her-Poke Ball and runaway to a different Trainer. Or just really bad circumstances," the receptionist said.

Yarvick swore she ALMOST winked right then.

"In any case, who are you?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm Yarvick Xelsez, I'm here for the reservation I had." Yarvick said. "Room 405, I think it was?"

"Ah, yes, you are booked for a free stay! We usually don't allow others to book for people unless it's part of a party, but the payment was so generous...Or so I've heard. It was apparently an anonymous gift for some reason. Do you know who sent it to you?" The woman asked.

"I intend to find out." Yarvick said, quite truthfully.

"Hrm...That's really odd." She said. "But, it all checks out. Here's your room key, and the room is on the fourth floor, third one on the right." She added, handing Yarvick the room key.

The extreme strangeness of that moment was incredible. The boy's Prinplup aside, there was something odd going on with the receptionist, as if she knew more. Plus, the comment on how he got his reservation...

It was getting worse and worse by the second. He didn't bother with the elevator-he took the stairs. He was more of a stairs person anyways. It didn't take long to reach the fourth floor, of course, he walked quite a bit but he could walk some more.

He got to the fourth floor without incident. Finding the third room on the right was easy. The key was totally fine. The door opened without incident.

Inside was a nice pair of double beds, a TV, a nightstand, a trash bin, a few cushioned chairs, and a man staring out of the open window in front of him, only an inch taller than him and several pounds heavier, with a red-dyed mohawk and a long-sleeved T-shirt for 'YYings of the YYild,' a famous Kalosian heavy metal band, and some plain torn jeans. Despite the casual clothing, an old-styled Pocket-watch was hanging from his pants pocket, a feature which caught Yarvick's eye nigh-instantly. "Are you OK?" He said, turning around to face him.

He swore for a moment his mind wandered back to the scene when he bumped into this man in Jubilee city. Then he realized that he was still in his hotel room, yet, there, quite plainly, was the same guy as before.

"I said, are you OK?" The man asked again.

"...Yes...But-"

"I'll explain, but just be thankful I happened to have a Tranquilizer dart and a blowgun on my person when that Swampert came out, because f*** me, I thought that rock did it to, but he was still raring to go. crazy f***er of a Pokemon you got, eh Yarvick?"

OK, WHAT THE F*** WAS GOING ON?!

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: None

Noah Ashfield's last words weighed heavily on Raidon Makoto. "I dunno about you, but while we were in there, I had a feeling we weren't alone. I made contact with the guy that Diabora referred to as Qinglong, and Diabora mentioned I was the seed of Qinglong the same way he said you were the seed of Zhu-Quiao, whoever the hell that is. Now, at first I thought it could have been just part of the dream, but then again, that wouldn't make sense. Qinglong actually helped me bail out of that dream trap, which would be total paradox if Qinglong was only limited to Diabora's dream itself. There's no damn way Diabora would have put in an exit guide in his own dream trap. That means somewhere out there, I owe somebody named Qinglong a beer."

Based on Ashfield's description, the dread lord of the Deathwing imagined this Qingling fellow as a bearded wise old man, preaching from some cave out in the middle of nowhere who invited unsuspecting souls to come on "spirit journeys" with him. However, Makoto quickly realized he had gotten ahead of himself and had written an entire story based on only a very small bit of data. What interested Makoto was this Zhu-Quiao character. He felt a voice in his head too--though this voice was warm. It burned, not with kindness, but with ambition. It felt like a shot of adrenaline straight to the commander's heart.

Celebi was awake now, floating around the Captain's quarters. It seemed slightly dispossessed with an almost awkward "I don't know what to do with my hands" feeling to be on board the ship. Makoto knew exactly why. He had been given a first-class ticket into Celebi's brain during the whole Diabora shitshow. Celebi had hoped to change its future and was not only proven wrong, but begat the future it feared all the sooner. This young and brash Celebi was caught up in a conflict that called a much older, wiser, and more broken Celebi to duty in billions of other parallel universes. It had no idea what to do about Diabora.

There was one part of Celebi's mind that it couldn't reach. There were memories--very painful ones at that--locked in what felt like a black box, waiting to be unleashed. Makoto hoped to play the part of Pandora. "Calm down, you look nervous."

<You're holding me captive aboard your... ship,> it replied, floating around the room as if it were pacing.

"You're the all-powerful Chronarch, I'd hazard that you can leave whenever you want. Methinks you know exactly why you're sticking around," Makoto flashed Celebi a wry smile and pouring himself a glass of Scotch. It was Laphroaig 18, a bottle initially bought as a gift for Norb Whitehall. Fat lot of good it will do him now in hell, the dread lord thought. "So, if we're going to be partners, I need to know a few things about you. You're privy to some very dark secrets about this universe. I'd hazard that you know how Diabora was made and who these Qinglong and Zhu-Quiao figures are." Makoto paused for a sip, shuddering when the liquid entered his mouth. The initial discomfort smoothly transitioned into a warmth that sailed down his throat, filling his chest with a fire similar to that of a lover's fingertips resting on his sternum mid-coitus. "Celebi, I need you to open that black box. It's the only way we're going to have a fighting chance against Diabora."

Celebi looked at Raidon Makoto horrified. <You want to know about the Psychic Wars?>

"So they have a name," he said, raising his arms in the air in a show of mock-affection. He quickly stiffened back up. "Exactly. Now open that black box before I burst with you again and pry it open."

The Chronarch sighed. It began, <It all started in a city called Axiom Nexus.>

[bronislav84]

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
Hellcat chopper arriving on the bow of the Deathwing
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi (Mostly), Neo Emolga (In passing)

And of course the freak regenerated like nothing ever happened. I was totally prepared for that, but not exactly what to do about it. We were being swarmed, and Noah seemed to have the right idea. While I could keep these things back for a while, I was not in a position to do it forever. He seemed to vanish, and I assumed he exited the dream. Boss on the other hand was pulling out his sword. I get it! Death in a dream by somebody else's hand could mean brain damage or death, but killing yourself was a quick way to wake up. I'd always wake up whenever I did that, though it usually took just a strong hit in the dream. I never actually tested what would happen if somebody actually killed me. It was all theoretical in the class I took. Oh well, no time to think about that now. As soon as he stabbed himself he vanished and the dream world seemed to distort and shake. The monster was looking around confused, but still felt like he was in control. Yea, right. It was coming down. Either it was the monster's dream, or it was Raidon's dream. Regardless, him exiting seemed to have done it.

I just said one word to him. "Bye." I could hear his scream of defiance echo as the dreamscape collapsed with Raidon not being there anymore. I felt a reverse yanking sensation, but not by the neck. This one was pleasant and I closed my eyes figuring I should as I returned to my body.


~*~*~

"Wake. Up!" I could hear Anna as she was was shaking me vigorously while Dan was shaking Amelia in much the same manner judging by her groans as she woke up. It felt uncomfortable in more ways than one, and if she didn't stop I'd probably have a wardrobe malfunction soon. I was groaning too and they stopped shaking us.

"Finally! You two slumped over and passed out as soon as you bursted. Or should I say three. Look at yourself. You're still bursted with Beauty." I looked down and she was right. I concentrated and ended the burst.

"Beauty are you okay?" I asked the Gardevoir as she appeared nearby in a white flash, separated from me. She nodded shakily. I patted her head, happy to be out of that mess. "Please share our experiences with the others as we land. We need to talk to the boss about what just happened." She nodded and her eyes glowed white, sharing what happened in the dream with the four squad members. When it was done she telekinetically pulled her Ball out of my pocket and recalled herself. I would too if I just experienced that. I pocketed the Ball, letting her rest.

When we landed I asked the grunts manning the deck where the boss was. Apparently he was in his quarters, and hopefully he was in a talking mood. On the way I passed by Noah's quarters. The door was open. "Hiya, we're back. If you need us we'll be in the boss's quarters." I greeted him without any emotion and explained where we were going as the six of us filed past. Amelia was at the end, struggling to keep up.

The ship was huge and I often got lost in here, but we finally found the Captain's Quarters after asking for directions like three times. On the opposite side of the hall, three people were approaching: Raiki, Shin, and Roku. Apparently the nine of us had the same idea, to visit the boss's quarters. Obviously for different reasons, but still the same idea. Scar knocked on the door as I opened it slowly. He seemed to be talking to Celebi. The place was pretty luxurious, with plenty of room for at least 20 people. And was that a conference table? Swanky.

"I hope this isn't a bad time, boss?" No emotion whatsoever. People would call this creepy, but I preferred to think of it as not caring about anything and doing a good job. I sat down in a chair nearby, crossing my legs, with the others taking a couch and chairs as well. The three Enforcers sat together, with Raiki in the middle. "Please tell me this isn't a bad time. We've finished an Op recently." I motioned to Dan. "Dan sent over the report ahead of time. Hopefully you've had a chance to read it. If you haven't, well you could always read it now. There's kind of a lot to just explain, and Dan worded it pretty well." I waited for him to tell me if he read it, or to read it.

"We've been briefed by your man about what you require of guarding you, boss. The payment formalities have also been taken care of. Are you going anywhere soon so that we can come with you? We've always been pretty durable, but with being given that quick healing stuff we're even tougher." Explained Raiki, speaking on behalf of The Enforcers. She then turned to me. "Karai here survived almost being cut in half by me. That stuff sure is potent."

I then motioned to Amelia. "This is Dr. Amelia Anthony, one of the Anthropologists from Violet University and the one who originally formed the Worldwide Black Market Burst Heart Ring. She's entering an exclusive contract with us, and learned a lot about Burst Hearts from the one she calls The Voice of the Heart. Judging by her reaction, he seems to have been the monster in that collective dream with us. I'm pretty sure that's not his real name. Anyway, Amelia is looking to research Burst Hearts for us exclusively, and I promised the organization would fund her and provide resources for her research." I paused as Amelia smiled at the boss. "But for now, what do you know about what just happened to all of us? That collective dream. Cause seriously, that's all I got and I'm still confused."

I wondered if he would feel awkward being this close to me. Not that I was even remotely trying to seduce him, but still it might make him feel awkward.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Yggdrasil Hotel, Eternia City, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick immediately pulled out the silenced 9mm on the guy the instant he thought of the idea. No risks. He didn't fire, of course, but quite frankly he was angry enough that he might as well.

"Whoa whoa whoa! OK, OK...Too sudden!" The mystery man said, looking very sheepish now. "...What do you want to know? Can't say everything here, but..."

Yarvick's gaze was as hard as he could get it. "Give me straight answers or die, I'm getting tired of 'coincidences' and mysteries."

"Your dad sent me," He said, trying to look as calm as possible. "I'm a mole for the CC, they don't suspect me yet." He added, very quickly.

"Who is he?" Yarvick said.

"I can't say names...Saying the exact name would be very bad in public. INFINITELY bad!" Mr. Mohawk said.

"What does he-"

"I can't really tell you what he does, other than, like you, it is...Less than legal. He leads a group, a group that is being opposed by the CC due to specific links between it's leader and him. Again, can't say...Really...ANYTHING in a public place like this on this subject. I really really can't, or things get...Ugly."

Yarvick didn't twitch.

"Give me a minute." He said, pulling out a phone and dialing a number. "Hello...Yes, it's me, Calvin-Yes, he's here, he's also really angry and he's got a gun to my head..."

He could only imagine what kind of stupid conversation was going on. Who did he call? Probably the old man...

"Gimmie," Yarvick said, cutting through 'Calvin's conversation with his dad, putting his hand out.

"But-"

"On pain of death." He added.

He gave the Phone to Yarvick.

"Hello?"

"Ah, hello, it seems that you have managed to catch Calvin off-guard and force him to give you a phone! Congradulations! Unfortunately, as I want to meet with you in person and want to make sure its you-and trust me, I have all right to be as paranoid as a crazy old man-I advise you either smash the phone to the ground or give it back to Calvin so I can continue that lovely coversation on you. I'd like the latter but any sane man would probably do the former." He said in a singular, fast breath. His accent and voice shifted wildly, but it was definitely a man's voice, that was for sure.

"But-"

Yarvick's plea for a continued, over-the-phone conversation like a sane man was interuppted by the sound of two microphones cutting in feedback while his dad yelled into the microphone. Ear-splitting noise indeed.

He threw the phone to the ground. It didn't break, and Calvin quickly swooped in and grabbed it.

"You used the mic trick on him, didn't you?...Wonderful...He's getting a bit...Yes, of course...But!...Oh, come on! He's got a gun at my head, how am I supposed to stay calm?!"

"CC agents? Right now!? What kind?...F***!"

Calvin hanged up immediately. "OK, Yarvick, I have bad news: We're about to get attacked by someone that we need REALLY dead and I think you'll agree, so if you could just whip out that Ancient Burst Heart you've been meticulously hiding-"

"Don't have it!" Yarvick said.

It looked like the guy just took a boxer's left hook to the face and didn't quite believe what happened. He then switched to a face of absolute panic, swinging his arms up and to his chest in a gesture that indicated extreme disbelief, apparently. "You...DON'T HAVE IT?! You don't have your f***ing ace in the hole?!!?"

"It was a LOAN, d**mit!" Yarvick said.

"Who LOANS an Ancient Burst Heart?!?!" Calvin exclaimed.

"I still have Deoxys-"

And with that, to cement the absolute fact that he was truly screwed, a man came into the room. However, the doors closed automatically when opened, so it was locked. The man who came in achieved this not by knocking down the door, but carving a hole through it with a very sharp implement, an odd mix of an unknown white-yellow metal on a bloodstained blade, then a kick to the carved section to make a nice hole in it and some of the wall surrounding it.

The man that walked through the hole, thoroughly bloodstained, was none other than Year Velvetine in a pure-Dracium Helmet, and one designed to be utterly terrifying to behold-Not merely content with some form of an eldritch horror, it also added on what that eldritch horror would wear when absolutely ready to kick tons of a**. Whoever made it had to be commended for their taste in the grotesque and horrifying as well as their impeccable craftsmanship and imagination.

"HERE'S JOHNNY, F***ERS!!" Velvetine yelled, obviously pleased by how much like a serial killer he looked to be right now. How such a madman could become the leader of a whole faction was pretty hard to imagine.

Yarvick had to suppress the urge to s**t bricks, and he was holding a pistol and could shoot him dead.

In theory.


...

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Whoever happens to be in sight range, really. I don't know!

"COME ON! SET ME ON FIRE!!!" Dr. Prop yelled.

He had not imagined any scenario prior to this where he would ever say that, much less at the top of his lungs, but yet, here he was, yelling it out.

The funny part was that every Chimera on-deck with fire powers (plus a guy with a convenient flamethrower) were trying their d**m hardest, but they'd sooner burn hell to cinders than Dr. Prop, and he looked like a walking fire hazard for pete's sake!

"What is WITH this guy?!" Said a Magmotar/Metagross/Rhyperior/Charizard hybrid went. That hybrid was quite like a centaur, except the lower half was a Metagross'es torso instead of a 2 Magmotar arms and 2 Rhyperior arms, and from both he shot furious flames. The Dragon head and wings were all the while flapping uselessly, unable to propel him due to sheer weight-an issue brought on by his Metagross half, but a half that could easily alleviate the issue as well. He really should have thought of that. Of course, he DID make himself a nasty torrent of flame that would have others screaming for life. Dr. Prop, however, felt quite energetic on the inside, the result of Flash Fire converting the heat to his own purposes.

"This is just stupid! Fire doesn't work, and what kind of idiot would punch him?!" Said the dude with the flamethrower. He looked all sorts of a mean, lean fighting machine. "Or bullets, for that matter, it'd probably just bounce off the metal armor!"

"CAN YOU NOT B-B-B-BURN ME?!" Dr. Prop yelled. "CAN YOU NOT?!"

He was far more cocky than he usually was, though you could hardly blame him for being just that. It was intentional, selling his product in a way by demonstrating just a singular use of its abilities in a manner wherein NOBODY could deny its usefulness.

Plus, it was awesome to just stand still in the middle of an inferno and not get burnt.

"Is he invincible?!" Said a Tyranitar/Typhlosion Hybrid behind him, with a tall body and flames coming out of every black spot on the body and everywhere on the back, with an overall dark blue color to its body, but a bright orange color to the flames.

"THAT I WELSE-I MEAN WISH, BUDDY! BUT THE-THAT'S NOT THE QUAESTI-I MEAN, QUESTION HERE!! IF I LOOK SO FLAME-FLAMMABLE, WHY C-CAN I NOT BURN?!?!" Dr. Prop yelled. "WHY CAN I NOT BURN?!?!"

Hoo boy he was showing off how large of a ham he could really be. Regardless of his cheesy screaming of questions, it did make them stop, briefly. Dear lord this was more exciting than he realized!

"...It's some kind of superpower?" Said the dude with the Flamethrower.

"C-C-C-CLOSE ENOUGH!" Dr. Prop exclaimed.

"Does it have something to do with Houndoom?" Said the Magmotar/Metagross/Rhyperior/Charizard Hybrid.

"YES ACTUALLY!...Hhhhow did you know?"

"Your tail is wagging." He said, pointing.

Sure as hell, a quick look behind him showed his tail, almost automatically wagging away. He didn't even notice himself.

Nobody was laughing, but it was rather embarrassing in its own way. Granted, the instant it sunk in, it practically froze.

"Urm..." He said. "Well, yeah, he's right! HE'S RIGHT! He's right!" He said. "B-B-B-BUT! How is he right! What part of a Houndour-I mean, Houndoom am I using?!"

A few seconds of silence. Almost no response. Then, the guy with the Flamethrower spoke up. "It's some kind of Pokemon Ability, right?"

"YES! It's Flash Fire! You all tried to burn a guy withF-f-f-f-f-f-fffFlash Fire!" He said. He got a few angry glares (he wished he didn't stutter on the F-sounds), but most looked curious. "I-I-I'm going to get right to the point, you can already attest to the affects-I mean, effects, already attest to the effects. Che-cho-Chimera Mutt-Mutagens can now give you Abilities-and TWO of them, to be precise!" he said, holding up two fingers.

Interested muttering went through the crowd, some kind of curious on Janine's possible involvement, many approving greatly.

"What's more, if there ever was an idea if you just needed...Uh, just needed...If you just needed ONE more Pokemon to make a crazy Chimera perfect...If you just needed one more, well, the Chimera Mutagens have been improved to allow for four more Pokemon combinations! A total of twelve Pokemon at once!"

The mutterings continued, a bit more loudly this time, and the reactions more mixed. Some liked the idea, others cited how hard it was to think of such a combination, and at least one guy made it well-known that he really just didn't like Chimeras at all.

Nobody could expect a one-hundred percent adoration rating, especially when one's language was so...Poor. Regardless, the improved Chimera Mutagens were now in complete use, replacing the older version.

Like it or not, it was here, though he had a hard time figuring out who wouldn't like it.

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

I decided that if I wanted to find Qinglong, making it easier for him to find me was probably a good idea. I had decided to use a reversal agent on myself, changing myself back to human. While Janine's black bunny form had its uses and she'd probably be disappointed I was scraping it, I figured if I really wanted to go back to that for whatever crazy reason, I could always just fire up a new mutagen. Plus, it was nice to be able to wear real clothing again.

"Hiya, we're back," Karai told me as she was passing by my quarters. "If you need us, we'll be in the boss's quarters."

"Sure thing," I nodded to Karai.

Yeah, that whole debriefing thing. I wasn't going to bring up that whole dream thing we had been in earlier. No point, but in the end, it didn't really paint any idea of what Diabora really was or what he was capable of.

But in the meantime, the whole meeting with Qinglong was starting to feel less and less real and I was beginning to think maybe I was just imagining things, but it still didn't make sense. That name wasn't in any public records, wasn't in any database, and there was really no where to get started on looking for him. I'd be going nowhere.

Except... maybe there was another way and I was just thinking in the wrong light. Dozing off. Qinglong came to me in a dream, maybe firing up another dream was the way to do it.

I decided to shut the metal door and lie on the bed for a while. Problem was I really wasn't all that tired, but I figured maybe reading the latest Gun Crazy magazine might get my eyes tired. Well, after a while of reading all about firearms that I already knew pretty much everything about anyway, I just shut my eyes and decided to let it come to me.


* * *

It started all hazy, and the only colors I could make out were black, dark red, and dark violet. It seemed chaotic, and at it only took a few seconds until things came into focus and I realized the dream had me standing in the middle of what looked like a totally wrecked city. Buildings were bombed out and most of them were either collapsed or ruined husks. Kind of reminded me of Goldenrod actually.

Trying not to get swept up in the dream was not easy and it was easily to believe this was realty. It seemed like every dream tried to unfold some kind of stupid story or something like that, but I tried to resist being just an actor in this.

Qinglong... makes me wonder if he knows I'm looking for him right now...

"There he is!"

Like a bat out of hell, there was gunfire. I sure didn't turn around to stop and look, I ran around the corner away from the loud gunshots and managed to get out of sight as bullets kept striking the rubble piles and debris near me. First thing I noticed was I wasn't even armed with anything. Not even a god-forsaken sidearm. Damn, what the hell, it's my own dream and I end up in a firefight with nothing to fight with? I tried to screw with the dream... give me a M60, a M249, anything like that. Nothing. It was like those guns didn't even exist anymore.

I took a peek around the corner and my pursuers were outfitted with high-tech gas masks, futuristic assault rifles, and advanced power armor that made me, dressed in rugged blue jeans and a ripped up t-shirt, just feel hilariously outgunned. Meanwhile, they had Pokémon that were even freaking armored, as if they even needed it. Seriously, a Nidoking and an Aggron in Pokémon power armor? What the hell? As soon as they saw me take a peek, someone tried to shoot my face just before I pulled back.

And then, as if it couldn't get any worse, a giant tank with heavy armor and more guns sticking out of it than a platoon was rolling behind them. The armor on that thing make it look like that thing could get nuked and be totally ok. And then, flying hovercraft gunships were soon on the scene. They weren't helicopters, somehow able to fly using some kind of glowing hoverpad or crap like that. Yeah, I was screwed I didn't get my ass out of there. These asshats were from the future and they were not playing games.

"Light that bastard up!"

I didn't realize there was a second pack of soldiers flanking me.

My luck ran out. I tried to make a run for it but I was hit twice and those rifles were strong enough to easily make both of those shots a through and through. I fell on my knees and was totally at the mercy of these pricks. I was bleeding badly, but somehow the pain wasn't there, just this numbing feeling of losing feeling in the general wounded areas. I could feel the blood trickle from my mouth, but there was no metallic taste to it.

Those soldier pricks soon surrounded me. In the distance, I began to see this high-tech army... whoever the hell it was, had packed more than just soldier boys and tanks. I saw hulking mechs and massive flying motherships soon flying overhead with more gunships and fighter planes in the sky. And here I was, some piss-faced ******* without a chance.

Meanwhile, no signs of resistance were around. Talk about overkill. I'd actually be somewhat honored if they prepared all this **** just to get rid of little, old me.

"Name, K1S, and tracking number," The squad leader demanded.

K1S and tracking... what the hell was this bastard talking about?

"Noah... Ashfield," I smiled through blood-smeared teeth. "As for my tracking number... it's P155-0FF."

"Think you're clever, you piece of ****!?" He shouted.

He then opened fire, totally unloading his assault rifle's magazine into my chest at only seven feet away. I felt every bullet just punch their way through my body like a knife through paper. Figured I'd go out with a smile. I didn't feel the pain, just numbing wounding and a whole lot of seemingly magical blood that really didn't make me weaker through losing it.

"Urhhh..." I sighed, figuring about now was a good time to die. Or wake up.

But I just laughed. My hand was smeared with red, sticky blood, but for a moment, it felt like just because I didn't want to die, that was ok. It went on.

"You're all just... puppets," I laughed, spitting blood on the squad leader's uniform.

"Drop dead, you bastard!" Another soldier readied his rifle.

And then, I felt that contact again.

<...>

You're late.

<... You should have kept running...>

Good point, guess I couldn't blame him for that...


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

"Janine, do you realize that... AMAXA could result in an Ultra Chimera actually evolving again... actually... indefinitely, right!?" Kaede realized.

Yeah, I knew she'd figure it out sooner or later! It was always so funny to watch her reaction!

"Well, yeah, but it still takes a while to recharge," I smiled. "But I know, I think a Chimera could just going and going. That's why this is a boss and captains only kind of thing!"

"Janine, we talked about this, remember?" Kaede asked me.

"We did?" I asked, shrugging. "Hey, you never said going beyond Ultra Chimeras was off limits. Besides, this would allow just one Chimera to be able to take on armies. Think of all the money and lives we'd save!"

Ha, ha, when I put it that way, it sounded really good! Well, it at least managed to get Kaede to blink twice and get mixed opinions about it rather than shoot it down! And that's making progress!

"I guess..." Kaede shrugged. "Looking at these notes of yours, I think you're on the right track, we probably will need two evolution-focused glands to be created in each person who goes Chimera, one for going forward, and the other for going backward. Like an accelerator and a decelerator. These same glands will have to exist in their bodies as humans, but when they're human, they obviously won't do anything."

"Yep," I nodded, seeing Kaede was getting the whole idea of this. "These two glands will create the FES stuff and reversal agent stuff the way the salivary gland makes spit. You'll be able to use these two glands the same way you can work up a wad of spit whenever you'd like! They'll also be adapted for whatever form the Chimera takes on, the same way all the other life-sustaining organs are adapted. But yeah, that's the whole idea. No more needles!"

"It could get a little complicated, but we might be able to do it," Kaede told me. "Whatever chemical process goes into making FES and the reversal agent, we just need to examine the means for which an artificially-created organ can create those chemical cocktails. Chances are good it's going to need to work a lot like erythropoiesis. Next, the glands need to be hooked up to the neural network that would allow the brain to decide when to trigger the release of either chemical. The only way to make sure this works is to set it as if those glands were always a part of the human body."

Well, this was a great example of "easier said than done!" But hey, all great ideas had to start from somewhere!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((WARNING: Very short Propizio post. I don't really know engineering well.))

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
The Skunkworks, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

He had heard that the Improved Chimera Mutagens got a lot of praise. Nice adjustments, more creativity. Granted, it was more of an improvement to an existing product, so it was more 'great job' than 'whoa!,' but eh. Can't win them all.

He had really only done it out of the universal compulsive urge of correction and because he kind of liked Chimera Mutagens. Granted, not while he worked-he had already taken a Reversal Agent and undid the form as he planned out his next little project. He was a mechanic, that's what his job training was for. Weapons design wasn't too out of the park for his tastes, and considering his primary form of self-defense outside of Chimera forms were guns, it sounded a wonderful idea to him. Yantil didn't even bother questioning it beyond the summary of the project.

Catch was, he was not impressed with a singular leap or bound forward. There were dozens of ways to make a single gun, and dozens of different guns on top of that, so to start, he had to pick a gun. He quickly settled on the assault rifle-an average gun wielded by the average soldier to shoot many bullets in a relatively precise way, only topped by DMRs and actual Sniper Rifles...And after all, a spray of lead justice was just so satisfying.

Except, possibly, when the spray of lead justice was done in 50. calibur bullets.

A small supply of dracaria metal in key points, just going off of computer simulations, seemed to reduce the recoil of a gun dramatically. Dracaria wasn't exactly a long-standing discovery, most guns didn't even have a small percentile of Dracraia in their system. Indeed, Team Aqua only had a small supply from their (ongoing) attempts at coercing the various military leaders of Hoenn to Aqua's cause, but it was enough to distribute the weapon to the captains and big names of Aqua and maybe some elite troops as well-and that was oftentimes enough justification to do so. After all, it wasn't like it was in-use else-ware.

Of course, he had a singular, logical restriction; he had to use as little of the precious metal as possible. The material was incredibly rare in Hoenn, to the point where the reasoning behind the May 6th strike was explicitly to make this issue a non-issue (according to Hoenn Government, essentially, though they said it in a manner far more dressed up and fancy to properly present their reasoning to the public).

He had tons of sketches, several of which he scrapped immediately due to implausibility. What didn't get scrapped that early he tried on a computer stimulation, each one holding up admirably well in general. All the sketches, however, progressively showcased smaller and smaller guns, with less and less material in general, to show at what point where the recoil got to be too much to bear, and what was optimal. He also toyed with various firing modes, from full auto to burst to single-round, as well as where the bullet casings would be ejected from, attachments, and various other parts. He didn't stray far from the assault rifle design he had in mind, though.

From the way it was going, he couldn't forsee this taking long before he hit up the next project he had in mind...But, one thing at a time. First, this awesome gun. Then, the big thing that would hopefully get his name on paper the instant it was done.

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Eternia City, En-Route to Celestic Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick's fear evaporated in the presence of adrenaline, and he emptied a whole clip on the sucker. It would be overkill normally, but the leather jacket may have been made of some Leafeon Skin-a type of leather well-known for being both illegal in some regions and a bulletproof jacket for low cost. Either way, they didn't get far.

Yarvick wasn't entirely sure why Leafeon Skin was that freaking hard. It didn't make sense internally, but it was definitely the case."

"You can't kill me! Victory is my FATE!" Velvetine yelled, running much faster than any man of his size ever should. Mercifully, Yarvick was slightly faster. He quickly pulled out a Burst Heart and immediately Bursted with Iapetus.

The feeling of Bursting was very quick, but Bursting with a Ghost-Type was exceptionally strange: It felt like hot and cold were deciding to have a fling, and this was the end result. When it was over, Yarvick scored clawed guantlets and grieves, dark and spiky hair, and dark purple clothing.

Calvin had a similar idea, and had bursted with Duskinor. Though that Mohawk was still totally visible, the end result also gave him a kind of fez on his head, a helmet that covered his face and left only an eye as a viable viewpoint, gave him gauntlets that looked ready to crush some heads like grapes, and a big, large-jawed face on his midsection.

Despite the creepy Ghost-Types, Velvetine was definitely the scariest thing in the room. Granted, Yarvick also made sure there wasn't any competition by phasing through the glass and getting out of dodge-an act Calvin also did. Either way, they were outside and hovering well out of the way of his sword, feeling quite safe.

"What the f***?!" Calvin yelled.

"I KNOW WHERE LOYALTIES LIE, BOY! Nobody pulls a fast one on me!" Velvetine yelled, pulling out an M16. The sheer action seemed to hurt a guy, but then he actually started firing it.

"Dear Arceus, that guy's a psycho!" Iapetus mentally said as bullets flew through them-phased out of existence like they were, they weren't getting hit by any physical objects anytime soon. Granted, it felt quite like an exercise to maintain it, and attacking? Out of the question.

Then he pulled out a Poke Ball, releasing a Braviary, and jumped onto its back in hot pursuit. Naturally, Calvin and Yarvick decided this was the time to split up.

The bullets, the shattering glass, and the suddenly-apparent murders below the apartments suddenly attracted attention like a moth to the flame, and suddenly a mob of people-cops included-were abound on the ground. As if he needed another fight televised!

"YARVICK!!! STOP RUNNING!! MAKE IT EASY ON THE BOTH OF US!!! IT'S ONLY GOING TO END ONE WAY, AFTER ALL!!!" Velvetine screamed. It really only encouraged Yarvick to go MUCH faster, while attempting to fire Shadow Balls backwards. He missed every time, though-the Braviary swooped well out of the way of every attack. Yarvick had equally good record in dodging Air Slash and Heat Wave attacks, coming out of the mouth of Braviary like no tomorrow. The one issue was that the Braviary somehow was faster than Yarvick, an impressive feat considering the massive man situated on it. If the bird got too close, Heat Waves and Air Slashes would hit with impunity, to say nothing of the sword, and he didn't want to even get near that man in the first place.

Yarvick attempted to compensate for his lack of speed by phasing into another building, going through walls and whatnot. That seemed to be a temporary reprieve, and if he was fast enough, he could escape just by being hard to find. After all, he left no visible trace, so Velvetine would have little idea where to begin. It was an excellent plan in his head. He had just phased through the floor below him when he heard a thud above him first soft. Then, Velvetine's sword stuck into the floor and circled around him, almost directly above him.

Yarvick dove out of the way and fumbled for an SMG, but he didn't manage to grab it. Velvetine and him were currently in a vacant house, probably owned by a mother and her recently-born kid, neither of which was here. Toys were scattered, if not crushed by the double-serving of ceiling that now occupied the center of the room, almost making Velvetine's head brush up against the ceiling. The Braviary was above, unable to go inside properly due to the size of the hole, but nevertheless looking venomously at Yarvick, currently unarmed.

"Hypnosis! He can't attack if he's asleep like that, and you can just snap his neck!" Iapetus mentally yelled. "And maybe take that mask and sword while you're at it." He added, appelaing to the kleptomanic.

Yarvick attempted to use Hypnosis on Velvetine, trying to make him sleep, weakening his mind. He wasn't entirely sure if it was working-he couldn't read minds at the same time (or in Iapetus'es case, at all), but he didn't move while he was doing it at least.

A few seconds of silence passed, and Yarvick had finished using the move. Did he do it? Did he fall asleep standing up?

"WHAT HURBIS!!" Velvetine shouted, not even remotely phased. Maybe it was the mask? Curse dracaria metal! Yarvick had to back up very fast to dodge a slash attack, the end of which sliced into the floor. That sword didn't seem to be stopped by d**m near anything!

Yarvick slipped out through the wall behind him, going into the hallway and naturally running down the hall rather than through the walls. Velvetine cut through the door...And through another wall directly ahead, leading into another room that Yarvick didn't enter. Perhaps he thought Yarvick went straight ahead out of fear?

His luck was rarely in his service, but right now that was the best thing in the world that could have happened. Velvetine lost his trail-for now. Yarvick kept running and phased through another wall before Velvetine corrected his mistake and found him, flinging him out of the whole building and out of his sight.

Calvin was easily found in the crowd, even after having debursted. Yarvick found a convenient alleyway that was well out of sight of any onlookers, debursted, then ran a lap around a building and rejoined him, sweating bullets, almost certain that at any moment the crazy sword-wielding Cthulhu-masked maniac would cleave though a wall and jump out, eager for blood. He was on the phone when they reuinted.

"I just found him sir...Yes, he's alright...Velvetine is still in the building, the cops are inside it now...OK!" Calvin closed his phone. "Yarvick, we better hurry on out of here!" Calvin said.

"How'd he find us?!" Yarvick asked. He was almost dead sure nobody was following him-or Calvin for that matter.

"I have no f***ing clue, they have a grade-A espionage team but I was sent alone...Let's get out of dodge, OK?! We're clear to head to Celestic Town immediately now..."

Yarvick had half of a mind to put the (still loaded) SMG to his back, but at this point he'd rather just get out of there before Mr. Cthulhu came back.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

The horror of the Psychic Wars filled Makoto's mind. The multitude of timelines that were snuffed out in a mere instant because of the fight between the Elder God, Yog-Sothoth, and Arceus. It was by far, the cruelest, and bloodiest thing that Celebi had shown him yet. However, based on the imagery, Makoto could understand both Celebi's disposition and the necessity for the creation of Diabora. Without Diabora, Yog-Sothoth would continue to ravage the multiverse to this very day.

Just as Makoto was trying to digest everything, Karai Horoshi burst into the room. "I hope this isn't a bad time, boss?" she said non-nonchalantly. This was the last thing that the dread lord of the Deathwing was expecting. How the hell am I expected to socialize after that? "Please tell me this isn't a bad time. We've finished an Op recently. Dan sent over the report ahead of time. Hopefully you've had a chance to read it. If you haven't, well you could always read it now. There's kind of a lot to just explain, and Dan worded it pretty well." I don't read reports... Makoto thought. Captain Lando digests them and feeds them to me like a mother bird.

"We've been briefed by your man about what you require of guarding you, boss. The payment formalities have also been taken care of. Are you going anywhere soon so that we can come with you? We've always been pretty durable, but with being given that quick healing stuff we're even tougher. Karai here survived almost being cut in half by me. That stuff sure is potent." The large Enforcer with Karai, Raiki, explained to Makoto. Maybe I shouldn't freak out at them? I've pretty much tweaked at everyone on the ship since I got back for mostly Celebi-related reasons. That may just be more fuel for the fire, Makoto considered, planning out his next action very carefully. The specter of the images he had just seen still haunted his mind. He saw Celebi stooped over the bodies of its best friends before the war, crying out for the War to end. Shaking the rather visceral image from his mind, he refocused on Horoshi.

"This is Dr. Amelia Anthony, one of the Anthropologists from Violet University and the one who originally formed the Worldwide Black Market Burst Heart Ring. She's entering an exclusive contract with us, and learned a lot about Burst Hearts from the one she calls The Voice of the Heart. Judging by her reaction, he seems to have been the monster in that collective dream with us. I'm pretty sure that's not his real name. Anyway, Amelia is looking to research Burst Hearts for us exclusively, and I promised the organization would fund her and provide resources for her research. But for now, what do you know about what just happened to all of us? That collective dream. Cause seriously, that's all I got and I'm still confused."

Makoto wanted to unleash details about everything he had learned from Celebi in the past day from his mouth like a font, but realized that it was impossible to just spew everything out. He had no idea how to format it into a coherent story, until he remembered how he explained everything to Ashfield hours ago. As Celebi Mega Burst, he implanted all the details straight into Ashfield's mind. Makoto looked at Celebi and said psychically, <Celebi, you want to fill them in on what we're dealing with?>

Celebi nodded its head and raised a green finger. Instantly, the groups' minds were filled with everything that Makoto had just learned. Celebi's capture. Diabora. The multiverse. Qinglong and Zhu-Quiao. The Psychic Wars.

"I believe that should answer your questions," Makoto said with an even-keel tone. It was all he could do to keep himself from unraveling at the seams. "Now, while I understand you just got back and would love to spend time with friends, I do have some very urgent business to attend to." Makoto explained, while shooing them out of the door. Once the door was locked, he turned back to Celebi and said, "Alright, so where do I find Zhu-Quiao? I'm its "seed" or whatever. I think the next clue is to find this ****er and see what it wants with me."

<Then we need to go to Hell.>

[Neo Emolga]

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn (Dreaming)
Affected RPers: N/A

I technically should have been dead. I was coughing up blood and I had more bullet holes in my chest than I could count on my fingers and toes. These guys had turned my insides into mush, so I didn't even know how the hell I was even still able to kneel upright.

And that was when I started to glow and felt like some dimensional spirit entered me. The squad of soldiers tried to open fire, but their bullets might as well have just been tiny water balloons. I became completely white and then I felt like I was shining like a sun. And then the truth suddenly was.

<...I've always been you...>

I then realized what Qinglong was... or what I was. This guy... I was none other than the evolution of Lugia (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Primal-Lugia-470458146), standing thirty feet tall with blades on my wings, a four-pronged tail, additional spines on my back and neck, extra spikes on my upper chest while having V-shaped spines over my eyes.

This is... what you are, Qinglong?

But there was no answer. At first, it didn't make sense why he wasn't replying, but then it hit me. I was pretty much just talking to myself now.

"D-damn it, what the hell is that!?" One of the soldiers shouted, trying to fall back.

As I soon realized, Qinglong existed in every dimension. In each dimension, I existed as a spirit legendary but also as a human. It was almost weird, but as soon as I had become Qinglong, it felt way more natural to me than being human, like the whole human form was just some kind of stupid costume. And that was exactly it. The human form I had in each dimension was nothing more than a disguise. And what I had shaken off was just some self-inflicted amnesia to keep the truth for safekeeping.

Holy crap, I didn't know what was more of a mind-rape, Celebi's blast of alternate dimensional truth or this, finding out my whole existence as Noah Ashfield... or even Neo Winterfield, was actually a front for existing as this.

Those squads of future soldiers were just bugs now. I turned toward them, focusing my extreme psychic energy, and enveloped them with a powerful Holy Psychic Flare that smothered them with blazing white fury that lit up the entire city ruins like another sun. When the light died down, there weren't even corpses left.

"Light him up!" One of the gunship pilots shouted.

Those future hovercraft gunships got into formation to attack, but I quickly and instinctively unleashed a blazing white torrent that can only be described as a super-sized Aeroblast of holy light in the form of pure white incineration. Their armor protected them for maybe two seconds before it was blown off and reduced them to nothing but white embers.

Well, that certainly attracted the attention of the rest of the faction. The mothership started homing in on me, and there were more tanks and mechs on their way toward me. Yeah... screw them.

I took flight, which was, safe to say, incredible, even better than flying in Janine's black ninja bunny form. Smashing my way through a crumbling office building was like being a six year old kid having fun smashing through building block towers. I caught sight of one oversized mech unit taking aim, and I quickly charged a glowing sphere of pure, brilliant white energy in my maw.

"TARGET ACQUIRED, FIRE MISSION IN-"

I unleashed all fury in his face before he got to finish yapping, blowing apart the mech cockpit and leaving nothing but the burnt, charred mech legs intact. But the weapons, the arms, and the large rocket launcher unit in the back were easily broken off. By now, the enemy forces were really starting to amass, and their laser and plasma gun fire was starting to rain down on me. Each shot felt like a slight burn, the kind that feeling that you get when you spill a few drops of boiling water on your skin.

<You clowns should try running while you still can!> I shouted to them.

But, these guys were totally swept up in pride. It was going to take a little more work to break their wills, it seemed.

A swarm of infantry fighters opened fire, but I quickly used both of my wings and blasted them with a massive wind gale, enough to throw them right off their feet and send them flying into the concrete ruins and debris all over the place.

A chrome battle tank I had overlooked had shot me in the side, and boy did that hurt like a *****. That actually drew blood this time, and I wasn't going to tolerate that. While they tried to load in another shot, I unleashed another Holy Beam of blazing white energy and had it slam into the tank, sending a cloud of dirt and debris all over the place. The tank, pretty much wrecked, was now also stuck in a hole created by the explosion. Just for good measure, I used my tail to sweep out the structural supports of a nearby building, causing the building to collapse upon the tank wreck.

I had at least managed to scare off their infantry, who only just realized they weren't doing jack-squat against me. But the mechs and the tanks had some pretty hard armor, couldn't deny that. I was still scrapping them, but damn, they sure could absorb a lot of punishment before breaking off.

And that was when the mothership had arrived, puking out more annoying jet fighters. When the hatch opened, I unleashed another Divine Aeroblast into the opening, which allowed me to easily bypass all of the thick, chrome armor surrounding the giant thing. The mothership itself had contained an explosion, which I'm sure had done a hell of a lot of damage to the interior.

The internal explosion had caused a massive piece of the chrome armor to be blown off, which happened to land on and completely crush a mech leader unit like a sledgehammer smashing a roach.

They opened fire, hitting me with a burning rain, but I gritted through it and targeted the damaged area of the mothership, striking it with the toughest Divine Storm attack I could, ramming as much holy energy into the vessel as I could ram into its face. At first, it broke off a few more pieces, and then the whole thing began to become overwhelmed in a series of chain explosions. It soon tumbled out of control, flopping over like a kicked frisbee before exploding on top of a large portion of the army that was coming after me.

They soon tried to run their asses out of there. But then, after a moment, it seemed like the dream was ending. Everything was fading to black, and soon, I realized what this really was.

I wasn't just dreaming. I was in training...


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

After a lot of tweaking, testing, and all sorts of stuff, we figured out how to get Project AMAXA to work. The good news was both Pokémon and humans could enjoy using it and all the fun it would entitle them too. An AMAXA mutagen syringe would issue the body to create both the Accelerator and Decelerator evolution glands. The only thing was Chimeras would have to go back to being human, get the AMAXA injection, and then go back to being Chimeras. One of the components of the formula wasn't compatible with the unstable DNA that Chimeras were walking around with.

For humans, the Accelerator gland formed next to the stomach while the Decelerator gland formed next to the liver. When a Chimera mutagen was used, these two glands would be reconfigured just like the heart, lungs, and so on were arranged, but they'd still be there ready to use when the person with the two glands fully transformed. After that, it was up to them to decide how much they'd like to evolve! The only catch was that if a person reverse-evolved their Chimera form and went back to human, well, they'd need a new Chimera syringe. Barely a problem!

"Man, Janine, handling this stuff is like carrying a nuke," Kaede told me, feeling sheepish about the whole AMAXA project. "In the wrong hands, this stuff could really-"

"Ah please, it'll be fine," I shrugged and smiled at her. "You really worry too much! Now, according to what I've worked out, this should be good to go. We just need to test it!"

"Wait a minute," Kaede told me quickly, realizing something. "Whoever is the tester will have AMAXA permanently. This stuff can't be undone once it's hooked up to the body and the brain interprets it as being naturally formed organs. Even if you surgically remove the glands, most people have had MEND put into them and this mutagen will just allow for a second pair of Accelerator and Decelerator glands to be formed."

Mmm, good point!

"But on the other hand, if we have a Captain or Raidon himself test it and it doesn't work and causes fatal adverse events... that's really bad for the team!" Kaede exclaimed. "How the heck are we going to test this!? We run a huge risk either way!"

"Hey, I know!" I smiled. "Let me try it!"

I mean heck, I was going to use it anyway! Even if it was in secret. How could would that be to be the first one to use this stuff!? That was like having first dips on the Christmas presents!

"Janine, you're... not exactly a Captain," Kaede muttered. "That and I'm not sure how much Raidon trusts you with something of this... magnitude."

"Ah please," I brushed her off. "Trust me, if I was that much of a maniac, the whole world would probably be mush by now. I'll fire it up and then get to trying it out. Although... we're going to need to try it out on another island, ha, ha!"

Yeah, really, definitely not enough room in here!

Kaede with a little unsure at first, but she decided she'd just go along with it, figuring I'd probably sneak in an AMAXA syringe for myself in due time anyway!

"Oh man, I sure hope I don't regret this," Kaede told me, handing over the first of the AMAXA syringes.

I smirked and just flicked off the cap and jabbed myself with the sweet, sweet AXAMA. It definitely wasn't as crazy-feeling as a regular Chimera mutagen, but I did feel like my insides were making funny noises. Sure, they wouldn't do anything if I used them as a human, I'd need to give them a spin while I was a Chimera. But, when the gurgling in my chest had stopped, I blinked and it seemed so far, so good.

"Okay, you're not dead, guess that's a good sign," Kaede told me, looking at the spaces on my chest where my two glands would have formed. "Feel ok?"

"Yeah, seems good here!" I replied, really not feeling that different from before. "Now, let's get to the fun stuff, shall we?"

[bronislav84]

(Gah, so short)

Karai "Kar" Horoshi
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Affected RPers: Lord Celebi

That was.......I couldn't even begin to immediately process what I'd been shown. What all nine of us had been shown. It would take some time to settle in, but we now had clear objectives and information. We were rushed, rather quickly, out the door. He wanted to be left alone, though the Enforcers stayed behind to do their job. They'd follow him and take orders. Not exactly the way I did my job, but hey, their funeral.

Amelia was incredibly surprised. She returned and kicked hard on the door of the Captain's Quarters, now knowing that Raidon had the other ABH. "No, it can't be. But he was so nice to me. I can't believe it." She mused to herself as she yelled loudly. "Mister leader, sir, I require your ABH for my research. You have no use for it I think." She stated flatly and bluntly. "Please let me have it and then the five of you can get going to wherever you need to go." She then pounded on the metal door some more.

I shuddered to think how he would react to that, but she was right though. The kind of research she did centered around that ABH. I could lend her mine, but I was sure I'd need it in the time ahead. The five of us headed back to the bow of the ship, seeing that Amelia's lab cube had already been unpacked. No doubt she would receive info on where it was moved to. But now we had no idea what to do next. At least until......

<So now you know what you need to do, Champion.>

<You must find them, so they can help you.>

"Really?" I yelled out at the now conveniently empty ship bow. "And just where am I supposed to go to find these twins?!"

<Must we do everything?>

<The world could soon end, and you have no idea you need to go to Alto Mare?>

"Do you two have ANY idea how long that would take? The travel and the searching?" I now had a pretty good idea who these twins were, now that the location had been mentioned. The voices just sighed in my head.

In front of me appeared a blue and white jet-like Pokémon, along with a red and white jet-like Pokémon. They must have flown here invisible. Just like that. Pokémon told of in stories just appearing in front of me. Seriously? The voices spoke in my head again, this time collectively.

<We the Ancient Eon Spirits have summoned to you Latios and Latias, explaining to them what needs to be done. They need to test you in a battle, though.> Of course. I wasn't surprised by this at all. In a two on two battle it was only fair to send out two. I threw out Zap the Raichu and Drago the Hydreigon. This would be interesting.

[Grassy_Aggron]

(I don't know why I got so hung up on this post. Neeegh.)

Claressa Nissa
Allearth Forest/Kalos
Affected RPers: None
Isn’t there supposed to be a gem fairy here?

Claressa sighed, frowning at the two cocoons in front of her. One was bulbously shaped, black and red with white diamonds on it, while the other was a branching, silver tree lacking any leaves and a large “x” on the front. Bountiful life surrounded the tree while a very noticeable lack of it was around the other one. It was very apparent that these were the two she was supposed to find, and their active communication also helped. She, herself, was rather scratched up from her journey to this remote forest that lie beyond Frost Cavern itself. All of her theories were based on the fact it had to be remote, and that both Xerneas and Yveltal were in the “Mountain” region of the Pokedex. Conveniently a river ran through it, which had been her ticket in, but the travel through the thick underbrush had been considerably more difficult.

Herby stood beside her, shuddering softly as he felt the immense power. Claressa on the other hand didn’t care much for it, and instead opened her mouth to address them. “Xerneas, Yveltal, just wake up and come out already. We all know you’re just waiting to pop out.” When no reaction was garnered from them, she picked up two stones and tossed them. As soon as they struck the surface, each began to glow and pulse with horrendously powerful energy, shaking and causing the wildlife around to flee.

From the tree emerged a blue and black dear, with tan leg guards and glorious antlers adorned with shining jewels of varying colors. It was gorgeous, to be sure, and shimmered as it shook itself from its long slumber. That being said, its design was simple, perhaps to act as a stark contrast to how complex life was. A bird came out of the cocoon, long tail and wings armed with jagged black claws while a billowing grey tuft of fur crowned its neck. Horns jutted forward, and a slimmer pair emerged facing the back, and dark streaks on the underside. She had no doubt the top of this creature was black with the same diamond pattern as its cocoon had been. A complicated appearance to suit the simplistic nature of destruction and death… How fitting.

At first they simply stared at each other, old rivalries and natures coming forth before they turned to face her. Xerneas spoke first, and to her, his voice seemed much stronger now that he was out of his prison. <…Greetings, Claressa. You finally found us. It was quite the journey, but you did well to come here.>

<Oh, Brother, she looks positively ragged. I can sense the disease clinging to her like the flesh does to a corpse! I have to wonder how she survived… dumb luck or stubborn will? Perhaps both?> Yveltal’s jeering commentary annoyed Claressa, and she stared up at the towering red bird.

“Stubborn will… That and I did what I could to avoid aggravating my heart further. You both said something about healing me, right? I came here for that reason, although I admit I might be able to use your abilities to help the world. Would you agree to it?”

The two stared at her for a moment, before seemingly allowing some words to go between them. Xerneas nodded quickly, but she noticed his brother not doing the same. <I will heal and join you. There is nothing you have to prove to me, as your dedication to your work is more than enough to convince me. However…>

Yveltal opened his mouth, letting out a huff. <I am not as convinced. You may embody both aspects, but you shy away from death. You fear it in a way that you do whatever you can to avoid it. A noble, but futile, effort. As such, you must prove yourself to me…> He flared his wings, his body and markings gathering a glow. <Beat me in a battle, hmm? Show me that when the situation gets dire, you can resort to violence if necessary. I want to see your resolve, girl!>

She frowned, shaking her head. “I really don’t want to, but…” Circus let out a whine, and she watched him, knowing he wanted to fight. She didn’t like it and thus had restricted him from it, but now they were being told to battle and he was more than willing. Herby stepped forth as well but was notably more nervous but just as willing to help out, letting out soft spores from his buds in anticipation. “We don’t have much of a choice though, since you’re not going to allow us to leave. Life or death…and I’ve got both right here.”

Xerneas stepped forth, and hilariously was not too much taller than her, perhaps three feet to the top of his head but considerably more with the antlers. He lowered his head to touch his muzzle to her cranium, breathing softly as a shimmering energy seeped from his body and into her own. Interestingly, she had to note he smelled like the earth and every flower that grew from it – it was almost intoxicating with the intensity. Her body tingled with the power, and she felt her breathing improve as her heart repaired itself. In fact, everything seemed to improve as Xerneas healed damage that age and stress had done on her body, and she felt so remarkably healthier once he pulled away.

She honestly had no idea that she had those ailments in the first place.

Thanking him, Claressa turned to face off against Yveltal, glancing at Circus and Herby. “Hope you two are ready for a fight.” They nodded, and with a confirmation from Yveltal, they began their battle.

[Lord Celebi]

Raidon Makoto
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island
Hoenn
Affected RPers: bronislav84

"Mister leader, sir, I require your ABH for my research. You have no use for it I think." A voice squeaked through the metal door. "Please let me have it and then the five of you can get going to wherever you need to go." Makoto looked down at his trenchoat breast pocket and noticed that he indeed did still have the Ancient Burst Heart he had used to merge with Celebi moments ago. Cracking the door open only slightly, Makoto rolled the relic out of the opening and quickly shut the door again. Feeling self-conscious, he reopened the door open again and looked at the group: "I'm so sorry. I promise I'm not normally a ****. I'm just really busy right now."

He closed the door again and looked at Celebi, "Lay it on me. Let's go dine in hell." Celebi nodded at the world around Makoto faded. The fabric of reality rippled into darkness and a new world surrounded Makoto like a womb. The first thing the dictator noticed was that it had become very hot very quickly. "What the..."

<...hell?> Celebi finished and laughed at the joke. <Yessir, this is hell.>

Makoto took in the sights and sounds (sights being horrific torture by demons and sounds being their screams) with a sobering silence. It was decidedly not the most horrifying thing he had seen that day. "Jesus Christ, Celebi, you're going to make my therapist rich." The pair traveled down the shores of the fiery River Styx until they couldn't travel any more. A skeleton in a robe piloting a raft pulled up to meet the dread lord of the Deathwing moments later.

The skeleton let its mouth hang ajar as words came out: "Raidon Makoto. My master has been expecting you. I am called Phelgyas. Please join me on my raft and I will take you to him." The demon spoke with a very comfortable slowness, as if it knew it had all the time in the world to speak. Makoto, on the other hand, was incredibly impatient and already on the raft by the time Phlegyas had extended the invitation to join him. Celebi floated above Makoto's shoulder as the ferryman rode its raft down a lavafall, navigating the River Styx and the Nine Circles of Hell.

After a few hours on the raft, Makoto noticed that the temperature of Hell was dropping. Much to his surprise, he felt comfortable. "What the...? Who turned up the AC?"

"This is the borderline between the Eighth and Ninth Circles of Hell," Phlegyas explained. He slowly extended a bony to call attention to the damned that were lying on this border. "Many who escape their personal torment take refuge here, for the temperatures are much more tolerable for humans."

<It's also called the Goldilocks Zone,> Celebi said, addressing the area with a colloquialism. The metaphor was lost on Phlegyas. The trio moved past the Goldilocks Zone and into the frozen tundras of the Ninth Circle of Hell. Once the fiery River Acheron froze over, Phlegyas pulled the raft over to the Ninth Circle's icy shores. Pointing upwards, Makoto noticed a gigantic castle resting in the middle of the Judecca.

"That is Pandemonium, the Capital City of Hell. Inside the castle lies my master, Lord Lucifer," Phlegyas said. The dread lord bolted off towards the castle, completely unabated by the cold, tailed by the Eternal Chronarch. "I hate when they do that," the ferryman lamented.

The Interloper
Yggdrasil Tree
Maridia
Affected RPers: All

Nicodemus Chess continued his trek up the mountain until he finally reached its peak. At the top sat the Yggdrasill Tree, a very large tree whose branches tickled the clouds. At the base of the tree, a anthropomorphic figure lay dormant, bound in all directions by the tree's overgrowth. As Chess approached the tree, the eyes of the figure let up a piercing red. A rumbling laugh could be heard in the distance, as the creature said, <And who are you?>

Nicodemus Chess touched the tree trunk, transforming the Yggdrasill Tree's bark into sand. Color began to return to the gaunt figure. "Let's say I'm your savior." Diabora's fingers were the first to move, as sand ran down his body. More and more of the destroyer's body become moveable as the Yggdrasill Tree turned into sand. Feeling an earthquake, Chess turned around. He was face to face with Arceus, the Universe's creator, and three mechanical beasts. The beasts were TransTechs, natives to the multidimensional hub city of Axiom Nexus. More specifically, they were Enforcers, sent out to scour the multiverse for time criminals that even Celebi couldn't handle. Chess had to laugh, "Only three Enforcers? Clearly, you aren't taking me seriously." Removing his hat and coat, Chess revealed his true visage to the group. Chess was a Saurian, a bipedal lizardman from the planet Ramdyne.

<Statement: Xuanwu should have destroyed the paradox dimension from which you were born eons ago,> One of the TransTechs, a robotic lion, told him.

Another, a robotic she-wolf piped in: <Threat: We will correct his mistake.>

Arceus launched a burst of divine energy at Chess. Chess caught it in his right hand and threw it back at the Lion TransTech. The robotic lion exploded. Chess loosened his tie and activated his final trump card: his transformation. The Alvaj-Xoc from his universe blessed several, select individuals with the power to become Legendaries. Nicodemus Chess was granted the power to become Daedalus, the sea serpent of destruction. Using its massive tail, Chess swatted away the other two TransTechs and fired a hyper-powered water cannon at the Creator. All the while, the Yggdrasill Tree continued to transform into sand.

<No...> Arceus said, realizing what had happened. From the pile of sand behind Nicodemus Chess, Diabora emerged. It popped several of its joints and slowly approached Arceus.

<I'm... BACK!>

[Neo Emolga]

OOC: Rust, please have Raidon *****-slap Satan. Thank you. XD

Noah "Neo" Ashfield
AMS Deathwing Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: All

I woke up, but deep inside, parts of the dream never really ended. Qinglong still felt very real, but I wasn't sure how I would become... that form. Was it something I just needed to want really badly?

I had gone up on deck and couldn't understand what exactly I was feeling, but for a moment, that was thrown away. I felt a sick, sinful presence in the air, and the only time I had felt that before was with the astral realm that Raidon and the rest of us had been in before. Did that mean...?

Diablos.

Damn... Diabora was sending out his emissaries. All over the world, in fact. But how... how did I know that?

<The Hollowing has come! Kneel to your new master, Daedalus, least you become a wailing meat harvest!>

"Who the hell was that... talking in my head!?" One of the grunts exclaimed, looking like he was suffering from a severe migraine.

So it wasn't just me. I had looked over the bow to see yup, one of the Diablos that I recalled from the astral realm. He looked like the Grim Reaper, only armed with a crossbow of death instead of a scythe. And of course two heads. But he was just one of many of them. I looked up and saw dark streaks of red light, raining down across the world to bring the message of the dark return. Sure couldn't wait to lay waste to these *******s.

"And why the hell should we!?" One of the grunts shouted to the Reaper Diablos.

He just looked to him, smiled what I swore was the most hideous, butt-ugly skeletal grin I've ever seen, and his voice just wailed in our heads again.

<This is why.>

We saw what had to be a faint, glowing white light far off into the distance. We didn't know what that was at first, but then I realized that white light was Arceus. But then, it was swiftly consumed by a shadowy darkness that I knew deep inside was Diabora. I couldn't believe what saw at first, but then it just made sense to me, though I found it hard to believe.

Diabora had eaten Arceus.

<Your pathetic, false god Acreus is dead. All that Arceus was destined to be... reduced to just another meal for Diabora.>

"But he created the-"

<NOTHING! All lies. Simply just an arrogant legendary Pokémon taking claim for creation not of his own. But now you see, not even the strongest among you stand any sliver of a chance against the wrath of Diabora and Daedalus!>

"And who the hell are you!?" One of the grunts shouted.

<Xente,> He spoke, nearly laughing. <Just one of many Diabora's emissaries to herald the new dusk. Those of you who pledge loyalty to Diabora and Daedalus will survive as Dread Slaves of the Sin Eternity. The rest of you who resist will be wiped from existence or have your souls become sustenance.>

"To hell with that!" One of the grunts shouted, opening fire.

Collectively, the grunts began to attack, but Xente was fast and was able to dodge their bullets. A grunt's Magmortar tried to blast the shadow reaper with flamethrower strikes, but he soon ended up getting shot by the crossbow right in the forehead, which caused the Magmortar's head to shake violently before exploding.

As tempting as it was to try gunning down Xente with an M60, obviously my attempt to gun this prick down wouldn't be any more successful than what the rest of the Aqua grunts were doing. One of the Chimeras even tried to take on Xente, but was sliced in half at the waist with some hidden weapon I couldn't even see.

I tried to concentrate to become Qinglong, but it just wasn't working. Even though Xente was being ganged up on by the grunts on the Deathwing, he was still taking them out one after another without even taking a scratch.

C-come on... why can't I make it work!?

Still, this was bad. I could see these emissaries of Diabora causing all kinds of hell in the streets and the cities, wiping out civilians and militaries if they didn't submit and worship Diabora and Daedalus. In the meantime, I needed some kind of strategy against Xente... and then I realized no one had tried to take him out with explosives yet. I quickly grabbed a nearby rocket launcher and figured it was time to blow this bastard up into kibble.

And that would be one down... God knows how many left to go...


Janine "Angel" Price
Royal Pearl Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: All

Royal Pearl island was just the perfect place to try out AMAXA. It was a pretty big island and we had been using it to create Shadowfall tanks before, but production was offline for now since we had all the tanks we needed. No need to keep pumping those out! But yeah, in the meantime, this was a great spot to test to see if AMAXA was working.

So I decided to go with the angel bunny form again, but with one badly needed modification. The Whimsicott fluff... yeah, that had to go. It was cute and fun, but if I kept that and evolved that continuously, I could see that becoming way too much fluffy stuff! Like a Mega Altaria after getting zapped!

So in the end, it was Lopunny with a Furret tail times nine thanks to Ninetales. It would also have the white fur coloring and wings of a Togekiss, a Zoroark hairstyle, and a Shedninja halo. Also, the fluff of a Cincinno with slightly larger ears. Still totally cool and cute! But yeah, this would work way better than that other mess!

I jabbed myself with the mutagen, and the transformation wasn't really all that different from before. Now this, I could totally see evolving into something really cool and awesome without too much cotton puffy-stuff going around. I was a bit concerned about the tails though. Ah, whatever, I could worry about that later! But yeah, it was totally awesome to have wings, huge bunny ears, and an awesome and big hairstyle with a ponytail at the end!

"So you went with the white, winged bunny again..." Kaede muttered, unimpressed.

"Heck yes!" I winked at her, speaking in my sweet, cute bunny voice. "See, this is the Chimera form you should have gone with!"

So... now to see if I could trigger evolution with AMAXA...

I was just about to give it a shot when the sky had gone dark, like it was about to rain. Ah, rain was no biggie, but that's when red bolts of fire came crashing down instead. Whoa. Suddenly Kaede snapped to attention and we realized something really dark and gloomy was going down.

"What on earth is going on?" Kaede asked.

And that's when one of those red fire bolts landed right near us, and out of the weird red and black fire emerged what looked like some kind of crazed werewolf! He was pretty tall, a foot taller than the average human, and man, did he look pissed. His eyes were glowing red and his teeth could probably grind up a steak in just one bite! Who was this guy?

<My name is Vrell,> He spoke in a really ultra-serious tone as he walked through the flames totally unfazed. <We are the harbingers of Diabora and Daedalus. Sin Eternity is at hand. You will hear and obey the dark mandate of our masters, or your soul will simply be used to feed them instead.>

"Hey, no one touches my soul, got it?" I exclaimed at him. "And hey, I'm busy! Apocalypse is just gonna have to wait!"

"Janine, this guy's serious!" Kaede jumped, totally backing off. "You'd better be careful!"

Ah, whatever, Vrell was just a glorified puppy.

<Observe the fall of your 'god' as the age of light fades,> Vrell laughed, gesturing toward something.

I looked toward where he was pointing to, and saw some kind of glowing white light far off in the distance get swallowed up by some crazy, deranged creature or something. I could hear the shriek from here and wow, it sounded awful! Was that...?

"That... was that Acreus!?" I exclaimed, knowing only he could make a cry like that!

<Precisely,> Vrell snickered. <But the truth is Arceus was a haughty fool, not even a real god! Powerful... somewhat, but it was not he who created the universe, and not even this world! But no matter, for it will all be consumed by the night's shadow very soon!>

"That... THING just ate Arceus!?" Kaede freaked out. "Just like that!?"

Oh boy, this was going to be rough. These guys really were serious about just making it really dark and hard to see where we were walking! Yeah, I wasn't crazy about a whole future of that. Someone had to try and see if this could be stopped.

<Now then, what happened to the false god doesn't have to happen to you,> Vrell told us, talking to us like a used car salesman! <Your pitiful lives may continue as Dread Slaves, but only if you pledge the rest of your existence toward serving our unholy masters.>

"Nah, that sounds like a really poopy kind of deal," I shrugged at him. "Dread Slaves... wow, I bet those are kind of like zombies. Yeah, not interested. Now just scram, go find a bone to chew or something."

<Ha, ha, so foolish,> Vrell sneered. <I'm afraid it's not so easy. But then again, what would simple prey like you understand, rabbit?>

Okay, nobody, especially not Mister puppy chow here, insults my awesome bunny form and gets away with it. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one, but becoming some dimwit zombie was NOT on the agenda, ever!

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

((OOC: These two posts are the suck before the awesome, so bear with me and them. Especially Dr. Prop's-I was too tired of waiting for the special fight I had planned for him, so it's ridiculously short.))

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Mount Coronet Northern Cave, En-Route to Celestic Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Two men in a dark, totally deserted cave through a mountain. It was cool, very cool, and the stone walls, though confining, had a clear path. With only annoying Zubat and other cave nuisances to distract the duo, which didn't really do that even after Calvin got irritated and whipped out a Repel, Yarvick decided to pop his questions now.

"What is his deal?!" Yarvick asked.

"That guy, his name is Year Velvetine. Nobody knows his REAL name, natch, people in the business don't call each other by their REAL names. I'm not actually 'Calvin,' for instance, and for sake of being clever about it...Let's refer to your dad as Steven Heck-full name basis. Anyways, Velvetine...Well, yeah, talking 'bout it isn't good for your health, but I know that Velvetine was part of Steven Heck's crew, but somethin' pissed him right off and he left. It's all I've got, but Velvetine's been trying to make Steven Heck's life hell for it, whatever it is." Calvin said. "I have a bad feeling he's starting to piece together who Steven Heck REALLY is-it's something Velvetine doesn't even know, nobody knows who the f*** Steven Heck is-and now we've gotta ditch the region before the Clockwork Coalition-Velvetine's boys-come after our a**es."

"And 'our a**es' are?" Yarvick asked.

"That's...Very sensitive information. Information you have the right to know, but the timing isn't right." Calvin said. "Saying it aloud would be bad for the health. All you need to understand is, Velvetine would have Sinnoh law enforcement in love with him-in absolute f***ing love-and it is really critical we don't say the name aloud. As it stands, there is no proof this group exists outside of a crazy swordsman in a Cthulhu mask. If he gets a confirmed name, we're all f***ing screwed, man. GG." Calvin said.

"...Wait, so, let's say you guys ditch the region early?" Yarvick said.

"You'd have to take that up with Steven Heck himself, but we've got nowhere to go-this was our backup base, the last base, our primary base was...Compromised. Political reasons." Calvin said. "Point is, we can't afford to f*** up this."

"OK..." Yarvick said.

He didn't have many more questions on THAT subject, as Calvin seemed to be hiding too much. There was a lot he didn't understand. What kind of people would be so despised that the sword-wielding manic in a Cthulhu War mask would have Sinnoh Law Enforcement in love with him? What kind of person was his father, to be part of a faction THAT bad-and what power did he hold to have people looking for him like this?

He'd find out.

He also make sure to keep a hand near the P90 at all times. His trust with Calvin was better than initially, but Mr. YYings would be gravely mistaken if he STILL didn't think this was all some complex ploy to get the ABH that Yarvick didn't have at all.

...Hey, wait.

it just occurred to him. He almost felt amazingly stupid. How did anyone know it was HIM who had the ABH? The Mega Deoxys form had no face, just eyes, and there were a lot of people with eyes like his. Otherwise he was indistinguishable. The one time he debursted during the fight was inside a ship, and he was not in sight range of any camera nor enemy when he initially bursted.

Yet, the email had practically spelled out that Yarvick and the Goldenrod Massacre were definitely related.

"...So, how did you guys know about me?"

"I don't know. Steven Heck plays cards close to his chest." Calvin said. "I just know it had something to do with Goldenrod."

"Then, how did you know I was at Goldenrod?" Yarvick queried.

"I don't know! I'm not the only spy he's got. He's got quite a few, and our group has got some of the best-if not THE best-espionage action going on ever. We're not perfect, as our surprise visit with Velvetine suggested to you, but we've gotten in-depth knowledge of stuff that most people wouldn't even have known scraps about." Calvin said, looking very pleased with himself. "We know people down to the size of their-"

At that point, a Zubat decided to acquaint itself with Calvin's face.

"-Ah, f***, get it off get it away!" Calvin screamed, flinging his arms wildly in a rather silly attempt to get a bat away from his face. THAT was definitely not just a reaction to the fact a very annoying creature decided to get in real close...

Yarvick would keep the fact that he really hated Zubat in mind.

"...Let's not talk about that." Calvin said.

"Talk about what?" Yarvick responded.

That gave Calvin a good snort.

The fun ended there, though...Some kind of odd aura filled the air, some sinister feeling they couldn't put their fingers on...


...

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
The Skunkworks, AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Firing guns was not exactly a PASSION of his...Except when he made the gun himself, or took part in it, and the only OTHER time that happened was with that prototype flamethrower. He decided to ignore that he burned himself with that flamethrower for that comparison.

Just like with that prototype flamethrower, though, he was testing out the best of his various gun designs, and weeding out which, in practice, were the most flawed and removing them from the design list. He'd only made one of each design, and he only came up with nine, more than he anticipated he'd make. Dracaria made quite a few oddball designs for such things totally viable...In theory. In practice, he quickly ditched two because they didn't cover recoil enough, and having a lot of power and bullets was totally worthless if said power and bullets couldn't be controlled.

Further firing testing proved that at least one design was kind of crummy when it came to controlling the spread of the bullets; keeping a precise grouping of bullets was important, as if it was not precise, there was no way it would be accurate. So, he was down to six by two magazines worth of bullets for each gun.

Four magazines later, and three more were gone; Dracaria had many special properties, but its resistance to heat was not among them, and the trio of guns he disposed of suffered from overheating, one visibly so. Having a gun get overheated caused all sorts of problems and accidents.

So, three left.

After one more firing each, two of the remaining three broke in his hands-one fell to pieces, another cracked. This left one deisgn, which Prop had his doubts on. However, several firings later, and the thing didn't give way an inch...

...He'd test it further, he decided, in the sands of route 111.

He didn't make ceremony of it. He quickly grabbed permission from Yantil, got a small defensive convoy consisting of twenty human grunts(the scattered remnants of the Hoenn military were still completely capable of destroying people), and took four hellcats and flew away.

They could easily feel the nasty aura and see the read streaks of light when it happened, but by that time, they were beyond the sight range of the Deathwing, unable to see the battle unfold...

[Neo Emolga]

OOC: Neo casts revive!

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

Xente was a fast bastard, but with something like a rocket launcher, getting a direct hit wasn't necessary. I had him distracted for a moment while the SRAW rocket exploded right next to him, obviously ripping off some kind of flesh or piece of him. Black blood was sprayed everywhere, and the weirdest feeling came over me.

<...Yoouu!!!> Xente snarled at me.

That was when I whipped out my Desert Eagle magnum, probably the only kind of pistol I'd ever stand using. I aimed right for the maggot's head and fired. It blasted his head open, but something about it felt so satisfying. I fired again. And again. Over and over until there was not a single bullet left in the magazine or the chamber. It even clicked a few times before I decided he was dead enough.

"You... you okay, Cap'n?" One of the grunt asked me.

"Yeah, I feel... better now," I told him, stuffing the magnum away.

That was only one Diablos down, though. From the looks of it, there were thousands more, and then Diabora himself. I looked back toward where he had killed Arceus, and only now, I could see a city in the distance bathed in a fiery, hellish glow. Almost looked like someone called in the four horsemen of the apocalypse early.

I wasn't sure if that city was Mauville or Slateport, but some poor town was getting fried off the map. I was a big bummed out the plan to become Qinglong didn't work. I could have saved the lives of a few of these grunts if I could have squashed Xente like a bug a few minutes earlier before he sliced a few of them in half, but at least we lit him up. I looked toward the body again, and his body was half-blown apart with nothing but a black spray of blood where the head should have been. Or at least used to be.

I needed to figure out what we needed to do next. Fortifying this position for now seemed like a good idea, at least to make sure no more of these Diablos decided to give us another "submit or die" rant. I heard it once, sure didn't feel like hearing that anal crap over and over again.

"What's the plan?" One of the grunts asked me.

"I hate the idea of this Sin Eternity," I told him, knowing while Diabora and his cronies had power, we certainly weren't a little girl's dolls when it came to combat. "Let's go to the source of the mayhem and we'll see can do something about it. Get every weapon you can, I have a funny feeling there's no such thing as overkill in this kind of situation."

"Seriously?" The grunt asked me. "Funny, I didn't think it would be us playing the roles of heroes now."

"Don't forget about what we might reap if we pull this off," I told him, knowing this wasn't just for community service hours. "Saving the world is not a debt that's easily paid off. And that, my friend, is a nice, hearty source of leverage."

He nodded. Yeah, good, I was glad he could see where I was going with this. But in the meantime, we still needed to punch a few holes in this army. As for Arceus, I wasn't surprised he wasn't actually the creator after all. Something about a llama with a vertical hula hoop creating the freaking universe never sat well with me in the first place.

Janine "Angel" Price
Royal Pearl Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

Yeah, I sure wasn't too crazy about the sound of becoming a Dread Slave. It did seem like Vrell was expecting to fight more than he was expecting to just lasso a bunch of people to turn them into zombies.

"Kaede, take the AMAXA stuff and head back to the ship!" I shouted to her, keeping an eye on Vrell to make sure he didn't try and sneak attacks while I was distracted. "Just give it to whoever wants it! We'll work out the details later!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" She shouted, making a run for it. "Good luck!"

See, this is why I was never all that crazy about keeping things crazily regulated. Sooner or later those regulations would need to get broken anyway! But in any case, there was Vrell the werewolf, having no idea what AMAXA stuff was or what it could do. I mean heck, I hadn't even fully tested it yet, but there just wasn't time with all the chaos going on.

Vrell tried to quickly tear into me with his shadowy claws, but I quickly jumped into the air and flew overhead! Ha, ha! He didn't have wings of his own, so already this was pretty comical. Up until he jumped into the air and landed on my back. Yeah, I didn't think a heavy, muscular werewolf like him was capable of making the most epic basketball slam dunks ever.

"Hey, get off!" I shouted, trying to fling his body off of my back. "You're too heavy!"

I couldn't fly when this big lug was on me. I started descending too rapidly and then before he knew it, I ended up crashing into the water and only a few seconds before crashing did he jump off, only to end up in the water as well. It seemed like he was jumping on my back to try and slug me, but he wasn't suspecting a sudden crash landing.

I struggled to swim to the surface, and once I did, there he was again, just bobbing up and down in the water.

"Great job, genius, look at me!" I shouted at him. "I'm all wet! Do you have any idea how long it takes to dry off fur with... actually, maybe you do."

<That will be the least of your problems soon enough!> Vrell shouted, lunging at me again.

I quickly swam toward the island to get away from him, and long and behold, I got to dry land while Vrell was swimming around like a puppy dog. I quickly hopped away to make distance between him and I, and once I did, I figured I brought myself enough time to try and use AMAXA to evolve. Just... needed to... concentrate.

And like that, I grew to be really big, fifteen feet in height. Those nine tails quickly became nineteen tails with one center tail surrounded by six others, and those six were surrounded by twelve. Meanwhile, the Zoroark hair had gotten extra long and huge, splitting into two large ponytails instead of one. I now also had two pairs of wings, a complete and brighter halo ring over my head, and the two bunny ears had gotten longer and wider. It felt awesome and I could only imagine how cute it must have looked on the outside! But man, this giant bundle of nineteen tails kinda felt like a lot!

Of course... the evolution process needed a recharge. However, now it was me looking down at Vrell and suddenly, after he stepped out of the water dripping wet, he realized I had become bigger and tougher. And he had no idea how!

<Bigger and stronger now, eh? It still won't save you!>

He lunged at me with his claws ready, but I clasped my paws together and focused my energy to unleash a powerful blazing white Holy Beam right in his face! It was like a kick to the teeth and then he went flying backwards, head over heels! He rolled over a few times, but got back up on his feet. Again, he leapt in for another swift strike, but I got him caught up in a celestial cyclone of white holy energy, spinning him around like I flushed him down the toilet! It then contracted and then enveloped Vrell in a holy explosion. All that was left of him was just a flurry of twinkling white stars. Not a bad way to go!

Still, I looked around it I could definitely tell we weren't out of the frying pan yet. Oh man, it was going to take a lot more than just a fifteen foot tall angel bunny to handle these guys...

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Doctor Propizio Wasser Te Haurangi, aka Dr. Prop.
Team Aqua
En-Route to Route 111
Affected RPers: N/A

"Dr. Haruangi...Do you watch politics, by chance?" Dr. Massadar yelled.

Dr. Prop looked up from the inspection of the lucky prototype that got to the field testing stage. The whirl of the helicopter blades and the rush of the air more than justified the loud voice. There was nothing else to do.

"...No, I dislike those droll things. It's mostly just a very dressed-up way of saying something that people don't want to hear, and in any case I prefer working." Dr. Prop responded.

"...Hrm. I was just wondering, because...Well, I just heard of this...Interesting rumor. You see, apparently, the late President of Hoenn had often traveled here...For no recorded reason. Nobody knows what he did. It's the most mind-boggling thing, too, there just isn't a reason, do you understand? Like some phenomena you cannot find out for the life of you!" Dr. Massadar said.

"I guess some people have odd habits is all..." Dr. Prop responded. "Speaking of odd things, what is with all of that?!" Dr. Prop said, pointing out the side door, where more of those fiery streaks of red hit the ground. One hit awfully close to them...

"This phenomena is beyond me...It's so perplexing...I honestly would rather not find out, but considering the widespread impact, we might be finding out shortly." Yantil said.

"<Why did I do this why did I do this why did I do this->"

Something practically yelled in his mind, and it was NOT a very fun voice-booming, dark and with a hint of low empathy. He look out of the helicopter, quickly pinpointing the likely source: The world's most demonic-looking falconer EVER, at least ten feet tall, a red tail ending in a point and a jaw of sharp teeth and limbs ending in sharp points...His arm clutched tightly by a Braviary that was only JUST able to hold him and keep flying.

"...Not the most dignified position..." Dr. Prop said.

"<Shut it, Mortals! I hear your thoughts, and-Oh f*** don't look down don't look down-augh!>"

"I never thought I would see something so...Hideously demonic fail to be intimidating." Dr. Massadar replied, equally frightened and bemused from the looks of things.

"<You idiots know NOTHING of what's going on, NOTHING! Welcome to the Sin Eternity!>"

That declaration was punctuated with the scream of something...Powerful. Dr. Prop whipped his head around just in time to see a bright light give way to a massive darkness, the latter eating the former.

A nasty silence fell over the group as the Falconer, now beside the helicopter, looked like he had himself devoured that light.

"<THAT was your pathetic 'god' Arceus being eaten by Diabora, the ultimate destroyer!>" The devil falconeer said. "<THAT was light gone! Your new masters-Diabora and Deadalus-have arrived! Normally I'd give you the choice to bow and become Dread Slaves or die to become fuel, but I think that, given your tones...>"

One of the grunts just started shooting at the thing the instant that thought got into their heads.. The falconer was surprisingly sturdy and was almost about to laugh when one of them hit his partner's leg. The Braviary instinctively flexed its talons outward, which meant letting go of his partner.

"<F*************************************!!!!!!>" The devil falconer yelled as it plummeted towards the ground.

The grunts got a good laugh out of it. Dr. Prop was tempted to laugh about it as well, but he was looking at the demonic Braviary. The demonic Braviary that carried the falconer certainly did NOT find it funny. A ghastly, heart-chilling energy formed in its now-empty claws, and was shot sideways into the spinning blades. Predictably, they broke.

There was a second of silence. Then gravity got working, the Braviary making a loud call in triumph at precieved revenge.

Dr. Prop wasn't the fastest-witted man in the world, but he managed to grab the Poke Ball for Annabeth the Swanna, and it took no time to figure out what service Dr. Prop needed of her. He practically leaped aboard as the thing flew away from the helicopter, perhaps seconds from it's fiery crash. Heat, light and sound penetrated his senses like a spear through armor.

He could see survivors, though-lucky winners who grabbed parachutes before the thing totally fell. Dr. Massadar was among the winners, as were several grunts and the pilot.

That was considerably better than Dr. Prop expected. He feared he was the only survivor for a second. He wiped his (dry) brow in relief and looked up to the sky further...There was sand in the air.

"...Well, I'd say-"

Dr. Prop was about to say that they may have escaped it.

"Dr. Haruangi, I would hate to ruin the party, but the Braviary moved towards where the devil falconer fell...It could be that he survived. Considering he took bullets pretty easily...His fear of heights may have been an exaggeration..." Dr. Massadar said. "Our best hope of not being spotted twice-assuming that they don't have some countermeasure..."

He pointed north.

"Is into the sandstorm."

"...Well, today has an interesting way of making everything work out!" Dr. Prop said.

He wasn't sure if it was lucky they were going to their intended destination...

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
Celestic Town, Sinnoh.
Affected RPers: N/A

Yarvick left the caves and was greeted by an absolutely abominable sight.

He never went this way before, but he had an EXCEPTIONALLY good feeling that a hot crater with what was best described as a black hovering eyeball of something best described as EVIL reeking out of it over said crater was not part of the typical scenery.

"<...Hrmph. What pathetic resistance those old-fashioned light-clingers had...Not even a Pokemon capable of harming me...>" The thing thought, possibly thinking it only meant to itself.

His eyes twitched but never fully blinked. He could not take this much in.

Calvin came out and had to clearly bite his own tongue quite literally to keep his mouth from going.

"<...Lucky I do not have ears...Else I would have certainly been able to hear their annoying death wishes personally. Telepathic AND Regular hearing...Ugh. Disgusting. Ears are disgusting on their own too...>"

It wasn't looking towards them.

Yarvick's first instinct was to run like a coward. Yarvick's second instinct was to sneak AROUND it...Possible...

"<...So...What do I do now, milords...I see-no, wait, that's a bloody pun, aguh-I get you. I'll keep-I'll make sure nobody comes...Bloody eyeball puns, and they're so pathetically easy to make!>" The devil eyeball thought to itself, as Yarvick tiptoed around the edge of the crater. "<...Still...It feels like this place was effectively abandoned already...All that were there were the elderly and children...Hrmph. No credible threats...Ah, what am I saying?! Even a man stuffed to the gills in weaponry could never take me on!>"

Yarvick was willing to trust those private thoughts of the crazy eyeball monster. Slowly and steadily, he was a quarter of the way there already...The Eyeball was moving towards the town as well, allowing him to advance...

"<...Hrmph. Now that I think about it...one of them pulled that one on me...It felt like a tiny little sliver of flesh from my master just dropped off and got life of its own as a Pokemon...But it's own attack meant nothing to me...In any case, the thing was near-to-mindless...May be worth loo-I mean, investigating! Bah! Sight puns!>" The thing thought, moving slowly, almost painfully slowly...

...Halfway around the crater...

"<...Hrmph. You idiots think I can't tell when people are trying to sneak by?!>" The eyeball said. "<Unfortuantely, I don't need to have ears to sense you with psionics!>"

It turned towards them, and Yarvick was almost instantly reminded of the crazy eye of Sauron (or whatever Pokemon equivalent would exist in the world of Maridia). It stared directly at them, rage and pride brimming. He was practically frozen in place.

"<Shortsighted as a mayfly-no, d**m, eyepun, bah! No matter! You get no choice! You are dead! DEAD! DEEEAAAAD!>"

"CHRISTMAS TIME IN HELL!!!" yelled a voice, jovially and madly.

The eye turned towards the source, directly opposite the duo of Yarvick and Calvin.

If Yarvick could have seen it, that would have made his day, but effectively what the eyeball saw made it take a look best described as 'Oh c**p' in pure eyeball form. Yarvick heard a rocket, then...

The Eyeball messily exploded, getting its demonic guts all over the duo. On the other hand, Yarvick felt free to move-and the first thing he did was go to the nearest untouched grass and defile it with demon guts.

"F*** this s**t! Literally f*** this s**t!" Yarvick yelled.

"...You'd spoon demon guts? THAT's...Interesting by all standards!" The mystery man said, equally as happy and crazy as before.

When Yarvick got a satisfactory amount of demon goo off of his clothing, he actually turned to his source.

Therein was a blue-haired, 50-year old something man in a santa suit with a rocket launcher, at least a whole foot taller than Yarvick, sporting an absolutely MAD grin and devilish red eyes, as well as pale skin.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!" He yelled. "Your present is...Well, not horribly dying to a demonic eyeball of doom and getting loads of demon s**t in your clothes! Also a family reunion, BUT WHO CARES?!" The crazy man said.

"...OK, what the f*** is with the Santa Suit?" Yarvick said, flabbergasted quickly.

"IT'S CASUAL TUESDAYS!!!" The man yelled.

Calvin almost seemed sweaty-more panicked than when he saw the crazy disembodied eye of hell.

Wait.

"...You're seriously not-"

The crazy man ripped off his santa suit to reveal a snazzy business suit-black with a sharp red tie.

"In a business suit?!"

"No, not in a buisness suit, you're seriously not the boss around here, right?" Yarvick said, almost cautiously.

"OF COURSE I AM!" The crazy 50-year old man said. "Oh, but just so you're not asking stupid questions the whole way through...Yes I'm also your daddy who could never visit you because mommy was a b**ch and ran away and I was busy-"

Yarvick just looked like he was slammed with a freight train at full force.

"...Yeah, long story! But, against my better judgement, I decided to blow up a demon! Like a thousand more to go, if the news is any indication, but first, inside the evil lair!" The crazy man said, taking him by the arm and marching soundly towards the town.

"...Your name, dad?"

"...Oh, yes...Forget to say that sometimes...I FORGET TO SAY MY NAAAAAAAAAAAAME!!! But, seriously, I am Ardos Xelsez...Third Leader of Cipher. Charmed." He said, the devil-like qualities of the grin now fully apparent.

...Yarvick was now fully aware why his mother thought this man was definitely not going to be interacting with her son.

[Neo Emolga]

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

Xente was a dead carcass now, but we were just getting started. Meanwhile, it seemed all kinds of hell was breaking loose on the mainland. I figured heading over there to see what could be done about it might be a good idea. Every now and then, we could hear and feel a rumble from some kind of explosion or building collapsing.

And that was when I suddenly saw Kaede rushing at me with a whole box full of syringes. Well, if she was hoping to pass around Chimera mutagens for the fight, it was already a bit too late for that.

"Noah, there's really no time to explain, but you need to take one of these AMAXA syringes and use it while you're human," She told me. "Janine and I made it, it allows Chimeras to evolve and devolve without ever having to rely on a FES or reversal agent ever again."

I took one, looked it over, and after looking up again, she was gone. Dang. Well, I trusted her, so I figured I'd just give it a go. I jabbed myself in the arm with it and pushed down on the plunger to inject the chems. It felt weird for a moment, but it didn't seem like there were any real physical changes. Definitely nothing on the outside, but maybe the whole thing worked on the inside instead.

In any case, we needed to head over to Slateport to see what pray tell was going on. I figured I could take the AMS Fairy Dragon over there to see if we could save the town and profit from the reciprocity.

But in the meantime, the Qinglong transformation I was trying to pull off was still not working and I didn't know what pray tell I was supposed to do to trigger it. It was definitely making me sick and impatient, so I figured to just work without it for now and go with a Chimera form. And at the moment, I didn't feel like trying to get used to something new, especially not with this crisis going on, so I figured I would just go with Janine's black ninja bunny form again and work with that. Until I figured out how to become Qinglong in reality and not some dream, I needed to work with something else.

After getting on the Fairy Dragon, I got a hold of the same Lopunny/Furret/Ninetales/Zoroark/Umbreon/Honchkrow mutagen I had used before. It would be definitely be more helpful in the inevitable fight than just being a human. Until I figured out this Qinglong thing, if it even was for real, I needed something that would handle the Diablos army that Diabora was puking out all over the place. Xente was bad enough, and the last thing I wanted was to die at the hands of some dimwit minion that was nothing more than some expendable grunt.

The transformation back into a black, winged, multi-tailed Umbreon-colored bunny wasn't any different from the first time, though transformation into a Chimera always feels weird. In just a few seconds, I was covered from head to toe with black fur, save for the glowing yellow bands. Two giant bunny ears sprung out of my head and folded over along my sides and my hair grew long while nine huge tails grew out of my rear. Only took a minute to get adjusted to it, but according to Kaede, I supposedly could evolve this form now without an FES syringe. She really didn't give me any instruction on how that actually works, but hopefully it wouldn't take too long to figure it out. In the meantime, we needed to get this thing moving.

"Let's go, people, I'm not letting this bastard incinerate the planet," I told the Fairy Dragon crew on the intercom. "Plus, more importantly, I feel like killing things."

And they liked the sound of that. When you mix Team Aqua, weaponry, and enemies to kill, that was a combination as good as graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. We were off.

Janine "Angel" Price
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

It was clear... AMAXA couldn't be used in rapid succession, as cool as that would have been! I wasn't sure if Kaede had made it back to the ship and was getting AMAXA around. Heck, at this point, we couldn't really care who got it and who didn't, we just needed to stop whatever craziness these evil guys were doing!

There really wasn't any way to tell how long it would be before the accelerator gland was ready with enough FES for another evolution. I was really hoping it wouldn't take too long, because if it did, we might not be able to stop these guys in time!

I decided to get moving and head toward where the action was. I wasn't so sure if it was Slateport or Mauville, but as I flew closer and closer, I definitely began to see Mauville was really where the chaos was getting unleashed, but Slateport wasn't exactly peachy either! Those Diablos things were attacking innocent people left and right! But considering how far away Diabora was but how much carnage he was unleashing, this guy was HUGE! Wow, geez, this was going to be rough, but hey, I at least picked a great way to enjoy it!

Once I landed on the beach, I could hear the screams, smell the fire and smoke in the air, and taking a look around, I could see people running away from the city and cars were in pile ups and parked randomly all over the place. I didn't catch sight of any of the Diablos as first, but man, sure didn't take long before I suddenly saw a car go flying by and when I looked toward where it came from, there was some huge black hydra thing or dude with four scissor arms and a tail that looked like some kind of crazy weed-whacker! That thing had eight heads and every one of them was armed with some crazy fire-breathing thing and loads of crazy teeth! Oh, and they had a huge pair of leathery dragon wings.

Again, I tried to evolve, since this dude was still even a little bigger than I was. Nope. Darn it, I wanted to stop him from forcing people to submit auto insurance claims, but I was going to have to fight him like this for a while.

"Hey, snake heads, knock it off!" I shouted to him... it... they.

And the hydra just snarled. Well, guess they weren't capable of speaking, but they took flight and started to head toward me. And they started spitting fireballs. I managed to dodge two of them but then the third hit me right in the belly and I went flying backward from the explosion. I landed on my giant bundle of tails, which cushioned the crash landing pretty well, though my chest was still hurting.

The hydra then tried to unleashed a killing blow by flying overhead, but they wasn't suspecting a sharp Holy Pyrotechnics attack to suddenly burst from my paws and then hit their wings. Their black wings were suddenly burnt away and they started to nosedive right to the ground!

I quickly rolled out of the way before they crashed into the beach, sending dust and sand flying everywhere. Quickly, I got back up on my feet and backed away a bit while they tried to get back up and recover. Once they did, they snarled loudly and were really out for revenge!

Looks like I made them angry!

[Grassy_Aggron]

Claressa Nissa
Allearth Forest/Kalos
Affected RPers: None
I’m a doctor, Jim, not a battler!

Well, this was a lot harder than she had thought it would be. Legendary really didn’t do Yveltal justice, considering he was batting away ill timed attacks with a swipe of his massive wing. He still took damage, however, and it was beginning to show after repeated streams of fire from Circus. Herby played the role of support, putting up screens and healing when necessary, as well as crippling the opponent. He had extreme difficulty dodging Air Slashes, however, and was bleeding from several wounds. Circus was not much better but the repeated healing had him considerably less damaged, although his energy was flagging.

Yveltal was both burned and poisoned, and badly at that. Herby had gotten a lucky Toxic in and through the opens wounds it had taken effect quickly. It was a losing battle on both ends, but Claressa had more Pokemon to call upon if needed. Yveltal would receive no such add from his brother in this battle. Claressa couldn’t believe they were even still going, frankly – the odds had been so unanimously stacked against her that the fact both of her Pokémon were still standing was simply astounding.

And yet, something felt horribly off. There was a sensation in the air, tense and threatening, that said horrors were about to unfold. Nothing good could come from it, and it seemed the others had caught on as well. Yveltal, having been charging up what appeared to be a rather focused attack, suddenly stopped and let it dwindle to nothing as his head turned. Xerneas did the same, and with some mental prodding, Claressa did as well. In the distance, a bright light shone, a beacon for all to see. It hadn’t always been there – it couldn’t have – but it was encouraging to see all the same.

Then, quite suddenly, dark tendrils wrapped around it and consumed it.

<Oh my my… Seems Arceus…met his untimely demise.> Yveltal’s speech was exhausted, yet cold and calculating. Claressa choked a bit at those words, suddenly realizing that…perhaps not all was as it seemed. That light had been Arceus? Then what had…devoured him? What was so powerful to kill a god?

<That, Claressa, would be Diabora.> She turned her head as Xerneas spoke, stepping forth as he turned his head toward her. Evidently, they knew she would be wondering that. <It is sad to see Arceus go…but as time ebbs and flows, situations change. One life is exchanged for another.>

“You aren’t sad that you lost your father? Your creator?”

<Ooooh, hahahaha, that is what humans think of us? Children of Arceus? No, we are not. We were born from the energy of death and life itself. In some ways, we are even stronger than Arceus, for you cannot kill death, and life can constantly revive itself. Zygarde is the third, who keeps the balance in check. Balance is eternal. We three used to be one, you know.>

Well, that was new. “Right, so Arceus didn’t create you. Got it.” Glancing up, red streaks were filling the sky from the source of darkness, and the feeling of dread escalated. “…Those…can’t be good. What is going on?” She didn’t have to wait long before one crashed down before them, sending up a flurry of smoke. What crawled forth could only be described as an armored centipede, bones jutting out to form the claws and mandibles… and several red eyes gleaming as it clacked its jaws together.

<Ahahaha, prey… The end is here, for your pitiful “god” has fallen. The reign of Diabora and Dae…eh…?> It froze at it seemed to finally observe Yveltal and Xerneas, and began to jitter nervously. <What? WHAT?! WHAAAAAAAT?! They are already awake?! This was not part of the plan!>

“And what would that be, Icky?”

It rattled a bit as Claressa spoke up, cackling. <…Oh, wouldn’t YOU like to know? No matter! One is already severely weakened… It will be easy enough to infect. Get ready, for the end is nigh!> Claressa rolled her eyes. What was it about evil creatures and their monologues?

She crossed her arms. "Sorry Yveltal, but it seems the battle is over. I don't think I need to prove my worth to you anymore, all things considered." Now she addressed the giant centipede, snorting. "I'm a doctor, so there isn't going to be any infection happening around here. That being said, you're being rather rude, so maybe a bit of tough love is in order. I promise to patch you up afterward."

It clicked in amusement, preparing for fight, although she could tell there was a hint of nervousness. Even injured, Yveltal was a force to be reckoned with, and Xerneas wasn't even hurt. It would be a tough fight, that was for sure... but Claressa made sure to tell them - somehow through telepathy, but they were connected - to not kill Icky, as she dubbed him.

No, she wanted him alive, because they needed answers.