Mercenaries RP - Rated PG-14

[GodofPH]

"Almost there…" Cycle said to no one but a Jolteon at his side and an empty desert lying behind him.

He always hated deserts. They were so mundane, still, lifeless. Uninhabited places in Sinnoh were a rarity these days though. Small towns became overcrowded metropolises overnight, cities became congested nightmares. At least the concrete anthills offered excitement; a mercenary never ran short of work when resources did.

Spinespark scampered beside him, her pure yellow coat deprived of its luster by dirt and sand. She occasionally sparked when something excited her, like a Skitty surrounded by rolling balls. She trailed off of the road, sniffing something in a ditch.

She paused and darted her head left to right. It was here, it had to be. This scent, it was all around her. Where was it?

Spinespark quickly turned around. Still nothing. Her fur crackled with sparks of electricity.

Behind her, a pile of sand shifted.

A sand-covered Rattata leapt from the sand, a Hyper Fang readied to strike. This desperate creature must have made its way to Sinnoh in passenger boat, and found itself starving in this barren wasteland.
But Spinespark was faster. Without turning, she fired a thunderbolt from her tuft of a tail, illuminating the night and leaving behind a blackened Mouse Pokémon.

"Spine, there's the city gate."

She rejoined Cycle as if nothing had happened.

Oreburgh City shared the same dusty hue as the desert around it. The moonlight glistened off of dirty buildings, showing off wear and tear of rough years. A few scruffy miscreants were wandering the streets, and stray Pokemon scampered in and out of alleyways. The dim glow of fires in barrels creeped out from in between tired looking structures. He heard the sound of a shattering window somewhere in the city.

He took a jolt from Spinespark, startled by the window. The electricity made him feel boosted, more confident for his new mission than he had been before. A wonderful side effect of this strange connection with his Pokémon, if he absorbed enough electricity in a day, he didn't even have to sleep.

Cycle eyed the large building at the center of town, the one the message said to meet at. This one was different, while the other houses and stores looked like they belonged in a post apocalyptic world; but this one was sleek, new, clean. It had the luster of a hotel, and the sharp design of a corporate tower. It looked like it belonged in a different time, from an era before the world had fallen apart.

If this isn't the one, nothing is.

He arrived, and was greeted with an unlocked door, a rarity in these times. Ready for a new thrill and adventure, the two went inside.

 

[Hansa]

The world opened again before Elias. Escaping Mt. Coronet after the short passage, he breathed in the clean air. "Aaaaah, this air is really good..." he said, sarcastically. Elias had never been one to enjoy the clean air, since he spent so much time in the desert. "I'm not regretting choosing this path before the desert. I get a lot of desert where I'm from... Trapster, are you listening?" Elias continued before questioning his companion's interest. A small, brown head with a big, red nose popped out of the ground. It was Trapster, and he nodded, answering Elias' question. Elias, commonly called 'Gravel', chuckled before continuing. The sun was setting over Route 207, and Elias knew the time was coming. He had been invited to work for a certain 'Commander' not long ago, and was specifically told to meet at Oreburgh. He took it as a reason for a little vacation to Sinnoh, which he had never visited before. He insisted on leaving a couple of weeks beforehand, so he could check out the different places where excavation was appropriate. Mt. Coronet was of particular interest to him.

Elias walked toward the clearing, and found that there were actually two paths exiting the scene; one which was grassy, full of fresh trees and seemingly idyllic, and the other hidden in the bottom of a hill, beside a large patch of arid grass. "Let's really hope we turn right now, Trapster" Elias said, pointing to the grassy meadow-like route. Trapster sighed and grunted, preferring the muddy route with nutritious earth. Elias also agreed, but the diglett had problems with Elias' constant sarcasm. Gravel took a map and compass out of his backpack, and gleamed at them seriously. "Right it is, then!" Elias said, smiling. Trapster was clearly disappointed, and was about to go underground. "I'm just kiddin' with you, little man! I wouldn't choose that route if it was the right one!" Elias said, chuckling with his dry voice. One gould almost swear to see dry dirt dusting up from his throat while laughing. He consequently pushed the map down the bag, and headed down the other route.

Minutes later, Gravel and Trapster arrived in Oreburgh city. It was getting dark, but torches lit up the un-asphalted streets. Much to Trapster's joy, he didn't need to avoid the asphalt. Sirens could be heard in the other side of the city, and Elias grinned. Looks like those other mercenaries must be gatherin' too, eh? Trapster?" Elias asked, but the mole didn't seem to get the joke. Elias never learned to stop joking with someone as serious as Trapster. Bothe the mines and the Mining Museum seemed to be closed, much to Elias' disappointment. Trapster seemed rather glad, since he couldn't enter buildings at all. Not without showing his legs, at least... And that was strictly against the Diglett code

You will clearly notice the meeting place in contrast to the rest of the city...

This was what the fax Elias had received from the Commander said. And boy, did the boss know what he was talking about! There was a large, shiny building in the otherwise lost town. Elias would call it idyllic, though. "Well, I have no idea where to go. That bossy fella should be more accurate!" Elias said, sarcastically. Trapster headbutted his leg. "Ouch, I'm kidding little man. Loosen up!" he said, before running his fingers through his hair. The hair raised a dust-cloud as he ran fingers through them. Elias wasn't an adept in hygiene, one could say. He and his companion started walking rapidly towards the building...

 

[MasterfulD]

(It's been a few days, so i'll carry on and let the latecomers arrive... well, late. Unless they don't post, in which case... *moves finger across neck in sinister way*
It may interest you to know that i've got the makings of another team forming - could prove interesting.)


"B! They're here! Quick-" The Commander called. She was already gone.
The mercenaries began filing in through the door, glancing at each other, with various expressions on their faces. Faces The Commander recognised from his day-to-day life - 'Wanted' posters, TV announcements, murder files...
Marlon invited them all to take a seat, which they did, with various degrees of willing. The Commander cleared his throat and spoke.
"Thank you for all making it here today. As you may have guessed, I am the one they call The Commander." He gestured to the Slowpoke lying on the desk. "This is Marlon, my partner, and as such your superior. You take orders from him as much as from me."
"Now a team doesn't work without a degree of trust - however limited. You may believe you can trust no-one. But I ask you to trust me. Because a team is what we are."
"As I'm sure you've noticed, I am not exactly in peak physical condition. However, my lack of limbs does not mean a lack of experience. I hope you all keep this in mind - by putting myself in a decision-making position, I am declaring myself as the leader of this team. I know that may not be what some of you were expecting, but I though I should get it over and said."
"If any of you have reason to doubt my capability," he continued, and Marlon smiled at this, "let me inform you that I used to go by another name. There was a time when I was known as The Wild Card."

Excerpt from Marlon's Personal Files
PIN: *******
Password: ****************
Subject: Mercenary Team
Name of Team: The Aces

The Aces are a team of mercenaries that began operation eighteen years ago, and continue to this day. They are widely regarded as one of, if not the best teams in the known world. Their base is situated in Kanto, near the old Indigo Plateau, and their range covers most of the mainland. They are recognised for such achievements as the forced disbanding of New Team Rocket, their part in winning the Fourth World War for Kanto, and the destruction of the Red Chain.

Members
The Aces currently have five members, four human and one Pokemon. They used to have eight members, until five years ago.
Current:
The Diamond - Weapons Specialist. Real Name: Johnny Argados.
The Heart - Assassin. Real Name: Chloe Hannigan.
The Spade - Sniper. Real Name: Solomon Rakter.
The Club - Self-Explanatory. Real Name: George Leonard.
The Royal - Fuser Pokemon for The Club - Species Donphan. Real Name: Megan.

Previous:
The Wild Card - Close-Combat Specialist. Real Name: Nicholas Armitage.
The Joker - Fuser Pokemon for The Wild Card. Real Name: Marlon.
The Pontoon - Information Specialist/Tracker. Real Name - Emily Summers.

 

[LordSephy]

Larze's eye visibly twitched at the mention of "The Wildcard" This man was more than just famous, as suspected. He had heard of the Wildcard before, oh yes, despite all of Larze's skill, if this man before him was at full strength....he would be able to annihilate him, Larze also knew much about The Aces, one of the huge groups......they were responsible for a lot of the things that made the world the way it is right now....Larze would love nothing more than to crush them, but up until now he never had anywhere near the power it would take, but now a team of true Elites were here.....but he couldn't get to far ahead of himself, so he took a step forward. "Is this teams purpose related to the Aces in any way?" He had to know, so he spoke brisquely and respectfully, hoping for a quick answer.

Ace looked at Larze. "Are you sure that was a good idea? Whatever happened he's not one of them now, who's to say that won't bring back old wounds?" Larze nodded. "Nobody, but if a man like this called me at all, obviously he knows my skills and thinks I'm needed on this team, nothing bad will happen just because I asked a question, but I do hope I'll get to fight one of those Aces....money is one thing but they don't exist just to make money...they enjoy power....too much." Ace looked at the Commander determinedly and decided to speak with him telepathically. "Please excuse my friend, he can be a little brash but...as I'm sure you know, he hates those who don't care about hurting innocents."

 

[zapdos926]

"hury up, Combustion, we're late already!" Aon called to a Typhlosion that was a cople of yards away.
"i'm sorry or letting you down because i'm tired." the pokemon said sarcastically into the mans mind. Combustion caught up to Aon and the duo rounded a corner where they came face to face with a large gang, most of them holding uzi's. the one in the lead was holding an AK-47 and aimed it at Aon.
"hey, look at this boys, izza new comer." he said with a chuckle. the other gang members aimed their guns as well. "new comers here hav to pass a test. lets see if you can take a charlie horse... from a bullet." the man gave a sly smile and aimed the gun at Aons' leg.
"i wouldnt do that if i were you." Aon warned.
"oh yea, whatchoo gonnna do, punk?" the gang leader said mockingly.
"this." Aon grabbed the machine gun and whacked the gang leader over the head with the butt of the gun. Aon pointed at the gang members and Combustion bunt a few to crisp. the remainig gang members ran off, leaving their uzi's behind. Aon bent down over the passed out gang leader. "i dont take kindly to delays." he whispered and left.
Aon soon came to a large building that was described in the letter he had gotten. he walked to the front gate, combustion behind him and pressed the buzzer on an intercom and a feminin voice was heard,
"who is it?" she sounded nervous.
"aon, I'm here for some sort of meeting." the man replied.
"oh, um, come in, come in." was the nervous reply. Aon waited patiantly as the gate opened. He strode in to the building where a guard led him to a door. The guard motioned for Aon to enter and he did so.
When he entered he saw a small group of people listening to a man in a wheel chair.
"sorry I'm late." Aon said and found an empty seat. Combustion stood next to the chair, waiting like an armed guard.
Aon listened intently and felt a shiver run up his spine when he heard the name "the wildcard." he had heard the name before but couldn't quite place it.
"we made it just in time." Combustion thought to Aon.
"that we did my friend, that we did."

[ooc: sorry I havnt posted yet, havnt had the time.]

 

[MasterfulD]

One of the mercenaries, who The Commander recognised as The Seeker, spoke. His voice was expressionless, but The Commander could detect the distaste behind those words.
"Is this teams purpose related to the Aces in any way?"
The Commander's face turned hard for a split second - he had trained himself long and hard to not give away any emotion, but some things... could not be forgotten. Marlon sent calm, soothing thoughts to him, feeling his pain. The Commander recovered himself and spoke.
"No... No, there are no similarities. None at all."
The Lucario that was with The Seeker spoke to him telepathically.
"Please excuse my friend, he can be a little brash but...as I'm sure you know, he hates those who don't care about hurting innocents."
The Commander thought back. "That's quite all right."
Hurting innocents...
Another man came in, followed by a Typhlosion. The Wrecking Ball. He apologised, to which The Commander nodded, and sat down.

"Are there any other questions?"



Twinleaf Town
The Saviour sat in his office, looking out through five inches of bulletproof glass onto the rolling plains of Sinnoh - the small part that had been left untouched. There were even a few trees.
He was a tall man, with blond hair, mid-length and slicked back, and pale skin. He wore a pale blue shirt that concealed a Kevlar vest, and long, black, businesslike slacks. He was alone in the office.
The intercom on his desk buzzed - the cool voice of his receptionist came through.
"Some people are here to see you, sir. They say it's about a job proposition...?"
The Saviour hadn't told her what was happening. She wouldn't have believed him. No-one in this naive, foolish world had seen what he had seen. The only people who would understand him... Fusers. They were the only ones who would have felt as he had...
A shattered Pokéball lay on his desk. He stroked it absent-mindedly, then sat down.

The fight for justice had begun.

 

[WeissRaben]

Please, would you kindly give me back what you stole? Because if you do not, I'd have to kill you, and my shirt would be dirtied by your blood. You won't let my shirt be dirtied, will you?


The Fuser

Name: Anna Bilancia

Codename: The Princess

Age: 19

Physical Description:
Anna is a short but slender girl, who almost embodies the very meaning of "cute": short, fuzzy brown hair, that spring in every direction available despite every human effort to comb them down to obedience; the skin is pale, but not in an unhealthy way, and is free of imperfections; the face is not skinny and almost always smiling, with a quite large mouth and full lips.
And then, of course, there are the eyes.
They are rarely fully open, as the most common expression on Anna's face tends to close them at least partially – and this is good, as you should start worrying if that is not the case.
Still, if you are careless enough to make her stop smiling, you will see that her irises are of an indefinable shade of blue or grey, so light that it almost blends with the surrounding white; the pupil stands in the middle of it, and at a first sight it seems like the only trace of colour in the eye. Because of this, her glance is very unnerving, but let's say the truth: that's but the icing on the cake, if you got to this point.
Her clothes share much of their owner's bivalence: they are simple but elegant, consisting in a short-sleeved shirt with a modest neckline – that all in all covers almost nothing, as Anna is flat as a board – and no buttons, a long skirt that goes down all the way to her ankles, where a pair of patent leather shoes can be seen; and an heavy beret on her head, that helps making even more of a mess of her hair.
What is, even in a seemingly innocent context, quite unnerving, is the colour: because every single item of clothing that she wears is red. Various shades of red, of course, from the washed one of the shirt to the almost bloodlike one of her skirt; but red nevertheless.

She says that bloodstains are harder to see, this way.


They call me "Princess", you now? *giggles* It is a cute nickname, but it is a bit weird, given I am the last person that you'd want to be saved.

Personality:
At first sight, her codename is all but inappropriate: she always moves with utmost calm, never being in an hurry, never running, never losing that eternal – or almost eternal – smile, and around her people gets the idea that anything has to go to her, rather than the opposite. Perfect manners, a slight, ever present aura of superiority, humour and kindness: a blend that makes her a girl to marry...of course, this is what can be seen on her bright side.
She is a cheerful girl and, despite the opinions of the ones who have seen her enraged, this will hardly change for the ones she loves: for them, she will remain the Princess, someone as faithful as it can possibly be and ready to give everything – life not included – to help them. And still, it takes nothing but a prick in the wrong places to make so that everything starts falling to pieces...faster and faster.
At first, if the offense is light or the hindrance laughable, nothing will seem to change neither in her expression or her voice; but her words will become more and more similar to sweet, candid threats. Nothing too serious or uncommon, initially; enough to creep the unfortunate target and good for a laugh for the bystanders. And often, in fact, there is nothing malicious here, not yet: she uses a sugar-coated sarcasm that still does not have the traits of a full-fledged intimidation. Of course, over a long time having her making witty remarks on every movement you do can get to torture-like levels; but this is uncommon, as she will drop the matter as soon as she sees fit to do so.
And indeed, if you got to the point where she does go on, then it means you went on stinging her. Some apologies could be a good choice, now.
On the other hand, this behaviour means you did not really enrage her, and more probably you simply pissed her off; and this is good. Keep always, always, an eye on her smile: because if that disappears, you really screwed up.
And you, too, are screwed.

It is hard indeed to notice when the smile disappeared: first it was there, immediately after it is not. Now there is just a beastly grin, that her large mouth can only make more terrifying; her eyes are wide open, no more half closed, and amusedly staring at their prey. Her movements, to a point, are still graceful, but emptied of that aura of superiority and similar to those of a predator, rather than of a noblewoman; and probably her weapon will have already been unsheathed. Her Pokemon (more on this later) will be ready as well, if you really treaded on her feet. She is out to kill you, now: the formerly cute remarks are substituted by a stream of honey threats, sweet words covered in blood, any rational perspective submerged by this tide of anger.
Now it is impossible to calm her: good job breaking her, hero.


The daughter of a Mafia leader is a Mafia leader too, sweetheart. Did you really expect you could jolly waltz into my plans and come unscathed out of that?

History:
Anna is the eldest daughter of Donato Bilancia, boss of the experimental Kantoan branch of the Bilancia Famiglia; being a man with no sexual prejudices, Donato entrusted her, since her childhood, the future management of the family business, teaching the girl money matters, legal cop-outs, and the subtle arts of subterfuge, lie, bribing and intimidation. And so Anna grew in a world of murders, murderers, murdered, outlaws and lawyers: which is to mean, not that worst than the one on which everybody else walked.
They taught her that the Famiglia came above anything and anyone, that she was more important than the low rabble that inundated the streets of Goldenrod, that the world had always been as a ripe fruit, to be taken and eaten without caring for the one who couldn't. You will understand, as such, that Anna came up a bit...twisted, we will say; with an ego that had been inflated for her whole life, this ten years old girl started taking up a sick interest for weapons, and swords in particular. She took lessons, showing an incredible skill in melee fighting despite her small size; but at the same time, Donato started receiving reports about people being wounded by her daughter. He called them off as accidents and went on working: little he knew that, had he done something about little Anna's passion for hurting, he would have saved a lot of lives, and his too. Of course, for the former he would have hardly cared; maybe the latter would have been more convincing.
Still time passed, and now the girl was 13: she really hadn't worried about Pokemon till them. Of course, she learnt their use in intimidation, "accidents", illegal business and the like. But, unlike what the "trainers" of old, she never thought she would have wanted, or even needed, one of them.
She only had to find the right one, of course: running through the pages of an old encyclopaedia she saw it, and was immediately enchanted. It was eerily resembling an human, even if the occasional green patch, the red gems extruding from the chest and the thin torso gave away its true nature; but what caught her eye were the blades. A couple of beautiful, sharp blades, growing directly from its elbows. She long wondered and dreamt what she could have done, with those natural swords; and in the end took her decision, and announced her father that she intended to train a Ralts.
It took some time and quite an effort; but, one night of March, she came back radiantly smiling, and keeping a small Pokemon in her hands. Now, this was a stroke of luck for Anna, that was quickly falling down the slippery slope of complete psychopathy; little Ralts' empathy, in fact, helped her opening a bit, creating a small category of people that weren't neither her or enemies. Friends, in short. Knight (as she called her Pokemon, accordingly to the nickname Donato gave her – Princess) changed, too, descending a bit in her same abyss and doing it of his own will. It's hard to define when both ended their respective travel towards light or darkness, but it's not impossible that it happened when Anna started to train her Fuser powers – something that showed only when she got enough of a bond with Knight himself.
Anyway, she went on getting more and more powerful, freakishly better and better with her blade, starting to fight in various power struggles and almost always taking back the head of the contender; as the candles on the cake reached 18 she started asking more and more of her father, which by now had passed from "we'll use this" to a more cautious "this is getting out of hand". The final blow came as Anna brought back the written consensus of one of the most stern opponents in the drug traffic, seemingly written with his own blood. Donato snapped, finally passing from "this is getting out of hand" to "bring her down as soon as possible". And so he ended up calling a hired killer. I won't get in detail: I'll just say that she defeated him, threatened to kill him to have the instigator and then cutting his throat after receiving her father's name.
She wasn't really shocked, as pissed off. A lot. So she decided the Famiglia needed a new, stronger leader, and the old ruling class had to be... purged.

And so Anna Bilancia, 19 years old, head of the Bilancia clan, started a new life...as it came out, though, a boring life. She escaped after a couple of months, delegating her power to the eldest brother, Michele; she took Knight with her, simulated her death and then started travelling. It wasn't long before a strange individual, some kind of mercenary as far as she understood, contacted her. What she heard was an interesting suggestion...


The Pokemon

Name: Knight

Personality:
If you're thinking loyal, think harder. Knight is one of those characters that could go to Hell and back, if his master so asked: frank, bitter, sharing the love of fighting with her boss, he uses to spar with her anytime, refining both capabilities. He does not really trust anyone out of that cocoon that is the relation between a Fuser and his Pokemon, but he is ready to offer his throat to anyone that Anna trusts. Of course, he will try to convince her that something is fishy, if he thinks so; but he will never, never go against a direct order or even just risking her disapproval.
He gave at least a part of his sanity to be with her: why should he leave now?


Oh, so you were fighting? I was just starting to ask why were you moving so slowly that sword!

Ability:
In a first moment, she doesn't seem to have any special powers: she is not incredibly strong, nor resistant, she does not have super senses and she can't turn on a computer simply by looking at it. But probably this is because you are looking in the wrong moment.
After seeing her fight no one can have any doubt on which advantages being a Fuser brought her, advantages well related to her Pokemon: with a sword in hand, she is freakishly good.
We're not talking about a simple duellist, and if you're thinking about Zorro...well, you have to up the ante even more – apart from her using a katana, rather than a rapier. We're talking about superhuman reflexes and a sleight of hand that could pale any taken prestidigitator, that used for combat makes so that she could beat any human opponent in melee, and actually poses her in a category far more near to Knight, that she uses to join in battle, rather than staying behind the front line.


Oh, why I threw my sword, you say? I just thought it would have been nice, to gut you with my bare hands. Can I?

Last Stand:
So, you did something really bad. Seriously, I don't even know what you could have possibly done, to make her so mad. But...if it was needed, I could tell you that the white of her eyes gets fused with Knight's ones, making them seem like they're covered in blood.
I could tell you that some locks pass from brown to a deep green, and they slightly float, as if moved by a light breeze.
I could tell you that her nails become long, sharp claws, five centimetres long, and from her elbows two long blades appear, each one more than half a metre long and more keen than a sword.
I could tell that she gets even faster, even more skilled.
I could tell that she becomes even more destruction bent, her eyes gleaming with madness and her tongue slowly slicking her lips.
I could. But all in all, if you pushed her to this point, it means you're a dead man walking. See ya on the Other Side.

 

[MasterfulD]

As you know, WeissRaben, you're accepted. I've put the info on the first post - and my last post starts the story for your team, The Salvation.

Anyone on the first team have an idea for a team name? If so, PM me.

 

[GodofPH]

It was at learning he would be taking orders from a Slowpoke Cycle's short attention span got the best of him. The Commander's words blurred out, being at the mercy of the slowest, dopiest species on the face of the planet was captivating his attention more. Spinespark angrily snorted, she didn't like the idea of this either.

There has to be more to it than meets the eye, he thought.

Then again, there had to have been much more to this entire operation. Best not to get too comfy or trusting with anyone, or anything. That's how these things always worked. If things did go sour, it would all be part of the adventure. But still, the Commander seemed different. He obviously wasn't trustworthy, and yet the man spoke with purpose. Something big was planned-Cycle just had no idea what.

Jumping back into the conversation, he said, "When do we start?"

 

[Hansa]

Elias started approaching the shiny building, and sensed that the Commander was already talking. How could he sense it, you ask? His fuser abilities, of course! He heard the voices very clearly, as the steel beams vibrated in the pitch of the sounds. The vibrations reached Elias with a minimal delay, and he heard everything...

"We don't even need too show up, eh? Trapster?" Elias said sarcastically. He knew, just as well as Elias, that they needed to show up. What they had just heard the Commander say, or should one say the Wild Card say, was to respect. He was a legend. Even Elias knew about him. And don't forget, he practically lived in the desert. While walking, he was still listening to the speech. Some guy with a baritone, almost base voice. He was nervously, yet monotonously asking if the so-called mission had anything to do with the Aces.

"Idiot", Elias said shortly. If that was true, we could all just go ahead and put a gun to our head and squeeze the trigger.
"The Aces would have blown our asses out" Elias said, Trapster nodding while examining some gem. Elias Gravalley proceeded through the door and started stepping the stairs, two-by-two. As the rather sarcastic assassin started reaching for the steel door, a bored voice asked; "When do we start?".

Elias kicked the door open, and stated; "We already started, genius". Elias was one to steal the spotlight, apparently. He casually saluted to the Commander and sat down in a chair in the back. The Excavator was already marked by his colleagues as a funny guy. He hoped someone would try giving him a hat. He hadn't had a real fight for ages, after all. Elias, or the Excavator as he now would be called, was tall enough to see everything from the back... Though that Typlosion didn't help much.

The Commander, to Elias' surprise, looked like your average cripple... you know, except the fancy, muscular torso. And, to Elias' disappointment, there were no girls. Except for the assistant beside the Commander. Elias wouldn't excavate that area, to put it that way. The ones with high rank always played all high and mighty. And, as Elias always said, 'No girls, no fun'... No, wait, it was 'No fossils, No fun'.

Well, with all the stiff and formal people in the room, The Excavator just played along, enjoying the reaction he got to his comment. As usual.

 

[WeissRaben]

Sweet, old, nuked Sinnoh! Anna had never been in those parts of the region that were spared by the disaster - as she never left Kanto, saying the truth; there were more pressing matters back home, like trying to get to the end of the month alive. As such, tourism had always been a little low in priorities.
Of course, those places that had survived Nuclear Holocaust - Beta version were a lot greener and alive than the hellish metropolitan sprawl that the Kanto Diamond centered in Sapphron City had became, and the girl was actually seeing trees for one of the first times in her life. Of course, if you are thinking of her mouth-agape, staring around confused...well, not. She was smiling, happier than usual, her steps hardly touching the floor at all; of course, just behind her Knight was enacting the very description above mentioned, arms hanging at his sides, moving on with slow, uncertain steps. You can't ask too much from a Gallade who was originally bred to be sold as a prize in some questionably legal casinò, and being attuned to nature when you hardly saw some flower pots is on the list.

As such, this strange couple walked through the streets of Twinleaf Town, each one with their own thoughts - that though used to be a little fuzzy on the border, such that you could not exactly say where one's mind ended or started. As said above, Anna was happy: she was going to be paid a lot, and all for a job that she felt would have been a lot of fun. Knight felt all of this, and could not help being a bit carried away by his partner's emotions: he enjoyed the walk, looking at the buildings as they passed by, shooting quick glares at the ones who surrounded them and quickly looking elsewhere as that person became aware of his looks. It was a beginning, and as such had that feeling that only preludes have, the sensation of Fate stirring and then looking at those destinies that just started moving; and move they would.

Locked in such thoughts, that some centuries before would have been impossible for a good portion of the Pokemon populace, Knight did not notice that Anna's pace was now heavier, more precise, more determined, the long sword tied to her belt swinging assuringly with each step. Before he had a chance to understand what those changes implied they were already in an hall, before a desk. The woman behind it looked at them, somewhat bewildered; Anna responded smiling assuringly and, in a calm, sweet voice that barely showed an open accent, said:

We have been called for a job proposition, Miss. We would love if you could inform your boss that we arrived.

The woman, who obviously knew nothing about the whole matter, gingerly took the interphone and, after having composed a number on it, muttered:

Some people are here to see you, sir. They say it's about a job proposition...?

Even if an answer could not be grasped clearly, the receptionist seemed at least a bit satisfied by it, because proceded to show the two the way to reach her boss' office; after a small bow that showed her gratitude, Anna began to walk to the place where she would have know what to do, looking forward that moment more and more with each step.

She just knocked twice, then with a soft May I come in? she opened the door, looking in the room before entering.
She saw what it seemed like a quite normal office, that did not spark any unusual emotions; she reprimed a sigh, then set the look on the man that sit in the center.
The one that had named himself The Saviour looked a lot like an ordinary businessman, or even a white neck: composedly dressed, with mid lenght blond hair and a pale complexion, promised seemingly no fun. But still, as Anna thought, so did she; and, with a small giggle, she stepped in, giving him her hand, and softly speaking.

I am the Princess, and you proposed me a job. I hope it gets fun!

Of course, as Knight guessed, her kind of amusement did not necessarily match with the average definition of it; but, as long as she was happy, he would have been too. And everyone trying to contest that would have found himself in a situation, by Anna's standards, extremely funny.
He smirked.

 

[pikakip]

Name: Aiden Lex
Codename: The Shadow

Personality: Aiden is not an intimidating person. He's the kind of person that you would expect to hang out in the corner, as far away from everyone as possible. Most people tend to describe him as shy, and nervous around others. This is far from the truth. Aiden Does hang out in the corners, not because he's nervous, but because he's taking in Data. Aiden is a person that gathers intel, waiting out until it's the perfect time to strike. He is an opportunist, and he's not afraid to admit it. Aiden has aptly earned the codename The Shadow due to his Excellent sneaking ablilities. This has led to him getting a few…unsavory jobs, but he has left those behind. Aside from this, Aiden has very few other abilities that he has mastery over.

To the people that do not know him, Aiden is a really kind person…Most of the time. Aiden can tend to get violent, and when he gets angry, you do not want to be near him. After Aiden gets angry, it usually takes quite a bit to calm him down again. Aiden has a sadistic sense of humor, and it often comes out when he feels overly pressured. Aiden attempts to keep his emotion under the surface when he isn't among friends, but he doesn't always succeed, and it generally happens in fairly embarrassing situations. Aiden is also a rule breaker, and he hates being told what to do, unless it pays well of course.

History: Aiden was born to a Rich family living in the Kanto Region. His father was a bigshot in some company, and thus Aiden was spoiled. He was forbidden to interact with the 'poor children.' As a result, he became an egotistical brat that thought he was above all other children. He was sent to a private boarding school to learn how to be 'young gentleman.' Aiden hated it. He began to fight against the rules, starting off small, disrupting the class with jokes, insulting people and other minor disturbances. Eventually his acts grew in size. He openly mocked the teachers, insulted the headmaster directly, and he even hi-jacked the intercom, broadcasting vulgarity and profanity throughout the school. At the climax of Aiden's rulebreaking, He pranked everyone, often sneaking out the night before to set everything up. Due to this, Aiden quickly became adept at sneaking around and being stealthy. After his final act-which involved a sack of ekans and the hadmasters bed- Aiden was kicked out of the boarding school and was sent straight home.

When Raydin turned 12, he was presented with his Pokemon, a misdreavus. The Duo's personalities matched perfectly, and they bonded quickly. Aiden named her Umbra, and she was his little darkness. After about 3 years, Aiden realized that he was a fuser. It was his greatest secret, although nothing is truly a secret…. When Aiden turned 16, the company that his father worked for went bankrupt, leaving his family with the money that had been saved over the years. Aiden's father decided that he could make some extra money by investing what they had left in an…interesting business entrepreneurship. It went down fast, and without a trace. They had been conned.

Due to their lack of cash, everyone in the family had to take up jobs. This was where Aiden became a Merc. He wasn't the strongest guy around, but that didn't matter. His first 'customer' needed someone sneaky, someone who could move about undetected and destroy data. Aiden dug that. He did the job with ease, and after that, the jobs just started rolling in. Along with the cash. Aiden's parents began to relax, and aiden continued to bring in the money needed to support his family. Aiden has been doing this for five years. He's done things that just fall short of amazing. Recently, he obtained a notification of a new job. He didn't care about the details, they had him at $$$.

Appearance: Aiden is a man of a skinny build that compliments his light skin. He is about 6'2, but he tends to slouch which makes him appear to be about 6'0. Aiden has dark brown hair that is often mistaken for black by others. His hair comes down over his face in an 'emo sweep.' He has a heart shaped face, which makes him appear more innocent than he really is. His eyes are a deep dark brown that closely resembles swiss chocolate. It is often said that "He is a demon with an angel's face." This is because when he closes his eyes and smiles, he drips with innocence. Haven't you ever heard of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Same idea.

Aiden's outfit is very consistent from day to day. On the top layer, Aiden wears a jet black hoodie with a winged skull on the back. When he's taking in intel, Aiden tends to keep his hood up, se he can see their faces, and they can't see his. Aiden also keeps his hood up because he finds that people tend to pay less attention to him when they can't see his 'angellic' face. In Aiden's front jacket pocket there is an ipod that has earbuds snaking their wayinto his hood, like some demonic snake. Under Aiden's jacket is a bit more chaos. He has a black tee that is covered with yellow and red arrows going in every direction. He wears skinny jeans that have tears over both knees. For his shoes, Aiden wears a pair of black converses.

Pokémon: Umbra (Misdreavus)
Personality of Pokémon: Umbra is a very impish misdreavus. She is also incredibly loud and she adores playing pranks. When Aiden and her get together, you can bet that chaos will ensue. Umbra is a bit unstable, as anyone who knows Aiden will know. She tends to cycle between her emotions freely, which gives her a condition similar to Bipolar Disorder. Of course, the only person who can always calm her down is Aiden. The two share a bond that could only come from a lifetime of interaction and pranks. If Umbra is Jelly, then Aiden is Peanut butter. With Umbra, you can almost guarantee that nothing is certain. Well, except for two things:Her love for her partner. And her 'inability' to back down from a fiight.

Abilities: While Umbra can move through objects, Aiden only has semi-permeability. Essentially, this means that he could stick his hand through a wall, allow a bullet to pass through him, or even…cause quite a bit of damage to a human. This ability requires a lot of concentration, and he can't use it for very long or very often. Another ability that he can use is the emotion drain. He takes the negative energy from those around him and convert it into power and stamina. While he cannot actually levitate, Aiden can hover when he jumps, giving him slightly extended air time.

Last Stand: Shadow King -- When Aiden enters Shadow king, Umbra converts her body into energy and travels inside of her necklace. The necklacce shatters and reforms as bracelets around Aiden's wrists. His eyes glow yellow and red like Umbra's. His hair begins to move around on its own, and their ends turn pink. The arrows on his shirt begin to move around wildly, and the skull on his hoody flaps its wings. He gains the ability to travel through objects, as well as the full ability to levitate. The power of his Emotional Drain power increases significantly and it allows him to absorb all emotions, negative and positive. It also allows him to absorb the emotions of anyone within a certain distance. This ability can successfully nullify enemy forces. (<Radius is ten feet out in all directions.)

 

[zapdos926]

"Any questions?" the commander asked.
"when do we start?" came a reply. Aon turned around and saw that the one called the thunderbolt had spoken. a loud thud from the door drew Aons attenton. a tall, dirty man had just kicked open the door. Combustion looked ready for a fight.
"we already have." he said lookng at The thunderbolt. Aon roled his eyes and told Combustion to calm down. the man walked over to another empty seat right behind Combustion.
"i have a question. how much are we being paid?" Aon asked the commander.

 

[MasterfulD]

(pikakip, you're accepted. Post away! Zapdos[numbers], i'm slightly concerned about your posts, there are a few minor spelling errors and some lack of capital letters. If you could just run them through a spell check on MS word or some such thingy then that'd be grand. It's what I do.
EDIT: Oh, and the OOC thread is open. Use it for your... OOC-ness)

Oreburgh
The Commander was just readying an answer to The Thunderbolt's question when another Mercenary, The Excavator, burst through the door.
"We already started, genius," he said with a light-hearted drawl. Marlon rolled his eyes, but The Commander didn't mind. He could keep the attitude - as long as he didn't die, he was a valuable member to the team.
Another Mercenary, The Wrecking Ball, spoke.
"I have a question. how much are we being paid?"
The interest of the people in the room perked up at this.
"Well, aside from the sum I stated when I contacted you, you'll each recieve a monthly salary of-" The Commander named a figure that sounded like it would take up a lot of space on a cheque. (Or check, if you're American)
"I'll take the money from your jobs, use it to pay your salary and buy useful kit and information."
"Well, it's getting late, and you all need your sleep. Trust me, this'll take the hell out of ya. This is the first floor - Ground's the lobby, Second is your rooms, Third is storage - feel free to take anything you find up there - and top floor is my quarters. I request that you don't go up there. Not because i'm hiding anything, but because I haven't yet told the security system to not provide you with a horrible and painful death."
The Mercenraies all trudged out of the room.
"Well, Marlon... this is it."


Twinleaf
So this was the Princess... and she had asked if the job was 'fun'. The Saviour was about to retort harshly, asking her who she thought she was - then he remembered this particular mercenary's track record. Her idea of 'fun' was exactly what this job would entail.
"Yes, I suppose you could say that. Please, take a seat, the others will be here shortly."



Somewhere in Hoenn
"They have yet to strike..."
"They say no news is good news, sir."
"Indeed... this may mean they don't even know of our plans. Good, good... But that other individual, The Saviour... He could be a threat."
"Should we kill him?"
"I think that is necessary. The Commander too, while you're at it."
"Very good, sir."
B, who had overheard the whole thing, closed her eyes and concentrated. This was not good...



Somewhere in Sinnoh
"Two new teams, hey?"
I know. Times are changing.
"Think we should give them a little... test?"
Just like old times... Yes, I think a test is in order.

 

[Tandem]

Name: Keira Valentine

Codename: The Viper

Personality: To say that Keira is a flirt would be an understatement. She enjoys messing with people's heads, and clearly uses her feminine wiles to do so. Sometimes she does it just for fun, although usually she does it to gain material posessions. You see, Keira can be quite persuading when she feels the need to be. She's a professional liar, and she's very good at her job. Expensive jewelry, nice clothes, you name it; she knows how to use her looks to get boys to give her things. She is selfish, to say the least, but at least Keira is a girl who knows what she wants. Once she has her sights set on something, there is no turning back for her. You see, determination is also a main component of her nature, and if she can't get her way the first time, she'll manage it one way or another. Say whatever you want about her, but you can't deny that Keira certainly has conviction. Unfortunately, she usually uses this to achieve her own ends. Growing up in a poor household, all Keira's ever dreamed of is becoming rich and living in the lap of luxury. If she has to tell a few crafty lies to achieve this, well, she's willing to do so. To put it simply, she just doesn't care about anyone besides herself and Clio. As far as Keira is concerned, it is them against the world.

History: Keira was born, nineteen years ago, in the already overpopulated city of Sunyshore, Sinnoh. Her parents were unmarried, and though it was never directly stated to her, Keira always knew that she was an "accident". Still, her mother and father took the best care of her that they could afford, which was not still not very good. Even with both her mother and father working two jobs, the family could barely afford to scrape by. They lived in a tiny apartment on the seedy side of town, and if nothing else, growing up there at least helped Keira learn to be streetwise. It also instilled in her the desire to escape the slums and live like the celebrities she saw on tv. Despite her big dreams, life was life, and Keira's parents argued viciously nearly every night when they thought that she was asleep. One day the arguing got so bad that Keira's father left and never came back. It was not long after that that Keira herself left. She was only thirteen years old at the time, but determined to make it. Keira spent the next year or so surviving off of thievery and the kindness of strangers. She met Clio, who was at that time a Mareep, during her travels through Sinnoh. Clio technically belonged to another trainer at first, but after seeing the abuse the other girl put the pokemon through, Keira stole her to raise as her own. They've been together since, although the mercenary work only began a few years ago, after someone suggested that they try it.

Appearance: Keira is tall and rather thin for a girl her age. She has gangly arms and legs, which seem to give the impression that she is still trapped in that awkward teenage phase of growing into her skin. As for that, Keira has a somewhat tanned complexion, acquired from all of her time spent outdoors and on missions. Combined with her other dark features, it gives her a vaguely Mediterranean feel. Simply by glancing at her, it would be easy to draw quite a few parallels between Keira and a giraffe; however, her slender, callused hands and the look on her face often betray most people's first impressions.

Her eyes are vaguely almond-shaped, with nearly charcoal colored irises. They peer out of her face with a certain intense quality, especially when Keira is focusing hard on something. Above that, her eyebrows are like a pair of immaculately done quotation marks, puncturing each of her looks with an air of superiority. A light dusting of freckles scattered over the bridge of Keira's nose, which itself is narrow and slightly turned up at the tip. Below that are her lips, which are almost heart-shaped, and often contorted into a snarl, or alternatively, a flirty grin. Either way, they are nearly always slathered with one shiny lipgloss or another. Framing her face is a black curtain of hair, which Keira takes great pride in. It is parted neatly to one side, making a fringe of dark bangs fall over her left eye. Keira keeps her hair cut short, only to a little below her chin, simply because it is tough to keep up with taking care of it when she is on the road.

Being a girl, Keira usually keeps a few changes of clothes with her when she travels, although she does have one particular outfit that she favors over her others. It consists of a light gray sweatshirt with the neck cut open to make it hang off her exposed shoulder, and a pair of black skinny jeans. Around her neck, she wears a thin silver chain with a red stone on the end, not unlike the gem on her pokemon's head. On her feet, Keira usually wears a beat up pair of black and white sneakers, which she can't seem to part with, for some reason.

Pokémon: Clio (Ampharos)

Personality of Pokémon: Clio and Keira possess very similar qualities, learned from each other throughout their years growing up together. Clio, like Keira, can really put on the charm when it is needed - Clio often aids the girl in her crafty schemes to make money, usually by acting the part of the innocent pokemon. Clio can be a bit motherly toward Keira at times, like taking watch while she sleeps, and acting as a living hot watter bottle on cold nights. The pair are really quite protective of each other when it comes right down to it. The only human that Clio cares about is Keira, and the feeling is reciprocated. Despite this maternal tendency, however, Clio is a tough battler. In fact, she actually likes to fight, just like her trainer. The pair of them attract battles like flies to honey, although they do it on purpose, to enjoy the sense of satisfaction they get when they thoroughly beat down their opponents.

Abilities: Keira, obvious as it may be, has the power to control electricity. Well, not fully, but to a certain extent. Mainly, she controls the heat and light aspects of the element. For example, when she feels like it, Keira is able to run a powerful electrical current through her body, superheating her skin and making her dangerous to touch for fear of being burned. She mainly uses this in terms of defense, or when she feels threatened. Keira is also able to use this electricity to make herself glow, which is helpful in situations where there is a lack of light. Aside from this, Keira also tends to crackle with static electricity when she gets angry, although that may not be considered an ability, per se.

Last Stand: In her 'last stand' form, Keira's eyes glow red, a similar shade to that of Clio's gems, and black rings, like that of her pokemon's, appear on her wrists and neck. She begins to glow with an intensely bright light, bright enough to blind anyone looking directly at her. She is able to move at superhuman speeds, and burns through or electrocutes nearly anything in her way.

 

[Strikit]

It had taken years for Oliver to train himself not to regard everyone who had not won his respect with a raised eyebrow and condescension. Being an assassin had helped with that. The ability to keep personal opinions secret was fundamental to the profession. But he couldn't help but feel that these people were far too needy. He was sure the answers to their questions would have come with time; that was the problem with people. They asked far too many questions.

Upon discovering that The Commander had once been known as The Wildcard, he exchanged a glance with Charm. The thought that crossed both their minds was that for all of the notoriety he had achieved with his previous alias, what had happened to cause The Commander to lose his legs? Had it just been a coincidental accident, or negligence? If it was the latter, Oliver pondered whether he was worth The Predator's services. He was known for his clean, careful efficiency. Did he truly want to waste his time here?

Then the financial aspect was mentioned. He nodded his head slightly in appreciation; Charm did the same. They were into it now. By no means were they in need of cash, but just a little more wouldn't hurt. Oliver could use a new wardrobe, and Charm had always liked jewelry fashioned specifically for her species. It would have to be custom made, of course, because of her petite frame. But nothing was too expensive for his dear Charm if he could afford it. With this payment, he would be able to.

Since he could remember, Oliver had always been prompt, preferring to get straight to the point and finish the job. Apparently that wasn't going to happen. Instead of telling them where they were to go next, they were just informed of the layout of the floors of the building. Disgruntled, Oliver left the room with Charm at his right. He could never stand it when he couldn't get things done the moment they came up, but apparently that didn't matter at the moment.

"What would you rather do?" he questioned Charm. "Storage room, or our quarters?"

From the look she gave him, Oliver determined that she would have preferred to take a walk through the storage room. He agreed; he needed time to ponder all of this. And if there truly were things to find in the storage room, he wanted the first shot at them. Perhaps there would even be a feral Pokemon or two. If he could subdue them, he saw no reason why he couldn't tame it and keep it. So what if the law said that it was wrong? He slipped under the line in every other way. There should be no reason that it would be different now.

 

[GodofPH]

Handsome pay, for sure. He'd been paid well before, but nothing like what he was being promised now. Not that it particularly motivated him either, money was for those stuck in one place. He'd neglected checks before. Perhaps he would this time to. Or not, maybe he'd find something. Something to get a bigger thrill, a bigger rush.

Maybe I'll take the money this time.

Strange the Commander mentioned sleep, as that was something Cycle hadn't done in a while. It wasn't insomnia; he simply didn't need to sleep since meeting Spinespark. A good jolt of electricity would revitalize him just as full as eight hours of sleep would. In the middle of hostile territory, it was useful; but sometimes, it was more of an annoyance. He wondered if he even could sleep at all at this point in his life. Perhaps it would be worth a try.

Later

Cycle thundered down the city's streets, electricity crackling and sparking in his wake. His feet didn't touch the ground, he flew along with a destructive grace. Transformers sparked as he passed and lines fell to the ground. Fires erupted behind him, windows shattered. The power flowing through him was incredible.

He didn't know what he was chasing after. Whatever it was, he didn't see it. He just knew it was in this direction. It didn't matter. It would feel his wrath. It would feel thousands of volts of electricity frying it alive. It would pay.

He felt like a bolt of lightning: untamed, and unstoppable. There it was, up ahead. He could see it, it was going to-

A spark of electricity jolted Cycle awake. He sat up, rubbed his eyes. Spinespark was growling at something unseen, it must have been a Bidoof outside. He yawned, and lay back down again.

 

[zapdos926]

After the layout of the building had been given, Aon left the room, Combustion close behind. The two entered an elevator and Aon pressed the button for floor two. As the elevator rose, Aon scanned the enclosed space. He saw nothing except for a small camera.
"Ding" the elevator stopped at level two. Aon found his way into an empty room and lay down on the bed. He sighed contentedly. It had been a while since he had slept on a true bed. Combustion sat down against the wall, yawning.
"Good night" the Typhlosion thought to Aon.
"Ditto…" the man began to snore softly.
Combustion had almost fallen asleep when he heard a growling from the room next door. He sniffed the air and found that it was only the Jolteon that he had seen before. He knew this because electric types give off a slightly burnt odor. Combustion rested his head against the wall again and finally drifted off to sleep.


[ooc: I got a team name: the kings]

 

[MasterfulD]

(Tandem, you're accepted. That's all the members in! yay. Zapdos, nice idea for a name, if no-one else has any suggestions i'll take that one.)

All the mercenaries have arrived.
The beginning is over.
The end has begun.
Chapter One: All the Right Reasons

The Commander, Marlon on his lap, took the lift up to the third floor - he wanted to check if any of the mercenaries had taken his hint to check out its contents. The lift doors opened onto that familiar sight - walls lined with boxes, weapons, armour and gadgets, in the style of a warehouse. The floor separating what would have been the fourth storey and this one had been demolished, and the shelves were stacked up to the new, higher ceiling.
The Commander caught sight of a mercenary with a small Charmeleon. The Predator. He was glad to see someone had taken the initiative.
"I wondered if I'd find you up here."

 

[Strikit]

The storage room was not as Oliver had anticipated it would be. In his mind's eye he had seen a dark and somewhat musty room with piles of boxes everywhere and small windows at intervals, enough to let sunbeams in that illuminated dust motes floating in the air. His interpretation was not completely off; although the room was not dusty, it was still fairly dim, and there were well organized boxes filled with all manner of things. Considering the organization, it looked to be more of a warehouse than a storage room. The moment he entered he could hear small feet, or paws, scurrying about. He and Charm exchanged a glance. That was indicative of small pest Pokemon, perhaps Rattata. Having one of those wouldn't be so bite. Their bite pressure was impressive, and they were often underestimated for their size. Charm had the same problem, and it would be fitting for such a tall, large man to have small Pokemon. Well trained eyes analyzed the layout before him, searching for any sign of something that could be useful to him.

That was when he heard the elevator rattle up to the third floor. Oliver turned halfway, keeping an eye on the doors. He did not like being approached from behind by anyone, seeing as his profession was one that entailed some danger and fear for loss of life. When the shaft opened up and The Commander wheeled out, he did not relax. In fact he tensed up further and drew Charm closer to his side with a murmured, barely audible "Striges. Here." It would not be the first time an 'employer' of his had tried to stab him in the back, and having Charm closer would make him feel safer. She seemed to feel his tension and trained her eyes on him as well, tail flame burning an impressive yellow-white of aggression.

When The Commander spoke Oliver did not drop his aura of dominance, authority, and aggression, but he did speak with respect in his voice. "I will never lose a chance to work my way ahead of the pack, so to speak. I have not come this far in my business by waiting idly for orders. Taking initiative is crucial to survival in this world."