fragments of alarayne

[Marsy]

Khael smiled to himself at Mika's retort, but it fell as soon as it appeared, not wanting to seem too cocky about the fact the Emerald had just word-slapped Amethyst in defense of him-well, his Togepi. Horray for another baby pokemon lover. Somehow, Khael thought it was going to be rather fun to annoy Amethyst, especially if all it took was to flirt with her, even crappy flirting. Hmm...well dang. The little nerd had some strange phobia of women and Garnet would probably never do anything like that. He seemed like too much of a suck up to those considered "higher up" than him. And even though Khael was technically, nobody really saw him as much more than brute force. After all, he's not known for being a skilled tactician, or getting out of impossibly guarded areas, or making money for the organization on the black market. Nope, he just fought well and looked good. Oh well, their loss he supposed.

He watched as the last two Gems rushed in one minute late, noting the look of death that crossed Amethyst's face as she scribbled notes down in her pad. Strange that she was the one to look like screaming at them when Mysterica didn't even looked fazed by the "infraction" as he would imagine Parse describing it. That was when Kain walked in the room. It seemed like the whole room froze, all but Mysterica's eyes as they blazed with something like disgust and anger. Hmm, what was the story there? He had met Kain a few times, who this high up in Rocket hasn't, and knew there was something unnerving about him from the stories told, but also knew the scientist to be a very charismatic individual who could win you over easily in only a few words.

And as promised, Khael was engrossed in the mission. He had heard the legend many times, hell, he had even told it to Kisa as a bed time story more than once. He was a great believer in magic and the unseen but he could have never fathomed that the great tree was actually more than just a myth. His heartbeat raced with excitement. Can anyone say best mission ever? Well, incredibly tricky mission, with many G-Men...and obstacles...but still the best mission he's ever been on. He rubbed Kisa's back soothingly as she stirred.

Concentrating on everything that had been said: the mission, his number three status, the obvious cold attitude the Emerald gave to Kain, and the mysterious emphasis, almost like he knew something, when he talked about...Khael shook that thought out of his head. That was nothing to worry about, it was probably just his imagination going haywire with the thrill of a new mission. He waited until the others questions were done before asking his own. "And what happens after the seals are broken? We restore environmental stability and then what? You said we weren't in it for the power, but this doesn't quite sound like the type of missions Team Rocket gets sent on...to help people and everything. Not that I'm against that prospect...I'm just curious."

 

[Mika]

Questions?

They weren't too scared to speak to him?

Orly?


It made him giddy, it simply made him giddy watching all the little faces looking up at him with all their little adorable questions. A light blush rose on his cheeks and he couldn't help a small internal squee, a broad little smile on his face as he twirled around once, a happy smile on his face and if they could, there would be sparkles all around him along with a happy sort of tune out of the mouths of little fluttering birdies. Oh it just amused him to no end to answer all these questions!

Oh oh oh, he couldn't help a happy little squeak, a happy little giddy squeak as he bounced once, a gleam in his eyes as he pointed his finger dramatically at the Garnet, a smile on his face as he blew a lock of hair from his eyes, "Ah ah, I'm glad you've asked for you see this would seem like to most to be something of a Ranger duty but you see, you see this has so much more meaning than that." A twinkle began to emerge from his eye as he opened up the map once again, "You see, it's far from that. Lance, him and his bloody G-Men cronies are obsessed with this little legend. They're the ones who distribute the bedtime story material who keep the legend alive. It's never once been taken out of their hands since Lance recovered from his little um mishap about twenty years ago. Why is this you may ask? Well my lovies, if you've never heard what happened on Cerise Island, well, to put it shortly, Lance and the Indigo Elite Four tried to summon a guardian. Lugia if you want to be precise. You're probably thinking, a guardian? Why no, Lugia is a legendary silly little Dr Romano you've no idea what you're talking about~ Well my dears…" His tone flipped, the giddiness gone, "You couldn't be more wrong. Those legendaries, those unique little Pokemon, are the guardians sent by the Goddess of the Holy Da'atan Tree to protect the land. Control one… and well, you've got a massive fighting force on your side. However…" He snapped his fingers, a drawing appearing on the hologram, a drawing of a giant tree that extended before the clouds, "This tree, this Holy Da'atan tree… If we control this tree, even just the idea of it, the Legendaries can be manipulated to do as we please." A coy smile spread across his features, the hologram reflecting in his glasses, "I'm not saying the power of this tree is as true as the legends say but the power of pokemon like mew and ho oh is very real… very real indeed. If we could obtain such power… well, world domination isn't out of the picture but at the very least, those pesky little G-Men scoundrels will be kept at bay. This World Regeneration idea is nice and cute for children but science has proven, through pokemon like little Mew-chan and Mewtwo that the legendaries believe the myth. They will protect that tree from harm, no matter the cost. We control the tree… we control them." Pushing up his glasses, he turned from the table, "Don't get me wrong children, I'm not out to make the same mistakes as that fool Lance." His gaze captured on Mika's for just a moment and he smiled, "I've made sure that that will not happen."

The girl stared him down, leaving nothing obvious on her features when he regarded her, simply snorting and crossing her arms across her chest, "Are you done blathering Kain?"

"Oh no~" He brought up another panel, displaying the G-Men headquarters, the four league champions, Lance, Steven, Wallace and pretty little Cynthia, standing infront, the G-Men grunts behind them with an epically fake wave crash to add dramatic flair, "These are the four leaders of the Pokemon Global Police Unit. Much like yourselves, each has their own particular strength and area of interest. Lance, as you know, is head of the Pokemon G-Men, a organization that on the surface is much like the average local police but beneath its surface lies the only Black Ops program to ever capture a Gem without taking a casualty." He flinched lightly, the accidental, unnoticeable to the rest of the group, kick to his shins rather abrupt and painful. Coughing into a fist, he continued, "Excuse me, shin splits I tell you, they're…wretched."

Ignoring the testing kick from the Emerald, he continued his little spiel, "Steven handles all ruin excavation and technological inquiries, much like myself, Wallace is the resident pretty boy, mostly used for image if I may say so myself and Cynthia is in charge of the Defense Force and the Black Ops. She'll be the one to show up at ruins once they catch wind of you which, my lovies, they unfortunately will." Sighing, he tapped a few more keys, revealing a satlite live feed of the GP base on top of Victory Road, "See this? This place is bad. Very very bad. I know the banners are pretty and the flowers look like they smell nice and there are children everywhere and they seem to be having fun but this place is bad. The layers below what the public sees are bad, aren't they-ow." Coughing, he winced lightly, "Bloody shin splits I tell you, absolutely wretched. Anywho, to continue. Again. Hopefully without more shin. Split. Problems." The last bit of the phrase was slightly strained, each word dragged out through a clenched jaw, "Anyway, bra-I mean Amythest, you asked the results of breaking a seal?" He brought up a picture of an island, Cerise to be exact, from 20 years ago. Filled with mountains and lush, he pointed at it, pulling a clicker out of nowhere into his hand, "Cerise before seal was released improperly-" click to the current condition of the island, basic flat plain with berry plants, "Cerise after seal was released improperly. See? Not good." Sighing, he pushed his glasses up again, "Idiots with limited power think they can break the seals with force, aka, Lance and Archie, anyone else remember that nonsense with the orbs?, and thus they cause problems for us, the glorious Team Rocket, to cover up so as not to have ourselves thrown in the same glorious bad mess. But that's not the worst of them. If you want to know the worst that's ever happened when a seal breaking went horribly horribly wrong, have you heard the story of Alaray-eeee!" His voice raising several decibles, the man let out a pained cry, his knees pinning together as his body refused to support him any longer. Tears coming to his eyes, the man started to breathe a bit more heavily, his teeth digging into his lower lip. Ball abuse. That's what that was. Ball abuse. He couldn't talk, he couldn't move, hell, he could hardly breathe. From the tips of his toes all the way up to the edge of his ear, there wasn't a single nerve that wasn't screaming so loudly Kain was sure it was breaking many laws of physics that shouldn't ever be allowed to break. Falling over in a heap, he pulled up into a fetal, desperate to be able to move or breathe or speak or anything and it was rather obvious from the looks he was getting that the others were rather confused. Except for Mika, who looked rather pleased with herself, the steel toe of her boot that a few seconds ago had been in contact, against Kain's wishes, with Steve and Joe. Planning all the rotten horrible things he was going to do when he could actually function again, he let out a groan, rolling onto his back, his arms spread out.

Standing, Mika walked over, concern and compassion all over her face as she ran over towards the man on the floor, her emotions fake only to those who knew her incredibly well, and bent over him for a moment before kneeling down beside him, "Kain? Oh you poor thing, did you lean too far forward? Here, let me help you sit up in Father's chair, I'm sure he won't mind." Leaning down, she snaked an arm around his shoulder, her lips pressing to his ear for a moment in such away that anyone behind her would simply see her trying to get a grip on the man nearly thrice her size, "If, praytell, you ever speak of that again in my hearing or if I hear of you speaking about it with people I either have no control of you telling, I will cut them off with a butter knife, mmkay?" Giggling, she pulled the man up, steadily lowering him into the chair before walking to the little sink, dunking the washcloth into the cool water for a moment before wringing it out and placing it on his forehead, leaning down once more to whisper in his ear, this time the words being slightly more audible, if they were paying attention, those sitting close to the doctor might've been able to catch a word here and there, "And before you say it, I'm not visiting that person while I'm in Saffron." Smiling, she patted his shoulders and stepped back, knowing the "brat" look in his eyes was for her and knowing she'd most defiantly hear about it later. For the moment, it was worth it. Sitting on the table, she crossed her feet at the ankles, her hands on either side of her body on the table's edge, "So is it standard underground to Saffron? Meaning it leaves in an hour?"

Kain licked his lips softly, nodding, the pain still a bit too much for him at the moment, "Y-yes…. Yes… And yes Bristol. You may leave now if you've got what you need. Meet the group infront of the Saffron Magnet Train at noon. The rest of you, your underground transport leaves at half past nine. It's now half past seven. Ciao. Uggh…." Groaning he closed his eyes, waiting for the pain below the belt to cease. God, he should've thought that one through a bit better…. Bringing up Alarayne after just a month or so after Koji's deflection and after several warning shin kicks was just asking for this sort of treatment… Oh lights it hurt.

Mika hopped off the desk and turned around, letting out a displeased tsch as she crossed her hands across her chest, "Why are you all just sitting here? Get out, go get your things packed and note we'll be gone for at least four months so bring your crap accordingly. There's going to be a gala in Olivine City so you'll want to at least have something prepared to have a pokemon or something transfer thru the pc system because yes my lovie little gems, you have to go to these things, especially because you're all so amazingly special." Sighing, she shook her head, placing the heel of her palm on her forehead, "Did I stutter? Dismissed!" Watching the others move out of the room in whatever manner suited their fancy, she followed them all out in the hall, standing infront of the again locked doors once she'd herded everyone out, "If you're late to the train departure there, meaning you're not there at exactly nine, I'll let Parse decide your punishment." Gesturing to the girl with a thumb, she let out a slightly cocky laugh, "And if you have had the privilege of not knowing what I'm referring to, her punishment tactics are enough to give even the oldest of veterans under her control the most horrific nightmares one can even imagine." Raising her hands, she shook her head, "And I'll be much too busy with that blasted thing called our mission so don't bother crying out or coming to me to complain, I'll send you away." Turning towards Parse, she tilted her head, "Are you okay with that Parse? I assume you can find something rotten and miserable for latecomers to do?" Yawning, she stretched her arms up over her head, locking her fingers together and letting them drop to her side, "I can let Khael take care of it if you'd prefer not to, I just assumed from the rumors I've heard about you that you get some sort of sick twisted pleasure out of this sort of thing" Patting her mouth to stifle a yawn, she shrugged, opening an eye hazily "But I could be wrong."

- * -​

A few moments later however and he was able to sit upright in the chair. Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together in a thoughtful manor, the rag on his head falling to the floor. Mika had caught onto his next order before he could give it in a situation where it would be followed. Clever, clever girl… It worried him but there was nothing he could do about it, at least not right now. Chasing after her proved useless but he was worried about her condition and the extent at which it was at at this current point in time. Sighing, he probed his forehead with his two pointed fingers, squinting almost painfully as he thought. Child, you know what that place did to you… Going around like it didn't affect your body is just.. foolish. Lights, you're going to be the death of me yet…"

 

[luke]

Bristol winced. A shiver of pain ran up his spine as Kain dropped to the floor, rolling in pain. The feeling started in Bristol's nether region and traveled quickly. This was the downside to being connected to the minds around him. What they felt, he felt. Except Mika. Up to this point, he had never been able to access her mind. He wasn't surprised however. Someone as powerful as her surely had mastered psychic locks. This time was different though. As Kain recoiled in agony, he felt a surge of anger burst from Mika. Never before had he felt such energy from her before. For the first time, he had a glimpse into Mika's mind. Everything was a blur: he couldn't see what made her so angry, but he knew it was powerful enough to make her drop her guard, if only for a brief second.

Meanwhile, Kain seemed to recover, but Bristol knew he was still in a great deal of pain. He spoke of the G-Men, the League Champions, the seals. Bristol added each image to his photographic memory. He recognized one of the Champions: the one named Steven. During the fateful day Bristol had met Froslass, he also ran into a strange gray haired man. The man had asked Bristol what he was doing in the cave. While Bristol droned on about some lame excuse, he probed the man's mind. He came from a wealthy family on the mainland, he was obsessed with rocks, and strangely, he found an image of a Team Rocket grunt. The memory was blurry though, but he recognized the large red 'R' on the chest of the person. However, the man then bid adieu to Bristol and set off further into the cave.

Bristol was surprised now that he hadn't come across the fact that Steven was a G-Man. He also realized now that the image of a Team Rocket member probably meant he was on the outlook for Rocket members in the area. Obviously he had been disarmed by Bristol's age and moved on. No one ever suspected a twelve year old to be an administrator of the most organized crime syndicate in the world.

The conversation continued and Bristol was given permission to head to Saffron early. Pleased, Bristol immediately stood when the meeting was adjourned and made his way out of the meeting and to the elevator door. He pressed the down button. All the while he tapped his foot, his impatience growing.

Banette, it's almost time. Soon, we will confront that traitorous 'Mr. Psychic.' This means Victreebel and you get to play soon. It's been much too long...

It has been far too long master. I blame you and your administrative duties. Ever since you gained so much power, we barely make it into the field anymore. The voice was unheard by everyone nearby. It crackled with an insidious tone. Banette could barely contain its excitement over the upcoming meeting with Mr. Psychic.

The elevator arrived and as soon as it arrived on his floor, Bristol quickly made his way to his room. He opened the door and rushed inside, grabbing a nearby black brief case. Telepathically he moved it to his bed and opened it. Next, he opened his closet and pulled his suit off its hanger. Folding it neatly in his suitcase, then rushed to his dresser. Bristol opened it and pulled out a dagger from out of one of his socks. Tucking it within his suit, he then close the briefcase and bolted out of his door. Not wanting to waste any time, Bristol decided to do what he despised the most: teleport. The feeling of teleportation was most nauseating, disorientating experiences for a human being. However, he wanted to take care of his business before noon, and he had no time to take the land transport. He reached to his belt and pulled off an Luxury Ball.

"Xatu sweetie, I need you," Bristol said as he clicked the button on the front of the ball. It enlarged and bursted open, releasing the figure inside with a burst of pink light. A small bird appeared, its head tilted at a strange angle. To most she would appear to be a strange anomaly, but to Xatu, there was no one who matched her beauty.

Bristol dearie. If you keep me couped up that long ever again, I will peck out your eyes and feast on your tongue. A beauty like mine should never be confined so long, Xatu said she preened her left wing.

Many apologies my queen. Bristol said, mockingly bowing before the Pokemon. I require your services. I need quick transportation to Saffron and you possess what I need. Do you remember where Saffron is Xatu?

You dare suggest that I, Queen Xatu, ruler of the all-seeing, has forgotten the location of such a paltry city. Of course not. I shan't never pass up on an opportunity to show off my magnificent teleportation skills. When do we depart Sir Bristol?

"Now," Bristol spoke. Xatu looked at him for a second and noticed the rage in his eyes. Without saying a word, the bird closed her and began to focus. A blue aura engulfed both Bristol and her bodies. Soon, their bodies grew transparent and with a loud crack, they disappeared.

*~*~*

As quickly as they departed, they instantly found themselves in front of the large Saffron PokeCenter. The smell of sweet flowers wafted through the air. All of the nearby roofs were a majestic purple color. The paths were paved in cobblestone and decorative fences closed in all of the houses.

"Home," Bristol said, cracking what the closest thing to a smile he had. "Time to make my way to the south side of town. Xatu, I'd rather you not get your feathers ruffled, so back in the ball you go."

If you insist... With that, she was once again absorbed into her ball and placed on Bristol's belt.

"I'd much rather leave this up to my experts. Victreebel, Banette, are you ready?" Bristol pulled two spheres off his belt: a PokeBall and an Ultra Ball. Two figures appeared from the opening balls. A tall, menacing looking plant and what appeared to be a possessed doll.

The sunlight. How refreshing... Victreebel said, its vine uncoiling to bask in the sunlight. What a beautiful day for a feast. Do I have time for a little hunt Bristol?

Of course not your barbarian. Clearly Bristol summoned us for a reason. Not so you can feed that insatiable, disgusting appetite of your's.

Excuse you you little barbie doll. Unlike you wastes of spectral space, we living beings like to enjoy ourselves every once in a while.

I swear to Arceus. I will take your soul and chop it up into a million different pieces and feed each piece slowly to Hades himself...

"Both of you, shut up. We don't have time for this. We have two hours before we depart for Johto," Bristol snapped. Instantly, his two Pokemon quit their bickering and looked to the boy. "As I've already told Banette, we have arrived here in Saffron early to take care of a personal matter. As you should remember Victreebel, our dear 'friend' Mr. Psychic double crossed us two years ago. Due to my Team Rocket commitments, I haven't been able to give him a proper thank you. The train schedule allows us some free time and I think it's time to pay him a visit."

They all shared a collective evil laugh and departed down the cobblestone path. Mr. Psychic was a renowned figure in Saffron. Numerous trainers came to him for help with their psychic-type Pokemon. Compared to Sabrina's public persona, he was approachable, friendly, and ever helpful. To those within the psychic community however, he was a dark, manipulative fiend who used his image to come to possess whatever he desired. It was this taste for power that had forced him to stab Bristol in the back. Now twice the psychic the old man ever hoped to be, Bristol was consumed with rage. It made him feel human, something he hated more than anything. So it was necessary to relieve himself of this burden.

We're here Bristol. Banette said. They stood before a two story home with a rather large sign on the front: "HOME OF MR. PSYCHIC HIMSELF! ALL VISITORS WELCOME!"

Bristol smirked and walked up the door. He nodded his head to both the left and right, telling the two Pokemon to take their positions. Bristol then knocked gently and he heard a faint "coming" from inside. Almost immediately however, he heard brisk footsteps inside and the slamming of doors.

"It seems he's realized it's me. Ban--"

Already on it. Banette interrupted, her body now surrounded by a red aura. A scream of agony pierced the morning air, and then a loud thud. Bristol walked around back and found an old man laying on the ground in agony.

"Your Disable is stronger than I remember Banette," Bristol remarked as he looked down upon the man.

I've been practicing, Banette said, a large smirked sprayed across her face.

"Victreebel, give our friend a hand," Bristol said, motioning to the plant Pokemon.

Gladly. Victreebel's vine slithered over to the man, slowly wrapping itself around his body. He then picked up the old man with ease and slammed him into the nearby wall.

The man let out a slight whimper and said, "the vines... they're so.. tight."

"You're lucky I'm not feeding you to him right now. He's terribly hungry, and he loves the taste of pathetic, low life worms like you," Bristol said, his fists clenching tighter as he spoke. He walked over the man and placed his hand on the man's exposed shoulder. "We have some business to attend to first though."

Mr. Psychic wimpered again at the thought of being eaten alive by a carnivorous plant. "Bristol, what I did was a terrible thing. Not a day goes by that I don't regr--AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH." Victreebel tightened its grip as Bristol's rage continued to rise. His mood affected those closest to him. The angrier he grew, so did his Pokemon. The bond he possessed with them all was tight. "Bristol please. I'll do anything."

Bristol smirked, pushing his index finger into the man's nerve. "Sadly, there's not enough time for you to truly make up for what you did. I almost lost everything because of you. That mouth of your's almost lost me my position in Team Rocket. If the G-Men had found out who I truly was, I would certainly be rotting away right now in some orphanage right now, or worse, dead like the other's who didn't protect their identity as a Rocket member. Luckily for you, it's difficult to convince most that an eleven year old boy is capable of doing what is required of a Team Rocket member."

He smells so delicious Bristol. May I... may I eat him now? Victreebel said, the acid dripping from his mouth like saliva.

"Sadly Victreebel, you won't be eating our friend here today. Instead, I've decided to personally donate him to Kain for experimentation. Take him back inside," Bristol ordered, walking through the door with his Pokemon at his side. He walked into the living room and pointed to a chair. "Put him there and keep watch. His powers could return any second. Do whatever you wish with him as long as you don't kill him or eat him. I'll be in the other room calling HQ." Banette and Victreebel nodded and looked at their newest victim.

Mr. Psychic looked at Bristol pleadingly and said, "Bristol please. I helped train you. Please forgive an old man. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Unfortunately for you Mr. Psychic, a Gem like me has no room for mistakes. We atone for what we do and accept the consequences. Your transgression is much more than a mistake," Bristol now turned, looking at the man. His eyes racing with emotion, "You almost cost me the first family I've ever had. That's something I can't forgive. Enjoy living the rest of your life in a laboratory Mr. Psychic."

With that Bristol turned and walked into the next room. Mr. Psychic cried out in pain, calling Bristol's name as the two sadistic Pokemon began their games. Bristol plugged his one ear with his index finger and called headquarters, telling them he had a pick up waiting at the "FAMOUS MR. PSYCHIC HOME." As he spoke, he looked at his watch.

Only eight fifteen. After we're done here, we might as well visit Saffron Gym and have a quick chat with Sabrina before we leave...

 

[Phanima]

This was exactly the reason the pokemon hunter of ten years paid no respect to the bumbling Kain Soliony Ivanhov, his answers coming off as a simple rehash of their mission brief. Added, the instance the so-called doctor struck the floor and in his pathetic attempts to endure whatever pains he was apparently afflicted with, was when Seras decided to never again heed his words. As it were, she was no less ready to leave than any other gem currently present, having witnessed such an abominable sight. Thankfully, Emerald took it in stride to conclude the matter and invariably dismiss her accompaniment before physically shooing each and every one of them from the confines of the office.

In an all but nonchalant manner, Seras proceeded down the hall, only to be passed by her previous conflict of interest, Beryl. It appeared the young'n had some personal matters to deal with, which was unsusceptible by the hunter as long as it didn't interfere with the mission. This, a prime example of one of the reasons she loathed team oriented missions and assignments. There were bound to be complications and liabilities among members and if one fell, the rest would be jeopardised as well. It was all very inefficient, not to mention being a giant rydon's horn in the butt.

But with all that said and done, and now with only an hour left for prep, she decided to accept her current situation and make haste with her own preparations, having only taken care of filling her bottomless pit beforehand.

Stepping into the next available shaft and with no concern for the following cast to join her, the hunter proceeded down several floors in private before returning to her designated suite. There, she addressed her usual assortment of tools, pocketing them in their appropriate sheaths, secured her hunting bag across her back, holding a single week's worth of undergarments scrunched into its corners to accommodate the pocket food that filled the remaining space, and rearranged her boxed pokemon for ease of access amidst travelling.

In a simple matter of fourteen minutes, Seras emerged from her quarters and into the corridor before once again bracing for another elevator ride down into the building's underground transportation facilities, the previous throbbing pachi-metal all but mute in her new location.

Standing upon the yet inhabited but unbelievably well kept platform, preceding the track to which their designated mode of transport would arrive upon, the pokemon hunter simply stood in silence, one hand supporting her shouldered backpack while the other caressed her belted tool pouch. Sensing no other life sign in her immediate area, Seras let out a light sigh, pondering the upcoming mission and its potential complications.

"I should've stopped by the kitchen..."

 

[Alter Ego]

"I'm sure I can think of something." Parse replied in a carefully neutral tone, choosing to let the Emerald's little ending remark slide, "Though on the subject of rumors you may have heard about my methods," she added for the benefit of the group as a whole, "I feel entitled to inform you they are all downplayed. Now I have some packing to do and a mountain climb to reschedule so I expect not to be bothered, but I'll see you all at 9 o'clock sharp then, my dear teammates. And by that I mean you will be seated in the train with any unseemly luggage stuffed away at that point in time, not blustering into the station in some mad dash."

Her piece thus spoken, Parse excused herself from the crowd heading towards the elevator, opting to take the stairs instead as she contemplated her situations. Despite her rank, their leader clearly had quite the immature streak to her, the would-be subtle manhandling of Kain each time he said something she didn't want to hear and her verbally violent assault over a completely factual remark being quite clear examples of that. Mika seemed to be, as popular rumor suggested, very much like a defiant little adolescent who had no qualms about resorting to kicking and screaming when things did not go exactly as she wanted them to go. The Amethyst couldn't say she particularly approved of such an infantile attitude, especially in a leader, but she also knew full well that the best way to profit from it was to play along as far as reason would permit and save her energy for calm, composed and above all relentless resistance at the few points where it would truly matter. She had been given charge of any latecomers' fates, so Mika seemed to at least rely on her and her reputation to keep their discordant little band under control. Reliance was the first step on the way to dependence, and getting her 'superior' to depend on her would make this whole process considerably smoother, enough so to compensate for the annoyance of being denied this rare tidbit of information that Kain had actually been willing to share.

Oh yes, she concluded as she finally arrived at her own quarters, carefully shutting and locking the door behind her, all in all this meeting had gone about as smoothly as could have been expected.

The packing had been a half-truth. Sure, she made a quick check of her chosen supplies to make sure everything she wanted was where it was meant to be, but the actual packing she had already finished last night. Always one step ahead was her motto, and packing was no exception to it. This being the case, the real reason she had insisted on getting her privacy was quite different.

Flicking open her cellphone, Parse took a moment to gather her thoughts as she slowly scrolled through the numbers on her speed-dial. There were bugs in this room, she knew, and if she misspoke at any point there would be hell to pay.

"Hello?" she started out in a completely conversational tone. This whole act was so...childish, but even Kain was swallowing it like candy, "This is Parse. I wanted to talk to you about this week's climb? Something's come up."

 

[Eucliffe]

Gale groaned at Mika's words. There is absolutely NO WAY I'm going to a gala! Ergh, I may not be at the highest position, but I really don't want to go to anything of that sort!!! Gale angrily thought, rising from her seat. She made sure she was the last one to leave, so she could immediately dash for her room to make some last-minute preparations. When she got that chance, she got out the largest suitcase ever known to man, and began packing it with mostly fortune telling books or cards and spy gear in case she needed it. She felt like she had no need for packing many articles of clothing; she could easily wash the few she brought.

After managing to close her suitcase, Gale put her left hand into her pocket, and took out a Premier Ball. She took one look at it, then put it away. The two occupied Premier Balls she had housed her two Fire Pokemon, Kaen the Vulpix and Blaze the Growlithe. But she knew neither would come in handy until they were evolved. But, because she was Gale, she wouldn't dare ask the others for a Fire Stone or two. She preferred getting what she wanted on her own.

The journey to Saffron would be annoying (Gale couldn't see why she'd have to attend a gala in Olivine, especially if Saffron was in a completely different region), but Gale knew she'd have to do it. The only thing that stopped her - her luggage. Even though it was on wheels, it wouldn't budge. It finally took a swift kick in the rear to get the bag moving, and Gale took it from there. She found ways to ride it down hills coming down from Blackthorn, and she kicked a foot on the ground every so often to speed the bag up. In other words, it was like a carry-on transportation device of some sort.

Fortunately, Goldenrod City was right by Violet City, so Gale immediately found herself on the metro. It wasn't too shabby, but it had some quirks to it, such as the peculiar stench wafting about. Nonetheless, Gale was going to make it, and so was that oversized suitcase of hers...

Saffron. Industrious and too enormous to the eyes of a suburban girl, Gale finally was able to go and check out the many sites. She knew the other gems might not approve, but hey, it's not like she was noticed much. She could practically get away with anything, including not attending that pathetic gala in Olivine. Sighing with relief, Gale headed towards her next destination, the Silph Co. building. It was more gorgeous than she had imagined, and at once, someone stopped her.

"You wish to evolve Pokemon with stones, correct?" the old man said, a hand on her shoulder. Gale nodded, and immediately she retracted from the man.

"How'd you know that???" she asked, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"I know these things. I just do..." the man said with an unearthly smile. "Now, listen here, young lady. Celedon City. Probably almost as big as Saffron, but not as big. There is a department store, similar to that of Goldenrod's... And... It has stones..." The man nodded again, and Gale nodded back, as if she were agreeing to some sort of compromise. Without another word, the strange man walked off, leaving Gale in a daze...

 

[Mika]

Mika let out a soft sigh, shaking her head, her shoulders falling once the other had crossed into the elevator, closing her eyes for a moment before she straightened herself up. Something inside told her that that girl, that Parse, was going to cause some problems down the road. The respect was at a professional level only, that much was clear, but beyond that… it was the same old thing. Rubbing her forhead, she turned, offering a forced but vaguely so smile at the others, waving her hand lightly, "I'm going to get my own things, I'll meet up with you later, alright? Meet down a few floors, at the underground train transport. It's easy to find."

Pressing the up button, she entered into the elevator alone and rode up, watching the lights softly, her hand pressing against the glass. Her expression blank, she looked towards her shoes for a moment, tapping the toe into the metal flooring as the elevator groaned, wretching loudly as it reached its destination, the infirmary. Stepping out, she sent the elevator back down, erasing its knowledge of where she'd gone. Wandering down the brightly lit white hallway, past the nurses and doctors and orderlies scurrying about, she fished her id out of her pocket, her hand shaking slightly as she pulled it out, the motion causing it to fall from her hand to the floor. Stumbling just a little, she slipped to her knees to get it, pressing her palms into the tile before pushing down, rising back up and brushing the dust from her knees. Rubbing the back of her neck, she let out a soft hiss before walking forward, to the intensive car unit and after taking a sharp right, came to a door at the end of the hall with a restricted sign over head. Reaching to the control panal on the right, she tapped in a six digit code, causing a card reader to slide out from underneath from out of the wall. Sliding the black bar of her ID across the reader, it blinked a few times before it spit out a green color and the door, groaning and hissing, slid open, letting the girl pass.

The room inside was dark and silent aside from the soft beeping of machines. Her left hand snaking over to rub softly at right, she wandered across the room, flicking on the light above the sink before turning and walking to the foot of the bed of the patient. He was in his late twenties, the ventilator covering half his seemingly peaceful and otherwise healthy face and had what one just by looking at him would consider shoulder length fire red hair, probably long as a result from the prolonged intubation. Covered in various medical wires and connected to all sorts of odd looking colorful machines that she really didn't understand, she slipped out of her jacket, hanging it on the back of the poorly colored badly upholstered visitor's chair before her fingers slid across the cool metal of the bed and down to the chart holder, wrapping her hand around the plastic clipboard that held his chart. As the beeps proved his lungs still forced air thru his body and the chart she was flipping through in her hands proved his brain was still functioning, it was obvious to anyone that he was in a coma. Sighing, she let the chart fall with a clang into the holder and crossed to the left side, taking his soft pale hand into her own two, biting on her lip softly as it was still twice the size of her own. Closing her eyes, she lifted it to her cheek, rubbing it softly before she let it drop, sitting down on the edge of the bed, her hands spread on either side, her legs swinging lightly over the edge.
"It's been awhile since I saw you last, isn't it? You'll have to forgive me… I've been busy and they wouldn't let me see you for awhile for some stupid reason, you know?" She sighed, tilting her head back and to the right, to look down at him, giggling softly, "You'd better be proud of me, I've been given another unit to direct. All the executives, all of us Gems. Your…old unit. They've given it to me, funny isn't it?" Closing her eyes, she turned towards the ceiling, reopening her eyes slowly, staring at the wind chime on the ceiling, "They didn't take that thing down… I brought that back for you, after my first trip all by myself. You gave me a hug and said you'd put it right up on your window. I was so mad, there's no wind down there, how would you hear it's pretty sound? But you just…laughed and said you'd make it so the fan or the air would hit it." Flopping backwards, she let her hands dangle above her head for a moment, a deep sigh slipping from her lips, "I'm worried, Onii-chan… I'm worried. Kain said we'll run into the G-Men, it's a near absolute 100% fact… And… And since Koji deflected, after what happened…do you think we'll run into him? I do. I don't know what I'll do, if we run into him. He, Raven… they're… my family you know? You always thought it was cute, me having two strong boys to guard me. Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

Gasping, she lifted a hand to her face, pulling it away, the glistening moisture on the back of her hand causing her to laugh as the arm flopped back next to her, "I'm the Emerald, the Chosen. I don't have time to waste on tears." Sighing, she sat up, putting her face in her hands for a moment, "I'm almost sure one of them is a double agent but… to be honest I can't tell who. I have to trust in my team for them to respect me as a leader but.. I can't give out too much information. They can't have an edge over me, you know?" Standing, she walked over to the head of the bed, her hand running along the edge of his lukewarm face before she bent over, kissing the other's forehead softly before she turned, took her coat and, as she was about to leave, looked back at him once more, "…Please wake up soon Onii-chan… Please…? I…I need you. More than you could ever know." Shaking her head, she opened the door with a hiss and stepped out, the room falling dark as its sole visitor returned to the land of lights.

Biting her lip, she returned to the elevator and went down to her room. Changing into her standard travel attire, a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a graphic of two dragon wings on the back and a pair of knee-high white and black striped socks with a black toe and heel under a pair of black flat-soled skateboarder shoes with a chibi pichu emblem on the side, and, after neatly folding the basic clothing items and packing them into her bag along with the supplies one might need on a trip, she slung the black sling back over her left shoulder and attached her pokebelt to her waist, letting it hang just slightly off her black studded belt that held her pants up so as not to be immodest. Taking the key from her dresser, she attached it back around her neck and, after squeezing it, pulled her hair out and spun it into two tight low ponytails below each ear. Taking a last look in the mirror to make sure she looked fine and there wasn't a hair out of place, she exited her room and left, heading down to the underground a good hour early, pulling out a book as she waited on the empty platform. Nobody else should be here for at least thirty minutes, well, except for Seras but the girl who ate dragons could be ignored for the time being. Time to catch up on some reading.

[meanwhile, somewhere in the Indigo Plateau Region]

"Mad'am Champion? There's a call for you on line four." The blonde secretary peeked her head into the purple office of the Sinnoh champion, a soft meek tone in her voice, "Sorry to disturb you… "

The blonde turned, raising an eye softly, "Mm? It's quite alright Melody… did they say who it was?"

She blinked, blushing softly, "Something about a mountain climbing expedition? I was confused but the little brat-I mean girl wouldn't tell me who she was…"

A coy smile spread across the blonde's face and, closing her eyes for a moment, she let out a soft gentle laugh, "Alright little one, you're obviously dying to tell me something if you're talking nonsense… Melody, it's simply Parse. Don't worry about it."

"Oh. That little wench?" Her face turned into a sneer, "She's an ungrateful little-"

"Genious who will bring back our princess to us. Now, if you would leave so I may talk to her…?"

"Hmph. Little wench…" Shutting the door, the sound of stomping four inch heels echoed thru the hall. Unable to stifle a chuckle, Cynthia reached a lacy hand towards the phone, picking it up and pressing a button, "Yes Parse? How may the Mt Silver Expedition Team assist you today?"

 

[Marsy]

Khael listened intently as Kain spoke rather....well, spoke rather like Rodger about all the questions that the Gems were asking him. Caught up in Kain's enthusiasm, Khael was taken by surprise when Kain was on the ground, cringing in pain. He quickly looked under the table to see Emerald's steel toed boot retreating from what Khael could only assume to be Kain's erm-well, nether regions. God that must have hurt, to the point of almost being unnecessarily cruel. Well, hopefully he deserved it, or someone was really going to need to tell her about how NOT nice it was to kick a guy there. He looked down uncomfortably and inserted the mission information chip into his Nav.

That was when his ear picked up something.

"And before you say it, I'm not visiting that person while I'm in Saffron."

Wait...who was in Saffron that Mysterica didn't want to go see? There was something going on between them, more than he had noticed before. And she was definately harboring some ill-feelings towards Kain and whatever he was about to bring up. That amount of instability seemed...unbecoming of a leader. Not that that would change any loyalties he has for her, but he definately was going to keep an eye on that little abnormality. Khael quickly stored that little piece in the back of his mind and focused on other things.

-----~*~-----

With the meeting now at an end, Khael quickly returned to his room and finished the packing he had started the night before. All his Pokemon were organized in the box or withdrawn for his team. He packed the apropriate clothing for four months of travel and that silly gala as well as his blacks for when their mission was active and not merely travelling. Making sure he had other objects like some food and water, sleeping bag, pillow, tent, medicene, money, entertainment, and other things necessary for long trips. If there was one thing besides battling he was good at, it was preparing for a mission.

"You ready to go, Kisa?" Khael smiled. Kisa chirped happily from his pack as she found a granola bar to nibble on. "Hey! Don't eat all of the food in there, you little Runt, we need that for later." He chuckled lightly and locked his room before taking the elevator to the underground transport system Rocket had. Stepping off the elevator, he checked his watch: 8:15.

Well, he had a little over an hour before they left and Seras and Mysterica were the only people here so far. Strange, he would have bet anything that Parse would have been here first to note who came and in what order and what time. What was up with that? It was like she had someone to report to. Hmm, maybe that's what she's doing right now, he thought jokingly.

 

[Eucliffe]

Celadon City was simply...beauteous, unlike Saffron. In fact, Gale could compare it to the serenity of Phenac, her hometown. Nah, nothing can compare to Phenac's tranquil atmosphere, Gale thought, shaking her head violently. Even though it would probably be a crime to be here instead of where she needed to be, the old man's advice wasn't going to be unused. But there were so many buildings, so many large buildings, just like in Goldenrod... It was hard for Gale to tell which was the department store. And, with her large suitcase she continued to lug around, Gale's stamina was fading away bit by bit...

Then it hit her. Money. Cash. Dough. Greenbacks. Did she have any? No. Of all the things she packed, she forgot the most important thing for the trip. But how would she get some extra money to get the Fire Stones? Gale looked around at the many varieties of people, and they reminded her of a fruits basket. Of course, thinking about food wouldn't help; she'd need money to get some too unless she happened to come across berries or food on the ground. But Gale wasn't that feral.

Turning around, there seemed to be a type of...pawn shop... Well, better than nothing... and with a flick of her body, Gale was off towards the building. At first, it seemed to be a bit far away, but with a bit of determination (and the fact that she could ride her suitcase, much to the surprise of the people around her), the pawn building soon became right on top of Gale.

It seemed plain at first, this odd store, but the fragrance of a thousand scents (as Gale would call unfamiliar scents) led Gale to believe there is probably more than meets the eye. At once, a shopkeeper came out from beyond the curtains that covered the door. She reminded Gale of one of those stereotypical fortune tellers, not that she minded.

"So, my pretty, how shall I help thee today?" the woman asked in a cackling tone. Immediately opening up her suitcase, Gale pulled out a few spy gadgets she hadn't used in ages.

"I would like to pawn these items, please," she replied. The woman rubbed her ancient fingers over each item, then looked at Gale. It seemed as though she was...searching her head for facts not known to her. After what was an eternity, the woman flung her arms into the air, and screeched gibberish Gale couldn't understand. When she was done, she bowed down, as if apologizing.

"My bad," she muttered sheepishly. "Your items, I can give you ten thousand in total. Will you accept?" Knowing the price of stones in general, Gale nodded. The woman raked the money from an even more ancient-looking cash register and plopped it into Gale's arms. She then dragged the items off into what seemed to be a small section of limbo, and made a motion with her arms, as if telling the girl to get out of here. Gale closed up her suitcase and put the money in an extra suitcase pocket, and exited the strange store.

"Next stop, the Department Store..." Gale quietly exclaimed. At last, Kaen and Blaze could both evolve into higher up forms, but is this what Gale really wanted? Yeah, it was.

 

[Marsy]

Khael set all of his things down and sat down one bench away from Mysterica's chosen seat where she now hid behind her book. It probably wouldn't be wise to test her for a day or so, she just seemed too tense, like she was ready to explode at anyone who might say something she didn't like. That was fine with him though, he could keep to himself if he felt like it and neither Seras or Mysterica seemed like they would bite his head off for it like Parse had. This mission was definately going to be...interesting, one could say. There were so many different personalities and secrets floating around that it was just going to be interesting to see hope anyone even got along with each other. They had rarely ever worked as a whole together and now they're brought together and people have already started bickering like children over silly things like conversation and attention and being "polite". Interesting...but taxing.

Leaning back against the wall, Khael relaxed for the first time since three this morning, not even noticing when Kisa crawled out of his pack and over to where the Emerald was reading her book. Kisa crawled over to Mika on her belly, imagining herself like a ninja in the dark. She couldn't help but giggling slightly, a small bell-like tinkle against the silence. Struggling a little to stand up on her tiny feet, Kisa tugged lightly on Mika's pant leg and looked up at the girl with big eyes. Why was she reading the book when she could be playing with Kisa? Books are not fun unless they had pictures and that book does not look like it has pictures. Kisa gently tugged again with a small "Priiii..."

 

[Mika]

The book wasn't horrifically intriguing or something she absolutely couldn't put down. It was just one of those little historical fiction books, about some sort of past time that involved pokemon, mystery, murder, suspense, comedy and romance and all the other goodies all bundled up into one. It was mind numbing, something she desperately needed after talking with her comatose brother, and it was a good time waster. Crossing her right leg over her left, her right foot rotated slowly, flexing in all directions as she read before she switched and did the same with the left foot before leaving it hanging, the book becoming rather interesting for a moment. And yet, try as she might it just didn't shake the lack of confidence trickling through her mind. She was a good leader. She knew that. But, somehow, it just wasn't enough to reassure her that she'd be able to handle the Gems without a power struggle. Biting on her lip, she kept the rest of her frustration invisible from anyone who might be looking at her and just kept on reading. Relax stupid. You're just fine. You're a good leader. They don't know about Rei, they don't know about Alarayne and they most definitely do not know about Koji. So everything is good.

Pushing the lip in her mouth side to side for a moment, she was interrupted in her thoughts by a small tug on her leg. Blinking, she didn't immediately see a cause for it and went back to reading. That is, until there was a tug again on her leg and this time it was just a tad bit stronger. An eye brow raised, she uncrossed her legs and peered down into what had to be the largest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. Her mouth forming an o, she stared at the small thing for a moment before that o shape turned into a slowly growing smile and a light blush which ended with the book put away and a Togepi pulled into her lap. Giggling softly, she looked down at the little one, obviously Khael's little Kisa, and bounced her sweetly, "Ki-sa-chaaaan? Are you looking for someone to play with mmm? Did you tell your Daddy you went to play? No? Well he can still see you..." She looked over in Khael's direction, chuckling at the half asleep male, "...so I think we're okay." Standing, she held the cute little thing out infront of her before she pushed the togepi up into the air, "Kisa-chan~! Kisa-chan~! Kisa-chan is flying~" Not caring what anyone thought, she sang to the little one softly, spinning her around gently in the air. She'd mind the little one. Khael needed the sleep.

 

[Eucliffe]

The lines were probably longer than Gale had anticipated. After all, the sign outside the department store did say "BIG BIG BIG SALE TODAY!!! COME AND CLAIM YOUR EVOLUTION STONES TODAY!!!" Definitely an eye catcher. Sighing, the "Silent Shadow" Sapphire waited patiently for almost an hour. When it was finally her turn, the clerk sighed, and Gale immediately assumed they were all out of evolution stones.

"I'm sorry, miss," the clerk moaned, "but we're all out of Water Stones. I know they're popular, but I didn't think they'd be THIS popular. That IS what you came for, right?" Gale lost her balance at the clerk's remark, then stood back up.

"Actually, I came for two Fire Stones..." Gale said, bobbing her head up and down while raising two fingers up in the air. The clerk looked at her strangely, then pulled out the Fire Stones. They cost 2400 together (it was half off), so Gale was able to make off with both. Finally able to get away from the longest of the long lines, Gale made way for Saffron's entrance. Once she got there, though, Gale immediately forgot where she was supposed to go. I doubt any of the other gems would find me and help me... she thought to herself.

Seeing how she could pass some of the time, she sat down right by the Silph Co. and pulled out her two Premier Balls. She opened the two of them, and out came the eager Growlithe and Vulpix.

"Ready for evolution, guys?" Gale asked. The two nodded in unison, and Gale took out the two stones, holding one in each hand. The two Fire types walked up to her, Kaen taking her left with Blaze taking her right, and immediately they were surrounded in a white light. Their form altered, and once the light vanished, they had fully evolved.

"Well, all's well that ends well. But it isn't over yet..."

(Oh, just noticed something:

Taken from I *think* two posts before your current one

Idiots with limited power think they can break the seals with force, aka, Lance and Archie, anyone else remember that nonsense with the orbs?

I think it was Kain quoting that, and I assume you meant Maxie?

If I'm getting to annoy you with my corrections, please let me know X_x I'm only trying to be helpful ><')

 

[Mika]

[OoC:

(Oh, just noticed something:

Taken from I *think* two posts before your current one

Idiots with limited power think they can break the seals with force, aka, Lance and Archie, anyone else remember that nonsense with the orbs?

I think it was Kain quoting that, and I assume you meant Maxie?

If I'm getting to annoy you with my corrections, please let me know X_x I'm only trying to be helpful ><')

Kay. o_o so. Yeah. Kain was quoting that and in actuality that was in reference to the Pokemon R/S/E anime arch when Archie got a hold of the orb and was all like SOULS. HAHAHAHAHAHA. WORLD DOMINATION. SOULS. AHHAHAHAHAHA

oO; The only people in this roleplay who know ANYTHING about Maxie at all are myself and Alter and possibly Kogenta. The only people. So please, stop making assumptions, and it's not just Pikataro, about the Maxie factor. It's a very very minor part right now. A VERY minor part.

And, as I think it's important, here's just a quick refresher on a term I think we should all take a moment to review, Metagaming. What is it? It's when a character knows something the player knows out of character that the character itself has no way in hell of knowing. I know, I know, the plot bunnies are jumping around in your heads but please, make sure it stays out of character or we're going to have some problems. x_x;

I don't mind corrections, I'm a flawed human being who makes mistakes just like Alter Ego and I like it when people bring them to my attention so I'm no longer flawed but the corrections need to be actual corrections. Please, to any and all of you, if you find what you believe to be a mistake, please bring it to my attention and please back up your claim with another quote of some sort. ^-^ I'm not mad at anyone and I'm not mad at you Pikataro so don't cower in fear of me or anything xD; I really am a nice person I swears.

Anywho, that wraps up this OoC.

PS: I won't be on pretty much at all next weekend, this is a week's notice, as I get to go see Wicked w/ Sonee Amii and Marsy. Yes. Yes I am cooler than you. ;D ]

 

[Alter Ego]

"Oh, I just wanted to give you a little update." Parse replied, noting the familiar voice on the other end of the line. Despite her annoying tendency to preach, Cynthia was - she had to admit - good at keeping up an act, dropping into her role like it was the most natural thing in the world, which was more than could be said for her prissy secretary, "I climbed our tentative route with my pokémon as discussed, and am pleased to report that I made it up to the ninth summit. The last stretch to the peak looks rather treacherous so I decided not to push my luck with it too far. In fact, I wanted to request a slightly larger group to make the attempt for me. It might take a failure or two before I find a workable path, and I'd rather the risk be on a group where odds of fatalities are slightly lower, I'm sure you understand." she took a pause, "I can count on you for that, right? There's no need to go overboard with a full-blown expedition, but a smaller party might well help make some progress on it. I'd love to come and guide you myself..." she added, mostly for the benefit of the bugs, "...but I have some rather important work coming up that will occupy my time for the near future, tentatively for as far as the next four months, so I'm afraid I'll have to restrict my assistance to counsel at this point in time. This is fine with you, I hope?"

Cynthia. Thank Arceus for Cynthia. There really weren't enough G-men with imagination beyond the level of your average shrub around, and the last thing she needed was to have her messages misinterpreted.

 

[Marsy]

[OOC:: Now, if I may be the cruious one and ask questions...

Pikataro, your posts have been confusing me. How/why is your character traveling outside of the Rocket base before the rest of the group? Bristol did something like that because he was given permission and then told to meet at the Saffron station. Everybody else was told to meet at 9:30 in the Rocket underground station inside the base (this was said several times in Mika's posts). Which is why I've been confused as to Gale's current location and how/why she is there when everybody but Bristol is supposed to be in the base.

Finally able to get away from the longest of the long lines, Gale made way for Saffron's entrance. Once she got there, though, Gale immediately forgot wheshe was supposed to go. I doubt any of the other gems would find me and help me... she thought to herself.

So you see, no, none of the other Gems will find her and help her because well...none of them are going to be there but Bristol who is far to occupied doing hilarious horrible things to Mr. Psychic.]

-------------

Kisa gurgled happily as she was spun and thrown around in the air. Who said the girl was bad? She was fun! Fun fun fun! Kisa quietly hoped that Khael didn't mind she had left, he was right there but he could be awfully protective of her sometimes...especially around some of the other Gems like those two girls; the icky one and the mean one. She was told not to go near them ever because bad things would happen! She made a face before giggling again at the thrill of being spun around. She always loved it when Khael did this, he would run and jump right with her. He was really fun. But so was Mika...Kisa wondered silently to herself if there were any other people in the group who would be fun to play with. Or their Pokemon! Sirene was fun to play with, there must be someone else with fun Pokemon too. Maybe Mika had fun Pokemon who would play with her! Yay!

Khael woke up suddenly. Did I seriously just fall asleep? Oh for the love of Lugia... He rubbed his head and winced, realizing he must have hit his head against the wall during his nap. Stretching up and yawning, he tried waking up a little more, reaching down to check on Kisa. He looked down at the pack and it took him a little bit to realize that the small Togepi wasn't there and that this wasn't good. He could almost feel the Dragonair in her ball glaring at him to go find that Togepi or perish under her wrath. Sirene was far to protective of the small Pokemon for the safety of his health.

"Crap crap crap crap..." He muttered hurredly under his breath, looking all around his things to see if she had just hid and fallen asleep. Nothing. Groaning slightly with his hands on his heads, trying to think, he looked around, finally spotting the small demon getting tossed up by none other than Mysterica. Wait...what? She was willingly playing with Kisa? The...Chosen...Well, that's a side of her Khael had not known about before this. It was a good thing he supposed, it gave someone else for Kisa to be adorable to rather than just him.

He walked over to the two witha plyful eyebrow raised at Kisa. Spotting him, she quickly covered her face with her little arms and pretended to be invisible, like a Ghastly. Khael couldn't help but chuckle at her little antics.

 

[Eucliffe]

(To tell the truth, I get epically lost in these long posts. Mainly because I usually read them while at school, where time is very limited X_x So yeah. I probably shouldn't be on my laptop looking over these things in school anyways, so... I'll get her back to the Rocket base.)

The sudden recollection of what she was to do hit Gale hard. Oh, shoot, what time is it? Gale painfully looked up at the towering clock back in Celadon. The big hand was on the three; the small one on the nine. Shoot, I need to be in the Rocket underground in the base by nine-thirty!!! How could I have forgotten??? Slapping herself in the head for her stupidity, Gale began to ponder how to get there. After all, it was in Viridian, and she had just left Celadon. Her best bet was to head to Saffron, then decide from there on out.

Back in Saffron, Gale looked around for ways of transportation. They're gonna be so mad at me, she thought. All this time I was thinking about getting a couple of Fire Stones, and I totally forgot about this meeting!!! Since when was I such a scatterbrain??? She walked around frantically, trying to figure out how to get there. She looked at one of her Premier Balls, the one containing Blaze. Should I, or should I not? she pondered. After all, he just evolved. I don't want this to be too big a burden on him... After a few more minutes, Gale looked at Saffron's clock, and noticed it said nine-twenty-two. I don't have any other choice, do I? Come on out, Blaze! The Arcanine took one look at her, and Gale motioned towards the clock.

"We only have a few minutes, but I don't think we'll make it in time, OK? So just take your time getting to Viridian, 'k?" Gale said to Blaze. The Arcanine then stared at her with utter confusion. "Oh, yeah..." Gale pulled out a map and showed it to him. "We are right...here..." She pointed to a spot that was in the middle of four towns. "And Viridian's over...here." She then moved her finger over towards a town, one that would take a long, winding path to get to. "Yeah. So... We just need to go there, OK?" Blaze gave a small nod, as if he were still unsure about what was going on.

(Yeah. Kinda short; I'm really sorry ><' I just did the best I could to get her back to the base.)

 

[Phanima]

Déjà vu. The situation felt irritably familiar. As expected, Emerald was the second to arrive, followed by the ever loose Jade. What really bothered her was the more than lax attitude that befell each of them, the Emerald voluntarily amusing Jade's irritable togepi while the Hot Shot himself had fallen asleep, out of all the times. It was clear to see, that the majority of the gems were still just kids, irritating, immature kids who were way over their heads.

But alas, they were organised in a sense, at least moreso than the other six gems due to arrive. Eyeing her attached and modified poketch, Seras skimmed its apps to verify the time, her brow furrowing at the amount already elapsed since the meeting's end and the current count of present gems. Surely they would prioritise the mission's urgency over personal effects. At least, that's what she hoped, not that she expected much mind.

Speaking of the mission, despite the inane and rehashed questions following the conference, her thoughts began to waver about a particular topic brought up within. The G-Men, led by the infamous Lance himself. Such a force they were to oppose was slightly off-putting. Sure she was overwhelmingly confident in her own abilities as a pokemon hunter but these people weren't famous for no reason. They were strong, undeniably, and despite being acknowledged as their Rocket equivalent, Seras still had her doubts, especially against a dragon tamer, a particular difficult job as it were already. Hopefully, beyond her brash and uncouth manner, Emerald's reputation as the leading gem would prove itself to be true and enough for the likes of the redhead.

Still, glancing over and seeing the seventeen-year-old fondle the delectable egg, she found it difficult to accept such a notion.

It was then that the faintest of rumblings resonated from the depths of the outbound tunnel, signalling their approaching transport. Readjusting her bag with one hand as she pocketed the other, the pokemon hunter returned to her stupor in wait.

OOC: *bear hugs and throws Mika, Mars and Pika into OOC thread* It was made for a reason no?

 

[Mika]

[OoC: Pikataro, please check the OoC board at your connivence before posting again. :3]

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Smiling, she leaned back in her chair, putting her feet up on her desk, "Oh my, that's rather sad. However, I do believe that for such a dastardly climb a medium group is the smallest I'm comfortable sending on such a expedition. Failure is a natural occurrence, it makes sense that you're allowing for a trial run before the actual climb. I agree completely and I will arrange a party according to your request. And it saddens me to hear that you've got other business to attend to. Four months you said? Might we steal you in two for a climbing conference? Your skill and expertise and all around knowledge would be very much appreciated, we ourselves have never been to the mountains in Johto, it would be a new, fascinating experience to hear about your travels." Passing around a couple of papers, she paused for a moment before starting again, "Oh, it seems that according to our records, you've gone on an expedition through Dark Cave before, is this correct? We have a larger group planning a trip there, would you be able to give counsel to that group at a later time, closer to their departure? They're a newer group out you see and while they're experienced climbers, they're not familiar with the area... If this is alright, we'll put you down for a consolatory call but this is all the information I need from you at this time. Have a pleasant day, I hear the weather is going to be gorgeous here, hopefully it's the same for you." After marking down Parse's response, she said her goodbyes and settled the phone back onto the register, a smile spreading across her face. Lance would be pleased. Parse had come up with a rather brilliant strategy, there would be no premonitions this time, it should go off without a hitch and end with a very happy Lance and a very weathly Parse. Ah, such things amused her too much for her own good...

Pressing the red call button, she leaned forward, "Melody? Summon Kei for me, if you wouldn't mind? Tell him I have a game for him to play..."

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She knew that the other gems that were slowly beginning to trickle in were more than likely perturbed by the fact their all powerful leader was playing with an egg but it went on one shoulder and off the other. Tossing the little scamp up and down and all around was the greatest way to forget stress and it wasn't the infant's fault that her Papa was so tired he couldn't play with her right now. Smiling, she dropped the Togepi onto her head softly, raising an eyebrow when the child suddenly hid her face, seemingly, at least from Mika's perception, disappearings. Uh Oh. Somebody was being invisibles!

Laughing, she pulled the togepi off her head, holding the squirmy muffin tight against her chest, "Oh my goodness Ki-sa-chan, did you come over to play without telling your daddy?" The still pretending to be invisible togepi said nothing, which was answer enough, "Oh my. Well, that'll never do." Looking up towards Khael she smiled just a little, looking from the togepi to his striken expression back to the togepi, "Did you lose something?" Laughing a little, she untangled the still invisible togepi from her arms and placed it on Khael's head. "It wasn't a bother, she was just bored and looking for someone to give her attention. I didn't mind. However." She wagged a finger at Khael, "Blah blah blah, don't leave your children unattended blah blah blah it's bad blah excetra blah." stretching her arms above her head, she turned, looking over her shoulder at Khael, "So did your nap help? You looked...rather dead. I didn't have the heart to wake you to be honest." While waiting for his response, the girl pulled the pokegear out from around her neck, checked the time, 9:19, before letting it drop back against her front, "Ten minutes to departure, you've got everything for both her and you, yes?"

 

[Alter Ego]

Parse couldn't help a small grin at her superior's words. Medium size just for a smokescreen operation, was it? She was out to give a real show, wasn't she? Done her homework on the seals too, by the sound of it, "I understand." she replied, "My schedule will probably be quite full, but I'm sure a small conference or at least consultation call can be negotiated into it. Mountain climbing is not something that should be attempted without proper preparation, after all. The weather around here has been a bit unsteady but I think it is starting to clear so I'm hoping for clear skies. Well, I must be going as well, so do call me to let me in on the results of the expedition. Bye now."

Parse's mood had improved significantly by the time she flicked her cellphone shut again, making a last mental checklist of the message to commit it to memory. So...Dark Cave would be the time she was expected to get involved, was it? Fine by her. Judging by the locations of the seals, that should grant her just about enough time to earn the Emerald's trust and hopefully learn whatever it was she had been so adamant about keeping secret as well. This game was still far from won as long as there were so many unknown factors to account for, but fortunately she wouldn't have to make her move just yet either. For now, all she had to do was play the role of the hard-assed but reliable strategist and keep her senses open; both things that came as naturally to her as breathing.

"Fifteen minutes to go..." the tactician mumbled idly as she drew her final preparations to an end and shouldered her full-size backpack, the smaller one from before secured to it by a set of straps, "...oh, how time flies."

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When she arrived at the train station a short while later, Parse was not particularly surprised to note that attendance was far from what it should have been. The teen mommies' club was at the site, at least, a relief of sorts. Though their manner had hardly improved before - the Emerald's baby coddling was particularly unsuitable considering her rank and Khael looked more like a napping homeless person than anything else - but at least the two seemed to have understood their positions in the group enough to not act as a bad example to potential latecomers, even if the Amethyst herself would sooner have had Seras - the only one present who carried herself with even a modicum of dignity - in charge of the expedition.

Oh well, she conceded for herself as she wordlessly took a seat next to the hunter, placing her backpack on the floor beside her, things like this couldn't be helped, and getting on the bad side of her only formal superior in this group would not help either of her missions.

"Rather quiet around here, isn't it?" the tactician remarked in Seras' general direction, procurring her notebook and pencil once more and quickly setting up an attendance list, duly marking Emerald, Jade, Amethyst and Amber as accounted for before allowing her glance to travel back to her watch. Nine minutes to go and the better half of the group unaccounted for. Her eyebrow twitched slightly, but she quickly calmed herself again. Quite clearly, there would have to be some changes around here, but that was fine. The subordinate she couldn't break down in a couple of months had yet to be born, and certain people were about to learn that the hard way, "And here I was hoping we could handle this without hassle."

 

[Marsy]

OOC:: as a note, I am updating the OOC thread with information about the roleplay in case you get lost or confused or just want to know what's going on/what has happened. So yeah, I'll try and update that on a regular basis to keep everything happy.

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Khael reached up to bring the Togepi into his arms even though Kisa was trying to be invisible still. He tickled her lightly, enough to get her to giggle and flail her little arms so she wasn't "invisible" anymore. "I thank you anyways, you didn't have to." He bowed his head slightly. Yeah, he could be a little egotistical, and even more commonly, hard-headed, but he knew how to be polite, no matter what Parse thought of him. He was going to pin her attitude on not being hugged enough as a child, that was always a good excuse. Then again, with her, she probably didn't want to be hugged as a child. Khael mentally glared at the two women, Parse and Seras, both of whom his Togepi was going nowhere near. Ever.

Taking a tentative seat next to the Emerald, assuming the light conversation would allow for it, Khael furrowed his brows as he looked around, absentmindedly rocking the yawning Togepi. Apparently Kisa had exhausted herself in her adventures with Mysterica. "Why do you think there are so few of us here? There's only a little more than five minutes left before the train is supposed to arrive and three of our group that is supposed to be here, isn't." They had been given two hours to prepare and get down here and three were still missing--Garnet, Rhinestone, and Sapphire. Not that he had any particular ties to them, but they were part of the group and not having them here meant they were going to run late, which meant Parse was going to have a heyday with them.

Kisa yawned sleepily as Khael rocked her. Yes, he was definitely envious of the fact that she could sleep anytime, but that was what the train rides were for. Traveling was good for that sort of thing. He did hope those three got here soon, or there was going to be hell to pay.