ROCKET BATTLE LOG

[indigo_league]

As the clock nears 10 PM on Saturday, the manor (or the parts of it that people aren’t blocked off from, anyway) is completely abuzz with speculation and gossip. What could Lance possibly be planning to announce? And why haven’t any of the Elite Four even been around? They’re fairly reclusive, but it’s safe to say that everyone is at least a little curious, if not actively suspicious.

But it’s time for the big reveal, so manor staff are bustling around, reminding everybody to be in the ballroom in a few minutes for Lance’s important unveiling of… well, whatever it is he’s unveiling! The staff all seem pretty excited, so it must be big, right?

There’s been plenty of room to dance and move around in the Ballroom until now, but with everybody packed in there at once, the space is a little tighter. Especially with the small stage and podium set up in the middle. As the last (or seemingly last, assuming there aren’t any carefree stragglers who didn’t bother turning up on time) person is ushered in by staff, complete with whispers of "Psst! Hurry up, it’s almost time!", the door to the ballroom is shut and the lights dim slightly, sending a hush over the audience.

After some fumbling from whoever’s in charge of the lights (... wait, is that Captain Garfield and his Rattata up there? He’s a theater tech too?! That guy must REALLY be a jack of all trades!), a spotlight flips on and centers on the podium, where the head staffer (who might be recognized as the one with the terrible hipster mustache who’s been doing a PARTICULARLY egregious amount of schmoozing and sucking-up to trainers over the course of the party) is stepping up to the podium.

He clears his throat.

"Welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen! On behalf of the Elite Four, we’re all so happy you could join us! We hope you’ve all been having as good a time as we have, because I’ve got to say, I think this is our best party yet!"

He looks around at the assembled trainers eagerly, as though anticipating unanimous agreement.

When there’s an impatient buzz (and a shout of "Get on with it already!" from someone) instead, he laughs awkwardly.

"Oh, yes, well, we’re all here for one reason, right? To see what Lance has brought you all here for! Well, folks, as you can see, he’s not here with us right now… He’s had a bit of a-- how shall we say… an accident! So sad, I know! But fortunately, he’s graciously allowing us to make his announcement for him. Which is…"

On cue, the spotlight turns stark red. If anyone has the presence of mind to look, Captain Garfield's Rattata is holding a bit of red plastic filter in front of it.

But chances are, everyone’s attention is probably going to stay on the stage, because the guy at the podium literally just RIPPED HIS CLOTHING OFF DRAMATICALLY, revealing… yes… a very, very familiar black-and-red uniform underneath.

It’s followed immediately by more ripping sounds as other staff and even some partygoers scattered throughout the audience follow his lead, and the telltale noises and flashing of Pokemon being released from their balls. And many voices, all yelling at once...

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE! AND MAKE IT DOUBLE!!"

The music shifts.

OOC Notes: The number of characters who must participate in the battle to call it a success is 37! In order to keep track, once you have made your first comment to this post (either a toplevel or a tag to someone else!), please bring it to the CHECK IN THREAD by 10 PM EST tomorrow! YOUR COMMENT MUST BE POSTED TO THIS THREAD IN ORDER FOR IT TO COUNT TOWARDS THE TOTAL.

GUESS WHAT GUYS?

glittertextmaker.info

OOC notes: Here it is, the part where your characters get to explore the Rocket Base and discover its secrets! Maps of each level will be posted in this top post as they are opened up, with blacked out sections being revealed as obstacles are cleared. Obstacle clearing will be based on total comment count to any mod comment with a count listed, whether those comments are contained in a single thread or spread out over multiple different ones. As many people can comment to an obstacle or base level as wish to, for as long as they want, even after it has been cleared. There are a total of two obstacles (including the first one) which are triggered by character actions we will be watching for!

Anyone who wants to thread anything out in the base or mansion during the time characters are trapped (and who doesn't want to use this log for whatever reason) is free to make their own network/action posts with whatever they like! But mods will not be coming around to those with interaction, and they will not count towards clearing obstacles.

Questions? Ask them HERE!

NOTE FOR ITEM RNG: In order for the mods to give out your item, your character must be actively looking through the loot piles in whatever tag you'd like us to respond to with your item! Items can also be given out in the middle of an existing thread between characters, whenever they get around to searching the piles! The header does not have to be in your toplevel.

Links List

Level One



OBSTACLE - KEY CARD (CLEARED)

OBSTACLE - CONVEYOR BELT HELL (CLEARED)

Level Two



Level Three



ELITE 4 JAIL

OBSTACLE - FREE THE LEGENDARY

Comments

SECRET BASE LEVEL TWO

[indigo_league]

[The terrified shrieks of the rustled Rocket Grunt echo through the new rooms the warp brings you to - though, you’d do well to remember which warp you took to get in here in the first place, because this sure is WARP PAD HELL. Can anyone keep track of what warp leads where? It’s likely not even the Rockets can, but that Grunt from before sure is trying his best, because if you happen to spot him, it’s only as he steps onto the next pad to the next room!

What’s even in here? Well, that main long room you first warp into is chock full of cages where Pokemon native to the waters and forested areas of Tojo Falls have been locked up - so THAT’S where they were! Poor things look absolutely miserable, too. Surely you wouldn’t be as cold-hearted as to leave any of these Pokemon to become slaves to Team Rocket:

Electrike, Castform, Frillish, Rufflet, Vullaby, Shuppet, Pawniard, Roggenrola, Makuhita, Huntail, Gorebyss, Foongus, Poliwrath, Kingdra, Throh, Sawk, Gothita, Beldum, Swalot, Quilfish, Relicanth, Lotad, Slakoth, Spoink, Bibarel, Carvahna, Dwebble, Mantyke

These Pokemon will all be anywhere between Levels 20-30.

While all of these are awesome and rare creatures, we do ask that trainers who wish to bring any home limit themselves to one Pokemon per character. After all, these are wild Pokemon who would most likely want to return to their homes, and it’d be poor form to poach Pokemon that other poachers have poached. There is also a small machine at the end of the room that dispenses anti-vertigo medication...for P100 per two pill packet. What, Team Rocket’s gotta make money!

Some rooms are home to quite a few rows of old, clunky computers, the likes of which you’d have thought would surely be out of commission by the 1990’s. They seem to be stuck on the same kind of maze screensaver - maze-merizing, isn’t it? There is also a Rocket Rec Room with a beat-up sofa, a dinged up fooseball table, an air hockey table that will not work no matter what you do to it, a warp with a sign indicating that it leads to the bathroom (and it does, in fact, bring you to a small bathroom, freshened by the most disgruntled Spritzee and containing ONE HECK OF A BIDET) and...an inflatable pool that’s half deflated. And full of plastic balls. Like a ball pit. A sign has been posted on the wall above it that declares it as “NAUGHTY ROCKET JAIL”. Do...do you even wanna know?

There is one Pokemon here that ISN’T sad and in a cage. There seems to be a Clefairy bouncing around the base...but he isn’t catchable, so he must belong to someone. All attempts to capture or reason with the Clefairy will be rebuffed, because this is one angry little pink marshmallow. What is he so angry about? Who knows, but he’s liable to give you a Pound attack right in the knee and run off to a warp if you approach.



There IS an exit, though, and it’s possible to find it. It just takes determination!]

This level will take 30 comments to clear.

The Cage Room

[rambling_runner]

Ash is horrified. Everything he had ever said about this place being free and an adventure and here...here are these poor creatures, in tight, small, wire cages. Tears well up in his eyes...and then he's pissed.

He is so fucking angry.

He was going down the rabbit hole to find out what was going on but this? This is way more important right now. He looked around for a crowbar or a key to bust open the cages. Care to help him?

[thenightsky]

Ash isn't the only one pissed off. In fact, a certain Prince is furious. If there's one thing that Noctis absolutely can't stand, it's animals being treated poorly.

This? This is going to be the reason he kicks the ass of the next Team Rocket member he sees.

He's already managed to get a few cages open with Shepard's help, the Lycanroc--for once--not looking perpetually amused by everything. There are a couple Pokemon trailing behind them as they move along the cages, mostly for safety purposes, but one particular little fellow that was injured is cradled in Noct's arm.

A small little Dwebble.

"Hey! Ash!" Noct calls out as Shepard breaks another cage open, allowing the Spoinks inside to hop out. "Want some help?"

fuck this machine in particular

[pipers_son]

[After freeing a little unsure Roggenrola who is now tripping over itself to follow after Angel the Mime Jr, Joker and his entourage of Pokemon have now all gathered around the medicine machine.]

P100 for just a couple of pills!? That's bleedin' highway robbery, is what it is! Alright, that's it-

[And oh, are you nearby? Because, uh, you'll want to heed his warning here-]

Yer gonna wanna stand back for a couple minutes.

[cyan_maid]

[Jane happens to be nearby! She blinks rapidly, trying to get Joker back into focus after the warps have, once again, thrown her for a loop. Ooph, thank goodness she didn't get tipsy before now...]

Stand back? What...

Cages

[bertall]

<sub>[If Bertolt didn't already dislike the Rockets, this sure as hell would do it.

His first instinct is to stare in horror, but a gentle nudge from the Arcanine at his heels snaps him out of it. In a heartbeat, he backs up towards the doorway and peers back down the hall--]</sub>

H-Hey! Somebody! Anybody! We need help!

[schachmeister]

We'll have to get them out.

[And really, for the first time sine arriving here, Armin wishes he had his gear. He was no good with it overall, trailing pathetically in the standings and only barely managing to get through the final exam, but even one of the blade in his hand should've been enough to knock through those locks.

Instead they'll have to depend on their pokemon for this.]

Which pokemon did you bring today?

[dreamsofahero]

*for what it's work, within seconds of seeing the room Sion's sicced no fewer than three of his party on those locks, clearly intending to break them free as quickly as possible*

Even for lowlifes, to go this far...

*seriously, is it that much work to catch pokemon legitimately?*

Cage Room

[brokencode]

[Forcing Angel to look at caged creatures was the fastest way to bring her to tears, or at least close to them. The second she saw them, Angel was shouldering her way through the crowd. Skagbait followed closely behind, and both of them knelt before a caged fish with troubled looks.]

[Used to whatever abuse had been hurled at her, the Gorebyss was quick to lash out, slashing this way and that with her sharpened nose. The Lucario quickly shoved her trainer backward, taking the brunt of the assault with little trouble. After a moment, she brought a bone club down onto the lock of the cage, determined look in her eyes.]

[It was easy to see that her dear trainer was upset by the sight. Best to alleviate the strain by helping free the creature.]

[schachmeister]

This is just unbelievably cruel.

[Armin had followed her when she had pushed through the crowd. This display was sickening enough on its own --and it made his stomach twist to think of Ambrose caged somewhere like this-- but to her this would be even worse, wouldn't it? A very stark reminder of her own past.

Assured that Angel is protected by her Lucario, Armin allows his good eye to trail over the almost endless looking rows of cages. Naturally he had known Team Rocket was nothing good, but having never been directly subjected to any of their scheming before, it had been easier to dismiss them as not that bad, perhaps even bumbling and useless like those clowns during Halloween had been. This though-- this made the reality of their work more than clear. Not bumbling and useless. Cruel. Very very cruel.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa's mostly hung back so far, as she wasn't really one of the people who delved deep into exploring whatever odd event they've been sucked into at a given time. But when she follows some members of the group into the cage room.... god. Her stomach turns.

She approaches the tanks with the water pokemon, close to where Angel is, and presses a hand against the glass of a tank housing an agitated Kingdra. The Pokemon headbutts the glass, used to the abuse much like the Gorebyss that caught Angel's attention, but Elsa doesn't flinch away. She just looks heartbroken.]

This is terrible. I knew Team Rocket stole pokemon, but I didn't know this is what they do with them....

Cage room

[charcoalfeather]

[Oh. Well.

If Rakka wasn't sure about these Rockets before, their actions now were firmly cementing them in the "No" section of her CR. Stepping off the warp pads had already made her dizzy, but seeing all of these pokemon in cages made her even sicker.

She kneels down beside one, looking at the poor Dwebble stuck inside the cramped space. Bright, her Espurr, eyed the lock. Somehow, Rakka knew she was feeling something similar to her.

Bright? Could you...?

[Rakka needn't say anymore. Bright was already psychic-ing the lock, turning tumblers, opening it carefully...]

Cage Room

[kissmyaspis]

[One would think, given Athena's initial disregard for the Pokemon and how she only seems to think of Pandoran beasts as things to slaughter, that this wouldn't affect her. But something just makes her feel so... wrong. Maybe it's how miserable they look, locked up in cages that are clearly too small for some. Maybe it's just the implications, of these pokemon unwillingly pulled from their homes in the wild, not like their own companions who were happy to come with them.

Creatures pulled away from their homes, from the places they belonged, to be cruelly used by a shadowy organization bent on conquering everything...]

God... damnit.

[Yeah she's not even bothering to direct any of her pokemon to break the cages. She'll just stomp right over to the nearest cage, housing a somewhat jittery-looking Pawniard, and begins slamming her boot against the lock. It looks like it probably hurts, but she keeps doing it anyway! The force of her kick and the steel sole and heel of her boot eventually break the lock, and she nudges the door open with her foot, wincing only slightly.]

Okay... come on.

[The pawniard looks shocked, and looks from Athena to Typhon and Xiphos (whom she released moments before warping down here), before practically clinging to the woman, who... looks startled, but doesn't kick it off. Y.... yay, new friend...?]

[notvaljean]

Remind me never to piss you off.

[Jean had already figured that out pretty well, but this display just reinforces it. He trots up behind Athena, with the ever-present Blitz at his heels, but also accompanied by a very large, very angry Gyarados.]

Fisch here can bite through the cages; want to help me line them up so he can do it faster? Some of them are too heavy to move on my own.

[Which is a nicer way of saying stop kicking the cages, Athena, you're going to hurt your foot. By the looks of it, Jean and Fisch have already busted some Pokemon free, since Fisch's mouth has some metal splinters hanging out of it and Jean is carrying a small, goofy looking Pokemon in one arm.]

You don't happen to have a water bottle, do you?

[The little Lotad in Jean's arm is dehydrated and drooping, and Jean doesn't want to put her in a ball without some hydration first.]

[dreamsofahero]

[Cage Room]

Really, Sion didn't hesitate more than half a second before his initial surprise turned to anger buried under an expressionless facade.

"Dusk. Valiant. Mel. Cut them free."

His team was already responding before his deathly calm command was finished, slicing and slashing at locks to release as many of the caged pokemon as possible. Clearly someone didn't approve of this sort of thing at all.


[Pill Dispenser Machine]

On the other hand, while Sion was feeling fine, he could see that others might not be so fortunate. And might not have as much change to spare as he did.

"I suppose if anyone needs one, let me know."

[tearsofademon]

[So a second Absol and a Clefairy are coming over to help your team chop locks, with scythes and magical leaves. And without any vocal directions, either. Because neither Jehra nor Rose are very happy to see these cages.

'Sup, Ryner did follow after all. Eventually. He still has the smoke bombs from earlier. And his own emotions are hidden as best he can, though you can... probably tell how he feels about this...]

We're not gonna like whatever it is that guy said they're keeping further down, are we.

[he assumes there must be a further down, stolen 'mons aren't that kind of top secret Big Deal...]

Warp Pads - Clefairy

[notmyrealname]

"That was really uncalled for," Cissnei said as she knelt on the ground, rubbing at the shin of bent leg as she frowned after the little Clefairy that had taken off towards one of the warp pads. Beside her, her Furfrou--Shuriken--was growling protectively while a Shuppet huddled on her back.

And then there was Reno. Who was taking off after the Clefairy.

"Reno! Stop!" She'd been too slow in her attempt to grab him which left her taking off after him with a slight limp, Shuriken and the Shuppet in tow as they made for one of the warp pad the Clefairy had taken.

Rocket Rec Room

[agent3]

[Okay what the heck is with the warps here? Thida toddles and wavers on her feet as the latest one she rode lets her free...and flops right into Naughty Rocket Jail.

Considering the small girl in a sequined dress is not a Rocket and is groaning, holding her head, you can say that's definitely an accident. But uh...somebody has hella vertigo.]

[rosehecate]

[Anthy had dragged considerably behind the others exploring the base, but now? Now, with all these cages surrounding her, Pokemon crying out and clawing out to get free...a terrible chill runs through her. She trembles. Junior, still perched on her shoulder, seems to notice his trainer's deeper emotions, and he pales considerably.

Anthy, what are you going to-]

We have to get them out. We - we must.

[Eyes sharp and cold, she comes towards the cages, looks at the doors...does she still have some bobby pins on her? A hand carded through her hair says yes, and she starts, one by one, to jam the pin into each lock until it gives, setting the Pokemon free - if this was what her night's worth of anxiety was for, then by God she would make it amount to nothing.

At the very least, a male Frillish she releases ends up following after her as she goes down the row. Might want to make her aware of that.]

[rambling_runner]

Ash ended up making his way to her as he tried to help force open the cages too. Danny was helping, smashing the locks with an open palm while Ash had somehow managed to find an iron pole and was bringing it down on the doors to weaken, if not break them open. He paused when he saw Anthy, sharing a serious look with her. Then smiling when he saw her handiwork.

"I didn't know you could pick locks."

The Cage Room

[yoyoboy]

[He heard of animal abuse, but this is crossing the line! Out of all Pokemon he sees in cages, the green, canine Pokemon trying to howl in an attempt to send help made him completely pissed off at how these Team Rocket grunts are treating them.

Right now, you can see him trying to find a way to free the poor Pokemon as his Noibat and his Pikipek tried to use their attacks to help him.

Maybe you should try helping him out.]

[gainedlove]

Clefairy chase!

[Frisk hasn't been phased too much by the teleport pads--shortcuts feel much the same, and they stopped feeling dizzy from those after a few resets. They'd been quick to help set the caged Pokemon free, and had been busily doing that until a Clefairy wanders by.]

Oh! Hi there, 're you lost? We can help you out!

[They reach out to offer a hand, but with an angry cry of 'Fair!!' they get a firm smack of Pound right in the nose and go toppling backward.]

Ow--! H-hey, wait!

[Frisk scrambles up to their feet just in time to see the angry pink bit of fuzz disappear through a teleport pad. They don't even think before taking off after it, leading to a...well, a rather predictable yakety-sax scene. Someone has to MERCY this poor little thing, after all!]

Screensavers

[Sometime later Frisk can be found in one of the computer rooms. They'd been looking around for anything of use and starting to build a mental map of which shortcut leads where, but the screensaver seems to have them a bit mesmerized for the moment. They've sat down in a chair to watch it go, and their team is taking a rest all around them--this kid is hard to keep up with!]

[They also, uh...don't seem to have noticed the rather hasty bloody nose they've got going on, and they've earned a hell of a black eye somehow. Anyone got a first aid kit?]

CLEFAIRY CHASE

[better2do]

Frisk-

[Asriel had been with his friend, of course - sickened by all the Pokemon in cages, urging Moon to help him open them, following Frisk dutifully. It's been a while since he's used his old shortcuts, but they never left him dizzy like this - it was all burrowing in the ground, after all - and so he just barely regains his senses to see his friend get a Pound to the face. He goes over, tries to help Frisk to their feet...

And wow, there they go again. Asriel sets off to join the chase immediately.]

Frisk! Wait!

[You need someone to do a CHECK and to provide ITEM we need to team up for this!!!]

cage room

[purramedic]

[Tonight keeps getting worse. Right when Anders thinks he can't get any angrier with Team Rocket, he happens upon all these creatures caged up in some cellar, and it strikes a chord in him that takes a few moments to overcome. He's frozen in place, in anxiety or fury or both, before he gathers himself. Then the only thing stopping him from wringing the nearest Rocket's neck is the distinct lack of any in the vicinity.

His hands are shaking with ire when he finally calls out Dog Two and directs him to bite through the bars of some cages with Fire Fang. It may be that DT doesn't want to or simply can't obey him, or it may be that they're more in tune than either thinks, but the Arcanine doesn't follow the order. Instead, he snarls and begins thrashing around in an Outrage, rattling the cages and posing a very real danger to anyone caught in his path.]

Dog, what are you doing? Stop! You're going to hurt them!

[The fit is a shock to Anders, and the best he can do while the Arcanine carries on is try to stabilize the upset enclosures and minimize damage to the Pokemon inside them, and to call out warnings to anyone within range of the Pokemon's attacks.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Heather's sore, dizzy, exhausted... and above all else, angry.]

[She's not alone in feeling this way, of course-- especially at the sight of all those caged Pokemon, everyone is upset. Even sickened (literally. That vertigo, oof.)]

[But while she's more or less been able to contain her temper up to this point... after brawling, riding those stupid conveyor belts, and warping around willy-nilly until SOMEHOW reaching the rec room.... she loses it now.]</sub>

This is such-- _{[her words are emphasized by a 'thunk' as she kicks the cruddy couch.]}-- bullshit!

They drag us all here, make us fight, lead us on this stupid wild goose chase, and it wasn't even a good party!!

_{[Another kick-- this time her foot goes straight through the couch material and she hops and curses until she can get it free again. But now she's made up her mind. EYE FOR AN EYE Y'ALL]}

FUCK it, who wants to help me carry all this shit outta here?!

_{[She snatches the edge of the semi-deflated ball pit whether or not anyone immediately answers her, and starts dragging the entire thing (with some difficulty) towards the nearest warp.]}

Hope you like being STOLEN from, you Rocket fucks!