victory_road | How Team Rocket stole Christmas...

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How Team Rocket stole Christmas...

'Twas six days before Christmas and all through their base
All the Rockets were working, putting their plans into place...

Just because there has been an absence of huge heists and explosions, doesn't mean Team Rocket has taken some time off from crime for the holidays. Everything but, in fact!

Under the eye of Jennies and gym leaders everywhere, Team Rocket has been putting their new dastardly plans into action by replacing every mall Santa and Elf (and boy, are there a lot of mall Santas and Elves this time of year!) with their own grunts and privates. Their goal? To scope out all the malls, shopping districts, and shopping centers in the two regions in preparation for the Saturday before Christmas, which just so happens to be the biggest shopping day of the year. No other day in the year has stores just so absolutely glutted with cash and valuables, registers and store safes overflowing with money. Plus there is all that yet unsold merchandise. Really, it just begs for someone to come and steal it.

Doing so would be the heist of the year, the talk of the season and who else but Team Rocket would be able to pull it off?

Of course, being that this is Team Rocket, they cannot help but want both the fortune and the fame. (Or is that infamy?) When you go big, you gotta go loud, and that is exactly what Team Rocket plans to do right at the biggest, busiest, most valuable market of them all: The Goldenrod City Christmas Market.

(Plus if everybody's attention is drawn to Goldenrod City where they've stationed their best and brightest, all the other Rocket members across the two regions will certainly be able to get away with their far more silent dastardly deeds with that much more ease)

Even among Christmas Markets, The Goldenrod City Christmas Markets is something special. There is no market more festive or more beautifully decorated. Winding through a part of town (having outgrown its old stadium home), the various stalls and shops sell valuables that cannot be bought anywhere else; valuable TMs, precious held items, even items like fossils and gems, Goldenrod has it all.

And soon. Team Rocket will have it all.

If a series of people in balaclava masks, heavy coats, and warm hats begin to filter into the Christmas Market as the evening wears on… well, it is the biggest shopping day of the year. And with the December chill nipping at everybody's noses and ears, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be warm while you shop… right?

---

Towards the end of the evening, as shoppers slowly start leaving for home, their wallets a lot lighter than when they arrived, the various intercoms that have been playing non-stop Christmas music for the last few weeks suddenly cut out with a strangle crackle. The bright and merry Christmas lights suddenly cut out, leaving the market flooded in darkness.

What's happening? A power outage? Did someone forget to pay the power bill?

But no, it's worse. Much worse.

“Prepare for trouble…
… and make it double...
You better watch out
We’re making you cry
Don’t make us shout
We’re telling you why
Team Rocket is coming to town!”

Dozens upon dozens upon dozens of warmly dressed market-goers suddenly throw off their coats, balaclavas and hats, revealing their Team Rocket uniforms underneath! The lights come back on again, but unlike the cheery twinkling of before, they are all a harsh red now.

Red like the Rocket R that has suddenly appeared everywhere. Even as many of the Rockets are swooping in to steal every TM, battle item, and cashbox that isn’t nailed down, other Rockets are putting Team Rocket’s mark on their surroundings: banners with the Rocket R (which had been hidden very cleverly within other decorations) are suddenly unfurled while the speakers blare something that is definitely not Christmas music. Even the large Christmas Tree at the centre of the market is a target, as a few grunts use their Psychic pokemon to tear the delicate beautiful ornaments of the tree, replacing them with the Rocket symbol.

And while there are always some guards and Jennies at the market, they are quickly surrounded by Rocket privates who deal with them with almost terrifying precision. It's as if they knew exactly what pokemon these Jennies were going to bring and made sure to tailor their teams to that.

With the Jennies dealt with, the chaos is complete. Who can help us now?

Who can save (the Saturday before) Christmas?

---

And as Goldenrod descends into Rocket chaos, all those who remained at home or who are out on the road will be treated to a very unusual visitor.

His arrival is heralded by the sound of sleigh bells, growing ever closer until suddenly you can spot it: a sleigh. And not just any sleigh. It’s the same sleigh you must have seen over and over in the past few weeks, gracing every advertisement, window display and Christmas decoration. It’s pulled by a singular Stantler which dashes through the air, its hooves skimming the clouds as it guides the sleigh lower and lower until it touches down onto the ground in front of your character (or, should you be inside, onto the roof). The single occupant of the sleigh rises, a massive red-clad man with an equally massive beard, and it is him, the OG (Original Gift-maker).

Santa’s jolly face is uncharacteristically serious as he extends a thickly gloved hand, his voice lacking its normal grandfatherly cheer.

“Trainer with your poke-might
Won’t you help me fight tonight?”

---

Event FAQ

What if my character does not want to help Santa?

Santa will understand. He'll look a little sad, but he will understand. He will depart, though he will give characters a candy cane before he goes.

Wait, is Santa giving us a lift to Goldenrod, then?

Yep! He can do that for everyone at the same time, because Santa is magic like that.

My character wants to help Santa, but they are not a fighter!

Not to worry! Even if your character is not a fighter, Santa can really use their help. You see, today Santa isn't just carting around gifts in his sleigh -- a quick reach into his sack will reveal First Aid kits and potion packs.

For anyone who wants to help out, but who aren't good at fighting, Santa would really appreciate it if they would be willing to help support others who are doing the fighting, and help heal any of the pokemon or people who may have gotten hurt by Team Rocket's shenanigans.

My character wants to help Santa and is willing to fight, but they don’t have any high level pokemon!

Worry not! Santa will provide! For everyone who wants to fight, but only has low-level pokemon, Santa will lend out two (2) of his little helpers: a Jynx in a fur-lined red dress and a Shiny Galar Zigzagoon (adorably candy-striped in red and white.) Both Pokemon are Level 60. Sadly, these are just on loan and Santa will need them back when the fight is over, but they will pose for selfies with you on request.

What about the non-Goldenrod locations? Is Santa sending anyone to fight off the Rocket operatives there?

They’re being taken care of by the Pokemon League, Gym Leaders, and all kinds of trainers from this world. Which doesn’t mean Team Rocket won’t steal some of what they’re aiming for anyway. It just means the other locations won’t be completely defenseless.

I have a Rocket character. Where are they supposed to be during this?

At the Christmas Market, of course! They’re one of the ‘best and the brightest.’

Wait, so when Team Rocket says they’re ‘stealing Christmas’ what they actually mean is that they’re robbing a bunch of places at once on the biggest shopping day of the year and taking over the Christmas Market?

Well, yeah. Did you think they were gonna go the Full Grinch? Nah. Raiding the cashboxes is way more profitable.

So, uh, how are we getting home again?

Time to walk-- No, no. Santa wouldn't do that to people. After everything has been dealt with, he'll give people a lift back to where he picked them up. Unless they'd much rather remain in Goldenrod City, in which case, that is fine too.

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Sylvain blinks. He hadn't realized that he'd taken it too far -- it hadn't felt any further than the rest of his casual comments. But he's willing to chalk it up to being nerves running high. It's been a long night, and that was on top of the long day of travel.

It can't possibly be anything more than that.

"Right, moving on then?"

Clearing his throat, he motions for Claude to move ahead, and then for Felix to do so as well. As the swordsman passes, he tries to catch his eyes, to ask with his face alone what seemed to be the problem.

Mostly, though, he's trying to take care of business. Once again, he's content taking up the back, protecting them from any any attacks from behind.

Felix can't tell whether Claude's apologies are sincere or just an attempt to placate, and he's not about to ask. The excuses he gives seem flimsy, given that the jokes had nothing at all to do with his asinine plan, but Felix meant it when he said Sylvain was right--Claude needs to get out of that uniform before someone else sees him and brings more trouble their way.

So he follows the others, steadfastly ignoring the fact that walking directly behind Claude makes it way too easy to watch the way his hips and backside sway in that stupid skirt. Fortunately, it's not that hard to ignore while he's on the lookout for enemies and incoming problems, and he pushes all of Claude's...whatever this is to the back of his mind.

Meeting Sylvain's eyes as he passes, he just shakes his head with an irritated look--'forget it,' the gesture says, or perhaps 'not now.'

"They definitely have," Claude agrees with a slightly strained smile to Dimitri. 'Quieted down' is right, but honestly, Claude isn't even referring to the market. Sylvain and Felix aren't saying much of anything as they move, and Claude's apology doesn't seem to have smoothed things over any - or, at least, not nearly enough. There's an uncomfortable tension in the air, and Claude desperately wants to break it.

Even if it opens himself up to some ~~likely deserved~~ getting yelled at.

"You know, Sylvain," he says brightly, once they reach the alley and slip into it; he finds the woman whose outfit he's borrowed is still there, tied up and covered, clearly undisturbed. Good. "I owe you a drink. That potion you gave me really saved my hide...although I don't think I used it quite the way you intended."

Something strange is going on... Dimitri understands the silence that comes with focus, especially on a battlefield. He understands it intimately, as a matter of fact. Ever since his childhood, he's had to get used to such a silence, even when it is not a true 'silence'.

Whatever is going on here... Isn't it. However, knowing that it's not what it seems can only help him so much. He doesn't truly understand what brought it about, after all. And if he doesn't know that, then how on earth can he help?

Dimitri just wields his walking stick and follows Knocker, although relief passes over his expression when Claude speaks up. Ah. A distraction.

...Wait-

"I knew I should never have left you out of my sight," Dimitri sighs. "What did you do with it?"

That isn't good. Even at some of Sylvain's worst moments, he has at least been able to charm at least a half smile out of Felix, or at least the verbal equivalent. The fact that he hasn't been called a fool, an idiot, or anything of that ilk was incredibly alarming.

He's a little distracted, staring holes into Felix's back and hoping he might be able to find answers there, so he doesn't respond to Claude right away. When he does, there's a look of confusion, before he finally seems to process what's being said.

"Dare I ask what you decided to do with it instead?"

[Of all of them, Felix is perhaps the most used to tense silences, mainly because he's usually the one causing them. So this isn't that strange to him, and he doesn't care to change it. What would he say, anyway? 'Gee, Claude, you seem awfully comfortable talking to Sylvain like you're casual lovers'? Felix would die first.

Claude's attempt at lightening the mood seems obvious to him, but he just ignores it. No doubt he's going to say he did something incredibly stupid with the potion that just happened to work out, because that seems to be Claude's MO for everything, and Sylvain will laugh and Dimitri will chide him and they'll all move on with the mission, and only Felix will be left to question in silence.

As usual.]

Edited 2021-01-09 08:52 (UTC)

"Well, this Rocket guy cornered me." Claude removes his hat, setting it down on a nearby box. "I tried to bluff my way out of it, thinking he was going to lose interest, but it just wasn't cutting it with him. I told him I wasn't fighting anyone because my team was all knocked out, so he told me to go steal some Revives...and when I told him I couldn't do that because my team was all knocked out, he actually escorted me to a shop himself. Said he'd cover me.

"So," Claude continues, even as he starts stripping out of the shirt, "I didn't want to actually commit a crime, or help him commit a crime. But I didn't have a good way to break away from him, either. And I really didn't want to get in a fight. But then I remembered I still had that Potion, so..." He emerges again as he pulls the shirt off, hair tousled even more than before, grinning sunnily in Sylvain's direction. "I sprayed it in his eyes and bolted. Gave me just enough of a head start to lose him in the crowds."

The night is winding down... Knocker hardly has to snap at any bandit running past her, which means it's really just using her newfound bulk to get everyone moving out of the way. As they settle into the alley, Dimitri shifts back to be more near the entrance, and listens as Claude starts to speak.

Somehow... He's not particularly surprised at the tale he weaves. Leaning against a wall, one of the Rattata perching on his head for an even better view while Knocker curls around his feet, he sighs. "He's going to recall your face now no matter what..." His gaze drifts through the crowds and over to Felix... Felix, still quiet and frowning. Dimitri frowns himself, and pushes away from his perch to lean a little more in his direction.

...This would be easier if he knew what to say again, honestly.

At least Sylvain has the decency to laugh at the story. Maybe he feels a little bad for having complicated things a bit more by forcing him to have steal revive, but it had panned out in the end it seemed.

He looks to the other men, waiting for one of them to join him in his mirth. When it fails, he... quiets down and tries to at least avoid frowning.

"So what if he does. We won't let him get near Claude anyway. We have to keep our Master Tactician safe."

Sometimes, Felix hates being right. In fact, he usually hates it, because he's usually right about the worst things.

He takes up a position against the opposite wall of the alley from Dimitri with Varley, eyes on the crowd rather than on Claude or any of the others until he senses movement and turns to glance at Dimitri, who is looking at him.

"What."

Called out. Ah. Dimitri pauses, not having truly thought this far, and not really in much of a mind for a good answer, either. Still, he has to say something.

"I was thinking..." Dimitri glances away, to try and get his brain together, except that means his eye lands on Claude still stripping, and, oh, no, it's not any easier in reverse, especially with no story to distract him. He quickly looks away again. "You were quieter."

Felix, too, makes the mistake of looking away from Dimitri only for his gaze to land on Claude. ...with his bare torso and tousled hair and the way he's shifting his hips to take off the skirt--dammit. He tears his eyes away to look at nothing, over there.

"Quieter than what? Were you expecting conversation? We're in the middle of a bandit raid, if you haven't noticed."

"The ending of a bandit raid," Dimitri corrects quietly. Yes, it's semantics. Yes, that is important to him, for some reason. Don't worry about it. More importantly...

"I thought you would have something to say on Claude's quick thinking. You appreciate such things."

"Fine. The ending of one. I still don't know why I'm expected to carry on a conversation. And he doesn't need me to feed his ego."

Deciding he's tired, jittery, and all around just quite Done, Dimitri's brain skips all the pleasantries. "Are you aggravated over something?" he asks, resting his hand along Knocker's head.

"Yes. You're pestering me."

Like hell is he going to tell Dimitri how upset it makes him to watch Sylvain and Claude act like a couple in front of him, 'joking' or not.

Dimitri just stares at him. Blankly. He does not say anything, but his blank expression alone says that he knows Felix is lying, and it's not working on him in this particular case.

...Mostly because Felix was annoyed before Dimitri ever opened his mouth.

"Just remember what happened at Violet," he points out simply, because he doesn't really want to go running off into the woods to fetch a broken hearted idiot who wasn't honest. Not for another month or so, at least.

In the meanwhile... "Is Claude properly dressed now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Another lie, obviously, and he's even more annoyed now that Dimitri has guessed what he's aggravated about, but whatever it takes to get him to stop asking about it is worth it.

...and then Dimitri's asking him to actively look at Claude, so he braces himself and glances over. Fortunately, Claude is at least wearing the bare (augh) minimum of pants and shirt, so Felix nods. "More or less."

Oh, thank every strand of hair on every Saint's head. Dimitri finally lets himself look back over to Sylvain and Claude as well. Now that they're all properly dressed, and they've done as much as they can... Well, he doubts that Felix and Sylvain will let him go off into battle again. Perhaps that's for the better, although Dimitri had truly thought he'd been doing well before...

It doesn't matter. "We should start cleaning up and checking on everyone to make sure no one has been hurt too greatly," he says softly.

Claude is, indeed, dressed enough for the moment. He doesn't have some of his accessories on yet, like the cravat, but those are trivialities. Trivialities he ignores as he walks over to Felix, taking his elbow.

"We're just gonna go talk over here for a moment, okay?" he says brightly, even as he almost walks into Felix to make him move further down the alley, a bit away from Sylvain and Dimitri.

Once he judges they're far enough so that lowered voices won't necessarily carry, he lowers his accordingly. "Listen, it's really obvious you're upset, Felix. It's also really obvious it's with me. You do know that no amount of flirty jokes means that I'd ever even consider stealing Sylvain from you, right? I'm not going to say that means I should be able to make that kind of joke; it was obviously a bad call that made you uncomfortable. But I definitely want you to be able to trust me enough - and to know Sylvain loves you enough - that even if I do say something stupid like that, you don't get upset or worried because you know you've got nothing to worry about. And right now I'm definitely sensing you don't feel like that."

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How Team Rocket stole Christmas...

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