Operation: Express Car; [train plot log]

[these_balls]

Who: Everyone who wants to participate!
Where: Goldenrod City, the Magnet Train, Saffron City.
When: November 23rd, 11AM-5PM
Summary: Heist on the Magnet Train!
Rating: Might go up to PG-13, possibly R if exceptional violence of swearing occurs.
Log:

They've spent the last few days preparing. He wasn't sure at first, how this was going to turn out, but the Team is confident. They are confident and now he, Archer, is also confident. He has no reason to expect failure; he tells himself, even if they fail, this will cement them back in the public eye. A threat again. It makes his collar hot to think.

He reviews the plans again, Petrel's notes and schematics, engineering details. Phase 2 will be the most delicate, but he's confident in the abilities of the recruits. The aliens, the outsiders, are strange, but useful. They have skills no other Grunt would possess. Archer recognizes he has been given a tool, and only a fool would fail to use it.

At 9:30AM on November 23rd, Archer sends a message through the Rocket Network. It is short, and simple, and jubilant.

Operation: Express Car START

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It's a nice day out, considering. Cold, yes, but the kind of cold that buries itself deep in the lungs and blows the mind into crisp clarity. Cheeks are red, movements brisk to retain heat, and around Goldenrod's white-dusted Magnet Train station, the energy is thick enough to taste. People in their thick winter coats press together, some alone, some with families and friends, most with their trusted pokémon. The larger creatures are returned to their balls, tragically fated to miss the voyage, while smaller breeds are held in their trainers' arms or scurrying around their ankles.

The station attendants are supervising while customers pass through, touching the microchipped Rail Pass to the card readers and moving in slow, sluggish trails through the gates. There is no shoving; the atmosphere seems too cheery for it, excitement manifesting in the form of loud, vigorous conversation. The train itself is gloriously slick, smooth and polished as a new bullet or a freshly-minted coin, humming with power. We ask our passengers to please mind their electric-types, reminds the stationmaster over the PA, as we seek to avoid any trouble or inconvenience during the ride.

Once you've passed the gate, find a seat and stow away your luggage. Relax, unwind; it's a long six hours ahead.

[[ ooc: I kindly ask that players please DO NOT POST until all the subthreads have been made. Thank you!

GO FOR IT! Remeber to tag yourselves in!

NOTE: YOU CAN NPC ROCKETS IF YOU CAN'T NAB A PC ROCKET FOR PLOTTY FUNTIEMS. ]]

Comments

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

[ The first thing Holland does when he gets off the train? Light a cancer stick cigarette. There's a trickle of dried blood under his nose and his lip looks like it's been split and he has a few nasty bruises, but he's otherwise okay.

He's relieved and tired but nothing worse happened and that's the most important thing. ]

[used-glare.livejournal.com]

{Nanao got knocked about fairly badly during the fight, and as such is now leaning rather heavily on her cane, and her hair is hanging loose. Some idiot Grunt slammed her into a wall, but a knee to the groin set him straight fairly quickly.}

Holland.

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

Nanao. [ A short, curt response. He takes note of the hair and how she supports herself. ]

What happened? [ The answer is obvious, "team rocket happened", but the question comes anyway. He doesn't like seeing his friends hurt. ]

[used-glare.livejournal.com]

{Her chuckle is raspy, and she grins with a wince.}

Idiotic Rockets, that's what.

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

I'm going to throttle them. [ Or he'd like to, anyway. ]

[used-glare.livejournal.com]

Now, now. Their day will come. More importantly, did they get any of your Pokemon?

{She'd like to join you, but there is a time for being a Neanderthal and there is a time for nice and heavy law books.}

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

[ He shakes his head. ] They didn't. And you?

[used-glare.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, no. It seems that only the native inhabitants of Johto lost theirs - I haven't heard of any of us losing ours.

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

H-Holland-san! Hey, over here!

[Hibiki is going to limp her way over to him, her ankle bandaged from a bad sprain that occurred when she tried to kick a rocket into submission. She went for it with gusto, at least. She's leaning on her Delibird, Santa-san.]

I didn't know you were on the train, too. How's Bel?

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

[ He sees that limp alright, and he's not liking it. ]

She's worn out, but okay. What happened to you, kid?

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

Huh? I-I'm fine, it's just a scratch. [A bunch of them, actually. Her right leg is fine, but her left leg has cuts and bruises from being caught by an opponent's Pokémon. And the sprain...] That was really rough, huh?

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

Looks like more than just a scratch t'me.

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

I-it's still fine! I can still move. I think I didn't get off too badly...

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

You really should get it looked at, kid.

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

I-I'll be fine! I gotta make sure all of my friends are okay first.

[Which may explain why she came over to Netherlands in the first place.]

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

Then why are you talking to me?

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

I wanted to make sure you were okay, of course! It looked from a distance that you were kinda hurt, but you're okay, right?

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

I'm fine. [ Especially when compared to what happened to some of the others. ] You should go find your friends, kid.

[nankurunaizer.livejournal.com]

I...I will! I'm just glad you're okay! It was really scary, so...w-well, I guess I'll see you later!

[gochuugoku.livejournal.com]

[China would have loved to walk off the train his own, but he can't. He's being carried off on a stretcher, still conscious. He's still in a daze, however, so he fails to call out to Holland (let alone notice him) as the people carrying him pass by.]

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

[ Shit, Holland thinks when they walk by, wondering how many people that had been hurt so badly. Then he realizes that hey, he knows this person and immediately goes after them. ]

Oi, China. [ He sets his pace to walk beside the stretcher without getting in the way for the staff carrying him. ] You awake?

[gochuugoku.livejournal.com]

[He blinks a few times before turning his head. He'd nod, but his head still aches.]

Barely.

[He squirms a bit under the blanket that's covering him. He hisses in pain.]

[drugsbeleid.livejournal.com]

Hang in there. Fuckin' Rockets... Hey, you-- [ he directs his question at one of the people carrying him. ] He'll be okay, right?

[gochuugoku.livejournal.com]

[China looks down at the blanket, just at the spot where his legs would be. Both his wrists are also underneath the fabric.]