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

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

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

Anyone who wants to jump in here can :]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Instead of directly confronting anyone, Cobra Commander’s simply standing in the middle of the aisle, with H.I.S.S.S. the Seviper coiled up behind him. Why bother seeking out specific people when he can threaten the whole car at once?]

You all heard that! Now hand over your Pokémon! And don’t even think about fighting back! You can’t defeat the forces of Team Rocket!

[Having successfully threatened everyone, he cackles. There’s no way this plan can fail!]

[darkenedgales]

["Can't defeat Team Rocket"? Oh, we're about to see.

Good news: it doesn't look like Crow's gonna make fun of Commander's evil plans this time around! ... Bad news: he seems very, very angry and has an equally angry Murkrow flying above him.]

Oi.

Get outta my way.

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Oh look, someone who’s insulted him before. He’ll consider this an added bonus.]

Get out of your way? I don’t think you understand who’s in charge here! If anything, you should get out of my way before you get hurt! And hand over your Pokémon while you’re at it!

[Because he is totally in charge here. Got that?]

[darkenedgales]

[Sadly, Crow's never been the type to care about who's in charge.]

Sorry, ain't happening. I'll give ya a chance, though -- if you don't wanna get your ass kicked, scram. And while you're at it, take your overgrown worm with ya.

[... Threatening terrorists back is a good idea, right?]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

Overgrown worm? How dare you!

[Instead of ordering Seviper forward, he selects another Pokeball and sends out Dunsparce to deal with Murkrow.]

Perhaps if I ground your ssstupid bird, you’ll learn sssome respect!

[darkenedgales]

[Despite the seriousness of the situation, Crow grins. Negotiations are not his strong point; battle is something entirely different.]

"Ground" him? Ha, as if! You can't even dream of grounding the wings that soar from resolved hope! Black Lance! Sucker Punch!

[The Murkrow obeys instantly, launching himself in the direction of Dunsparce.]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Given the level difference, Dunsparce takes a beating from Sucker Punch and gets knocked backwards.]

Unacceptable! Sand-Viper! Use Ancient Power and clip that bird’s wings! Now!

[Probably not the best strategy to start using rock attacks in a small confined space, but even the Commander knows that Dunsparce can’t take too many more hits like that.]

[used-glare.livejournal.com]

{Sorry, Cobra Commander, but this little woman thinks she can. And she'll do so by advancing up the aisle, cane held like a sword, with the most serious of looks on her face.}

Over my dead body.

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[He cackles at the phrase “over my dead body.” He’s heard it before and it never gets old.]

I suggest you sit back down, or that can be arranged! And put the cane down unless you want it to end up a chew toy for my ssssnakes!

[The Commander’s not ordering any attacks yet. Instead he’s merely waiting to see if his threats are obeyed.]

THE DESTINED SHOWDOWN

[10yen_idol]

[There's not a lot of room in the aisle, but somehow, SOMEHOW, there's a Kingler facing down Cobra Commander... with a pigtailed idol standing behind it, quivering with nervous, indignant energy.]

N... no! W-We're not handing ANY of our Pokemon over!

HERE WE GO

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Well, that’s certainly something else. It’s not every day the Commander holds a train hostage and finds himself face to mask with a giant crab.

Still, he's a little preoccupied with threatening small children to pay much attention to it.]

You’ll hand them over, and you’ll do it right now! Or else!

1/2

[10yen_idol]

[good god he's even scarier in person]

2/2

[10yen_idol]

I-I won't!

And... and you won't make anyone else give you their Pokemon!

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

Why? Because you’re going to stop me?

[He cackles a bit. Stopped by a child again? That’ll be they day!]

Go ahead and try! You’ll only fail!

[10yen_idol]

[She's not sending her Kingler out to attack just yet.]

I WILL stop you if you try to attack these people! So p-please don't make me do this!!

[islandshore.livejournal.com]

How about not?

[Better move, because there's a Hypnosis being fired at that Seviper! Riku's not about to make small talk.]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

H.I.S.S.S.! Evasive maneuvers! Now!

[Seviper manages to slither out of the way just in time, and moves in between two rows of seats. That was close.]

What do you think you're doing?

[islandshore.livejournal.com]

What does it look like?

[Phantom's not giving up just yet! Now he's firing a Will-O-Wisp attack, hoping to burn the snake.]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

Seviper! Dodge that!

[Unfortunately, since it moved in between the seats, Seviper doesn’t have the room to get away from Will-O-Wisp. So a moment later, a burned Seviper inches forward from its hiding place.]

You’ll pay for that! H.I.S.S.S.! Use Glare! Paralyze that thing!

[islandshore.livejournal.com]

[Glare has a 90% accuracy, so it's tough for Phantom to dodge! He ends up paralyzed, but he's too stubborn to give up just yet.]

Phantom, use Double Team.

[He manages to pull it off, but his speed's been reduced by 25% due to paralysis. Fun stuff.]

[nasa-dreams.livejournal.com]

Watch me! Let's do it, Jaws!

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

Hand that thing over now!

[Whatever it is. The Commander hasn’t seen a Gible before.]

[nasa-dreams.livejournal.com]

You asked for it! Jaws, use Bite! [hey, Seviper...like those razor teeth?]

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Seviper winces a little from the bite, but Cobra Commander is completely unimpressed.]

Is that the best your pathetic monster can do? H.I.S.S.S.! Show that thing what a real bite feels like! Use Crunch!

[The snake Pokemon coils around and attempts to pay Gible back for that bite.]

[nasa-dreams.livejournal.com]

Sandstorm! [Gible begins to rotate faster and faster! WHERE IS THE SAND COMING FROM.]