Spring Cleaning: the log!

[these_balls]

Who: Everyone!
Where: The six urban centers: Goldenrod, Olivine, Ecruteak, Violet, Saffron and Celadon, as well as outlying routes.
When: May 5-8
Summary: It's the Toxicalypse, and the Rockets are out to make a racket! Hide yo kids, hide yo wives, they lootin' errybody out here. The pokemon are between levels 5-95 as required, and include Grimer, Trubbish, Muk and Garbodor. NPC Rockets will probably be packing Skuntank and Weezing for lulz and grossness.
Rating: PG-13 for violence, swearing, the usual.
Log:

At 7:30AM on May 5th...

It can't be heard. It's one of those sounds, far out of range of human hearing; some pokemon might pick it up, if they have sensitive ears, but even to them it probably registers as little more than an unpleasant buzz. In fact, it doesn't even interrupt regular broadcasting; if you're on a route, the likelihood of noticing any sort of danger is slim. The effect in the urban areas, however, is instantaneous.

Letters have been flying to Gym leaders and mayors and other important people about the poor trash collecting job of the last few days; it seems the streets of Johto and Kanto have never seen this much garbage. The heat is stifling, oppressive, the rain of just yesterday pushing down the smog and the smell, trapping it low against the sizzling concrete. For the ecologically-conscious citizens of this world, who sort their trash into six neat piles, a harmful act against the environment like this is unthinkable, horrendous; it never occurs to them that it could be intentional, because honestly, what kind of monster would treat the habitat of pokémon so lightly?

Team Rocket, it seems, picks up quickly on new and different ways of thinking.

The devices whirr to life, beep and flash and pop open very lightly like waking insects. From them, a special radio wave is emitted; around them, the vast swaths of trash begin to move, and warp and dissolve into sludge and organs and joints. One Muk is two Muks, two is suddenly four, and then there is nothing but panic and rushing and the smell, the horrendous toxic smell.

Someone screams, and after that, chaos.

[[ooc notes: each sub-thread involves not only the individual locations, but also directly connected routes. For example, if you're on Route 34, feel free to use the Goldenrod thread.]]

Comments

[wormed]

[[Kariya hesitates for a minute, before stepping back in line with Sakura. He's obviously still unsure, however. At least there doesn't seem to be too many of the creatures.]]

You must promise me you'll run to safety if things get dangerous. Promise me.

[returntospring]

[She smiles and nods.] I promise.

[Looking down, she notices that Dahlia's still looking tired. She doesn't want to push her, so she lifts her up onto her shoulder - Dahlia's favorite resting spot - and pulls a ball out of her bag. She releases it, and out comes a large purple snake, coiled up and already glaring daggers at their opponents.]

Okay, ready.

[wormed]

[[....well that's quite a Pokemon, Sakura.

Kariya gently places his Silcoon on the ground in front of him, and as he leans down his Caterpie and Sewaddle scoot out from his sleeves, settling next to Aya. His Surskit, clambering down from his shoulder, also readies himself to fight.]]

All of you, stop them from coming any closer.

[[His Pokemon are young but they're filled with vitality; they don't hesitate.]]

[returntospring]

[Sakura's eyebrows raise a little. Not because of the pokemon themselves, or how they appeared, but because Kariya had already caught so many. Despite already having four pokemon, the Ekans in front of her was the only one Sakura had actually caught... seems like she was falling behind.

Speaking of falling behind, the snake was still waiting for orders. Better fix that!]

Go, use Wrap!

[The Ekans surges forward and does just that; she wraps around an enemy one by one, just enough to incapacitate them. Sakura doesn't look that happy about doing that, but... there was no other choice.]

[wormed]

[[And Kariya's Pokemon soon make short work of any outliers with a swift round of Tackles; it's obvious he's relieved.]]

I thought we were in real trouble there, but we did alright! Well done Sakura!

[returntospring]

Mm! We're a good team! [Her bright smile is back, and stays firmly on her face when she turns to the Ekans as she slithers back towards the duo. The snake affectionately curls 'round Sakura's ankles and raises her head, tongue flicking out. Sakura laughs, and lovingly rubs the pokemon on the head.]

You did well too, Rider.

[wormed]

[[Kariya smiles happily at the pleased look on Sakura's face. This fiasco, it...it's almost like a bonding exercise, for the two of them. He hasn't been this happy in a long time. His Pokemon disappear back into his clothes, and he gently picks up his Silcoon.

...he blinks sharply, however, when he hears Sakura addressing her Pokemon.]]

....that's an interesting nickname.

[returntospring]

[... Sakura only just now realizes she said something very, very wrong. She chews on her bottom lip for a moment, staring intently at "Rider" and not Kariya.]

It's... it's a nickname. Of someone very important to me, back home...

[Well, it's not like that's a lie.]

[wormed]

....someone important to you has the nickname 'Rider'?

[[....no, this can't be right. It just....can't be.]]

[returntospring]

[She's still not looking at him.]

Yes. She's a good person... she looked out for me. Protected me.

[wormed]

[[He's noticed.]]

....protected you from what?

[[It's then that Kariya remembers something that strange Lancer told him. About the Fifth Heaven's Feel.

....but that couldn't possibly be true, could it...?]]

...Sakura. Please look at me.

[returntospring]

[Reluctantly she does, but she still doesn't look him in the eye.]

Don't... don't get upset, please. Everything turned out okay. I promise.

[wormed]

I'm not upset, I just don't want you to lie to me.

[[His voice is gentle, however, not harsh...he takes another look at the Ekans, before turning back to Sakura.]]

.....Rider was your servant, then.

[returntospring]

Yes... and no.

[Sakura actually looks sad now.] I summoned her, and I was supposed to fight on behalf of the Matou family... [She hesitates. She doesn't want to name names here; she doesn't want him to be wary of Shirou, and it probably wouldn't help if he knew Rin was a Master as well.] But there were people I didn't want to fight, so... I gave up my rights as a Master.

[wormed]

[[....on behalf of Zouken, then. Disgusting. As she says that, he smiles, though it's brief.]]

That was probably very wise of you. The Grail War is....well, it's not something I'd want you to experience.

[[....wait a minute, then...if she was fighting on behalf of Zouken, then....?]]

....who fought for the Matou family, then?

[[...or rather, why did Zouken allow you to give up your rights? That doesn't sound like the old vampire.]]

[returntospring]

My brother. Shinji... [More sadness as she says that name. Despite the horrible things he did to her, he was still her brother. And she killed him...] The real child of the Matou. He convinced me to give up my rights as a Master to him. So... I did.

But Rider... [A tiny hint of her smile comes back.] She still wanted to help me. She wanted to protect me, even though I was no longer her Master.

[wormed]

....Shinji?

[[His nephew? But he doesn't have...

It's here that Kariya realises he hasn't even thought of his nephew in months...hm.]]

It sounds like you had a good Servant, Sakura. How is Shinji?

[[The question is past his lips before he can stop it, and he instantly regrets it. What if the war is over?]]

[returntospring]

[Something... well. Snaps would be the wrong word, because that would imply something completely different. More like something falls into place; a mask, the calm, happy one that Sakura had been using for so long to hide her pain from everyone. Even after so long, this... this was still a very sensitive subject for her.]

He's fine. Just fine. [A lie. A horrible lie, and she feels like such a horrible person for lying to him. But the last thing she wanted Kariya to know is that she was a monster who would murder her own family in cold blood.]

[wormed]

Ah, well that's....that's good.

[[He's glad Shinji is safe! He barely knows his nephew, really, but if Sakura says...he's...

....wait

wait wait wait wait wait-

Sakura....she called Shinji her brother

but he wouldn't be her brother unless

fighting for the Matou

no

why didn't he see it sooner]]

S-Sakura...!!

[[Kariya falls forward, then, one hand delicately resting against her cheek, the other clutching viciously at his chest, trying to control himself, get air into his lungs, he-]]

Why do you call him your brother?!

[[Why, why didn't he see it sooner? Did he just accept it? He couldn't possibly....no, this can't be right it can't be right it can't be right

how could he be so blind!!]]

Didn't I....I....I was supposed to save you.....

[[His voice breaks then, badly, and his other hand also comes to rest against her cheek, tears pouring from his one remaining functional eye.]]

Tell me I....

[[He just assumed, that she was so healthy and so beautiful and how could this possibly be true, how could he have failed?]]

...tell me I saved you....

[returntospring]

[Sakura's really been saying all the wrong things today, hasn't she? It hurts, seeing someone she cares about so much breaking down, and it hurts even more knowing that it's her fault. It's her fault that Kariya's dream had just been crushed.]

Uncle... I... [She wants to lie. It would be better for her to lie, when he's clinging so desperately to hope. But... she can't give him false hope, either. That's possibly worse and she doesn't want to metaphorically kick him when he's down.

She takes his hands in hers, gripping them tightly.]

I promise you... I'm safe and happy now. I really am. I'm happier now than I've ever been since I was adopted by grandfather. That... that should be what's important, right?

[She hates this. Hates herself for slipping up like this. She didn't want things to turn out this way.]

[wormed]

No....

[[Kariya rips his hands from hers, staggering back against the wall.]]

No, I can't....I can't have...I....!!

[[....I'm....]]

I-I....

[[I'm so sorry.....]]

No...!

[[Kariya can't even bring himself to look at her, doesn't deserve to look at her, his hands coming up to his face as he screams, ripping at his hair and mangled skin.

His only instinct is to run; flee the scene, escape her, escape the truth. He doesn't deserve to be in the presence of someone he's failed so badly.

Forgive me, Sakura....

So run he does, stumbling down the alley, down the hiddens paths only he knows, his mind firing into overdrive and clouding his eyes with painful visions, and he's completely out of it when he crashes against a wall, ending up in a pile of old clothes and rubbish.

He passes out, and in the darkness of his unconscious state all he can hear are screams.]]