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

[conduit]

Extremespeed, Togekiss! [ Get ready to lose some weight, Toshiro. Togekiss, at nearly light speed, races towards the roof and drops both of them off before either of them could blink. Rangiku's hair is now thoroughly in an afro state. One large, giant, poofy, 70sesque afro. ]

[freezetheskies]

[If he loses any more weight, Nanao's going to kill you, Rangiku. As it is, he's more worried about losing his grip before Togekiss drops them off, and, perhaps luckily considering how she loves to tease, his hair is fine, so he's not the one Golduck is laughing at. Nope. That honor belongs solely to Rangiku and her 70s Afro.]

[conduit]

[ .....Her 70s afro hair seems to have feelings of its own! Rangiku's scowl makes it more compact and dense, which makes it look like her head is one tightly packed helmet. ]

Shut up! Don't laugh at my hair! It's important I deal with this properly! [ Yep. She's taking out a comb she has in her pocket and is now starting to tame the afro as trubbish start to surround the building. ]

Togekiss, just, Aura Sphere. Whatever. [ Hope will do as she is told, circling and firing off Aura Spheres. ]

[freezetheskies]

[Golduck just keeps on laughing, snickering even as Toushiro throws him a look and an order to attack with another Hydro Pump, since that last Sludge Bomb got just a little too close to the rooftop for comfort. Her hair is the biggest concern? They have bigger issues to deal with, dammit!]

Rangiku, is this really the time for that?!

[Said as something from below tosses up another Sludge Bomb, this one splashing over the lip of the roof. They're getting better at aiming. Crap.]

[conduit]

If some guy is mocking my hair, it's always time to take a stand! [ Her face scowls as the sludge bomb approaches. She quickly orders her Togekiss to do something as it vaults towards them. ]

Togekiss, Aura Sphere! [ The Togekiss fires off a sphere of energy that obliterates the bomb of filth. ]

[freezetheskies]

[Frustrated sound is go. Really!? Oh, for the love of...not now, boy. Deal with this first. Especially since there's a pair of Muk's clinging to the wall and attempting to climb it like slugs before they're blasted back to the ground by Golduck and Toushiro looks back to Rangiku before looking around. They need to move, but to where? Where can they go?]

If you have any sort of plan, now would be a good time to mention it.

[conduit]

[ There has to be something Rangiku can do. Think Rangiku, think. ]

Captain! Attack the middle of the street! Try to hit for a place where you think pipes will be. [ If she can wash everything out with liquid, they'll be less mobile. ]

I'll hold off these guys! [ Rangiku starts throwing her pokeballs in a wild frenzy. Her Vulpix quickly leaps towards the edge of the building and starts using extrasensory on the Muk, who quickly recoil in the might of the attack. ]

Now, Vulpix, use imprison along on each and every enemy! [ ...This is where her plan is flawed, Captain. ]

[freezetheskies]

[Where the pipes will be--oh. Water. That's actually a very good plan, and it's only seconds after she says it that Golduck is throwing all the power he has into a Hydro Pump aimed at the street. Unfortunately, the pavement is stronger than the water and the Muk are just too stubborn in their endeavors to keep it covered for this to work, and then...Imprison? How is that going to work on this many?! No, don't go there. Focus on the pipes.]

Rangiku, have your Pokemon focus their attacks on the street. We won't get anywhere like this!

[conduit]

[ Rangiku lets down the imprisonment, although it's mostly thanks to the fact that she's caught on. It won't work. Her captain's orders just reinforce this. With this, she sends out Lucario from her pokéball. ]

Just Aura Sphere the street below! Focus all your energy on it! Vulpix, heat wave! [ As Rangiku slowly stir fries the street below her, the pipes start to expand from the unbearable heat. An aura sphere smashes into the pavement, but, it doesn't break the pipe. ]

[freezetheskies]

[It speaks volumes of how little things have changed over their time here; Toushiro sees that the pipe isn't breaking, and he moves to handle that as if moving to cover Rangiku's back in combat. Really, what else is this?

So he gives his Golduck the order, and, cracked from the Aura Sphere and weakened from the heat, the pipe finally gives way under that last Hydro Pump and sends a torrent of water into the street. The trash below makes odd noises as they're swept down the street, buying the two shinigami a little time to catch their breath. They're probably going to need it.]

[conduit]

[ No matter what happens, Rangiku will stay mostly the same. She'll sometimes become strikingly more useful, and then she'll sometimes become fascinatingly useless. But, she's not as helpful as she could be. That's a constant.

At the torrent of water, Rangiku doesn't catch her breath, but, instead, runs to Toshiro and starts to hug him. He's soon smothered in her giant breasts as enthusiastic cheers are bombastically shouted. ]

Taichou! Taichou! We did it!!

[freezetheskies]

[Clearly, Rangiku never changes. Normally he'd be grateful for that, but at this moment, he's just trying to breathe. You know, once he's shoved her a couple steps away and he's gotten his head free enough to do so, anyway.]

Will you stop that?! Now's not the time. We're not finished yet.

[Case in point, more trash on the way. The water pressure below will take a while longer to die out so they do have time to plan, but the things are still trying to get to the pair of trainers and they're stubborn as all hell. A second strategic retreat might be in order at some point.]

[conduit]

[ Rangiku beams until she gets the news from Toshiro. Then, her smile doesn't waver, but the rest of her expression contorts itself into a confused, puzzled look. ]

What?! But, Taichou, they're gone! Washed away with the tide!

[ Regardless, Rangiku still sends out her entire team on the rooftop. There's no way in hell she's going to be not stomping these guys. They've ruined waaay too much of her hair for her to ever forgive them! ]

[freezetheskies]

[Rangiku please get serious before something happens. He's only got the one Golduck to help out, after all, and Mizumaru's gone and gotten tired now.]

For the moment, but those weren't the only ones in town. You can't expect us to have won just by taking out that small group.

[Case in point, yet more trash piling at the edge of the flood, waiting for their moment to strike...or cross the water. Which may happen soon since there's a Garbodor attempting to block the pipe with its body. Oh dear.]

1/2

[conduit]

I know there's more but they won't step on a part of the street that's flooded!

[ And then Rangiku sees that. ]

[conduit]

They can't be coming over here that quickly! That's just way too quick! Rukia! Use Psychic and get him off the pipe!

[ Jynx, with her telekinesis, lifts him off the pipe and tosses him elsewhere. Bueno B) ]

[freezetheskies]

[Rukia may have send that Garbodor flying, and their combined efforts can keep this side of the street clear for now, but it's a losing battle and he knows it. She has to know it, too.]

We have to go. Now. There's no way we can hold this position for long.

[And he hates that. He's always hated having to actually retreat, but there's nothing more they can do. They need to leave before they join the casualty list.]

[conduit]

[ Rangiku is sad that they have to retreat but she understands the order. Eventually they will get overwhelmed. She is vaguely aware of the fact that Trubbish can just walk around, and that they're everywhere. ]

Let's go to my house! There shouldn't be any there-! [ She doesn't mind it. She knows it's needed sometimes. She's just worried about how her captain feels. ] Are you okay?

[freezetheskies]

[The Trubbish can walk, the Muk and Grimer can climb walls, and the Garbodor can try and block the pipe to clear the street for the others behind them. They really have no way to stop this, and so Toushiro turns from the street, recalling Mizumaru as he does.]

Fine. Let's go.

[She's going to have to lead the way, though. He's not sure where her house is.]

[conduit]

[ She offers her hand as she boards Togekiss again. ] It's time to go home!

[ Togekiss nods understandably but is slightly frightened. The joy-loving pokemon doesn't like things that are too scary after all. Rangiku slightly nods an encouraging nod as she waits for Hitsugaya to board. ]

[freezetheskies]

[He doesn't say anything as he takes her hand to board the massive bird-thing, and instead looks out over the streets as they take off. Trash everywhere, people and pokemon fighting...it looks like a warzone. Oh, what a mess...]

[conduit]

[ It's about to get a whole lot messier, Hitsugaya. On Rangiku's roof, one can see a bunch of purple sludge cramming itself into the gutter.

I wonder what that could be about?! ]

[freezetheskies]

[One can see it, and he can definitely see it. This...this isn't going to be pretty. Nope. Not at all. He can already tell, even from this distance, and so he stumbles forward, getting her attention and pointing out the gutter. He doesn't try to shout above the roar of the wind and the cacophony of the battles below, but she'll get his meaning for sure this way. She's always been good at seeing things, after all.]

[conduit]

[ Rangiku sees it, and orders Togekiss to go around, only for Muk to follow through the drain. Oddly enough, purple blobs of sludge are still in the drain pipe. It's going to be quite the battle. ]

I can't damage the home. [ SHE'S PAYING FOR THIS THING! ] Crap. I'm going to have to go around, or draw them out somehow. [ Rangiku glares towards the pipe and reflects on her options. She doesn't have any water pokemon on her. ]

[freezetheskies]

Slow down. [Those two words are all she's getting, because while she doesn't have a water type, he does and Mizumaru still has some fight left in him. Once Togekiss has slowed enough that Hitsugaya can stand up without toppling right off the creature's back, he launches the Pokeball into the air and gives the order; sure enough, once Mizumaru's on the roof, he waddles to the gutter and sends a massive Hydro Pump down it. The metal creaks alarmlingly from the amount of liquid and sludge being forced down it, but it clears a moment later and sends a torrent of water and dizzy Muk and Grimber onto the street.

At least for a minute or two, that is. They'll climb back up the thing sooner or later.]