Sometimes, quiet is violent.

[explosivecombat]

Who: Solf J Kimblee (explosivecombat; anyone in Olivine City who wants to engage him, really. OPEN LOG, do your thing, tag yourselves in
Where: Olivine City
When: Slightly backdated - morning of February 8, 2014
Summary: Somebody wanted a war. You're going to have an investigation.
Rating: PG-13? ...look, if things go badly this is pretty much Kimblee going Michael Bay on Olivine City, so.
Log:

His timing had, admittedly, been poor.

Namely, the three-day time period he'd thrown down was not accounting for the sudden snow; while he could hold the fort reasonably well in below-zero temperatures, that had never really been his idea of a good time. Fortunately, the most important of those bombs he'd photographed had been set prior to the announcement going out - it wouldn't do to be acting suspicious in public after a bomb threat, after all; those he hadn't set before then...well. He'd been more than capable of waiting until those who were going to move had actually moved before sending Alekhine and the non-human Archer out to go get those taken care of. They're rather skilled at...convincing people that they really, really want to be elsewhere all of a sudden, after all.

The Alakazam is nearby but out of sight, having been instructed to keep an eye on things for him (as he's fully aware that he's not going to be able to one things get underway); the Gardevoir is at his side, as he always is during these sorts of games. His usual white suit has been abandoned in favor of sharply-tailored black, with a black shirt buttoned clear up to his throat beneath it and a bloodred tie around his neck; his face is obscured by the usual hooded mask, long ponytail tucked up beneath the fabric.

It's a lovely day today.

He's got something in his hand that he's playing with once in a while; something that he can rather cheerfully buttonmash if he feels like it, apparently, as there are a good amount of buttons on it. He presses a few of them now, almost idly; he pauses for a moment before clicking the red one at the top of it.

Hopefully no one was partial to a few of those indie bars toward the outskirts of town; that explosion is going to be a large one.

Let's begin, shall we?




[OOC: Okay, apologies for the delay but RL punched me in the throat. AS IT STANDS, HOWEVER, the deal is currently this.

There are currently eight bombs planted throughout the city, including the one that just went off on the northern side of town, because Kimblee clearly hates hipsters this morning and has decided that they can't have nice bars. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to find either the bombs or the asshole detonating them. Or both, if you all can manage, let's not sell ourselves short. Don't worry, he's somewhere within the city.

You're welcome to search the city if you wish; I'll gladly guide you through that part with meta directions in brackets - letting you know what you find in certain locations, if anything. The NPCs in certain locations (the hotel, the Pokémon Center, those hardware stores Blake was checking out earlier, the guards at the lighthouse) will not remember any suspicious activity having occurred, but they will have really large conspicuous holes in their memories if pressed. And hey, I'll guide you through that as well, if you have something to say to them.

Basically, feel free to investigate at will; throw a location in your comment subject, wherever you want to search. Let's make a game of it.]

[OOC PART II: Here's your current counter, guys.

Bomb 1 - hipster bars, northern side of town: DETONATED
Bomb 2 - Olivine Inn: LOCATED / NEUTRALIZED
Bomb 3 - docks, southern side of town: NEUTRALIZED
Bomb 4 - cargo holds, western side of town: DETONATED
Bomb 5 - specialized shops, city center: STILL ACTIVE
Bomb 6 - restaurants, city center: NEUTRALIZED
Bomb 7 - location currently unknown: STILL ACTIVE
Bomb 8 - location currently unknown: STILL ACTIVE

You've got your work cut out for you, Hero Squad. Godspeed. :|b ]

Comments

Pre-Hipster Bomb, at the Lighthouse

[doitrockapella]

[So it appears that even a war can be postponed on account of weather.

Carmen's been understandably edgy the past few days, if only because of the Philosophers' longstanding understanding that Nietzsche keeps his word, and the figure had been three days. That said, once she'd seen the sub-zero temperatures early on Thursday morning and passed a rather anxious afternoon steeled against the sudden blast of a nearby explosion, the thought had rather occurred to her that their resident mad bomber might be roughly as loath to go out in the cold as she was, and that was the explanation for the delay.

It'd be a rather Nietzsche thing to do, really. Also a rather charming thing, but she repeats herself.

This morning, though, the skies are clear, as she'd suspected they'd be; the temperature was on the rise last night, and the snow had stopped a little after midnight. If her suspicions were right, the temporary cease fire would be over once the flurries had fled, and if not — well, she might as well get down to businesses, regardless of when he planned to.

It's early now, on Saturday — just a little before dawn — and she's bundled up tight against the chill. Finding Nietzsche is a priority, of course, but it's one still trumped by a second, more pressing concern. If someone else gets to him first, then so be it, and maybe so much the better; it'll make tracking him down that much easier. But for the moment, there are bombs somewhere in this city, and wherever they are, she wants to make very sure that's also where the locals aren't.

There'll be time for taffeta later. For now, she's going hunting.

Her first stop is the Lighthouse, half for personal reasons and half because it's been the site of a bomb attack before, and while she has her doubts about there being a bomb there for precisely that reason (nobody likes a repeat performance, though an encore isn't out of the question), there still might be a useful clue here — she wants to see if Amphy the Ampharos is in the Lighthouse. If he planned to put a bomb in here, would he have moved Amphy before he did it? It's hard to say. But if Amphy ought to be there and isn't, well. That might be telling, itself.

And so she goes, down to the beach she remembers so well, to start her end of the chase — and not missing the irony that yes, once again she's the one doing the chasing, instead of the other way around.

But then again, that's how their game is supposed to go, isn't it. c: ]

[explosivecombat]

[What can he say? Since the entire clusterfuck of ineptitude that was the Baschool incident, Kimblee is a little unwilling to attempt to do battle in the snow.

But that is neither here nor there, except for the part where the temperatures are ensuring that what little snowfall they got in this area isn't melting anytime soon; a bit odd that it does that regionwide, regardless of actual city location, but there's not much sense in complaining about it. There's not a whole lot of it here, anyway; the beach is mostly unobstructed until one gets near the actual lighthouse, where there are several rather agitated guards near the front door.]

[doitrockapella]

[Rather agitated guards? That's certainly enough to kick off her instinctive responses of tension and caution; while she's here for entirely benign reasons today, some old habits die hard and she's just naturally cautious around guards in general, much less worked-up ones.

Might as well walk up and say hello, then. Maybe they'll talk to her, or maybe they won't. But either way she might learn something.]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, at the very least the guards don't seem to be agitated at anyone on this beach; if anything, they straighten up in that "Nothing to see here" sort of way as soon as Carmen's presence becomes known. And if we're going to be perfectly fair there doesn't seem to be too much to see there; the doors to the lighthouse are solidly closed.

That said, they are public officials - complete with engaging in the polite formality of asking whether she needs something, should she seem intent on sticking around.]

[doitrockapella]

[Briskly, as they're greeting her, she's silently running through an assortment of possible stories she could feed them here as she tries to get at what she wants to know — that she's lost, that she's looking for someone, that she wants to get up into the tower for some reason. Any of them seem plausible enough, but as she's considering it, something half-occurs to her:

Maybe it's just that she's got thoughts of Nietzsche prevailing in her mind right now, but — if an answer's what she wants, why not just...ask?]

Gentlemen. I'm investigating the bomb threats that were made against Olivine City recently; this lighthouse having been the target of such an attack before, I need to know if you've seen anything suspicious or out of the ordinary lately.

[When in doubt, pull rank; granted, she may not look like a figure of authority, but a little confidence goes a long way, and when in doubt, might as well act like you're entitled to deference and see if it gets people to follow along.]

Copping it up around town

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Ever since some asshole sent out a bomb threat, it's been just like old times. The bastard thought he could just brag without giving anything away, but one thing was distinctive: those bomb parts had to come from somewhere. Blake's been hitting the streets, going to every hardware store and anyplace that would sell the raw materials that an enterprising lunatic could cook up into something that goes boom.

Behind him Steve Buscemi walks purposefully, a Snubbull on a mission. He's got her doing the rounds of the Pokemon they run into. Everybody around here has their own animals all over the place, and they paid more attention than you'd think. His Musharna is floating along, too. It may be a poetic weirdo, but shit, for all the times Blake has wished he could just reach right into somebody's head and take out what he needs, like hell if he can ignore the chance to have a psychic on his side. Maybe if he shakes things around in somebody's memory, it can skim something useful off the top.

There'd been a shit-ton of bombs; that meant either he'd gotten a lot of ingredients from one place, or smaller batches from a bunch. Either way, somebody had to remember.

So far nobody has.

The bell on the door clatters as he walks into the next place and strides up to the counter. He holds out his Gear, displaying a still from the broadcast that shows the bombs and detonators the wannabe-terrorist had cobbled together.]

I'm looking for a man, about average build, who's been going around picking up the shit to make these. Timers, glycerine...

[He rattles off a list of your usual Anarchist's Cookbook shit.]

Sound familiar?

[explosivecombat]

[That still gets the guy at the counter to straighten up a bit more; he's a kid, really, maybe nineteen at the oldest. The sort that works behind the counter of a hardware store because he's been told to, not really because he wants to; he's got tousled technicolor hair and a nose ring, probably saving up for a better amp or something so he can really get that garage band he's always dreamed of going before he becomes old enough for it to become a sad pipe dream.

Name tag says he's called Rick.

He leans over the counter to get a better look at that thing, letting out a low whistle as he does so.

"Wow, man, no; I'd remember someone buying things like that for sure - not that I'm saying he didn't! Just maybe off someone on another shift?"

He cocks his head to the side a bit, his gaze flicking from the stills to Blake. "You some sort of official or something?"]

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake doesn't have high hopes for this one. He's surprised, though, that the kid genuinely tries to answer instead of blowing him off. Usually this kind likes to play tough and takes some intimidation before they'll pay attention.

It's about the same as he's heard everywhere else. Just means he needs to dig deeper.]

Well, [his eyes flick down to the nametag] Rick, how about inventory records? Or, hell, you got security camera footage?

[Back at home the badge would suffice, but here, the kid has some reason to ask questions.]

I'm a cop from somewhere where green hair and tits aren't mandatory. Here? Call me a concerned citizen.

[His Musharna floats serenely over the counter to give the boy's head a sniff, searching for something of intriguing texture.]

[explosivecombat]

[You can practically see the sense of '...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...' flashing behind the kid's eyes. Not so much disdainful as it is recognition; he is, after all, a local, and they are usually helpful in their own way. Even if that way is often a bit weird and sometimes unappreciated by the people receiving the help.

"One of the foreigners, got it." He seems to realize that he's still leaned over the counter, though he kind of reaches up a bit to pat the Musharna as he does so because those things? They tend to be bros. Sises. Brosises. Whatever.

"I don't know what I've got access to, but there was - there was a thing last week, I think. First of the month, y'know? One of the guys, Alan, he got let go over some issue with the inventory. Swore up and down he had no idea what happened, but our till records were all fu- ...messed up on top of it. We had, like, no idea how you can just lose stuff like that, though - so he got laid off for ripping us off."

Rick just kind of shrugs, though. "He said he didn't remember half his shift that day, either. I wouldn't put it past him to be on something. That sorta guy, you know?"]

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake's expecting the kid to shut down. You know, suddenly get real dumb and turn out to have a real bad memory. But then, he doesn't seem to mind the "foreigner" that much.

Mark Wahlberg makes a cooing noise and bumps into his hand. (halt the fire, keep it in, or you'll let the fun begin.)

Blak's gotten better at ignoring that.

His eyes light up at the kid's words, the same way they always did when all the garbage underfoot started to resolve itself into a trail.

Now that, that is interesting.

[He taps his finger on the counter, and his lips twitch into a smirk like he's letting the kid in on a secret.] See, there's one thing somebody who's been sucking on a blunt doesn't do, and that's paperwork.

You got any idea where I can find Alan?

Beach

[islandshore]

[Riku's been on edge ever since the threat went out. He still remembers when "Seth" set up an open invitation to battle. That ended disastrously, but now that he's the PGC's leader, he needs to tread even more cautiously than before. For that reason, he's changed his attire. A red scarf conceals the lower part of his face. Goggles mask his eyes. He's foregone his usual jacket in jeans in favor of this getup, sized up for a nineteen year old's build.

Gloves hide his hands, and he moves silently towards the beach atop his Hydreigon; Flare would be too obvious, and he needs to keep a solid cover, lest he risk exposing himself or the PGC.

He'll land by the shore, casting a glance towards the house once owned by Minnie, then Lightning... It's a house with a legacy, one that he aims to protect. For that reason, he's sending a Lucario and a Metagross out of their balls.

No words are spoken between them; the group simply wanders the area, the Lucario trying to sense anything strange with her aura abilities and the Meagross serving as a sort of bodyguard.]

[explosivecombat]

[As far as the actual beach goes, there isn't much that's conspicuous there, especially given that it is early o'clock on a Saturday; granted, there are areas where people are more likely to gather - namely, the docks, which may still be operational despite the detonation that's happened across town, and the lighthouse, which seems to have had some rather agitated guards clustered outside some time earlier but they appear to be at least somewhat getting themselves sorted in the wake of the blast - they've already dealt with one attack on the place, and they're going to be sweeping the area to make sure they're not dealing with any others.

There's nothing too unusual around here aura-wise, at least; nothing immediately and obviously evil, anyway, nor is there any sort of psychic interference.

So. You have the docks, the lighthouse, or perhaps remaining nearby and seeing what's going on in the residential areas. Where would you like to check first?]

[islandshore]

[Nothing unusual, huh? Well, while gut instinct tells Riku to scope out the lighthouse first, knowing that Rockets have attacked it before makes it far too obvious a target. He'll save it for later, instead sticking to the residential areas. After all, the people need to know about the situation, and maybe they've seen suspicious activity.

After all, a populated area's sure to yield big results in an explosion. He just hopes the locals hear him out.]

[explosivecombat]

[All right then! Residential area it is.

There are still people around, despite the blast from earlier; after all, the explosion was clear across town, and the attack doesn't seem to be continuing at the moment. Most of the other Rocket attacks seem to have only had one specific target, after all - they've attacked one building, or in the case of some of the Goldenrod attacks, one area in particular. There's no reason to suspect that this time they'll do otherwise, but a few of them are outside talking about what should be done. Again, however, most of them seem under the opinion that the threat seems to have passed.

There's a young woman who seems to be rather invested in arguing her point, though; she's tall and willowy and talks with her hands a lot, once in a while sweeping errant locks of blonde hair out of her face. She has a Cinccino on her shoulder, and seems of the opinion that that bomb threat involved a lot of bombs, and it probably isn't safe to assume that there's just the one. Judging from the back-and-forth between the others and herself, her name is Jess, and she seems half on the verge of storming off and finding the other bombs herself.]

[islandshore]

[Riku stands a few yards away, listening in on the conversation. Once he realizes that this Jess is of like mind, Riku, joined by his Pokémon, strolls over.]

You're absolutely right. That one explosion was just a teaser for what's to come.

[He digs into his pocket and pulls out his PokéGear. Coincidentally, he's got the still of the bombs all ready to go, and he raises the 'Gear so that the others can see.]

You can't let your guards down. For all we know, the next bomb could be right around the corner.

[And that's one risk he's not willing to take.]

Docks

[beholdmydemons]

[Because it's familiar, in a weird sort of way that offsets the what does a bomb look like and what should I do if I find it well I guess I'll just toss it in the ocean or something.

The docks of Olivine don't consist of a few low piers and a fleet of rowboats, but Walter has a sharp eye and a firm conviction and more than enough practice in looking like he knows what he's doing. And while he's not going for stealth by any means, he did what he could with his wardrobe to not look completely out of place, wandering around down here where commercial and hobbyist boats alike are moored, his Houndoom beside him like they're just out for a morning stroll.

He couldn't tell you what looks out of place, but...any attempt is better than nothing. They'll figure it out somehow, or at least put up some opposition. One hopes.]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, it seems that Walter is not completely failing his stealth check today; he gets a few odd looks because there's something of a sense of community among the hobbyists and the trade fishermen alike - while everyone may not like everybody, everybody at least knows what everybody else looks like. However, they're a more or less accepting bunch down here; if there's a new guy, then...well, there's a new guy, and he'll get a few waves from people as he passes. How's the day going, been in town long. A couple of funny looks because you probs shouldn't put a fire dog on a boat, mate, but if that's what you do then hey. More power to you.

For now, it's a matter of what you want to look at - are we going to be poking the hobbyists, the tradesmen, or those running the commercial shipments first?]

[beholdmydemons]

[Well, if there was a bomb down here...

...Orthrus doesn't know exactly what they're trying to track down yet, so going blindly after the bomb just isn't going to work. Especially since the people here have more of a chance of recognizing it than he does, so it wouldn't be in the open anywhere, and he'd probably be barred from going anywhere that isn't relatively public. So what can he do?

He can find out if anyone's seen a person or Pokemon who might have placed the bomb. That might lead them to a place, or to something Orthrus can track by scent. So Walter needs to talk to someone who's been here frequently over the past week.

He'll try his luck with the tradesmen first. He's never had much luck not getting shooed away by people up to ~official business~, and the ones who do this for a living are more likely to be around during odd hours, or to know the area well enough to notice anything off.]

Hoy there! [Here goes nothing.] How do they bite today?

[explosivecombat]

[Let's do this thing, then!

You are going to be greeted with some blinking from one of those guys you are hailing down there, but he'll return the greeting. He looks to be about 30, with a Wingull taking up residence on his hat; he doesn't seem to mind. Pride of place for the thing, apparently. "Well enough, my friend, well enough!"]

PokeCenter; dear god haven't done this stuff in forever

[heartdive]

[ to Sora, the natural place to look around is the Center. the Centers had been attacked in the past, so it stands to reason that there could be a bomb inside or even nearby. he isn't like Riku, throwing on a disguise. there's no NEED to. no one is really going to think much of Sora sitting in a PokéCenter. He just sits there, Mei the Mienshao, by his side. honestly, he'd rather be looking around himself but... his plan is probably better.

both Lumi, the Lampent, and Juju, the Banette, are looking through the Center. it's pretty easy for them to slip around unnoticed as ghosts - looking for anything that might be out of place or unusual. the search begins INSIDE, rather than outside. ]

no worries! sorry for the delay, project for school happened

[explosivecombat]

[No one will think anyone of it; in fact, it's quite some time until anyone notices Sora at all, given that there's no one manning the counter for some strange reason. After several minutes, however, he's greeted by a rather flustered-looking woman, hat slightly askew; she doesn't seem to be one of the foreigners - the locals tend to have that certain look about them, after all - but she's jittery, perhaps a little on-edge.

What with the bomb threats and the earlier detonation, it's kind of hard not to be, and she looks slightly alarmed when she sees Sora. "Did you need something, hon?" she says, clearly trying to keep her voice even. "I'm so sorry for the wait, I could have sworn we weren't this understaffed a few days ago; I've no idea what happened, but for some reason I thought we'd have someone up at the front this morning."

As for Lumi and Juju - what's out of place depends on where they're looking. There's the patient-records room, of course, which is exactly what it says on the tin; there are also the separate areas meant to handle either human or Pokémon patients themselves. So. Where to?]

in town, headed toward the lighthouse

[usedswift]

[ooc: Replies will be alternately coming from Tenten (usedswift), Dave (moveslikestrider), and Jade (gardentrainer)!]

[Jade, Dave, and Tenten make a fairly innocuous group, really; as much as Tenten would like to, they don't fly into the city swords drawn ready to knock down doors and find some bombs. They'd spent the time en-route flying from Violet strategizing and making plans. So many plans.

For now, their current plan is straightforward enough; move through town, head toward anything that looks suspicious. And keep an eye in the sky, literally; Tenten's level 100 Xatu Yoonjae is flying high overhead in constant mental communication with her trainer. It's distracting enough to have a Xatu scolding her for being reckless that the normally-talkative ninja is keeping her mouth shut, lest she start mimicking the things Yoonjae is imparting to her.

The lighthouse is the highest point in the city; unless Yoonjae indicates otherwise, they'll likely head there to try to get a view of the city for themselves.]

[explosivecombat]

[The lighthouse is still not entirely sorted by the time said fairly innocuous group arrives, though at least by now the guards have gotten the doors open after they were found welded shut at early o'clock this morning. They're going to be doing sweeps through the building eventually, but right now they're just getting themselves more or less regrouped because wow, this morning has been a mess and it's not even half-done yet, but at least they seem to have been visited by a detective earlier so they aren't seeming too worried.

If we're heading toward the lighthouse, however, feel free to pick a direction; are you flying straight up to the top of the place and working your way down, or are you starting from the lower floors and working your way up?]

[OOC: You guys are more than welcome to thread between yourselves as well, if you'd like - to discuss strategy and what have you. I'll keep an eye on it, and once a decisive action is undertaken or exploration gets underway, I'll gladly let you know what you find. If you need me before that - to ask a question about your surroundings or if I need to clarify something - you can always page me in a subject line and tell me to get on top of it. Does this sound all right to everyone?]

[moveslikestrider]

So. Lighthouse? [Dave broaches the subject once they're in the city. He'd only offered some input on the way which amounted to, 'we can't split up', and 'christ going in with weapons is dumb'. He has no idea when he became the voice of reason. He's the tallest of the group and peering about warily from the safety of his shades.

Man, he loves how he can look where ever he wants behind them. It's probably better to look like he is some punk teenager (he is a teenager but not the point) so he doesn't bother to walk any different than usual.]

Or do you have any other ideas?

[ooc: Totally fine by me.]

Sorry for the delay!!! School has been busy :(

[gardentrainer]

Lighthouse wouldn't be bad! [Jade seems to be all jitters. She wounded to find all the equipment that was in the video. Partially so she can access it and figure out what type of person who set it up maybe. She'd maybe figure out what type of tech they're working with to build it all.]

I just want to get starteeddddd. We don't know when they're gonna go off, so we want to find them as soon as possible!!!!

[Jade seems to be itching to go. The only reason she probably hasn't just completely taken of all willy nilly is because of the other two. At least they're able to keep her in check from doing anything particularly stupid.]