Pokémon: Aftermath #3a - In the Thin Ice [IC]

[SilverJakler]

"Sure, I'll come with." responded Seth. His attire wasn't exactly up to the winter snuff either, so he figured might as well take this chance to get to know this guy, too. He started walking alongside Jory.

"So, you reckon we're gonna run into some trouble along the way? 'Cuz I definitely think so."

[Commander]

Near the edge of the room, there stood a well-aged man wearing casuals clothes. He was about to introduce himself when conversations started flaring up. He traveled a long way from Hoenn after hearing the news of Eterna to join this new rebellion. It already felt like he forgotten so quickly. It didn't matter as he had a job to do and he was going to follow through no matter what.

After glancing at all the members, he was surprised by how young most of the current members were, meaning he was one of the few who had experienced both the new and the old world. These people never experienced the joys of moving across the region, catching Pokemon and battling...for fun. He doubted that some of these people knew exactly what they were getting into, but still kept his silence no matter what arrogant or ignorant things each one mentioned.

"I'm Drake if anyone was wondering," he spoke out not even knowing if anyone was listening. "I know you're all busy 'talking' about who knows what, but we have a job to do. I'm going to prepare for this mission so I don't end up freezing to death." With that, Drake headed out of the room grabbing his winter gear off the rack which included a thick white coat, gloves, hat, and a scarf. He knew it was almost suicidal to go on this mission with only a Crobat, but that's what he signed up for.

[Felicity]

Adam took notice of Drake when he spoke. The man had a point. "I'm off to do the same." With that les than friendly goodbye, he walked out to find some clothes of his own. His own ragged attire wouldn't be sufficient for the journey ahead.

[Tacos]

Carissa watched as everyone seemed to be slithering out of the door to prepare. "I guess it's best we do the same, Lila." Carissa reached into her pocket and pulled out the Luxury Ball that houses Lila. She pressed the golden button, and Lila was sucked into the ball in a golden flash. She then squeezed out the door, on her way to prepare herself.

[Flux]

Flux looked up from his PokeGear. He had been standing in the corner, tweaking minor details. It was a habit of his, as he loved improving his technology in any way he could. It seemed that many of the new members were beginning to leave already, and he hadn't even introduced himself. Oh well. He pushed up his glasses as he stood to his full height, moving towards Jon, who appeared to be with Raito. He returned the Pokegear to the inside of his labcoat, feeling the familiar weight of Ogre's heavy ball in the chest pocket.

"Well, hello there Jon." He gave the man his usual carefree smile. "It seems that we have a lot of members now. I would call them new, but we don't really have a whole lot more experience than they do, now do we?"

[Notus]

"Oh, hey." Jon said, quickly pulling his hand back from Raito's fur. He unconciosuly took a step back to put some distance between himself and Flux before answering. "Uhmn, yes, I guess you're right. But at least I know you and the others know what you are doing." He said, refering to the Covert Ops members. Then he looked towards the little group with the Snorlax. "I just hope these guys do too."

[Flux]

"Yes, I hope they do too." He turned abruptly, walking towards Miki and Sarcus to say hello before leaving. He gave a last remark to Jon as he left. "It's good to see you alive and well after our little 'trip.' There are others here who couldn't say the same about their comrades."

"He's still uncomfortable around us. He speaks openly, but his actions betray his words."

Flux smiled and shook the observation away. It was a habit of his to record minor details like that in his mind. He supposed it was a product of his good attentiveness. He was always noticing little things about people, whether he wanted to or not. He waved as he approached Sarcus and Miki, the same smile still lingering on his face.

[DarkLight]

Miki gasped as Lupus took off his sunglasses to address them but quickly recovered when Lobo managed to burn the ceiling with his fiery attack. As Jory headed off to find some warmer clothes, Miki began to feel more comfortable around the two men, as each of them here, she realized, joined their cause to take down the so called Goddess for important reasons of their own. She could definitely relate to them. "J-Jory is right, Lupus. Raito and I have lost our family when Dawn and her Church raided our hometown... To this d-day - It's been almost 5 years, I think - I... Still have no clue as to whether or not I will see them again..." She blinked back several tears before she continued. "But, it's because of that that I decided to join Team Dusk. I also don't want more people to lose their lives any more over this. D-Dawn needs to be stopped no matter what!" Miki practically shouted out the last statement, much to her embarrassment as the people around her started to stare. She quickly wiped her tears away as an excuse to cover her blushing. The Japanese girl was so bent on trying to calm her nerves that she didn't even notice that Flux had come by.

Raito gave a satisfied purr as Jon stroked him; too bad it ended right after Flux greeted them. He also noticed that the crowd around Miki has also grown smaller, it must be almost time to leave. As Flux went off to join his human partner, the yellow Eeveelution gave one last yelp at Jon before he began darting back to Miki. Once he was by her side again, Raito jumped up and down as if he was inviting Jon to come over.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Lupus put his hand on her shoulder in a sort of reassuring way. Jory might have been confused at this. Lupus wasn't the kind of guy who really opened up to anyone, and he certainly only did to Kael in the previous squad. "We will stop her, and if they are still out there somewhere, we will find them. But first we have to take on a tyrant that may or may not have ascended into godhood......Just another typical day, huh?" he said in a sarcastic tone. "And we should get moving, hope you all are packed for the cold weather, going to be a looong trip." he said, putting his sunglasses back on, sliding them up the bridge of his nose.

[Rielly987]

"A team within a team" Pine shrugs as he walks through the door to he's his coat. Should be interesting how all 15 or so work together if they work with each other at all...

[Jory]

Jory turned to the other team member walking beside him. "Seth, right? The guy with the Electivire?" he asked as he continued toward the door of the Gym. Shredder walked calmly beside his Trainer, sizing up the new teammate. Jory chuckled slightly at the other Trianer's question. "I know we'll run into resistance wherever we go. It'd be ignorant to believe otherwise. And we should expect whoever's leading Dawn's forces in Snowpoint City these days to be significantly more challenging than Gardenia. We caught her off-guard and managed to overwhelm her, but that's not going to happen twice." The veteran looked pensive for a moment. "We were barely able to match her Pokemon, even one-on-one. Shredder almost got beaten by her Sceptile, but pulled through with an X-Scissor to end the battle. And we should expect them to have more intel on our team now."

The pair of Trainers neared the exit of the Gym, and Jory stopped walking briefly. "I know you haven't been in a battle with Dawn's forces yet, so let me tell you what Sarcus back there didn't understand. You can hold all the ideals you want, but in battle your priority has to be the safety of your teammates and yourself. Even if it means cold-bloodedly killing the people who get in your way," he said sadly, regret and pain visible in his eyes. "Take it from someone who's seen the carnage firsthand. It's better to see dozens of dead Acolytes than to watch someone you care about die because she couldn't do what was necessary to survive."

[SilverJakler]

"Yep, that's me. And yeah, you're right, they're definitely not gonna make it easy for us to get there, let alone do our job when we enter the Conclave and Gym."

Seth, titled his head down, deep in thought as he grabbed a red winter jacket and black hiking boots for the long journey ahead. He thought about changing pants, and slipped some ski pants over his sweats, just to be safe. He swapped his regular denim jacket for the winter one and his sneakers with the hiking boots "They're most likely gettin' ready for use as we stand here."

Once he had changed his attire, he looked back at Jory and said, "And it's true, I haven't been in a battle with Dawn's forces yet, but I have seen what they can do. I was..." Seth made a big sigh before he continued.

"I was their prisoner for about six months. Things weren't as bad in Unova for a while, but the Cult slowly started to... infest the region after a decade or so. My parents tried to stand up, along with many other famous and powerful trainers. But, they were swatted aside by that damn Arceus..." He started getting misty-eyed as he recalled what had happened next. "Some of them were killed right then and there, but Dawn decided a quick end was too good for my folks. They were captured and sent to one of her re-education camps. But before they were taken away, my parents begged for me to run. I tried, but me and Giga were caught and forced into servitude in a local conclave. I've seen people who don't take them seriously get completely destroyed. So I know they can't be taken lightly."

Seth clenched his fist as he continued. "Don't worry about me, I'm gonna make sure I do my damnedest to see that we take Snowpoint back and see as much of this team out alive as I can. And if some of the Acolytes have to die to accomplish that, then so be it. You can count on me." A certain look of understanding and determination was present on his face as he said this, he meant every word of what he said.

Edited December 1, 2014 by SilverJakler

[Tacos]

Carissa had left one of the abandoned apartments in a large and comfortable fur coat, two layers of black sweatpants, and dark brown boots that came up to her knees. She had claimed one of the rooms in the apartment for a quick moment so she could change. On her way to the East Exit, she hesitated. Everyone seems to know each other already. What if I get paired up with someone who doesn't like me? How can we work as a team then? What am I gonna do if they all rely on me and I let them down? The "What-Ifs" whirled around her head as she arrived, giving Lucas a curious stare.

[Notus]

Jon looked to Raito and the group and took a step in that direction... But then shook his head and turned back. This is just a waste of time, I should be preparing for the climb. The boy thought as he walked away, but feeling unconfortable with his own decision for some reason.

He walked to the area where he had been camped with Kyte before and let the Swampert out of his pokéball. The huge blue pokémon yawned, stretched his arms, and greeted his young trainer with a smile.

"Hey big boy." Jon greeted back, and then proceeded to get the snow clothes he found lying on top of his bed, as well as packing all his stuff, while he explained the new mission to his partner.

[Jory]

Jory nodded grimly at the other Trainer. "I'm glad you understand. We can't afford the mistakes of any starry-eyed rookies." He looked over the selection of clothing, trying to decide what to wear. Hmm... We're with Team Dusk now. Better dress the part, he figured. The young man carefully picked up a black ski jacket with a rather large hood and inspected it for any tears or holes. "By the way, make sure your clothing is intact. If any water gets in it, it'll get all cold and damp," he said to Seth. He then found a pair of thick black half-calf hiking boots and set them aside along with the jacket. Then, he found a pair of black ski pants. Hmm... Better dress in layers. He dove back into the pile, grinning from ear to ear as he picked up an orange fleece with a zippered collar. Finally, he picked out an old black beanie. As he turned it around in his hands, he looked sadly at the logo. It was a Devon Corporation hat like the ones they'd sold at the Lilycove Department Store. He immediately pocketed it and found a pair of nondescript black gloves and a pair of thick woolen socks. He took off his backpack and began to neatly store the items, pushing aside his two Hyper Potions and a small bag of Pecha Berries.

"I'm ready to go. Let's head to the meeting place," he said more quietly, still a bit shaken from the flood of memories that had accompanied finding the hat.

((Last post for this part))

[Felicity]

After securing some suitable clothing, Adam made his way around the city, navigating to the tallest building he could find. After climbing his way to the roof, he released Lockhart from his pokeball, the brd soared around the building grateful for the freedom the open sky gave him. After a while of aerial acrobatics for training, Lockhart roosted on the ledge of the building rooftop to claim his reward for the training.

The Honchkrow began to chirp and tweet, exercising his voice before launching into a light, complex little melody. The birdsong spread throughout the city, ringing out to the citizens as well as to Adam, who had a front row seat. Even he had to appreciate the birdsong. As it continued, the young man thought about how allowing the bird to perform this little rite was what allowed him to work with the Murkrow back then, a small trade that eventually grew into a habit, the one unchanging thing the two had. The two remained for a while, Lockhart content to sing and Adam to listen.

[Azeria]

Deciding he had done enough dilly dallying,Micheal left the gym and gained some thick clothing for the northern blizzards that were sure to come if he went to the mountainous area that surrounded Snowpoint city.After doing this rather easy task,Micheal started walking to the western exit of the city.Seeing route 206 in front of him,the exit of the city was filled with Guards on standby keeping a lookout for any invaders.Micheal walked up to 1 of them asking if he could go into admitedly rather small route which was answered by a quick,merciless and cold no.Thinking it wasnt worth it,Micheal navigated his way back into Eterna City.

[Flux]

Flux waved as he came to Miki and Sarcus.

"Hello again," he began with a grin. "How are the more youthful members of the covert ops squad doing? It's good to know that we all made it out intact."

[M_Cowher]

As usual nobody noticed the the dark cloaked man in the back of the room. Thoron smiled finally returning from a daze of reflection, and said to Rusgon (His Zoroark): "People so easily overlook others when they make idle conversation." The pair walked out of the room hardly raising a gaze from the others in the nearly idle room. Thoron's dark green cloak hid most of his physical features, but a small scruffy beard result of not shaving for several weeks in the wilds in Sinnoh. Thoron joined team Dusk as an opportunity to Combat the church of Dawn, and to hopefully lower security in the region so that he could return on his journey to find Rusgon's homeland in unova, a place foreign to both of them. Thoron decided to skip the idle conversation and hurry onto his mission, to stop the tyrant. Thoron's cloak and thick boots were suited for the long trek before them. "The sooner we leave the faster we will be done" he muttered to Rusgon as they exited the room, and walked towards to group also waiting to depart, and began to check the sharpness of his arrows and restrung his bow just to be safe.

[grasssnake485]

As the crowd began to thin out, Alina joined up with her fellow (previously) covert-ops members. "Hey. How's it going?"

[DarkLight]

Miki giggled at Lupus sarcastic question before nodding enthusiastically. There was something about the man before her that made her feel safe and sound once again. It's a really nice change of pace compared to what she has been through just 3 days ago. "You're right, we should go and get some better clothes. I need something better than sneakers."

When Flux and Alina arrived (not realizing that Flux was beside them all of this time), Miki waved cheerfully to her fellow Covert Ops teammates. "Hi Flux and Alina! Yes, I'm glad all of us got out alive, but... The main team, unfortunately, weren't as lucky as us, as my new friend has informed Sarcus and me." Miki's expression grew more somber as she gestured to the man with the sunglasses and his Houndoom. "This is is Lupus and his partner, Lobo. He and Jory are the only ones left from Gardenia's battle. Lupus, this is Flux and Alina. They are my teammates from the Covert Ops."

Raito was disappointed that Jon had left the gym. He was hoping for a Covert Ops reunion of some sorts before they start their next mission. His ears went down to indicate this emotion, but they immediately returned to their normal position when Flux and Alina arrived to join them. The Jolteon decided to jump onto them now to indicate his pleasure at their arrival.

[Chevaleresse]

Sarcus shrugged. "Could be better, could be a lot worse," he said in response to Alina. "Let's just say I'm not a fan of the cold and leave it there. I'm sure you feel similarly." He adjusted the fit of his jacket again. This thing's getting so ragged. I really should get a new one, he thought for probably the thousandth time. It hadn't fit well to begin with, and time was taking its toll.

[krim]

Nemir watched anxiously as the man with the bow walked towards the meeting place. "Why didn't I see him before...I know I made a mental note of everyone in that room." he thought. "This one has a strange aura....he and his pokemon both....watch out for them. I can't sense any hostility, but the aura is so different that I can't be sure." Vis thought back with a hint of nervousness about the unknown man. As the man got closer, Nemir noticed him restringing the bow and called out to him "Hi there....are you another member of Team Dusk? I didn't see you inside."

[M_Cowher]

Thoron gives a light chuckle, and replies "When you spend your entire life honing your skills you tend to pick up a few tricks." He said. After sizing up the taller man and Rusgon doing the same to Vis, and said "You have the look and tools of a well experienced man as well... My name is Thoron, and this is Rusgon." He said gesturing to Rusgon. "What are your names?"

[krim]

Nemir looked over the man and his pokemon, and he was almost positive that they were doing the same to he and Vis "Hmm..he certainly is well experienced. He could make a better ally than some I've seen" he thought before saying "I go by Nemir, and Vis is my partner. And I guess you could say we are experienced...Living in this hell of a world for as long as we have kind of makes you have to be." "That is true...and hello." Vis thought aloud.