route_29 | A fresh start; [train plot epilogue]

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A fresh start; [train plot epilogue]

11/23/11 18:49
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with this important news bulletin.

The woman on-screen looks polished and cool, but the scene behind her, the Saffron Train station, is total chaos. Evening is descending, and her neatly styled bob is periodically lit up with the red and blue of police lights. Under her, a scroll bar reads: MAGNET TRAIN HIJACKED, CURRENT MISSING POKEMON COUNT: 43.

"Hopes were high following a shareholder change that allowed for the completion of the Magnet Train renovation project. However, unexpected chaos arose today during its maiden voyage. The train was hijacked by the notorious Team Rocket about two hours into the trip; they went so far as to knock out the conductor to set up a bomb in the cab, threatening to blow the train off-track if passengers didn't hand over their pokémon."

The camera pans out to various images of people, young and old, being taken out in stretchers. A few crying faces, hands cradling empty pokéballs. Several Nurse Joys, all looking haggard, are accompanied by Chanseys and Blisseys to heal the poisoned.

"Luckily, some brave passengers were aboard, and most of the hijackers were apprehended or taken out. Many were injured, but no lives were lost—though many precious pokémon are now missing. While police here in Saffron work on taking in the captured Rockets, a concerted effort is being made on behalf of the Viridian and East Johto Police Headquarters, servicing New Bark and Cherrygrove, to find any pokémon lost in the Indigo Plateau. The Elite Four have generously volunteered their services, but this may delay the renovation in the battle halls and further push back the date at which they'll be accepting challengers."

A Jenny walks up to the newscaster's side, looking grim. The announcer politely hands her the microphone, which the police officer accepts with a nod.

"We currently have several Rocket members in custody, and are issuing warrants for several others--"

The image cuts to pictures and video showcasing several escaped Rockets, and some portraits and names. Over it, the Jenny's voice continues.

"If you have any information regarding these individuals, we ask for your cooperation in bringing them to justice. Our hotline is 1-800—"

Click. Darkness.

Ariana's eyes trail upwards from the remote control and settle somewhere around her boss' elbow, as if afraid of rising any higher. The silence hangs heavy in the room, and not one of them dares break it save for the dying hum of the enormous television. She can feel the heat rising off Archer, standing next to her, and it makes her tense. They could lose their jobs over this; they could lose more than that. It depends entirely on the whim of the man in front of them.

Certainly, this is what they'd wanted, but it's strange to find herself once again on a lower rung of the food chain.

His chair swivels, and they collectively hold their breaths. His mouth is a thin line, but neutral rather than disapproving. Just being under his scrutiny is overwhelming. Being in his presence feels like being in the middle of a roaring crowd. She wants to please him; they all do.

"Satisfactory," he declares, tossing the remote control to the desk with a clatter. "This will suit our purposes just fine."

They exhale.

"What next, sir?" Ariana dares, lifting her eyes.

"We wait," he informs her, letting his chin rest on twined fingers. "Count our gains. Train the new recruits. When the moment is right, we'll strike again. Patience is a virtue, as you well know."

"Yes, sir," they chorus.

"Good. Well done, and you are dismissed."

They turn and they march, like good Growlithes, his eyes burning into their backs. Ariana is both mournful and relieved to be out of the office.

And then Petrel opens his mouth.

"So that was a disaster, but it was a satisfactory disaster? Pardon me if I don't follow."

Proton rubs the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't meant to succeed. It was meant to be a red herring. Think, Petrel."

There is a pause, presumably while Petrel thinks. Anticipating that this may take a while, Ariana pipes up.

"The mission had three purposes: first as a loyalty test, secondly to capture pokémon, and thirdly to waylay the population."

"It's that third one I'm having trouble with."

Archer materializes at her side, looking amused. He arches a brow. "Don't you see, Petrel? This way, we're hiding our biggest asset. We already own the train line."

[[OOC NOTES:
      - You may post IC reactions to the broadcast here.
      - If your character was caught/was sighted/defected from the Team/dropped out/etc, now is the start of their two weeks of police dodging/community service/jail time! Have fun.
      -We're working on working out Kanto details and are hoping to have them out by the end of the week, keeping our fingers crossed. We hope you'll bear with us and use Bulbapedia for the time being. Gym leader levels may be modeled on those of their Johto counterparts.
      - If your character's pokemon was stolen and you're desperate to get it back, there will be opportunities.
      - This isn't the last of the Rockets! Sit tight for more nefarious scheming coming your way. ]]

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_{[Heather had considered maybe going on the train trip just for kicks, and to spend time with some of the friends she knows were going ... but then laziness had won out.]

[When the news broadcast had come in the next morning, she was lying on her stomach on her bed, blearily scrolling through all the network posts with some toast in one hand. Do de do, random person complaining about calls from Joey... somebody having trouble with their Gyarados... Magnet Train disast-- oh SHIT MAGNET TRAIN DISASTER.]}

Ho-lee ....

_{[She watches the news bulletin, suddenly wide awake.]

[.... BRB CALLING UP ALL THE FRIENDS SHE KNEW WERE ON THAT TRAIN.]}

_{[ooc: I'm in total crunch-time as I come to the last couple weeks of my hiatus, so responses may be slow BUT if your character is a pal of Heather's and was on the train (I've been totally out of the loop so I'm not sure who participated in the plot and who didn't, sob) feel free to tag right here and assume she called yours up to see if they were okay!]}

[The T.V. was usually on, in case someone wanted to watch it; the Other Father himself kept himself busy looking after anyone who needed him, or making music, or tending to the garden... It was a coincidence that he happened to see the new bulletin.

He was a man used to bad turns in life, but it didn't mean he ever liked them when they reared their ugly heads, especially when children were involved.

The children... John, Rose, Popura. They could be hurt, and there was nothing he could do but stand there, looking at the T.V. with his jaw dropped.

His mind went blank for a moment, as it always did when bad things happened. These had nothing to do with the Other Mother, his wife wasn't here to stop him from getting involved... But something in him was scared, worried for the children, worried for what he might find if he contacted them. He associated bad happenings with the death of children.

No, he had helped Coraline, he had gone against what he classed as the worst force possible. He could do this and he needed to have more faith in himself. The children would be fine. The children would be fine.

He began to contact anyone he knew who was on that train.

The Children Would Be Fine.]

[Ever since Clive found out during the meeting that they would be hijacking the Magnet Train, he's been worried about the Professor's and Little Luke's safety, and as much as he wanted to tell them not to go on that train, he couldn't say a word about it. Now that it's happened and the news has gotten out, his worrying only gets worse from there.

So now he's going to give each of them a call and make sure they're okay. They better be okay.]

[Today wasn't a good morning. Especially since Billy had no idea if any of his friends were okay. He's calling all of the ponies.]

I hope the bad guys didn't hurt them.

[ Look who just found his Gear!! Yep, this kid. ]

Uh, huh huh huh. Those guys are cool.

[Gorthan has escaped, and is safely back in Goldenrod. Except his picture is among those that are broadcast - there's a warrant for his arrest out. This does not surprise him in the slightest. Hell, he's surprised he hasn't been captured already. Perhaps that would have been a better outcome. Perhaps then he wouldn't feel as shattered and miserable as he is feeling now.

He has plans for his two weeks of hiding - things that he had calculated he would be doing before the mission even started.

But still, that doesn't mean that, on a cold, lonely night, he won't be found on Routes 34 or 35, half narrating his uncomfortably existing sorrow to the night sky, half hoping that the Policemen there will notice him and be competent enough to recognize him.

Because he feels he needs to pay for what he's done.]

Threaded | Flat

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[Video/whatever] He'll be on video, but they can answer with what they want.

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