[RAID] Stag Party

[Gwennythe]

Mircalla produced water, hydrating herself. This wasn't a great place to be for a fish, this cave, and she was pleased to have a break in the fighting in order to do so.
Of course, she tried to stay looking tough and vicious and ready and keen to keep battling. She watched Xerneas.

Clerval sighed with relief and satisfaction. They'd passed the first challenge, it seemed, and despite Clancy's 'instructions', all three of his team were still in relatively good shape. He, like Mircalla, kept an eye on the legendary.

Ditty, now the battle was done, just decided to hum to herself. She didn't care there was a legendary in the cave.

Clancy beamed, feeling mighty proud of himself. All his pokémon were fine and ready to battle again and /of course/ they were! He knew how to use his tools perfectly! He could fix a pipe with a wrench, and he could knock some critters about with his own!
He stayed quiet, while he wore his proud grin, however. He'd nearly attacked the champion before and that hadn't been right so he wanted to make sure he was on the same page this time right away.

---~~~---

Tambrey's first instinct was to sag and sigh with relief as they took out each pokémon. Now they were quickly edging toward the main issue, but she still had a full team, even if two of her best were feeling a little battered about now.
The Elite was still pinned, but not skewered, and it looked like that was all Xerneas had planned still... Plus, they'd gotten a good look at three of Diantha's pokémon.

She waited for Diantha to answer KO, staying silent herself. She was trying to reign in the tension she was beginning to feel; the anticipation that the real work, the real mission, was just moments away...  

[Blood_Goddess]

(Bro = Out of pokeball, invisible All other pokemon = in pokeballs)

Being in the last in the room, catching the middle of the action as it started. Of course it would be the Legendary that drew his attention first, He had never seen a Legendary like this up close, and of course felt the power that is possessed. No wonder the other team was as beat down as they were. The attack on the Rockets had already started by the time he got in the room, something that caused him to frown lightly from under his collar, He felt that there was something fundamentally wrong with what they were doing with their own team mates, and instead tried to come up with a say to let them know they were Rockets.
Of course any chance he had of executing anything that might be subtle enough would close just as quickly as he thought of it.

This Left Jerome to just stand in the doorway of the steps, arms crossed, watching the battle in his silent demeanor. He didn't know where Bro was, but he didn't see the pokemon attacking anyone.
____________________________________________________________

(Roman = Out of pokeball All other pokemon = in pokeballs)

He really. REALLY would have liked it much better if they had figured out a way to deal with this without the Rockets in Ranger uniform having to pull out their pokemon.
He refrained from pulling out any more of his, sure he could have gotten away with maybe Rui, but the champion had an Amoua herself, she knew what they were supposed to look like. Instead he kept to his shiny Sylveon, hanging back with his shoulders tense, hangings clinging to a spare rope he had managed to grab from the Rangers.
He was relived that Xerneas wasn't trying to attack them... but the clear Rockets instead. But... how in the hell were they going to trap it now? With Diantha and her pokemon here? If they got into a battle with either it would be over.

Her hands tensing on the ropes Kyle frowned, trying to come up with something that would work. and trying to stay as far away from the Legendary as he could.  

[Suudonym]

(KO)

Diantha considered KO's suggestion, then offered her own in return, "Let's restrain them first. It will make searching them easier and prevent any fighting back. Is that all right with all of you?"  

[TawnyAngel]

[Diantha]

Frost gave a satisfied nod at the outcome of the battle and motioned for his pokemon to keep their attention on the two Agents just in case they got any foolish ideas. "Once we have secured the rockets will we return to our comrades outside the cave?" he asked of Diantha. "What of Xerneas? Do we," he frowned a little as though looking for the right word, "escort it away from here?" Stay close to the Legendary, that was their mission at present. So far as he saw it, it would be ideal to persuade the Champion to depart so that they could rejoin their Elites at the cave mouth and then deal with securing the Legendary. Somehow however he did not think that Diantha was going to be quite so easy to shake off.  

[TawnyAngel]

[Diantha / Female Agent]

KO nodded. "Makes sense." As he spoke he took the rope from his belt and approached the brunette Agent. "Alright, hands behind your back and don't get any clever ideas," he instructed firmly, meeting her eyes squarely and sorely wishing he was psychic so that he could tell her what was going on. "I'm going to tie your hands and you're going to let me. If you're injured beyond some scratches I can help you, I'm a trained field medic. Got all that?"  

[Gwennythe]

As Diantha mentioned restraining the rockets, to KO, Neph chittered annoyed. /When/ could they end this charade?
She then turned, still on the ceiling, and aimed a Spider Web at the Brunette Agent.

"Neph! Not without permission!" Tambrey's eyes widened and she hissed at her spider insistently.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Gah!" KO jumped back as the web attack whisked past him; that bug was a menace! "Okaaay, that works too," he added, adjusting his hat in an attempt to recover his composure and glancing up at Neph to make sure she wasn't going to get carried away and web him too.  

[Gwennythe]

<> Neph chittered, a creepy grin she couldn't physically express bleeding its presence somehow into her tone. She remembered hearing... He could understand poison types...  

[TawnyAngel]

Okay, creepy, but he did quite like being called Fancy-man; it might be psychotic but that bug clearly had some taste! KO resisted the urge to pull the comb out of his jacket pocket and preen a bit.  

[Suudonym]

(Frost)

"Yes, I think that sounds like a good idea," Diantha agreed. "I would hate to simply turn Xerneas loose only for it to have problems with overeager trainers initiating battles with it all the way gome... Perhaps you all can turn the captured Rockets over to the authorities, and I'll see that Xerneas safely returns to the forest?"

The abrupt commotion involving the Spider Web drew the Champion's attention immediately, but she was relieved to see that KO's shout wasn't due to having a weapon pulled on him. "Goodness, what enthusiasm!" she said with a small laugh, indulging just slightly in the humor of the situation. "Perhaps it mistook you for a Rocket yourself!"  

[Shawn Darrow]

Shadow stood, tense and unsure of what he, personally, could do to help when the dust settled and the Rockets were subdued. He almost looked over when the champion addressed Team Rocket, but quickly reminded himself that wasn't who they were supposed to be at the moment. It was harder to remember than he'd thought, especially since he'd hardly had a life before he'd joined the organization.

Checking on his pokemon, he found that they were safe for the most part. Lindsay and Jack were more or less okay while Eris and Haunter were unharmed. He wanted to call some of them back, uncomfortable with so many out at once and having to keep an eye on them, but at the same time, he couldn't be sure what would happen next. It was probably best to leave them as they were for now.

He also prayed that Neph's deviant behavior didn't get them exposed. Rangers were supposed to have excellent relationships with their pokemon, weren't they? But he supposed they couldn't have all have been best friends and perfectly trained immediately.  

[TawnyAngel]

[Diantha]

KO gave a little snort of amusement and shrugged; "Maybe, who knows! She's certainly keen though." Uuuugh, and they needed to divert this plan! "I'm sure just a couple of us can handle these three restrained," he continued, "maybe it would be a good idea for the rest of us to come with you and Xerneas? We can form and advance guard and a rear guard to make sure tourists get clear and don't bother it any further than it already has been today."

And whoever stayed behind would free the Rockets and they could follow at a safe distance? Something like that.  

[Magician Arcana]

(Diantha)

Adam wasn't sure if taking out the rockets had been that wise of an idea. After all, these were their comrades. But with how easily, and thoroughly, her pokemon had dispatched the rockets they faced, Adam figured they were out of their league to be fighting the Champion (buh-dump chhhh).

"Diantha, if I might suggest... We can handle the Rockets and give them to our two rangers at the entrance of the cave. I'm worried that.. Well, with all the trainers and tourists still in the cave... They'd listen to you to evacuate, if they haven't. You could get them to leave the area while we get the rockets detained and make sure Xerneas isn't attacked by anyone else who might try to slip around you. There could be reinforcements for these bad guys too." Adam cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry if that is a little presumptuous..."  

[Suudonym]

(KO / Adam)

"Oh, if it's numbers you're worried about, it's quite all right," Diantha replied, gesturing to the Gardevoir, Gourgeist, and Tyrantrum that gathered around her. "I have three more in addition to these cuties; we'll be all right. Besides, I'm sure you all would like to get back to town and get a change of clothes sooner rather than later."

In response to Adam's suggestion, she looked somewhat puzzled. "Do you think an evacuation would be necessary? The Rockets will be restrained, after all..." She shook her head in dismissal of her own concern, "Well, if it's what's best for you all to operate, then by all means, I won't force my own doubts on you. However, I do believe that the trainers will be more responsive to you League Rangers than to me. Although it's somewhat embarrassing for me to admit, I'm known more widely as an actress than as the Champion."  

[TawnyAngel]

[Diantha]

KO was rapidly running out of ideas but one more occurred and he changed tack to go with it; he sighed, looking rather dejected, and then looked back over at Diantha with a somewhat pleading expression. "Okay, I have to admit it wasn't entirely altruistic suggestion; I'd wait a week for a change of clothes for a chance to spend a little longer near a pokemon as magnificent as Xerneas. I've never been so close to a Legendary pokemon before, and it's Xerneas and... well I'd really love to accompany you to see it safely back to the forest. Please? It would mean so much to me." He glanced around at his comrades and gave a little laugh. "You all know me! Total fairy, can't help wanting to linger by my totem legendary."

___________

[Diantha]

Frost, who had just about caught up with the situation again, narrowed his eyes at KO. "You are a frivolous man, however I understand your feelings. I am quite content to ensure these Rockets are taken into custody. As you say Champion," he nodded to his three pokemon, "numbers are not a problem for me either. If some of my comrades wish to accompany you for sentimental reasons I will see our duty done, alone if required however it would be sensible for at least one other to be with me." It would be better for all of them to go with her, but it sounded better for him to suggest somebody else accompany him.