[RAID] Attack on Rocket

[insidiousEnigma]

It appeared that they were going to be targeted. "Velencia, use confusion on the one closest to us but try to stay out of sight." Andre ordered, keeping his attention on the enemy pokemon. "Esp-Espeon." The dark pokemon's eyes flickered over to her trainer before darting off to weave between the trainers and pokemon. Pale, icy eyes narrowed behind the protective lenses of his goggles. He should have had Louis send over more of his pokemon, it was ridiculous how unprepared he was for this. As it was he was lucky that Louis had sent Fraener along with Velencia, though he wasn't of any use against these pokemon. His hand dropped down to the two dark balls attached to his thigh holster, an absent minded habit.

On task, he couldn't afford to loose sight of Velencia.

His eyes scanned the area and spotted a brief flash of purple before a soft, pulsating wave surrounded the area.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While the trainers battled the various Hippopotas, Alder had his Bouffalant and Vanilluxe flank the van on either side in case anymore pokemon decided to appear, and he circled the vehicle to look for any signs of serious damage that would impede their progress.

One Hippopotas let go of Viktor as it yawned in response to the Espeon's Yawn - an effect of Viktor's move, rather than a move of its own - but it shook its head and aimed another Bite at the psychic-type.

Due to the nature of Faint Attack, the Hippopotas that Teazer pounced was unable to dodge even if it had the chance to do so, and coupled with the attacks it had sustained previously, it collapsed into the sand, unconscious.

The powered-up Shadow Ball hit another Hippopotas - one that hadn't sustained damage thus far - and while the ground-type stumbled back with a grunt, he remained standing, and lunged for Luna again in another Bite attack.

The last Hippopotas, thinking itself free from attacks - probably because it was hit so much in the last round - focused its attention on Viktor and took a sluggish, unsteady step forward to attack -- but was struck by a Confusion from a dark Espeon and fainted before it could attack again.  

[TawnyAngel]

Dith's pair of Espeon were really not having a good day. With a weak little cry Luna fainted and her trainer recalled her to her pokeball with a growl. Victor remained upright but obviously struggling, blood running from the wounds he had taken to stain his pale golden fur. Shaking his head the eeveloution staggered back and blasted a Psychic at the Hippopotas that had just taken down Luna. Zla quickly launched another Shadow Ball at the same one.

Not to be outdone Teazer licked some blood from her maw and then, turning to the ground type that had just bitten Viktor, launched a hail of coins in a painful Pay Day.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Water certainly was the way to go, and Vahy'n was more than comfortable drenching what land she could with the beautiful liquid.
Powerfull though as the force of the hydropump erupted with the intent to catch one of the Hippowdon who had attacked Aurora.

Rosie was proud of Vahy'n, keeping up her attacks and staying in the battle, though her eyes uncertainly cast around, would they be able to finish this as quickly as the needed?
"Keep it up Vahy'n! we need to take them down quick!" she called,  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The attacks of both Viktor and Zla hit their mark dead on, and the Hippopotas fainted with a soft cry.

While the Pay Day attack left the last remaining Hippopotas stumbling back, it had every intention of attacking again, and lurched forward uncertainly towards Teazer - until it was hit with a Hydro Pump, and promptly collapsed.

After checking the van's exterior, the most serious damage he could find were a few awful-looking dents. That settled, Alder called up to Petra, "The van seems fine; we can continue now!" With that, he recalled both pokemon, then turned and waved at the trainers as the final enemy pokemon fainted, "Good work everyone! Alright, back in so we can catch up to those vehicles Petra spotted!" That said, the former champ quickly got returned to his seat.

((You may post once between now and 6pm EST when the raid resumes! Make sure your character gets all their pokemon and gets back into the van so they can catch up to the Rockets!))  

[TawnyAngel]

Dith nodded grimly and stooped to give Viktor a Moo-Moo Milk from his bag before sending Luna back out and treating her with a revive and super potion. Once both Espeon were back on their feet he sighed and raised their pokeballs. "Sorry, no time to wash. I'll give you both a bath later, Da?" Viktor nodded at him, quiet and accepting as ever, but Luna looked a little betrayed. She still didn't trust him, not really. Trying not to feel too hurt about that Dith called them both back, shortly followed by Teazer. His father's Haunted however he left out. "Zla," he turned to the ghost, "fade out and stay with me." You never knew when the seconds needed to let a pokemon out of its ball could cost you dearly.

Zla acknowledged the instruction with a soft; "Haaaaaunt," and faded from view.

With his pokemon treated and the unnatural sandstorm standstorm now over Dith remembered to pull his mask back down around his neck, looking around to make sure everyone else was alright. Seemed like it, for now. Shouldering his bag the huge man straightened up, his expression grim. That had just been the start, he was sure that whatever came next would be worse.

"No time to waste then," he gave the group of young trainers a tight smile that failed to reach his eyes. "We will not let them get away." With this said the doctor clambered back into the van and took his seat. Much as he wanted to go around making sure everyone really was completely okay there was no time, every second they spent here they Rockets were putting distance between them. So long as everyone was on their feet and not bleeding that would have to suffice.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Andre took in the fainted pokemon and surrounding area with a blank expression before turning sharply on his heel to head back to the van. Velencia was soon weaving between his legs again as if she had been there the entire time. "You did well." He said simply, bringing his arms up to be used as a hold as the dark Espeon leaped up onto his shoulders. "Espeon Es-peon." He nodded slightly, yes he imagined that was a bit boring for her but he couldn't help that. He had her do everything that would prove to be useful. With a gracefulness that came naturally to him, the purple haired man climbed back into the van and took up his spot. "Let's have a look at you then." Velencia let out a noise that was obviously a whine but obediently slid down into his lap and laid back on her back.

He knew she hadn't been targeted and if she was hurting even a little it would be from the sand storm, but it never hurt to check. Nimble fingers ran along and prodded at her stomach and sides, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Muscles are a bit stiff, you shouldn't tense so much." While worded as a suggestion the command was obvious in his tone. Next, he examined her legs and paws. While they appeared quite frail and dainty, they were neither. He could feel the powerful muscles shifting underneath his fingertips and his eye twitched slightly with a vague longing. Now was not the time for that though. "Just a bit tense." Came his final diagnosis as he righted the Espeon and reached into one of the pockets of his vest. "How about a treat?~" He cooed, pulling out a small jar of Chili paste. Velencia immediately perked up, purring and rubbing her head against his chest. "Yes, yes, I know. You love your spicy foods, don't you?~" He grinned as he scooped a small amount onto his finger and held it out for her to lick up. Not only was it a treat for her, but the Capsaicin would help her muscles relax.  

[Tori Honoo]

Though Dove's hand had fallen to her belt to call forth one of her other team members, she hesitated, watching as the rest of the group took down the other Pokemon instead. It suddenly proved that her Pokemon were no longer needed in this battle, and as Alder called for their attention, she released Aurora beside her and quickly dug through her bag, pulling out a bottle with which to fully revive the arcanine.

Once the medicine was administered, and large amber eyes opened once again, the girl looked around to those around her. "If anyone needs medication, I've got plenty!" she announced quickly, sure that very one would have thought to brought their own, put prepared with as much as her bag would carry nonetheless. There was no telling if they would run out, and she wanted to do her best to make sure they weren't left helpless. Besides, after the way this battle had gone, he needed to find another way to aid the group... With no type advantage with which to fight, at least she could help doctor them afterward, thanks to her work at the centers back in town. She certainly didn't know everything, but she hoped it was enough.

Shaking her head, Aurora rose again, her eyes narrowed at the desserts around them. She would be more prepared next time, but for now, she allowed her girl to hug her neck, bending to bump the girl's shoulder to urge her toward the van once more.

Her partner taken care of, the girl called the arcanine back and clipped the ball into place once more as she stepped back into the van and up to her seat. "Get some rest, Aurora."  

[Gwennythe]

Well that was a relief and now they could go after that vehicle.
Lin petted Moriko gently, taking something from his pocket- a few berries- to allow her to heal a bit.
"Good job. Thank you, Moriko." He knew she'd not been far from fainting, but he still needed her active for now. Afterward, he swung himself back onto the Sawsbuck's back, riding her back to where Jeeves could vine himself up, and then the three of them riding back to the van.
He returned the deer before he'd technically finished dismounting, eager to get going after the vehicle.

"Thanks," he called to Dove, with a smile "We'll keep that in mind!" After all, he didn't have a bag, and his pockets wouldn't hold very much in the way of medicines and supplies. He had a water bottle, knowing they were going into the desert, but that was just simple drinking water.

He decided there was room enough to keep Jeeves out. He hoped they wouldn't be in the van too long, and would, instead, be engaging the other vehicle very soon.  

[Suudonym]

Well that was disheartening. It was good to know that the threat was dealt with, and the knowledge that the enemy wasn't too far ahead didn't leave much time to worry about insignificant things, but still it bothered him. Luke didn't know he was so poorly prepared to confront ground-type pokemon. Recalling his Pidgeot with a frown that betrayed his regret over being unable to do more, he shrugged the thoughts aside with a mental note to reevaluate his strategies later and returned to his seat with all the urgency the League representatives' tones encouraged.  

[Arclyn]

Vince was no stranger to expeditions out into the desert. Driving along some unpaved path into a remote location, often inhospitable, using protective eyewear to shield against dust, sand, and whatever other unpleasant debris that end up blinding him, and even having to occasionally work with other people out in the field (as much as he detested doing so). Yet depite all the similarities his current situation had with his previous experiences, he felt as far out of this comfort zone as he had ever been. After all, he had never imagined he would ever even see a member of team rocket, let alone unintentionally join a group of strangers to fight them at their base. Still, aside from constant fidgeting he did his best to remain calm. After all, he would only have to expliain that he was lost and someone would most surely direct him back to the city, perhaps they would even offer him transportation back. Too much to hope for? Maybe. But he decided that it was better to stay postive given his current situation.

During the ride to the location, he noticed that one of the other passengers in the vehicle was missing a hand. Upon seeing this, a cold shiver ran down his spine and his mind was spinning with questions. Had she lost it during a planned assault on the Rockets similar to this one? That Petra woman did say something about peril and danger right? His leg unconsiously began to shake as he considered this. Suddenly he had begun to wish he had payed more attention during the breifing. The more and more he thought about this, the more it seemed as though he had involuntarily joined some war. He had only been in Kodo for about a day and a half and already he began to fear for his life. Were all the citizens of this miserable island so insane as to be volunteering to go against a criminal organization that was known throughout the world, and at their home base no less?! He considered himself to be, first and foremost, a scientist, not much of a trainer, and certainly not a soldier. There was absolutely no way that he was going to leave the safety of this van. He convinced himself that he would just stay put and wait till the driver drove back to Camphoreon. Vince began rooting himself into his chair by digging his trembling fingers into the sides of his seat, as if the van were about to be flipped upside down at any moment. His eyes widened and he began to glance quickly around the van in a panciked state. Yet no matter where he looked, his attention always seemed to be draw back to the girl with the missing hand. He watched as she struggled to put on her goggles and was eventually assisted by a girl sitting beside her.

For a moment Vince seemed to forget everything about the situation, and found himself feeling more at ease the longer he watched. The incongruity of watching this helpful, kind gesture directly in contrast to the horrible, chaotic, life threatening image of the situation in his head, suddenly made everything seem unreal. The appearance and demeanor of the girl's actions as she assited her seemed warm and quite friendly, certainly not the type to go out into an extremely dangerous war zone to fight an evil organization. In fact, now that he noticed it, many of the people here didn't seem at all to fit what was going on. Some people were carrying on a casual conversation about how each other had been, like old friends catching up after a long time. Surely these wouldn't be the kind of conversations one would be having if their life was in danger. Ignoring the worried expressions on some of the faces, he let out a sigh of relief, smiled slightly, and sank back in his seat to relax. He had convinced himself that this was all some horrible joke or dream. Or perhaps he had misheard the breifing and that it was actually some sort of tour van that visitors took around the area, there had been some of those back in Cinnabar after all. True, it was strange that Alder was here and that so many people would want to tour the island but, perhaps the reasons for this were explained during the breifing that he had mostly ignored and that there were perfectly reasonable explanations for those. Regardless of whichever it was he found comfort in knowing that by this time the next day, he would be able go out on his own expedition and conduct his research in peace. His mind wandered in bliss as he began to imagine examining outcrops, jotting down observations, diagrams, sketches of specimens he would undoubtedly find. He began to pull the goggles, which he had absent-mindedly taken out of the box and placed onto his lap before passing them around, over his head and proceeded to adjust them to comfortably fit around his eyes and ears. They fit much more snugly than his pair back at the hotel, which he had forgotten to pack in his satchel. Vince couldn't help grinning to himself. A new pair of goggles and a free tour around the island? Things were looking up, and he had forgotten all about what he was so worried about in the first place.

As the other occupants of the van conversed with one another, Vince sat daydreaming about his field work. However it was promptly cut short by Alder who had seemed to turn his attention to the people in his row. He hesitated, somewhat in disbelief that the League Champion would ask for his name. After recovering from the initial shock, he opened his mouth to answer but immediately closed it as the person sitting close to him, Lin was his name apparently, introduced himself to the League Champion. Vince waited until he had finished and was again about to say something when he noticed the landscape outside of the window. It was the first time he had seen where they were. A beautiful desert landscape, no doubt chock full of fossils waiting to be discovered, perhaps some were already exposed out there somewhere. It suddenly occurred to him that it was possible that the place they were in was quite possibly where he had initially been trying to get to since he had arrived in Kodo. His father had told him of a wide expanse of desert in Kodo in which few, if any, geological surveys had been done and was, for the most part, untouched by other paleontologists. He had planned to accompany Vince to the island to survey the area for fossils, but was called away to a conference and instead sent his son to start preparations ahead of him until he arrived. What luck it was that this tour van was heading to the same location! By this time Lin, and Alder were already in conversing and Vince took the opportunity to stare out the window in wonder. Sighing dreamily as he watched the gorgeous golden sands zip by and the hilly dunes gently pass on, as if moving, like waves at the beach.

Catching a few words of some of the people in the rows in front Vince raised an eybrow at some of the things they were saying. 'Look out for each other'? What could they possibly be talking about. Dangerous wild pokemon in the area perhaps? Doesn't seem like they'd be willing to attack a tour group of this size. Maybe they're just being overly cautious? Still, he appreciated the thought and felt a little safer knowing that this group of people would be willing to help each other if things got out of hand. Though what could go out of hand, he couldn't say.

After sitting in silence for a while, staring out the window, Vince heard the driver say something but had little time to process its meaning before the whole van shook. Once again everything to be happening all at once. Alder had called for everyone to get out and to use pokemon with type advantages. Things began to sink in after that as the Hippowdons became visible and the smaller Hippopotas. Vince's deluded thoughts began to fade as things progressed. He quickly scrambled out of the van with the others, the fear and panic he had felt earlier had returned and he began frantically rummaging through his pockets until he found a small white premier ball and released its inhabitant out onto the desert sand. A tiny pale brown Aron with a red back appeared from the ball and it's bright blue eyes blinked in confusion as it looked around its surroundings.

Without offering any explanation, Vince quickly gestured to the small pokemon and gave a command, "Larry! I need you to use protect, hurry!" with a slight hesitation the Aron closed its eyes and slowly began to create a glowing barrier around itself. Vince stumbled slightly as he dove behind the tiny pokemon's protective barrier. As the passenegers began confronting and fighting the pokemon, Vince could do little more thanstay crounched behind the barrier waiting for the trouble to pass. After all, Larry couldn't fight these things he was both a rock and steel type, not to mention he was highly inexperienced in battle. All he could do was wait out the attack until the problem had been dealt with.

After the ground type pokemon had been defeated and everyone began getting back into the van, Vince followed suit not really knowing what to do. He recalled back Larry and reluctantly crawled back into the vehicle.  

[Tymiko]

Tymiko grimaced at the knowledge that she had called out Fathom a little late. While it wasn't exactly the most opportune time to take a nap, the girl's body was exhausted from her stubborn attempts to keep awake 24/7 due to her dislike of sleep. She had knocked out as soon as she had entered the van and thus was slow to react when things started getting a little rough.

Still, she'd done what she could in the battle against the desert pokemon with her water-type (and, afterward, asked him to splash some water on her own face) before they were all heading back into the van again. She knew she couldn't afford to fall asleep once they encountered the Rockets for sure.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

With everything taken care of, Sera returned Agatha's ball to her belt - on the left side, again, which was still awkward - and moved to return to the van with everyone else, though still made sure she could still sit beside Rosie and Luke. Giselle, who remained invisible, followed suit.  

[Suudonym]

As the enemy pokemon were defeated, Petra recalled her Victreebell and, with a dexterity enhanced by her small size, dropped down from the van's roof and swung into the driver's seat. The eyes of her reflection in the rearview mirror darted from face to face as the trainers took their places, ensuring everyone was accounted for before giving a brief warning - "Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride." - and jamming the gas.

True to the League officer's warning, the van started forward at a speed that disregarded the difficult terrain, rocking and jostling the vehicle mercilessly. The effort was not without results, however, and a black automobile soon faded in and out of view amidst the haze of blowing sand. Both parties vaulted forward at the highest speed the desert would allow, neither giving in to the other's tenacity. Petra frowned with a stubborn resolve. "We're not losing them here. Get that car stopped!"

"Everyone," Alder said in serious tones as he turned in his seat to address the assembled trainers, trying to ignore the jostling of the vehicle as it sped over the uneven sand, "make sure your seatbelts are fastened and open the door to let out whatever fast pokemon you have." That said, he turned back and rolled down his window, pulling a pokeball from his set and loosing his Bouffalant once more. The large creature barely stumbled as it began racing beside the van until a short command from Alder caused the pokemon to increase its pace and charge straight towards the vehicles in the distance.  

[Arclyn]

For the first time in a long while, Vince felt like crying. Everything was going so fast he stopped trying to make sense of any of it. He shrunk back into the seat trying to stay as far away from the window as possible. Despite hearing Alder's command, Vince made not motion to do anything as his one and only pokemon could do nothing to help the situation. He merely closed his eyes and wished he was back in his hotel room.