[ORP] Just a day at Starmie Bucks

[Grike]

Tesla had never had much luck when it came to Starmie Bucks. Grande mild roast with a shot in the dark. Not exactly complicated and yet without fail something always, always went wrong.

So when Tesla found herself sitting at her own table, staring out at yet another rainy day in Camphoreon City with a perfectly brewed cup of coffee in hand she couldn't help but wonder exactly what hell fate was going to throw at her to compensate.

A robbery though...yeah, can't say she was expecting that.

Currently tucked under her table for one, Tesla peeked around the bar's edge to eye their would be robber. The man was an amateur, that much was obvious. For one, he was holding the gun sideways. For two he was robbing a Starmiebucks. It sure as Ho-Ho wasn't for the money. You don't steal money for money. You steal items. Small things, big things it didn't matter. If you could push it, it would sell for more than the couple hundreds in a cash register. Less risk too. So yeah, unless this guy planned to run off with a bag full of cappuccinos...total amateur hour.

Unfortunately the staff didn't seem to share her views. The bulk of them had been headed like sheep into the far corner with a lone cashier playing the part of the sacrificial lamb as she struggled to open the register under the cold gaze of a gun. As for the customers...

Sipping at her coffee, Tesla eyed those sharing her predicament, curious how they were taking the whole thing.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Through the tense energy of the room, and silent fear of the customers and staff huddled in their designated aria, a much more clueless figure entered the main room.

The restroom door opened not far from where Tesla was hunkered down, allowing a tall person dressed in sturdy earthy clothes to step in, only to pause again at the sight of so many people under steps.

The figure had an odd eccentric look to them, their hair was an ashy gray, one long side draping over the side of her face covering half lidded mossy green eyes. A strong jawline and long features made it difficult to determine the gender of this person, and the lack of figure on their long body didn't lend any clues.
the corners of this trainer's lips pulled slightly as eyes glanced around to assess what was happening, quickly finding the man who seemed to be holding up the place in a robbery.
"Well I chose a nice time to come visit the city, didn't I." The gray haired person announced, a lazy smile spreading over her lips as she seemed content to stand and watch what was happening for a few more moments. Eyes flicked down to the closest person to her, a young women with dark hair and bright eyes under one of the tables before she quickly crouched down before she got herself into trouble with a man holding a gun.
Her lips only spreading further in a smile to this girl, as a Pikachu suddenly hopped up onto the gray haired person's broad shoulders, a deep frown set on its face, as its long Dritini hat draped forward from its shoulders.

"What did I miss?" the question was asked to Tesla in a low excited mutter.  

[Grike]

"Stupid." Tesla answers. "You missed a lot of stupid."

Taking a sip of her coffee, she doesn't seemed to concered when the robber whirls on the pair of them.

"You two! Sit tha ******** down or I'ma cap you one." He angles the gun on them. At least he had the sense to wear a ski mask though Tes could occationally make out a flash of pale skin. With more limbs than body, the man looked like a beaten up scarecrow in his ratty black turtle neck and pants.

Tesla, for her part, heaved a sigh and held up her free hand. "Hey now, why don't we all just take deep breaths and finish our coffee?"

Unfortunately the robber didn't even let her finish her sentence before he grabbed the cashier by the front of her uniform. Paper fluttered to the ground as he jerked her half way over the counter, gun digging into the brown curls around her temple.

"...or not."

Squeaking, the cashier hung there like a limp rag as the gunman drew her closer. "I said SIT." Green eyes matching the shade now littered across the floor turned on Ray. "And put that ******** rat in it's ball!"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Another patron sat hunkered under a table, looking more annoyed at the situation than anything else. A quiet, muffled click click click emanated from the brunette as she irritably tapped her tongue ring against her teeth. The sound paused as she took another sip of her coffee. Sera's brows rose as Ray entered and hunkered down near some chick she didn't recognize and started talking - not that not knowing someone would ever stop Ray, of course - and stuck her tongue out at the former. Were the situation not so dangerous, she would've possibly waved, if she felt like it - and had an extra hand - or maybe said something. Since it wasn't and she didn't feel like being shot a second time in her life, she managed to keep her mouth shut. Her Umbreon huddled behind her, curled up into a ball and shivering, her ears slicked back against her head.

---

Ugh, Starmiebucks. Not that he had anything against the place, but going to a coffee shop that smelled of delicious coffee didn't exactly help him want to, y'know, not spend any money. Meet me there in ten minutes, she said. Buy me coffee, she said. Oh well, whatever.

Abel huffed out an annoyed breath as he glanced up to make sure no one was coming out so he wouldn't hit them then he pushed open the door, his atention mostly on the phone in his other hand as he ascertained that this was indeed the correct Starmiebucks. It always seemed like there was one on every corner... Above his head a bell cheerily announced his presence with a happy jingling sound, and he put his phone away as he looked up when the door swung shut behind him. The sight that met his eyes made him freeze in place, a surprised, startled look on his face as he realized just what he'd walked into. "...uh." Well, s**t.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Aha" Ray said, holding her hands up from where she was crouching down by Tesla in a sign of no hostility "Sorry no can do, I'm not a trainer, I can't carry pokeballs, so this guy's technically wild you see." Ray responded honestly with a slight shrug of her shoulder to where Breezechu was sitting, the Pokemon frowning even deeper at being called a rat.
"If it makes you feel any better we won't try anything, I don't think anyone will try anything at this point so why don't you just take the money you're demanding and go. This place is insured for stuff like that so its not like anyone is going to put their neck on the line for some cash that doesn't matter."
Ray arched her notched eyebrow over her mossy eyes "If you start hurting people though... that's a different story."

Her voice was level and matter of fact as she spoke, shrugging her shoulders as she dug her hand into one of the many pocket and pulled out her wallet that she then tossed over to him "Here- some good will"
Winking at the girl she was crouching by and whispering to her "I'll get that back soon enough, Never bring a gun to a pokemon fight." The tall women advised.  

[Grike]

Tesla didn't get the chance to respond. Suddenly the door opened, a bell went 'ding' and so began round two of this delightful cluster ********.

Poor Abel, didn't even know he'd been tagged in.

There was a crack, a scream, the thud of the woman's wallet smacking against the floor and then the stink of gunpowder stirred in coffee grounds. The gunman, already on a hair trigger, had turned on Abel and fired the second the door snapped closed.

Tesla froze, all of this happening in a matter of seconds. It was...wrong. Her mind rebelled against her senses. This didn't happen here. This was Starmibucks for ******** sake. People didn't get shot in bloody starmiebucks! Especially the one idiot she just happened to like in this Arceus forsaken spit of land! ******** you for being a dumbass Abel. Just....and the curses went on from there.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The whole situation looked shady enough, but as the robber turned and Abel spotted the gun in his hand, time seemed to slow down. He didn't think about what to do - he didn't have time - but his body reacted instinctively to avoid being hit. The blond dove to one side and his body curled so he could roll the instant he hit the ground, then he came to a stop behind a booth and remained crouched down but on his toes, ready to react again if need be. Two thoughts persisted in his mind above all else: Avoid the firing line and somehow prevent this maniac from injuring, or possibly killing, anyone else inside the coffee shop. Of all the days to not bring his gun out around town... Were the circumstances less dangerous, he probably would've noticed Ray and Tes, but at the moment he was a little too preoccupied to do so. While he was quite familiar with the sounds and smells of guns after working with firearms for years, the acoustics of the Starmiebucks and the smell of coffee mingling with gunpowder... It didn't sit well with him - not at all.  

[Blood_Goddess]

There had been no reason for anything to escalate, Ray knew better then to interfere, and she knew anyone else in the room knew better then to interfere. She was only revealingly aware that the door opened from the sound, and barely had time to glance over when the robber had done just what she had warned him would escalate things. He fired a shot. He fired a shot at a person.

Knowing the had to deal with where the bullet landed later, Ray moved instantly, jerking her shoulder up in a clear signal to the Pikachu- who with barely a moment's hesitation arched his back and with a harsh "CHUUUU!" Threw a Thundershock at the robber in an attempt to disable his muscle functions for a short time.

"If you've got any Pokemon, now's the time to think about getting them ready." Ray told the girl closest to her, placing a hand on Tesla's shoulder as she peeked up over the table.  

[Grike]

Glass rained down on Abel's head, carrying in the hiss of rain from outside. It was only a matter of time before sirens followed but that could take minutes. Most handguns carried a magazine of ten. That meant there was nine left. Nine seconds, nine body bags.

Yeah, screw the cavalry.

Tesla flinched when Abel dropped but wasn't in the position to check on him. No way was she making herself target practice for the blond who couldn't duck. Idiot. Wasn't he poor or something? Poor people don't go to Starmiebucks. And now her coffee was getting cold and dang it was too early for this crap and-

Ahand clasped her shoulder, anchoring the panic. Panic. Lugia, was she seriously panicking? Get your head in the game test. This isn't the first time you've stared down a man with a gun before!

Biting down on the inside of her cheek to dam yet another flow of gibbering thoughts, Tesla forces herself to speak confidently. "Yeah, I got a joltik sooo, think I'd do more damage just punching him in the face." She tries to shrug off the woman's hand; hopping she wouldn't feel the goosebumps playing along her bared shoulder. At least the loose tank top would give her the mobility to get one hell of a wind up in. Yeah that's good Tes. Just focus on the punching.

Amber eyes snap up from her musings when a flash of lightning arches towards the gunman. For a wild moment she thinks the storm from outside had stepped in to unleash divine justice on the man.

Unfortunately, Ray's plan came with consequences. Still holding onto the cashier, the robber's grip carried the pokemon's electric current. Both parties seized up as the shock hit, with the cashier collapsing with the masked man onto the floor.

In that moment, Tesla moved - fully intent on punching someone in the face before the day was over with. But luck would not be on her side. A poke ball rolled from the man's hip, vomiting a sickly red light.

Tesla barely had the time to roll to the side before a massive Arbok could take her head off.  

[Blood_Goddess]

The smirk that spread over Ray's face was so wide it seemed more discomforting than anything "Bringing fists to a gun fight, I love it." she replied before jerking herself sharply to her feet when the attack from the Pikachu hit the man and the Barista.
"Ah well- better stunned then dead!" Ray cheered reaching up to pat the Pikachu's head in gratitude "Another fantastic shot Breeze!" The tall women pulled herself over the table as she started toward the counter "All out that's going out!" Ray called to everyone in the cafe, pausing only to look around for a quick idea if anyone got hurt.
The girl who had been under the table she had been crouching by went moving past her, probably to fulfill her 'punch in the face' threat.

A boot slid back sharply in a bracing stance of defense as a large Pokemon was suddenly released from its poke ball, a sick clenching in Ray's gut drew a surprise yell of warning to the girl who was now in the shadow of what Ray knew to be a very dangerous and quick creature, the gray haired women had a moment of very real fear for her the girl's safety. Only to be pleasantly surprised when the girl managed to get out of the way just in time for the Arbok's attack.

With her focus now on the Arbock, Ray rolled her head, cracking her neck and loosening her shoulders as Breezychu jumped off of Ray's shoulder, landing on all four and baring his teeth at the giant snake, sparks flicking in threat from his pouch cheeks "Piiiika!"
Ray's visible eye squinted lightly as her broad grin spread in excitement over her lips. "We'll keep this one occupied, can you get to the gun kid?" Ray asked Tesla who was still the closest human to the robber and the barista. The last thing Ray wanted was for anyone else to get hurt, and she had no idea who was going to be staying to help, or who would be running to safety, the more that got out the better.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Quickly the blond threw his arms over his head to protect himself from the shards of glass showering down on him; thankfully none of them stabbed him on their way down, though his arms and shirt did suffer some gashes from the glass. He expected more gunshots, but instead heard a pokemon crying out as it attacked and a few other unexpected sounds - though the dull whump of bodies hitting the floor wasn't that unexpected, given the situation. Abel took the chance to raise his head above the back of the booth to check what was happening. Not only was the robber not aiming a gun at him, he wasn't even upright anymore and appeared to be prone on the ground. Perfect.

The blond jumped up and rounded the booth but skidded to a halt when the large serpentine pokemon appeared, finding himself blocked. Well, s**t. He stepped back a few feet and glanced to the others that weren't fleeing, and was vaguely surprised to see two people he recognized. "If you can safely get the gun, give it to me," he called over to Tes, raising a hand to gesture around the snake pokemon and hardly noticing the lines of blood dripping down his arms. "I can unload it!"

---

All out that's going out? Sera peeked around from under her table. Were she in the shop alone without anyone she knew, she would've been gone in the blink of an eye. But Ray was here, and some other people she didn't recognize, so maybe she could do something... It was all his fault she couldn't enjoy her delicious coffee, anyway. With a huff, the brunette abandoned her cup on the floor and pushed herself to a standing position, Anastasia whimpering a little and remaining glued to her trainer's ankles. "Puh-lease, is that all he's got?" She asked, trying to look and act confident on the off-chance she might actually feel that instead of her heart pounding in her chest. She pulled a ball out and in an instant, a flash of white morphed into the shape of a shiny-looking Absol. Isabella took but a moment to assess the situation before she jumped over to a spot near Breezychu and snarled at the Arbok, though held off attacking it just yet in case it backed down.  

[Grike]

Pinpricks of pain marched up her shoulder as Tesla's dodge forced her to roll into the glass scattered around Abel. The flecks sparkled like cheap glitter along her her left arm. Pulling herself to her feet, Tesla glances at the familiar face.

"You know, you take the whole sucky lookout shtick a little two seriously, just saying." Glass crackled like frost as she shifts her weight from foot to foot, not that unlike the swaying serpent before her. "Oh sure, give me the sucky job. Rude, just freaking rude man. You all owe me lunch for this I swear." She huffed a laugh that bordered hysteria. But that was okay! Crazy keeps you alive in these kind of deals.

As the Arbok turned on the new threat (Tesla didn't recognize the pokemon. Something big and white with a lot of pointy bits) she bolted towards the gunman.

She didn't miss the irony of the situation. A gang member of the Copper Arboks facing an Actual Arbok? Yeah, real ******** hilarious life. At least she was prepared. For one that flared hood would block the pokemon's periphreal; giving her ample opportunity to slip behind it and go after the trainer.

What Tes didn't know was that the gunman was only a trainer in name. Bought off the black market, the Arbok had been raised for sheer aggression and nothing else. There was no finese to its attacks; just the unbridled rage of a wild animal finally let off its chain.

The stink of rot perforated the air as acid bubbled between its jaws. The sticky, purple tendrils punctured holes into the tiles before it was belched towards the Absol in a torrent of poison that could potentially hit those within a five foot radius of the target. Before the spray finished, the Arbok would follow up by swinging its muscles tail Ray's way.

Tes could hear the chaos, smell the stink of the poison, but knew there was little she could do about it. Luckily she had a target for that frustration.

The gunman, after throwing his hostage off him, scrambles for his weapon. Instead all he finds is one hundred pounds of pure furry. It wasn't a fight, it was a brawl - both participants trying to wrestle each other away from the gun. Eventually, Tesla manages to catch the pistol with her toe and kicks it Abel's way. The metal clicks against cracked tiles; sliding to a halt just a foot out of Abel's reach.

Feeling a nose pop under bloodied knuckles; Teala shouts over her shoulder. "Shoot it!"  

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray wasn't far behind her Pikachu friend, though at a distanced that allowed her to better assess the environment and their new opponent. It didn't take Ray very long of searching the Arbok to pick up that this was a creature of violence, The look in its eyes and the posture of its body was a clear indication that they were not going to get out of this situation without a fight. Lucky for them, it didn't seem like it would be hard to read at all.

Ray smirked as the thick stench of toxins burned at her nose, causing her to reach a hand to the folded down neck of her jacket, pulling the long fabric up and fitting it comfortably over her mouth and nose.
"We're seeing this one to the end Breeze-" Ray said, placing her fists at her side and watching the Arbok. a trickle of excitement running up her spine.

The appearance of a familiar Absol drew Ray's attention away from the Arbok for a moment, her eyes widening in a look of pleasant delight, though it was in that moment that Ray shouldn't have lost her focus.
It was the sound of poison being shot out toward the pokemon that alerted Ray back to the Arbok, Just in time to see a massive purple tail swinging at full force right through where she was standing.
With no time to dodge out of the way, Ray braced herself as much as she could before the full force of the powerful creature's tail slammed into her, knocking her clear off of her feet.

"HUURK!" Ah- well she was sure that was probably a rib that broke, thinking to herself as she was thrown back through the cafe, colliding at full force with one of the wide spanning windows and crashing through it, only to disappear to the ground below.

Breezeychu didn't have time to react to his partner being dropped out of commission in that moment, quickly leaping through the chairs to dive out of the way of the poison as best he could, managing to miss the main spray, but felt the burning hissing glop slap across his side in painful droplets.
"PIIIKAAAA!" The Pikachu bellowed with indignation, leaping up from the floor, using the table to gain more leverage and send a Thunder Wave toward the Arbok, to try and stun it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"What?" Abel responded eloquently. "What d'you mean?" How in the world could this situation possibly relate to being a lookout? But she was already gone, so he resolved to ask her later, if at all, and tried to further assess the situation while he waited for her to get the gun. He didn't have long to wait though, and as it came skidding across the floor he bent to grab it the moment it was within his reach. The request to 'shoot it' however gave him pause as he straightened; he'd meant to remove the magazine to unload it safely, but she wanted him to shoot it? In a tiny coffee shop, at not only a moving target, but a really quick one? Seriously? "It's too fast," he said with a frown, but just the same his hands moved from the end of it to a position in which he'd be ready to shoot it when necessary, though kept his finger off the trigger and kept it pointing down and away from anyone for the time being. "I don't know that shooting it would do anything except make it angry, unless you want me to kill it - but then I'd need to be right under the thing to do that, and that doesn't exactly seem like the smartest place to be." Especially after the thing all but threw up acid-poison at them, and those fangs! No way. There was no way he would willingly get closer to that thing. Thankfully he was far enough away from the attack that he didn't have to dodge it, but Ray wasn't, and Abel inhaled sharply when she went crashing through another window.

"You all right?" He asked quickly as he took a step back and leaned through the now wide-open window to look at Ray, ready to assist if necessary, though he kept glancing back to the interior of the shop to make sure nothing was coming at him.

---

Isabella jumped to one side, and while she avoided the worst of the poisonous attack, she still felt sickening globs of it land on her flank and sink down under her fur. She growled both in pain and in anger and bared her teeth at the Arbok, but waited to see whether the Pikachu would hit or miss its target before she launched herself at the snake with her claws up, ready to deliver a Night Slash attack.

As Ray went sailing through a window, Sera sucked in a breath - but then she remembered who it was, and figured Ray would be fine. Maybe not right away, but she generally had little cause to worry - if she ever did - given how stubbornly persistent Ray was. But could they take down the snake with just Isabella and Breeze? She wasn't sure. Her hand brushed over Jacques' ball out of habit, since he and Isabella were her strongest pokemon, but she hesitated; Arbok were... what were they again? Poison? And poison was weak against... Not dark, she was sure, but... Psychic? That was right, wasn't it? "Giselle?" She queried to what looked to be just empty air - until a pale Mismagius suddenly materialized out of no where.

"Magius?"

"Get ready," the brunette told her pokemon.

"Mis!" The ghost-type definitely looked ready and eager to jump in if necessary.  

[Grike]

Blood kissed her cheek as Tesla drove her fist into the robber's nose a second time. Satisfied he was down for the count, the woman rounded on Abel. "Then do something useful! Call the police!" Wow those were three words she never thought she'd hear herself say. Knowing she's be of little use against the Arbok, Tesla instead turned her attention on the cashier that'd been forced to play hostage. The girl had curled in on herself, shaking hands fisting drizzled hair. It made Tesla want to roll her eyes. Instead she reaches to roughly grab the other woman by the shoulder to drag her to where Abel was and somewhat out of the line of fire.

"oh hoho should have just kept the gun myself!" She growled, the cashier...what was her name again? Glancing at the uniform, Amber eyes landed on a name tag. "Carol? Don't look like a Carol. But seriously why are me such pussies? It's a giant snake! Not like I'm asking him to shoot a joltik or anything."

Speaking of Joltiks; 'Lit had set to work on Carol's hair. Tiny mandibles slowly worked out the frizz from the Pikachu's shock. Minus the tear stains and a few bruises, the action almost made the girl look normal again. Not exactly helpful but hey, at least none of them would die with bad hair.

Finally slumping against the far wall with charge in toe, Teala peeked around Abel just in time to see Ray's pikachu hit home. Hundred of pounds of coiled muscle all seized up at once, giving the other pokemon amble opportunity to land her own attack.

Claws the shade of a starless night raked at dusky scales; drawing blood and a pained hiss from the stunned Arbok.

Hood flaring in frustration, the Arbok's skin began to peel. In a matter of seconds, the snake pokemon had slipped out of its old skin; the empty husk crackling with the Pikachu's attack. It could not be rid of its other wounds so easily however. Still bleeding profusely, the Arbok protectively coils its body together, trying to protect its injury.