wild area, past

-Violet, Kat and Cady arrive at the corner where Copper was kidnapped.-

Violet: Here we are. Why did you need to go here?

Kat: You'll see...

-Cady and Kat start walking through all the bushes in the area. Cady disappears into one of them, before appearing again.-

Cady: Found it! It's over here!

Kat: Nice. We all need to walk into this bush!

Violet: What the?

-Both Cady and Kat disappear into the bush. Violet withdraws Ferric and sends out Celsian.-

Violet: Okay, let's go. Be careful.

Celsian: <Okay!>

-They walk into the bush.-

Ersatz alliance, past

-They emerge from a clothes rack.-

Violet: What the frick?!

Kat: Welcome to the Ersatz alliance! A weird fey store selling clothes and occasionally soup!

Violet: Okay... But why are we here?

Cady: It has entrances and exits all over the world. We can get to Hoenn quickly and cheaply this way.

Violet: Cool!

Kat: The exit closest to my house should be over here...

sootopolis, Kat's house, past

-Cady, Kat and Violet are sitting around the table.-

Kat: Okay, and that's the plan.

Violet: I think I can do that, except the turning into a pokemon bit.

-Cady takes her armband out of her bag.-

Cady: That's what this thing does. Try it on!

-Cady hands Violet the band. She slips it on her arm...-

-...And turns into a Galarian Meowth.-

Violet: <What the?! I'm a pokemon! This is both epic and terrifying.>

Kat: Nice, you even look like the sort of pokemon I'd have on my team!

Violet: <Well, I guess that's that part of the plan figured out... But who's going to cause the distraction?>

Kat: I contacted one of the local superheroes around here. They'll show up at some point.

Violet: <Wait... Superheroes? Like the aurabolts?>

Kat: I wish... They're nowhere near their scale or level unfortunately.

Cady: Well, I think that's everything we needed to discuss. You can keep my armband for the next few days. Just don't lose it.

-Violet takes the armband off and puts it in her pocket.-

Violet: I'll try my very best not to!

Kat: Okay. We meet in front of the Lilycove mall this Wednesday. Make sure no one sees you put on that armband.

Violet: Okay!

Lilycove, docks, last Wednesday

-Kat and Violet have just arrived and are waiting on a crate. They are approached by Yellow Bandit.-

YB: Ohoho! So you actually came!

Kat: Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?

YB: Well, I don't know. Just thought you might not want to come back here after your last visit. It took ages to patch up that hole you dug!

Kat: I'll take that as a compliment.

YB: Oooh! Who's the new guy? I don't remember them being on your team!

Kat: Well, you know I've been to Galar recently and you know how I love me a good feline mon!

YB: Nice. Meowth are so underrated these days, what with all the Skittys, Meowstics and the like running around. I guess I'm kinda biased, though, what with being a Meowth sometimes.

Kat: Oh yeah, I remember.

YB: Well, let's get moving now!

-They start heading towards their base.-

Motostoke outskirts, past

Channah: Oh I'm always calm.

Hale: -coughing fit-

Channah: -approaches the Hatenna slowly- Heyo...

Castelia City Dockyards

It was an awkwardly long hour. The henchpeople recently captured by Arachna-Guy and his team have waited several hours. They have been bound there for some time now.

Arachna-Guy: Wow. They're really taking longer than usual this time. I called the cops hours ago.

Henchman 1: You know, after 15 minutes and the cops didn't show, I thought we had one over you right there. We just needed this thing to dissolve in about an hour.

Henchman A: Yeah, told you it was premature to celebrate.

Henchgal: In hindsight, the fact that you didn't just keep shooting the sticky stuff at us was kind of a red flag.

Henchman A: Yeah.

Henchman 1: What? It'll eventually run out. He can't come up with infinite sticky stuff. We just need to fight a war of attrition.

Arachna-Guy: He's right, you know. I mean, I don't usually like talking about my superhero limitations to the bad guys, but that's just common sense.

Henchman A: Well, fat lot that did.

The second henchman turns to Arachna-Guy.

Henchman A: Improved formula. How long did you say it lasts again?

Arachna-Guy: Wouldn't you like to know?

Henchgal: If anything else, we're kinda glad that we're going to prison and not have to report back to the boss. Boy, I'd hate to see the look on his face. Sphinx is gonna give him hell.

Henchman 1: Yeah, I'm suddenly okay with not having the boss rag on us again.

Arachna-Guy: Come on, we’ve a few hours to kill. Think you can tell me about how you became bad guys?

Henchgal: You know about the Hunter's Guild?

Arachna-Guy, shuddering: I am aware.

Henchgal: Well, it's a long story.

—

Fifteen minutes later.

Henchgal: So, yeah. These hunter's guild fellas. Or at least the top tier ones. They pay more than the average kingpin. They don't just bust your ass out of prison just so you don't rat anyone out. Work for the big three and you'll have it made. Sphinx's network is the easiest one to get to. The guys under him just keep recruiting anyone.

Henchman 1: Sphinx; he's got his fingers on every smuggling gig there is. Who knows how many of us schmucks are working for him? He's everywhere. He could be listening in on us know. It's scary.

Henchman A: But the commissions, man. Assemble a small team for him and do a job and you're set for months. I heard he sold contraband materials to Doctor Multiman's second-in-command. That's big money right there.

Arachna-Guy: Didn't I stop that months ago?

Henchman 1: One set a shipments. The others got through.

Henchgal: Still, what we're getting is peanuts to what Delta's giving his mooks. They have a dental. Team Rocket doesn't have a dental. And I've seen him in action. When he does things by himself, he goes full supervillain. That's gotta cost a pretty penny.

Henchman 1: I hear only the Jackal can take him on. No offense.

Arachna-Guy: None taken. He told me the same thing.

Henchgal: You know Jackal? Wow, cool.

Henchman A: And Hunter J's a whole other level to those guys. Lady's scary as balls.

Henchgal: You gotta be to break the supervillain glass ceiling. Her henchpeople gotta be tough as nails to keep up with her.

Henchman 1: I feel very inadequate now.

Henchgal: Me, too. It's like we can't do any job right.

Henchman A: That's rock bottom for ya.

Arachna-Guy: Wanna talk about it?

—-

A few more hours later.

Henchman 1: At least we got to talk about our feelings. That is quite cleansing.

Arachna-Guy: Aw, shucks, guys, I'm no therapist. You'll get a counselor once you get to the correctional facility. And do try out their livelihood training programs. That'll give you employable skills once you get into parole.

Henchgal: You really think the Clavis Company will take us in once we've served our time?

Arachna-Guy: Oh, absolutely. Their benefits package is quite competitive. Just as good as King Industries, last I heard.

Edited by MasterJayAM on Aug 3rd 2020 at 7:50:04 PM

Motostoke Outskirts, past

Hatenna: -Headtilts (Which when your body is mostly head is pretty awkward looking as it's basically standing on one foot to do so) as Channah approaches-

Thinking of catching them? As a species they're female, like how Milcery and Alcremie normally are, but after meeting Andy (Or Pent's Gallade) it's probably best not to assume.

On the Road back to Base

Salem: Wow, Domino... Some performance THAT was!

Motostoke

Time to be a smooth operator.

"Well maybe we could sample some professional work together?"

Baltimore tilts her head.

<My liege has an unearned self-assurance that is both amusing and concerning.>

Back to Base

Domino turned to blink at Salem.

"...Sorry, are you lost?"

Back to Base

Salem: Me? Lost? Not a chance! I was just heading back to base to tell the higher-ups of the spectacular performance I bore witness to back in Wyndon!

Back to Base

Domino gave Salem a once over.

"...You are a Hunter? Hmmph, seems you haven't shed your green horns."

He turns around and keeps walking.

Back to Base

Salem: So what if I haven't? I still got to see an idiot be made of themselves today... I mean, "Ex-champion Leon's Charizard? What was he thinking?!"

-Beat-

Salem: Hey! Wait up!

Edited by AnimeboyIanpower on Mar 15th 2020 at 3:31:05 PM

Turffeild, Will

Multimom: That's the spirit, kids!

Bolthund: <Hmm?>

Turffeild, Big Savings

Iris: Hmmm.

Coil: Can you take us to them?

Turffeild, Elizabeth

Ishtar: What isn't right? I want to know!

Outside Ersatz Alliance

-Mog is crushed by rocks-

-Then emerges from them, yelling and trying to crush one over Talbain's head in what's basically a Rock Smash but she doesn't know that yet-

Flamel's Base

Flamel: And doing some digging... I think I know exactly who the leader of the Phantom Thieves is! Mer?

Mer: -sighs- Here we go...-

-Everyone is blipped out-

Clavis Entertainment

-To here-

-Odin shrinks back down to Sandyghast form-

Flamel: All right, now we need to get inside.

Turffeild Gym

Milo: Go, Gossifleur!

Julius: Go, Magnus!

Magnus: {MY TIME HAS COME! AND SO HAVE I!}

Gossifleur: <I don't think that means what you think it means sweetie.>

Magnus: {SILENCE}

-Sludge Bombs-

-And gets a Stun Spore an Cotton Down to the face-

{AAAAAAAAAAAAACK}

Edited by Umbramatic on Mar 15th 2020 at 4:42:15 AM

Back to Base

Domino hazards a look back.

"Oh. You're following me. Why?"

Ersatz Exterior

Talbain barely seemed to notice getting clocked on the head, instead simply stepping back and throwing himself at Mog with Iron Head.

Motostoke

"Fire gym, huh?" Ammy asked, somewhat excited. "I think I'm home."

"Heh, give him hell," Colton allowed.

Motostoke outskirts

Channah: I think I will. Andy doesn't seem like a great fighter, maybe this one will be better. Come on, Owen. -sends him out-

Owen: <Did you know->

Channah: Aqua Jet.

Owen: -abruptly launches himself at the Hattena-

Turffield, past

Big Savings: Of course I can.

Dolabella: -absently- <Yeah...>

Motostoke Outskirts, past

Once Andy gets whipped he'll get better at the whole fighting thing.

-As Channah sends out Owen-

There's normally a bit of a formal thing about t-

Hatenna: -Gets bowled over by Owen's sudden Aqua Jet and responds with a Psybeam-

Edited by rmctagg09 on Mar 15th 2020 at 4:22:53 AM

Motostoke outskirts, past

Owen: -rights himself and uses Dive, somehow-

Channah: Hmm?

Motostoke Outskirts, past

-To Channah-

The Vow, I mean.

Hatenna: -Shakes as water droplets surround it and it heals itself-

Turffield, Multimom

Will: Guess that means it's time to go to the Gym...

Fuka: Yep. And we'll be in the stands cheering you on. Isn't that right Tizzy?

Fuka holds up her Meowth, who is scratching at the air.

Will: Congrats on the catch, by the way.

Fuka hugs Tizzy against her with obvious glee.

Back to Base

Salem: Just figured you might need the company... I mean, it IS a long way back to base... and when they found out you got back WITHOUT the Charizard, oh! I live for that moment!

Back to Base

"It's but a minor setback. I did not account for the transformation or my own beast being such a coward. Perhaps if I had been permitted to hunt my own way this operation wouldn't have been such a failure."

Back to Base

Salem: Meaning that if you and Leon fought on your own terms...

Back to Home

"Wait. Who's Leon?"

Back to Base

Salem: You know... He was that guy you fought! Former Champion of the Galar Region. You were sent after his Charizard by the higher-ups. I watched the whole thing...

Back to Base

"...His name barely registered on my radar. I was just told he had the beastie for me to hunt."

He starts walking away again.

Back to Base

-Salem keeps running to catch up with Domino.-

Salem: Well, he was a tough cookie, that's for certain. That Charizard definitely ran circles around you and your Mons.

Back to Base

Domino sighed as he heard Salem catch up to him.

"It did not run circles. It practically stood still and just fired off those big attacks. If I had been permitted to use traps, barrel bombs and arrows I would have had that thing down in a few minutes. Then I assume the guild would come by the pick the thing up. That's how capture works in my world."