Sojaveña Wilds Dusty Highway

[Hap]

actions for Koa while Tetra's absent:

Spoiler: Koa action

Koa (19 STM, 10 TMP, 1 SPD, 0 ACC)
Mach Punch @ Lokix (-6 STM, +3 TMP)
Mach Punch @ Lokix (-9 STM, +3 TMP)
Bonus Action: Dash to Crawler's Fork (S) (-2 TMP)
Interact @ Wagon -- pull it back to safety with the help of the others! (-3 TMP)
Net change: -15 STM, +1 TMP
Net totals: 4 STM (14 after regen), 11 TMP
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Jackie Cat]

Felin's Wild Charge shattered Alpha Lokix's shield!
Her Leafage dealt 13 dmg!
Isidora's Ice Shards dealt 11 and 11 dmg! KO!!
Koa's Mach Punches dealt 7 and 7 dmg! Overkill!
The whole party grabbed hold of the wagon...!

One small pokémon alone would surely have failed. A pair of them, fighting against gravity and momentum, would have struggled. But with the lokix deftly felled before it could trample the ground any further, and the whole group heaving, it was more than doable.

"Hey, nice work!"

The seabird ranger flew straight past, looped in the air to face the wagon, and blasted it with a gust of air. That was the final push needed to secure it on firm ground at last.

The supplies would make it into town after all.

[] Objective: defeat the alpha lokix.
[] Objective: save the wagon.

~*Mission Complete!*~​

Nico made a brow-wiping motion with his wing, and laughed with relief.

"That wasn't as close as I'd worried it'd be!" he admitted, looking proud. "Genuinely, good job to all of you. That would have been, ah, tricky on my own, to say the least. I don't know if you guys are interested in doing more stuff like this, but after that, I can put in a good word for you at HQ in case you ever wanna try signing on with the rangers."

The Wattrel checked the view over the verge and after looking about, he winced.

"That would've been bad, if the wagon had gone over. Pretty sure I see the wagon crew down there, and I bet they need medical attention. I've got some items for that, though. You guys can head home at this point, if you wanna, but if you hang tight for the crew, we'll get this wagon on its wheels again and I bet you can catch a ride back home. How's that sound?"

 

[Tetra]

Koa managed a weary grin and nodded to Nico. "Thanks, Nico. Yeah that sounds good." A ranger. That sounded good.

His whole body felt like one massive ache, but they'd won. They'd saved the wagon and won against the bug and accomplished their mission. It wasn't cataclysmic but it mattered. It felt good. Like their first steps to being whatever sort of 'heroes' they would have to be to help this world.

He glanced around at his teammates. They weren't his team, the way it was back home, but they were still his teammates in a similar way. And he couldn't help but feel proud of what they'd pulled off, working together. "That was sick, guys," he said. "We made a good team. Thanks for protecting us," he added, glancing at- the Cleffa whose name he really hoped would come up in conversation later. "And we might not have gotten to that wagon in time without you Isidora, or beat that pokemon without your attacks Felin."

 

[JFought]

Isidora smiled pridefully, then fished her hat from her bag and placed it back on. Nothin' to it.

You guys can head home at this point, if you wanna, but if you hang tight for the crew, we'll get this wagon on its wheels again and I bet you can catch a ride back home. How's that sound?

"We'll take you up on that. Now go do what you need to," she said to him. Rangers, huh? Eh, maybe. Depends on how things pan out, I guess.

And we might not have gotten to that wagon in time without you Isidora

Isidora felt something funny rise up from her stomach. She placed one paw on her hip and used the other to scratch the embarrassment off her cheek. "Iiit was nothing, really, and you all were pretty cool too. Against us lokix was so weak I'm sure we had time to spare."

Felin and Koamaru are pretty capable. Ridley... still need to figure out what he is, but I think I'm startin' to get an idea. Have to look into that later.

Since they were waiting, there was really only one thing left to do. She turned to the unconscious lokix and got ready... to...

She looked back at her companions. "Uh, you all mind helpin' me with this one?"

 

[Tetra]

She looked back at her companions. "Uh, you all mind helpin' me with this one?"

Pushing aside his fading aches, Koa nodded. He hurried to her side to help her move the pokemon out of the open. He remembered how she'd done the same with the other pokemon they fought.

"Is this a tradition on your world?"

 

[JFought]

"Is this a tradition on your world?"

"Oh? Uh, yeah I guess so," answered Isidora. World's a big word. "A pokémon fainted in the open is an easy target for opportunistic predators. Most wild 'mon are careful about the fights they pick because of that. So in Liber, some particularly nice adventurers started a tradition of hiding pokémon they defeat from view so they don't get preyed on. As a courtesy of sorts." She shrugged and licked at the wound on her arm. "It also keeps the roads clean and safe, which is pretty much the real reason, but the story sounds nice."

 

[Hap]

"I can put in a good word for you at HQ in case you ever wanna try signing on with the rangers."

This little adventure had been rather more eventful than Ridley expected when he'd signed up for it, but at least he'd got what he'd hoped for out of the experience.

After listening to Isidora's explanation, he followed Koa to help her move the lokix. In his world fainted pokemon were only a common occurrence during trainer battles - wild pokemon were far more likely to flee once they realised they were outmatched, for exactly the reason Isidora mentioned - but it made sense that in a world where that wasn't the case people would start a tradition to alleviate the problem.

<><><><><>

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura and Steven had done their research. From consulting the mayor's notes and grilling the duty officer at the town jail, it was clear that the wagons carrying pokémon to 'Terminal Two' came at regular intervals to collect petty criminals to take away to a longer-term carceral facility. Of course, there was no state-run prison called Terminal Two – the whole arrangement was buried in legalese and bullshit, but it sure sounded like nothing good, the way Laura told it.

"I don't exactly have a search engine handy," she'd said, "but just from asking around, it looks an awful lot to me like this whole thing is some kind of under-the-table deal. Ignatius gets paid for disappearing people, the town doesn't have to pay for as much jail upkeep or anything, and nobody asks questions."

The plan, as much as any kind of plan could be hacked together on very short notice and still without any proper means of communication between the party, was simple, if incomplete. A handful of the team – as many as could fit in the wagon – would take the place of the drunks and pickpockets intended for the next journey, scout out this 'Terminal Two', and then either head back, infiltrate it, or whatever else seemed the best option when they got there.

Naturally, the volunteers were either principled to the point of rashness, curious/meddlesome to the point of fearlessness, or thought themselves suited to keeping the idiots on board more or less in line.

The wagon stopped by the jailhouse, at the north end of town, where construction went on around the clock and supplies came in and out constantly. It was pulled by a Mudsdale with a well-braided mane full of beads, and driven by a black-furred Rattata with studded ears and fingerless gloves.

"Y'ain't the usual fella," muttered the rat. "And are we seriously takin' six this time?"

Laura's paws clenched. "Change in management style on this end," she bluffed. "Don't ask – just tell me if there's a problem."

"No problem," replied Rattata, dropping down from Mudsdale's back. "No problem at all. Here's pay for three, that's all I got this time – we'll make up the rest. You know how it goes."

Laura nodded quietly, and took the softly-clinking pouch offered to her. It weighed almost nothing – it was full of Poké. Dungeon Gold.

"Next pickup's on Charge 29th, right?" she asked.

"I guess," replied the rat. "It'll be a full moon. Don't much like that, but what do the bosses care, right?"

"Right. I'll see what I can do, but no promises."

The rat sniffed, and spat on the ground. "Whatever. Alright, let's have you lot in, then."

The wagon was a canvas-covered four-wheeled vehicle, hitched to the silent Mudsdale. The Rattata gestured to it impatiently, then scampered back up the horse's flank to look down at them, eyes glinting in the light of the streetlamps.

 

[Butterfree]

This was a dumb idea, and yet it was happening anyway whether Dave liked it or not. Several people were determined to play prisoners and head to this 'Terminal Two' where people were being trafficked to. Every normal human instinct he had screamed to stay the fuck away and fight tooth and claw to persuade the others to see sense on it. (Not that he hadn't tried the latter; it was either coming with, or staying home while letting them go out there and get themselves killed without him.)

And yet that didn't have the bite it should anymore. They were in a cartoon, one where apparently you just arrived in a town on the frontier in the bodies of toddlers, discovered a corrupt, blackmailing mayor, physically beat him up, and then everything was cool and everyone was happy and cheering for you. He felt like he was going fucking insane. Maybe this was the sort of place where you could just do this thriller-movie infiltration bullshit and learn exactly what was going on and instantly end the trafficking operation and save everyone. Why the fuck not, at this point?

God, that'd be a change.

And at least, if they did all get themselves killed, he'd probably just go back home and wake up in his own bed in a world with television. Would be nice.

The wagon floor was dirty and cold, and his body trembled with a persistent biting chill, his fur standing on end. He glanced around critically at his companions, paws flexing and unflexing. This determination to rush in and beat the bad guys was all rather fucking familiar, wasn't it. Did he want to know how old they were? Probably fucking not.

"What's you people's story anyway?" he asked in a quiet growl.

 

[Hap]

Should Ridley be concerned about the lack of questions from the pair driving the wagon? On the one hand, it was the best response they could have hoped for in terms of the plan; on the other hand, he and his fellow travellers had been mistaken for children so many times by now that the lack of comment was...

Well, it was depressing, but not particularly surprising.

"What's you people's story anyway?" he asked in a quiet growl.

Ridley was familiar with some of his companions - he'd spoken with Andre, Koa, and Wes before - but he'd only met the poochyena in passing at the construction site earlier and he didn't know the foreign meowth at all. He gave a little wave. "I'm Ridley," he said, keeping his voice low. He wasn't sure how soundproof the wagon was, and regardless of how incurious the two out front seemed they should probably keep their voices down. "Used to be human. I'm here because I want to know what the fuck's going on in Blaguarro."

Well, they were supposedly heroes, right? Without any guidance as to what they'd actually been summoned here for, what could they do other than poke at anything which seemed sinister?

 

[HelloYellow17]

Well, this was certainly one way to investigate, all right.

Wes had been of the opinion that they would have simply followed the wagon from afar, observed where it went, took notes on what they could see from a safe and reasonable distance. But apparently “investigate” and “infiltrate” were one and the same with whoever the genius was behind this plan (was is the Meowth? Almost definitely the meowth, she acted like she was in charge for some reason.)

Wes had about a billion things to say about what a terrible idea this was, but he never had the chance to voice them out loud, and he certainly wasn’t going to abandon the mission and leave the rest even more vulnerable to trouble. Not that he was particularly special or capable, but at least he’d be able to throw a good hit or two if trouble did come along. (He hoped to the stars they wouldn’t.)

Dave looked about as happy about this situation as Wes felt, so it surprised him a little that he was the first to speak. Ridley’s response was as level as ever, as if he were simply going sightseeing and not posing as prisoner in a damn trafficking wagon.

Wes glanced around and saw that her was familiar with about half the people in here, including…oh, gods in a goblet. The kid was here, because of course he was, and Wes was both horrified and furious—furious that this punk was stupid enough to volunteer for such a mission (was it his idea to pose as prisoners?) and furious that other people let him come. If Wes had known…well, it’s not like Koa would have listened anyway, but at least Wes would have tried to stop him. He scraped at the floor, scowling, until he Koa looked his way and Wes suddenly realized he’d been glaring at him. He blinked and looked away.

You shouldn’t be here. None of us should be here! This is a terrible idea!

He took a deep breath in and slowly, quietly exhaled. He had to stay calm and collected. Fear and panic would do them no good. He replied to Dave’s question in a quiet voice. “Well, you know my story already, but for those who don’t…name’s Wes. Also a former human—a trainer, actually.” And a Snagger. And a wanted criminal. And, apparently, a massive idiot to get myself here.

 

[Chibi Pika]

This wasn't exactly what Jade had been banking on when the team had decided to look into the mayor's corrupt dealings. There'd barely been any time time to get a full grasp on the situation before some kind of pickup had been due, and Jade could have just left well enough alone, but that would have meant standing by and doing nothing while the others risked themselves. The thought burned.

(And why else had she been picked to come to Forlas, really?)

And so, Jade found herself on the wagon with the others. But the more minutes that ticked by, the more she started to feel like this really wasn't the best way to infiltrate at all. They didn't have backup at the ready, they hadn't scouted the place ahead of time, they'd barely trained. Even the Rebellion, the pile of bad decisions that it was, had waited two months until the team was ready. Or at least, as ready as they ever could have been. Everything about this felt hasty. But it was too late to turn back now.

It was a strange group--half of them gave off a pretty big unapproachable vibe, and Jade was fine with leaving them alone. Koa, though... did he know what they were getting into here? How badly this could end up? She didn't want that energy of his getting crushed, like it had for the Rebellion. (Was it just because he reminded her of Rudy?)

"What's you people's story anyway?" he asked in a quiet growl.

Jade bristled--she hadn't been expected to be asked anything out of the blue. And the Poochyena... she'd gotten the impression that he was the oldest one here. The kind who'd sneer at the idea of anyone under a certain age trying to make a difference.

"It's Jade," she answered, her voice quiet. "Also a trainer. And I've done this sort of thing before. Just... usually not without my team." With at least two other trainers in the group, it was probably fine to say that.

 

[Tetra]

Koa's heart thrummed in his chest, but he kept a neutral expression. This is it, they were really doing this. He'd thought at first his idea would be too risky, but apparently a few others had liked it enough to agree to it (hadn't that been the Meowth who'd been talking about helping Sonora?). Despite the tension, he felt a tiny sprinkle of pride that he'd thought of this. Even if he probably wasn't the sole reason the choice had been made.

Jade was there too, and Ridley, which was a relief. Much to his dismay, Wes was there, giving him a look, but Koa ignored it. If the judgemental Rockruff wanted to have an attitude, that wasn't Koa's concern.

There was also a Deerling he didn't recognize, and the Pooochyena he vaguely remembered. Who already sounded annoying, and ancient if his voice was anything to go by. Hopefully he wouldn't be as bad as Wes.

"What's you people's story anyway?"

"Not my first fight. Koamaru, and I'm just a trainer. Trying to help," he spoke quietly. This was serious, and he had to sound serious. This was a chance to really make a difference. To be a hero. He didn't have his team with him, but he'd been working hard at training. And they didn't have a choice, it was act now or never.

 

[canisaries]

Andre's heart drummed like a pikipek. Well, here he was. This was the result of a restless night spent arguing with himself whether this was his duty or not. And every time common sense tried to tell him he was better off staying out of it for now, that guilting voice described to him all sorts of horrors the pokémon in Terminal Two were going through. How he couldn't let them suffer. How he had to do something, or else he'd really be an uncaring psychopath.

But it was going to be fine, right? The others knew they were going here, and they would know to come after them if they didn't come back. And they had the Voice. The Voice would surely tell them what had happened, either through dreams or one of those mystery dungeons. But then how would the others actually get them out...?

"What's you people's story anyway?" he asked in a quiet growl.

"I'm Andre, also a former human. I'm..." The others seemed to be giving their qualifications, so it seemed like he should say something, too. "I have some experience with criminals." That much was true, although the experience was paying them to get rid of bodies instead of infiltrating or fighting them.

He glanced at the blue electrike. He'd sounded like a kid. Was a kid really here with them? Andre's stomach turned. If something really bad happened to him, he'd surely take it worse than the others. He should have stayed back. But it was too late now.

 

[Jackie Cat]

The wagon canvas was pulled to one side yet again, this time by Laura.

"Right, I've grilled the driver all I can," she said in her lowest, quietest voice. "I've told them that you're under a wonder orb restraint that'll last until you're there. I don't think they really give a shit, but that's your story. Remember, this is just a scouting mission. We want to know where Terminal Two is before we lose our last chance to find out. Get there, take a look, get the fuck out before it's too late. Be smart. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

Her tail thrashed miserably. She'd wanted to be on the team in the first place, but she was really the only person who knew enough about the arrangements to successfully bluff the driver. She looked one last time at the six 'mon taking up the wagon's hold. She'd have picked different team members, herself, but there hadn't been time to make decent arrangements. That, and plenty of party members either had other responsibilities, or were starting to get too damn recognisable...

Was this the best choice? It felt better than hesitating too long and giving up what might be their only shot at finding Terminal Two. It was the brave choice. It was probably the moral choice. She could even convince herself it was the smart one, if she didn't pay too close attention to everyone's age...

"Good luck," she muttered, and pulled the canvas back across.

Moments later, the wagon jolted as Mudsdale set off, headed north. Minutes later, as the lamplight dimmed, the well-trodden town roads gave way to dirt and loose stones, with all the bumping and jostling that came with it. A small lantern went up at the front of the wagon, piercing the canvas at the front with a dim glow.

"You may as well try'n sleep!" called Rattata. "It's gonna be a long journey."

Bump, jolt, clatter...

They'd need plenty of luck to get any rest under these conditions.

 

[Hap]

"You may as well try'n sleep!" called Rattata. "It's gonna be a long journey."

Sleep? Yeah, right. Ridley was pretty much a professional insomniac; staying up all night was nothing to him. He twitched the wagon canvas aside just enough that he could watch the landscape passing by, hoping to keep track of their route. One of the benefits of being a ghost-type, he'd decided, was that his night vision was excellent.

"I hate to be the guy to bring it up," he murmured to his companions, "but while we have the time we should probably be making some contingency plans. Who here thinks they're the fastest runner? If this all goes completely to shit, who should we focus on getting out safe while the rest of us provide a distraction?"

Ridley really wasn't a plans guy. Sure, he'd done some questionable breaking-and-entering before, but he'd always relied on improvisation (and more luck than he liked to admit) to make it through. Honestly, given that they only had the loosest ideas of what they were heading into, there was a part of him which felt too much planning might be more of a hindrance than a help.

But wasn't that the point of working in a team? The variety of skills and experiences would hopefully mean that his teammates might come up with ideas he'd never consider. Ridley could only hope that his own talents would bring something worthwhile to the group.

 

[Tetra]

Get in, get out. He could handle that. As the wagon jolted along, he fidgeted and ignored the Rattata's suggestion for sleep. Not like he could sleep anyway, but it would be way too dangerous. They needed to be ready for anything. He couldn't mess this up.

"I hate to be the guy to bring it up," he murmured to his companions, "but while we have the time we should probably be making some contingency plans. Who here thinks they're the fastest runner? If this all goes completely to shit, who should we focus on getting out safe while the rest of us provide a distraction?"

"I'm fast," Koa offered, keeping his voice low. He'd figured out before how to channel his energy to move quickly. "But splitting up is risky. If some tries to be a distraction and they're not fast enough or they don't take the bait..." He paused to consider for a moment. "It's not a bad idea though. We should also try to have an idea how each of us fights best. Close up or distance, or support. That way we can be ready. If it comes to that," he added.

 

[Butterfree]

"I'm Ridley," he said, keeping his voice low. He wasn't sure how soundproof the wagon was, and regardless of how incurious the two out front seemed they should probably keep their voices down. "Used to be human. I'm here because I want to know what the fuck's going on in Blaguarro."

He took a deep breath in and slowly, quietly exhaled. He had to stay calm and collected. Fear and panic would do them no good. He replied to Dave’s question in a quiet voice. “Well, you know my story already, but for those who don’t…name’s Wes. Also a former human—a trainer, actually.”

"It's Jade," she answered, her voice quiet. "Also a trainer. And I've done this sort of thing before. Just... usually not without my team." With at least two other trainers in the group, it was probably fine to say that.

"Not my first fight. Koamaru, and I'm just a trainer. Trying to help," he spoke quietly.

"I'm Andre, also a former human. I'm..." The others seemed to be giving their qualifications, so it seemed like he should say something, too. "I have some experience with criminals."

...Huh. They were all humans. Maybe that helped, if they were up against a bunch of human supremacists.

"Name's Dave," he said. "I'm human too. Not a trainer, a geneticist. I've been working for Greenbough." He indicated the pouches on his belt. "Brought some berries and seeds, if we end up needing it."

Mentioning being a trainer like it was a qualification was not exactly encouraging. Jade and Andre were at least claiming some sort of relevant experience, whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. 'Experience with criminals'?

"I hate to be the guy to bring it up," he murmured to his companions, "but while we have the time we should probably be making some contingency plans. Who here thinks they're the fastest runner? If this all goes completely to shit, who should we focus on getting out safe while the rest of us provide a distraction?"

"I'm fast," Koa offered, keeping his voice low. He'd figured out before how to channel his energy to move quickly. "But splitting up is risky. If some tries to be a distraction and they're not fast enough or they don't take the bait..." He paused to consider for a moment. "It's not a bad idea though. We should also try to have an idea how each of us fights best. Close up or distance, or support. That way we can be ready. If it comes to that," he added.

The growing knot in his stomach only tightened as they went on.

"Well, it's not fucking me," he said. There were a few neat things this dumb body could do, that the accompanying instincts made surprisingly easy, but the kind of zippity-zapping back and forth he'd seen some of the team doing in the Ignatius fight was not one of its gifts. "I'm not a fan of this splitting-up plan. One person, what, trying to run back to Frontier Town on foot from who knows where, on a hope and a prayer? The one thing that gave us an advantage against Ignatius was at least we could somehow fucking coordinate."

He wasn't quite even sure how. Something about the vague connection to the cloud had given a strange not even quite conscious awareness of where the others were and what they were doing. Hard to even properly notice until, in hindsight, he started to reflect on how they'd managed not to hit each other in all the chaos.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Huh, so they were all human? Wes wasn’t sure what to make of that. That had to just be a coincidence, right?

It took everything in him not to grumble out loud when the deer guy—Andre—said something about “experience with criminals.” The hell did that mean? Was he another damn bounty hunter? Just how many former cops and bounty hunters did they have among the summoned “heroes” group? Gods.

He nodded a little when Koa volunteered himself as the fastest. That made sense, with him being an electric type and all. Then he mulled over what he could offer to the group, unsure how well it would be received…but, oh, screw it, now wasn’t the time to worry about appearances. He could deal with the potential fallout later.

“I…know a thing or two about getting out of tight situations,” he said. “I don’t know what sort of place we are heading to, but if we need to get out of restraints or pick a lock, I can…be helpful there.” He prayed to the stars that nobody would start questioning him right now.

 

[Chibi Pika]

"I've told them that you're under a wonder orb restraint that'll last until you're there. I don't think they really give a shit, but that's your story. Remember, this is just a scouting mission. We want to know where Terminal Two is before we lose our last chance to find out. Get there, take a look, get the fuck out before it's too late. Be smart. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

That at least made Jade feel a little bit better. If the wagon driver was expecting them to already be restrained then he probably wouldn't be prepared if they suddenly made a break for it. All they had to do was just wait until the destination was within sight, then bail. Time it right, and the driver wouldn't have any reinforcements either.

"But splitting up is risky. If some tries to be a distraction and they're not fast enough or they don't take the bait..." He paused to consider for a moment. "It's not a bad idea though. We should also try to have an idea how each of us fights best. Close up or distance, or support. That way we can be ready. If it comes to that,"

Jade took a deep breath. "We shouldn't need to fight. If we just bail once we see where this thing is heading, then there won't even be anyone to fight. And I should be able to copy any getaway moves that any of us know. It's, uh, a thing I've been working on." Ever since that time she'd managed to channel Brisa's energy like it had been her own. Although it really made her wish that the teleporting Treecko were coming with them...