2024-05-16: Happy Birthday Zubat
- Log: Happy Birthday Zubat
- Cast: Jessie and James, Sable Aomori
- Where: Vermillion City, Energy Nede
- Date: May 16, 2024 (506 PC Filgaian)
- Summary: Fresh from Armlock City on a ship, Sable Aomori thwarts a terrible trap of Team Rocket's! ...Then, she hunts out the perpetrators, because she has questions. Mysteriously, Jessie doesn't seem happy to see Sable.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Come one, come all -- to the WANDER TRADE!"
"The Wander Trade? Wow, what's that?"
"You set your Pokemon wandering -- and another wanders to you!"
"A-maz-iiiing!"
Two showpeople are dressed up on the docks, a woman with broad winged spectacles and a pink-and-aqua suit and a man in an equally dashing orange-and-purple suit with a ribbon tied about his neck. And as they espouse the wonders of their new technology, a Trainer approaches them, and asks: "Huh? Isn't it the 'Wonder Trade'?"
"Sure, like that!" Someone who definitely isn't Jessie replies, as she taps her magic stick on a big, blocky machine. "Just put your Pokeball in here... and see what comes out! But remember to wander off before you meet your new friend! That's the magic of the Wander Trade!"
"Sounds cool," the Trainer says, as he pops a ball in, and receives a Pokeball in return. Several other Trainers try it out, before they start to realise...
"Hey, this is just a Zubat!" "And this little guy's just a Zubat, too!" "I got a Zubat!" "And I got a Zubat!" "I got a rock..."
("That's an Aron, dude." Because in catching 97 Zubat, they inevitably had to get something else in their net.)
"Oh, look at the time!" The man who definitely isn't James exclaims, as he hears those cries rise, holding up a pocketwatch. "It's time for the Wander Trade to wander away!"
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
The Wander Trade...
Sable comes off of a ship, walking along the docks after her transit from Armlock. And then she sees two dashingly-suited people, and observes them. The brown-haired girl tilts her head and looks at the big machine.
"...Zubat is a good Pokemon," Sable says as she walks through the crowd. "But I know where these Zubats came from..."
(Aron is also a good Pokemon, but Sable doesn't notice that one.)
She is dressed in her usual fur-collar jacket over a red tanktop and black jeans, and she extends her hand with a Pokeball. "Ulpi..."
A Prinplup appears! His dapper tuxedo-like appearance cuts a striking figure. "..."
"Use Aerial Ace on the machine."
Ulpi the prinplup suddenly moves forward and--CHOP!!!! He swings a wing at the machine with the intent of one-cutting it like with a sword.
"Give back the Pokemon," Sable instructs.
"...No matter how nice your suits look, I won't show mercy."
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"I can't believe that worked!" Totally-not-Jessie whispers to totally-not-James, as totally-not-Meowth (he has a hat on) packs up the machine. "We'll get much better Pokemon from this than the Wonder Trade! Taking some of the Zubats for this was totally the right move!"
"We'll be rich!" James adds, eyes shining. "Rich! We'll --"
"MYAOW?!"
Aerial Ace carves right through the Wander Trade machine -- which turns out to have just been a big box covering a crank Meowth was pulling to send out Zubat Pokeballs -- and sends the Pokeballs flying.
"Vulpix!" One Trainer cries, as he scrambles to catch his Pokeball. "Dewgong, come here!" Another calls, as a Swimmer dives into the port waters to catch hers. "Heracross!" "Clefable!" "Cubone!" As everyone calls out for their Pokemon and hurries to retrieve them, it's clear that Team Rocket would have had a wonderful haul of rare Pokemon, if not for...
"You twerp!" Jessie cries, as she turns to Prinplup's trainer, and the both of them tear off their suits to reveal the Team Rocket uniforms beneath. "You should have gone home to your mother!"
"Now, you're facing Team Rocket!" James declares, pointing accusation, as he and Jessie throw Koffing and Ekans onto the field.
"Prepare for Trouble!"
"And make it Double!"
Surely she's heard this before.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
It was a good plan. It was working!
But Sable's fears do not include property damage. So as the Pokemon are returned, Sable is revealed as the twerp! They tear off their suits and--
"Oh. Jessie, James..."
Did she not recognize them before?
She quiets, as they point their accusations and discuss the trouble to come.
"...Eno," she directs, "Come out."
Now Prinplup, with his mighty bladed wings, stands next to a Cubone, with a bone club and a helmet that is probably not literally his mother's. Probably.
"...Maybe you should go home to my mother," Sable reflects at Jessie. "Jessie, James..."
She narrows her eyes. "...I'm feeling grumpy today."
She points forward. "Ulpi! Use Metal Claw on Koffing! Eno! Use Stomping Tantrum on Ekans!"
"...Because I don't like Team Rocket."
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"And you're telling that to Team Rocket?!" Jessie huffs, a hand on her hip. (She's not bothered. She's so not bothered.) "Ekans! Dig!"
But when Ekans emerges from under the earth --
-- she's stomped under Eno's tantrum.
And when Ulpi's metal claws dig into Koffing, he glows... and glows... and GLOWS...
"James!" Jessie snaps. "Why did you ever let Koffing learn Self-Destruct?!"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHIIIING" James wails, as Koffing explodes, and the three of them go sailing off over the pier.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaain..!"
Ping.
"Phew," that Swimmer says, as she rests her arms on the pier, Dewgong now bobbing in the water behind her. "If it wasn't for you, we could have all gotten scammed by Team Rocket. Thanks for your help!" She winks, flashing a V-for-Victory as Dewgong honks approval.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"Yes," Sable says. She is saying that to Team Rocket! ...Because it's important to be direct and open with one's feelings.
Well, that's what Anne taught her, but...
"...Oh, that's not great--"
Self-Destruct happens. "..."
Sable walks over to start healing her Pokemon after the attack, but that Swimmer thanks her, and Sable turns towards her. "...Team Rocket's not very nice," she says. "You're welcome, but people will have to be careful, too..."
She smiles after a moment. "I'm happy that I could help, though. It was really suspicious."
She considers where Team Rocket went flying. "...Hm."
"...Take care, okay?" Sable says. It's hard to enjoy the triumph too much given that it might well have been at her mother's orders that Jessie and James were here today in the first place. Still, she visits the Pokemon Center, to heal up her Pokemon from the battle and to get changed, because:
-=-=-
Sable, now in a blue swimsuit with her Bag waterproofed through Symbology, has swum from the pier towards the distance where Jessie, James, and Meowth must have ended up. If she can reach them before they leave, then maybe...
Well, 'maybe'. Ulpi swims with her, in any case.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
Meowth dangles from a piece of driftwood, as Jessie and James sprawl on the deck of a half-submerged sunken ship off the coast of Vermillion. "Ugh..."
"My foot is wet," James whines, because it is, in fact, dangling down the tilted deck into the water.
"My HAIR is wet!" Jessie snaps, because, indeed, her impressive lasso of hair is looking awful drippy.
"Mroowwwwwww," Meowth yowls, ears aeroplaned out to either side of his head.
"WOBBUFFET," Wobbuffet adds, having forced his way out of his Pokeball to be included.
Something terrible lurks in the depths, watching them...
... and waiting.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Sable's hair is also wet, but she's not complaining, because she meant for it to be. Also, she didn't get launched out into the ocean. That part is very important.
So Sable, who swims more or less like a fish, hears their whinin and turns towards the sunken ship. "Wobuffet," she repeats thoughtfully, and then--
Clambers up onto the deck.
"..."
She narrows her eyes at them for a moment, waterlogged as they are. Could it be that she's come to finish the job!?
"I know about you and my Mom," she says. "...I didn't want to talk about it in front of everybody. But I do."
"So I was looking for you."
At 5'11", Sable somehow manages to be a striking figure even soaking wet. Though it helps that she has a penguin with swords for wings at her side.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Ugh," Jessie grumbles, as she and James at least manage to disentangle themselves to get on drier ground. (So to speak.) "So, what, it came out? Do you expect me to have some big explanation for you? Get real -- the Professor was helping me settle in even back when I joined up."
"She said she'd lock us in a box if we ever let it slip!" James adds, cheerfully, as he starts to try and get a fire going to dry themselves off. He's kind of occupied with that; don't worry about it.
"Shouldn't you be off with your little friends?" Jessie adds, with a pouting little squint to Sable, because she knows what day it is.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"..."
Sable looks down at Jessie's feet for a moment. "I did," she says. "Asgard told me I didn't understand Team Rocket... So I wanted to understand better. But talking to Mom just made me feel bad."
James's cheerful addition gets a nod. "I see. Well, you didn't. So she doesn't have to lock you in a box. I figured it out."
Jessie squints at her, and Sable shakes her head. "No," she says. "I spent some time with Dad this morning, and I was going to mostly do stuff on my own... and then I met you. And so I decided to talk now. Because I don't know when I can find you another time."
Ulpi says, "Prin," and looks away.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Hmph!" Jessie huffs, as she folds her arms, looking away. "You incorrigible brat!"
James and Meowth just kind of look at each other, as they get the fire going. They don't know what's going on here. Or, indeed, why --
"Here," Jessie scowls, as she tosses the final Pokeball over her shoulder. "Go on and take it, then."
"Hey!" James says. "That's our last Zubat!"
"If you think you can scam something out of her, go ahead!" Jessie snaps. "Just shut up and get that fire started so we can have something to eat, already!"
Certain doom lurks a little harder, down below.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"Is it just because it's 'fun'?" Sable wonders, then. "Mom said it was fun."
The final Pokeball... Sable catches it, because she's athletic, and then looks down at it. The last Zubat...
"Okay," she says. "I'll take care of it."
She doesn't offer them something from her supplies. She doesn't really want to do that. But Ulpi looks at Jessie with a Pokemon's frown.
"You're not going to scam anything out of me," she confirms. "I don't like stealing Pokemon, though."
Certain doom... Sable isn't afraid of it for the moment.
"...I guess you don't want to answer."
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"What is there to answer?" Jessie asks, as James finally gets a fire going. "If you don't understand, you don't understand. Team Rocket isn't for people who succeed in our society." She looks dead at Ulpi as she says it, as if to say, 'successful Trainers like you'.
"Anyway, we didn't steal those Zubats," she adds, pouting. "We caught them. In a net." Technically true! They were poaching, but they did catch the Pokemon!
James and Meowth get to roasting some nuts, which is apparently lunch.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"That's how it is?" Sable wonders. "Mom seems pretty successful..."
Ulpi looks back, and crows, "Prin!" at Jessie defiantly. He is proud of his successes!
"No," Sable says, "You didn't. But you helped steal that boy's Milotic..."
James and Meowth are roasting nuts, which is fair enough, Sable supposes.
"...Mom thinks I should just continue with the Gym Challenge and not worry about it. But I want a say in how things go."
"...She's been involved a while then, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Sure," Jessie says, "successful outside the system. That's the dream of Team Rocket, and it hardly applies to you." She's still being awfully scornful!
She couldn't be chasing Sable out of a life of crime under threat of a thousand pushups, or anything.
"Hey, that Milotic's doing great with Asgard!" James pipes up. "She's getting so strong!" Meowth brings a roasted hazelnut up to his mouth, and goes CHOMP, only to chip a tooth. ("Mrooow...")
"'A say in how things go'," Jessie scowls, a hand to her hip. "What's that even supposed to mean, Gemcutter? Because you sure don't want to be part of this."
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"Outside the system..." Sable doesn't really have an argument for that one. Because apparently it's true! "I remember Mom never wanted to talk about Professor Maple..."
That couldn't be! But Sable at least doesn't plan to join Team Rocket.
"Strentgh is't everything," Sable says of the Milotic. And then she peers at Meowth. He chips a tooth...
Hm.
"It means that if we let Team Rocket handle the Ten Wise Men, then Team Rocket gets to decide how we do it, and what happens after that. I don't want that."
"I'm going to fight them, too. And that means I get to say something about what happens next."
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Then you're just another twerp in our way!" Jessie huffs, turning around and stomping her foot. "Don't expect any mercy from Team Rocket!"
Meanwhile, doom breaks from within the depths of the sunken ship, as an icy-blue Slopetail creeps out from the wreckage. "Gruuuuuuuuuu," it rumbles, as it flicks one of its spherical icicles right into the middle of James's fire, extinguishing it!
"Heyyy!" He whines, as the fire splutters out.
"Ha!" Jessie exclaims, turning back and pointing to Sable. "We'll see who's on the winning side -- by who can catch that Slopetail! Wobbuffet, make yourself useful!"
"WOBBBBUFFET," Wobbuffet cries, as he wobbles out in front of Slopetail, only for Slopetail to grasp his claws to a fist and deliver an Ice Punch --
-- which freezes Wobbuffet solid before he can Counter.
"COME ON, WOBBUFFET!" Jessie yells, stomping her foot again.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
DOOM comes and prevents Sable from giving her retort about mercy!! instead, doom breaks out, and Sloptail approaches. It rumbles and puts out the fire. Ulpi immediately turns towards th Slopetail, bristling visibly. "Lup...!"
But Slopetail attacks Wobbufett first, and Sable pauses. She's been challenged. Her spirit demands--
"..."
"I like Ice-types," she says, and theen says, "Ulpi. Deliver a Rock Tomb to pin the Slopetail down."
For a moment, she looks almost just like her mother in expression.
Ulpi dutifully does as requested, cutting off Slopetail's escape!
"But your Pokemon is already frozen, Jessie."
She seem pleased at this.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"Rrrrrrrh..." Slopetail growls, as he leaps away from the Rock Tomb before it can properly entomb him, only to look behind him at the way his access to the wreckage is blocked off. He bares his teeth, and roars, "Slop!"
He drops onto all fours to skitter closer, circling the Prinplup, only to open his great jaws and take in a breath, blowing icy air onto the penguin. And this ought to not work well, except --
It's Freeze-Dry! The Ice move which preys on Water Pokemon! No wonder Slopetail would have a trick like that, trapped on a wreckage -- he must have gotten terribly good at preying on Water-Types.
"Wobbuffet, get a hold of yourself!" Jessie yells, kicking at Wobbuffet's shins. He remains steadfastly frozen.
Meanwhile, James scratches at his head. "Why would it come out now?" He wonders, only to call out: "Hey, Slopetail! Are you hungry? Catch!" And much to Meowth's dismay, he throws their nuts over to the punchy lizard, who catches them in his broad claws and munches them up. "Sloph sloph," his eyes close contentedly, distracted by the snack --
-- at which point, James throws a Pokeball.
What underhanded tactics!
It wobbles once, wobbles twice, and...
... ding!
James caught a Slopetail! (Even though the women did all the work...)
"James, that was mine!" Jessie huffs, before she smooths back her damp hair. "... but anyway," she adds, "that just proves that Team Rocket's methods are superior!"
"She's already taking credit," James sighs, to his new Pokeball, in the background.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Ulpi... does not have a great time. Sable frowns, as her Prinplup is hit hard enough to stun him in an ice block!! Now both of their Pokemon are frozen!
Sable frowns more. "Rude," she concludes, and reaches for another Pokeball. "Ulpi, come ba--"
Pause. James..
James does something very useful, actually. Sable tilts her head to the side. Jessie says it proves that Team Rocket's methods are superior, but, "...Would most of Team Rocket really feed the Pokemon, though?"
A laugh, then. "You got me this time," she says. "I guess I see why Mom keeps James around." Why Jessie? Well, probably sentimental reasons, but it sure sounds like Sable is saying something else.
"Okay," she says. "I won't go easy on you next time, either..."
"But I think I understand a little better."
"Enjoy your cold shipwreck."
Sable steps back, turns, and has every intention of diving back into the water.
<Pose Tracker> Jessie and James has posed.
"James is sentimental," Jessie sniffs, haughtily. "That's why I'm here to keep him in line!"
"Thanks!" James says, when Sable tells them to enjoy their shipwreck, only for Meowth to yowl, "MYAWR, MROWR MRAW!" (Or, roughly: 'OH MY ARCEUS, JAMES, DON'T THANK HER!')
"Whatever," Jessie grumbles, finally managing to defrost Wobbuffet with a Team Rocket-branded towel. "Go enjoy your birthday somewhere else. We don't need you here."
(In Team Rocket, or on their shipwreck?)
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"I see..."
Jessie keeps him in line. Sable thinks it must be nice to work with someone you really like, even if she still doesn't like what they do. But today, she stopped them, so...
James thanks her, and Sable smile before she goes. "I will," she answers Jessie."
They don't need her there. ...Sable doesn't really think about 'which' it is as she dives down into the water.
Ulpi will have more to complain about later, but she does have a Zubat now...
Sable swims away in any case.