GuyYouMetOnline

[u]Mech Profile: Hunter[/u] [i]Hunter-class[/i] mechs are rank AA mechs. As fits the name, Hunters have excellent sensor equipment. They can't detect cloaked mechs, but they can detect enough emmissions to get a near-exact location of a cloaked mech. Hunters also have the best self-monitering equipment there is, making it virtually impossible to scan one without it picking up your scan. [i]Hunter-[/i]class mechs have very good base stats, although manuverability and speed are normally lower than the others. Hunters are durable, and can carry most varieties of weapons, including the heavier ones. Sako's was equiped with a pair of EPT-A semi-auto pistols with explosive rounds, one MGS-H armor-piercing machine gun with adjustable spread, an ESS-H sniper rifle with explosive rounds and a laser sight, and an RLD-H dual rocket launcher that fired two rockets at a time. The rockets had a slight hming capability. The launcher itself was quite bulky, but Sako was willing to sacrifice a bit of manuverability for the firepower the RLD-H offered. David pulled himself back into reality long enough to turn on some music. He always used his own music for mech battles, except those in the Arena. Today's band was Rammstien, and the song was Moskau. With the music playing, David immersed himself in Sako's world again, and got ready to kick some ass.

Well, I've never watched any video-game awards shows (I don't think I get the channels), but from what you've all said, it sounds to me like you all disagree with the VGA's picks and are pretty pissed off that the show didn't choose the games you were hpoeing for. Sure, games like Halo 2, GTA: San Andreas, and Metroid Prime 2 are good, and they're certainly quite popular, but some people (such as myself) actually think that awards should go to the games that [i]deserve [/i]them, even if those games are ones I'd never play. For example, in Nintendo Power Magazine's 2004 Power Awards, Zelda: Wind Waker won every catagory it was nominated in, including Best Graphics (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time looks a [i]lot[/i] better) and Best Game (My favorite was Viewtiful Joe, but my pick for Best Game was Prince of Persia). Also, I don't accuse people of accepting bribes when the games that win aren't the ones I wanted to win. Seriously, I think you people are just pissed because your favorite games didn't win.

OOC: Actually, my intent was to let you do the speach (I don't still have it). As I said, there's somethine I want Erivel to do first. Oh, and Gyarados's ability is Intimidate. Growlith gets either that or Flash Fire. ------------------------------------------------------------ Drilladon charged Erivel again, this time prepared for Erivel's attack. he jumped over it, but Erivel moved quickly enough to avoid getting hit. Drilladon kept the drills going, and vanished underground. Erivel didn't give Drilladon time to surface. Absol managed to shake off the paralisis as Lupin came at him again. He hit Lupin with Bite, but didn't connect with a follow-up hit. Lupin attacked with Water Gun, showing his second type. Absol barely managed to dodge. "Absol, I think it's part Water!" Rorohiko shouted. "Use Thunderbolt!" Absol's Thunderbolt connected, but Lupin wasn't finished yet. [i]Damn, that thing's tough,[/i] Rorohiko thought. Lupin came at Absol again. Absol wasn't able to dodge the Slash attack Lupin used, and fell to the ground again. He wasn't KO'ed yet, but Lupin was ready to change that. He didn't get the chance. Joy came running out of the tunnel to join Rin and Aria. "Next time, wait," she told Rin. "I'm lucky I picked the right tunnel." "Sorry about that," Rin apolagized. "Absol wasn't waiting." Joy looked down at the battles. "What's going on down there?" "Two seperate battles," Aria explained. "One is a new legendary Pokemon named Erivel against Drilladon, which I'm assuming is also a legendary. Rorohiko... well, Drilladon seems to be with Kira, and Erivel revealed that Absol are decended from him. Drilladon is Erivel's enemy, which makes Kira Rorohiko's enemy. At least, that's how I see it." The three of them watched as Drilladon went underground. Erivel's spikes began to glow. Then, things started shaking. Literally. When the ground shook, it took Rorohiko about two seconds to figure out what was happeing. "Earthquake!" he shouted. He returned Absol and ran. Kira returned Lupin, but didn't run with Rorohiko. She seemed to know exactly what was going on. Rorohiko stopped and went back to her. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted. "This isn't over," she said. Her voice was even stranger than before. "It will be soon! This is a goddamn earthquake! And I don't mean the move Earthquake! I mean an actual earthquake!" "I know. He controls it. He will confine it to his battle." That one startled Rorohiko. "What?! Controls it?" He paused, then said. "Erivel. Absol's ancestor. Disasters. Of course." Kira nodded. "Exactly. I was foolish to forget it." "What?" Just then, Drilladon managed to get aboveground, and it looked hurt. It wasn't quite done, though. It used the move Earthquake, which was augmented by Erivel's actual earthquake. Erivel was taken by surprise, and took heavy damage. Both him and Drilladon looked about finished, but neither gave up. The two of them charged each other once again. ------------------------------------------------------ OOC: Take it from here, Blanko.

OOC: I'm pretty sure that the Intimidate ability only lowers regular Attack, and not Special Attack. ---------------------------------------------------------- Erivel had an easy shot. He attacked with a Dark-type move that was a beam of energy that looked a lot likt Aurora Beam, only black in color. Drilladon was hit, and stumbled in its charge. Erivel began circling Drilladon, and the two of them traded attacks, neither getting hit too frequently. Erivel seemed to be doing slightly better than Drilladon, but not my much. "We're not done yet," Rorohiko said as Absol got back up. "Absol, I think it's about time to give Kira the shock of her life." Absol glowed for a second. Ponyta attacked with Fire Blast, but Absol managed to dodge. Ponyta used Flamethrower, which Absol countered with a Fire Blast of his own. The Fire Blast canceled out the Flamethrower, but Ponyta itself avoided the attack. Ponyta used Quick Attack and hit Absol. Due to his weakened state, Absol was knocked down, although he wasn't KO'ed yet. Ponyta was moving in to do just that when it happened. Ponyta was suddenly hit by an energy ball that seemed to come out of nowhere. The sudden hit disoriented Ponyta long enough for Absol to get up and use Water Pulse. Absol finished Ponyta with another Water Pulse. Rorohiko saw the look on Kira's face and laughed. "I love doing that," he said. "Nobody ever expects a Dark-type like Absol to know a Psychic-type move, and the out-of-nowhere element of Future Sight only adds to the surprise." "It was a nice move," Kira admitted. "Of course, I'm not done yet. Go, Lupin!" Rorohiko looked at the new Pokemon. "Be careful, Absol. This is a new one. It looks like a Ghost-type, which should give you an advantage, but most Ghost-types have a second type. Be ready for anything. ----------------------------------------------------------- OOC: Your turn, Blanko. Set things up for the end of the battle, but I'd like you to let me end it (I have something special in mind). Don't worry, I'll let 'Drilladon' make his speach as we discussed. There's just something special I want Erivel to do before the battle ends. "Oh, and remember not to end Rorohiko vs. Kira, either.

Well, with Albel's permission, I PMed you and Rhym. Read the PM for the details, but basiclayy, I proposed that Kitty and company escape, but that the Griffin gets destroyed. There's a bit more to it than that, so be sure to read the PM.

Rorohiko felt seriously strange for a second. Kira was saying that humans were bad, and then there was suddenly a Cyndaquil on the ground in front of her. [i]What the hell just happened?[/i] he wondered. [i]I think I quite literally missed something. Things are starting to get seriously bizarre.[/i] Rorohiko looked at the Pokemon battling Erivel, then back at Kira. "That thing Erivel's fighting is yours, and you seem to know a lot more about what's going on than I do. What the hell is all this about?" Kira didn't even seem to notice his question. "Fine," Rorohiko said. "I haven't heard anything to justify this battle, but if you want to fight, then we'll fight. Absol, let's kisk some ass." Absol faced Cyndaquil. "This should be easy," Rorohiko said. "Absol, Water Pulse!" Neither Kira nor Cyndaquil were expecting a Water-type attack, but Cyndaqil reacted in time to dodge. The small Fire-type countered with Ember. Absol nullified the Ember attack with Flamethrower, but he didn't hit Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil came at Absol with Quick Attack, managing to score a hit. Absol responded with a Water Pulse, and this time the move connected. Absol hit with a Quick attack of his own before the heavily damaged Cyndaquil could get back on its feet, then finished the round with Slash. Cyndaquil was out. "That little Cyndaquil did surprisingly well," Rorohiko said. "However, you'll have to do a lot better if you want to win against me, Kira. Now, on to round two. Which Pokemon's next?"

Vaxla has spotted the far-off lab soon after her flashback, and had already been heading in that direction when Albel and Lily passed by. Because it was daytime, Vaxla couldn't keep up, but she was still pretty fast. She reached the lab after they did. She didn't stop for anything, not even to investigate the corpses. The lab was dark enough to enhance Vaxla's senses, and she heard them before she saw them. She heard Albel say "What? How do you know so much? "I have been searching this computer's database," a new voice said, "to find out who I am." "Then who are you?" Vaxla hid herself from sight and entered the rom where Albel, Lily, and the other person were. "I am project Aprales," the new person said. "The super experiment. I am what you and all the others are. Whatever powers you and the others have, I will have. I was meant to be the greatest among all of you." "No way!" [i]If that's true, than he knows I'm here,[/i] Vaxla thought. [i]The darkness will allow him to sense my location without using sight, just like I can do.[/i] "I also see that you found Miss Lily, AKA, experiment 1886," Aprales was saying. "Experiment name, Ghost. Given the powers to turn invisible and go through solid objects. You weren't in the same lab as me, so I don't have YOUR powers." "What?" Lily exclaimed. "I know that this may be shocking to you, but this is true. You were made into experiments, because no one in the world wanted you. It was that which led me to believe that all humans are evil. Join me, so that we can kill everyone. We have the power, so join me." [i]I wouldn't use 'evil',[/i] Vaxla thought, [i]but he certainly understans humans much better than most people do. "Not all humans are evil. There was one that took me in. She housed me, sheltered me, and gave me a place to stay for a while. I would never agree to such nonsense!" [i]You, on the other hand, don't know shit.[/i] "You don't have much of a choice. Either you join me, or die." [i]I think I like this guy.[/i] "HA! Me die to you!? That's a laugh." Hashu said. He charged Aprales with sword drawn. Aprales dodged every attack. Eventually, Aprales released a lot of energy. Thanks to her darkness-enhanced reaction time, Vaxla was able to avoid the blast. Hashu wasn't so lucky. Vaxla would be very surprised if he lived. "I happen to agree with you, Aprales," Vaxla said, revealing herself, "even if I'd choose different words than you did." "Vaxla Intunecat, Experiment 666," Aprales said. "Experiment name: Escuro. I was wondering when you'd show yourself." "I like to be catious." "I know. I've read your file." "Then I assume you know what happened." Aprales nodded. "Your boyfriend killed your parents." "Exactly. That's one of the few things I remember. Not surprising that I have a realistic view of humans, is it?" "After that, it would be hard to have a liking for them." Vaxla nodded. "Very true. Anyways, I have no quarrel with you, and I see no reason for us to be enemies. I don't ally myself with anyone for reasons you can probably guess. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm against you. I am more like you than anyone else. Even though we disagree on the specifics, and even though we have different reasons, our views of humanity are basically the same. So do not consider me an enemy, because I have no reason to be one in your case. I am here for information, just like you, and that's the only reason why I am here. I have no intrest in helping these two. Do what you want with them."

Most people would have just noted the new Pokemon's appearance. Rorohiko, being Rorohiko, immediatly thought of the new Pokemon's appearance in terms of Absol's. Like Absol, it was four-legged, and had Absol's basic body shape, thought it was quite a bit larger, and not just in height. The Pokemon was thicker than Absol, more massive. Closer to something like Entei than Absol. The new Pokemon was also about a foot taller than Absol, and proportioned accordingly. The Pokemon was mostly white in color, though there were two wide, black stripes positioned 45 degrees from the top of the Pokemon's body. The new Pokemon's legs were larger and thicker than Absol's bun only to match the increased size of the body. Its paws looked a lot like larger, thicker versions of Absol's, but with one major difference. The back half of each paw was elevated from the ground. What looked a lot like the black things that stuck out of the backs of Absol's paws ran from where the Pokemon's paws lost contact with the ground to the ground, and also ran from the back of the paws up the backs of the legs. The Pokemon's head didn't look at all like Absol's. It was more intimidating, for one thing. It was a bit doglike, but there wasn't much of a snout. Several spikes-they weren't quite spikes, but Rorohiko couldn't think of a better word-were evenly spaced around the Pokemon's neck. They were angeld so that they encircled the head. They were't long enough to enclose all of the head, but they enclosed a good portion of it. Rorohiko grabbed Absol's Pokeball. "What are you doing?" Aria asked. "I'm going to try and communicate with it," Rorohiko answered. Suddenly, both of them heard a rather deep voice. "What was that?!" Aria exclaimed. "My dad has some psychic ability, and so does his sister, her husband, and their children," Rorohiko replied. "I know what a voice in my head feels like, and that was definatly a voice in my head. This Pokemon can communicate telepathically." Rorohiko turned back to the new Pokemon. "The only Pokemon that are confirmed to be able to telepathically communicate with humans are Lugia and Jirachi, although many say that Mewtwo also has the ability. There were also reports of an Entei doing it, and my dad's told me that there's another, but I forget the name of that Pokemon. Now, those Pokemon all fall under the 'legendary' catagory, although some people-such as myself-don't include Mewtwo. So, I'm going to assume that you laso fall under the 'legendary' catagory." the Pokemon responded. "Well, Erivel, I'm Rorohiko, and this is Aria. As you can probably guess, I have a few questions for you." [/b] "I'm coming with you," Rorohiko replied. He released his Absol. "And Absol here will ensure that I don't slow you down." Erivel sent. Erivel didn't give Rorohiko time to answer. He was off. Rorohiko, now even more determined to pump Erivel for information, quickly got on Absol, who took off after Erivel. Aria releaser her Pigeot. Pigeot's speed was limited in the tunnels of the Network, but it could still keep up with Erivel, even with Aria on its back. ---------------------------------------------------- OOC: Your turn, Blanko. kira needs to wake up before Erivel arrives.

Personally, I don't think that any special rules are necessary. The 'no god-modding' one is a rule that applies to the entire Adventure Square (I've read the rules, and that's in there), and I think that having too many suddenly revealed abilities on a mech falls under god-modding. Also, I don't think that the winner should be decided by post quality/length (what the hell does that have to do with a mech battle?). Instead, I think that the winner (or winners, in this case) should be decided ahead of time by those participating (in this case, that's you, me, Kitty, and Rhym). If we can't decide, that's when a neutral third party should be brought in. But seriously, it makes no sense to decide the outcome of a battle on post quality, which is one of the reasons I never participated in the old Battle Arena (which has now been removed).

Well, I'm a bit confused about how the mech battle is actually going to work out. Are we going to have to go by any special rules (and if so, what are they?), or is the judge just there to make sure that nobody gets out of hand? Oh, and is there any special way for the winner to be decided, or do those of us participating in the battle just need to reach an agreement?

As Sako was flying twoard the area, he recieved another message. Guessing that it was from Drake, he decided to pay to read it. [i]My friend, I KNOW who took that mech. I have met them before. There were three people, so I'm asking for a truce. If there is one thing that I've learned, it is to always prepare for the worst. Most likely all of those peopel are bound to have a mech. So, if you would join me, then that would be 3 vs. 3. I may have not mention it before, but a friend of mine is going to be piloting another mech of mine. So naturally, we have two people, but she is not the best mech pilot in the world. If the enemy were to find that out, they would double team her and she would fall. Even I can't take on three mechs, so I'm asking you, I know that we can't do this divided. I could arrange a meeting place if you would like. Please, we need this truce. Drake.[/i] [i]If I'm right and the Griffin is indeed in the general area I think it is,[/i] Sako thought, [i]then Drake will be here, too, meaning that he'd be close enough to locate and contact.[/i] Sako scanned the area, something that [i]Hunter[/i]-class mechs did very well. They were called [i]Hunter[/i]-class for a reason, after all. Of course, a Griffin wouldn't show up on even a Hunter's scanners if cloaked, but Drake and his partner should. And there weren't many mechs in the area. In fact, Sako only detected two. Ant they were together. Sako diverted course towards them. When Sako entered visual range, he could confirm what his sensors told him about the two mechs. They were indeed a Rhino and a Falcron, both very good mechs, especially the Falcron, which Sako assumd was the one Drake was operating. Indeed, Falcrons were by far the rarest single-person mechs in existance, and also the most expensive. Sako was saving up for one. Of course, a Griffin was supirior. While Falcrons were indeed AAA mechs and a Griffin was an AA, a Griffin was designed as a multi-person mech, and those were always much more dangerous in the hands of skilled operators than single-person mechs, and a class AA multi-person mech could normally rip a class AAA single-person mech to shreds if the right people were operating it. Of course, the right person could take a Griffin in even a class A single-person mech, but that was not easy. Sako was probably that good, but he had no intention of testing his skill in that manner, which was why he was using the Hunter, a class AA single-person mech. He was good enough to take a Griffin in a Hunter unless the Griffin was fully manned by very skilled operators, although it would certainly be tough even if there was only a single person operating the Griffin. If there were other mechs to fight besides the Griffin, it would be nearly impossible. Which was why Sako had decided to scan the area for Drake. He had diverted course because Drake was nearby, meaning that the course change wasn't a significant delay. Sako took the Hunter to full speed and flew directly at the Falcron. At the last second before colision, Sako dropped under the Falcron and spun in midair to face it. He waited as the Falcron and Rhino took up positions on either side of him, then requested an open com channel between his Hunter and the Falcron. The Falcron's operator accepted the request and opened a channel. "You need to be more aware," Sako said. "If I wanted to, I could have done some serious damage." "Who the hell are you?" the Falcron's operater demanded to know. "My name is Sako. I believe you've been trying to collaborate with me. Drake, right?" Drake nodded. "That's me." "Thought so. There were only two uncloked mechs in scanner range, so I assumed they were you and your partner. Obviously, I was right. Now, no sense in wasting time. You and your partner know who stole the Griffin, right? You two land and see if you can find the person or people responsible. For starters, check mech garages. The Griffin probably didn't have much fuel when it was stolen. Most of the time, mechs don't have much fuel when they're in garages, so the Griffin probably needs gas. So, check mech garages first, then any other place you think the person or people might be. Make sure you never get too far from your mechs. "While you two are busy doing that, I'll stay in my mech and see if I can spot the Griffin itself. If I do and it's off, I'll contact you two and we'll meet by it. We'll have our mechs sent into storage-don't worry about the cost, because Karalos is covering all expenses-then we'll commandeer the Griffin and take it back to Karalos. If the Griffin is active, I'll keep it busy while you two get back into your mechs, and then we'll kick the crap out of it, after which we'll call Karalos. Now, if you two find the person or people who stole the Griffin, message me-you can't com me when you're not in your mechs, so a message will have to do-and tell me where you are. I'll come as fast as I can, and we'll make them show us where the Griffin is. After they do that, we'll detain them until the authorities arrive, then take the Griffin back to Karalos. Any questions or complaints? If not, then let's get to work."

Direct transportation was very expensive, but it got you where you wanted to go instantly. Akso frequently used it, because he didn't like waiting around. When he appeared in Kasharo's garage, he used Kasharo's terminal to bring another of his favorite mechs to his location. The mech was a [i]Hunter[/i]-class individual battle mech. Hunters were among the best single-person mechs there were. They weren't nearly as maneuverable as Dancers, but they could still dodge prettly well. They had high base durability and a pretty good top speed. They had filght capability, as well, though they were a bit slower in the air than they were on the ground. They could carry several weapons, including most heavy weaponry, and Sako had his configured for maximum firepower. He'd added several defense-based modifications as well. Of course, all this came at a price. [i]Hunter[/i]-class mechs were among the most expensive single-person mechs. Hunters weren't too common because of their cost, but Sako was good enough to make the money to afford one. The Hunter would be ideal for Sako's task. While Sako was prepping the Hunter, Kasharo was speaking to someone on the terminal. A couple minutes later, Sako was notified that he had recieved a message. "Hey, Kasharo!" he called. "Mind if I use your terminal? I just got a message, and I hate having to pay to read my messages." "Go ahead." "Thanks." Sako walked over to the terminal and accessed his messages. [u]You have one message. Message was sent by Drake.[/u] [b]Open message.[/b] The message was displayed onscreen, and Sako read it. [i]I know that you have taken the mission for the stolen mech as well. I say that we make a truce. You and I should work together and then split the reward 50 50. If you refuse, then I'm going to say that ALL is fair in this game, meanine that I'll kill you if I have to. Just keep that in mind. Message me back with your answer ASAP. [/i] [i]Drake.[/i] Sako selected the 'Reply' option. [i]I do not collaborate ahead of time. If I run into you durring the job, then we might as well work together, but I'm not going to come looking for you. If we happen to meet, we'll work together, but if we don't, then whoever does the job gets the cash. Nothing personal, Drake. That's just how I work.[/i] [i]Sako[/i] [b]Send message.[/b] [u]Message sent[/u] [i]Time to get a move on,[/i] Sako thought. He accessed general channels for information. He didn't learn much, but he did get a general idea of where to look. When he was done, he logged out of the terminal. He finished prepping the Hunter, then activated it and took of. The hunt was on.

OOC: Rhym, I believe the currency is 'zen', not 'zennie'. Of course, Albel will have to confirm that, but I'm retty sure it's 'zen'. ------------------------------------------------------------ Back at the Signing facility, Sako located an unsued terminal and began scanning the posted missions. One in particular caught his eye. He selected it and called up the detailed explination. It was a reward for the return of a stoled mech. Sako enjoyed that kind of assignment. He saw that it was posted by a character named Kasharo. "Command," Sako said. "Send communications request to Kasharo. Request visual." Like many services, opening a direct communication link was free when done from a terminal. Kasharo's image appeared on the terminal's screen. "This is Kasharo," he said. "Please state your name and reason for contacting me." [i]CG for sure,[/i] Sako thought. "My name is Sako, and I want more information about the stolen mech." "Many others have contacted me," Kasharo replied, "but none of them took the job. They didn't think they were good enough to do it." "There isn't much I'm not good enough to do. Spill the beans. What was stolen?" "A [i]Griffin[/i]-class heavy assult mech," Kasharo told him. "[i]Griffin[/i]-class? No wonder you've been turned down! Those things are tough as hell. I think I can handle it, though. How much are you offering for the job?" "Four hundred thousand," Kasharo said. "Condition does not matter as long as it is returned to me, even if it is completly non-functional. For confirmed destruction without its return, two hundred twenty thousand." "I want you to cover transportation and repair costs." "I will cover any repairs you require after the job, and I will pay the entire cost of transporting any mech you choose to use to my location. The [i]Griffin[/i] has not left the planet, as I've informed the authorities. Every leaving ship is being completly inspected before being cleared for departure. Whoever stole it has not left the planet." Sako nodded. "Standard procedure. Now, what about getting me to you?" "I'll pay the entire price of a ticket for a ship of any kind. For direct transit, I'll pay half the cost." "In that case, I'm taking the direct route. See you in approximatly twenty-five seconds." ---------------------------------------------------------- OOC: Heads up, Kitty! Now Sako's after you.

There was... something. He had felt something for a while now, but he was unable to identify it. Unable, that is, until it suddenly intensified. He recognised it immediatly. He could still feel it distinctly even after the spike faded, for it stil remained above its original level. [i]It seems that my former foe has returned,[/i] he thought. [i]Our dispute must be setled. It must be done as soon as possible.[/i] He could feel his adversary's presence, sense its location. He chose the quickest route to that location, not knowing that others were on the path he chose. "Any ideas about what that tablet meant?" Aria asked Rorohiko. "Things like that are normally about 95% bullshit," Rorohiko answered. "I doubt that it means much at all. Even if it's not bullshit, I have no clue what it's trying to tell us. If we find other tablets, I may be able to get something from the combined text, but right now, I can't tell you anything." The two of them walked in silence for a few seconds before they almost got run over by something moving towards them at high speeds. Fortunatly, the approaching something noticed them soon enough to come to a stop before impact. The something's rapid stop kicked up a lot of dust. As soon as Rorohiko and Aria could see clearly again, they looked at the something. It was a new Pokemon, and it looked like a tough one, too. And Aria and Rorohiko were in its path. --------------------------------------------------- OOC: This new Pokemon is relivant to the plot, so nobody post about it, please.

The [i]Dancer[/i]-class was one of Sako's favorite. [i]Dancer[/i] mechs were extremly manuverable. They were the most agile mechs around. They weren't able to take as much damage as other classes, but their maneuverability {OOC: Think [i]Zone of the Enders[/i] without flight capability} more than made up for it. Dancers couldn't carry as many weapons as other classes, either, and none of the heavyist weapons, which made them ill-suited for taking on larger opponents, but for mech-on-mech combat, they were among the best. The Arena covered the cost of transporting Sako's and Karalos's mechs to them. Sako's was configured with as much weaponry as possible, while Karalos prefered a bit more defense. Hers could take more damage than Sako's, but Sako's could dish it out better. After boarding their mechs, Sako and Karalos entered the arena. There was quite an audiance. Many were computer-generated, there to prevent matches from taking place in an empty arena (players normally didn't like fighting in an empty Arena), but many of the spectators were actual players. Bets would be made between them, and some of the CG characters were programmed to gamble, as well. "We have a challenge match," the anoucer, a CG character, anounced over the loudspeaker. "Melder Sako up against Melder Karalos. The combatants are using [i]Dancer[/i]-class mechs, so expect a show! Combatants, prepare for battle!" When the 'begin' signal sounded, Sako moved fast. He managed to get a couple shots of before Karalos reacted. Once she did, she fired her armor-peircing MGS-D energy machine gun at maximum spread. There weren't many who could escape that unscratched, even among Melders. But Sako was one of the best, and through a complicated and impresive series of twists, flips, and jumps, he managed to avoid damage. Sako opened up on Karalos. Instead of an MGS-D like Karalos had, Sako favored the MGT-D machine guns. They weren't nearly as powerful as MGS-Ds, but they had a greater spread capability, a slightly faster rate of fire, and were designed to be used in pairs. Karalos took a few shots, but quickly retaliated. Sako and Karalos moved around the arena, firing whenever they could. Sako was taking less damage that Karalos, but the greater durability of Karalos's mach meant that she could take more damage. The two of them were very evenly matched. It was Karalos who broke the cycle. She did so by switching weapons. She went from machine gun to EPT-D semi-automatic pistols. These pistols fired explosive rounds, and did a lot more damage than the MGS-D she was using previously. Of course, they were easier to avoid, although they did do some splash damage. Sako had known that Karalos would switch weapons eventually. She always did. When she did, Sako dropped his machine guns and charged at her. She was taken by surprise, but was able to do a good bit of damage before Sako reached her. Sako slammed his mech into hers, using the opportunity to take her pair of EPT-Ds, which he used to finish her off. "You made the same mistake you always do," Sako told Karalos after the match. "You think in terms of an actual battle rather than an Arena match. In the Arena, you can afford to take damage, while in a real battle you want to avoid any damage. You just keep thinking 'battle' instead of thinking 'Arena'. remember, damage doesn't matter in an Arena match. Only survival. As long as your mech remains functional, damage doesn't matter in the Arena." Sako and Karalos left the arena, heading their seperate ways. [i]I have to get back to the Signing facility,[/i] Sako thought. [i]I still don't have anything to do rithn now.[/i]

"Let's get moving," Rorohiko said after transfering the data to Aria's laptop. "No point in staying here any longer. Keep an eye out for anything unusual." The two of them resummed walking the the same direction they'd been headed in earlier. A man named Victor Trolmont walked over to a rather large hole. Several Sandslash were in the hole digging. Sandslash had been used to locate areas where the Network ran underneath, and now a group of them was digging in the first such location found. A young woman was supervising the Sandslash. "What's the status?" Trolmont asked her. "We should be almost there, sir," she told him. Just then, the Sandslash finished. They had dug a hole into the Network. Trolmont ordered the equipment brought over. There was a lot of it, mostly meant for inside the Network. There was also a crane, which was used to lower the equipment down into the Network. Ladders were set against the walls of the hole, allowing the numerous people to climb down into the Network. When everything was down, Trolmont confirmed that all the people had also made it down. After he did that, he spoke. "We can't afford to waste any time," he said. "The main unit will move in the direction of the real Network entrance. Scouts will be sent ahead and in directions we choose not to take. We need a complete survey of as large an area as possible before we begin." Trolmont selected the scouts and sent them off, then led the main team, plus all the equipment, in the dircetion of the main Network entrance.

OOC: I have no problem with the armies retreating. Azufe does. However, I've actually been waiting for an opportunity to do what I do in this post. If you have a problem with what I do in this post, please PM me. ----------------------------------------------- "I'll do it, Azufe! I mean it!" Robin did indeed look ready to attack. Suddenly the three dragons broke through and landed behind Azufe. "No barrier can hold a dragon for long," Azufe said. "Now, it's abut time to get down to business." "I will do it," Robin repeated. "I don't think you can kill me," Azufe replied. "And even if you somehow did, the dragons would tear you to pieces. But I have no intention of fighting. Killing you would be counterproductive at the moment. "If we wait for too much longer, the battle will begin. There's not enough time to do any kind of planning, thanks to you. I will leave the choice of wether to battle or not up to the leaders of these armies. I will fight, no matter what. Killing Gwydion is still possible, just more difficult than it would be if this battle was to occur. The dragons could have aided me then. As it is now, I'm going to have to go one-on-one with her. Do what you will with the armies, for they no longer matter." Azufe turned and starting walking toward the darkness, the dragons following behind him. They stopped before Azufe did. Azufe kept going until he was right at the edge of the darkness. "Gwydion!" Azufe called. "I know you're in there! Come out and face me!" Nothing happened for about a minute. Azufe was about to make his challenge again when someone came out of the darkness. "It's been a while, Azufe," she said. "This has gone on for long enough, Gwydion. It's time to put an end to it." "That will proove more difficult than you seem to tink," Gwydion replied. "We'll just see about that." Azufe drew his poles, and Gwydion drew twin swords. "Let's confine this to weapon combat," Gwydion said. "You must be very sure of your skill to suggest that," Azufe replied. "I accept. Let's get this over with." ----------------------------------------- OOC: I have no intntion of killing Gwydion (it's way too soon for her to die). Oh, other things can happen while Azufe and Gwydion fight (the armies still havn't been convinced to retreat, for example).

[We have to prevent the others from taking foolish actions,] Azufe sent to the three dragons. [Zephyr, take the Elven leader. Anzunden, get the lizardman leader. Seuneu, you have the Dwarven leader. Make sure that the armies do not retreat. Use any means necessary to stop the others from convincing the leaders to retreat, including force.] "What are they doing?" Robin asked as the dragons flew off. "Ensuring that nobody is convinced to retreat. If this battle does not occur, the demons will gain an enormous advantage for the next battle. This battle can be one. The next battle might be unwinable. We can't let this chance pass by. Kill Gwydion, and it's all over. But if this battle isn't fought, then we'll lose what may be our only chance for a victory in this war."

As Umbreon and the new Pokemon battled, Rorohiko turned to Aria. "To answer your question, I have no desire to catch any Pokemon here, so I haven't been thinking of ways to find them. I'm here for one reason, and one reason only. The answers I'm looking for can be anywhere, including somewhere in the Network. I'm here to look for them. "Now, on a different note, I want your oppinions on Chez. See, in addition to the main rules, there are other things I've learned. One is to know everything you can about those who are hostile to you. True, if someone good enough is after you and hates you, he or she will be able to hide that hatred. Most people aren't that good, which is why anyone who expresses a dislike of you is a danger until prooven not to be one. So I want to know what you think of Chez." "I think he's not what people think he is," Aria replied. "I've heard the rumors." "So have I. I was curious, so I looked up the facts. My dad's a big shot in a government organization, and he got Chez's profile for me. What people say about his training methods is pretty accurate, but the rest isn't. Chez never won 200 battles in a row, for one thing. He won 117, and many of them were against newer, inexperianced trainers." "I'm assuming he didn't actually catch Mew." "I never heard that one," Rrohiko replied. "There was nothing about that in his profile, though. I did hear the one about him battling Suicune, and that's also a load of bullshit." "Personally, I think-" Rorohiko cut her off. "Hold it." He had seen something out of the corner of his eye, and he walked over to it. It was a stone tablet with writing on it. Aria left Umbreon on its own, with Espeon nearby to provide bacup if necessary, and walked over to Rorohiko. She looked at the tablet. "I've never seen writing like that before," she remarked. "I have," Rorohiko said. "I have a translation algorithim in my laptop. Hold on." Rorohiko took off his pack and set in on the ground. He removed his laptop, set it on the ground, and turned it on. While it was booting up, Rorohiko examined his recording device, the one every Expedition member was given before entering the Network. "I can work with that shape," he said to himself after he located a slot on it. He took a box out of his pack, removed a certain cable from it, and plugged one end of the cable into the slot. He plugged the other end into his laptop. Rorohiko took the recorder and passed it over the tablet. "I'm transferring the recording of the tablet to my laptop," he explained. "I knew that this recorder would have a cable slot of some kind, because if it's not plugged into something, the recording it made can't be accessed. fortunatly, I keep about ten zillion cables with me, and I have one that's compatable with the recorder. So I used it. The recorder records everything. I'm transferring its recording of the tablet to my laptop, where I'll run my translation algorithim on the text." And he did just that. The translated text appeared on the screen. [i]The world is changing. From the caves we came, to them we returned. The wind blows still, but it is not ours anymore. By the Changer's grace, we were saved from the changes that were not his. The Traitor challenged him, and he was forced under with us. The Traitor will return to finish what it started, but the circumstances will be changed. Change favors the Changer.[/i] "What is that supposed to mean?" Aria wondered. "Good question," Rorohiko said. "I don't know." Rorohiko looked up, and noticed that Umbreon's battle with the new Pokemon appeared to be over. "I think Umbreon's battle is done," he said.

"You can come with me if you want to," Rorohiko told Aria. "I can't stop you from choosing this direction. You can help me out if you want to, but you have work by my rules. Otherwise, we're just two people going in the same direction." "What are your rules?" Aria asked, curious. "'Rules' is probably the wrong word," Rorohiko replied, "but I don't know a better one. Anyways, I work a certain way. Either you deal with it, or you don't work with me. Oh, and if you can't keep up, I leave you behind. "Now, on to the rules I work by. First rule: everything is important. Examine everything, because the most insignificant thing could be what you're looking for. Second rule: keep a record of everything. Normally I use my laptop, but for this, I have one of those recording devices we were all given. "Rule three: assume that you're always in danger. Rule four: if something doesn't look right, it isn't. Rule five: if someone isn't telling you everything, assume that that person is a threat. Rule six: you can never be too cautious. "Rule seven: never rush through anything, because rushing means a greater chance that you'll miss something important or make a mistake. Rule eight: expect everything to go wrong, because you'll be more prepared if something does go wrong. And rule nine: know everything that has even an impossibly small chance of being relevant to a situation. That one's the most important, by far. Knowledge will save you more than anything else." "You seem to think someone's out to get you," Aria noted. "Why?" "Because some people are out to get me. There's a religious cult that hates me. I'm sure they have a name, but I don't know it. They function more like a terrorist organization than anything else. Most of them are incompetent, but they're still very dangerous if you aren't prepared." "Why are they after you?" "Because they believe me to be an 'active and willing ally of Satan'. See, I'm doing research on Absol. Long story short, they believe that Absol and several other Pokemon were created by Satan. Beause I refused to give up my research, they're trying to kill me. So, if you stay with me, be prepared to have your life threatened. "Yes, I'm aware that the only known entrance to the Network has incredibly tight security, but that won't stop Victor Trolmont. He's about the only member of the cult who knows what he's doing. I have no doubt that he'll find a way to get into the Network. He won't be able to resist exploring this place, just in case there's something in here that would be useful to the cult. Trust me, he'll show up. He always does."

Azufe didn't share Robin's views on the situation. "If the battle is postponed," he said, "the demons will gain a greater advantage for the next encounter. Gwydion will call more of them from their world to ours. Refusing to fight now will only result in a greater slaughter the next time." "If they fight, all of them will die," Robin replied. "Gwydion's death will offset even the loss of everyone here." "You would let them all die?" "This is a war," Azufe said. He was still perfectly calm. "People die in wars. Many people die. Some wars have claimed more lives than you would be willing to believe. The death toll if this battle isn't fought will exceed the death toll if this batle is fought. To save the most lives, this battle must occurr. Gwydion must die before she can call more demons to this world."

"Two things," Rorohiko said. "First, a clarification. Yes, most Trainers have a general idea of what their Pokemon are trying to say. I know [i]exactly[/i] what Absol is saying, and can quote him word-for-word--and I do mean that literally--, and as far as I know, I'm the only person who's ever learned to do that, but most Trainers can indeed get a general idea. "As for you, Chez, either you think we're all idiots, or you have the lowest IQ in world history. See, according to you, it's impossible to catch Pokemon. To catch a Pokemon, a Trainer must get it into a Pokeball. Wild Pokemon usually don't like being caught. According to you, as soon as you take that POkemon to a Pokemon Center for healing, it's perfectly capable of escaping from its Pokeball and leaving. But Pokemon don't do that. So, you're quite obviously full of bullshit. Just then, a bell sounded, and the elevator began to decend. [i]About time,[/i] Rorohiko thought. The elevator stopped a few seconds later. Not many people would have even seen it, let alone noticed it, but Rorohiko was continuously observing everything, always on the lookout for potential threats. That's why he saw Kira's seeming shock. It only lasted for a split second, but it was definatly there. Testing a theroy, he picked up a rock, positioned himself so that he was behind Kira, who was between him and Chez. Rorohiko threw the rock, which hit her in the back. "Sorry," Rorohiko apologized. "I was aiming for Chez." [i]She was shocked because she can't read my mind anymore,[/i] Rorohiko thought. [i]It's strange that she didn't show any signs of shock until the elevator stopped. Probably a coincidence, but maybe not.[/i] "Well, we're here." Rorohiko said as the elevator door opened and everyone stepped out into what was a branching point, with many tunnels to choose from. "We have supplies, we have the recorders, we have upgraded Pokedexes, and we have communicators. Let's split up and do what we're here to do." With that, Rorohiko walked down one of the tunnels. -------------------------------------------- OOC: We are now officially in the Network. It's time to start exploring and catching new Pokemon. Remember, no legendaries or Pokemon that are evolved from Stage 2 Pokemon such as Charizard.

Azufe looked at Robin. "Retreating never won any battles. Never run unless you have proof that the battle is unwinable. All we have to go is your intuition, Robin, and maybe something an elf told you. Unless the commanders don't know shit, they're going to stay right where they are. Oh, and I agree with them." "They cannot win this battle," Robin said. "They must retreat." "This a battle that they can't afford to lose, and retreating is the same as a loss. Besides, it's not numbers that will decide this battle. It's the fate of one person. Gwydion." "How do you know she'll be here?" Robin asked. "Simple. With so many demons gathering for the battle, she has to be here somewhere. Even if that were not true, she would still be here. She would love the chance to kill." "How do you know this?" Azufe's reply didn't explain anything. "She and I have met before," was all he was willing to reveal. "The armies must save their strength for a move vital battle," Robin said. "There is no battle that is more importand," Azufe responded. "If Gwydion is killed, the demons will be leaderless. The confusion her death would cause will render the demon army unable to fight. She called them to this world; without her, they will become disoriented, confused. It will take them a couple hours to adapt. More than enough time to wipe them out. The armies of our world will distract the demon army long enough for me, with the aid of anyone willing to give it, to kill Gwydion." "How will you find her down there?" Kari asked. "All I have to do is jopin the battle. She will find me." Azufe mounted Zephyr. Together with Anzunden and Seuneu, Zephyr flew down towards the human army. They were not going to convince anyone to turn around. They were going to join the army in the coming battle. ------------------------------------------------------ OOC: amgoddess, please tell me if I need to change anything.

Sako and Karalos met at the Gontheras Fifth Arena before their match. "I'm amazed you haven't given up yet," Sako told her. "I don't give up," Karalos replied. "And most of the time, that's a good thing. But eventually, you need to quit. I mean, you're lucky you're as skillled as you are, because otherwise your losses would have depleted your cash reserves." The winner of an Arena match did get a cash prize. The money was provided by the loser, and the amount was agreed on before the match. Some arenas had a no prize option, but most, including the G5A, did not. karalos did lose to Sako a lot, but she was good enough that she won most of her other matches, which provided her with more than enough cash to afford some losses. "What mech type do you intend this match to use?" Sako asked Karalos. "I regestered us with [i]Dancer[/i]-class mech bases." Sako nodded. "That's fine with me." Mech bases were the basic mechs. No weapons, no modifications, just the basic frame. Mech bases determined the basic capabilities of a mech, such as durability, speed, maneuverability, etc. Weapons and any modifications that affected a base's stats differed depending on who owned the mech, but the bases themselves were the same. There were several base classes to choose from, but in those classes, each base was the same. "Let's get on with this," Sako said. "I don't like wasting time."

[i]Kira's psychic,[/i] Rorohiko thought, [i]just like Aunt Hope and Cousin Aurora. Good thing Dad taught me how to block my mind.[i] Rorohiko's father, David Kaloros, had indeed taught him how to block his mind. It was a difficult technique to master, but David had done it when he was Rorohiko's age, and Rorohiko mastered it even more quickly than his father. Basically, the technique focused on the fact that psychics could normally get only your surface thoughts. If you learned to hide what you were thinking behind random gibberish in your mind, than you could prevent psychics from getting anything useful from your mind. To keep Kira out of his mind, Rorohiko used it. When Chez had his Raichu and Umbreon battle, Rorohiko paid attention to every detail of the battle. It was a habbit that had served him well over the years. Anything could be important, so pay attention to everything. About fifteen seconds after the battle ended, the door opened and another trainer entered the room. "I thought everyone was here," Rorohiko remarked as the newcommer took a seat. "I was still passing through security when the announcement was made," she explained. "The woman at the searching station made it, and I was there when she did. I must be the last Trainer. My name's Zera." After introductions were made, everyone waited. They waited for about thirty seconds before the door opened again. The man who came through was a cripple. He was in a wheelchair, one of the electronic ones that he could control without a problem. Everyone put away anything they had out as he moved to the head of the table, pushed the chair out of the way to make room, and rolled into his place. "My name is Dalos. Welcome to the Network Access Point facility, NAP for short. I apologize for the security, but we can't afford to be caught NAPping." There was a brief pause. "Sorry," he said. "Bad joke. Anyways, we can't afford any mistakes here. Millions of people want to get into the Network, and it's our job to keep them out. I'm a lot nicer than the guards are, believe me. "Now, I'm sure you're all eager to get in there and start exploring, so I'll keep this briefing, well, brief. Basically, you eight were chosen for the Expedition because you make up what is believed to be the best team that we could get. Each of you was chosen for a different reason, wether it be an obsessive attention to detail, a certain butt-headedness, a penchant for remaining unseen, etc. Your job is to enter the Network as the first true exploration team. Others have entered before you, of course, but their job was primarily mapping, and there's still a lot of unmapped territory down there, and we'll be providing electronic maps that will automatically update themselves if you enter any unmapped territory. "Mapping, however, isn't your primary objective. Your job is to get what information you can about what's down there, mainly information about the new Pokemon. Durring the security examination, your Pokedexes were upgraded. They may now be used to record information on any new Pokemon you find down there. Also, you are to do your best to find out why the Network is there and how it's remained undiscovered untill now. The latter is especially important, as the Network doesn't show up on any kind of scanning equipment. "In addition to the maps, you'll be provided with small recording devices. You must wear them at all times, for they are going to record anything and everything you find down there. You will also be given food and water, and we will provide packs for those of you without packs of your own. There are a few 'stopspots' down there where the initial teams left stashes of food and water. They are marked on the maps, and can be used if you need them. Oh, you'll also be given communicators. They can be used to contact each other, or to us up here if the need arises. Now, it's about time you got underway. Please follow me." Dalos led the Expedition to a large room with an elevator in the middle. The elevator didn't look much like a normal elevator, yet was clearly an elevator. The Expedition members were equipped, and then they were instructed to enter the elevator. "You must be decontaminated before you can be sent down," Dalos told them. "Decontamination will take a few minutes, after which the elevator will automatically begin to decend. Good luck." The elevator door closed, and the decontamination process begun. There were many different lights, but nothing more than a tingling sensation was felt by anyone. It was Rorohiko who eventually broke the silence. "I'm curious about why you all decided to accept the invitation to be a member of this Expedition," he said. "Why don't we share why we're all here while we wait. Who wants to go first?"