Merchandising, merchandising

[outtahere]

Log Deputy: Void
Participating Characters: Banzu, Isabela, Yuuna, Kyoko
Plot Description: Exploring the Archipelago for scientific knowledge but mainly things that Banzu can make money off of.
Warnings/Notes: No warnings yet, will add if there are.

The rumble of Pathfinder's engines shifted as Banzu cut the throttle and reduced speed, calling to the person on lookout duty to watch for underwater rocks now that they were close to the Archipelago. They had made much better time than the first group to come this way, but interactions with the local Pokémon were a mixed bag; some fled in terror at the strange noisy object barreling along, some took it upon themselves to rid the seas of this monstrosity, and some just watched them go by in curiosity or confusion. Fortunately their speed left most pursuers exhausted in their wake before long, but they were certainly annoying to deal with in the time that they shared together, and Banzu was less than delighted about the new gouge in the railing. Still, they had made it, and Pathfinder carried enough supplies that they wouldn't need to return for a while if they didn't want to, along with a small amount of cargo tied down in the center of the forward deck.

"Okay," Banzu called out from the wheelhouse once they'd made it closer, "I'm gonna keep the islands on our right as we circle 'em. Holler if anything catches your eye, but keep watching for rocks and hostiles."

[For more info on the ship see here.]

Comments

[crimsonspearit]

Kyoko just sort of shrugs a bit. Let them figure out how to handle this. However the question gets her attention.

"Yeah. It shouldn't be too tough."

[bravenewmods]

The men are definitely starting to get restive. You can see them clutching spears and harpoon guns purposefully. They don't like the muttering.

"I don't want to ask again, hands up, surrender."

[outtahere]

Banzu hits buttons on his Warp Band in rapid succession: short-range recall on Multi and Driver, warp in Erg and Facet. Now a Smeargle, a Rotom, a Golurk, and a Carbink have appeared out of nowhere, the Smeargle handing a black shotgun to Banzu and the Carbink in front to throw shields up if needed.

"I'm gonna hafta say 'no'."

No orders to attack yet; he's hoping that the sudden appearance of additional Pokémon will scare them into backing down.

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna does the same. A Golurk appears alongside Banzu's, as does a Hawlucha, a Hitmonchan. An Avalugg splashes down into the water near the ship, craggy face set in determination and the air is split with a prehistoric screech as an Aerodactyl appears on top of it like some sort of weird, living aircraft carrier.

The Ranger's sword comes out next and she holds it like a fencer might, ready.

[crimsonspearit]

Kyoko doesn't bother with calling any of her other Pokémon. The two who might be useful in this situation are already here.

However, she goes from standing and looking bored, to spinning her spear around in an instant, which seems to be cloaked in flames. Her Treecko strikes a pose, and her Talonflame screeches as loud as he can.

[bravenewmods]

The other riders look at the leader with a bit of trepidation - they aren't exactly looking to get in a fight. He definitely doesn't seem to want to either, he appears grim but he nods. All five Wailord use Whirlpool simultaneously, causing the ship to start bobbing violently.

[outtahere]

Banzu sighs and holds onto the rail with one hand while slinging the shotgun over his shoulder with the other. Looks like there's no getting out of this without a fight.

"Go for different targets. Driver, Electro Ball. Erg, Curse. Facet, Moonblast."

The three Pokémon comply, each of them choosing a different Wailord, joined by Spur-Mesh using Thunder Shock on a fourth Wailord. Multi, not knowing any damage-dealing moves, is left to cling to the rail as the ship bobs.

[crimsonspearit]

While a fight put a damper on their little excursion, Kyoko was kind of glad for the excitement.

"Keep your eyes off me unless you wanna get dizzy."

Rather than launch herself off the boat at one of the Wailord, she uses the ship's bobbing to aid in an attack, spinning round and round with her segmented spear whirling around her. Pretty much the equivalent of a Teeter Dance.

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna doesn't do anything fancy, she just snaps orders.

"Zedd, Denki, drop them. Hyozan, give the riders something to think about."

The Electric types comply, and Electroballs fly out like cannonfire. The Avalugg then calls up a Blizzard, causing ice and snow to crash down on top of the Wailords. The woman herself points her sword at the lead rider and stabs it forward like a needle, projecting a bolt of lightning from the enhanced weapon, aiming for his hands.

[victimlessdetails]

"Now the fun part begins!" Isabela says. She might as well enjoy herself, after all.

Down at the waterline, her Tynamo - if she's following orders, will begin quietly paralyzing each Wailord in sequence using Thunder Wave. For her part, she takes up a defensive position - by which of course she means strutting arrogantly on the bobbing deck and daring the enemy to board and face her knives and Doublade's edges.

"Come and get me, mercenaries!"

[bravenewmods]

There's a flash of light as the attacks launch, and five Rhydon appear on the top of the Wailords. Raising their horns, they absorb the electric onslaught, protecting the Wailords from the attacks. The rest of the attacks go through, causing one to stagger from the damage and another to get visibly confused.

The riders then respond by grasping and twirling weighted balls which they hurl at the ship. As they strike the deck, a ceramic urn carried with them shatters and splashes a black liquid onto the ship deck that immediately catches fire. There are now 5 small but growing fires on the ship, and they are burning even if they are touching non-wood components.

[outtahere]

"Fuck!"

There are now five fires on his ship. This needs to be dealt with immediately, but he has no water moves or ways to move water at hand so there will be a delay unless one of the others can deal with that issue.

"Get some Water-types out here! Multi, get the core from my pack! Facet, grab whatever's making Spur-Mesh's target Electric-proof! Driver, Hex! Erg, Night Shade!"

Multi teleports down into the cabin and digs in Banzu's pack for the Wash Core. Facet uses Skill Swap on one of the Rhydon; Facet will be borrowing that Lightning Rod of yours. Have this Clear Body instead. Immediately after that exchange happens, Spur-Mesh uses Thunder Shock on the Clear Body!Rhydon's Wailord. Driver uses Hex on the confused Wailord and Erg uses Night Shade on another.

While the Pokémon act, Banzu hooks his leg around the railing and raises his shotgun, turning off the safety as he aims at one of the Rhydon. In these conditions and at this range he might not be able to score a solid hit, but a spread of Steel-typed buckshot will hopefully accomplish something here.

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna doesn't miss a beat, quickly switching tactics to deal with the new threat. The fire isn't something she can do a lot about, having brought no water types this time...but Rhydons? Her team can deal with Rhydons.

"Zedd, Tactic Beta. Hyozan, keep it up! Hoyo, make some noise! And Kuroshi, do...cover us from more of those firepots!"

The Magnezone complies to the command, it's robotic brain registering the order, magnets spinning. It targets the leader and his Rhydon, eye glowing, and then fires off a cutting beam of Steel-typed energy in the form of a Flash Cannon. That should definitely give them some encouragement to back off. And if it doesn't? Avalugg keeps up it's Blizzard, raining shards of ice and cold down on the Wailord's guardian Rhydons and riders.

Hoyo the Aerodactyl does what she's ordered, opening her mouth and shrieking a Supersonic at a Wailord that isn't confused. And the big Golurk? Just sort of lifts off, hovering up into the air and preparing to bodyblock with it's automaton body.

[victimlessdetails]

Some day, Isabela's going to have to start giving fancy names to tactics. As it is, she's just going to call out Ludicolo.

"Okay, I want water on those Rhydons and water on those oil slicks, and make sure you wash the fire toward the edge of the ship - that stuff'll keep burning even if you douse it, so throw it back in their faces!"

Ludicolo complies and, for the sake of sympathy toward Banzu, focuses on trying to wash the fire off the deck instead of going for the lightning rods. Isabela lets Doublade hover off to start attacking a Rhydon with Metal Head instead, while Tynamo lurks and prepares to continue the original plan of electrocuting everything once a Rhyhorn faints.

[crimsonspearit]

Having no water types, and being fire type herself, Kyoko is in a gray area. The fire doesn't bother her, but it will affect the ship and her Treecko. At least until someone else takes care of the issue.

Which leaves her free to attack. Kyoko leaps onto the confused Wailord, a blur of fire and steel as she whirls her segmented spear around, aiming to sweep the rider off their feet. Her Treecko uses Absorb on the Rhydon occupying it, while her Talonflame uses Agility in the sky above, ready to assist Kyoko if needed.

[bravenewmods]

The teams ferocious tactics work. Several of the Rhydon and Wailord start roaring in pain as the riders quickly order them back. While still circling, they aren't returning any attacks - for the moment.

The fire, on the other hand, is another issue. While the tactics are helping keep it down, the blaze is strong and quickly threatening to become a major problem.

[rainsrespite]

"Keep it up," Yuuna orders her Pokemon. So the Blizzards and Flash Cannons and Supersonics continue while she turns her attention towards the fire.

"Kuroshi, I'm sorry. But we've got to get this put out. Do you think you can help? I swear, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you, and I'll understand if you say no."

The Golurk looks back, hovering back over. Understanding, it moves over and draws on it inner power and presses massive hands against the blaze, attempting to smother it by leaking mud out of it's body, pouring on the Mud Slaps despite the hurt.

At the same time, it tries to draw in the heat with it's mysterious ghostly energy, pulling as much of it as it can into it's body and sending it out the back end, where it's rocket-like flying thrust comes from. Maybe that'll help too?

[outtahere]

Multi teleports back on deck with the Wash Core and leaps at Driver with it in his hands, shoving it into the Rotom's body. Driver flails as well as it can without actual limbs because it was not expecting that. The energy surrounding its body shifts as it changes into Wash Rotom. Multi points emphatically at the fire and Driver starts using Hydro Pump to try and hose the oil off of the deck.

Banzu and his other Pokémon continue to attack as before. In the meantime, Multi starts using Heal Pulse, alternating between Banzu's Golurk, who lost half its health using Curse, and Yuuna's Golurk, who appears to currently be losing health from the fire.

[victimlessdetails]

Isabela, never too proud to do the real work on a ship, grabs a bucket and assists the Water-types in continuing to wash away the fire.

Tynamo, meanwhile, takes a deep breath and dives under one of the Wailords and starts Sparking. Any Rhyhorns that are still conscious shouldn't be able to Lightning Rod an attack coming from below - or at least the special brand of strategy logic she's picked up from her captain would say so.

[crimsonspearit]

Finally, Kyoko's Talonflame makes a move, dive bombing a rider with an Acrobatics attack, while her Treecko continues its Absorb support from the ship.

Kyoko teleports from the Wailord she's on to the next, employing the same tactic, whirling her spear around in an attempt to confuse the riders and use any opening she spots to knock them off their feet and into the water.

[bravenewmods]

The fires are starting to come under control, but they are still a major danger to the ship.

The Wailord riders are starting to draw back, but unfortunately for Kyoko they've identified her as the biggest threat. Two bolas come flying at her from both directions tied to heavy nets, as the Wailords beat a defensive retreat the riders intend to take at least one prize from this engagement.Two of the retreating Wailords launch enormous tidal waves at the ship to cover the retreat and keep Kyoko cut off from the others.

[outtahere]

Well this just keeps getting better and better, eh? On one hand, the tidal waves should help put out the fires. On the other hand, they're tidal waves.

"Facet, defenses! Multi, fuel! Erg, get flying and try to point us into the waves!"

Facet throws up Protect and Light Screen to try and blunt the force of the waves on the ship and the others on deck while Multi teleports away and Banzu makes a run for the wheelhouse. Charging inside, his fingers run over the controls, re-straightening the parts that he'd bent earlier and looking at the gauges. The whole time that Multi had been on deck, the engine wasn't being fed more fuel and the boiler pressure had dropped as it wasn't being heated anymore. Even though Multi was already throwing fuel into the firebox, it would take time to get back up to full steam, time that they didn't have. Erg has taken flight by now and is trying to physically push the bow to point in the direction of the oncoming waves, and Banzu rams the throttle control fully open and cranks the wheel to get the ship pointing in the right direction. It's painfully sluggish, the engines trying to operate without access to full power.

Meanwhile, Driver continues to hose down the deck and Spur-Mesh tries to simultaneously wedge itself against something and fire a Mirror Shot at one of the nets coming for Kyoko.

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna's lips press into a thin line as the waves move in to cover the enemy's escape, but she's hardly out of options or ideas. Waves will suck, but she trusts Banzu's helmsmanship enough that she's not going to panic. Worse comes to worse, they have to bail out and take Hyozan home. That'd be unfortunate and unacceptable, but better than panicking and dying. And besides that? She couldn't steer it, so why get in the way?

What she could do was take steps towards helping Kyoko out.

"Zedd, Ichijou, Hoyo, get our girl back or give her a way out. Cut the nets and take down anything that tries to stop you."

And with that order, Yuuna's pretty sure she's unchained some sort of demon, with how loud the Hawlucha shrieks. She takes off, easily overtaking the slower Aerodactyl and Magnezone and descending on the nets. The Rhydon nearest Kyoko is aimed at with a High Jump Kick as the bird-wrestler flies by.

Any counterattacks though, will come up against Hoyo the Aerodactyl as Hawlucha calls for a tag-out on this match with an Ally Switch. The prehistoric flyer's claws then reach out to grab for Kyoko, or any nets binding her, so it can carry her off. Hopefully the sudden swap will be confusing enough that they can get away.

[crimsonspearit]

On the bright side, these guys have their priorities straight. On the downside, they're moving further and further away from the boat, making it difficult to pinpoint a good spot to teleport.

After seeing the Hawlucha pretty much dropkick a Rhydon, she was not suddenly expecting an Aerodactyl's claws up in her face. "Whoa there. Watch the claws. Rieger, back to the ship!" That said, she's grateful for the help, and her Talonflame companion's already speeding back to the boat. While the Aerodactyl's right there, she's going to teleport up onto its back. Hopefully it doesn't mind. "Alright, I'm free. Don't eat me."

[victimlessdetails]

While her Tynamo retreats back to the ship, Isabela orders Ludicolo to start taking potshots at the Wailord riders with Hydro Pump, less to injure them or slow them down and more to give them something to think about besides kidnapping people. She moves over to the side to make herself visible and continue the strategy of distraction, keeping the bad guys' attention off of Kyoko and the Pokémon that are trying to get the ship back on course.

"What am I, chopped liver?" she taunts, "or do you just like your girls way younger?"

Then she prepares to duck any more of those bolas and brace herself for the tidal waves.