Avalanche Office
There was a whirlwind of activity going around the building. Between Arianna's return, the discovered death of Evan Domico, and preparations for the upcoming Sadie Pokén's Day week long celebration, there was a lot to get done. Marco was also neck deep in damage control. Even though the girls were relieved that he was alive they were also thoroughly pissed about being left out of the loop.
When Arianna returned she didn't come back empty handed, Evan's Team Rocket pokédex was with her. Dark times were on the horizon for the organization, or they would be as soon as they figured out how to get past the lock on it. It took a full day for the inspectors to fully debrief the War Hound and by the time they were done more issues were coming up. They were in a hurry to bring her up on several charges ranging from being AWOL to Breaking and Entering. Of course these were all presented to Marco and as her Commanding Officer he was happy to tell them to get lost.
It was hard for Arianna to come to terms with certain things that had changed since she was gone. Finding out that Leona had died hit her hard. She knew if she had been there things would have been different. Everyone had changed one way or another but they all welcomed her back. If there was one thing she missed aside from the unit it was having a real training schedule. Zianna was more than happy to help her get back in shape but there were other things they needed to discuss.
The morning found them all sitting around the breakfast table discussing the upcoming week. As tradition held the unit would travel to Dogpatch village to assist in the festivities. Even though Sadie Pokén's was just a day the festival ran throughout the week. The SEELE organization's more radical supporters had staged protest of the event in the past so extra security was needed. Because of their connection to SEELE the Hunter's Guild was a bad choice and there just weren't enough police for the massive amount of people. With Marco's pro-pokégirl rights stance Avalanche got the job every year.
"Ok ladies, it should be the same as past years. We all have our specified areas but feel free to enjoy yourselves while you're there. Locator watches are MANDATORY." He said in an elevated tone before looking at Arianna.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I screwed up and made everyone worry about me."
"It's ok, I'm just glad to have you back and I don't want anyone else to go missing on me." He explained in a calming voice. "And on that particular note there's something I need to bring up with my ladies from the harem." He sucked in a tense breath and made eye contact with each girl. "Since I am registered as an active traveling tamer and this is Sadie Pokén's you would normally be well within your rights to leave me. Unfortunately you all have had access to and are aware of extremely classified information..."
"So if for some reason one of us took leave of our senses and decided that we were better off in a different harem, fat chance, we would need to be conditioned first." Jean interrupted, though summing up what he was going to say. "Pretty sure no one here is planning on leaving anytime soon."
"No matter how much those tamers out there beg. Besides I think you're going to be in more trouble than us on the Pokén's front." Ashley laughed. "The well-known, kindhearted, tamer Marco Readman from PSN. If they watched the show then they'll be coming out the wood work to get their hands on you."
Marco groaned then took another sip of his juice. "That's not even remotely funny. I've managed to get lucky so far and not have to place anyone in storage. If I get more to the harem that means occasionally one or more of you would be going there."
"Yes, we know how you like to be fair to everyone... Which brings up our next issue." Kelly announced. All eyes turned towards Marco in anticipation.
"Somehow I don't think I'm going to like this."
"We've been talking and trying to figure out what to do about you. While we understand your reasons for leaving us in the dark during that plan it doesn't change how it felt to see you die..." Kelly's eyes closed as she let out a trembling breath. "It hurt, it hurt a lot, and it hurt everyone the same way. You knew it would... you didn't like how it made us feel, but you were counting on it. It had to happen to make your plan work. All the same, we've been talking and..."
"I'm going to stop you right there." He sat back and let out a deep sigh. "This is the only time, I hope, this is going to happen so I want you all to listen up and listen good." All eyes were focused on him again as he paused. "I know what I did was horrible and simply saying I'm sorry wouldn't do enough to make up for the way I made you feel. So you all get one thing, whatever you want, if it's in my power and reasonable I'm going to make it happen."
All the mouths around the table dropped at once. He didn't even put a real condition on what they could ask of him and everyone was thinking the same thing. Lily was the first to speak up. "Does that include taming?"
"Yes, yes it does, none of you deserved to sit through that. If my taming you is what it takes to make things up to you then that's what I'm going to do. Do bear in mind that this won't be happening until the week is over and unless there is some good reasoning behind it I'll only tame one of you at a time. Is this agreeable?"
Not a sound was heard as the unit tried to collect their thoughts on the subject. Chris burst out laughing when all they could do was nod. "Damn it. Makes me wish I was there."
"You and I can work out our own arrangement, though you will need to content with an angry gym leader too. Kasumi was just as mad as you guys." He shuddered slightly from the looks both Chris and Kelly shot him. 'Maybe I should stop bringing her up."
~~~~~
After breakfast the group separated to start getting things prepared to leave for Dogpatch. They were going to be there in official capacity so certain things were necessary. Orange armbands or sashes were used to indicate official status and that they were off the market. As well as helping to monitor the crowds certain members of the unit and harem would be assisting the locals in different areas.
Alexis, Carrie, and Jean would be helping to screen tamers as they entered the area and assign them numbers. Kelly was always sought after by children and pokékits who enjoyed running through her maze and Chesra helped to keep things orderly. Henrietta, Marco, and the others organized with the security teams to keep an eye on anyone that was tagged by the screeners while Mina roved the area as just a regular pokégirl.
As they went over the equipment in the vault Marco spotted Evan's pokédex. They still hadn't been able to get past the access code and would have to pass it off to a specialized tech division if they couldn't get it open. "It's almost hard to believe that bastard is finally dead."
"I know, even with what Ari did I still say it was too good for him." Said Kelly as she picked up the piece of equipment. "Now if only we could get this working, we'd have access to all of his files and maybe even learn the location of their bases."
Henrietta pulled out the pack containing the comm. units and set it down. "Fat chance with that. They were good enough to slip their members into government positions. I would bet that they keep everything compartmentalized just in case something like this ever happened."
"... I wonder..." Carrie wouldn't need her sword during the festival and was going to place it in storage when an idea hit her. As she grabbed the handle and unsheathed it her eyes rolled through a series of colors before settling into a dark orange. "Your former master Evan Domico is dead. Do you know the access code to his pokédex?"
The voice of Ronda emerged from Carrie in a cold monotone. "So that bastard is dead, about time. As for the code, what makes you think I know the code?"
"Because you were his Alpha, he had your trust, I'm sure you've seen it entered at least once."
"Even if I have why should I tell you? You locked me in this accursed blade with a self-righteous Seraph and a fucking axe crazy Mazouku."
"And you tried to harm my Master so what I did doesn't even begin to make things even as far as I'm concerned. Also," She gripped the sword tightly as her psychic energy seeped into the blade and made it vibrate. Orange energy pulsed then exploded in small burst causing ghost ether to waft away before being sucked back in. "You obey me. I'm holding you out of spite and can release or damage you as I see fit. You have a week to think on that."
Though Carrie appeared fine Ronda's voice came out weak and pained. "Ye... Yes Mistress."
Carrie moved to sheath her sword again but stopped just as the tip of the blade. "Let that be a lesson to the rest of you as well." She sheathed the blade then placed it in its designated slot. When she looked back at the others they were all starring at her in different states of awe. "What?"
Marco laughed lightly and ran his fingers through her hair. "Nothing, just thinking you would make a solid Alpha."
Henrietta nudged lightly him in the side with a bit of a scowl. "Not trying to replace me are you?"
"Of course not, you and Ches are doing a fine job and everyone gets along well as it is. All the same, if either or both of you wanted to go back to being full-time Betas I would let Carrie and Jean take the positions. Being a leader just isn't Ashley's forte and Bernadette is still adjusting."
"Just making sure." Rebecca flew in from the hallway and almost rammed into her Beta during her rush. "Something wrong Becca?"
"Ma'ams, Sir, Ranger Wade from SLOI is here and would like to see you all. But he mentioned the Colonel and Sargent Arianna specifically."
The two groups quickly gathered in the Ops Con room. Despite the introductions and explanations there was still some slight tension between Delilah and Arianna. Along with the Dark Queen were Claire and Minerva. Philip had sent Cindy back to the hospital after her antics in the Indigo Plateau and was still catching flack for the missing hover bike.
Marco sat with Arianna on his right side and Kelly on his left, two large folders sitting on the table between them. "Ranger Wade, what brings you to our neck of the league?"
Phillip grabbed a folder then sat back in the chair. "We heard that during one of your operations you struck back against Evan Domico of Team Rocket. Unfortunately for us our reports have been redacted, can you read us in on what happened?"
Arianna tapped a claw on the table. "I'll give you the punch line, that bastard is dead."
"Ari," Marco hushed her. "What details do you need exactly?"
Delilah scratched her head and looked at the report. "I think we get two words per sentence. Any sort of detail would be much appreciated."
"That seems fair." Marco reached over and picked up the teams folder on the incidents. "Around two months ago I went to Lavenderriere to compete for a gym badge. After the battle was over we were attacked by Evan Domico and Angelica Oran, both Breakers in Team Rocket. By chance I met Angelica earlier that day but she was going by a different name. Either way, we fought and killed the majority of his harem but he managed to escape before we could capture him..."
Minerva shuddered when she thought back to the stories she had heard from Tessa. "You managed to out fight two Breakers?"
"Slightly more amazing is that one of them was Angelica. Evan Domico was known for being a sadist of the highest level and Charles Campbell has taken an astounding number of pokégirls but if there was a brain between the three of them 90% of it belongs to Angelica." Claire informed them for the unit's benefit. "We've contemplated sending people after her before but to be honest she could never be connected to any crimes. It's always been a case of guilt by association."
Henrietta furrowed her brow as she thought about what the Megami-Sama said. "Then how can you be certain that she ever broke any laws?"
"Intelligence reports have someone matching her description at several sites where important personnel was taken out or facilities were sabotaged. The precision used doesn't fit the regular MO used by Evan Domico or Charles Campbell."
"Were the personnel taken out by sniper fire?" Asked Marco.
"The vast majority, yes, why do you ask?"
He let out a soft sigh and nodded. "It was her. To continue where I left off; a few days ago I put some plans into motion draw them out. My plan work but Domico managed to escape again. The damage had been done though and Arianna took advantage of his harem being distracted, she finished the job then returned home."
"Can you go into more detail concerning your plan?" Phillip asked and looked at his report again. "It doesn't have any detail on it at all."
"That's understandable, I didn't give them any. I broke quite a few rules, had to call in some major favors, and quite honestly I'm going to be dealing with the fallout for a while."
"I understand, why did you ask about snipers though?"
"Part of my plan involved using a third party not connected to Avalanche to shoot Evan. She hit him but reported that someone else had shot him first and knocked him out of her kill shot. From what we found out about Tri Fotia there's been bad blood between two of the members for a number of years. The shot was a concentrated plasma beam fired from the top of Silph Co. Tower, most likely fired by a Gun Valkyrie. Angelica has one in her harem so smart money says she had him shot."
Delilah tossed her folder back on the table and crossed her arms. "How did you get that kind of information?"
"There were a couple a captures among the casualties from our first encounter with Evan. A Guard Maid gave us this information." He pulled a small stack of papers from the folder and slid them across the table. "That's all the relevant material she gave us, you're welcome to it."
"Among other things we've also acquired Evan Domico's Team Rocket pokédex. It's locked but if all goes well we should have it opened by the end of the week."
"So Evan Domico really is dead. Now that's some news that's worth sharing. Several intelligence bureaus across the leagues are going to be overjoyed to hear about this." Clair grinned. "What are your plans now, I mean of course Team Rocket is going to continue coming after you. They won't take killing one of their members lying down. What are you planning to do about it?"
"Right now nothing, they only attack me when I'm doing gym battles and most gyms will be closed for Sadie Pokén's so I'll have time to come up with a suitable plan." Marco explained while organizing the papers. "This week though we'll be spending most of our time in Dogpatch enjoying the festival and working security."
"Oh, we may see you there. I never miss the festival in Dogpatch."
While they were talking Phillip was entering data on his laptop. His superiors wanted to be informed the second he made contact with Marco. There was also a formality that Nilly Meyers wanted taken care of considering his current goals. A matter of keystrokes was all it took to get the data sent and a few second later Marco's tamer pokédex chimed. "There, all taken care of."
Marco flipped out his pokédex and saw that the badge section was highlighted. He didn't check it often considering he had physical copies of the badges and could count. Once the program opened the six Indigo League gym badges he had were shown. The program did an update while he was looking at it and a new section appeared this one with the Shadow League logo. The two badges to appear were marked by the Shadow League Ranger who gave them to him; one came from Ranger Nilly Meyers and the other from Ranger Philip Wade.
"Shadow League badges? What did I do to deserve these?"
Delilah decided to speak while Philip was busy with the other reports. "Shadow League Rangers are allowed to reward gym badges to tamers for exemplary performance while in the field. I think we all could agree that helping to shut down two Team Rocket operations counts just as much as bringing an end to Evan Domico's particular type of evil. You just got promoted recently... well; mid-last year so there's no point in us putting in a good word for you. All the same we'd like to say thank you somehow Colonel."
"That seems fair enough. It would also give me the necessary eight to join the Indigo League Championship." Laughed Marco to everyone else's amusement. "Don't mind me, but I've always wanted to battle in the championship."
Philip finished sending the second set of reports and stood up to collect his papers as well. "We need to get going, they'll want me to brief them in person." He spoke with a hint of irritation. "I swear I don't know why I even bother to send reports when I end up having to go there anyway. I'd invite you to come along but I've seen how you handle meetings, not very pretty."
_____
Edo League, Oran Residence
Even though Angelica's plan went off without a hitch there was a new problem that had arisen. She was hoping that there would be a day or two before it was discovered that Evan had died. Unfortunately for her Sandra's first stop was to the closest Team Rocket base she could find to inform whoever she could about what happened. Obviously there was some red tape and skepticism for her to run through, by the time she got their attention and to the location it was obvious that Evan had been murdered.
Now Angelica was stuck on a very unpleasant video call with her boss and Campbell. She had been expecting to be informed of Evan's death but the other news wasn't setting well with her at all. "I'm sorry sir, I would like to decline if at all possible." She spoke slightly shuddering.
The shrouded figure drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair and spoke in a low but clear voice. "It's not up for debate or discussion; you are the new leader of the Breakers. Your first mission is the elimination of Marco Readman and the capture of Avalanche. I'm giving you complete operational control and access to whatever resources you need to get the job done. So, I expect you to get to job done."
The young and obscenely attractive man on the other screen also appeared to be aggravated by the turn of events. Despite his age Charles 'Chuck' Campbell was a Breaker, and like the others was blessed with both an unusually fortunate and high number of blood gifts. His fetish for Maidens sprung from his gifts as well as his Charmer version of Mindbending. Add to that Monster Out, Strength, Recovery, and Endurance and there was potential for the young man to do serious damage. He was also the only Breaker to have a blood curse in the form of mild Oblivious Denial leading him to make bad decisions for bad reasons.
"Oh come on Mr. G, I'm far more qualified to lead The Breakers. I've brought in hundreds more pokégirls than Angie and she's been doing this longer than I have. Not to mention she had disappeared for an entire year a while back and spends most of her time out of the league."
"That's right! She been doing this longer than you have and her success record speaks for her, also I can trust her not to just fuck up for no apparent reason! My decision is final and I don't want to hear anymore arguments from either of you." The shrouded man yelled into the screen.
Angelica rubbed her temples in frustration and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted nothing more to do with Marco or Avalanche and now she was going to be constantly monitored for progress. "It's going to take some time sir. Colonel Readman isn't an idiot... as a matter of fact his file says he's a tactical genius and if he took out Evan then it has to be partially true at the very least."
"Don't you think I know that Angelica. That being said, Evan was a lot of things but a thinker wasn't one of them. You're kept around because you can plan ahead and you get shit done, so get it done!" He yelled one last time then disconnected from the call.
Charles glanced down at the French Maid outfit wearing Shrine Maiden and nodded for her to continue with her pedicure. "Well I guess that's that, what would you have me do... Leader?"
"You can start by fixing the tone kid. I don't like this anymore than you do but we're stuck together until he finds someone to replace Evan. Give me some time to think this out and I'll get back to you if I need you. DO NOT ACT ON YOUR OWN! Is that understood?!"
"So you're just going to put me on the back burner? Screw that, I'll take care of Readman before you're done with whatever plans you come up with. Campbell out."
He disconnected from the call and Angelica went back to massaging her temples. "Obstinate little snot." She gripped before getting up to leave her office.
Chio was busy in the kitchen preparing lunch and noticed the waves of aggravation Angelica was giving off. Their food was almost done but she needed to finish cutting the crust off the sandwiches for the youngest member of the family. Phoebe and Croma put their data tablets aside and looked to see the exhaustion on their mistress's face. The tired expression seemed to fade away completely when Angelica looked into the large blue eyes of her son starring back at her.
The end result of Evan's assault left her carrying his child. Though she had no idea what kind of upbringing Evan had she was going to make sure her son turned out nothing like him. This started by making sure Team Rocket didn't know she had him in the first place. She had caught a lot of heat for vanishing and many assumed she left the organization entirely following the rape and scarring by Evan.
Team Rocket's grasp didn't spread as far as the Edo League and it seemed just as safe a place as any to raise little Matthew. She'd spent a fortune making sure her business calls couldn't be tracked and always met her colleagues in neutral areas well away from her home and even then she left her sensei to look after him.
"How was the call Mistress?" Asked Croma.
"Dismal, though that was to be expected. Tri Fotia's been disbanded and I'm the leader of the Breakers for now. I'll probably remain so even when they get more team members." Angelica explained while pouring a small cup of milk and setting it before the toddler.
Phoebe stood to get herself a drink and grabbed the small plate of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches before cutting them into triangles and setting in front of the child. "There you go." She cooed lightly before ruffling his hair and taking her seat again. "What's the job now?"
"It's the same as before but now we've been given a blank check to make sure the job gets done."
"Mommy, what's a bwank check?" Matthew asked with a mouth of chewed food.
"What did I say about talking with your mouth full?" She asked in a light but stern tone and nodded in approval when he swallowed. "It means that mommy's boss said she could do whatever she needs to do for her to do her job right."
"Is that ok Mistress? I thought you didn't want to go after Mr. Readman anymore." Asked Sevon.
"I don't have a choice in the matter, I can't openly refuse. I can however, make sure that the process takes a while. Mr. G didn't give me a deadline and given the kinds of problems everyone else's had in regards to Readman or Avalanche he should understand my hesitation."
Croma went back to reading from her pad. "And if we weren't dragging our feet on this?"
"I saw what happened to Evan... what was going to happen to Evan. Avalanche still isn't to be taken lightly. We won't be caught off guard but I doubt we'll ever get an open chance to deal with Marco without making it obvious. Besides, thanks to Sevon here he knows just how hunted he is." Angelica noticed the grumbling Phoebe was doing and looked to her. "It's true, I know she didn't really have a choice in the matter but that doesn't change the fact that she gave him a lot of unnecessary information."
"I'm sorry." The Guard Maid softly spoke with a lowered head. "They just made it so easy to talk to them. They treated me better than I had been treated in years and it made me want to help them."
"I understand, really I do. The point remains that we need to figure out what to do about him. It's gotten to the point that Mr. G is going to be sending more people after him in addition to telling me to handle it."
Chio finished cooking and set a plate in front of Angelica. "I guess we should be thankful that government contact got sent to prison."
_____
Maximum Security League Corrections Facility, 'Big Jenny
Alarms blared and guards scurried in an attempt to gain control of the mayhem. Fire poured from the central guard tower as more explosions were heard around the facility. Thankfully all the inmates were already in their cell but the blaze was spreading quickly and the blood gift cellblocks were in danger of going up next.
Warden Barnett was just arriving on the scene when the top of the central tower exploded in a spray of debris. "What in the hell is going on here?"
His Lawfoxx grabbed the clipboard from one of the head guards. "Multiple fires across the prison. The Blaze and Aqua Riders have managed to keep them contained for the most part but explosions across the Blood Wings are hampering progress."
Several more explosions shook the foundation as screams came from inside the walls. The OfficerJenny took her clipboard back. "We need to evacuate that wing or the prisoners are gonna die."
"Where are we going to take them Captain, we have no idea if or when the central tower is going to go or if there are more explosions on the way."
Barnett looked out at the fenced in bridge that lead to the prison. They had trained for this scenario in the past but never thought it would be necessary. "Alert the on-call shit and get them here ASAP. We'll release the prisoners and corral them on the bridge. Call the SRTs as well for back up. What areas haven't been affected?"
"The female wings and the kitchen storage, whoever did this couldn't get access to them from the looks of things."
"Okay, I want a full head count of every one from the wings that were hit. If they aren't here then have their cells checked, there had better be a corpus for anyone who doesn't evacuate. Go!"
Back inside the prison panic was on the rise. Inmates were screaming for help as the fires started getting closer to the cells. Jennies and Janes ran down the cell blocks to get to the switch rooms on each floor. The generators were still running but there needed to be a person at each switch box to trigger an all cell release. Once in place the guards synchronized the key turns and all the cells slid open.
The guards were giving directions as best as they could to get everyone out safely. The prisoners on the other hand saw this as the opportunity of a life time. The panic of the situation was almost as good as a riot and riots were the perfect times to take care of anyone they didn't like. As the fights broke out the Janes were the first one to respond with force while the Jennies made sure the orderly prisoners made it to safety.
Haures's cell was on the third floor near the center. Andzral that met with him earlier to explain the plan and it actually showed a bit of promise, despite how much he was going to hate part of it. He was already undressed and waiting when a body came flying past the bars and into the wall. A small smile crept across his face when he recognized the inmate as the one who had been giving him problems since he entered. It was just bad luck that they happened to be of similar height and weight.
Andzral came in seconds later using the form of a Calamityjane. "Quick put his coveralls on, we don't have much time."
Haures began stripping the man of his uniform while she kept watch and ushered others past the cell. After getting dressed he put his uniform on the dead inmate and propped him up against the wall. "He's dressed, what now?"
"Take a deep breath and brace yourself Master."
For her plan to work he had to be injured pretty badly and his face unrecognizable. Her fingernails were enough to leave several nasty gashes across his face, some cuts over his eyes left him a bloody mess, and a not so health application with a toothbrush shank would guarantee medical attention. She was far less gentle with the corpus, while there was a chance the body would be burned beyond recognition she wouldn't risk it.
"Ok Master, I'll keep an eye on you but try and make it to medical solo. I'll see you later."
Haures let ragged groan and stood up. "I'll be waiting, stay safe out there."
Andzral left the cell and started on her way to the main control room. The teleport jammer was still running and would need to be deactivated before they could leave. It was pandemonium in the prison and bodies were being found in various states of dead. She heard a loud shriek and turned her head to see a group of the prisoners overrunning a rookie guard who had just started.
By all reasoning Andzral could of left her to her fate but decided to intervene. The lights suddenly dimmed and in the following seconds she had killed the inmates. Still shaken the Jenny crawled to her feet, her uniform tattered in areas. "You ok?" Andzral asked in concern.
"I'm... I'm fine, thank you." She wiped her eyes. "Des warned us about dropping our guard."
"Don't worry about that now, get somewhere safe." Impending rape averted Andzral was back on track to find the control room.
She was starting to think she may have overdone it with the bombs. The last of the explosions were finished but had done more damage than she intended. Finally she made it to the main control room. A pair of human guards were monitoring the situation as it unfolded and didn't pay her any attention until the room went dark. The scuffle was short and both guards were knocked unconscious. In lieu of trying to figure out the operating system running the security programs she decided to smash the whole thing and make a break for it.
The whole plan was coming together quite nicely but it was far from over. After taking a bite of a piece of arm she had stuffed into her pocket she morphed into the form of an Elf who had the bad luck of seeing her prep one of the explosions in the tower. Like Haures she had to have some injuries and found a closet she had prepared earlier to do what needed to be done. From the outside it sounded as if a violent fight was taking place in the tight space. A few minutes later she emerged from the closet a battered bloody mess wearing the Elf's uniform and began limping down the hallway. One of the passing guards spotted her and helped her along the way to the outside.
The Special Response Team (SRT) was already in place at the end of the bridge and making their way in. Dozens of gas mask wearing pokégirls closed off the end of the bridge to allow the prison guards to see to the prisoners. The Night Nurses had medical supplies prepped and waiting in tents for the expected injuries and casualties the event was sure to have caused.
Andzral was ushered into one of the tents and laid down on a stretcher. The Night Nurse was almost shocked that she was still breathing let alone being able to walk. "You look horrible, give me a second and I'll get something to put you under."
"It hurt, god it hurts." Andzral moaned, though in reality she was feeling fine. The Night Nurse pulled out a syringe and prepared an injection before cutting off the sleeve of the uniform. Andzral struck first, grabbing the nurse by the arm and twisting it behind her back. In a smooth motion she relived her of the syringe and jammed it into the nurse’s neck. "Take a break love, I'll be done shortly." The nurse's body went limp and she fell unconscious in time to miss Andzral taking a bite out of her arm then changing forms again.
The Night Nurse was gently placed on the stretcher then covered with a sheet after Andzral stole her clothes then left the tent to find her master. Guards were keeping the prisoners in line and had them arranged in order from life threatening to whiners as far as a Night Nurse would be concerned. She was pretty sure that the damage she had done was enough to get Haures moved to the front and sure enough there he was being held up by guards. The amount of blood he'd lost since they started was reaching critical levels, she would need to act fast to make sure he didn't drop dead on the spot.
"Hurry, get him inside." She ordered harshly. The pair of guards drug him in and laid him on the empty stretcher then left again. "How you feeling?"
"Like I got stabbed with a toothbrush."
"Well I stabbed you so that figures. Let's get you home."
"Andzral?"
"In someone else's flesh. Let's go." She grabbed his arm and attempted to teleport away but they didn't move. "It's not working, what the fuck?"
Haures strained himself to sit up and peeked through a slit in the tent. He could barely make out the SRT insignia on one of the uniforms and leaned back. "You knocked the teleport jammers offline right?" She nodded and he groaned slightly. "Then the SRT has their own set up, you either have to destroy it or we try to make it past them."
"We're going to do both. Hold on tight." She ordered and scooped him into her arms.
Things were finally under control and the fires we being put out. Suddenly the bridge began to rumble and everything went black. Andzral lowered her head and forced her way through the crowed knocking people to the side. They were near the end of the bridge when a dark-type from SRT saw them and opened fire. SRT was planning to deal with angry human prisoners, not pokégirls, and only brought rubber bullets.
Even though Andzral was taking hits they didn't do anything to slow her down. Her powers surged as she used Dark Matter to drop everyone to their knees then vaulted over the parameter. Near the sat the teleport jammer and she came down on it hard with a knee. The delicate electronics blew out the sides then exploded in a shower of sparks. She could sense the energy field dissipate and let out a haughty laugh before vanishing.
~~~~~
Umbra Village, One Island, 0240
Andzral teleported in and almost kicked the door clean off its hinges to get Haures inside. He was still bleeding out from his wounds and starting to turn cold. Jaleen let out a gasp and practically threw the small table out of the way so they would have somewhere to lay him down. The Thorne started her healing treatment just as the others entered the room.
Kaia did a quick U-turn and ran for the kitchen. "Vicky, get some clean towels from the laundry room! Tessa, retrieve the emergency medical supplies! Hurry!" She ordered and started turning on the stove to boil some water. Andzral slunk in behind her and let her head slam into the table as she sat down. "What the fuck Andy?! You said you'd only be gone for a few days, it's almost been a month!"
"Well fuck me for not being able to break master out of prison in a week! Do you have any idea how many people I had to kill just to perform this little miracle? Seven prisoners that I can confirm, two OfficerJennies, a Calamityjane, an Iron Chef, and an Elf who had the bad luck of being a good employee and working late! I've been working at the prison every day since I left and then blew half of it up! I did all of this solo, I'M FUCKING TIRED!" She yelled in a mixture of exhaustion and frustration.
"Why didn't you call us, we would have found a way to help."
"You know damn well there was nothing any of you could have done to help. Fuck, now I have to take Sarah home. Has she been behaving?"
"You cut off her arm for sandwiches; she's just been a peach. How did you manage to keep concealed for so long?"
"Someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do when they check the back of the walk in freezer."
A loud groan got their attention and both girls raced back into the living room. Tessa had gotten to work disinfecting the wounds Haures had suffered before Jaleen healed them completely. An IV drip had already been rigged up to help replenish his fluids and he would come around in no time. The Thorne had to paralyze him to keep him from thrashing around as they worked.
"What happened?" Tessa asked as she looked over the wounds.
"I had to rough him up a bit for the plan to work. He would need the kind of immediate attention that a Night Nurse wouldn’t overlook. The good news is that if everything goes as planned then the prison will list him as dead. What's happen since I've been gone?"
"Evan Domico is dead." Sang Kaia.
"What, when, how the fuck did that happen?"
"He tried to go after Readman again and got injured in the process. The War Hound Arianna finished the job and stole his dex so the organization is having a fit."
"Serves the bastard right. About time someone did away with him and if anyone deserved to do it it was her. What about Readman?"
"Thought to be dead after getting mauled by Evan's Griffon but the local police didn't mention a body being found."
"He's still alive then; if I couldn't kill him then no one else is going to. Where does that leave Tri Fotia?"
"The official word is that the group has been disbanded but Angelica is now leading all the Breakers. If Readman is discovered to be alive then she's in charge of taking him on."
"Bad news for him. It's no matter right now; he won't be active until Sadie Pokén's is over even if he is alive. I need to contact Mr. G and let him know Master is out of prison. He's going to want to know exactly what kind of information Master gave the interrogators."
Vicky rushed in and dropped to her knees next to Tessa. "What makes you think he told them anything?"
"I know our Master and I know the interrogation techniques used by both SII and the IGS, he talked. We just need to figure out what he told them and if Mr. G is going to send a hit team."
"And if they decide to do the second?" Asked Kaia.
Another low groan was heard as Haures strained to turn his head. His voice came out raspy and filled with pain. "Then I make a deal with the IGS and SII for all the information I have. We go into witness protection and help to chip away at Team Rocket."
_____
Dogpatch, 0530
Avalanche arrived nice and early to meet up with the designated security for the event. Booths had already been set up by those who would be providing food and games for the week. It would be another few hours before anything opened so the security teams were planning to meet up beforehand and have a briefing.
The head of the event and leader of Parity Linda Parker had shown up as well to take part in the opening ceremony. She liked being on hand to see pokégirls enjoying their freedom and humans intermingling with them to have fun together. "I would like to thank everyone for showing up early to get ahead of the crowds. The designated camping areas are full as well as the hotels and pokécenters so this is turning out to be one of our biggest Sadie Pokén's weeks ever." She cheered lightly. "Returning to help with security is Marco Readman and Avalanche. They'll be coordinating with our heads of security and our check-in personnel to make sure everything runs smoothly. I spoke with the head of SEELE last week and they aren't planning to have any protest but there is always potential for fanatics to become a problem. As always I urge you to be polite and courteous when dealing with them, especially you pokégirls. I know it can be a trying experience but it's better for everyone if you kill them with kindness. Don't give them the ammo they crave by acting against them. With that being said there's coffee and doughnuts brought in by Blowhole so be sure to fortify yourselves, the first day is always the hardest." She took a slight pause and looked out over the group. "Remember to take breaks and try to have some fun while you're here, it's a week of celebration." The crowd dispersed to their designated areas to pick up supplies for the morning.
Avalanche's first stop was to the largest registration area. A lot more went on behind the scenes of the registration than tamers ever thought about. The registration area was fully manned by high level psychic pokégirls who would screen the girls being released as well as the tamers. Pokégirls would be dropped into Dream Time or given short questionnaires to rate their current tamers. The rating was used when other pokégirls attempted to join their harem so they knew exactly what they were getting into. Most importantly all pokégirls were informed that they were free to leave an abusive tamer no matter what threats were made beforehand.
To keep from being left totally defenseless tamers were allowed to keep one girl from their harems. All others including those in storage were to be released to take part in the festival. The tamer was then given a badge with a number and a box that pokéballs could be dropped in. The drop stations were constantly monitored by no less than two OfficerJennies who would pokéball the girl in question then release them to continue the week before dropping the pokéball in the box. If the girl changed their minds later they were allowed to make a single switch. Of course girls who were already happy with their current tamers could immediately request that their ball be placed in their tamers box and still enjoy the festival.
Alexis went to greet the team she would be working with for the morning followed closely by Marco and the Harem. The Cherub had been part of the psychic screenings since she started and was always happy to see the other psychic pokégirls. In the beginning they were concerned that Marco was becoming a bad influence on the Cherub and for the most part they were right. She had changed a lot over the years especially when it came to her opinions of things.
"Morning ladies, another year and another Sadie Pokén's week." Alexis greeted with a smile.
"Alex, great to see you as always." Greeted the equally cute Cherub. "Who are your friends, where's Leona."
Alexis's smile fell as she thought back to her fallen friend. "We lost Leona earlier this year on a mission. This is Jean and Carrie, they are from Marco's personal harem, they'll be helping out during the festival."
"I'm sorry for your loss, I loved having her around. Welcome Jean and Carrie, what breeds are you?"
"Mistress, Kyubi." The pair replied separately.
"Wow, I've never met a Kyubi before and it's just as rare to see a Mistress. I'm Candice; I head the registration department for tamers entering the village festival grounds. We started last night and tried to get through as many as we could but there are thousands more today. I'm sure Alexis explained what we try to accomplish but I'll run you through all the proper protocols in Dream Time to save time." All three girls closed their eyes then opened them again a few seconds later. "And that's the gist of it. We try to communicate through telepathy and everyone's willing to help when needed so don't hesitate to ask." Candice looked to Marco with a grin. "In fact let's give it a test run. If you would please hand over your pokéballs and pokédex Mr. Readman."
Marco unlinked the items from his belt and handed them to the Cherub who quickly scanned the items into the system. He then reached into the large box of balls and pulled out a number. "Fifty-one? I thought you gave these out in order."
"Numbers are assigned the same way you just got yours." She snickered. "Now this next part isn't normally done in front of the tamers and we're going to skip the in-depth questions. Is Marco Readman a good tamer?"
"He's a jackass." Henrietta said with a laugh and earning odd looks from the rest of the harem. They were quick to pick up on the joke though and joined in.
"Terrible." Kelly
"Idiot." Jean
"Passable." Chesra
"Frightening." Bernadette
"Jerk." Ashley
"Meanie." Carrie
"Moron." Alexis
"Oh, you all just wait till I get you alone." Marco chuckled.
"Now now tamer Readman, with an attitude like that you'll be lucky if you have any girls left at the end of the week." Candice chided as she typed at the computer. "Given your responses we enter the data and the program comes up with a rating." She watched as the numbers on the screen started randomizing then stopped. "Ten."
"Ten? That doesn't seem too bad."
"That's ten out of a hundred. He's now listed as a bad tamer and gets a red button. Of course this system isn't fool proof since I know what you all really think about him but we're just going off what you said. You'll get the hang of it in time." She explained as she handed him his items back including his numbered button. "Thanks for being a good sport Marco."
"The pleasure was all mine Candi. Besides this should keep an abundance of pokégirls from trying to join my harem." He placed the button on his shirt and started for the door. "I'll see you all later on today. Be good."
After Alexis and the first third of his harem broke off Marco continued on towards the rides and attractions area. Depending on the pokégirl it was a mystery on what they would find enjoyable and what they wouldn't but with the two square miles of space provided fun could be found somewhere. Their walk brought them to the designated area where the pokékits and human children would play together while giving their parents a break. Denmothers watched over them like hawks and Nursejoys would be around to take care of skinned knees and scrapped elbows. A very large patch of land was roped off and had a sign designating Kelly and Chesra as the overseers.
"I guess this is our spot." Kelly mused. "Nice level ground, plenty of space; the children are going to love this."
"Will your sisters be coming Colonel?" Chesra asked with a stretch.
Marco let out a content sigh as he looked into her emerald green eyes. She had finally decided to evolve into an Archangel and in her new form her hair and eye color went back to its original state. "Yes, mom said she would be dropping in and out and that the girls would be coming with her. Dad might stop by but he's never been big on crowds."
"And yet he fought in the Indigo League Championships. Not even going to mention how strange that is." Joked Henrietta.
Marco let out a slight laugh. "I never really thought about it until now but you're right, that is strange. Oh well, we'll be making our rounds so I'll stop by occasionally to see you. Try not to let the kids wear you out."
"You kidding? I live for the challenge." Quipped the Duelist. "Besides it'll be good practice for later in life... you should really give us a hand Colonel."
"I should really be going now." He said quickly before retreating with the remaining three harem members.
"You know she's going to want kids sooner or later. You may as well get used to the idea." Henrietta said softly.
"In due time, but what about you? Kelly, Carrie, Ches, I know those three will want kids someday. But what about you three?"
They all fell silent as they continued to walk. Each girl had their own ideas when it came to parenthood but the one thing they agreed on was to be out of the military before they got started. It occurred to Marco that the unit had been very fortunate so far when it came to children. Pokéballs acting as a contraceptive was thought to be one of the contributing factors but most of the unit stayed out of their balls for extended periods of time.
Parthenogenesis wasn't unheard for military pokégirls and they all had the same opinions of it. None of them wanted their kits growing up attached to the military and feared their Commanding Officers would send the children to ranches to be raised. The hope was always that the CO would see the child as their own and take measures to have it taken care of properly but it was normally a long shot at best.
Marco's last stop was the security command center to check-in with the rest of the unit and the heads of security. Vivian Crowley, Dogpatch's Sheriff, was on hand with the heads of security to make sure everything was in order and greeted Marco with a slight wave. She was an older woman with greying hair and had held the position of Sheriff for the last twenty years.
Marco entered the tent and gave a quick look around. "Sheriff Crowley, how are the preparations this morning?"
"Hot coffee, hot doughnuts, and plenty of manpower, it's just the way I like it Colonel." She greeted with a hand shake. "It's nice to have you and yours back again. Intelligence said that you retired."
"That was the plan but I ended up changing jobs instead. I'll be stuck with the military for a while longer. Are my ladies being helpful?"
"Always are, the flood gates will be opening soon so we better get ready."
_____
At 0900 the first wave of tamers hit the gates and it was an explosion of activity. The registration areas were a mad house but the pokégirls were handling the tamers with little issue. Depending on the tamer in question Sadie Pokén's day was either a hated or loved affair. A lot of hard work went into capturing and training pokégirls and every two years they had to put their entire harem on the line. Some new tamers actually held out on getting their starter girls until Sadie Pokén's with the hope that they could entice some experienced girls into joining a fresh harem or possibly leaving with a full one.
Dogpatch was the only village where Sadie Pokén's lasted all week and a survey discovered that most tamers who would be considered bad by pokégirls traveled to anti-pokégirl rights villages when forced to attend. By the same token a "good tamer" could go to the same city and walk away with dozens of girls if they weren't careful. After the day there were two days of leeway given to cycle through newly acquired girls. That was also the best time to try buying girls from the auction houses. Multiples of the same breeds would be up at the same time and tamers needed whatever money they could get to take care of new girls.
At 1000 the food and concession stands opened to the masses. Since the event was government funded and pokégirls roamed free and didn't have money regular food was free while specialty dishes were a modest price. Iron Chefs were glad to culinary skills and contests were held to see who could prepare the best dishes. Elves always had fresh vegetables in supply and farms got a nice tax break for providing meat.
Of course with so many pokégirls around from different types of harems there were bound to be confrontations. That was where the security forces came in. The crowded areas made for a pickpockets paradise and fighting pokégirls could be hazardous to everyone. Response teams were swift and efficient, taking troublemakers to designated areas and giving them a stern talking to. Warnings were given for light infractions while more serious infractions were met with harsher punishments.
By noon the celebration was in full swing. A pavilion was set up for entertainers to perform as well as the mass karaoke tournaments. Anyone brave enough was allowed to compete but would eventually be forced into a sing off against a Diva. Judging was handled by the retired singing sensation Mineko & The Pussycats who lived in the village year round.
Children were lined up outside of Chesra and Kelly's spot. It was another year and another attempt for them to try and make it through her haunted maze. Kelly always commandeered the help of some playful ghost pokégirls who could move freely around her Labyrinth card and scare the children. Since she had full control on its design extra space was allowed for guardians to watch over the children and kits from above. Chesra had just teleported back out with a child who had gotten lost and panicked. Once in the light again the young boy gave her a hug then ran off to the spot where his mother was waiting.
Chesra let out a content sigh as she watched the two embrace then looked to Kelly. "One day huh?"
The Duelist nodded and smiled when a playful shrike echoed though the labyrinth. "When our work is done. Think you can wait that long?"
The Archangel let out a deep laugh. "I'll be fine; it was you who was considering switching your regular ball with a maternity ball. Though I think Marco would have waited until after you gave birth to kill you."
Kelly joined in on the laugh and rocked back in her chair. "Don't remind me, worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas." She took a moment to catch her breath then looked calmly at her friend and mentor. "So what's your request from Marco?"
"I already got what I wanted; I'm an Archangel as you can see. He evolved me last night."
"I figured that was the case but didn't want to assume."
"And what about you? I already know what you really want and you already know it’s just not going to happen, so what did you settle on?"
"I don't settle... but I know when I need to compromise. Being in the top three really isn't that bad when you're one of the people I share him with." She said with a blush.
"And what makes you think I'm one of the three?" Chesra asked in complete seriousness.
"Are you kidding, my money has you at number one. But to answer your question, you have his ear. No matter what he will always listen to what you have to say and any advice you give is taken to heart. Then there's Henrietta, for the life of me I can't figure out how they fit together."
"Rod A into slot B?" Chesra joked earning another laugh form Kelly. Her outlook had definitely brightened since her evolution. "But to be serious they have a very physical relationship build on aggression and action. We each have our role to play when it comes to Marco."
"Oh, and what's mine?"
"You're the leader of course. You're level headed and makes sure that everyone is taken care of. I keep him from letting our feelings blind him to the task at hand. Henrietta... she kills. It's something we all do but she's the best at it and won't hesitate."
Kelly thought back to her conversation with Vana and remembered that she described them the same way. "Would she kill me?"
"Would you want to be in a position where she needs to make that choice?"
"... Point taken." She checked her watch and glanced over to the children. "Almost time to send the next wave in." Even though the kids were allowed to split up they always went in in groups of ten. Suddenly she felt a bump from behind and turned around to see a small girl sitting on the ground rubbing her head. She knelt down to help the girl back to her feet and noticed how familiar the girl looked. "Hey there, are you lost?"
The girl looked up and shook her head. "No ma'am, my mom and big brother just walk slow." Kelly could hear the call of Cameron slowly approaching and looked around. "You look a lot like mommy, same hair and everything."
From the crowd emerged a pair of humans, the female was just starting to show her age with the fine lines showing on her face. The male was a teenager and judging by the pokédex and belt he was a tamer. Both shared the same worried expression as they looked around for the little girl, finally the mother spotted the pigtails atop the child's head and started to move faster.
"Cameron, what did I tell you about running off like that!" She scolded while she hugged the girl.
"Mom, she looks just like you."
Not thinking the woman started to speak. "Thank you so much for finding my..." She stopped as she finally looked at Kelly, the Duelist looking back as if stuck in a trance. "... Clarissa?"
Kelly's breath came out in short gasp as she tried to get a hold of herself. She was moving into a full blown panic attack and sucked in a deep breath to steady herself. "... Mom?"
|
Alpha- Kelly- Duelist |
|
Delta |
Echo |
Indigo |
|
Beta- Chesra- Archangel |
Beta- Henrietta- Ghostrider |
Beta- Mina- Kunoichi |
|
Arianna- War Hound |
Field Beta- Selena- Caphoochie |
Zianna- Wolf Queen |
|
Kim- Bombshell |
Rebecca- Smokey |
Renae- Ice Princess |
|
Nikki- SexSlash |
Alexis- Cherub |
Isabella- Mecha Musume |
|
Emaline- Fire Maiden |
Lily- Belle Awesome |
Tam- Catgirl |
|
Ilene- Imp |
|
Leona- Lamia- KIA |
|
|
|
|
Harem
Chesra- Co-Alpha
Henrietta- Co-Alpha
Carrie- Mistress (M)
Ashley- Peekabu
Jean- Kyubi
Bernadette- Piratit
Handler
Christina Reynolds
Ariel- OfficerJenny