From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net> Subject: [PW!] Message Meaning Meeting Date: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 4:27 PM "'Wailnuke'. Tee hee." Scarlette drowsily roused herself from night's slumber, her normal tough nature that would have prevented the giggle from escaping taking a moment to recrystallize. When it did, she looked around to see if anyone had heard it. Fortunately, her quarters were empty save for herself - literally, as she kept no possessions, leaving nothing to come back for in case the worst happened. The only motion she saw was the mirror she did not have, where her reflection still snoozed. Waitaminute... She nudged Doppler with a paw. "Oy, get up!" Doppler woke with a start, quickly looking around for threats just like Scarlette would have done in his place. "Huh? Oh, good morning." The true mighthyean regarded the fake one with concern balanced by amusement, in proportion to the parts of her mind that believed him to pose a threat or to pose no threat. "And just what do you think you were doing, sleeping in my room?" "I must've dozed off while we were talking. Sorry." "Whatever. Better go ruffle your sheets before someone thinks you're missing." "Actually, I don't even have a room yet. Most nights, I just sleep as a stone somewhere." Doppler stretched, obviously taking pleasure from the feel of Scarlette's muscles, with an ease that seemed practiced even as he went through motions Scarlette had not thought of in years. It did not take long for him to notice her staring at him. "Something wrong?" Scarlette raised an eyebrow, then tried some of the poses and motions she had just seen. A minor smile came to her lips, until she pulled a muscle and winced. "Oh, right. You don't want to rush that one, especially if you've been sleeping on that side." He knew better than to offer her comfort. She slowly stretched the affected muscle, knowing from long practice how to reset various injuries on her own. "I hope you haven't been practicing my form just for the heck of it." "Of course not, though it could be a useful tool. But what I did just now, you've got some Arcanines to thank for that. They're a lot more common down in Kanto." "Right, whatever." She trotted out the door, keyed to a version of the scanners in most pokedexes optimized to distinguish individual pokemon in difficult to subvert manners, and looked at a clock in the opposite wall. "Hmph. Morning meeting's going to be soon. C'mon, let's not be late." Doppler trotted out and alongside her. "Aren't you usually up at dawn?" "What can I say? I had a good dream. I didn't want to interrupt it." He smiled. "Me too. Wailnukes." She froze. "How did...if you were messing around inside my head," she growled. The psuedo-canine trotted ahead, not a care in his voice. "Wasn't me, but I've had dreams given to me before. You learn to recognize 'em eventually." He pawed open a door to an office designed for small to medium sized pokemon, finding a slightly cramped shiny machamp occupying a full tenth of it. "Hello, Adonis. Sleep well?" Said strong pokemon was only temporarily surprised to see two Scarlettes enter, having become used to Doppler's eccentricities. "Ya, though I had a nightmare. I vas a geek. It vas for a good cause, but it vas still wrong." Doppler melted into his normal form. "Just a guess, but you were measuring the thermal, photonic, and radioactive output of a nuclear-enhanced massive marine pokemon undergoing detonation?" "Ya." Adonis blinked. "Vat do those words mean?" #It means,# Claydol sent as he faded into view, #Deoxys has granted us a vision of the future. There can be no other explanation.# "A symbolic one, I hope." Doppler folded his arms. #You would have a problem were this to become literal? I fail to see how our bretheren voluntarily sacrificing themselves in such a manner would disturb one such as yourself.# The former Pokemon Revolution commander shook his head. "I didn't see 'voluntarily' anywhere in that vision. It is true, we had troops sacrifice themselves for our cause. And it turned out badly more often than not, especially if they planned to blow themselves up. There was so much more they could have done with that dedication, than they accomplished by throwing away their lives...and there are still a few cases I'm not sure it was voluntary. Not that it matters now: they're still dead." "So?" Adonis smacked two fists into two palms. "Ve can come up vith volunteers, no problem." "No. He's right," Scarlette growled. "I've read about how humans handle their wars. Suicide bombing is not a level we need to stoop to." Doppler nodded. "Besides, are we not an army of pokemon? If this Deoxys wants us to use nuclear weapons, fine - but deliver 'em with ghosts. I'm fairly certain the concussion would just go through them, and if the ghosts get far enough underground quickly enough - say, drop the bomb with a ten second timer and dive - that should shield them from the heat and the radiation. Although I think we should stick with lesser measures for now. Mass destruction like that would kill the very pokemon we're trying to save." "Only the one vith human masters," Adonis argued. "Which can be rescued," Doppler pointed out. "How many of those from our recent raid have joined our cause?" "Almost all." Scarlette's eyes rolled to a corner in thought. "I think we got lucky. Team Aqua and Team Magma employ some of the worst humans. It was pretty easy to talk their pokemon into working against them. There were a few good people, but their pokemon were probably most of the ones who wouldn't come with us in the first place." #...# Doppler looked at Claydol. "Sorry? Didn't quite catch that." #It seems the vision might not have been that figurative after all. We have reports of Wailords being dropped as weapons, once in Mount Chimney and once nearby. Perhaps Deoxys meant for us to investigate?# The pseudo-human frowned. "If he did, he's really got a thing or two to learn about giving clear orders. And priorities." #You DARE challenge Deoxys?# Claydol and Adonis both bristled, posing as if preparing to unleash violence at Doppler. Scarlette reacted a second later, backing away to protect herself in case of combat. "Not at all. Just saying that these new recruits need indoctrination soon, if they're going to be useful, and a couple reports of Wailord abuse don't seem to stack up. Not that it matters. Scarlette and I can handle the troops, while you two check out Mount Chimney." #...# Claydol relaxed. #Very well. That shall be our division of labor. Let us commence action immediately.# Claydol and Adonis disappeared in a wink. "...they're not looking," Doppler eventually uttered, as his psychic senses detected Claydol completely focused on his current mission. Scarlette let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. "I believe in what they're doing, but sometimes..." "Why do you think I suggested *we* welcome the newbies?" Doppler smirked. "Sometimes, it's the hearts and minds of your own that matter most. I've seen what happens when leaders forget that." TBC? [NS: Okay, I admit, I thought of adapting that post to a non-NC use only after I'd posted it, thus the title...]