<CounterBeard> It is about an hour after you have encountered Thomas. It is officially night streetlamps are on and foot traffic is almost nothing. Even the roads are mostly empty, just the odd biker or car goes flying down the street.
<CounterBeard> It seems Thomas peeled out and left little trail just a bit of burned rubber where he initially left. Although a RotomCycle is not exactly a fairly common sight even in this city.
<Savage> The others might have been heading to an inn; but for once Savage is actually deep in thought; wandering somewhat aimlessly through the city streets.  Things have just started bugging him, more and more... and it occurs to him that he might be able to get answers.  Then it occurs to him that he has no idea how to find Thomas again.
<Savage> Well, that gives him a starting point; when Savage stumbles his way back to where he met Thomas, the tracks at least give him a direction to go in.
<CounterBeard> The tracks actually lead west, heading out of the city. As a matter of fact the road you all walked earlier in the day.
<CounterBeard> The city seems to put on a bit of a change of face with the coming night. The buildings cast odd shadows that hide alleyways you could of swore were there in the light of day. You can hear the scratching of small feet down them as well as some sort of grumbling down others.
<Savage> It's curious that it's leading out of the city, but Savage doesn't mind.  He's smart enough not to pay too much attention to the alleys, too - it's not too different from night in the woods, really; you just stay away from things like that.
<CounterBeard> Make a perception check in Main Scoots
<CounterBeard> Two pairs of lights flare on from the alley, the lights blind you a moment and a pair of engines roar to life. Two men in motorcycles peel out of the alleyway and rush past, then do a sudden break to flip around to face you.
<Savage> "Huhn?" Savage covers his eyes oh god those are bright; then he lowers his arms a bit to get a better look; his companions huddle close to him as though expecting some kind of combat, even if Savage isn't.  "...Hi?"
<CounterBeard> You can just make out the mens...Helemts. They seem to be a pair of blank grey with a single eye dead center. On the front of their motorcycles are two Magnemites the light is coming from their eyes. "Long way from home, yeh?" Says the left one.
<Savage> "Hm?  Yeah, actually," Savage nods with a smile, totally failing to be civilized enough to get the underlying threat that usually accompanies those words.  "So you guys have to know this place better than me, right?"
<CounterBeard> Lefty looks a bit confused. "Uh, yeah I guess. Been here a while. Might say it's a second home. Not that I don't like my hometown or anything this place just has alot better air and- Hey, this ain't about me. It's about you!"
<Savage> "...It is?" Savage still completely misses the point.  "Oh, so you guys -are- here to help me out?"
<CounterBeard> "Uhh...Sorta? He wasn't really certain on what to do...Just sorta watch you...Shit." Lefty seems to just realize he dun goofed while Righty snickers slightly.
<Savage> "Who's watching me?  Oh, Thomas, right?" Savage seems to be the one catching on now.  "Hey, can you guys take me to him?  I wanna have a chat with him!"
<CounterBeard> Lefty finally seems to be at a loss for words when Righty finally speaks up. "Yeh. Follow us. We'll take you to him." He revs his bike up and heads off out of town. Lefty shrugs "Can you keep up or do you need a lift monkeyman?"
<Savage> "Heh, I can keep up pretty well~" or so he thinks; he hoists Wotter and Gabbery up onto his shoulders and they all cling knowing quite well what's up next.  Not that Savage can really keep up with a full speed motorcycle but goddamn he's still pretty fast.
<CounterBeard> Lefty nods and heads out. He goes a bit slower than Righty but eventually you reach the outskirts of town, and eventually a little rundown building. It has two huge metal doors and a smaller office looking building. "Excadrill Oil Change" is over the only door way. Righty stands next to it waiting, his bike no where to be seen. "In here."
<Savage> Savage heads in after catching his breath a little, peeking into the building a bit before heading in.  If he were smarter he would probably think he's walking right into a trap or something.
<CounterBeard> The or somthing is for sure. A blond man in a plain white tee and denim jeans seems to be enjoying a cold beer with his boots up on the table. "I was wondering if one of you would be curious enough to follow me." His faces has a lattice work of scars all over it. But the voice is the same. It is Thomas.
<Savage> "Well; curiosity saved the Skitty.  That's how it goes, isn't it?" Savage of course has it all wrong, but he heads in anyway, finding himself a seat.  "Hey again!"
<CounterBeard> Thomas takes a swig and nods. "Not going to lie Savage. Didn't think it would you who would follow. Thought it might be Rock. Swords ablazing of course. Why did you come any way?"
<Savage> "Well, uh..." Savage rubs the back of his head a little in embarassment as his buddies start waddling about the room.  "Uh, what's the best way to say this?  I guess you're the first one I could really talk to, yeah!"
<CounterBeard> Thomas laughs finally setting his feet on the floor, he points to a chair for Savage to sit in as well as a few boxes his pokemon can take if they want. "Way I heard it there was someone else. Things just didn't go so well."
<Savage> "...Well, Jack kinda keeps running off apparently, and the others..." Savage frowns visibly.  "They, uh... things haven't been going the way I imagined."
<CounterBeard> He laughs again "That he does. Dosen't help he rarely keeps the same face for more than a day or so. And it rarely does go your way in a war zone."
<Savage> "Yeah, well..." Savage sighs a little, leaning forward; and the frown only increases.  "...Is it really a war?"
<CounterBeard> "The war never ended kid. Just moved out of public veiw. First as as shadow war and then onto something else. Battlefields became courtrooms and the new 'House of Parliment' legisltion and bills as weapons. Those of us who fought tooth and nail knew our time was over. At least for a while."
*** Maxwell has quit (Quit: no spoilers)
<Savage> "...I don't get it," Savage admits, frankly.  "But, I mean... the old guys in town used to rant about the war or something, I never really paid attention, but it sounded bad.  ...But, I mean, nobody told me this was going on when I said I'd help out."
<CounterBeard> "The official war ended long before you were born, the blood shed and loss of life. Revolution was ripe in the air. There was a man who could speak that could even make housewives go to war. And they did. The people rose up and eventually there wasn't anything we could do. We were killing our own people. Brothers, sisters. Sons and daughters."
<Savage> "Well, then shouldn't it all be over?  I'm not... people shouldn't be dying over something like this!  Why are you guys against having a League, anyway?"
<CounterBeard> He takes another swig of his beer. "I won't say the way it was before was right. The way the nobles ruled. I won't say it was fair either. But it wasn't them who threw the first stone. Or the one who turned the war as bloody as it got. This League of yours? Ain't any better. Not by a long shot."
<CounterBeard> "This Fir who is running it? Who do you think was that Rebel Voice I mentioned? The one who stirred this all up? Who do you think runs this nation now?"
<CounterBeard> "You don't know what it was like. Heading into a friendly town only to find it gone. Not a soul there. Just a note saying 'Ours Now'. And a mass grave."
<Savage> "...He really did stuff like that, huhn?"
<Savage> Savage sighs a little, leaning into one arm to tap his fingers against his chin.  "But... I mean... are you guys against us just 'cause of who's leading things?"
<CounterBeard> He takes another long swig off his beer draining it. "Oh no. He never got blood on his hands. Always was able to deny it. No one owned up that it was by his own words. 'Inspired' these people must be. How could he control the actions of others? It wasn't right before. Not by a long shot. But it wasn't built on the bodies either."
<CounterBeard> "Not just that. Have you heard his plans for this League of his? Selling out our nation and its resources and landmarks. Have you heard what has happened to Lake Nori? It was a nature preserve, and now? Some sort of resort for the rich. Pure irony. Go deeper inland, see how the cities are. See how this nation is falling deeper and him at the helm leading on the masses."
<CounterBeard> "We are not against the League as a concept. But what it represents, and what its goals are. That I cannot stand for. And above all that, I made and Oath and gave my death to the Crown."
<Savage> "..." Savage is literally incapable of grasping these things; even if he's following it, these words simply can't carry any meaning to someone who lives like him.  "Everything has to be so complicated, doesn't it?"
<CounterBeard> Thomas laughs for a good minute straight. "Haven't heard anything more right in a long time kid."
<Savage> "Well... I guess if you've got your reasons, that's alright.  But... I'm already getting tired of people getting hurt over this.  This league..." his eyes go a little distant.  "...If I didn't want to see people have a place to spar and have fun without risk, I think I would've stopped a while ago."
<Savage> "I mean, that's the point, isn't it?  Of a league?  It's supposed to be fun and games, not something people die in, right?  So... it doesn't seem right to me that people are dying over it."
<Savage> He's actually putting together his thoughts, finally, somehow.
<CounterBeard> Thomas nods, "Isn't how this League going about it seem off? Not only bringing in outsiders but, well people underqualified. No offense of course."
<Savage> "Well, maybe..." he rubs the back of his head.  "Alexei and Rock always seem like they know more about what's going on and are kinda... oh, you should tell your guys to be careful around them."
<CounterBeard> "After we lost one of our scientist in the swamp we figured we should. The arrow may not have killed him at first, but the frenzied pokemon sure did."
<Savage> "Aw man... even more of you guys... I'm sorry," Savage sighs.  "Or... something.  I've been trying my best to get him to stop, but..."
<CounterBeard> He shrugs. " Ask your friend about that mask of his sometime. Our man knew there was risks. He understood and had a chance to say no to the mission. He followed his duty."
<Savage> "That's still..." Savage grumbles a little, then shakes his head.  "...Well, at least I've sort of got things straightened out now."
<CounterBeard> He smiles and nods again. "Glad atleast one of you was willing to hear our side. And don't worry. We have a plan for a League of our own after all this. We have Gym leaders and gyms planned. Not to mention the resources to build them, without affecting the lives of the people."
<Savage> "...Hm.  Well..." Savage pauses... and then leans back.  That critical intelligence roll earlier pays off.  "You could... I mean, at least try... entering in.  We seem to be holding competitions and stuff to find someone.  If you guys didn't identify yourselves with the masks, well..."
<Savage> It doesn't seem to occur to Savage that frankly he's suggesting something that is pretty much treasonous.
<CounterBeard> Thomas smiles standing up pulling on his biker leathers and grabs his helmet, placing it under one arm. "What makes you think we haven't already? C'mon I want you to meet someone outside." With another word he walks outside.
<Savage> Savage seems almost amused a little, getting up and stretching out.  "Sure."
<Savage> He calls his companions to him - who were busy lazing in corners tiredly; but they come back to him and he carries them out, letting them rest all over him while he follows Thomas out.
<CounterBeard> The Magnemite Twins seem to be playing RoShamBo, Righty just won. They nod to Thomas as he walks out. "Sir?" "Heading out boys. Grab your bikes and meet me at point Alpha. Showing Savage something first." They both nod and run off. You can just hear the faint roar of their engines.
<Savage> "...?" Savage headtilts and watches.  He's not quite sure what's going on, but...
<CounterBeard> Thomas whistles and his motor cycle comes bursting through the garage door. "Rooooooooooo!" =D "Ready boy?" "Rrororrooooo!" Thomas hops onto the Rotom pully a styler from his the inside. "Might want to hold onto your friends Savage."
Savage> "Uh, sure?" He's pretty good at that; Gabbery and Wotter are braced, Tessy takes a seat in the pocket, and Zentret is like a goddamn part of Savage's body or some shit.
<CounterBeard> He begins to trace a design in the air. All of the hairs on Savages hair begin to stand on end, as they do on Wotter and even Zentret. Static electricity sparks between Cuddles ears. "I invoke you, by my right of bond. Light up this night and show me the way: First Strike. RAIKOU!" As he finishes the design a bolt of electricity strikes him and the rotomcycle deadcenter. A spectral version of Raikou stands next to Thomas it raises its head and stares at Thomas.
<CounterBeard> (Let me know where it cut out as I know it did some where.)
<Savage> ("Raikou stands next to Thomas it")
<CounterBeard> raises its head and stares at him. It bolts away a moment before running...Into the air. "Nice meeting you Savage, you were a suprise in more than one way. If you see Jack before me tell him him he was right." The rotom cycle revs once before peeling out and following the Raikou.
<Savage> "Huhn?  But--hey, wait!" Savage tries calling out, but of course he's too slow.  "...Right about what?  ...And hey, I didn't even ask about that thing about my eyes or whatever you said... dangit!" he kicks at the ground a little, frowning.
<CounterBeard> (All according to plan)
<Savage> (OF course XD)
<CounterBeard> And /minisession