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RP Summaries - These are brief summaries intended to 'catch up' anyone who missed part of or all of an RP, while also being a good point of reference for anyone looking back on them. Note that the summaries here will change when a new arc begins, with all previous ones being moved into an archive (coming soon).
Summary 1: Payin' Tha' Rent
It was an early morning as GRAY contacted the Snagems about one of their most pressing matters yet and one of their biggest foes: A bunch of rent was due and funds weren't the greatest. The matter had been conversed by both the AI and Sub, and it had been decided to make the team do a little work and make the rent theirselves. A job had already been taken up for them from the Underground Network, specifically a research job for Professor Birch in the Hoenn region to capture live specimens for fieldwork that suddenly needed doing.
It all started peaceful enough. Several Snagems had arrived in Littleroot Town in short order, the town quiet as its residents had yet to start their days. But there was mild unease and confusion as to why a professor would look to them of all people for help, something they wouldn't figure out until they got to speak with him directly. Some had thought of breaking in and starting contact that way, but cooler heads prevailed and the door was simply knocked. The one who answered it, however, was not Birch but instead one of his aides. They would be quickly shooed away, instructed to go into the northern route.
It was there that they would find Birch... in a tree with a Poochyena growling as he tried to climb away from it. Though dealing with that seemed easy enough, it wasn't the only Pokemon in the area and each of them were decidedly more feral than before. What would normally be an inconvenience at worst was arguably not so, but the team would have little issue both dealing with them and getting the live specimens as requested. They would escort Birch back to the lab so his research could be done, only for grim news to befall him, the team and the region at large.
The Pokemon had an unusual energy to them, but it was nothing like the Dark-type chi that would be expected. A pathogen existed in them, able to rapidly spread to any Pokemon close to them. The wild Pokemon of the route all exhibited similar symptoms and, to the Snagems' dismay, so would the Pokemon they had sent out to assist in acquiring the live specimens. In time, there would surely be a pandemic hitting the entire region if something wasn't done about it. To make matters worse, one of these specimens would break free, causing the team to have to fight back and get out of the lab. In the meantime, the regional government would be contacted about the matter at hand while a few captive Poochyena were given to try and force out the Mightyena that were likely to make a bad matter worse.
This would have mixed results; they were generally successful, but not without finding out the kind of response the regional government would bring. Hoenn would have an emergency force of short intended to deal with such matters, in the form of HAZARD: The Hoenn Affliction Zone Action and Reaction Department. Unfortunately, their presence was twofold, with the Snagems seen as international terrorists on account of their previous efforts to overthrow the Kalosian government. They were prepared to make a quarantine zone as well, but not without removing the riffraff by way of training any gun or missile they could on them.
The Snagems were forced to make a distraction, anything to help assist an escape before the lot of them would be used to stuff coffins. A couple of them would manage to do something about it, but not before Tristen was left unconscious thanks to one of the Snagems' now-infected Pokemon and Darts coercing one of the Pokemon to do something. To their luck, his gambit would work and the team able to escape by a mass, panicked teleport... on the top of Mt. Silver. Surely, they would need to regroup and plan a course of action at the new threat that rivaled their debt.
Summary 2: A Pirate's Life For We
For the forseeable future, the Snagems would have to be careful. If not for issues with HAZARD, then because of their own Pokemon. With some of them infected with what they would call the Shadow Virus, using them would be something none of them wanted to do. However, their last outing proved to give them no compensation whatsoever, their debt still intact and another job being lined up for them by an annoyed-as-ever GRAY. This time, to defend a cargo ship's shipment in Slateport. Compared to last time, this seemed to be much easier and a needed reprieve. They would arrive in short order to find the ship they were tasked with defending, but their arrival wasn't one made alone, even with things being relatively easy thanks to Isaac's efforts only days prior.
A group of Greninja had hid in the shadows of the night, putting up a fight for much of the team. Though they would be dealt with without much trouble, it was cause for alarm since it meant someone else could already be around and poised to steal the cargo. Some had already rushed in and confirmed suspicions, the rest finding their way in after dealing with the Greninja threat. Inside, they would find a good few pirates in Team Aqua's presence. Apparently, they had started up their efforts again, and being aware of the Snagems, knew of their newfound "reputation" as terrorists. However, they would succeed in what they needed to do, taking their leave out of an unusual hole in the ship and leaving behind a thick Smokescreen to mask their tracks.
They would find two things after the smoke was cleared out. The first was that they were gone, and not just in the sense of their presence being removed. The lot of them were left as floating bodies in the ocean, each of them killed in the seconds between their escape and the Snagems' vision returning. The second thing they would find out was that there was a far worse opponent to deal with, being the one that had killed the Aquas as if they had been cutting some fruit for a salad. It looked like nothing they had seen before, though it looked like a Sharpedo hybrid. But most hybrids also didn't appear to have more than a few cybernetic implants, and neither did they give off no chi whatsoever.
The hybrid-cyborg thing was enough to strike fear in a few of the Snagems immediately, and it would strike fear into the rest as he made short work of each of them. It never went for the kill, but it didn't have to either. All they knew was its might and a label on the right breast of his shirt: S-22. Fighting it would quickly prove futile and to rub salt in the wound, the job they had been sent on was completed before they ever had a chance to do it theirselves.
To greet them on their failure, the team's SNAGs would receive a video feed and message. The man on the other end would introduce himself as Ein, spitting in the face of anything even looking like death and now with the role of Team Cipher's leader. He now had a goal of rendering Team Snagem as an obsolete dinosaur in the world, and to those means, also made a few changes. Gone were the numerous grunts and assets that they didn't need, and in was newfound efficency and analysis of how to counter Snagem, completely and utterly. They were left with one other thing clear from the man: That he wanted them to watch and live as every single fiber of their being became unnecessary and die with the knowledge that they accomplished nothing as they faded into obscurity.
The team would be forced to leave shortly after, several of them shaken hard by the revelations. One in particular would even leave the team, though temporarily. That member has yet to be heard from since, and Sub hadn't been in contact either. Surely, things were worsening by the second.
Summary 3: Vacillating Vaccines
In the time following their latest wounds, the team would try to do something to show they weren't totally useless. Two would visit with Devon Corporation and Gym Leader Norman respectively, while one of the team's Pokemon that mysteriously evaded infection found a way into the quarantine zone to get an egg for Devon. The same corporation would also contact the Snagems, seeking their assistance in creating a vaccine for the Shadow Virus. They would meet in Rustboro City with a couple of representatives, Bulder and Mully, prepared to get the samples they would need. The meet and greet would be short as they headed for Petalburg City to get close to the quarantine zone.
Once there, they would have their work cut out for them. What had started as a simple procedure turned pear-shapred, their plan nearly compromised as a result of RC's attempts to force entry. The team backing off to find an another way to accomplish what they set out to do, they would split up. A couple would look in a shed, finding useful information for later as well as a means for Bulder and Mully to don a disguise. The others would find theirselves assisting Norman in dealing with HAZARD's less than stellar rapport, forcing them to back off. Though the gym leader would go ahead of them to serve as interference for HAZARD and see what the Shadow Virus was really doing, Devon's representatives and the team would be able to finally gain entry.
Once inside, they were tasked with fighting the wild Pokemon while Bulder and Mully stayed ready with their end of the deal. This unfortunately meant some would see more of their Pokemon infected in the process, and before they could fully accomplish the task at hand, they would be met with another of Cipher's smaller, leaner and more powerful team. Dancing into the quarantine zone with ease and having his Ludicolo's rain systematically destroying the zones, infection be damned, Miror B. would prove to be a decidedly tougher opponent than before and make the team's mission difficult. However, they would be able to keep the samples that Devon needed, allowing them to complete their task without issue.
Unfortunately, it wasn't without damage, with one of the domes fizzling out of existence by Miror B. alone and a second thanks to a tornado created by his and the Snagem's fighting. Even HAZARD's attempts to stop it were in vain, with the dome being pulled out of the ground before it became useless. The third would be blown up on account of Reno, having made one of HAZARD's helicopters explode in close vicinity. Ein would speak up to taunt the team again during all of this, failing to help matters.
To the team's fortune, they would at least put Miror B. on ice and have a means to interrogate him back at HQ. Their misfortune would come shortly after, with Reno's attempts at interrogation proving to be a poor idea and ended in Miror B. escaping the holding cell he was in. In the process, he both managed to fend off the Snagems and sent important data to Ein before Sub's arrival ensured that Miror B. was back behind bars. A rousing speech from him would follow to try and lift the team's spirits, though they would slightly dip again as Ein was now able to contact them directly. He now had knowledge of their exact location as well as information to further help his own cause, leading to a few cases where morale was at its lowest.
Though they would try to do what they could after the events, there still wasn't any certainties before their next task presented itself. Learning the egg they had secured for Devon was also infected further cemented how things seemed to be going.
Summary 4: Stones from Heaven
The Shadow Virus was beginning to spread following their last escapades, covering more and more of the region at an alarming rate. The words of Sub and Ein alike rang in the heads of many, as well as that of the media itself. The team's bounties had been extended to Hoenn, and with them applying whether or not they were alive meant doing much in Hoenn would be nearly as difficult as doing so in Kalos. Still, a plan to try and gain the upper hand was formed thanks to prior recon work, with the team heading for Meteor Falls to try and acquire a meteorite there before Cipher could do the same.
The mission would have its hurdles, but not in the form of Cipher. Poachers weren't an unusual sight when it came to the falls, if only for them to make a quick buck off whatever they could get their hands on. They would try to "enlist" the help of Professor Cozmo, a local meteoriticist. Seeing a couple of familiar faces among the Snagems as they began dealing with the poachers, it didn't take long for him to agree to help them in any way he could. Though he would eventually be taken to safety in Rustboro City and left to call the authorities for help, those already inside would try to get the meteorite.
Deep within the falls, however, was someone else. They would learn that Cipher's presence was indeed around, through another member that hadn't been met yet. Being assaulted by a Zapdos hybrid named Kess, she would try to make short work of the team as she went about her own mission. A concerted group effort was able to mitigate her efforts as two Pokemon made off with the meteorite, also teleporting to Rustboro City... and into danger as two more of Cipher's members became known. The Pokemon Center they arrived at would let off a strong amount of gas, its source soon being found out as an unusually skinned hybrid called Zera as it cleared, her hand on the meteorite.
The other with her, a Gengar hybrid known only as Dull, would fend off anyone else that tried to come near. Though the two would succeed in acquiring the meteorite, one of the two Pokemon that had tried to flee with it would manage to secure a piece of it before making a prompt getaway. The group within the falls would have arguably less success. Their attempt to mitigate Kess' efforts would turn into a prompt lesson in futility as S-22's toothy presence made itself known, forcing them to immediately flee from the frying pan and into the oven.
Their trip outside would reveal that Professor Cozmo's call to the authorities got the attention of HAZARD, whom of which were all too glad to try and apprehend the Snagems before Cipher went after them theirselves, complete with Ein suggesting they do the same as "they were all outlaws here". Choosing to take the morally higher ground, the team would instead make their escape as Cipher and HAZARD duked it out.
Summary 5: Regi-cide
Fortune would begin to finally smile on the Snagems shortly after their escape, with Devon learning that there was a way to begin stemming the Shadow Virus. Though a cure wasn't yet found, it was possible to bring the virus into a sort of stasis that could allow for purification and they made sure to give a copy of that information to them alongside HAZARD. Their contact with the team would quickly bring them to ask for a simple, if large, favor: to borrow Cera for a while and run some tests on account of her unique DNA and lack of infection, while the team helped Professor Cozmo out in the Hoenn Desert over on Route 111. While Devon's reasons were easier to discern, Cozmo's plans had even more pressing matters.
His house and lab being destroyed, apparently by Team Cipher, the professor felt that they had been hunting down a map that detailed the location of the Regis, unusual and legendary Pokemon, for reasons yet unknown to him or the team. Despite this, there was already a slight advantage in that Sub had managed to acquire Registeel earlier on, leaving only two to worry about. Their efforts would bring them to the desert in short order, with Cera left behind for the time being. Travel through the desert would prove to be more difficult than intended, thanks to a combination of HAZARD's patrolling, the swirling sands reducing visibility to nil, and a horde of Shadow Trapinch hiding beneath the sands. Despite all of this, they would luckily manage to get through and inside an underground temple.
By the time they would get inside, however, it would be discovered that HAZARD already had to deal with hell in the form of sudden freak ice storms from Route 106 onward, its path undoubtedly going towards where the Snagems were now. In response, some of the team's heavier hitters remained at the entrance for the impending arrival while the rest tried to see if they could reach the Regi that was hopefully within. In the process, Isaac would end up reaching one of HAZARD's radio frequencies in the area along with Darts' quick talking, the sudden effort proving to have an unexpected success; the events back in the quarantine zone hadn't gone unnoticed, and the apparent smear campaign didn't entirely gel with some of HAZARD's members. The 402nd Desert Combat Brigade, at least, was on the team's side for the matter at hand. Otherwise, the group staying behind steeled theirselves for the worst.
For the group heading further into the ruins, they would end up further split up between the two paths, both parties having their fair share of traps to deal with and work through, neither one aware of the other's progress until they finally would reach the end. In the meantime, the frontlines would be quickly assaulted by a release of poisonous gas, the noxious fumes passing through growing cracks in the makeshift door of ice that had saved them from the Shadow Trapinch. Eventually, the ice would be blown away like shards of glass, finding Zera and Dull to be the ones their welcome mat were laid out for. What would go on next was a heated battle between the two and the group, only for them to eventually get through the group and race further down after the rest and the Regi dwelling within.
It'd be through a lot of luck and fortune that the exploration group got to the furthest reaches of the ruins, finding the remains of what may have been a Johto-esque village along the lines of Ecruteak or Cianwood, though out of those that made it through, it would be Aile to suddenly hear voices and find herself further in. She would find herself locked behind a runic barrier left by the Pokemon within, the only outside help coming in the form of a timely Master Ball tossed to her feet thanks to Professor Cozmo. The rest would be tasked with dealing with Zera and Dull, if only to protect Aile while she did what she could.
Good news would be the first to arrive in that, after a harsh battle, Aile would be able to capture Regirock. The bad news quickly followed and surrounded it, however, in that the runic barrier was the only thing that kept the ruins fully intact. The legendary Pokemon's capture, along with the sheer damage that Zera and Dull were able to unleash, meant the ruins were on the verge of collapse and caving in, sinking back into the sands of the desert. Only with a timely teleport were the Snagems and Cozmo able to escape alive... mostly, anyway.
Sometime after arriving at HQ, however, they would learn that the research Devon could do thanks to Cera meant there was finally a cure that could deal with the Shadow Virus. What would come of it, however, was uncertain just yet.
Summary 6: Rocket Power
It seemed like no time passed after their return from the desert ruins when Devon contacted the Snagems again. What originally began as word that they had secured a rocket in Mossdeep City to begin distributing the vaccine en masse quickly morphed into a frantic cry to check the news, revealing the last thing anyone involved in the situation wanted to see: Team Cipher launching an attack to not only stop the efforts as soundly as possible, but to use the rocket for their own ends. Emotions and general tensions already running high, some would rush out the moment they saw what was going on. With precious little time to actually try and thwart Cipher before it was too late, the rest would follow in short order.
As it would turn out, the team would be quickly split between those on the ground and anyone inside the rocket. Some of the stronger members remained on the ground to deal with the likes of Dull, Kess and Zera, while Miror B. ultimately defected before matters could escalate further... but not before eventually ending up in a fight with Tristen much later on. The fights would be rough, with neither side fully overtaking the other. Though the team had Regirock on their side thanks to Aile, Cipher would have their own ace in the hole through Zera's acquisition of Regice. At the most, they would just edge out against the Ciphers on the ground, but those inside the rocket were left in much direr straits.
The lack of stronger allies apart from Sub and Darts meant the split would work massively into Cipher's favor, with S-22 being a veritable one-man army without a lot of opposition. The only one that may have counted before their arrival was Bulder, who had instead found out what the business end from such a monstrosity was like, dying shortly after the Snagems' arrival. On top of this, it was discovered that the vaccine was in the middle of being replaced by another vial, one that seemed to contain the Shadow Virus to infect even more Pokemon. This group would be more compromised as a result, with Isaac tasked with swapping the vaccine back in while things heated very quickly for the few on the rocket.
Were it not for a quick plan composed by Sub, leading to a channeling barrage between him and Cera, their chances of survival would've been abysmal. The plan gave just enough of a chance for Sub, his Pokemon, Darts and Cera to slip S-22 up long enough to blast him out of the rocket through an impromptu hole. They couldn't afford to relax yet, however, as the hole turned the rocket into a crude airlock that threatened to throw the whole lot of them out. Fast thinking from them would patch the hole up with ice to buy more time, allowing them to finally get into the cockpit. Finally, they would be able to confront Ein and put this chapter behind them.
That is, of course, had the person they encountered been Ein. Who they would find instead were the original crew, both dead, and a body double with Ein's image and voice. As soon as the double was spared, he would be declared "expired" at once, remotely killed on the spot by the real Ein. At once, it appeared all of the efforts among the Snagems had been in vain; though they managed to at least get S-22 off the ship and ultimately disperse the vaccine as originally intended, S-22 would already be seen to have survived the endeavor, but only temporarily out of commission at best. To make matters worse, the rocket was revealed to be shortchanged on fuel, and was now running on empty, with Ein mentioning that "a bomb was too impersonal" shortly before ending his transmission with the Snagems.
With the rocket starting its deadly plummet and the controls shaking to make things more difficult, Ein had seemingly won in the end. The rocket would crash, the hole would likely reopen, and the Snagems inside would be killed in the ensuing impact. It would take a team effort to even keep the rocket from simply disintegrating as it reentered the atmosphere, and even those efforts appeared to be in vain. A timely effort from Sub's Gardevoir and Reno would be the only thing to slow down the rocket just enough to prevent its impact from killing everyone instantly, where they would be able to eventually get off the wild ride.
During all of this, the group group had been doing their part to help the city out, with the Devon Corporation's president paying the team a visit with Norman and HAZARD keeping close by. While the visit was largely to express thanks over the team's effort and help in the entire ordeal, two important things came of it. The team would finally be able to deal with Ein's hacking of their communications system and, thus, GRAY's bugs, and something they had set out to do when this whole mess started.
They would finally be paying the rent.
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