ExoKMC

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

Diana indulged in a smile at prince Hemlock's praise. It was the best option they had, anyway. She was still hesitant about rushing in so soon, but the prince had a point; they could very easily lose sight of where prince Teal was if they took too long. Having such...intimate knowledge of his whereabouts should not go to waste. If only they had more time...then perhaps she might feel a bit safer about all this. "Of course, milord. Time is on our side right now," she said, glancing at Celebi. "We should take advantage of it while we can." Diana wasn't sure how reliable that Celebi would be in terms of helping them achieve their goal. Of course, they'd gotten this far, but how long until the Kantonians catch on to their game? Surely they would question how they were found so quickly. Then again, Diana doubted that they would assume time travel was being used against them.

Diana nodded as prince Hemlock gave his orders, deciding that his plan seemed as sound as could be, given the situation. Staying hidden above the cloud-line would be a good idea, given that his Aerodactyl wasn't exactly...common around these parts. It wasn't common around any parts, come to think of it. The sight of such a beast might not work in their favor; best keep it hidden until it was necessary. Taking the Ho-Oh mask from one of the soldiers, Diana momentarily studied it, admiring the legendary Pokemon's visage. She decided the mask quite suited her, before approaching one of the four Pidgeottos they would be using. Diana gently stroked the Pokemon's neck, before climbing on top of it. The Pidgeotto let out a caw, adjusting to carrying her weight, before spreading out its wings in preparation for flight. Once the group of Johtoans took off, they all fell into a line, with Diana flying to the prince's right. As the wind zipped by her ears, Diana found it a bit difficult to make out his words, but she could understand him clearly enough.

His kind words sent a shiver up her spine. His belief in her...once again, she smiled. Was it the recognition? She wasn't sure. "Thank you, milord. Your praise means much to me." As they soared above the open ocean, Diana wondered just why prince Hemlock would risk so much by coming with them. Thankfully, he explained it to her; she supposed that his reasoning made enough sense. After all, this mission could very easily go wrong for them; in fact, Diana half-expected it to. But if prince Hemlock could just catch a glimpse of prince Teal, it would serve them greatly. It would confirm that Celebi was capable of acting almost as reconnaissance for them, which would cement the Pokemon as a key part of their strategy. They would also be able to gain information about his allies, as they didn't know much about them just yet. And given that Kantonians don't have Apriballs, they would also figure out what Pokemon they could expect to run into in the future, if they did indeed fail. Diana nodded again as prince Hemlock elaborated on his plans, deciding that even if they did fail, this would be well worth it to them.

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

I’ll put up a post later today, sorry for the wait! Been visiting colleges.

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

Diana was never one for physical affection, except for when it was required as a formality. So when Prince Hemlock held out his hands as if to embrace her, Diana felt unsure of what to do; she doubted he actually meant to embrace her at all, and so she did not move in response. When the prince spoke further about their plans, Diana's demeanor faltered a bit when he told her the choice would be left to her. Yes, she was a strategist, but she hadn't exactly agreed to such a risky maneuver quite yet. But this momentary sense of panic was nigh unnoticeable; this was the prince, and showing any sign of weakness in front of him would not be in her favor. In truth, even she would scold herself for showing any hesitation or fear. This was unexpected, yes, but not frightening. Diana straightened her posture before speaking: "What did you have in mind, milord?"

Diana's eyes narrowed, as if she was concentrating. In truth, she was; in her head, Diana carefully weighed the prince's words, considering the possible results of each plan that he proposed. The first option: a full-frontal assault. She'd already considered the pros and cons of such a thing, and had indeed decided it was possible. But when she turned to look at the four Pidgeottos-and realized that would be all they had-she decided to reconsider. Four Pidgeottos is a small force, yes, but perhaps a bit too small. Flying-type Pokemon such as Pidgeotto were vulnerable to archers-such as herself-and could be easily knocked out of the sky with a well-placed projectile. And if they wanted to get their force in and out, they would require all four Pidgeottos to be in good condition to fly. A full-on assault in enemy territory is...incompatible with such a requirement. Personally, Diana was fonder of more...covert strikes. As such, she ruled out the first option as a possibility.

Then came the prince's second option, infiltrating the tavern as travelers. This one suited Diana a bit more as she contemplated Hemlock's proposal. Would it be that difficult to fly just past the front lines, put their Pidgeottos into Apriballs, and walk into town as if they were Kantonian travelers? With the war going on, surely the locals-and the guards-wouldn't pay them much attention if they dressed as civilians. The tavern wasn't far, and surely they would go unnoticed inside. Prince Teal's allies are unlikely to be wary of being followed, given the manner in which Hemlock obtained knowledge of their location. They would think their meeting was entirely secret, known only to them. Perhaps they could wait for prince Teal to leave the tavern and travel to a less populated area of town? Or better yet, follow him outside of town? He might feel safer traveling with his allies, after all. Even if he traveled by air, the Pidgeottos would be ready. Diana decided she liked this option very much.

Then the prince proposed his third option: acting as allies to the prince. Diana frowned as she thought about it; wouldn't he be wary of a group of strangers who just so happened to offer him help? After all, he was supposed to be at the tavern in secret. A group of "mercenaries" knowing you're secretly royalty would likely make him suspicious, and that was the last thing they wanted when they were attempting to be incognito. In addition, any mercenaries willing to aid their home country would likely have already pledged themselves to the main military force for a cash reward; the existence of free agents in wartime is...unlikely. Yes, the prince would need allies, but that course of action wouldn't work at this point in prince Teal's plan. If it were simply one "mercenary", or the prince's plans were more publicly known, then perhaps. But at this moment in time, it would seem too suspicious to him and his allies. So, Diana ruled that option out in her head, choosing to settle for prince Hemlock's second plan.

"I...quite like your second plan, milord," Diana said after a few moments of silence. "The prince isn't going to be wary of being followed, since he believes his meeting at the tavern to be known only to him and his allies. Wartime is chaotic, and a group of travelers in a tavern isn't anything remarkable. We would go unnoticed," she explained. "Your first plan could work in theory, but with such a small flying force, the risk is too great if you are to accompany us. The third...I doubt prince Teal would easily trust a group of mercenaries who so suddenly and willingly offer their services to him, especially given his desire to conceal his identity. After all, wouldn't his father have hired mercenaries for him to begin with instead of sending out covert messages to agents of his choosing? Infiltrating the tavern is safer, especially if we conceal our Apriballs. We can wait for him to leave, perhaps follow him into a less populated part of town? It's also possible that he leaves town entirely, which would be even more beneficial to us, as we could attack him away from any pesky guards or civilians."

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

You know, I really feel like posting right now just to keep the flow going. Gonna write something real quick.

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

@Reflection I’ll wait until @TheUnknowable posts so they can get a bit further into their conversation.

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

@Harmony3812 Don't forget the "not-main-baddie-but-still-a-baddie" that is Diana. I don't think Chiyome's Scizor is going to like her Arcanine.

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

@Reflection Probably a good idea, considering they have a lot to discuss. Will Hemlock bring Diana with him?

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

Goodness gracious. That is a lot of words. @Harmony3812

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

Emerging from the hull of the ship, Diana walked onto the top deck. Her eyes blinked in response to the bright sunlight. She supposed that Kanto did have nice weather this time of year. In fact, she could see all the way to the mainland, even from here. Diana found it quite beautiful, actually. Looking at the ocean behind her, she realized how far from home she was. The thought was exciting, if a bit scary. But now wasn’t the time to get anxious.

She had a job to do.

She searched for Prince Hemlock, before spotting him at the bow of the ship, speaking to Celebi. Despite her affinity for Psychic-type Pokemon, that Celebi somehow unnerved her. Foretelling of doom if they failed here. Before she’d set out with the Prince on this journey, Diana did some research into Celebi. Time travel was a complicated subject matter; yet Celebi had somehow perfected it. Furthermore, it rarely interfered in human affairs, which made its presence here all the more telling.

Diana approached the Prince, intending to inquire into their course of action once they reached land. She overheard the end of his conversation with Celebi, and paused. Did he truly intend to strike now? That was a bold move. A risky one. Diana thought about the logistics of such a thing; if they were truly less than an hour by flight, it meant that the prince of Kanto was just outside captured territory. That might mean a lot of guards nearby. But if they could get in and out fast enough, with a small force? That could work, given the element of surprise was with them. Besides, the only guards that would be near a tavern were likely dribking themselves to death.

”Milord,” Diana spoke, finally approaching the Prince. ”Forgive me, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. What exactly did you have in mind for this strike on the Prince? It’s safe to assume he won’t be alone.”

Pokemon: Medieval [open]

@Regitnui Hi! I’m on the bad guy’s side I guess but it seems a bit ambiguous considering Celebi thinks the world will go to ruin if Hemlock doesn’t win, haha