FujiwaraPhoenix

Pokemon: Dream

Richard Evans

Byjerlfal City — Docks

Lingering by the docks as a majority of the other passengers left made Richard stand out like a sore thumb, but at this point the best he could do to not look like a Magikarp out of water was to simply look relaxed as he slowly scanned over the people present. There didn't seem to be anything immediately eye-catching quite yet—any sort of sign that the Professor had indeed sent someone out to grab them who wasn't being held up for some reason or another—but it was more than likely that had to do with the still-moving wave of people leaving the area to begin with. In the meantime, though, he could spend what time he had now taking in the sights from the pier; it certainly had a different atmosphere from those back in Castelia, at least.

It was at this point, though, that the young man found himself approached by someone who seemed to be just a bit more apparently out-of-their-depth than he was. Context and assumptions, at least, made figuring out that she was probably not the assistant he was to look out for simple enough. Better that than looking like a fool asking if she was the one waiting for them, at least—that'd have been more than awkward. Before he could even think of replying, though, another young lady—this one dressed notably more eccentrically than the rest of the crowd—interjected, introducing herself before he even had a chance to speak his piece.

Rude.

"Sir's a bit formal, but yeah, I am," he replied to the first, giving the girl a half-wave after turning to face the two proper. "Name's Richard Evans. I presume you've two've also been pulled from overseas?"

As he spoke, though, the crowd seemed to have dissipated enough to allow for someone with a sign to make it through—that, at least, was eye-catching enough. The sign itself looked a bit hastily put together, even from a distance, but the words on it—and those that reached his ears from the one holding it—made it clear that she was the assistant they were to find upon arriving.

"We can continue talking as we walk. Let's not keep anyone waiting," he followed, gesturing briefly in the direction of the sign waving in the air before starting to move. "I'm getting a bit tired of smelling nothing but saltwater, anyhow."

@Savo@Thayr@Pyromania99@XxFellsingxX

Advent of the Dawn — A Mecha Musume/Tokusatsu-Inspired RP (Reboot)

Saitama Prefecture — Western Front

As it began to soar away from the two enemies in it's sights, the avian Warped soon found itself having to contend with one more issue. As it turned out, the target it had assumed was grounded had some way to meet with it in the air. That alone would have been enough cause for it to have to recalculate the method by which it went about it's assault, but the speed at which she was approaching meant that there was little proper recourse to be had.

Though it had ascended three quarters of the way back up into the sky from where it had been brought low initially, having an unexpected variable close the distance between it and the ground—much less landing a proper hit to it—meant that there was little else the Warped could do but try and mitigate the damage. If the enemy was moving in a straight line, then all it could do was try and turn so that the blow would maybe clip it's wings at best.

All the while, of course, it attempted to swerve about to try and return fire with a laser blast of it's own. The beam that had been charging was not yet at full power, granted, but given the rapid approach of the other more aerially-inclined enemy, the only goal it had now was to deal as much damage as it could before what looked to be an inevitable death.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze

---

In spite of the losses they had incurred, the weasel-form Warped seemed to be less agitated than expected—apparent inherent responses to pain aside, at least. Their injuries were by no means insignificant; losing a chunk of face was one thing, but an entire arm was another. The one unfortunate enough to have lost the latter quickly let out an odd cry—something between a screech and a howl—before attempting to retreat. The other seemed to move in turn, acting to bar the path so that it's companion, injured as it was, could move away from the battlefield.

Given the general logic by which the Warped seemed to operate on, though, that would have been rather strange. Any attempts at pursuit, though, would be met with fierce resistance from the sole Warped in front of Rozaliya. Now that it had been given a chance to be made aware of what her abilities were, the monster seemed to be attempting to leverage the distance between it and her. If it could not properly meet her in a head-on clash, then it only made sense to slash and stab at a range beyond hers before retreating to safety. If she chose to break away in pursuit of it's partner, though, it would be a simple enough matter to cleave at an exposed back to force attention back on itself (if not something notably more lethal).

@King Cosmos

Pokemon: Dream

Richard Evans

Byjerlfal City

"Mmm... I suppose that logic would have me lean in favor of the Annihilape, but playing right into Dhelmise's strengths like that... Maybe he would've done better if he tried to leverage some more support moves and setup rather than focus wholly on attacks? No, wait, Giga Drain might throw a wrench in things here... But I think that Annihilape should be able to get angry enough for a good Rage Fist to work if it tries to weather the storm, right...?"

Compared to many of the other spectators on board the ship, the young brown-haired man seemed to be less caught up in the spectacle of the match and more focused on the actions that led to the challenger's defeat. Even if this wasn't exactly a proper Gym battle, a brief glimpse at what the Gym leader—the ship's captain—could do was information he would gladly shelve away for a future challenge.

With a sigh and shake of his head, Richard Evans simply shrugged his shoulders as the Rotom Phone he was taking notes on promptly flew back into his pocket. That was a problem he'd have to tackle in the future—one that was, all things considered, quite close at hand. Though he would have much preferred going through the Unova League on his own terms, the Trainer-to-be had since rationalized the whole "being shipped off to another region by his mother" issue as a way of dodging any sort of comparisons on his journey through a League.

That didn't exactly resolve the issues that he had already—namely, his own habit of reacting to battles as a knowledgable spectator rather than as a trainer proper—but hopefully that habit of armchair analysis would smooth over as time went on.

At least he was aware of it, if anything.

Once the announcement to prepare for landing had arrived, the young man nodded before promptly heading back towards his room. The few weeks he had spent riding on this ship had been pleasant, what with all the stops at major cities the world over, but at the end of the day he was still here to do a job... Even if it was only because of his mother's connections.

Living up to those expectations was why he was here, for better or worse.

After packing what remained around his room into his luggage (which was composed mostly of clothing and souvenirs to ship back home when the time came around), Richard spent the last of his time on board lying on his bed trying to figure out what route he would take to visit all of the Gyms in the region. Doubling back multiple times over did not seem like a great way to spend the next few weeks, and that'd probably make him look like a fool at the end of the day.

Once the SS Calliope had finally docked at port and the tourists began to shuffle off board, Richard quietly merged into the crowd with his goods in tow. All that remained to be done now was to meet up with the others the Professor had brought from overseas and be led to the lab; hopefully, that assistant in question was already waiting for them at the dock so that they (read: he) wouldn't be left stranded in the middle of the city with little more than the clothes on his back.

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

Pokemon: Dream

Richard Evans

Name: Richard Evans

Appearance:
Though he stands at a little over 6 feet (184cm) tall, Richard doesn't have the sort of natural gravitas to make him stand out. He is somewhat lean— but neither lanky nor athletic—and coupled with a rather unassuming visage and choice of clothing (preferring function over form) the young man is able to blend into the faceless crowds of the city without any issues.

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Personality:
Despite his somewhat introverted tendencies, Richard is quite passionate about Pokémon battles and Pokémon in general—which, given the fact that he has never had one of his own up until this point, is quite ironic. There is a constant desire (if even subconsciously) to prove himself—that he is not just the son of his mother, but that he is a good Trainer in his own right. Though he harbors a great deal of respect for her, the burden that his mother's popularity carries has affected him throughout his adolescence.

Unburdened by expectations in a different region as he is now, though, Richard is at least a bit more outgoing and plenty more adventurous. Behind the inherent curiosity of exploring a new region and a desire to chase his dreams, though, lies a core desire to be more than what people expect of him—to surpass those notions that he is simply his mother's child, and that he is someone who won't simply end up being known as "what could have been".

Hometown: Castelia City, Unova

Background:
Born as the child of a professional Johtonian Trainer and Unovan businessman, Richard grew up surrounded by Pokémon in a way that most others seldom did. While most children would watch grand tournaments on their televisions at home, he would be watching his mother on stage, battling challengers with Pokémon he knew very well. The tense atmosphere thrumming with excitement lit a fire in the young Richard's heart, and seeing both the highs and lows of what battles on that grand stage could bring (even if it wasn't someone he knew standing victorious at the end) only served to make that flame burn ever brighter.

Those desires brought with them troubles in equal measure, though. Being known as the child of someone so popular drew the jealousy of other children (as would be expected of children at that age), and though he had come to make friends over the course of his schooling, there was always a sense of shallowness to it all that even he could pick up on. That sense of being "somewhere between acquaintances and friends" only deepened as the years went by and those around him began to move on—and in response, Richard chose to double down on the unshakable pillar in his life that was battling.

But while his peers dove into their journeys headfirst, Richard remained a spectator to everything. He wanted to be "ready" to take on the challenge—to make himself as well-prepared as possible to make his first run the best that it could be. All the while, of course, his parents were left well-aware of the spiral he was falling into. Rather than let him spin his wheels in perpetuity, though, his mother made the executive decision to contact an old acquaintance and ship him off to the Eidda region to work as an assistant. He could take on the Gym challenge there instead of in Unova, with proper experience on his own two feet rather than following the path he had so painstakingly charted out in his head.

After all, what was a journey without any sort of excitement to it?

Kind of Pokémon you like:
Richard's general priorities lean towards building a cohesive team more than they are towards any specific type of Pokémon. In his head, the ideal team should have it's members emphasize each others' strengths and cover for their weaknesses; that being said, there is always a small bias of cost-return effectiveness at play in his head. While he will invest time and energy into raising Pokémon regardless of their origins, new members of his team generally have to catch his eye or otherwise fill some still-empty role in order for him to go out of his way and actively pursue them. If their goals align, though, then all the better.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
More than anything else, Richard desires to become a professional Pokémon trainer—a goal spurred on by his constant exposure to the scene due to his mother's prominence in the Unova region. Years of being exposed to battles at the highest level coupled with impromptu lessons have led him to gain an eye for battle analysis, but a majority of that is theory with no practical experience behind it.
In terms of less Pokémon-related talents, though, Richard is a fairly decent home cook (mainly due to his father working a 9-to-5 and mother constantly traveling). Eating out in Castelia City is expensive, after all.

Items:
1x Potion.

Pokédollars:
2500p.

---

Luna

Species:
Snivy

Appearance: Nothing that sets it apart from others at the moment.

Level: 10

Gender: Female

Type: Grass

Ability: Contrary

Moves:

• Tackle
• Leer
• Glare
• Vine Whip
• Wrap

Personality and Nature:
Nature: Timid
Luna's oddly shy for a Snivy, and seems to much prefer not taking the spotlight if she can help it. There is a distinct lack of confidence and self-assuredness that many other Snivy (and their evolutions) seem to have, which in turn seems to have ultimately stifled any ability to grow in the wild due to her tendency to flee from any problems before they actually become problems. Whether or not that will become a major issue in her future remains to be seen.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
Nothing of note that isn't already mentioned in the prior section.

Held Item: Soothe Bell

Sara

Species:
Nacli

Appearance: Nothing that sets it apart from others at the moment.

Level: 8

Gender: Female

Type: Rock

Ability: Purifying Salt

Moves:

• Tackle
• Harden
• Rock Throw
• Mud Shot

Personality and Nature:
Nature: Careful
Sara is "careful" in the same sense that some people are "careful" about how to pick their fights. If it was up to her, situations would be decided slowly and methodically—a mentality that is coincidentally well-aligned with Richard's own. In a sense, she is in many ways Luna's opposite, preferring to slowly and steadily close situations out rather than flee or blitz an opponent down.
...Not like she could really do either of the latter by dint of what she is, but that is neither here nor there.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
Nothing of note that isn't already mentioned in the prior section.

Held Item: Soothe Bell

Pokemon: Dream

Richard Evans

Name: Richard Evans

Appearance:
Though he stands at a little over 6 feet (184cm) tall, Richard doesn't have the sort of natural gravitas to make him stand out. He is somewhat lean— but neither lanky nor athletic—and coupled with a rather unassuming visage and choice of clothing (preferring function over form) the young man is able to blend into the faceless crowds of the city without any issues.

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Personality:
Despite his somewhat introverted tendencies, Richard is quite passionate about Pokémon battles and Pokémon in general—which, given the fact that he has never had one of his own up until this point, is quite ironic. There is a constant desire (if even subconsciously) to prove himself—that he is not just the son of his mother, but that he is a good Trainer in his own right. Though he harbors a great deal of respect for her, the burden that his mother's popularity carries has affected him throughout his adolescence.

Unburdened by expectations in a different region as he is now, though, Richard is at least a bit more outgoing and plenty more adventurous. Behind the inherent curiosity of exploring a new region and a desire to chase his dreams, though, lies a core desire to be more than what people expect of him—to surpass those notions that he is simply his mother's child, and that he is someone who won't simply end up being known as "what could have been".

Hometown: Castelia City, Unova

Background:
Born as the child of a professional Johtonian Trainer and Unovan businessman, Richard grew up surrounded by Pokémon in a way that most others seldom did. While most children would watch grand tournaments on their televisions at home, he would be watching his mother on stage, battling challengers with Pokémon he knew very well. The tense atmosphere thrumming with excitement lit a fire in the young Richard's heart, and seeing both the highs and lows of what battles on that grand stage could bring (even if it wasn't someone he knew standing victorious at the end) only served to make that flame burn ever brighter.

Those desires brought with them troubles in equal measure, though. Being known as the child of someone so popular drew the jealousy of other children (as would be expected of children at that age), and though he had come to make friends over the course of his schooling, there was always a sense of shallowness to it all that even he could pick up on. That sense of being "somewhere between acquaintances and friends" only deepened as the years went by and those around him began to move on—and in response, Richard chose to double down on the unshakable pillar in his life that was battling.

But while his peers dove into their journeys headfirst, Richard remained a spectator to everything. He wanted to be "ready" to take on the challenge—to make himself as well-prepared as possible to make his first run the best that it could be. All the while, of course, his parents were left well-aware of the spiral he was falling into. Rather than let him spin his wheels in perpetuity, though, his mother made the executive decision to contact an old acquaintance and ship him off to the Eidda region to work as an assistant. He could take on the Gym challenge there instead of in Unova, with proper experience on his own two feet rather than following the path he had so painstakingly charted out in his head.

After all, what was a journey without any sort of excitement to it?

Kind of Pokémon you like:
Richard's general priorities lean towards building a cohesive team more than they are towards any specific type of Pokémon. In his head, the ideal team should have it's members emphasize each others' strengths and cover for their weaknesses; that being said, there is always a small bias of cost-return effectiveness at play in his head. While he will invest time and energy into raising Pokémon regardless of their origins, new members of his team generally have to catch his eye or otherwise fill some still-empty role in order for him to go out of his way and actively pursue them. If their goals align, though, then all the better.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
More than anything else, Richard desires to become a professional Pokémon trainer—a goal spurred on by his constant exposure to the scene due to his mother's prominence in the Unova region. Years of being exposed to battles at the highest level coupled with impromptu lessons have led him to gain an eye for battle analysis, but a majority of that is theory with no practical experience behind it.
In terms of less Pokémon-related talents, though, Richard is a fairly decent home cook (mainly due to his father working a 9-to-5 and mother constantly traveling). Eating out in Castelia City is expensive, after all.

Items:
1x Potion.

Pokédollars:
1000p.

---

Luna

Species:
Snivy

Appearance: Nothing that sets it apart from others at the moment.

Level: 5

Gender: Female

Type: Grass

Ability: Contrary

Moves:

• Tackle
• Leer
• Glare

Personality and Nature:
Nature: Timid
Luna's oddly shy for a Snivy, and seems to much prefer not taking the spotlight if she can help it. There is a distinct lack of confidence and self-assuredness that many other Snivy (and their evolutions) seem to have, which in turn seems to have ultimately stifled any ability to grow in the wild due to her tendency to flee from any problems before they actually become problems. Whether or not that will become a major issue in her future remains to be seen.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
Nothing of note that isn't already mentioned in the prior section.

Held Item: N/A

Advent of the Dawn — A Mecha Musume/Tokusatsu-Inspired RP (Reboot)

Elise Kim

Saitama Prefecture — Western Front

It was only by the slimmest of margins that Elise could pivot away from the projectiles aimed towards her body. Thankfully, the source of the hostile attack had seen fit to aim towards her rather than the soldiers who had kept their weapons trained straight ahead. It was a small solace, but that meant that her attention would have to be focused towards the most direct threat to her safety before resuming any efforts in supporting the JSDF personnel fighting for their lives below.

With that said, though, it quickly became apparent from Rune's message to her that the Frame Pilots were their priority. It was a battle of the specialists against the specialists, then—not something that the young woman had any particular qualms about, but troublesome all the same.

"One moment, please," she remarked, quickly checking to see if anything had clipped her or not, "Need to stabilize before I try anything."

Swiftly reorienting herself towards where the projectiles had originated from, Elise brought her rifle back up to eye-level and took aim. The presence of five of the creatures was not particularly pleasing to the eye, but at the very least their heads seemed obvious enough as targets to fire at. Once one of them was dead center of her scope, Elise pulled the trigger and fired.

Unfortunately, though, the normal bullet seemed to not pierce through the target as it had the larger oni-esque Warped earlier. There was damage, certainly, but nothing anywhere close to lethal quite yet.

"...Damn. Sorry in advance, but you'll probably need to keep them occupied for a while. I need to use high-power rounds for these things, and those heads are small enough targets as-is without having to keep aim," Elise followed, the barrel of her gun beginning to glow as she prepared to finish off the one she had already damaged.

@SaltSight

---

Though it had missed it's initial target, the airborne Warped seemed to have no reason to stop in it's attack upon the Pilots below. There was no way to ascertain it's thoughts (assuming it was even capable of such things)—only that it began to turn around to fire another blast towards the ground below.

What it did not seem to expect, though, was one of the Pilots below disappearing while it was turning. Their position would be revealed soon enough, though, as a direct from above swiftly sent the Warped off balance and spiraling—if only for a moment—towards the ground. Now aware of the threat from above, the birdlike monster seemed to accelerate for a moment, diving towards the ground briefly before shooting back up towards the sky. Again, it's head seemed to reopen, and the unearthly thrum of another laser preparing to be fired towards the new greatest threat here.

There was only one enemy that could meet it in the sky, it seemed, and once that was resolved it could continue scorching the ground below without pause.

@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

---

Despite it's initial surprise attack failing, the Warped seemed to be rather unbothered by the whole affair—or, well, as unbothered as a monster that had no apparent emotions could be. Even seeing that it's prey had managed to land an attack back on it seemed to leave it unfazed as it began to stalk around it's target in silence, slowly circling it as their eyes remained locked onto one another.

So long as the Pilot's focus was wholly dedicated towards the Warped in front of it, though, the shadow of another in the shadows could easily be missed.

Eventually, though, the monster pounced to the side before catapulting off the broken wall of a nearby house to strike once more. This time, though, the howling of a gale piercing through the air behind Rozaliya made clear that this was not a creature that simply hunted alone.

@King Cosmos

Pokemon: Dream

I suppose I'm to throw my hat in here, huh?
I'll spin something up in the next while. Probably.

Advent of the Dawn — A Mecha Musume/Tokusatsu-Inspired RP (Reboot)

Elise Kim

Saitama Prefecture — Western Front

"An angel? I wouldn't go that far," the young woman responded offhandedly towards her companion before readying her own weapon of choice—a sniper rifle that seemed just as futuristic as the rest of her Chi-Mechframe. As the other soldiers began firing into the oncoming waves of Warped, Elise steadily raised her firearm up to eye level and began to scan the battlefield. A few holographic visuals popped up in front of her face as she took a deep breath, and the Pilot soon focused her attention on a cluster of larger Warped approaching the nearest barricades.

There was a brief pause as the tip of the barrel glowed, but the flash of light that shot forth seemed more akin to a laser beam than a bullet. One look at the young woman's target would only confirm that such a thought was much closer to reality than not; though it's head had remained largely intact, the hole burned clean through it meant that it truly was no more than a standing corpse now. Even then, the Warped could only remain standing for so much onlyer without any sort of brain to continue functioning, and after a few seconds what remained of the creature toppled to the ground.

Despite the firepower that she held in her hands, though, there was one issue with Elise's ability to contribute to the fight at large—namely, the speed at which she could push through the oncoming horde. All she could do in the end was make sure that every shot mattered, and prioritizing where to aim to begin with—especially in an open battlefield like this—was far from easy.

Hopefully the other Pilots would call if they needed backup.

@SaltSight

---

Despite the efficiency by which the Warped were being dispatched, the horde showed no signs of thinning. Given what they were, such an outcome should have been expected to some extent. This was more a marathon than a sprint, and expecting things to be so simple would have been more naivete than wishful thinking.

Even so, the corpses of Warped strewn about the ground made clear that the capabilities of Frame Pilots were well beyond those of ordinary soldiers, and that their presence here on the battlefield meant hundreds more soldiers could live to see another day.

But if all of the Warped that roamed these wastes were as strong (or as weak) as those here now, would humanity not have taken back what was once theirs sooner?

A ear-splitting screech erupted from the skies near Jennifer, and turning towards the source in the skies above would reveal the cause—a massive avian-esque Warped, sailing through the skies above. The 'head' of the monster had since parted, opening and twisting into a gaping maw from which an ominous red-black light could barely be made out.

Then, the ground was ablaze. The light as it had been quickly turned into a laser that swept across the ground, carving through asphalt and rock alike as it left the ground scarred. It mattered not that the Warped's "kin" tread where it struck. So long as there was "something" that tried to fight back, it only made sense to keep attempting to fire away until the threat was gone.

@Raineh Daze

At the same time, something far swifter had drawn close to Rozaliya. It would be subtle at first—a blur in the distance here, the feeling of 'being watched' there—but as more of the nearby Warped were executed, those signs would begin to increase in frequency.

At some point, it was very clear that the Pilot was being hunted down by something. Once the Warped that had been tracking her realized that it's presence was known, though, the tactics it employed would swiftly change to match. Rather than lurk in the shadows, the quadrupedal, weasel-like Warped—whose size was comparable to that of a small truck—began to close the distance with alarming agility that seemed unlikely for something of it's size. Bounding about from wall to rooftop to wall, the beast eventually chose to close the distance and attempt to pounce upon the prey that was within it's sight. From it's forearms, a pair of blade-like appendages seemed to snap out and into place and aimed right for the Pilot's neck.

@King Cosmos

Advent of the Dawn — A Mecha Musume/Tokusatsu-Inspired RP (Reboot)

Elise Kim

The Horizon — Engineering Bay

With no real questions about their mission proper, Elise returned the commander's dismissal with a brief nod and salute before following her peers out of the room. The engineering bay, as ever, was abuzz with activity. The young woman had long since given up trying to understand the complexities that came with managing both the ship and their equipment, but the efforts that the staff present put into maintaining was not lost upon her.

Regardless of those matters, the Pilot soon broke off from the others to retrieve her own piece of equipment: a small glove, into which the polished core of her Chi-Mechframe, Selene, was embedded. After confirming that everything was in order with the engineer who had handed it off to her, though, the young woman promptly gave her thanks before following the others to the hangar.

Given the size of her Chi-Mechframe, though, Elise chose to wait for the others to head out first—or, at the very least, wait for the advance team to make their exits first. Their eagerness to head out into the fray soon left only her and Rune on standby, and the larger man had soon thereafter made his own parting statements.

"Try not to leave too big of a crater."

As the last to leave, though, the Pilot was left to transform at her own leisure.

Elise held her one gloved hand over her chest, the jewel-like stone embedded within glowing ever-so-brightly as a halo began to form over her head. Though slow and measured at first, the sound of the halo whirring around her head soon gave way to an imperceptible silence as the rest of her Chi-Mechframe—vaguely winglike armaments, a set of mechanical shoes equipped with stabilizers, auxiliary tools to feed her information around the halo, and the rifle she had come to know inside and out—formed, piece by mechanical piece.

With everything in order (and a brief test of her own equipment while still in the hangar, just to be safe), Elise nodded and took a deep breath before following after her peers. Taking an aircraft down would have been far more preferable in her opinion, but going down alone in one felt a bit too uncomfortable.

Doubly so given everyone else's penchant for superhero-style landings.

With her wing narrowed to a point, Elise began to dive towards the ground headfirst, a thin barrier projected from the machinery around her halo to protect her as she sped forward. Through the parted clouds, the young woman could make out the front lines—and with them, a small crater that marked where her partner for the mission had touched down.

Rather than make a similarly spectacular appearance, though, Elise simply slowed her descent once she drew close enough to the ground. Her mechanical wings unfurled as she seemed to hover in midair, casting a slight shadow upon the battlefield as she made her presence known.

"Elise Kim, present," she spoke in Japanese as she gave a slight bow towards the soldiers, "I shall be in your care."

@SaltSight

---

Saitama Prefecture

What had once been a sprawling suburban residential area had long since been ruined, unmistakably scarred by the Warped that now roamed the streets. Though torn asphalt and years-old bloodstains marked the earth, actual combat had not been seen in the region in ages.

But such "peace" had to come to and end.

A few of the Warped—ones more humanoid in nature, though with distinctly inhuman monochromatic skin—had already begun to congregate at the arrival of the soldiers. A few of the smaller ones had already begun to bear down upon the defensive line; behind them, larger beasts thrice their size ambled forward. Their distended bodies seemed more akin to bloated corpses, swollen and misshapen, but their speed was well beyond what a shambling corpse might have reached.

Though their initial targets were the swathes of humans firing upon them, the arrival of a few new targets in their midst quickly changed their priorities. Lumbering giants and nimble gremlins alike lunged out at the nearby Pilots, their only aim to tear them limb from limb.

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@King Cosmos

Advent of the Dawn — A Mecha Musume/Tokusatsu-Inspired RP (Reboot)

Elise Kim

The Horizon — Dining Area

As the others spoke among themselves at her remark, Elise chose to simply remain quiet and continue eating her ramen. The young woman nodded her head at the larger man's mention of her name, though a response was a few seconds later than she'd have liked; speaking with a mouthful of noodles would end with incoherent half-words at best, after all.

"...Well, it is a rather large area, after all," the Pilot finally responded, her hand quietly preparing another mouthful all the while. "It'd be stranger if we weren't on the ground for most of the day... Maybe more, depending on whatever the hell's waiting for us down there. But, well, we'll find out soon enough, I suppose."

With the actual mission briefing in less than an hour, though, Elise chose to finish the rest of her meal in lieu of continued small talk. There was time for that after the day's tasks were complete—assuming they were all well enough to speak afterwards.

---

The Horizon — Command Room

Situated atop the bow of the ship, the command room had long since become a familiar sight to the Frame Pilots, Elise included. The place was abuzz with activity—no surprise, given the multi-day undertaking that awaited them. The various screens situated across the room showed a variety of things—views of the ground from remotely-manned drones, visuals showing the status of everyone's biometrics and the status of their equipment, and even communications with the JSDF teams on the ground to coordinate all of their efforts.

At the center of it all, watching as the organized chaos unfolded in front of her, was one Sandra Morrison, the owner of The Horizon and their boss. There was the slightest hint of insomnia from the bags beneath her eyes, but if she was tired, her behavior did not betray as much. Once the rest of the Pilots arrived, though, Sandra glanced at her watch and, after clearing her throat, began to speak.

"I thank all of you for arriving on time. As you know, today's mission is rather important—not just for the nation of Japan, but also to gauge your capabilities on the field proper," she began, turning her body slightly as she gestured to a holographic screen that appeared behind her. "Our primary goal over the coming days is to aid local military forces in recapturing the Saitama prefecture. While complete extermination of the Warped present would be ideal, such an outcome is, as all involved have noted, rather unlikely. Even so, clearing out a majority of the established Warped will give those here in Tokyo a buffer zone to the north, as well as room to re-establish and redevelop the region, however slowly."

With that, the blonde woman waved her hand against the screen, causing it to switch to an overview of the map of the region. To the southeast, of course, was a pulsing blue dot atop Tokyo—their current location. A few smaller dots were overlaid on top—the Pilots themselves, or at the very least the Chi-Mechframes that they possessed.

"As this is a joint venture with the nation of Japan, you do not have to worry about handling the entire prefecture yourselves. Rather, a majority of our efforts will be focused towards clearing out the western section of the region, as shown here. A northern offensive will be mounted by local forces as we proceed from Tokyo, but both groups should be ready to support the other at a moment's notice."

All the while, the map behind Sandra continued to light up, highlighting certain sections and points of interest whenever she brought them up. After she had finished, though, the map seemed to zoom in towards the (now-former) suburbs bordering Tokyo, where JSDF soldiers were already preparing their first forward line.

"Kim, Berg: your goal will be to protect the Japanese forces as they push forward. Remove any Warped that threaten to break through their defenses, and keep casualties to a minimum if you can. While the JSDF can handle smaller Warped with conventional firearms, larger ones will require your assistance to dispatch. Remember, one second could be the difference between a life saved and a life lost. Do not hesitate. If you cannot eliminate a hostile, call for backup and hold the line until they arrive."

Then, a switch to another camera, showing a visual filled with Warped. The bodies of the creatures seemed vaguely humanoid, though the blue and red skin tones and horns upon their heads seemed to invoke a more traditional demon's figure.

"Fukada, Whittemore, and Tarasova: you three will function primarily as an advance team, though you may be called back from the front if the situation grows dire with the others. Your goal will be to remove any larger Warped before they can contact the other team wherever possible, and inform us when you cannot so that they can prepare for engagement. Do not—and I cannot stress this enough—do not hesitate to retreat or call for backup when necessary. If you must engage an enemy you cannot handle alone, prioritize your own survival above all else. The life of one greater-class Warped is not worth your own."

After what felt like a rather extended silence and a glance over the Pilots present, though, Sandra nodded her head.

"With that said, be prepared to shift positions at a moment's notice. These are general guidelines for an ideal scenario," she continued, gesturing towards the screen at her side, "but nothing ever truly works out as planned—doubly so when our enemies are monsters, not men. If there are any further questions about the objectives for today's mission, speak up now. Otherwise, collect your Chi-Mechframes from the engineering bay and head to the hangar for deployment. You depart in thirty minutes; I wish you the best of luck in your efforts. Dismissed."

@VitaVitaAR@Raineh Daze@SaltSight@King Cosmos