57 - text;

[islandshore]

PGC filer;

Lightning and Hope are gone, which leaves us without leaders. That also cuts our numbers down to ten.

So, my question for your guys is "what next?" I don't think we should disband; just a quick look at the network will show that goons like Cobra are still at large. Still, we're gonna need some structural changes. New leaders, possibly new squads, and, more importantly, new members.

I guess I just want to know what you think. I don't know every one of you personally, but the PGC is supposed to be a team, so everyone should have a chance at giving feedback. I think if we sort out our strengths and weaknesses, that could help us with restructuring. It might be better to have multiple leaders so that if anyone disappears, there's people to fall back on. Maybe each squad can have one, beats me.

I'm gonna throw up an anonymous message in a sec to see about gathering newbies, though. If you've got friends you'd like to recommend, might as well bring them up now.

[Shortly after the PGC message pops up, a second message appears:]

Anonymous;

What does this world mean to you? Do you think it's something worth protecting, or would you rather sit on the sidelines and watch it burn? This place is more than sunshine and Pokémon battles. If given the choice to make a difference, would you take it?

[He remembers Lightning doing something like this before. He'll just have to keep his fingers crossed that it works.]

Comments

text: pgc filter

[saxsongs]

[It won't be the same without Lightning, but... the show must go on.]

I'm still up to continuing with the PGC. We need people to deal with Team Rocket, after all.

I do have a recommendation as a member. Tenten is a very skilled trainer and she has a lot of strong Pokémon. She's been against Team Rocket before.


Also we still have an information source within Team Rocket. I'm getting informed on what happens in the private network of the team, even though I'm no longer a member, since I have a strong ally by my side. So I can keep us informed on anything important happening.

text: pgc filter

[islandshore]

Tenten, huh? I've spoken with her a few times, and she seemed all right. If you think she's up for it, then by all means, she can jump right in.

And since you've got a source, has anything interesting popped up lately? I remember seeing another anonymous attack recently, and then there's Cobra's usual "terrorism", but if anything else sticks out to you, I'd love to know. Maybe we could all swap notes, since right now we're all pretty spread out.

text

[usedswift]

What've you got in mind?

text, filtered;

[islandshore]

There's a group dedicated to protecting this place. Our whole purpose is to fight off the forces of Team Rocket and anyone else who tries stirring up trouble.

We're looking for new members to breathe some life back into the corps. So, you interested?

[He's fine divulging this information with Tenten, particularly after Ren's response. A filter's just a precautionary measure.]

anonymous forever | private text;

[doitrockapella]

Now that's interesting; it seems to me I've heard this song before.

This channel is private, in case you were worried about prying eyes.

private text;

[islandshore]

Yeah. Happened a few months back, but I felt it was past due for a second round.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're anonymous for a reason. So, are you a friend or foe? That's what I need to know.

text;

[ghostytrainer]

this world means more to me than i can really put into words.
but maybe that's just because i'm bad with words.
what sort of difference are we talking about here?

anon text;

[islandshore]

How about stopping the Rockets in their tracks? Making them pay for all the damage they've caused. Does that sound good to you?

[ text ]

[imthe_shit]

Not sure it's so black and white... There are plenty of people here that sit on the sidelines and I'm not sure they'd want to see it burn. [ Of course, he's thinking of various NPCs... like mom. ]

I'm not so much interested in the Pokemon Battles anyway; I don't think I plan on collecting all the gym badges this time, so what is it you're offering?

[ anon text ]

[islandshore]

Sure, it's never that simple. Some people are just content to keep living their lives without worrying about threats; it doesn't mean they're in favor of the attacks, but I'm proposing something bigger than that.

We're talking a group effort to fight back and keep this world safe.

text;

[lullabytes]

Every world is worth protecting, you know.

anon text;

[islandshore]

Sure, but not everyone sees it that way. There are people here who'd rather tear it all down. People who see others as cattle and willingly and knowingly go outta their ways to harm and endanger them. Some even revel in it.

I'm looking for people who are willing to step in put a stop to their efforts.

[text;filtered]

[soundmind]

I don't know much about that, just that I have a lot of people that I care for here. Some of those people made this place feel a lot like home to me when I was alone, so...if there was some way to help, I'd do it.

[text;filtered]

[islandshore]

[Hey look! He's not anon-- mostly because it's filtered and he's spoken with Maka before.]

Would you believe me if I told you there was a way? It's been kind of low key, but there's a group of us who've been fighting the Rockets for more than a year.

[video]

[paladinlost]

...The problem with all of you anonymous people asking such grand questions is that you could be someone trying to neutralize heroic-minded young newcomers, for all we know.

[Cecil probably wouldn't be saying that had he not drunk a third of the liquor bottle a certain pink-haired woman gave him for Christmas. But he has and he is.]

[video/filtered]

[islandshore]

[Aaaand here we have Riku, sitting with his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.]

Hey, do I look like the kinda guy who'd brainwash people? Believe me, I hate the Rockets as much as the next guy.

Anonymous Text

[explosivecombat]

[Well, you're just going to get anon text in return, Riku, hope you don't mind.]

My, that's a loaded question if I've ever seen one. How many do you really think are going to respond with "No, I'd rather watch it burn, thank you very much?"

Anonymous Text

[islandshore]

Look down, and you'll see that someone went a step further than that.

I figure that most won't respond in that fashion, but what can I say? I'm curious. The population here cycles out so often that you could think of this as an experiment.

[Text]

[cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

[One of these days, Cobra is going to figure out that when these things happen, the best thing to do is play along. After all, then he'd be able to infiltrate and possibly destroy whatever this nonsense is.

Today is obviously not that day.]

You're forgetting a third type. The ones who start the fires in the first place.

[Anon Text]

[islandshore]

Oh, I know all about those types. But I also know that they're not worth my time. No amount of begging and pleading is going to set you on the right track.

[Sorry, Cobra, but you'll have to try some other time! Still, an admirable effort.]

text

[copycat]

the only thing that matters to me here is my friends and family, sorry. if i could change one thing... i'd make it so we could go home.

anon text

[islandshore]

Fair enough. Just know that you may have the cross the line at some point. The Rockets don't discriminate when it comes to targets.

Can't help you with a way out, either. That's something outside of all of our control.

video;

[angerpoints]

[... huh, now that's an interesting question. Without knowing the identity of the person who posted it to the network, Yusuke can't know for sure what, exactly, the motivation for posting it was, so there's a part of him that's more than a little wary. He'll answer it anyway, though. Even if it's actually a trick and this is just some idiot with a hokey bad guy agenda trying to mess with people, Yusuke isn't afraid of putting his name out there - or his face, for that matter, which is why he opts for video instead of text.]

This world's a hell of a lot more boring than mine is, and I don't really like it that much, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't protect it or the people here if some asshole came along and threatened them. People who put innocent lives in danger just to prove a point piss me off no matter who they are or where they come from.

Why do you ask?

anon text for now;

[islandshore]

Because there have been people who do just that. Take one look at the news, and you'll see for yourself; explosions, attempted theft, assaults... these all happen here, and they usually go unpunished.

So, if you had that chance, would you be willing to fight side by side with others, or would you stay solo?

[pinnedbangs]

[It was de ja vu. He had received a message just like that before, when he first arrived here. Was it really that long ago? It felt like ages. He remembered feeling mad - especially when that person pointed out how under-leveled his team was.

Well, his team wasn't any stronger now - Poochy was finally in the 50s and still didn't evolve, and he was still looking for a way to help turn his super cool Nuzleaf into a huge forest guardian.]

I can't sit around and do nothing if something bad were to happen. But I know that I'm not strong enough right now to do much fighting for it. ...I really like this world. So I'll do what I can for it.

[islandshore]

[Still anonymous for now, but Riku's hardly about to start dissing somebody based on their team. Any help counts at this stage.]

Do you think you'd do well in a group? Just having that drive's a good start.

[text]

[lieutenantantichrist]

Is that an arson threat?

[anon text]

[islandshore]

That's the kind of thing we're against.

The cops here are incompetent. Somebody has to pick up the slack.

text; | private filter if possible

[in_praetego]

This is a world my brother and I have been brought to. If any harm comes to it, I can't sit idly by and watch.

text; | private filter

[islandshore]

So, how do you feel about group work? Believe me, there's others in the same boat as you, so you're not alone.

Voice

[redenzione]

This world is God's second chance to me. I would protect it with everything I have.

anon text for now

[islandshore]

God's second chance? That's a poetic way of putting it.

The question is, would you be willing to work with others for a common goal? That goal being the safety of this place.

[twinsanity]

Why should this world mean anything to me? I didn't ask to be brought here, and so I don't particularly care what happens to it.

I mean, I wouldn't say I'd watch it burn, but that's just because I'm currently living in it.

[You know. Priorities and all.]

anon forever

[islandshore]

So you're more of the self-serving type. That's fair.

It's more a matter of morals and ethics, but obviously there are people who don't care about any of that.

action;

[heartdive]

[ well you know Sora is more or less hovering over a shoulder. gotta see those replies! ]

Any bites?

action;

[islandshore]

Got a couple so far. It's a start, but...

[He slaps a hand over his face.]

Then you've got Cobra Commander being as blatant as ever.

PGC Filter: Text

[friendyousohard]

You know, you and Lightning really are similar when it comes to the messages you use for recruitment.

[Not that it really matters, she just finds it amusing.]

Does this mean I call you "Commander" now, Riku?

PGC Filter: Text

[islandshore]

That was intentional. I figured, hey, might as well tear a page from her book.

[He wasn't sure how else to phrase it off the top of his head. Templates make things easier.]

I don't know about Commander... I mean, I guess I'm heading this for now, but we've been throwing around the idea of multiple leaders. At least one to a squad-- plus, we've all got different skill sets.

text; pgc filter

[usedwatergun]

I definitely want to keep going, and I think you have good ideas already about what we should do. I hadn't thought about it that way before, but a leader to each squad would be a good idea. If something like this happens again there are still other leaders we can report to.

I was part of Lightning's and Hope's squad, so I think that just leaves me with one teammate right now. Restructuring definitely needs to happen. I'm in Goldenrod with France (and Envy) right now, if that matters.

And there's a girl here who helped out with the fundraisers and training the Pokemon guarding the boarding houses, she might make a good addition? Her name is Tenten.

A man named Minato Namikaze, too. I've seen him in action once and I definitely think he's someone to trust.

text; pgc filter

[islandshore]

I went ahead and added Tenten to Squad 1 with you and Ren-- I hope that's all right with you. If not, we can sort something out later. She's gonna lend a hand in organizing and tactics from this point forward, since she seems more than capable.

I haven't met this Minato guy, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. Go ahead and give him a heads up if you want, and I can try arranging something later on.

[text]

[beholdmydemons]

Depends on what you mean by protecting. What difference is this that needs to be made?

[text]

[islandshore]

Did you see the recent news broadcast? If not, there's been another set of attacks launched against some of the cities here.

Danger is a very real thing. There are forces like Team Rocket with a huge amount of fire power up their arsenal. There've been Pokémon Center bombings, train hijackings, and more over the past few years.

Do you think it's worth stepping in and trying to stop those disasters?