File # 012

LCM-7 "Lapras" Mechanized Landing Craft

Type: Mechanized Landing Craft

Displacement:

58.7 tons (light)

113.2 tons (loaded)

Length: 22.27 m

Beam: 6.4 m

Draft:

1.23 m (light)

1.6 m (loaded)

Propulsion: 3x two cylinder HoR-powered reactor engines

Speed:

22 km/h (light)

17 km/h (loaded)

Capacity: 54.4 tons of cargo

Compliment: 6-8

Armament: 2x 12.7mm machine guns

NOTES

Landing craft are an asset in any naval invasion.

But depending on the circumstances, not many landing craft designs have been accepted for production. In fact, almost always they've been rejected.

That changed with the introduction of the LCM-7 "Lapras" Mechanized Landing Craft.

The Lapras may not look like its namesake, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is its ability to carry cargo across the ocean from the fleet. To prevent the cargo from being tossed overboard by the storms, all cargo is tied down using heavy-duty steel cables attached to the deck plating of the craft itself. While not an ideal situation, it does prevent the cargo from being lost. The landing craft's shallow draft does prevent it from traveling across distances during stormy weather, making it possible to get swamped if the waves are too big.

The Lapras' three HoR powered reactor cores give it the ability to remain in operation as long as needed, but the two cylinder engines are a far cry from the more advanced types used in later ships. The landing craft was built from the ground up to be able to carry 54.4 tons of cargo, which surprisingly can include heavy equipment like the Steelix main battle tank and artillery. The boat is armed with only two 12.7mm machine guns, so these ships have to be protected at all costs from the enemy's forces. Both humans and Pokémon tend to target them, making it vitally important that ships armed with adequate and appropriate firepower defend them from attack.

The best method to such a defense is to have either a battleship or cruisers, or even a destroyer squadron, acting as covering fire for them as they make their way towards shore. Air superiority is a must, so as to prevent Pokémon and human enemies alike from attacking them and preventing any chance of establishing a successful beachhead on any enemy shores. The landing craft are also prone to capsizing or swamping if their balance is off in any way. So all loads have to be distributed properly to ensure a stable voyage, even if it is just a short distance traveled.

One advantage to the Lapras though is its unique ability to traverse the rivers to act as a patrol vessel in addition to a landing craft. Its shallow draft makes it a perfect river boat, and it has proven its value in several tests, including a war-game with LaRousse. (LaRousse, seeing how effective and supportive it can be, put in several dozen orders for the craft.)

Selected Field Reports

"The Lapras is one hell of a landing craft! Got my tanks over to the invasion beach as soon as it began!" - Commander Gerald Detrick, Company A, Third Shock Guard, Fifth Armored Brigade, Third Army Group (Fort Nell)

"Had to hand it to them. Ransei came through for us with this." - Captain Larris Wilcox, LNS LaRousse

"Lapras Landing Craft make excellent river boats." - Ensign Ulrich Heinz, RNS Koenig

"Just wish the things had more firepower. Two measly machine guns ain't gonna cut it once the real fight begins!" - Chief Petty Officer Frederick Young, RNS Kusanagi

"Not as expensive as some other ships, but are easier to make and churn out. And surprisingly robust!" - Supreme Warlord Spray Krane on their durability and reliability

16 September, 6 YDR

Ransei Naval Command

Fontaine

1400 hours

Spray blinked as he stared at the large landing craft in front of him. His eyes narrowed as he turned to face the shipyard administrator. "You sure this thing is gonna work?" he asked. "It doesn't look like any previous landing craft I've seen."

The administrator, Drew Abraham, folded his arms and nodded. "I can see why you'd think differently." He gestured to the landing craft with one brawny arm. "The old style used in the past by prior warlords and kingdoms looked more like a Lapras than this one. The bridge we moved back because that was blocking the ramp for offloading. That was the key thing. Going around it was one thing, but it often led to longer offloading times, and believe me, that is the last thing we need if the invasion is to be a success," he explained.

The Supreme Warlord nodded. "I see why then," he mused. "Seconds are critical in any invasion."

Drew pursed his lips. "There's also the fact that the Lapras is underarmed when compared to its predecessor. Only two machine guns. But, we hope that the longevity, if anything, will make up for the gap. It's gonna take time to prove it though..." The shipyard administrator was serious as he muttered those words.

Spray was silent as he pondered this. The LCM-7, the latest in a long line of such craft, wasn't very well built for the heavy seas, as some of the tests had shown. But it did make for an excellent river boat. Able to swiftly travel up the rivers and deep into enemy held territory. But so far they didn't even know if the new region possessed any suitable rivers, let alone any places to dock or put ashore to gather supplies. Hell, he had no idea of there were even any friendlies in the area! He gritted his teeth and turned back to head out towards the parking lot. "I'll see the report once you send it to me," he said.

Drew nodded. "Understood, sir," he replied.

Spray made his way down to the parking lot where his bike was parked. He gripped the crystal around his neck and pulled it off once he reached his motorcycle. He slipped his leg over the seat and started the bike. He released the brakes and kicked up the kickstand, gunning the engine and speeding out as he hunched down behind the windshield.

The wind whipped at his hair and trenchcoat, but he brushed it aside and ignored it as he studied the data readouts on the entire area. One of the streets flashed yellow and a detour popped up; road construction, he realized. He turned down onto the suggested detour and followed it as he wove in between cars, trucks, and even a few military vehicles. It wasn't uncommon to see Ransei's military doing patrols and drills within some parts of the cities and country; it was actually considered normal, so as long as people stayed out of their way. Most did, but every so often a few adventurous kids found themselves in the middle of a simulated attack or firefight, and sometimes they even got injured. But they were always treated for their injuries if they got any by the forces on site.

It also helped to keep the rioters and crazies quiet and out of the way.

Many people never really questioned this, because it also gave the populous an advantage in how to react to a supposed "invading force", which ensured that they were prepared for the eventuality. It was only a matter of time before things started to fray between the members of the Human Legendary Coalition. He just wasn't sure when or how.

He revved the bike's engine and popped a wheelie, speeding down the ramp and onto the major highway leading back towards Auroros. He spotted a few tanks on the road and he blinked as they proceeded to drive past. The sides were all splattered with mud and some paint flecks; no doubt they were coming back from an exercise near Fontaine's borders. Spray brushed it aside though and continued on his trip back to the capital.

The trip back wasn't too long, about two hours at the most. By the time he reached his office, it was four in the afternoon.

He proceeded to make his way to the desk and sat down at the main terminal, his eyes hard.

The warlord's fingers flew over the keyboard as he narrowed his eyes. The main screen came up and he began to type furiously. He could only hear the pounding of the keys as he studied the screen. The map came up online and he tapped into the GPS satellites that remained in orbit; of course, there were only a few left, and two of them belonged to Ransei.

One of those satellites was currently above the new region from what he was seeing. His eyes narrowed as he studied the map on the screen, taking in all the data and the images. He pursed his lips and clasped his hands together as he frowned. "So this is the new region..." he mused. "It's way bigger than I thought..." He looked at the images, and he noted at once that something was off.

For one thing, the entire region was a mess. Buildings were without power and most of them looked like guns had been taken to sections of their facades, leaving gaping holes and missing windows. Vines crawled up parts of them and the streets were starting to turn green; or rather, the streets were resembling green fields snaking through the buildings along where the streets once were. Cars were either rusting away or starting to become consumed by the greenery and vegetation. Railroads were left either empty or had trains blocking them, including the roads the rails intersected. And people were huddled in camps and/or roaming the landscape while Pokémon ran rampant.

Spray frowned as he studied the image. It just didn't seem right...

He leaned in and panned the satellite image to the north of the city he was looking at and zoomed in a bit. The camera left a bit of motion blur, but he ignored it. Spray's eyes widened a bit as he saw something caught on the camera. He homed in on it and zoomed in to get a better view.

What he saw sent his mind reeling and his stomach lurched. He ran for the trash can and grabbed it, leaning over and vomiting up the contents of his stomach. He heaved a few more times before he looked up, gasping. He had not been expecting that whatsoever! And for that matter, what the hell was that thing?! It didn't look like any Pokémon he had ever seen, and yet... it had some similarities to one of the Pokémon he had encountered during the Unification six years back. The Pokémon(?) resembled in some ways a Butterfree, and yet it was drastically different. But the way it looked was just...

Sick.

Spray staggered to his feet and somehow managed to make it to his bathroom before he washed out his mouth and called in one of the staff to clean out the garbage can. He normally would've done it, but he had some questions to answer.

He quickly saved a copy of the satellite image and transferred it to his PokéGauntlet to show one of the most renowned experts in the entire nation.

Ransei University of Pokémon

Pokémon Biology and Anatomy Department

2000 hours

The warlord entered the university as the staff prepared to leave for the night. Spray knew the man wouldn't leave just yet, and he needed to take advantage of that before he went home for the evening. And after that, he had to be sure that the testing for the Lapras would commence as planned.

Spray headed into the lobby of the building, passing by potted plants and the Ransei University emblem of a Rhydon with a scroll and graduate's cap on its head hanging on the wall. The windows looking out over the coast showed the scene of the city of Fount, with its lights all lit up and the palace spilling its water into the ocean below. He passed by the staircase leading to the second floor and made his way to the main desk where the night watch stood, his eyes fixed on the newsscreen of his tablet.

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for Professor Zeb Hanson," Spray said, getting the guard's attention. The man looked up and his eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet.

"Warlord Krane! What are you doing here, sir?" he asked.

Spray was silent as he held up his PokéGauntlet. "Got something the professor needs to see," he said grimly.

The guard blinked before he nodded. "Right. Well, if it's as important as you say, then you're in luck. He's on the second floor in his office. He's finishing up some notes for his next class." He gestured to the staircase. "But just so you know, he's about to leave in a half hour."

"More than enough time. Thanks," Spray said. He waved and headed over to the stairs, passing by a few other students as they made their way to the parking lot.

As he walked, his mind flashed back to the image he had stored on his PokéGauntlet and he shuddered a bit. The mere thought of such a thing even existing... That was why he was even here to begin with. Zeb had recently gone abroad and came back with some horrific news that he refused to share with anyone, and as it stood, no one was really sure what he had seen or where he had gone. Rumors were spreading, and he needed to get to the bottom of it and prevent conspiracies from forming. The mere thought of conspiracies reminded him of the Order of Ragnarok, and he gritted his teeth at the memories of the Unification and the aftermath.

He gripped the pipe in his hand, feeling the reassuring presence of the weapon. He had no idea why, but it seemed right to carry it wherever he went in case of an attack. Spray chalked it up to having been in the field for so long, and his body was covered in scars to prove it.

He continued walking, coming finally to the main office where Professor Hanson was located. He stopped outside the door and was about to open it when he stopped, hearing something akin to a scuffle. Spray's eyes narrowed and the warlord stepped back, pulling his weapon free from the sheath on his back and clenching it in both hands. The scuffling grew louder and the next thing he knew, a blast threw open the door and destroyed part of the wall, sending the professor sprawling on his back, groaning as he struggled to sit up. "Unh...!"

Spray looked back at him with wide brown eyes before he turned his gaze back to the smoke filled office, and his eyes widened as a large Ariados, or what used to be an Ariados, came scurrying out, hissing and gnashing its pincers. The Pokémon(?) was hideously mutated, with eight legs, four of which were some kind of fungal matter, and its forehead horn was longer and sharper with a jagged edge. The rear abdomen looked more bloated and its little back antennae had mutated into a grotesque pair of wings with literal skin in between the "fingers". Its face now had fifteen eyes, and its pincers also had the same jagged edge. But the fungal matter creeping along its exoskeleton was enough to make Spray shudder in disgust.

"What in the name of Arceus is that thing?!" he blurted.

"That... Warlord Krane... is what I was studying!" Hanson grunted as he sat up, rubbing his side. Spray noticed the blood coming from beneath his lab jacket and he gritted his teeth.

"That monstrosity?" he asked.

"No... what caused it is what I was studying! The fungal matter covering it!" The professor got to his feet, his crystal pulsing as he stared the beast down. "Or rather the spore that infected it!"

"Hold on! A spore did this?" Spray asked, looking at the professor out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes." Hanson nodded. "But unfortunately, it was just too strong for the containment cage. I had to sedate it to bring it back. But the sedation must've worn off some time a few days ago." His eyes were hard and Spray turned his gaze back to the creature.

"Okay. So how do we stop it?" he wondered, hefting his staff. His crystal began to pulsate as well, and he felt the telltale buildup of energy within his chest. The Heart was sending him some strength, Spray mused. 'Probably because of this thing.' he thought.

The warlord held up the pipe and the crystal around his neck flashed, like a human heartbeat, and at once the energy began to seethe down his body and into his weapon. The very tip began to glow, and a surge of bluish-white energy emitted from the crystal, forming a sword-like lance tip right on the top of the old battered pipe. He spun the pipe a few times before holding it out in front of him with both hands, the energy tip pointed forward.

His crystal shone brightly as the mutated Ariados launched itself right at him.

Spray narrowed his eyes and brought the pipe up, blocking the creature's mandibles as it tried to gnaw through the metal. The concrete within thankfully stopped its mandibles cold. He grunted as his eyes flashed and he kicked the Pokémon away, giving himself some breathing room. The Ariados proceeded to launch a Poison Jab right for Spray, but the warlord crouched and leapt up over it, the attack slamming into the wall behind him and collapsing a few paintings and a trophy case. He swung his lance around to fire off a shockwave; he had to make this count because he didn't want to cause damage to the university any more than already had been done.

He swung the weapon around, targeting the Ariados mutation. "Aura Blade!" he cried.

The blue shockwave launched itself from his lance and sped right for the mutated Pokémon, slamming into it and causing a mild explosion that rocked the floor they were on. The attack, while not at full power, was enough to cause some minor damage, mostly consisting of overturned pots and a few chairs sent flying down the hall.

The smoke cleared a bit, just enough for him to make out the Pokémon lying on its back against an empty display case, the glass cracked and shattered around it. The Pokémon's eyes were all closed, indicating it was out like a light. Spray let out a sigh as he stood up, the burning energy fading from his body and the blade dissipating in a flash of light and sparks. He resheathed his pipe and walked over to the Pokémon, kneeling down and prodding it with a finger. "What happened to it?"

"Well, why don't you help me bring that thing in and I'll explain?" Hanson asked.

Spray looked at him and nodded. "Right."

Together the two men were able to lug the mutated beast back into the lab and a sedative was administered via an IV drip. Once it was secured and locked away, Hanson sat down at his desk and sighed, looking around the room.

Spray looked around as well, and his eyes narrowed.

Papers and all sorts of other stuff lay scattered around, while marks no doubt made by Poison Jab dotted the walls and floor. String Shot littered the ceiling and lights, while some marks from X-Scissor stood out on the nearest windows. Spray felt glad the university had reinforced the entire campus after the Undampening six years back. He frowned as he sat down across from the professor. "So, what's happened?"

Professor Hanson sighed as he placed a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "First off, do you even know why I went abroad recently?"

Spray nodded. "Some kind of radio signal we picked up, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Hanson said. "It was a distress beacon sent out from an island off the coast of another region that has fallen into anarchy, similar to Fiore and Almia, but that's all we know. The government there claims to be the legitimate government, and they are asking for help to start to reclaim their region from the warlords that have taken over the many military installations and cities, as well as other unsavory forces. But that's not the reason why I went abroad there." He reached down and lifted up his well worn knapsack and set it down on the desk. He reached in and fished around before he pulled out a small vial of some kind of powder. "This is why I went over there. Some kind of new fungus or whatever has caused horrific mutations amongst its Bug-type Pokémon."

Spray pursed his lips as he took the vial and looked at it. "It only affects Bug-types, and nothing else? Not even humans?"

Hanson shrugged. "I started testing it and trying to study it only recently. For all we know, it could have variants."

"Any idea as to how this...thing...mutates the Bug-types?" Spray wondered, leaning forward a bit.

"No clue." Hanson shrugged again. "That's why I was studying it. I wanted to see just how it cause such an event, and well, the results are plain to see." He gestured to the unconscious Ariados in its cage. "The process is actually quite disturbing, and frankly, I'm not sure how this stuff can do that. All I know is that it originated within the mushroom of the Parasect that I encountered while abroad in the new region. It was very horrifying, and to even see them... Also, I noticed that the mutated Bug-types seem to develop some kind of a hive-mind or something. It's all still very new to me."

Spray was silent as Hanson continued. "But what we do know is that it can take control of any Bug-type, and I fear that not even the Link can sever the control it has over its host. I don't know if even the Heart of Ransei can do anything. It's like something out of a horror film..." He lowered his gaze. "And frankly, if it reaches our shores, we could..."

The warlord grimaced. The memories of Viperia's downfall were still fresh in his mind, even six years later, and he did not want to have the same fate befall another kingdom, especially one that produced a large segment of Ransei's food supplies; Greenleaf would not be able to make up the shortfall alone, even with Aurora's help.

"Any ideas as to how we can counter it?" he asked the professor.

Hanson shrugged helplessly. "Even if I could find a counter, it would take a lot of luck to try and sever the control this thing has." He stood up and headed over to a steel door locked tight. He entered a code on the keypad and it hissed open once it unlocked. Spray felt the chill and he knew it was a freezer. Hanson guided the Supreme Warlord inside and headed over to one of the many tables covered with bodies.

"Sorry. We're still trying to clear this out from the Unification," he apologized.

"Forget it," Spray said, waving a hand. "You were gonna show me something?"

Hanson nodded. "Yes." He reached a table that was covered with a thick tarp. He grabbed it and pulled it off, revealing a hideously mutated Venemoth. But what threw him for a loop was that its head was cut open, exposing the brain and spinal cord. The renowned researcher put on a pair of gloves and nudged the body over onto its back. "See here?"

Spray leaned in a bit and his eyes widened at the sight of the large lump with its veins snaking into the brain and nerve center. "This thing right here is what takes control of them, like a parasite or an alien seeking a human host. As you can see, the veins integrate into the brain and spine, and psychic scans done by a few of the staff here have shown that the mind is rendered virtually null, as in it is totally destroyed and the empty brain is taken over by the parasite, fusing directly into its...conscience, or whatever. It's hard to explain," Hanson explained. "But I'm sure you get the idea, sir."

The Supreme Warlord nodded. "I do." He then looked the man directly in the eyes. "And there's no way to break it or cut it free?"

"No. See how the veins literally fuse into the brain? Even if we could remove them, it would cause irreparable damage to the host," the professor admitted. He covered the corpse once more with the tarp and the two men left the room.

"I take it though that you didn't come here just to learn about this, right?" Hanson asked his guest.

Spray shook his head. "Actually, I came to ask you about..." He raised his PokéGauntlet and activated the screen, bringing up the photos a short while later. He showed it to the professor who lowered his gaze.

"It's a lot worse now than I feared..." he murmured. He looked up, his eyes hard. "After I left, there were only a few hundred Pokémon infected with this thing. But now... The numbers are rising exponentially. I fear that if nothing is done soon, all Bug-types within the region could become carriers for this spore or whatever it is. So we have to make sure we can cure it, or at least slow its rate of infection."

Spray lowered his PokéGauntlet. "I trust you'll do everything in your power to find that, Hanson. But please. Try to do it someplace where there's no possibility for collateral damage or harm to Chrysalia's Bug Pokémon population," he said.

Hanson nodded. "I will."

With that taken care of, Spray turned and headed back out of the office and for his bike. He had a busy day tomorrow.

17 September, 6 YDR

Undisclosed location

The assembled team scanned over the data reports and the troop numbers, making sure everything was good for the operation.

In the middle of it all stood the Supreme Warlord, his eyes hard as he focused on the major battle lurking ahead of him. Computer screens scanned the possible scenarios the battle could take, and each one of them held possible consequences for the future of the war, and the world. Spray watched with grim determination as around him the staff of the command team began to go over the final operation phases.

The enemy shores loomed ahead of them and the operation began at once.

The naval ships launched the bombardment first, firing their shells and rockets, striking the shoreline and throwing up dust and debris. All the while, the Lapras landing craft stuck close to the parent ships as the assigned assault units began to board them. Even tanks were loaded on. As the landing craft began to move, things shifted, and Spray found himself observing as if through a plane's view. It was as if he were flying.

The whole invasion was just a big computer simulation, but out on the coast of Ransei, the Lapras were indeed acting out the part and moving towards Ransian shores.

The objective of this test was simple: to see how well the landing craft could handle in the middle of rough seas and during operational battle conditions.

And so far things were looking good overall. He only hoped the troops were holding out okay.

Lapras Landing Craft

Ransei Coastline

Commander Gerald Detrick grunted as his craft slammed into the water, soaking the few crewmen of his tank unit as they motored their way across choppy seas. He looked back at the destroyer his team had launched from, and he grimaced a bit. 'Lucky saps don't have to worry about such things like waves beating the shit outta them in these things!' he thought sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

The tanker shifted his gaze back to the shoreline, and he shifted his body with the waves. It was ironic, really. He was a tanker, and yet he was squirreled away on this landing craft, his tank and a few others hidden behind the flimsy walls. Well, not really flimsy, but still a bit of a hassle to deal with. The only downside was that these landing craft didn't have any real armaments, a disadvantage when going up the rivers. To be honest, he wished that his landing group didn't have to go up the river to reach the next landing point: he wanted to be on land.

But the mission stood, and his orders were clear.

Plus he wasn't willing to risk a court martial for this.

He gritted his teeth as he gripped his crystal, feeling it pulsate with his feelings.

The Lapras landing craft groaned as it crested a wave and slammed down into the trough, burying its bow before struggling upright; the pumps were working overtime. The craft seemed a bit too flimsy, now that he thought about it. Detrick felt his heartrate increase and sweat formed on his palms as he wiped them on his uniform, not that it did much good as his fatigues were soaked with seawater. He watched the shoreline draw closer with agonizing slowness, and by now he could make out the buildings of Fount, the capital of Fontaine. The sun was partially hidden by clouds, so the temperature was fairly normal for this part of the nation.

Detrick also picked out the river where his landing group was heading.

"Hey, sir?"

The voice of his driver Theresa caught his attention and he turned to face her as she approached.

"Hey, Theresa," he said. He caught her expression and his eyes softened. "Something wrong?"

She nodded. "Are we even sure that... we can do this?" she asked. "I mean, given the fact we know so little about the new region..."

Detrick knew where she was coming from. He sighed as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I won't lie to you on this, Theresa. To be honest, I have my doubts about the invasion succeeding altogether, given the circumstances under which they contacted us. The Emperor and the rest of the government on that island are in dire straits, and we have no means of assisting them as of yet. Plus that new parasite or whatever that Professor Hanson mentioned in his report during the briefing worries me beyond belief," he admitted. "And... I'm not sure it will even be possible."

"Then why are we even doing it?" Theresa asked as the Lapras shuddered from a wave impact to the stern.

"Because if we don't try, then what kind of a message does that send?" Detrick said. "Even if it fails, at least we can try, right? Sometimes we gotta take risks if we're to determine if something works or not."

His driver looked back at the rest of the landing craft carrying the rest of their troops, a worried look in her eyes. "I just hope we can succeed at this..."

"We will. I'm not sure how, but we will. Just trust me." Detrick squeezed her shoulder gently and smiled. "Now c'mon. We gotta get ready for the landing exercise."

She nodded. "Right." Her expression still showed her doubt, but she did have a renewed sense of optimism in her eyes. And frankly, he suspected he looked the same way.

The two entered their tank and sealed the hatch as the landing craft approached the delta to the river.