Cue The Violins [Rocket Mission][F]

[Morrigan]

ocket Mission

Operation: Child's Play

The night had begun to loom over the metropolis of Goldenrod City, the dense city streets becoming illuminated by faint street lamps along with the full moon overhead. Considering how late into the evening it had become, it was no surprised that the roads were quiet as it was past the time where most people had returned home from work or school and were now enjoying their evening supper or moment of relaxation. But for one female, her day had just begun. Reminiscing over her time she had spent with an old friend, Sharada shaded herself from the street lights, lurking shadily down a dark and dingy alleyway with a cigarette hanging from her lip. She had been in Team Rocket for much longer than she would care to admit and what was worse was the fact that she was becoming used to these ridiculous missions. Her last had involved her severing a tail off a Slowpoke but this time, she needed to kidnap a young girl. Frowning as she tried to recall the mission information, as she had read over it so many times, she still couldn't quite work out how she was going to come out of this victorious.

"To think that this is going to serve as a distraction for other Rockets to take over the Radio Tower... If I screw this up, I'll have to deal with a lot more than a loss of a pay cheque." Knowing that if she screwed up, quite a number of important Rockets would add her to their bad books. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself but in this case, she had been selected and had to come out trumps if she valued her life. If she liked it or not. Suddenly hearing the pitter patter of steps coming from behind her, Sharada immediately relinquished a breath of smoke, tossing her cigarette to the floor and stomping it out before turning to see who had approached her. Luckily, it was someone she knew and trusted. "Tenebrae. Is the coast clear?" Standing boldly in her Rocket uniform, the brunette would usually cover herself up but tonight, she had to make her opponents realise that it was Team Rocket who defeated them and that they were to be feared. Standing before her was a rather wild looking boy with red tattoos and a school like outfit on but truly, he was a Zorua in human guise. "I could not sense anyone in the nearby area. You should be safe from immediate interferences."

The ears on his head twitching, Sharada had ordered to Zorua to be her eyes for this operation. She needed a Pokemon on her team to play watch whilst she took care of any battles, so that she could be warned if any other threats appeared. Tenebrae was her only option for this. She didn't want the Zorua to get involved with any battling and with his power of illusions, he was able to quickly hide himself from trouble. He didn't like using them but considering the situation, he had no choice. Learning that the surrounding area was free of civilians, Sharada nodded, realising that it was about time for her targets to appear. "Stay hidden. If the worst happens, flee at all costs. Use everything in your power to get to safety." Fidgeting with the Poketch on her wrist, she looked to her partner, "Don't try to play hero. If anything happens to me, I need to rely on you to find us help. Don't let a single soul see you." Understanding that this was an important situation, Tenebrae nodded and bent his knee, "Understood. Just... Be careful." Smiling at his warning, Sharada watched as the Zorua jumped back into the shadows, in order to find a safe hiding place until he was called for again.

Being given every shred of information as possible, Sharada kept her eyes pinned on the road, waiting for a particular vehicle to arrive. To summarise her mission, Sharada needed to ambush a car which holds the Radio Tower Manager's daughter, to then hold her for ransom until her father shows up and then steal a key which leads to the Radio Tower basement. In her head, it sounded simply enough but stopping a moving vehicle wasn't going be done subtly and there were also the fact of the girl having powerful body guards. Sharada had a number of strong Pokemon herself but until she entered a battle, she couldn't know for sure if she had the advantage or not. Pausing, she could hear the sound of spinning tires, which caused her to jump back into the shadows of the alley way. As the car crept up the dark road, Sharada narrowed her brow. She couldn't just jump any old vehicle, she had to make sure that it was her target first. With traffic lights right before her, Sharada hoped this would be a way to check over passing cars without too much hassle. "Tenebrae. Change the light from green to red." His blue eyes piercing through the shadows, the Zorua concentrated all his might to form an illusion of the nearby traffic lights changing colour, in hopes of stopping the on coming car. Knees bent and Pokeball ready, Sharada was ready to ambush if this was her target.

- Sharada changed the traffic light to Red to stop the moving vehicle. -

OOC: Usually these Rocket quests are free form and do not have a specific set flow. From what I gather, the RPer needs to explain their ambush on the car, battle the three trainers, take the girl to a safe location and then contact the Radio Tower manager with bribery/exchange of his daughter for the basement key. It's straight forward with a bit of creativity, so do whatever (within reason) and I'll work with it.

[Deleted]

Alexandria Northingtton was enjoying the ride to her violin class. Being the daughter of the Radio Tower manager she was spoiled as could be and got anything she wanted. As she was the managers only child he would do anything to protect her which is why she always rode in a bulletproof limousine with two body guards to minimize any risk of a kidnapping. The vehicle stood out from the crowd as it was a blinding white with visible plates of armor bolted on as a warning to anyone who may try to do anything to the car. The young girl had taken the ride many times before and just like before she was not expecting anything to go down.

The two body guards talked with one another so that the young girl did not hear however the young girl knew they were likely talking about something strange they had noticed. They stopped at a traffic light for far longer than usual and the two guards began to feel as if something was amiss. As the driver of the car tried to make a U Turn the engine quit and the car came to a complete stop in the middle of the street. Fearing the worst they locked the car doors and got out of the car to look around to see if they could find anything to restart the car engine before trouble went down.

One of the guards wanted to keep the young girl in the car so he give her strict orders to stay put. " Alexandria do not leave this car no matter what you do! Do you understand? It can be very dangerous if you do. Me and Galliano are going to have a look around and see if we can find something to restart the car so you are not late for your violin recital." He said as the two body guards started to look around trying to find if there was anything useful to restart the cars engine so they could get out of the area as they both felt as it something was not right.

It was then that the pair took notice of the young lady standing near the stop light with a giant red R on her chest as well as well as a school aged boy with red tattoos. As they knew what a Team Rocket uniform looked like they knew that they had found trouble and would have no choice but to battle and hope that they could stop the grunt from kidnapping their bosses daughter." It must have been you who set up this ambush. You will not get away with this so long as we are around to protect Alexandria. Are you ready for a battle Galliano?" He asked the elderly guard. The elderly guard nodded as they both got ready to send out a Pokemon.

Galliano despite his age grabbed his Pokeball first sending out a tough looking Luxio while Blanchard finally grabbed a Pokeball with a Manetric. " We will give you one chance for you two to run away or else we will have no choice but to flatten you." He said hoping the young lady would come to her senses and run off without causing more trouble.

Body Guards Blanchard and Galliano have challanged you to a battle. Blanchard sent out a level 30 Manetric and Galliano sent out a level 30 Luxio. Please select two Pokemon for battle.

Ooc: We are both Guinea Pigs for how this mission is supposed to go down but I hope I did everything right.

[Morrigan]

As the car pulled up to the illusion of the red light, Sharada remained hidden in the shadows, her eyes narrowing as she looked over what she was up against. The car was heavily armoured and although she had one or two powerful Pokemon, even she was unsure if it was possible to rip off a door in order to get to the girl. There were also incredibly strict orders that the young child was not to be harmed, not that the brunette would do such a thing, regardless of her Rocket position. She found it hard enough cutting off a Slowpoke tail, so she was going to handle a young girl much more carefully. "Tsk. What do I do now?" Sharada muttered under her breath, she hadn't exactly saw this far. Knowing that the people inside were likely getting restless, Tenebrae who still lingered in the shadows, pushed his powers a little further. Making it seem like there was a fault with the engine, the young Zorua breathed out heavily, momentarily kneeling by the side of Sharada. "Haah... Haah... I'm afraid... That is all I can muster..." Scanning her eyes over her partner, Sharada knew that it took a lot of mental power to summon these illusions and for a Pokemon that wasn't too fond of them in the first place, it only added to the pressure of creating something believable. "No, that is perfect. Look!"

Within moments of Tenebrae's additional help, two guards had stepped out of the vehicle to investigate the problem. Looking across to them both, Sharada knew that this was going to be the bigger problem in the mission. Both were likely well trained and if she wanted to succeed, she needed to take them out. Immediately. Her inexperience and wanting to get this situation over and done with showing, she stepped out of the shadows and into the street light. She couldn't allow the car to escape, so needed to get rid of these body guards and move in for Alexandria. Her figure quickly catching their attention and further causing them to turn their heads, the one thing Sharada hadn't noticed was that Tenebrae had also stepped out of the shadows to stay by her side, despite her warnings to him earlier. Listening as the guards spoke out to them, Sharada needed to force a confident smirk. Confidence was the key thing she needed in this situation. All she had to do was think about all the battles, friendships and difficult situations she had been through, to realise that although she was doing something wrong, she could win this with both her and her Pokemon's strength. At the end of the day, she was a double agent and no matter how long it took, how ever many enemies she would make or whatever false companions she would grow attached to in the evil organisation, this mission was to help keep her cover hidden and bring down Team Rocket from the inside. One day.

"Hmph." She grumbled with a snooty turn of her nose, folding her arms together tightly. "That's right. But I don't expect a pair of old fogies like you to be able to keep up with me. I was told that the bodyguards would actually pose a threat." Her icy glare lingering over the pair, she unfolded her arms and rested a hand on her hip. "In the name of Team Rocket, I will claim what is rightfully ours! And to do that, I will be taking Alexandria!" Making her target fully clear, as all true villains would, Sharada braced herself for the battle to begin. The sight of the Pokemon that each of them sent out caused her expression to falter angrily, "Just my luck. I hate electric types." Needing to keep her fear of electricity out of sight, she could only think of one Pokemon to handle this pair but if she wasn't careful, it could back fire on herself. Her hand grasping on the ball of Bellatrix, she knew that the Nidoqueen would be able to pull through but the only problem was who to pair her with. Delphine was out of the question, the two had a horrid history of hating one another and the last thing she wanted was blood coming from her own side. Still, considering the attack of Bellatrix, there was only one other Pokemon Sharada could truly use.

Sending one last threatening glare back to the bodyguard duo, she needed to hide any fears or nerves. She was in the middle of this now and couldn't back out. "I'll destroy you both and take the girl right before your eyes! You'll be powerless and broken once I am finished with you!" Holding two Pokeballs in each hand, she tossed them both forward, revealing a duo of queens. Standing tall with her armoured body, Bellatrix stomped a foot down and roared dominantly at her foes. Buzzing in the air next to her was a second queen, that of Santana the Vespiquen. Her jewel like eyes glimmering through the darkness, both of them oozed confidence and bravery. Throwing an arm out, the battle was going to start once and for all. "Fear the power of Team Rocket!" Sharada called out. "Bellatrix, use Earthquake! Santana, hang back and focus on Heal Order!" The plan in Sharada's head was a risky one as if she wasn't careful, her Vespiquen could easily faint. Suspecting that the duo would focus their electrical attacks on the queen bee, she had decided to order a healing move, so should her slow bug survive, she could use her subjects to heal her own wounds.

OOC: That's fine, this is great. I was expecting the car to just stop in the next post, so moving straight into the battle is a-okay for me. I wasn't expecting a double battle though, so I hope I don't mess up on this too much.

Sending out both Bellatrix (Nidoqueen) and Santana (Vespiquen). Bellatrix uses Earthquake and Santana uses Heal Order.

[The REAL Joey]

Hired for their professional ability and their proven track record, the bodyguard duo weren't going to be so easily swayed by Sharada's threats. Raising an eyebrow as Sharada made clear of her demands, the bodyguard known as Blanchard merely pushed aside her words as their Pokemon guarded in front of them stoically. "Yeah? You and what army?" The elder of the pair seemed reserved and refused to comment on the situation, instead boring into Sharada's eyes with his own. Despite the younger of the pair's words, it seemed Sharada may not have had a whole army to back her up but she certainly had a fearsome menagerie of Pokemon to call from. Relying on a regal selection out of her team, Bellatrix and Vespiqueen appeared ready to do battle despite facing up against such experienced foes. With the street now filled with their Pokemon it seemed their original offer of allowing her to flee had fallen on deaf ears. "I don't know what your deal is or why Team Rocket is after Alexandria but you're going to have to get through us."

Barking out an order with an intimidation to put most Pokemon to shame, Blanchard commanded his Manectric with striking precision. "ALRIGHT MANECTRIC! Let's take out this queen bee with Spark! You bought the wrong Pokemon to this throw down." Letting out a bark of its own, the Manectric roared as it built up its static energy and began creating huge sparks of electricity off of its body. Charging forward with incredible agility, the Pokemon made it to the other side of the street in a mere blink of an eye, tackling fiercely into Santana, causing a jolt of sparks to go flying up her body, quite literally damaging her visibly. Letting out a snarl as it landed on its fours from rebounding off the Vespiquen, the Manectric made a swift retreat back in order not to leave an opening for this would be kidnapper. About to open his mouth, the elder of the two bodyguards was about to command his Luxio but he would be met with a rude awakening.

Having strung out her orders all at once after Blanchard had got the first move in, Bellatrix had already began stomping forward, ready to enact out her order. Unlike most Nidoqueen, Bellatrix was of an unusual size, even towering over some supersize males of the species and she was definitely not a queen to be messed with. Her very steps causing small quakes as she progressed, it was no doubt her actual Earthquake would be enough to put these two guard dogs into submission. As her steps became quicker, the gargantuan Nidoqueen launched herself into the air from a running sprint and with a deft landing slam, set off an incredible tremor that sailed through all the ground in the area. Juttering, it appeared that the very road itself was lifted as it waved along, causing immense damage to both Pokemon, causing them to go flying off in opposite directions and slamming into nearby cars, setting off their alarms and causing them to fall unconscious from the harsh impact. All the while this had gone on, Sanatana had busily ordered her drones to heal the damage done to her body, leaving her in pristine condition by the time the chaos had been wrought. If this was the resistance Sharada were to expect, this mission would go swimmingly.



Double Battle

---

Galliano's Luxio | ♂ | Level 30 |
Health : 0% (0/85 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

Blanchard's Manectric | ♀ | Level 30 |
Health : 0% (0/91 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

VERSUS!

Bellatrix | ♀ | Level 32 |
Health : 100% (109/109 HP)
Status : Normal
*ROARS*

Santana | ♀ | Level 29 |
Health : 100% (88/88 HP)
Status : Normal
That amounted to nothing

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Nidoqueen fought courageously and has gained 3000 Exp and has levelled up!
She is now Level 33!
Bellatrix also gains +1 Happiness!


Your Vespiquen fought courageously and has gained 3000 Exp and has levelled up!
She is now Level 30!
Santana also gains +1 Happiness!


Your Zorua observed brilliantly and has gained +2 levels up to Level 16!

---

Visibly shocked with their reactions, it was Galliano who would speak up, not Blanchard given how talkative he was before. "Hm. From that, I can see we're not dealing with just any usual Rocket goon." Sizing up Sharada in a new found light, the more experienced of the two, calmly stood his ground as he ran his hand over his chin in consideration. "If that's the case..." His head turning to Blanchard, the elder guard nodded suggestively as Blanchard composed himself and realised what their alternate plan was. "That makes no difference. Experienced body guards like us always have a plan B! There's good reason we're considered best in the business!" Each of them grabbing the Pokeballs from their belt holsters, they tossed forward their next wave of Pokemon. As each creature emerged from the blinding light, it seemed each of which had a pair of wings which they flapped vigorously to keep in the air. "You hit hard but its moot point if you can't hit." Mused Galliano, having taken measure of Sharada and eliminated one of her strongest moves in her arsenal.

This is far from over!
            
The Bodyguards send forward Pidgeotto (Level 25) and Swellow (Level 25) respectively!
You can switch Pokemon or remain as you are.

[Morrigan]

Threats were one of the many things Sharada struggled with whilst being in Team Rocket. She was naturally quick to anger so would usually get a bit snappy but issuing threats wasn't her strong point. Most of the time, her words would either sound childish or just not have enough impact to be taken seriously. She hoped that with staying in the presence of one or two particular Rocket's, she could develop more of a vicious tongue but for now, she just had to go with the flow. Even if it led her to sound like an amateur criminal. Eyes focusing on the younger guard, she could atleast begin to determine a few differentiating traits between the pair. The younger one had a bit more of a mouth on him, the confident boom of his voice causing him to sound intimidating. Not allowing her fear to show, Sharada exhaled deeply through her nostrils before shrugging off her nerves with a smile and tilt back of her head. "I don't need an army to capture one girl. I am alone on this mission for a reason. I am more than enough for both of you." Eyes briefly scanning to the second, silent guard, she moved back onto the first before continuing. "I don't need to tell you squat about Team Rocket's plans. All you need to know is that I plan on taking the girl with me."

One thing she didn't want to make too obvious was the fact that she wasn't able to hurt the girl. She also didn't want the bodyguards knowing that Alexandria was being kidnapped in order to mostly effect her father and draw him out from his position. Keeping this information to herself, she instead braced her body and mind as the duo before her ordered their moves. Head lowering and corner of her lip turning upward, what happened was exactly what the brunette anticipated. She didn't like using Santana as a beacon to attract their attacks but with her healing orders, she made an excellent distraction. As the electric sparks flew from her body, the movements of Bellatrix stomping forward gave the queen bee a chance to summon little followers to heal her wounds. Whilst this happened, Bellatrix completely obliterated their opponents. "I see... That one has immense strength." Almost jumping out of her skin at the sound of a voice beside her, Sharada quickly altered her direction, only to flinch upon seeing Tenebrae standing by her side. She knew he wanted to be a part of this mission as her support more than anything but she just couldn't risk him being taken. "Hide. Now." She ordered abruptly, giving him an uncharacteristically cold glare. Seeing this, Tenebrae looked downward weakly before using the distraction of Bellatrix's Earthquake to hide in the nearby shadows.

With one worry tucked to the back of her mind, Sharada turned back to the battle, only to see both electric types be tossed to the side by the rampaging quakes of the earth. Setting off numerous surrounding car alarms, Sharada glared in an unimpressed manner. If the sound drew in attention and further obstructions, there could be trouble. This only heightened her haste on wanting to get hold of Alexandria, who was hopefully still tucked away in the car nearby. Before she could consider simply destroying the surrounding vehicles to stop the racket, she instead heard a different voice, one which was likely to belong to the second bodyguard. Almost complimenting her, Sharada felt his heavy eyes lingering over her being. Lifting a hand onto her waist, Sharada slanted her position slightly and spoke back, "That's right. I am not some inexperienced Grunt just looking for a fight. I have been given a mission and I plan to carry it out." Knowing that neither of them would care for her reasoning, Sharada was speaking the truth. She had been given the mission from someone high on the ranking ladder and to gain some recognition, she needed to be successful. Otherwise, she could potentially be kicked from the squad she so desperately needed to stay in.

Learning of a plan B, Sharada's posture loosened as her eyebrow raised, "Plan B, huh? I'm sure it's nothing too great." Watching as the duo tossed forward a pair of Pokeballs to reveal two flying types, she did appear a little surprised. Maybe they weren't completely useless after all. "Ah, you're right." She exclaimed, in a mock surprised, drone of a voice. "I suppose if you are being serious... I should too." With one hand, Sharada raised a Pokeball which withdrew her Nidoqueen. She would be useless in this fight and considering the other Pokemon Sharada had planned to use, it was best for the two to be kept separated. Tossing forward a different choice to stand by the side of her Vespiquen, this time a humanoid, floaty figure emerged, swirling elegantly out of the flash of light before swaying gently on the spot. "Finally. A chance to use my full power without holding back." Delphine hummed to herself in her mind, acknowledging that they were in the middle of their Rocket mission. "And you can have as many Pokemon and chances as you want. But you'll still never beat me." Her eyes leering on Galliano in particular, with the battle being under way and currently leaning in her favour, she was beginning to grow a bit more in confidence. "Santana, use Power Gem on the Swellow!" Sharada ordered to her Vespiquen. "And you... Do what you want." Giving the Gardevoir free reign, Delphine knew exactly what she wanted. Turning her attention to the flapping Pidgeotto, the excitement was evident in her crimson eyes. Summoning her powers, Delphine began to form a Thunderbolt which was aimed directly for the Pidgeotto, her fingers fidgeting with glee.

OOC: Swapped Bellatrix (Nidoqueen) with Delphine (Gardevoir) at the beginning of the battle.
Gardevoir used Thunderbolt on the Pidgeotto and Vespiquen used Power Gem on the Swellow.

[The REAL Joey]

Having heard what Sharada had to say, Blanchard shook his head and called out. "You're awfully too sure of yourself. The only place you'll be going is in the slammer. Once we're done fending you off, we'll make sure you pay for this little attempt." Looking over to Galliano, it seemed Blanchard, although rash and not as experienced was keen on radioing out for back up. "Alright Galliano, i'm not risking a thing. I'll radio for backup and this place will be swarming with back up." About to grasp the radio on his belt, Galliano raised an authoritative hand and said nothing. It was only when Blanchard desisted with his idea that Galliano spoke. "No. If we call for back up we'll be seen as weak and our employer will have the high ground to force a cut on our pay." His eyes steeling once more at Sharada, it seemed Galliano was sure of his gambit. "And although tough, I don't believe this Rocket will pose much of a threat by the time we bring out the heavy guns." Biting his tongue and pulling something of a disagreed expression, Blanchard decided it would be best to channel his energy at Sharada and not infighting. Last thing they needed was a disagreement to let this trainer exploit the situation to her advantage. Putting aside his differences, Blanchard was back in the zone.

Readying themselves both physically and mentally for another round but hopefully this time with less destructive force to contend with, Blanchard, Galliano and their Pokemon were primed for the fight. "Blanchard, alpha formation. Go!" Nodding, Blanchard knew this meant they would be rehearsing a battle strategy they had practised time and time again in their downtime. In fact, what Sharada was about to see was but one of many they deployed for a string of different battle scenarios. This one appeared to focused on the unrivalled speeds of their avian Pokemon. "Pidgeotto! Quick Attack! Focus on that new arrival!" Letting out a shrill coo, the Pokemon made a single flap in unison of its wings and with a blurring speed, shot forwards, the tip of its beak pointed outwards as it went hit full impact into Sharada's Gardevoir causing the frail Psychic type to go tumbling backwards from the blow. That wasn't all however, Galliano called out to his Pokemon not long there after. "Swellow! Air Cutter! Tear them both up!" Covering the Pidgeotto's retreat, the Swellow swooped to the fore front and with a frenzied flapping of its wings, began sending such sharp motions of air forward that they would literally slice anything upon impact.

Targeting both of Sharada's Pokemon, the razor like slices of winds hurtled forwards battering Santana and Delphine almost endlessly. As it did, one particularly nasty strike was made against Delphine, resulting in critical damage. Eventually running out of steam, Galliano clicked his fingers and ushered his Pokemon to return to their defence. For a moment, it appeared they had finally turned the tables somewhat to give themselves a fighting chance. "No need for radio assistance, Blanchard. Remember that." A little more sure of himself, Blanchard spoke down at Sharada mocking their alternate plans. "Plan B working out for you?" His higher ground would be ripped from beneath him however. Her eyes glowing murderously, Delphine began summoning electrical energies in the area to converge on her point as she stored it up, ready to strike out with a decimating bolt. Raising an outstretched arm, the static power began to spark off warningly before it jolted forwards like a lightning strike.


Zapping the Pidgeotto with no remorse, the Pokemon convulsed against its will as the thunderbolt surged through the Pokemon's body, causing steam to rise off of its surface. Crashing down to the ground, Blanchard was visibly upset. "Pidgeotto! No! You... MONSTER!" He cried out, unable to comprehend their plan to dodge Sharada's initial powerhouse move was in vain as she had plenty more alternatives up her sleeve. Santana too wasn't about to slouch off. Having powered up her gem following the destruction of the Pidgeotto, she shot forth a diamond like beam which struck at the Swellow, causing it to fly about haphazardly. Finishing off with a flourish, it was almost as shocking as Delphine's thunderbolt to see the Swellow still flying in the air. "Hm. This does pose bit of a problem but we're still in the game." Murmured Galliano as he realised his Pokemon was perilously close to fainting.



Double Battle

---

Galliano's Swellow | ♂ | Level 25 |
Health : 22% (16/72 HP)
Status : Normal
Close but no cigar

Blanchard's Pidgeotto | ♀ | Level 25 |
Health : 0% (0/74 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

VERSUS!

Delphine | ♀ | Level 32 |
Health : 65% (61/95 HP)
Status : Normal
Oh what manner of nonsense are we in for today?

Santana | ♀ | Level 30 |
Health : 74% (67/91 HP)
Status : Normal
You were meant to die

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Gardevoir fought courageously and has gained 1250 Exp!
Delphine also gains +1 Happiness!


Your Vespiquen fought courageously and has gained 1250 Exp!


Your Zorua observed brilliantly and has gained +1 level up to Level 17!
He would also like to learn the move Faint Attack. Delete a move so this can be learnt?

---

Recalling back his defeated Pokemon, Blanchard ripped out yet another Pokeball from his holster. For protection, they were no doubt good at what they were hired for given they had such an array of Pokemon. "Tch, you think radioing for back up is such a bad idea now?" Galliano merely ignored his dissent and let Blanchard use his next Pokemon. "Machoke! Go!" Tossing the Pokeball forward and revealing his replacement in battle, a dreadfully muscled Machoke stomped forward, flexing its over bearing muscles. This Pokemon was no doubt the muscle of their little operation. "A job is a job. But i'm afraid you just made this whole thing personal with hitting my Pidgeotto so hard. I'm going to make sure you pay for this." Spitting on the floor, it appeared Sharada had most certainly made a new enemy in the form of this bodyguard.

Blanchard sends in back up!

Machoke (Level 28) takes up Pidgeotto's space!

[Morrigan]

Sharada was glad for a personality such as Blanchard being there. He was gobby, always questioning her and had a come back for everything the brunette had said up to now. This was much better than silence. Silence made the situation that much harder to read but because of his anger, he was able to speak his mind and therefore keep Sharada up to date on how he felt. The second guard, Galliano, was far too quiet and conserving, as if potentially having something up his sleeve and she didn't trust it. Not feeling too pressured at this point, she hoped that she could keep this momentum up. She believed in her Pokemon and she needed to remain calm, collected and confident for them. If she held heavy doubt, then surely it would rub off onto them by making them nervous too or even just ignore her completely. "Of course I am. I'm not your typical Grunt and I know I can handle both you." Saying these words boosted her own adrenaline, if she told herself she could win, then she could. "Hmph. I haven't seen anything near resistance from either of you. If anything, I feel disappointed." Trailing off, a couple of words she didn't want to hear what so ever finally entered her ears. The chance of back up.

Gritting her teeth subtly, Sharada remained silent as the two guards exchanged words on the matter of extra help. This alone had all of Sharada's attention, she wouldn't be able to handle any more additions. Thankfully, the more experienced of the two rejected the otherwise right idea. If they had called for back up, it would've been enough for Sharada to evacuate and try again at a different time but the matter of convincing or threatening them not to was somehow sorted out for her. In fact, it brought an obvious smirk to her face, knowing that her role had become a little easier upon learning that their jobs would be effected, that was just the information she needed. Nodding her head in agreement, she brushed off his comments about being able to defeat Sharada with a flick of her hand. "That's right, back up would be a terrible idea." Twirling a piece of her hair around her index finger, the brunette closed one eye and used the other to look at Blanchard, "You'll lose a lot more than your pay if you fail here. Imagine, not even being able to protect a little girl against a mere Rocket grunt. You'll be a laughing stock. No one would employ you again." Releasing her twirl of her from her finger, she narrowed her eyes, "So bring out these heavy guns of yours. I refuse to use my best when you can barely handle my worst."

Knowing her bluff would spark rage in her Pokemon, she surprisingly didn't feel any piercing glares from either of them. Concentrating so hard on focusing on the two birds, clearly they both just wanted to lay waste. The Pokemon Sharada brought with her on Rocket missions were usually ones which preferred to go solo and enjoyed fierce battles. Santana was especially vicious when rubbed the wrong way. Delphine was managing to keep her calm but that was only because she had been so desperate for a proper Rocket mission where she didn't have to hold back, that she was willing to battle anything without thinking too hard. A voice sounding off to alert the next round, both Sharada and her Pokemon were taken off guard with an incredible array of speedy moves. Seeing Delphine struggle backward after an almost invisible strike, neither of them were given the chance to recover as the second Pokemon swiftly moved in after. Covering each others backs, Sharada knew that her own duo would never form that kind of friendship but were more likely to think about themselves only. Raising her arms protectively as a fierce wind began to blow, Sharada's hair and clothes flapped madly as the attack whooshed towards the group. Striking Delphine a lot harder than Santana, Sharada couldn't shake off her concerned expression as her Gardevoir recoiled after a blast of air.

"Delphine!" Sharada called firmly, "Enough of that. I am fine." Briefly giving Sharada a bit of peace of mind, the Gardevoir looked forward to dishing out some revenge. Continuing with a feign of worry, Sharada frowned her brow heavily at Galliano's remark and put on her best false impression of being worried, "Tsk." "Hmph. These fools honestly believe that they will be successful in defeating me. Very well, I will have to prove to them just how incorrect they are." "Delphine, don't hold back at all. I am relying on you. Both of you." Before her eyes, both Delphine and Santana began their retaliation. Delphine electrocuted the Pidgeotto until it was releasing smoke and the Swellow was barely hanging onto life itself. Folding her arms at being called a monster, this wasn't enough to put Sharada off. Becoming a bit more thick skinned, she had already been called inhuman and with some of the things she had done, technically, she was. Unable to feign her worry any further, instead she laughed out clearly once before giving Blanchard a look of pity, "How is Plan B working out for you?" she teased, reciting what he had said earlier. "Good guys always have a Plan C, right?" Questioning him in a mockingly sweet tone, falling silent with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Delphine, are you both able to handle this? I don't know what the rest of the night will be, I need you both to hang in there and finish this off." "My wounds are nothing. The Queen is also dependable. We can continue." The otherwise silent Vespiquen clicking her fangs as if in response to this clarified to Sharada that they were able to keep going. "Okay. But don't mess around with me, Delphine. If either of you begin to feel low, I need to know about it immediately. Failure is not an option and you know it." Lowering her head, Delphine's movement drew Sharada's attention back to the battle, "They have more." she noted dryly. Only, what emerged was something that Sharada should have expected, considering that they were body guards. They themselves didn't appear to have too much muscle, but this would explain where it was located. "So, the big guns are actual big guns." Hinting at the size of Machoke's muscles, she merely shook her head, "Can you not see the mistake you have just made? Are you sure you don't want to escape now?" Trailing off, Vespiquen appeared to be cracking quietly, to which Delphine translated.

"They resemble a pattern. The second human will likely hold a creature of the same typing." Instantly realising what Santana meant, Sharada pieced it together herself by remembering who she had previously faced. So far, they had both used a same type, meaning that Galliano's next Pokemon was likely fighting too. "Personal?" Sharada questioned, trying to not fall into her own silence, "You should be worried about your livelihood rather than a silly, personal grudge. Your team work may have taken me by surprise but that doesn't mean you will be winning tonight." Thrusting an arm forward, it was clear that Sharada was remaining with her current two Pokemon. "Santana, use Power Gem once again on the Swellow. Delphine, move in against the new addition and use Psychic!" Gardevoir focused her crimson stare on the Machoke, finding his bulging muscles amusing seeing as he was likely going to be unable to use them.



OOC: Replacing Scratch with Faint Attack.
I'll risk this and go with Gardevoir using Psychic on Machoke and Vespiquen using Power Gem on Swellow.

[The REAL Joey]

Obviously restraining a deep rooted temper, Blanchard could be seen ever so slightly losing his cool as Sharada continued to provoke him. If he was going to rise to the bait, there was definitely something that could be exploited. "I've about had it with your taunting. You wanted the heavy guns? You got 'em. My Machoke is gonna cream your Pokemon onto a fine paste." A vein now visibly throbbing on his temple, it was clear he was on the verge of blowing his cool completely. Galliano on the other hand was as resolute and calm as ever. "Blanchard." He spoke out, hoping to reign in his colleague. "We have as many plans as it takes to thwart your efforts." Having been reprimanded by his colleague, Blanchard simmered down slightly but was still keen on taking her on through his Pokemon as well as through the art of arguing. The way this woman acted was enough to make his blood boil. "I don't see any mistakes made here. Nope. Not one. Sure i'm sending in a Fighting type but you fail to realise your Gardevoir is on borrowed time." Resuming a bloated confidence about him, it was clear that both Blanchard and Galliano were up to something. Had it not been for Blanchard's swaggering outspokenness, that scheme may very well have slipped the net.

Speaking out with a very droll tone, Galliano ordered off another formation change to their fighting style. Given they had three Pokemon a piece, it wasn't too far outside the realms of reason to believe they had a specific fighting combination for every Pokemon they owned. This time, it would be the combination of bird and brawns. Using its unsurpassed speed once more, it meant that Swellow would be going first. "Best run with your... Whatever it is that thing has between its legs!" Annoyed somewhat that Blanchard had forced so heavily to make her switch, Galliano called out all the same hoping that his words had not been too obvious. "Swellow! Hone in on the Gardevoir with Pursuit! Don't let her escape." Cooing with a shrill growl, the slick bird sped forwards with a dogged prejudice about it. Pointing its beak out as it means of offensce, the Swellow swiped by Gardevoir, grazing her viciously with the sharpness of its beak. Sadly, what they had planned had not come to fruition. "Dammit Blanchard..." "WHAT?! We agreed, bait them to force a switch!" "I wouldn't call that baiting so much as outright dropping a hint on what we were up to. Shut up a second." Steeling his gaze at the Gardevoir, he had hoped to have doubled the power of pursuit with Sharada forcing her Pokemon to switch out but it seemed their plan had been botched. A combination of Blanchard's heavy handed approach and Delphine's defiant character.

"You best make sure your Machoke does what we-Blanchard!" Hoping to follow through with the plan they had formulated in a situation such as this, they would definitely be going back to the drawing board for future attempts such as this to take into account a character such as Delphine. No sooner than she had recovered from the pursuit, had she hovered forward, her eyes glowing with murder. Raising both of her hands, she slammed them forward as she utilised her telepathic powers to worm her way into the Machoke's mind. Causing the creature to flail about as if trying to resist, Galliano was clever enough to know what was going on. "Blanchard! She's trying to control you-" By then it was too late. Having known Delphine was using psychic, it appeared she had assumed full control over the bodyguard's Machoke. Sporting a dead, faded look in its eyes. The Machoke turned on the spot to face its own trainer. Letting out a subdued cry, the body building Pokemon stomped forwards to the terrified Blanchard. "Woah woah woah... Machoke? What are you doing? We got to take her out, not me! Machoke? MACHOKE? MACHOOOOOKE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Suddenly grabbing by his Pokemon, the Machoke lifted the bodyguard up into the air and gripping onto him tightly began running off away from the scene.

Now swiftly taken out from the fight, it left Galliano on his own. All this time he had remained reserved in his character but for once, he spoke up revealing his thoughts. "Using psychic to mind control your opponent... And remove them from the scene." His yes shooting over to meet Sharada's gaze, it seemed he was annoyed by the removal of his partner albeit impressed by her cunning guile. "I knew there was more to you than met the eyes. Alright. Let's settle this properly." Knowing his Swellow would be next to be knocked out, he did little to react as Sharada's Vespiquen began to power up her gem in her crown. Firing off another dazzling beam of her jewel, the Swellow was struck dead centre, causing it to come crashing down ungracefully to the floor with a thud. It appeared their tandem combination of fliers had been removed. All that remained was the final piece of the puzzle, the next Pokemon type Delphine had cleverly predicted given their patterns.



Double Battle

---

Galliano's Swellow | ♂ | Level 25 |
Health : 0% (0/72 HP)
Status : KO'd
...

Blanchard's Machoke | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 0% (0/74 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

VERSUS!

Delphine | ♀ | Level 32 |
Health : 29% (27/95 HP)
Status : Normal
All these uncouth beggars

Santana | ♀ | Level 30 |
Health : 74% (67/91 HP)
Status : Normal
Carry on as you are

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Gardevoir fought courageously, gained 1325 Exp and has levelled up!
She is now Level 33!


Your Vespiquen fought courageously, gained 1325 Exp and has levelled up!
She is now Level 31!


Your Zorua observed brilliantly and has gained +1 level up to Level 19!

---

Returning is defeated Swellow, Galliano pulled out a final Pokemon from his holster. "Blanchard was always bit of a loose cannon. Tricky dames like you always got under his skin." Glaring his eyes, he tossed the final Pokeball forward and out of the light revealed a spinning Pokemon which whirled around. Only one Pokemon could do a headstand and spin so perfectly without any trouble. It seemed Galliano was pinning his hopes on the Hitmontop. "I still fancy my chances." He spoke out, still retaining his cool confidence.

Galliano sends in back up!

Hitmontop (Level 28) takes up Swellow's space!

- Reserving this as have something would like to see through. -

[Morrigan]

Sharada was clearly getting under the skin of Blanchard and at this point, she was settling into her position. Under cover or not, she was currently a Rocket Grunt and needed to act as such. Even then, for a Rocket, she was incredibly tame. Many other Grunts her age were cocky, over confident and just plain annoying, having zero skill or sense. Parting her mouth to continue on with her playful taunts, she quickly silenced herself as Galliano reigned in his partner. Amazed that he was angered so easily considering his role, Sharada raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side, almost sweetly. "Huuuuh~ That's right, calm down Blanchard." Straightening herself up, the brunette smiled and held a hand across her chest, "I gotta say. You sure are a scary bodyguard. At this rate, Alexandria will beg me to take her. I bet she'd wanna get away from an angry Primape like you in a heartbeat." Thinning her eyes and smiling coyly, she continued to rub in her certainty of being successful. "Don't worry, Team Rocket will be sure to take excellent care of her." Trying to wind him up to the point of him ultimately slipping up, he appeared to be letting slip parts of their plan.

Listening to the words of Blanchard, Sharada's expression dropped as he was less than subtly trying to lure her into a trap. From his recent angry outbursts, it was more than obvious. Hinting at Sharada to withdraw her Pokemon, the brunette did momentarily look over to Delphine. Being Psychic, the Gardevoir could simply read Blanchard's mind and knew what he was planning from the get go. Not even talking to Sharada telepathically, she knew that if Sharada fell for this that she would be an even denser idiot than Delphine first anticipated. Luckily for both of them, Sharada didn't budge. "Running isn't my style. I-" Before she could even carry on, the bodyguard roared out an order directed to his partner's Pokemon. Her expression falling to that of an unimpressed glare, Sharada couldn't believe how blatantly obvious he had just been. Delphine was struck, certainly but she had to somewhat feel for Galliano. "You need to work on your team work." Sharada cut in abruptly, "With the amount you two bicker, I could've just walked past you and swiped Alexandria by now." Actually pondering to herself why she hadn't tried, she shook her head lightly. There was no point in making such a move that would only lead to failure. She needed to dispose of these guards.

"Haah... Haah..." Hearing the delicate sound of Delphine's breathing, Sharada kept her eyes focused on the opposite Pokemon but thought her words to her partner. "Delphine, you can handle this but I can heal you if necessary." "N-No... This is... Nothing..." Diverting her cold eyes to her Pokemon, Sharada considered withdrawing her for a moment, when the Gardevoir stepped forward, "I... Will crush them!..." Using her incredible powers, Delphine went one step further after overpowering the Machoke and used his own Pokemon to rid the loud mouthed bodyguard. Watching this with slight surprise, it didn't shock Sharada as much as it probably should. Delphine was elegant and beautiful, her moves being both powerful and inspiring. But deep in her mind, she longed for nothing more than to torment others, particularly ones which were idiotic in trying to stand up against her. Wanting to break the man's spine right where he stood, she knew Sharada would be disapproving and instead used this as a way of disposing of one of the bodyguards. Leaving the Machoke to grip onto the man and simply walk until the psychic wore off, just when the Machoke would come back to it's senses depended entirely on it's will power and brains. But considering it was more of a brawn, that could be a while.

Raising her hand, Sharada rubbed the back of her neck and feigned a tired expression as Blanchard was taken from the battle kicking and yelling, leaving the brunette alone with the more calculating male. It put Sharada on edge but surely with a similar tactic, Galliano could also be disposed of in such a way. Professing his feelings, Sharada knew her taunts would not work on him so remained blunt and to the point with him. "It is a cleaner way of dealing with matters than what some of my colleagues would do. Be grateful." Lowering her arm back down to her side, she curled the corner of her lips upward, "I agree. Show me what you can accomplish alone." With a single blow, his Swellow was taken care of, leading Sharada to believe that if he was anything like Blanchard, this would be his final Pokemon and it would be a fighting type. Wanting nothing more than to check to see if the girl was even in the car any longer, she clenched her hand into a fist by her side. She was so close. "Hmph. You need to give him a stern talking to, then. There are much worse out there than me." Thanks to the prediction from her Pokemon, their next opponent did indeed follow the rhythm, a Hitmontop appearing. Snarling her lip, Sharada leant forward somewhat, "You have your hopes in the right place but victory will still be mine." Sounding almost like a broken record, she instead planned on making her words reality. "Delphine, finish this battle off with another Psychic! Santana, heal your wounds with Heal Order!" Considering Delphine was the one nearly fainting, Sharada needed her back up to remain strong, yet she had all the faith that her Gardevoir would still succeed.


OOC: Assuming that both Pokemon are still out/still double battle rules, Gardevoir uses Psychic on Hitmontop and Vespiquen uses Heal Order.

[The REAL Joey]

His expression so very plain, it belied what exactly what was going through Galliano's mind. "Oh. I know of your ways in Team Rocket. Big time gangsters. I've had to deal with your kind through numerous jobs. This is going way back to the days where you were a real threat. To think an under age kid would spell the end for your group back then. The amount of violence and crime your lot bought upon good people. You're scum." Cracking his neck slightly, he let it be known he wasn't all that impressed by her current get up. "And yet here you are now. Remnants or not, your petty organisation will meet another downfall, i'm sure of it." A true master of observation, Galliano shot a look through her eyes which pierced like daggers. "Of course, a true Rocket would have ended that in the most violent way possible. You're green. A Rocket who doesn't commit high level violence and cares for their Pokemon." Probing further, it appeared he had picked up on something from earlier. "I also don't know of many Rockets who worry for their Pokemon. When we hit your team with our counterstrike, you felt every single blow they received."

As clever as he was, Galliano was unsure of why all these inconsistencies were present but nevertheless, she wasn't backing down. She was a clear threat. The most credible they had encountered in years. Spinning around before him aggressively, his Hitmontop certainly looked the most fearsome of the lot. The way it moved around with such precision and skill all pointed towards a Pokemon who had been trained by a professional. "Okay Hitmontop, it's game time. Given how Blanchard has been taken out of the equation, I think Retaliate is in order." Making a very speedy spin on the spot, the Pokemon stopped mid way as it built up enough energy and then span itself around in the other direction to boost its speed to a terrifying level, causing him to become like a miniature tornado. "Take out the Gardevoir! Retaliate!" Spinning off dramatically, the Pokemon failed to keep in a straight line and used the momentum from going from side to side to pick up its speed further. It would have been awe inspiring had it not been for the fact Sharada's Pokemon were more than ready to take on such a challenge.

Her eyes glowing brightly whilst a chaotic psychic aura blanketed the outline of her body, it was dreadfully obvious this was not going to end well. Utilising the move Retaliate was a very clever tactic. After all, he had his partner Blanchard wiped out from the battle completely and that meant the Hitmontop's strike would be powered up by such losses. However, there was little use in such a move if it would be unable to strike. Having received the brunt end of the attacks from the previous rounds, Delphine was a lot worse for wear. Yet despite this, the Gardevoir pushed on, as if driven by her wounds to inflict her damages tenfold out to her enemies. Sending a telekinetic wave forward, she created a barrier that imprisoned the Hitmontop on the spot. He was able to move still, no manner of force or strength would be able to stop the fighter from spinning as it desired. Lifting up the Pokemon into the air, Delphine had full control over the Pokemon. Her eyes flashing a bright colour, she then began slamming the Pokemon off in every direction. The road, buildings, cars, lamp posts, concrete, there was no end to the amount of collisions the Pokemon received. Before long, the Hitmontop had become almost lifeless. With a final slam into the ground, creating a sizeable crater, it appeared the Hitmontop had been disposed of.



Double Battle

---

Galliano's Hitmontop | ♂ | Level 28 |
Health : 0% (0/74 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

VERSUS!

Delphine | ♀ | Level 33 |
Health : 29% (27/95 HP)
Status : Normal
Suffer not fools gladly

Santana | ♀ | Level 31 |
Health : 74% (67/91 HP)
Status : Normal
Off with his head

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Gardevoir fought courageously and gained 700 Exp!


Your Vespiquen fought courageously and gained 700 Exp!


Your Zorua observed brilliantly and has gained +1 level up to Level 20!

---

Swift in returning his Pokemon, Galliano let out a single chuckle as he returned the fainted Pokemon tucked away in its Pokeball back to his holster. "For all my experience it looks as if I was the one who underestimated you. Part of it i'm sure is due to the fact how bored I am with this job. For once, we had a real threat to take care of." Shaking his head, it was quite clear the elder bodyguard was guilt ridden. "Sorry Blanchard, maybe you were right this one time." Looking back up to Sharada, Galliano's expression hardened. It was a look of a man who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Hurriedly jogging back over to the car. He stood in front of it, his arms outstretched and legs spaced apart. Slouching forward slightly, he gritted his teeth. This was a man who was willing to take on any manner of onslaught from Sharada's Pokemon in order to protect his keep. "You're tough. You've proved that. But it's my job to ensure this girl's safety. Do what you will." Given how ready he was to protect Alexandria, it was truly no wonder they were assigned to this job if they were so quick to place their lives down in their line of duty.

If Sharada wanted to successfully kidnap the girl, she would have to somehow dispose of him. And fast. At this rate civilian onlookers would spread the word of this altercation and that would be disastrous. To confound things further, his close proximity to the car meant that any sort of attempt to violently subdue him would run the risk of hurting Alexandria inside the car.

Even without Pokemon to fight, Galliano fails to back down!
Think fast! Think creatively! Neutralise the bodyguard.

[Morrigan]

Standing with a straightened posture and hand on her hip, Sharada leered her eyes down her nose toward Galliano as he relayed his thoughts and opinions back to Sharada. "That was a nice little history lesson but there are points where you are also wrong." Rolling her shoulders loosely, she didn't know all that much about the previous Team Rocket, so simply needed to bluff her way. "Team Rocket is under new leadership now. The old boss, the one who led everyone to failure, is out of the picture. I am a Grunt. Lowest of the low. And you are having trouble dealing with me. This time, things are going to be different. We are stronger." Leering her eyes as if trying to back up her claims, his next few words were also something she hadn't heard for the first time. She knew that showing care to her Pokemon was something she needed to work on. No matter where she went or who she face, even the most basic of trainers could tell that she was kind to her Pokemon. Whilst she didn't mind, it wasn't something that she wanted the others in Team Rocket to pick up on and exploit her for, if they hadn't yet already. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to treat her Pokemon badly but to the brunette, as long as she got the job done, it shouldn't matter how she went about it. "You are thinking too much into it." She replied with a snarl of her lip, "I get my missions done. The way I do that is up to me alone. My Pokemon understand that I am their master and they obey my every word. If they rebel, then I will make sure they understand the consequences."

"Please. You can barely look any of us in the eye without feeling some form of pity." Delphine speaking directly into her mind, the fierce expression of the brunette did falter somewhat, probably looking strange in front of Galliano. "Shut up." Almost there in ridding the bodyguards completely, Sharada knew that Alexandria was just moments away for the taking. Even if the Hitmontop had a hidden move which would render Delphine to weak to continue, she still had a number of other Pokemon to choose from. Knowing this, it helped her push onward. Giving the Gardevoir her order, all Sharada could do was watch and become almost dizzy watching the spinning body of the foe. Ordering a move which would easily finish Delphine off in her current state, Sharada didn't move her body but her mind went into a frantic panic, "Delphine! You have to hurry! That move will-" "Quiet, girl. Simply watch." Using her Psychic powers, this time Delphine was not in the mood for tricks. She wanted to lay waste to these Pokemon, finding the words that the once silent Galliano spoke irritating. Whilst she didn't show any fondness of Sharada, the brunette had recently begun to learn and she didn't want this mans words to corrupt the mind of her trainer. Delphine had took it upon herself to toughen the skin of the human and she didn't want some talentless bodyguard shrouding her mind.

Inputting her rage into the one attack, she flung the Hitmontop around, likely drawing in the attention from civilians in the local area. Fighting off and ignoring the pain of her wounds, she continued to pummel the body of the Hitmontop around until it was nothing more than a lifeless shell. Tossing it's body to one side upon satisfaction, the Gardevoir was left standing, her crimson eyes now focusing on Galliano alone. Not quite expecting that level of force, Sharada remained silent. She didn't want to drag anyone or anything down to a potential level of death but in this case, Delphine had been cornered so her way of handling her revenge was up to the Gardevoir alone. Now Pokemonless, Sharada hoped that he had a brain and would quickly rush off but inside, he did the opposite. Firmly planting himself into a protective pose in front of the car, it slowly sunk in for Sharada how difficult he had just made the situation. As he spoke, Sharada's eyes darted around, noticing one or two lights in a couple of buildings near by had flicked on. With the noise caused by the previous attack, there was no doubt that there had been a number of witnesses by now. Gritting her teeth, Sharada was unsure of how to progress.

Not wanting to seem too deep in thought, Sharada smiled wearily but clearly looked uncomfortable, "Well. I didn't expect you to be such a gallant hero." Sneering her words, she couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry though. Pretty soon, you will be just like your pal Blanchard." "Delphine." Sharada thought, noticing that the Gardevoir had faltered forward in a pained, leaning position. Now that she had no opponent to distract her, it made her wounds feel even more apparent. "Mind control Galliano. Get him out of here, then we can move in for Alexandria." Remaining silent, Delphine didn't want to admit that she didn't quite feel one hundred percent and that her powers may be faltered due to this. Still, she couldn't rely on being healed. Not at the very end. Wincing as she begun to find concentrating difficult, her crimson eyes begun to glow, her own mind trying to penetrate Galliano's to confuse him into fleeing the scene.

- Delphine used Psychic on Galliano to control his mind. -

[The REAL Joey]

Leering his eyes threateningly, Galliano said little and even allowed Sharada to finish to the end of her conversation. Even in the face of such danger, he was a resolute professional that didn't bow in the face of intimidation. It was no wonder he had been hired for the job of protecting the director's daughter. "Are you quite finished? Everything you said will be a case of history repeating itself. Of course, the old head failed, a power vacuum was created. But that's all that has happened. A new leadership has taken over but how long before they too are crushed and tossed aside? If a mere kid could bring down an infamous crime gang such as Team Rocket last time around, it's only a matter of time before someone else heeds the call." Tilting his head backwards, he agreed at least in the fact he had been suitably beaten this time around but what would be won battle lost when the war would still rage on. "I'm not so delusional that i'll spout about how you've beaten me today through luck or I was going easy on you. I took you on with my full might and lost. You are indeed strong. I dare say the same doesn't apply to your Rocket allies." He knew of their recruitment process. Every blue moon or so they would get lucky and acquire a trainer with real skill but if this Neo Rocket gang was anything like the previous Team Rocket, they relied on recruiting window lickers and dregs in order to bulk out their numbers and take what they needed through sheer force of outnumbering their targets. Galliano was doubtful that much had changed between the two.

Gritting his teeth, Galliano braced himself ready for what would happen next. Noting that the female trainer and her Gardevoir had seemingly gone quiet, it was plain to see that something was about to unfold. The bodyguard's gut instincts were right on the money. As the woman finally spoke up, Galliano let out a stead firm laugh as he had to be prepared for anything that could happen. Suddenly noticing the Gardevoir's eyes light up with a criminson glow, he stood his ground, narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth harder. Clearly trying to go against her psychic mind control, Galliano began his attempt at resistance. "Remember your training." His eyes now shut closer and a strained groan murmuring from his breath, it appeared that he was lasting far longer than Blanchard's Machoke had. Beads of sweat beginning to appear, it was not all that obvious but a mental assault was being waged on his mind. Thankfully for Galliano the equivalent of his mental defences were that of a fortress. Shaking it off, he let out a small growl as he stomped his foot. "Grrrraaaargh!" Triumphant, it appeared Delphine's powers had not been up to scratch. "Hmph. That was silly. I spent some time serving under an organisation by the name of Cuchulainn. Training to block out attempts at seizing your mind is part of basic training."

Resuming his guarding stance of the car door behind him, it appeared Galliano was a far trickier foe than first thought.

Due to high level training in the past, Galliano is able to block out Delphine's powers!
That attempt failed! Find another creative method of taking out Galliano.
Attempt 1/3 failed. 2 remaining.

[Morrigan]

Expecting no less as Galliano shrugged off her not so confident words that Team Rocket were rising stronger than before, she also listened to the words he spoke back, very carefully. Sharada had heard the rumour once or twice about a young child who had managed to halt the plans of Team Rocket in the past. From what she had witnessed, she found it incredibly hard to believe. She had met people like Tobias and Garcian, even Porky who she knew most trainers would easily struggle with. So how did a child knock them all down so easily? It made no sense to her. This child must have been some prodigy with unbeatable, rare Pokemon. "I assure you. Things will be done differently this time." Sharada spoke in a calm yet firm voice, "I have heard stories but all I can really say is, where is this little hero now? Rumours of our gang resurfacing have been spreading all across Johto, there is no way that he doesn't know we are here." Shrugging her shoulders loosely, the brunette shook her head from side to side, "Maybe he doesn't want to save the region this time. Maybe he is hiding somewhere, wanting the people to actually grow a backbone and look after themselves instead of relying, hoping, praying that he will help you again. He hasn't shown up yet so I can only assume he wont at all." Trailing off, she couldn't help but scoff in disbelief, "So you can cling to your little fantasy of a youngster that saved you all before. Maybe there will be someone who follows in his footsteps. But whilst you wait, there are stronger Rockets like myself joining the ranks. The longer your hero waits, the stronger we become."

Falling quiet for a moment, the thought did make Sharada worry. She was grateful that he was honestly calling her strong, she felt that his may have been genuine in that regard which only boosted her confidence. But if she had grown this strong in a short amount of time since being with Team Rocket, then what about the people in the ranks above her? The thought was horrifying and even she was beginning to hope that some mystery hero would turn up sooner rather than later and just put an end to this merciless group. But as time went on, more people would join and like a pack of rats, would huddle together and only become stronger. When that time were to come, would Sharada be able to still play along quietly? Or would she actually slowly turn to the path of a true Rocket, lusting for power and wealth upon her first taste? Being here made her feeling alive. She was fearing for her life, fearing for her Pokemon and the punishments she might get if she were to fail. But this thoughts were pushing her to succeed and in return, build some level of confidence. This wasn't what she expected of her journey when leaving her home town in Hoenn but being a part of such a life risking group filled her with such strange emotions of excitement and wonder that she almost felt ashamed.

Looking up to see Delphine begin her attempt of mind control, Sharada became hesistant as it didn't work instantly. Instinctively taking a step forward, she pulled a face of disbelief as sweat began to pour down his face before he somehow managed to break free. The power of his mind causing Delphine to fumble backwards, the sudden rejection was a huge shock to the otherwise perfect Gardevoir. "WHAT?! How can this be?! His mind was locked down so tightly... I was not permitted to enter at all! Absurd!!" Fuming angrily, Sharada turned her attention back to Galliano and from her understanding of his words, learnt that he had undergone some special training. "I see." Sharada spoke out loud, her head tilting as she stared at Delphine in the corner of her eye. Looking completely emotionless, it was the pierce in her eyes that suddenly caught the Gardevoir off guard. For Sharada, she had such high hopes that Delphine would've been able to handle this that when it turned out she couldn't, it put the brunette in a tricky situation. How was she going to deal with this now? Still glaring at the Pokemon, Delphine was unaware that her trainer was able to make such a fierce look. She became shocked even further as Sharada spoke out some words, the world around Delphine spinning frantically as they absorbed into her mind. "You have failed me." Knowing full well that Gardevoir had been struck several times and was simply weakened, the sheer severity of the situation they were in had rattled Sharada. What was she going to do now?

"W-What?" Delphine staggered, holding an arm up defensively, "I do not fail at ANYTHING! Just you watch!" Turning, Delphine's eyes began to glow again as she focused back on Galliano but the pain had become too much. Her eyes immediately closing, she grasped hold of her torso and leaned forward weakly, a look of strain apparent on her face. Not even saying a word, Sharada lifted up a Pokeball, "S-Stop! I can still do this! I have NOT failed!" Her cheek twitching hesistantly, Sharada fought with the emotions inside of her and eventually let out a sigh, "Return." Delphine's startled eyes disappearing into the flash of light, Sharada then looked down to the ball in her hand, "Have a nice rest, Delphine." Putting the ball back onto her holster, all of a sudden, an idea popped into the mind of Sharada. "...Rest?" She muttered to herself, her look of surprise slowly turning into a coy smile. There was a chance this would also fail but it was worth a try. She wanted to avoid physical damage at all costs and he was far too close to the car which held Alexandria, making harmful attacks dangerous to the girl too. Without another word, Sharada lifted a second ball and withdrew her Vespiquen also.

Digging her hands into the hidden pockets of her dress, her silence was probably enough to hint that she was up to something. "I should have known a bodyguard such as yourself would have some training from somewhere." Pulling out what looked like a pair of ear buds, Sharada suddenly became grateful of the heavy snoring Langley would occasionally make, hence them being on her uniform. "I suppose I underestimated you, as a person." Putting the first ear bud in tightly, she used her spare hand to grab a Pokeball, "Mind control may have been part of your basic training. But what actual basics are you prepared for?" Throwing the ball forward, a Pokemon unfitting of a Rocket popped out, in the form of a golden Swablu. Her glimmering body floating as her cotton like wings flapped to keep her in the air, Sharada smiled softly, hoping it would be the last thing Galliano would see, "Sing." Aware that Sharada wasn't being her usual self, Lute could only assume that this was a Rocket Mission. Looking across to the man before opening her beak, atleast one thing was for certain. Sharada didn't intend on hurting him, infact she was doing everything possible to not harm him. Placing in her second ear bud to block out the sound, Lute began her soothing lullaby, hoping to lure Galliano into a deep sleep.

- Sharada summoned Lute and ordered the move Sing. -

[The REAL Joey]

Listening to every word she said, Galliano didn't bother interrupting mid sentence at all. He may have been an opponent but he was a courteous one at that and at least let the other party finish. To some it may have been a respectable part of his character but in reality it was a subtle way of letting the opponent run out of steam as they continued on and on and lost the aggression that originally fuelled them. "Hm. I have little to say which will force you to change your mind. Perhaps he has grown weary of people not standing up and fighting for themselves. Maybe he has headed off on a journey to strengthen himself. As you say, Team Rocket have talented trainers such as yourself and others joining the ranks." His eyes glaring with a steely gaze, Galliano made clear that whether it be by the prodigy's hands or some other up and coming trainer, history would definitely repeat itself. "It ultimately doesn't matter. There may be those who are cowered, intimidated and extorted by your gang but I can guarantee there will be those who will take a stand. They will be your undoing."

With Delphine's attempts failing and Sharada becoming aware of the failed attempt, Galliano steadied himself as he wiped off some sweat that had built up on his brow from defending himself against the siege on his mind. "I may be out of Pokemon but that will not stop me from standing up to the likes of you. I have my job to see through." Watching carefully as Sharada recalled Delphine, Galliano's eyes twitched somewhat as she seemed to have an idea pop in her head. Once again letting her follow through with everything she had to say, hoping to blank her long enough to let her lose steam, he made a small hesitant gasp as he realised she wouldn't be running out of steam. This Rocket had a back up plan. "Heh, I suppose like us, you too have a plan B. I'd like to see you try it. I've had a wide variety of training in resisting threats. Fail a couple of more times and this place will be swarming with back up and I doubt you have enough firepower to make an escape." Although he didn't show it, he was at least curious to see what she would come up with.

Her Pokemon revealed, a shiny golden Swablu, Galliano failed to make a connection immediately. All he could surmise was that this Pokemon was not the sort of Pokemon a Rocket member would have in their repertoire. "You're definitely not a Rocket... Huh?" Hearing her command, Galliano winced in danger. He had been trained in physical, mental and all other sort of defences but a move such as this, he had received nothing for. From all the exertion he had given in the previous attempt, he was now in a very vulnerable state. Noticing Sharada going for some ear plugs, his eyes widened. "My earplugs!!" His hand racing to his breast pocket, he fumbled trying to undo the button. That mistake would cost him dearly. At that point in time, Lute's slumbering tones wafted through the air and had already begun to have an affect on the intrepid bodyguard. His eyelids becoming like weights over his eyes, he struggled immensely to keep them open as he felt his body relax and become limber. Opening his mouth, he was barely even able to finish his sentence. "Damn... You... Rocket...!" Slumping backwards, he stretched out his arm as if to try and grasp her and stop her from advancing but it was for naught. Completely neutralised, it appeared a combination of tiring him out with the psychic defence and lulling him to sleep had been a perfect combination for succeeding.

The dulcet tones lull Galliano into a deep sleep!
Now is your chance to kidnap the target!.
Attempt 2/3 successful.

No sooner than had Galliano fallen asleep and slumped against the car, a small click could be heard as if the locked doors had been reversed. This too was followed with a subtle sound of a door opening and some frantic footsteps trying to tiptoe off. Given Sharada was on one side of the limousine it was apparent that the target inside was trying to slip off on the other side of the vehicle. If Sharada wasn't quick enough, her mission would be in dire stairs!

The target is trying to escape!
Secure her and proceed with the mission.

[Morrigan]

Not really learning anything new about this so called mystery prodigy of a trainer, it seemed Sharada's on the spot reply had Galliano almost agreeing with her words. If the tale was true, then maybe this boy really was sitting back to allow others to take care of themselves for once. He had rushed to their rescue once, was he really going to do it again? Or was there going to be a different trainer to take the lime light this time around, maybe even a group. One thing was for certain to Sharada, however. If Team Rocket were to be taken down, whoever took it upon their shoulders to do so had to be strong. Both in themselves and their Pokemon. Feeling as if she had heard similar words before, the brunette turned her head slightly as if disinterested but still continued to listen. "Take a stand, huh." She mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for the opposing body guard to hear. "If someone is planning on taking down Team Rocket, they should hurry up already." Feeling the night breeze touch her face, she took a slight moment of silence before reigning herself back into the situation. "I am a Rocket." She confirmed with a much more confident tone, "And I intend on defeating you, whatever it takes."

Her eyes burning fiercely as she shot a final glare to Galliano, she secured her second ear plug and with it, Lute began her lullaby. A majority of the sound now being blocked completely, all Sharada was able to do was watch as the male bodyguard fumbled for something until the power of the song kicked in. Lute's voice was soothing and gentle, her voice often lulling Sharada to sleep when she struggled to drift off. So as Galliano's body began to slump, she found it to be no surprise. He may have trained against blocking out mind control or from spilling secrets but was he really able to fight his natural instincts of falling asleep when tired? His body sliding down the side of the car, Sharada began to step forward as he outstretched his arm, her body moving closer being one of the last things he saw before drifting off completely. Raising a hand, she wiggled out one of the earbuds, eyes looking down as she stood tall next to his sleeping body. "Tonight has atleast taught me something. If I'm going to succeed, I need to prepare myself for anything... Hm?"

Becoming distracted by the sound of movement, Sharada immediately looked up as a click or two pierced the silence. Had this happened a few moments sooner, Sharada would've missed it completely as it would've been hidden under the sound of Lute's singing. The clicks followed by the sound of footsteps, Sharadas eyes widened, "The girl!!" Ripping out the second ear bud and dropping them to the ground in a frantic panic, Sharada began to dash her way around the side of the car, only to see the figure of the small girl making a run for it. Not that Sharada could blame her, if she was in this situation, she would probably run for it too. "OI! GET BACK HERE!" Her voiced roared out unintentionally, slowly realising that the boom of her voice was likely draw more attention. Cursing to herself, the brunette began to move into a run. She had wanted to check over Galliano incase he had any weapons or a walkie talkie or something but now, she had no choice but to follow the girl. If she escaped, then everything that had happened up until now would be for nothing.

Luckily, Sharada wasn't the only one who had picked up on Alexandria's sudden attempt to flee. Remaining in the shadows for a reason like this, Tenebrae had noticed the car door moving much earlier than Sharada and had already been looming in the shadows after the girl. He knew he couldn't hurt Alexandria and he didn't want to anyway. But if he didn't atleast help, then someone who he cared for would get hurt instead. He wasn't sure if he could allow that to happen. He needed Sharada, to learn about himself and to also take revenge on the ones who ripped him and his sister from their home. Without the brunette, he would be all alone. Using his powers, which he didn't like to do in the first place, the Zorua switched form and managed to get ahead of Alexandria via the side streets. Popping back out, he concentrated with all his might and hoping to instil the girl with fear, summoned a creature she may very well have seen earlier. Obstructing her path was a fake Bellatrix, stomping in the road whilst roaring up into the night sky. Hopping this would hold the girl in the same spot until Sharada was able to catch up, he made the illusion of the Nidoqueen step forward, eyes glaring and hands raised as if ready to lunge at the girl herself.

- Tenebrae summons an illusion of Bellatrix to block Alexandria's path. -