King Of The Under (Underground Gauntlet) [F]

[The REAL Joey]

Having finished his revenge plans, Tobias had now turned his attentions to the city of Goldenrod. He had amassed considerable data by merely battling wild Pokemon in route 34 but having processed through it all, he realised he needed something more refined. All the Pokemon he had faced were exactly that wild, no real training behind them nor discipline. What he needed was data that he could gleam from a group of expert fighting trainers and their Pokemon. As luck would have it, such a gathering of people was currently under way. "If that poster we had bumped into is even remotely accurate, I should have all the data I need." The poster he was referring to was none other than the underground gauntlet. Not widely publicised, a small number of fliers were handed out to passer bys in the tunnel itself. Akin to the Pokemon league challenge, the underground gauntlet was something of a test trainers could put themselves through in order to prove they were battling elite. The only real difference was that there no holes barred in this gauntlet challenge. Not officially recognised by the Pokemon governments, it was widely considered illegal and prohibitory. Such a status did little to dissuade Tobias.

Stepping down the tunnel pathway and moving along, he had no idea where the gauntlet itself was. "Hmph. Typical." Letting the smoke fume out of his cigarette, he made it to the middle inter section of the underground tunnel and realised finding them would perhaps be tougher than it seemed. Folding his arms, he drearily let out a sigh as he had wanted to follow through with this gauntlet challenge as quickly as possible. Walking over to a wall, he noticed a number of posters which were deteriorating and follow to pieces off the wall. Once of which that wasn't in such bad a condition was the very same flier he had seen from his travels prior. "Ah. Let's see..." Examining the poster with some intense scrutiny, he read over all the points the poster raised. "Tough challengers, glorious rewards, intense combat... Eh. As if I care. As long as they provide me with my field data. Where is this even located?" Getting somewhat irritable, spoke out once more expressing his annoyance. "Does anyone even know where this blasted gauntlet is held?!" Folding his arms and letting his cigarette burn profusely as if to signify his anger, Prometheus looked around cautiously.

[Morrigan]

Following the trails of the vague posters, which boasted very little information about the Underground Gauntlet, Tobias had shown some interest but was having some difficulty actually finding where it was being held. Speaking his irritation out loud as smoke from his cigarette floated into the air, it seemed his words didn't go unnoticed. About to walk past the smartly dressed male was almost the opposite. Dressed in what could only be classed as a janitor get up, Tobias' words drew in the attention of the elderly man, who appeared to bare a toothless smile as he turned toward a potential challenger. "The Gauntlet, you say?" He cackled in amusement, "I take it you have heard about all the prizes and came to take a gander, eh?" Looking over Tobias, the tall, suit clad male certainly possessed a seedy air to him. With a sniff of his nose, the janitor turned and began walking ahead, lifting a hand in the air and gesturing Tobias to follow, "I am also going to the Gauntlet. Follow me if you like." A bit of a senile cackle exiting his wrinkled lips, the janitor strolled along the tunnel, hopefully with Tobias in tow.

Their footsteps echoing through the silence of the tunnel, they both eventually turned down a seemingly dead ended corridor. Placing his hand on the wall, a fine line could be seen and with a soft push, a hidden door opened. Turning with almost a cheeky smirk, the janitor headed in first, giving Tobias one last chance to change his mind before descending into the lower levels of the tunnel. As the door behind him closed, all Tobias could do was descend the steps through the darkness, only faint spotlights in the ceiling lighting their way. Luckily they didn't have to trek too far before the faint sound of voices began to echo into their ears, all until the sources became clear. The stairs leading into a dank, dark, underground pit, Tobias was likely to feel right at home. Almost being Team Rocket without the huge red R's and black jumpsuits, many people were just your average, everyday workers but each of them had a seedier side to their personalities. Attending the gauntlet to let loose these masked emotions, all of them were eager to start the fight.

Proceeding further inside, the new sight of this smartly dressed male caused the masculine crowd to part as he strode forward, towards the centre where to fighting took place. None of them really commenting on his strange appearance, it was in fact the opposite, many getting excited at the thought of a potentially good gauntlet. Being led towards the battling ring, a loud sound of what seemed to be a microphone being patted soon rippled throughout the underground room, silencing the entire floor.

"OKAYOKAYOKAY OKAAAY! WELCOME ONE AND WELCOME ALL TO ANOTHER NIGHT OF THE UNDERGROUND GAUNTLET!"

A round of applause and strange noises emerged from the crowd until the voice called back out once more.

"TONIGHT, WE HAVE A NEW CHALLENGER STRAIGHT FROM A GIANFRANCO FERRÉ CAT WALK! MR. ZEBSTRIKA CROSSING! DOMINO DAN! THE MAN WITH THE PLAN WITH A YING AND A YANG!"

Issuing multiple nicknames in regards to Tobias, before they could really settle in his mind, his opponent appeared. Clad in a builders uniform right down to the yellow hard hat, the youthful man stood attentively. Smirking somewhat, the labouring worker may have been younger than Tobias himself but even he had a great deal of stress in his life and the Gauntlet was the one way to escape all of that. "Heh, first time down here, eh? Don't worry, I won't go easy on you." Clearly not in the mood to chat, the worker sent forth his choice of Pokemon, the flash revealing multiple gears which clung onto one another, turning erratically and spontaneously.

"AND FIRST UP WE HAVE ROBERT AND KLANG! WILL OUR HARD WORKERS BE ABLE TO HANDLE OUR MYSTERIOUS CHALLENGER? ONLY TIME WILL TELL! LET'S GET TICKING AND LET THE FIRST ROUND BEGIN!"

---

Tobias has entered the Underground Gauntlet!
Round 1 vs. Worker Robert


Worker Robert sends out Klang (Level 20)!
Please select your first choice of Pokemon.

OOC: Just using Tyger's announcing style again here because I think it suits the Underground Gauntlet as a whole.

[The REAL Joey]

Fixated on finding the location from the poster, Tobias slowly began to flare his nostrils as he could smell an awful scent lingering in the air. Even with the fumes of his cigarette, the aroma could be distinguished through even that. This horrible stench caused him to disgruntle his expression as he turned to locate the source of such a pungent odour. Met with a near toothless smile, Tobias was stoic enough not to flinch but it was most certainly not the sort of visual he wanted to be faced with. Listening to this scruffy janitors words as he eyed him up from head to tie, it appeared that a chance had presented itself to get inaugurated with the gauntlet itself. "Enough with the blathering old man, tell me where this is located. I am in no mood for small talk." Prizes and fame meant nothing to him. He needed cold, hard data for analysis. Thankfully, the elderly janitor appeared to be going there. "Hmph. Lead the way." Following him, he cared little if this was some sort of set up. It was unwise to cross a criminal such as Tobias, let alone one which had aligned himself with the criminal syndicate that was Team Rocket. There would be dire consequences in the event of any such tomfoolery. That and he was packing a fearsome onslaught in the form of Lateralus and his Hyper Beam.

Strolling after him with a determination in his stride, it wasn't long before the two made their way to where this secretive gauntlet was being held. As they made it to what appeared to be an impasse, Tobias narrowed his glare in annoyance. "Don't tell me you're senile." Saying nothing, the janitor merely turned with a smirk as it appeared he had bought them to a secret entrance. "Hmph." Tobias mumbled as it seemed the old man wasn't completely deranged. Following onwards, Tobias was in no doubt he had come to the right place. The noisy raucous chanting of numerous spectators, the smell of sweat and blood in the air was all too apparent, once again overwhelming the scent of his tobacco. Still puffing away, what little scent he had was enough to keep the sickening scents at bay. Taking in the sight of the crowd and also the pit arena that the fights would be taking place in, it reminded Tobias very much of a rudimentary fight club. All he could hope was that no dirt would come across his suit. He had near enough spoiled the previous one trekking through that myriad forest known as Ilex. Still taking in the dank underground gauntlet itself, Tobias was somewhat taken off guard as a rather loud announcer could be heard booming off the ramshackle speakers hanging precariously from the ceiling. "So this is the place it would seem..." He thought to himself as the announcer made it explicitly clear this was the gauntlet.

Amazingly, the next few words would take even Tobias by surprise. He had been wanting to enter but it appeared the people running the show were one step ahead. Introducing him as a new contender, it seemed he had been drawn into the shady world of illegal underground battling. Listening as they rattled off a list of nicknames, his face filled with ire and contempt. "Hmph. Let's just get on with this." Prometheus on the other hand chuckled amusedly at the new names he had been given. Surely some of these would stick. Thankfully for Tobias, the nicknames would not have too long to linger about. No sooner than the announcer had boomed his introduction, a worker appeared to step up to the plate on the other end of the fight pit. Giving him a small taunt, Tobias leaned his head back slightly as he glared despondently with his eye. "I am sure." Aware that this rabble of trainers were all giving off very challenging vibes, he was assured of getting the data he needed. However, the Pokemon used would sadly be of little use. Sporting a mechanical Pokemon, it was not the erratic, lively being Tobias had hoped to establish data from.

As the Pokemon became into focus, it appeared to be a Klang. A Pokemon Tobias knew of from his time spent in Unova. As the announcer confirmed his challenger, Tobias wasted little time on assessing his decision. Sending forward a Pokeball with a cool confidence about him, he revealed his Pokemon to be none other than Striker. Floating mid air and with a maniacal glint in his eye from the dimly lit light above focusing on the pit, Striker let out a devious cackle. "OOoooOOOOoooOOOOOh~!! I do say! It appears we're in some sort of seedy, illegal brawling pit, mmmmmmmm? How devilish! A good thing i've no qualms with not holding back, mhmhmhmhmhmhm!!" Thrusting his pincers forward with a gnash, Tobias had chosen a Pokemon known for his savagery. "Striker. Bulldoze." Bluntly calling out his command, Tobias was keen to move on with the data gathering. All the while this went on, his c-gear was recording the battle itself in real time as digital information.

[Deleted]

Robert was not sure what to make of his opponent as he laid eyes on Tobias. Robert did not think for a moment that Tobias looked very tough but he had been to the gauntlet enough to know that looks could be deceiving. Robert had never had much luck in the gauntlet since for the longest time he would underestimate his foe based on appearance alone. He was not about to let that happen again tonight however as he looked right into Tobias's eyes before speaking. " I have learned from the past not to judge others by their looks. The old me would think you were a pushover but to make it hear in one piece looking like that you must have a few tricks up your sleve. I look forward to seeing what you can do." As he finished speaking the announcer could not help but to flap his lips some more.

"HEYHEYHEY FOLKS IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS BATTLE IS JUST ABOUT TO START. GET YOU BETS IN NOW EITHER FOR JOHN DOE THE WORKER OR THE JAMES BOND IMPERSONATOR. THIS IS SURE TO BE A GREAT BATTLE ARE YOU READY ONCE WE RING THE BELL BETTING WILL CLOSE!"

Robert was pretty annoyed by the announcer for not even remembering his name considering how many times he had tried and failed in the gauntlet but he was not about to give up without a fight. " Does that idiot announcer ever shut up or even pay attention for that matter. Shut up and ring the damn bell already." With Robert visibly annoyed and the crowd ready for action the announcer picked up a small gavel and got ready to ring the bell.

"DINGDINGDING BETTING IS NOW CLOSED LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD. YES I WANT PICKLES ON MY HAM SANDWICH ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING? OH CRAP IS THIS THING STILL ON!"

With the announcer busy trying to give his assistant the run down of how he wanted his sandwich Robert was ready to start things off. As he began to sweat from the tense atmosphere he began to speak. " Klang show this guy a taste of the underground spirit and us Gear Grind." However before Klang could acknowledge it's orders Striker made his move. Burrowing his claws into the ground he flew towards Klang at high speed. A mountain of debris built up in front of him as he approached the gear Pokemon. With all of his might he crushed Klang under all of the debris knocking it out in a single blow. Robert was stunned at the defeat and did not say anything as he ran off with tears in his eyes.


Gauntlet Battle

---

Robert's Klang : | Level 20|
Health: 0% (0/60 HP)
Status: KO'ed
KO'ed!
Move: None

Tobias's Striker : | Level 28 |
Health: 100% (88/88 HP)
Status:Normal
You mess with me I bury you!
Move: Bulldoze

Striker fought well and gained 1000 experience. He now has 1931/2437 exp needed to level up.

---

"WOW A ONE HIT KO THE JAMES BOND IMPERSONATOR WINS. CAN HE DO IT AGAIN WITH CLERK PIERRE? "

As the next challenger approached he yelled at the announcer " It is Pete not Pierre aw screw it with how high you are right now nothing I say will help you anyways your brain is completely fried." As Pete looked at Tobias and the giant scorpion Pokemon in front of him he knew the man meant business and so Pete decided to use his most trustworthy Pokemon in the next round. " You have an impressive looking Gliscor there will you be using it or another Pokemon in our battle? Was it the Pokemon that tore up this floor? I willbe using my girl Sneasel who ought to prove a nice challenge for you." As he finished speaking he waited for the bell to ring sothe next round could begin.

Clerk Pete is next in line.

He sends out his level 21 Sneasel.

[The REAL Joey]

Loosening his tie somewhat as his hand grasped around the knot, Tobias cleared his throat as he limbered himself up for this gruelling series of battles. From what the flier had mentioned, the battles themselves consisted of waves upon waves of different trainers. The sooner they were done with this mechanical creation the better. Very much wanting to get this one with, Tobias narrowed his gaze with scrutiny as he listened to the drivel that poured out of Robert's mouth. "Hmph. Whatever you say has very little bearing on this all as we'll be moving on shortly after this. You're a mere footnote." Caring little if he thought much of his appearance, Tobias was confident enough that his tools, his Pokemon, would be trained enough to be able to dispatch such a belligerent opponent. No sooner than he had finished, the announcer shouted off down his mic which flooded the fight pit with a fuzzy resonance. "Hmph, so they place bets on these skirmishes? To be expected. I was perhaps too hasty to enter this ring. I could have found someone to partner with and have them bet for me in order to fleece this fools clean." A definite idea, it was unfortunate that it would be too late to execute.

As Robert mumbled about the announcer's constant interruptions, Tobias was at least grateful the worker appeared to want to continue on. Eventually coming to the cusp of their beginning, Striker let out a maniacal cackle as he was more than ready to make good of his namesake. "Eheheheheheheh. I don't very much like the tone of this wage slave. Perhaps wrecking this hunk o' junk will teach him a bit of respect, hmmmmmm? Ohohohohoho~!! I'LL BURY YOU!" Lashing out into action, Striker's merciless movement went striking forwards, building up a mound of debris before absolutely crushing the enemy Klang. As this happened, Tobias watched with no real sign of emotion on his visage. This was business as usual. Even seeing a grown man run off with tears in his eyes did little to illicit any sort of taunt from the eye patched male. All he cared about was the next opponent. Perhaps they would have more of a spine. Listening intently for the introduction of his next challenger, Tobias watched as a suited male stoop up to the pit. As the challenger attempted to make sense of the situation and what Tobias would be doing, the tiniest slither of a smile flickered at the corner of Tobias' mouth. It appeared the clerk was using a normal Pokemon. One which would exude all sorts of unpredictable and rash decisions. The perfect grounds for data analysis.

"Hmph. No. Striker, return to the sidelines." Swooping around and making a swift retreat, the challenger's corner was left open. "I will be using something else." Grabbing the Pokeball for his next choice, he raised an arm and summoned his creation as the light filled in on the battle line. Materialising mid air, it was none other than Lateralus, Tobias' Porygon-Z. Caring little to engage with Pete, Tobias began running through the necessary measures to get Lateralus running optimally. "Lateralus; boot offensive mode." Whirring and clicking, the Pokemon's unsettling eyes seemed to come in and out of focus as its body changed stance. "Initiate attack protocols. Target parameters: Sneasel." Repositioning itself slightly, the Porygon-Z began to focus intently on the enemy Sneasel. "HB inhibitors unlocked. Hyper Beam module, execute. On my mark..." Unsure on whether or not such a powerful attack would be best in such a confined space, Tobias decided to go ahead regardless. "Hyper Beam... FIRE." Tobias was not playing around.

[Deleted]

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN HOW DID YOU LIKE THAT FIRST ROUND. THE JAMES BOND IMPERSONATOR DID A REALLY NICE JOB TAKING CARE OF THAT KLINK. THIS SNEASEL LOOKS PRETTY TOUGH HOWEVER DO YOU GUYS THINK HE CAN DO IT AGAIN?"

As the announcer flapped his lips more than what should have been humanly possible Pete was rather excited to see if his training had paid off. As strong as the oppositions Gliscor looked. He was let down for a moment when he heard Tobias would not be using his Gliscor but the appearance of his next Pokemon amazed and at the same time scared the hell out of the Clerk as the mechanical duck Pokemon floated in the air. Pete was speechless as he gazed upon the worlds final build of virtual Pokemon. He had never even heard of a Porygon Z yet alone seen one in action. As the clerk tried to come to terms of the reality he was facing he was awestruck by Tobias's Pokemon.

" WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY IS THAT? I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT POKEMON BEFORE. DID I SMOKE SOME BAD WEED OR SOMETHING?

As the announcer was even shocked at the sight of a Porygon Z Pete was completely at odds with the situation. He was stunned that such an odd Pokemon even existed but he had come to win and he was not going to run now. Taking a deep breath he was just about to give his Pokemon an order when disaster struck. Like a lightning bolt from hell the Hyper Beam Lateralus had been preparing had charged up and it began to fly towards Sneasel. The weasel may have been known for it's speed but it was even too slow to evade the attack. With a giant boom the beam collided into Sneasel before blowing a 5 meter hole in a wall behind it. Sneasel was vaporized by the beam and Pete ran off in terror after watching the spectacle.

Gauntlet Battle 2

---

Pete's Sneasel : | Level 21|
Health: 0% (0/60 HP)
Status: KO'ed
KO'ed!
Move: None

Tobias's Lateralus : | Level 30 |
Health: 100% (100/100 HP)
Status:Normal
TARGET DESTROYED!
Move: Hyper Beam

Lateralus fought well and gained 1050 exp. It now has 1479/2791 exp required to level up.

"HOLY ARCEUS THIS JAMES BOND IMPERSONATOR SURE PLAYS HIS PART WELL. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF THE POOR SNEASEL. MERCY DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS AGENTS VOCABULARY. UP NEXT WE HAVE ARTIST PIERRE. WOW THAT IS A POPULAR NAME."

As the Artist walked into the arena he could not help but notice the giant hole in the wall and the severely messed up ground. He gulped as he wondered how the hell he ended up in this mess before looking at the floating duck Pokemon. He usually loved to paint Pokemon after a good battle but the arena looked like a war zone. He questioned his own sanity as he tried to keep a brave face. " Goodness what the hell happened here. Did I miss a massacre or something? I have to see for myself. Xatu it is time for a battle sweetheart." As the mystic bird came out of it's Pokeball even it was horrified at the scene. Both Xatu and it's trainer were not very confident as the tried to stay calm despite the terrifying scene around them.

Artist Pierre challenges you to a battle.

He sends out his level 22 Xatu.

[The REAL Joey]

Barely paying attention to the booming voice of the announcer, Tobias cared little for the theatrics. He wanted one thing and one thing only and that was battle data. Taking a quick peak at his C-Gear it appeared that everything was being recorded in real time which meant he would be able to use this at a later stage. Looking back up as the announcer finished his blathering, Tobias snorted subtly to himself. "By the time I am through with the Sneasel, there won't be anything but ashes left." Judging from the vacant expression on Pete's face, it was obvious he had little idea of what he would be up against. Tilting his head to one side, Tobias shot him a glare. "Having such a surprised expression will do you no favours. Hmph." Finishing his jibes at the man, Tobias carefully looked in the opposite distraction from the sheer blinding strength of the move. Feeling his clothes ripple and his tie flap angrily over his shoulder, he had become accustomed to the move. Although the same could not have been said for others.

As he felt the energy in the air die down and the hair on the back of his neck droop, Tobias looked back to see the damages. Noting that there had been a significant hole in the wall now made as well as his opponent's Pokemon nowhere to be seen, Tobias smirked. Watching as the trainer went running off in terror, Tobias pulled a disgruntled look to his visage. Raising his arms just above his waist level, he was hoping such an overwhelming display of power would not put off other would be challengers. "Hmph! Is that all I have to face? Nothing but scrap metal and terrified chickens?! I thought this place offered white knuckle action! This entire gauntlet is a joke!" Knowing he would rile up some anger, it was the best shot he had at provoking and getting more suitable data. At the very least, he had definitely got some from the Sneasel fight. Hearing the announcer boom off with some more words, Tobias shook his head and commented. "Licence to kill." Thankfully it appeared there was more willing to stand up for the gauntlet challenge.

Watching as a rather unsuspecting figure dressed in artist's garb took the defender's stage, Tobias raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You're partially correct. This is a massacre. And it's far from over." Caring little for what Pokemon the artist had sent forward, he made a quick note to ensure it wasn't a mechanical, lifeless creature and decided to continue on with the offensive. Given that these were separate battles, it meant Lateralus had more than enough time to recharge his reserves in the space it took for the next defender to take to the challenge. Opening his mouth, Tobias began to repeat some very well rehearsed words at this point. Tobias began running through the necessary measures to get Lateralus running optimally for this next fight. "Lateralus; reboot offensive mode." Whirring and clicking, the Pokemon's unsettling eyes seemed to come in and out of focus as its body changed stance. "Initiate attack protocols. Target parameters: Xatu." Repositioning itself slightly, the Porygon-Z began to focus intently on the enemy prophetic bird. "HB inhibitors unlocked. Hyper Beam module, execute. On my mark..." Realising that even in confined spaces hyper beam appeared to be of use still, he decided to retest its power. "Hyper Beam... FIRE."

OOC: Avarice has exp share, i've updated accordingly and taught it Pin Missile over Rollout.

[Morrigan]

UNDERGROUND GAUNTLET: ROUND 3 vs. Artist Pierre
__________________________________

"I'D TAKE A STEP BACK IF YOU VALUE THAT COMB OVER OF YOURS, PIERRE. THAT TIN CAN IS CALIBRATING OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT ROBOTIC, BEAM SHOOTING ANIMATRONICS DO!"

As the announcer issued his words of warning to the otherwise clueless artist, Pierre raised a hesitant hand up to his head, making sure that his hat was covering the bald patch that had begun to form on his head. How did anyone know about that? Regardless, Pierre knew that he was up against a foe that was far out of his league. This Underground Gauntlet was an illegal fighting ring, inviting the shadier characters of the city to fight as underhanded and dirtily as they wanted. Most of the time both side could put up a fight but so far, no one had been able to even give their order without this altered Porygon finishing them off in an instant. Of course, they couldn't even question if this man made Pokemon was legal because their underground hideaway was far from it! Gritting his teeth and needing to bare it, the crowd seemed to be on the side of Pierre having not been too fond of Tobias previous taunting that their gauntlet was a joke. Considering he was underground with a group of not so savoury types, he had some confidence to rile them all up and make them turn against him.

His massacre comment making the words Pierre was about to say remain stuck in this throat, the artist knew that he was going to be next. Daily he would paint beautiful pictures but deep down, he wanted that bit more. He loved seeing Pokemon clash in fearsome battles of strength, drawing blood or causing even fatal injuries. Those type of scenes were rare to come across but a part of him wanted to desperately capture that in a painting. Against Tobias and his Hyper Beam, there would be nothing of his Pokemon left to paint. Whirring into action, the Xatu braced itself for certain defeat. Even it couldn't foresee the horrible fate of being thoroughly destroyed by a over powered beam. Reeling it's body back, Lateralus shot the array of power straight for the body of the Xatu, practically lifting it right off the ground and sending it flying at the forefront of the beam, it's body being the first one to make impact on the wall and create another hole to add to the ever growing collection. Hopefully there wouldn't be too many more holes. If the walls became weak and gave way, they could very well become trapped or even crushed! Atleast Tobias could Hyper Beam his way out of any predicament.

Xatu: | Level 22 |
Health: 0% (0/67 HP)
Status: Normal
...

VS

Lateralus: | Level 30 |
Health: 100% (100/100 HP)
Status: Normal
Lateralus used Hyper Beam!

---

Artist Pierre has been defeated!



Lateralus gained 1100 experience!


Avarice gained 1 level due to holding Experience Share and grew to Level 19!

---

"HAHA! NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL A SMOOTH CRIMINAL! I LIKE HIM!!"

The announcer taking a break from chomping on his sandwich to portray his own like for Tobias, it seemed Pierre was being overcome with a different feeling altogether. Standing there with his mouth ajar, the elderly painter loosened his grip, releasing the canvas and various paintbrushes he was holding and causing them to clutter on the ground. His partner, who had read his future and told him he was going to be an excellent artist, had disappeared right before his very eyes. "X-Xatu." Legs trembling in time with his bottom lip, he couldn't believe his misfortune. "You have never been wrong in reading the future... How could I lose-- Oh. Oh. OH. SACRE BLEU!" Pulling a bit of a strange face, his old age seemed to be catching up with him, mixed in with this sudden feeling of stress that had rumbled his bowels. A horrific smell floating into the air, many members of the crowd looked to once another. Had he just done what they thought he had?

"Urgh, move along Pierre. Be sure to take some of those tablets I prescribed to you. You really need to learn to control those bowel movements of yours." Stepping out from the crowd came a relatively tall man, wearing doctors garb and a face mask. Stepping next to the Artist, the seem extruding from him didn't appear to put the Doctor off too much, there was a chance he had smelt and seen much worse. "Move. You are in the way. Go and be a statue where we can't see you." Pierre stuttering slightly, he began to make an awkward waddle, the crowd voluntarily parting to make a clear path way for him, leading to the exit of the tunnel. Slowly, the smell began to disperse and with it, the Doctor turned properly to Tobias.

"LOOK TO ARRIVED ON THE STAGE IN THE NICK OF TIME! OUR VERY OWN DOCTOR BRAD IS GOING TO BE GIVING OUR COOL CUSTOMER A TREATMENT OF PAIN!"

Rolling his shoulders at the announcers word, Brad had taken a good look over Tobias and couldn't hide his intrigue. The white suited man was unique, he possessed such a strong Pokemon and gave off such a mysterious, villainous vibe. He loved it. "Hohoh. You have caused quite a stir down here and even done a little bit of redecorating for us." Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't help but notice the holes that had begun to form in the walls, debris scattered all across the floor. "Hopefully there were some injuries for me to treat. I just prefer to be kept busy." Leaning forward, a dangerous shadow crept along his forehead, eyes widened with hungry intent. "But if not, I could always just pick you apart. I would simply love to pick your Pokemon apart to see what makes them tick. Maybe I could even help you out. I'm sure I can conjure up an eye transplant for you, heheh." Unaware that hidden under Tobias' eyepatch was infact that thick chunk of never melting ice, it would probably be best for the Rocket not to show him incase the switch of excited instantly turned on inside of Brad's head. "Time to begin our appointment. Let's go, Audino!" Tossing the ball forward, a Pokemon popped out, having a personality the very opposite of Brad. Cutely smiling, the pink creature waved it's arm with a gentle wave. But was this merely a ploy to make Tobias think that his opponent was weak?

---

Round 4 vs. Doctor Brad


Doctor Brad sends out Audino (Level 23)!

[The REAL Joey]

Not thinking much of this artist before him as he had concluded similarly with the engineer and the clerk before him, Tobias was starting to doubt the validity of the data he was recording. Realising his threats had perhaps caught the man's tongue, Tobias let out a sneer as he felt the energy in the room build up once more. Turning his head off to the side, he let the beam course violently towards the Xatu and let it bear the brunt of the damage. Turning back around as the hyper beam died down, it appeared he had taken out another cigarette in that time and was now waiting for a light. Adjusting the cigarette in his mouth off to the corner where Prometheus was sitting on his shoulder, the dutiful monkey wasted no time in getting to work. Stretching his arm out and clicking his fingers to create a spark of fire, the cigarette was ignited, letting Tobias indulge in some much needed smoke. Sniffing his nostrils, it smelt almost as if this dank, dingy pit had got even more odoriferous. As the artist cried out and lamented the loss of his Xatu, Tobias pulled no punches. "Hmph. Some seer that was. The future is written by those with the power to do so. Not silly visions of the future."

Pulling the cigarette out of his mouth, Tobias took another whiff and realised what exactly had happened. Giving Pierre a deathly glare, Tobias was cut off as another entrant stepped up much to the gratitude of Tobias and Prometheus. The stench had become so bad that the Pansear was now pinching his nose and gagging violently at the putrid odour. Tobias however was much more concerned with the new defender in this gauntlet. Realising he was some surgeon or doctor in the medical field, he realised this might prove to be the most interesting battle yet. With absolute precision and meticulous strategy, surely this would be more of a challenge than the rest. As the doctor spoke out to Tobias, he took a lengthy inhale of his cigarette as it gripped between his two forefingers, before taking it out of his mouth and letting the smoke seep out threateningly. "Injuries? I'm not too sure what field your expertise lies in but I hope you have some talents for restructuring ash back together." Noting the shady aura that crept over the doctor, Tobias sneered bluntly with his nose. "Hmph, the only picking apart you'll be doing is the remains of your Pokemon by the time i'm through." Ignoring his last words about his eye patch, Tobias' eyes faltered to what his choice in Pokemon would be. Seeing the genteel and sweet looking Audino wasn't exactly the sort of Pokemon he was hoping for.

"You are mocking me, yes? Do not think you can trick me with such a cutesy looking Pokemon. I make no discrimination in what needs to be obliterated." Ready to get this next round under way and get his next bit of data for his program, Tobias began running through the necessary measures to get Lateralus running optimally for this next opponent. "Lateralus; reboot offensive mode." Whirring and clicking, the Pokemon's unsettling eyes seemed to come in and out of focus as its body changed stance. "Initiate attack protocols. Target parameters: Audino." Repositioning itself slightly, the Porygon-Z began to focus intently on the seemingly sweet and innocent Audino. "HB inhibitors unlocked. Hyper Beam module, execute. On my mark..." Savouring what he had just said and what would come next, Tobias held off just a little longer, unsure as to whether it would get the crowd going. By now his words had a set pattern and maybe it'd rope in the crowd to go long with it. "Hyper Beam... FIRE." As soon as the words had left his mouth, Lateralus responded by charging up his energy reserves and getting ready to focus all destruction upon its adversary. As if taking the mickey of the Audino waving at them gently, Prometheus raised a hand of his own and waved goodbye as he snickered covering his mouth with his other hand.

[Deleted]

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN ARE YOU READY FOR ROUND 4? THE CRIMINAL VERSION OF JAMES BOND AND OUR IN HOUSE DOCTOR SURE LOOK READY! LET's GET READY TO RUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEE."

As Doctor Brad listened to Tobias he began to believe that he was listening to a mad man. He had seen the last few battles and knew that the Porygon Z Tobias had was powerful but he did not even remotely think it would stand a chance against his Audino. Brad took pride in the wild assortment of moves his Audino knew and he honestly thought it would have the upper hand against the mans interesting Pokemon. As Tobias spoke doctor Brad grew worried however as he had never encountered such an aggressive specimen before. The doctor could not think of how to respond at first but after thinking it over he finally began to speak.

" I have met some crazy and aggressive people throughout my time as a doctor but you sir have taken the crazy cake award. You need some serious help if you think your parlour trick will be enough to turn my Pokemon to ash. I cannot count the number of meds I need to give you to try and balance you out." As Brad scratched his head in amazement he still could not think of how a man could become so crazy. Being the punctual type Brad did not want to hold up the battle at hand however and so he ordered an attack. " Quick Audino use Surf before that mechanized duck can build up it's attack." As fast as the doctor was in his command however he was not fast enough as Lateralus had built up enough energy to fire another hyper beam.

Like before the beam travelled at an astonishing velocity as it headed for Audino. The pink Pokemon was too busy trying to magically summon a tidal wave to even notice the attack. Hyper beam scored a direct hit vaporizing Audino like so many other Pokemon it had attacked.


Gauntlet Battle 4

---

Brad's Audino : | Level 23|
Health: 0% (0/87 HP)
Status: KO'ed
KO'ed!
Move: None

Tobias's Lateralus : | Level 30 |
Health: 100% (100/100 HP)
Status:Normal
TARGET VAPORIZED!
Move: Hyper Beam

Lateralus fought well and gained 1150 exp. It grew to level 31 and now has 938/2977 exp required to level up.

Avarice gained 1 level thanks to her exp share and she is now level 20.

As doctor Brad stood in horror Tobias was proven correct that he would be sweeping ashes. As Brad nearly lost in mind from the shock a man carrying a mop walked over and began to mop the ashes much to the doctor's dismay. Brad ran off heartbroken as the mop removed the ashes from the floor. Before the janitor could say a word however the announcer began to speak.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL ROUND. I DO NOT THINK ANYTHING WILL STOP THE SECRET AGENT CRIMINAL FROM TAKING HOME THE GRAND PRIZE BUT LET'S SEE IF HE CAN PULL IT OFF ANYWAYS. GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO CHRIS THE JANITOR."

As Chris looked around the arena he was terrified as to what had happened. He had seen fights get bloody but this looked like the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. The piles of ashes on the ground and the huge hole in the wall would be his responsibility to clean and he was not happy at all. " Hey dumbass you do know I will be the one wh cleans up your mess don't you? Muk let's teach this punk not to make a mess of things." As Muk appeared in front of the janitor the crowd went wild excited for the last round.

Janitor Chris is ready to mop up the competition.

Janitor Chris sends out his level 24 Muk.

[The REAL Joey]

Cocking his head askance, Tobias was very dubious of this doctor to say the least. He got some serious vibes of being barred from practice and taking up shady requests which were not of any official capacity. "Balance me out? Please. I am in no need of medication. The only thing you'll be doing following this onslaught will be prescribing you some anti depressants to get you out the doldrums of loss. As you have probably witnessed up until this point, I take no prisoners." His Porygon-Z powering up to maximum power, Tobias once again withdrew his focus from being blinded and averted his gaze off to the side. So too did Prometheus although the entire time the mischievous, ill natured monkey chuckled to himself amusedly over the unfortunate end that would befall the Audino. With the satisfying noise of a direct hit sounding throughout the decrepit pit, Tobias turned back to face his opponent as the hyper beam concluded its attack. "Hmph. You mentioned you had some expertise in the art of healing. I wonder just how useful that will be in the case of your Pokemon." Wanting to rip into the foe some more, Tobias stopped as a familiar face came into the fore. Brandishing a lengthy mop, he began sweeping up as he rather coldly took care of the Audino's vaporised remains. Earning the dismay of Brad, it appeared there would be one less opponent to belittle.

Unable to put his finger on things, Tobias folded his arms as he continued to glare at the newly entered janitor as the announcer thundered his voice across the gauntlet. "Here I was thinking you would be taking care of the accumulated mess. So you're the final hurdle..." Trailing off, Tobias gave him one final scrutinise of his eye as he suddenly realised where he had seen this grubby man. Clicking his fingers, he pointed with realisation setting in. "You... You're the person who led me here. Hah. If I had known you were one of the opponents... Nevermind. I suppose we shall settle this here. After my efforts, you'll rue the day you ever decided to beckon me forth." Hearing the janitor speak out about his grievance in clearing up the area, Tobias merely leaned his head back and stared at him with a stern looking. "And? That is your job is it not? Do not moan over something expected of you. Final gauntlet challenge or not, I assume you still have to follow through with the job description you were originally entailed for." Shaking his head, Tobias was rather annoyed by such an outlook. "I take back what I said earlier. It would seem you're already regretting inviting me down here." Watching as the janitor rather hastily sent out his Pokemon to teach Tobias a lesson, he considered whom to use.

Despite its horrid stench which was no doubt the reason why the janitor stunk to the high heavens, the Pokemon itself was very much alive and would provide some invaluable battle data to be recorded. Given its goopey and undefined state, it would be the perfect test for Lateralus to focus his target protocols. "I would hope you have no attachments to this Pokemon. It has very little time left." This was it, the final round for him to succeed in the gauntlet but also to have acquired enough data. Keen to proceed, he hurriedly went through the boot up sequence for his Pokemon. "Lateralus; reboot offensive mode." Whirring and clicking, the Pokemon's unsettling eyes seemed to come in and out of focus as its body changed stance. "Initiate attack protocols. Target parameters: Muk." Repositioning itself slightly, the Porygon-Z began to focus intently on the disgusting filth that was Muk. "HB inhibitors unlocked. Hyper Beam module, execute. On my mark..." Savouring what he had just said and what would come next, Tobias held off just a little longer before commanding his move for what he hoped would be the grand finale. "Hyper Beam... FIRE." As soon as the words had left his mouth, Lateralus responded by charging up his energy reserves and getting ready to obliterate this unusual foe.

[Morrigan]

UNDERGROUND GAUNTLET: ROUND 5 vs. Janitor Chris
__________________________________

"HE TAKES NO PRISONERS AND TAKES NO SHIT! LETS SEE HOW HE DOES ON THE FINAL ROUND! BRING ON THE RIIIING!"

As Tobias faced the elderly janitor, who was far too busy scowling around at the mess which surrounded him, something clicked in the memory of Tobias. "Whatcha say?" The man known as Chris responded, squinting his eyes over at Tobias. Earlier on, when he was trying to find his way to the Gauntlet, a male dressed and practically matching in appearance to Chris had showed him the path to the Underground Gauntlet. His eyebrows raising, the male seemed to show a toothless grin underneath his thick moustache. "Ah! The man with no sense of direction! Yes yes, I remember you now. Didn't realised that someone with such a clean suit would make such a mess." Wriggling his mop around on the floor as if trying to dust off the debris, anything he would do tonight would be useless. Such destruction would have to be fixed by a worker such as Rob so for now, Chris had got off lucky. "I didn't think you would get this far in the Gauntlet either! Hehehe, let's see if you can handle me. Maybe you'll be wishing you hadn't followed."

His Muk oozing against the ground, the large pile of purple sludge was causing a bit of a uproar from the crowd as it quite frankly stunk. But with Tobias on the case, they would all soon be free of the foul stench as his signature move began to whir into place. Moving closer to Lateralus, the Muk towered over the strange looking Pokemon with a curious yet stupid expression. It hadn't met such an obscure Pokemon but it knew one way to defeat anything without having to even properly attack. Pratically drowning Lateralus, the Muk absorbed the Pokemon into it's body, hoping that the smell would just cause whatever it was to faint. "Hehehe, the battle is over without even lifting a finge-ge-guuUUUH?!" On Chris' words, he noticed that Muk had begun to bubble, a very bright light radiating from his centre. A circle of it's once purple body now turning white, the Muk let out a tremendous roar before blowing up into smaller patches of sludge, as Lateralus burst through with it's destructive Hyper Beam. Leaving very little of Muk left but a lot of muck everywhere else.

Muk: | Level 24 |
Health: 0% (0/91 HP)
Status: Fainted
...

VS

Lateralus: | Level 31 |
Health: 100% (103/103 HP)
Status: Normal
Lateralus used Hyper Beam!

---

Congratulations!
Lateralus defeated Janitor Chris and his Muk!

Lateralus gained 1200 experience!



Avarice gained 1 level due to holding Experience Share and grew to Level 21!
Avarice is able to learn the move Gyro Ball! Forget a move?
Metal Claw, Leech Seed, Pin Missile, Curse

---

"WELL THIS MAN CERTAINLY HAD A PLAN AS WE HAVE A WINNER, FOLKS! I DOUBT WE HAVE ANY MORE CHALLENGERS PREPARED TO STAND UP AGAINST OUR VERY OWN HYPER BEAMING HUSTLER! GIVE IT UP FOR THE NEW KING OF THE UNDERGROUND!!"

The announcers words officially ending the gauntlet, the crowd roared into applause. Many were not all that keen on Tobias with his mighty-than-thou speeches but they couldn't deny he had overwhelming strength behind him. That and he was able to eradicate the numerous gut wrenching smells that were given off by Chris' Pokemon. The Gauntlet was there for people who were sick of their daily lives and wanted battles to have a bit more force behind them rather than following the clean league rules. Tobias certainly delivered in the form of practically blowing up a majority of his opponents into piles of ash. Chris, who was still gob smacked that he had lost so quickly, had to be guided away from the ring by an onlooker as Tobias' prizes came to the stage. Placed on a cushion held by an attractive female, she posed once or twice for the crowd, showing off the items in her hands before presenting them to Tobias.

"AND FOR OUR MAN DRESSED IN BLACK AND WHITE, WE PRESENT HIM WITH THE GAUNTLET PRIZES! A GOLDEN NUGGET TO MAKE A QUICK BUCK AND A TM KNOWN AS DRAIN PUNCH! LET'S PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER ONCE MORE FOR OUR CHALLENGER!

Congratulations!
Tobias and his team are the victors of the Underground Gauntlet!

Tobias has been rewarded;
x1 Nugget
x1 TM60 Drain Punch

[The REAL Joey]

Staring blankly at the janitor and his disgusting, toothless grin, Tobias was not the least bit impressed. "No direction? Amusing coming from someone who's life has amounted to nothing more than sweeping up the mess of others." Shooting a death glare with his only eye, Tobias was keen to put this uppity janitor in his place. "Although perhaps now will be the exception. The mess that will be made will be of your own Pokemon. A much welcome break from cleaning up after others i'm sure." Finishing his cigarette, he held the butt end in his hand and flicked it forwards into the gauntlet pit between them as if to add more onto the list of clean up duties that was required of the janitor. With his smoke now finished, he looked off to the side as Lateralus' power began to increase. The unsettling hum which picked up was undeniable at this point and there was a definite surge in the atmosphere, causing hair to stand up on end. Ignoring how close the Muk had become to his Pokemon, it only meant the disgustingly foul Pokemon would be receiving a Hyper Beam at point blank range. A fatal error. As the beam powered up fully and shot out a deadly expulsion of energy, Tobias could tell from having a glance at his C-Gear that the damage levels were off the charts. The way in which the Pokemon was impacted also displayed on the screen and gave him the battle data he required. As the beam winded down, Tobias turned his head to face the janitor head on.

Tobias was never one to laugh but this scene was almost enough to make him crack a smile. Clumps and globs of his Pokemon were scattered about all over the arena, with some literally oozing off the side of the janitor's face. Before he could say anything, the announcer boomed off with confirmation that Tobias had blasted his way through the gauntlet and secured victory as the winner. It was a disappointing fact but as he concluded the data recording on his C-Gear with a subtle tap, he had at least garnished enough information to hone the attributes of his Porygon-Z even further. Letting the crowd flood him with applause, Tobias' expression remained rather disinterested. He was not the type for revelry such as this and was actually quite keen on making his exist. For him, there were now more pressing matters in the form of taking on assignments within Team Rocket. If he wanted to climb this ladder of ambition, he would need to make sure he was an active face in their missions. As his mind wandered, he had not paid attention to the attractive prize lady which had appeared next to him. Pulling something of a disgusted face as she posed once or twice next to him, he instead looked to the prize cushion. As she presented them to him, it would be Prometheus that would swipe them out of her hands as he chimped out noisily. Giving her a deep seated look of vehemence, he looked around as the announcer commanded yet another round of applause.

"Hmmm... Idiots." He muttered under his breath. Not wanting to stick around, he began pushing his way out of the exit and back into the tunnel. Unbeknownst, it appeared something had been watching him and decided to follow in his wake.

- Fin -