Ruffling feathers [Aphrodite/Social]

[AshenPhoenix]

A dark, windy evening fell upon the small city of Cherrygrove. The streets have emptied before sundown and if not for the dim lights shining through some windows, the place would feel utterly desolated. Nocturnal pokemon slithering here and there, keeping themselves hidden in the shadows, were only adding to that otherworldly feel of a ghost town. Gusts of wind were kicking up the biting dust and trash from all the forgotten corners of the city to remind everyone of their existence in the morning. Such lovely ambience.

Crow stood outside of the Pokemon Centre, just next to the glowing sign, leaning on the wall with arms crossed, smoking a dimly lit cigarette. On his right arm was perched Typhoon, with his feathers puffed up by the strong wind and by the left leg - Smolder, cuddled up and trying to shield the flame on his tail from the gust. Crow was tired - it's been several days since slept for longer than maybe hour long naps between Pokemon Centres. But, he felt restless, as if someone pulled a rug from under his feet and he was desperate to get back the rug he knew so well. For the first time, he felt alone - no, that's not the right word! He never needed anyone. Not in Sinnoh and not in Team Rocket. Rather, he felt like they left him on ice.

He let out a puff of smoke. Even he didn't know what he was waiting for. Maybe to see some Rocket grunts, who'd explain what exactly happened? For a supposedly "reforming" team, there sure weren't many of those around. "Nevermind any of that." Crow thought to himself, throwing the cigarette on the ground, then stomping on it and putting on his hood. His current team was nothing short of pitiful and he'd be laughed out of the Team if he showed up with that. He needed to get stronger pokemon, and that's exactly what he was going to do. With a quick step, he set out onto the city streets, looking for pokemon... or, preferably, trainers with pokemon to rob. Sure, the weather wasn't too friendly for any late night strolls, but you never know. Better that than having your head burdened with stupid thoughts about... stupid things.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

After enjoying a nice meal and skipping out on the bill, Essence found herself wondering around in the streets of Cherrgrove City. She figured that she would do a little bit of site-seeing to help burn off some of the food that she had stuffed her face and stomach with not too long ago. She had heard tales of a rare Pokemon by the name of Quagsire. According to the natives, if one happens to bump into one then the individual will be gifted with a special item. Essence loved the sound of a free gift, but she also loved the idea of catching a rare Pokemon on her team, too. Especially rare Pokemon that is said to bring good luck to those around it.

She had left her motorcycle parked at the Pokemon Center and she dared anyone to miss with it while she was out touring the small city. So far, everything seems to be going pretty well on her adventure. She had managed to complete a unique trail in order to earn herself a special trinket from an old couple as well as trained her Pokemon up a few levels. The only thing that would make things a little bit better for her would be finding a useful lead on locating Team Rocket or at least discovering the reasoning behind their disappearance in the Kalos Region.

As she continued to move around through the city, Essence would snap out of her thoughts long enough to noticed that the fire fox that was given to her by her mother was not walking beside her any longer. "Damnit, Brinley! Where did you run off to now?" She mumbled with slight annoyance that her Fennekin had managed to runaway. "I've told her to stop wondering off from me. She's too damn weak to be left on her own," she added, quickly taking in the environment around her in hopes of locating her missing Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Brinley had made her way towards the Pokemon as she kept a watchful eye on an individual and his Pokemon. For some odd reason, the trainer and his Pokemon had managed to catch her attention. Perhaps, she felt that she had met the trainer at some point or maybe she found his mysterious demenor to be quite alluring. Either way, she had made up her mind that she could continue to keep her eye on him and his Pokemon.

Pokemon on hand: Fennekin, Gastly, Rowlet, Cufant, and Seviper.

[AshenPhoenix]

Walking down the empty street, a small creature caught his eye. It was walking away from Crow, but unaware yet of his presence. He kept track of the pokemon, not letting it get too far away, since it didn't look like a Meowth or any of the other common nocturnal pokemon and picking his Charmander up to not leave it behind. After a while of walking, it stopped, and so did Crow. It looked like Fennekin, a quite rare pokemon to find! Wouldn't mind getting it...

"Boss, ya outta watch out!" Typhoon screeched. The trainer looked around - someone was staring at him. It was too dark for him to make out who it was (and, let's face it, the sunglasses didn't help either...), but it could have been the Fennekin's owner or another trainer looking to snag it. Like hell Crow is going to allow that!
- Blind them! Smokescreen! - Crow called out, his hoodie's collar pulled up to hide his face. Smolder then leapt from his grasp and spat a great deal of smoke, enough to envelop the pokemon and both their trainers. - Grab it and go! - Typhoon rapidly swooped in on the Fennekin, seized its body with his claws and fled alongside Crow, who also quickly took Smolder as he ran into the night.

He had no idea where he was running to, but he hoped that the Smokescreen would be enough to allow him to leave the trainer far behind. He went to the dark alleys between the buildings in order to guarantee his success, running as fast as his legs would allow.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Luckily for Essence, Brinley did not make it too far out of her sight, seeing that it did not take her too long to catch up with the fire fox. However, what Essence did not expect to see was a shady figure in the distance that seem to have his eyes locked on her Pokemon. Who in the hell did this guy think that he is eyeing her Pokemon like this? Perhaps he thought that Brinley was a Wild Pokemon and did not belong to a trainer, but who their right mind would think that a Fennekin would be roaming around in the Johto Region without a trainer? Either way, Essence was not going to have it.

A cunning smirk curved against the corners of her lips as she noticed the thick cloud of black smoke starting to surround her. It was in that moment that she realized that she had come into contact with a thief. Little did this thief know that he is trying to steal a Pokemon from an experience thief. "Seriously, is this the best that you can do?" She chuckled, snatching her stylish sunglasses from away from her face and then shoving them inside of her bag. She would then retrieve one of her Poke Ball and toss it into the air to release her Rowlet. "Hedwig, get rid of this smoke screen!" She commanded her Pokemon.

The barn owl Pokemon let out an ear-piercing screech before rapidly flapping her tiny, but mighty wings together to clear out the thick cloud of dark smoke. Once the smoke screen had been cleared from around her, Essence's dark brown eyes would zoom in on the mysterious thief making an attempt to flee from the scene. "Hedwig, do not let them get away!" She ordered her Pokemon. The Rowlet nodded her head before flying after the thief and his Pokemon. With Hedwig's keen eyesight and advantages of being a nocturnal creature, she should not have a difficult time with keeping her eyes on the target.

Of course, Brinley also would not make it hard for her trainer and friends to locate her thanks to her loud howling. If the thief was wise, he would have made sure to muffle her before running off with her. This thief is surely an amateur in comparison to her trainer.

Once Hedwig had managed to catch up with the thief and his Pokemon, she would fly high above them in a circle to pinpoint their location to Essence. While the thief and his Pokemon would be focused on Hedwig's physical flying above them, the Rowlet would use her unique abilities to blind side them. At first, she would shoot forth a blast of razor sharp leaves from its wing towards the other flying-type Pokemon in hopes that it would clip its wings or at least startle it enough to drop Brinley. She would then use her Shadow Sneak move to hide her shadow within the thief's shadow to ensure that he would not be able to make another quick escape from her.

[AshenPhoenix]

Crow continued running, scaling several dumpsters to jump over low walls and whatnot. He was surely running out of energy - it's been a hot minute since he had to do all of the legwork all on his own. And the Fennekin howling like a banshee didn't help matters.
- Shut it up... huff... Typhoon! - he ordered to the bird flying close by. The Spearow quickly grasped the poor fire fox by it's face, forcefully silencing it and carrying with the other talon grasping its nape. Somewhere in the background, the trainer heard commands being issued to a pokemon - looked like he wasn't going to lose them easily after all. Hooray.

As soon as Rowlet entered his peripherals, Smolder swiftly got out of his trainer's grasp, climbing over the shoulder and trying to not lose his balance whilst the trainer was running. After a short warm up, bright orange flames started to spill over his mouth and nose, spitting them right at the grass pokemon as well as burning all of it's attempts of sending razor sharp leaves Typhoons way.
"Quick thinkin', lizard! Maybe you ain't dat bad!" Typhoon applauded, causing Smolder to momentarily take his eyes off the owl, losing track of it. Confused, Smolder looked all over, fruitlessly searching for it. Maybe it just gave up...?

After several minutes of running, jumping over dumpsters and weaving between alleys, Crow finally stopped, breathing heavily. That's what you get when you depend on grunts and strong pokemon and then you are stripped of them. Lack of energy for the easiest stuff. Regardless, it seemed like he lost the trainer and her pokemon. He leaned on the wall of some decrepid brick building, trying to catch breath.
- Alright... huff... huff... hold it... huff... while I... - Crow struggled to get the words out, picking out an Ultra Ball from his backpack. No matter if the Fennekin had a trainer or not, now it was going bo be his. Typhoon landed, still grasping the small fire pokemon tightly.
"Hah! Yer lucky! Yer gonna fight for us!" the bird crowed happily.
- Shut... up... huff... - the trainer growled at him, preparing to catch the pokemon.

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Essence could not believe it. Someone actually had the balls to steal one of her Pokemon? Clearly, the amateur hoodlum must not have known who she is or else they would not have dared to make such a drastic move on her and her Pokemon. Needless to say, she would make sure to give them something to regret their poor decision the second she catches up with them. She had secured her bike and managed to keep a careful eye on her Pokemon. Without her Rowlet's help, she would not be able to catch up to them in enough time.

Brinley let out a slow growl the moment the avian's talon's forced her mouth closed without any warning. The feisty bird should be grateful that it had managed to shut her up so quickly, because she had intentions turning it into fried chicken with her hot embers. Unfortunately, she will have to think of another plan to escape until her trainer appears on the scene.

Luckily for the Grass/Flying-type Pokemon and her agile moments she did not have a difficult time with dodging the flaming leaves. Hedwig was a little disappointed that her attempt to free her friend di not work, but she felt confident that she has allowed her trainer enough time to catch up to them. As of right now, she would remain hidden within the thief's shadow and wait for the perfect time to attack once more.

Along the way of driving to track down her targets, Essence had managed to release her young Ghastly to help track down her Pokemon. The Ghost-type Pokemon may have been pretty young, but he knew how to "stalk" and hide in shadows. The lonely spirit was also quite nimble, too. Surely, it would not take him too long to catch up with them. Especially, since he can phase through solid objects.

After a couple of more minutes, Essence would eventually find herself traveling through a slightly dim and narrow alley. She would close her eyes for a few seconds to focus on the noises around her. Whispering? Heavy breathing? She must have been pretty close to her target. "You might as well come on out of hiding. I know that you're around here somewhere. Unfortunately for you, there is one way in and one way out... So, you can give me back my Pokemon now or you can feel my wrath!" She called out as she retrieved another Poke ball from around her waist, which contains her strongest Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Poe and Hedwig remained hiding within the shadows. Poe eagerly waiting to fire Confuse Rays at the thief's Pokemon, if they dared to make a sudden move. Not to mention that Hedwig is also prepared to sneak up on the thief and scared the crap out of him with extended shadow and eerie red eyes.

Despite Brinley not being able to make too much noise, she would use her long, bushy tail to tickle the tiny bird Pokemon with hopes that it would cause the Spearrow to make a loud noise to giveaway their expect hiding spot

[AshenPhoenix]

Crow gasped and leaned back heavily against the wall. This was definitely not a clean or even successful attempt to steal the little fennec Pokémon. He watched Typhoon struggle to keep it in his claws, as it not only kept trying to get free but also tickled the stupid bird into letting go.

- HEY! You stop dat! – Typhoon shouted, catching Fennekin’s tail with his other talon to keep it from moving too much, at least a little. At the same time, Smolder scratched at the shadow while wrinkling his nose. He had a strange feeling, like someone else was close. Too close. He only felt the eyes on his back.


Suddenly, a female voice boomed through the alley. Crow cursed under his breath. How could he not lose her?! He ran until his lungs gave out and yet somehow she had found him somehow! He straightened up, ready to run again… but then she said something… funny. “You can give me back my Pokémon now, or you can feel my wrath!” she said. Her wrath! He couldn’t help cackling at that sentence. A genuine, uncontrollable hyena laugh. Was that supposed to be a threat?


- That was the funniest thing I’ve heard all week! – he replied, staying out of her sight still, wiping tears from his eyes. – You should have left your Pokémon in its ball. It’s your fault for not looking after it! – he continued, slowly pushing himself away from where the voice was coming from. – Give up and go home. Know that I will put your Pokémon to good use!

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

"Oh, you found it funny, huh? I suppose you do not believe that I can handle you? You know the actual joke is that you are a lot of mouth yet you're the one that is hiding for me... What's wrong? You do not know how to put on your big boy pants and fight your own battles?" She called out loudly, carefully following the sound of his face. She could tell that she was moving closer towards him.

Despite the fire lizard scratching against his shadow, Poe still remained hidden behind the wall. Besides, it is not like it could feel the claws scratching against his gassy body. If the stranger makes another move, then he would not have no choice but to fire off an attack to prevent them from fleeing from the scene.

"I can tell by your so-called tactics that you're too weak to command my Pokémon. It's kind of cute that you believe otherwise, though. And who is to say that I didn't plan to have my Pokémon taken by brainless thief? You see... Not only will I take back my own Pokémon, but I will also take yours, too." She chuckled as she continued to move down the alley.

After a few more seconds of walking through the alley, Essence finally arrive on the scene. "Come out, come out. I know that you're in this area somewhere. Your voice led me here," she giggled, her dark chocolate brown eyes carefully scanning over the place. It did not take her eyes long to notice a source of light. Perhaps, it was a small fire? Ah, could he have a fire Pokémon with him? "Next time you decide to flee down a dark alley, it would be smart to recall your fire type... especially if it has a flame on its body." She laughed even more.

"Shadow Sneak and Confuse Ray!" She called out to her Pokémon, hiding within the shadows. The Rowlet would extend her shadow to attack the fire lizard. Meanwhile, The Gastly would fire off an array of glowing orbs towards the human in hopes of dazzling him. If the Spearrow attempted to make a move, then Brinley would be set free and would be able to fire an Ember at it.

[AshenPhoenix]

Lv.13	Lv.11	Lv.10	Lv.9	? ? ?	? ? ?
Typhoon	Smolder	Breeze	Vice	? ? ?	? ? ?

    Perhaps Crow had been too optimistic, naively assuming that this would be a swift and effortless theft. Yet, as he felt her presence drawing nearer, her taunts ringring through the darkness, he realized that this encounter would be anything but straightforward. However, despite the mounting tension, Crow was not go down without a fight.

    He scoffed inwardly at her feeble attempts to appear cocky, her taunts feeling hollow in the oppressive silence of the alley. To him, she was nothing more than a foolish child playing at being courageous, her words devoid of any true meaning. Fear had no place in his heart; after all, what threat could a mere girl pose to him? This was simply another obstacle to overcome, another challenge. The Fennekin was a rare prize, worth a little bit of effort. If she insisted on standing in his way, if she truly desired to provoke him, then so be it. Crow was prepared to meet her head-on.

    - You're asking for it. - he retorted with a low, guttural growl, his voice dripping with menace and barely contained aggression. He knew she was way too close, rendering hiding futile at that moment. - Smolder, Ember! - he commanded urgently. The Charmander turned towards him, flames flickering in its eyes, poised to unleash its fiery assault. But before it could happen, something leaped out of the shadows with startling speed, crashing into his back and leaving him momentarily stunned by the unexpected assault.

    Crow's eyes darted towards his Charmander, a mixture of confusion and frustration evident in his expression.
- What in the- - even he hadn't anticipated such a sudden and ferocious attack. To make matters worse, a Gastly materialized before him, its sinister form emanating an ominous aura. Without warning, it unleashed its Confuse Ray, enveloping Crow in a disorienting haze despite the protection of his sunglasses. In the blink of an eye, chaos ensued, turning what had initially seemed like a straightforward encounter into an absolute disaster.

    In the heart of the unfolding catastrophy, Typhoon let go of the Fennekin and soared swiftly to his trainer's side. The attempts of the small fox to hinder him with its tiny fireballs proved useless; Typhoon effortlessly avoided them through the air, his agility unmatched.
- "Ye stay away from mah boss!" - Typhoon's cry echoed with self-righteous fury, his feathers bristling with determination as he descended upon the menacing Gastly. With a fierce cry, he unleashed a barrage of furious Assurance strikes, each blow delivered with unyielding resolve. Smolder, recovering from the initial assault, retaliated with a scorching blaze aimed directly at Rowlet.

---

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Essence smirked, watching her tactics overtake her opponent by surprise. Truthfully, everything seems to be going well for her. Her Rowlet was able to startle the Charmander and prevent him for attacking for a few seconds. The Gastly had managed to dazzle the theft for a moment before his annoying bird decided to attack him. Still, Gastly was able to complete his job by luring out the tiny bird Pokémon and causing it to release her Fennekin. "Good job, Poe. You did what I need you to do," she smirked, returning the fainted Pokémon to his Poke Ball.

Similar to Typhoon, Hedwig had no issue avoiding the scorching balls of fire coming her way. She became one with the shadows for a few seconds before striking at the Charmander at the perfect time before soaring back over to her trainer's side. Meanwhile, Brinley had made her way over to her trainer, too. "It's good to see you, too, but I expected better for you. How dare you let such a low life take advantage of you. You should have been able to outsmart him and his Pokémon a long time ago," Essence told her Pokémon. The Fennekin lowered her head towards the ground a bit until her trainer decided to pick her up and carry her in her arms.

"Now that I have what I've come from. It's best for you to get to going. I have one Pokemon that can take out every one of your Pokémon," she warned the theft. Luckily for him, she was starting to feel a little bit generous. He probably wouldn't believe her, but she was being honest. She has one Pokémon on her team that she has not revealed yet that has super effective moves against all of his Pokémon that have been revealed to her at the time.

"So, tell me... What is it going to be?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at her as she returned her Fennekin and Rowlet back to their balls. She then withdrew another Poke Ball containing one of her treasured members. Smirking, she swiftly extended her hand out with her fingers tightly wrapped around the red and white orb, her index finger not too far away from the center button located on the device.

"Tick, tick... What is it going to be?"

[AshenPhoenix]

Lv.13	Lv.11	Lv.10	Lv.9	? ? ?	? ? ?
Typhoon	Smolder	Breeze	Vice	? ? ?	? ? ?

    Lost in the alley, the trainer got stuck in a weird hallucinatory state, all because of that blasted Ghastly and its Confuse Ray. It was like he was in a big mix-up, unable to make heads or tails of anything around him. And to top it off, the girl's voice was everywhere, adding to the confusion.

    - C-consider yourself l-lucky, you little... - the trainer stuttered, his words faltering as he tripped, crashing awkwardly into the brick wall. His sunglasses slipped from his nose, clattering to the ground below. Then came a torrent of colorful language, a storm of curses and vulgarities aimed at the female trainer and the building. He winced, holding his face in his palms as sharp pain shot across his skull, reigniting his old injury.

    After the second attack, Smolder raced to his trainer's aid, swiftly clasping onto his leg with determined claws, intent on preventing any further mishaps. Meanwhile, Typhoon hovered beside Crow, his presence offering silent support, though uncertain of how best to assist his trainer in need.

    It wouldn't be long before Crow's vision began to clear, and his thoughts gradually reassembled themselves. As clarity returned, a bitter taste of defeat and humiliation lingered in his mouth, fueling the fiery glare he directed at the girl who was impatiently urging him to make a decision. His gaze, piercing yet weary, revealed eyes of deep mahogany hue, each glance laden with the weight of recent failures. His right eye, tinged with a faint whiteness from blindness, was encircled by a permanent dark bruise.

    Upon closer loook at his nearly-burglarized opponent, Crow's expression softened. The initial anger faded, giving rise to a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. She emanated aura of familiarity. He knew he had met her before, but the exact name eluded him. He softly rolled names on his tongue, seeking the one that fit. Ester? Eshan? Estee? Epen? Ah, there it was!

- Ess...ence? - he murmured, casting another glance her way. A sense of recognition washed over him - finally, someone familiar, someone he could even tolerate! Here she was, effortlessly beating his butt to the curb. - Shower me in soy sauce and call me Tatsugiri, it's been like... what, four? Five years?!

---

He hit himself in confusion lmao

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

Essence tossed her head back and chuckled loudly, watching the theif struggle to pull himself together from the effects of the Confuse Ray that was able to dazzle him a couple of minutes ago. She did not have any sympathy for him at all. Besides, all of this is his fault. Perhaps, he will second-guess himself the next time he decides to steal a Pokémon from someone he deems to be helpless and incompetent. Essence has always been known to be quite resourceful and quick-witted. It is one of the reasons why she was able to work under the Team Rocket scientists in the past, when she was only a grunt at the time.

Essence later smirked at the theft after he recovered to his feet and regained his vision and mindfulness. Surprisingly, it did not take him too long to return to his original state. Her fingers continued to grip the Poke Ball, and her dark mocha eyes stared back at his dark brown orbs, carefully awaiting his next move. If he chooses to attack her, then she will not hesitate to summon her Cufant then commanding him to blast them off with his powerful Rollout. However, if he decides to throw in the towel, then she will withdraw the red and white orb between her fingers. Truth be told, she hoped that the theft would backdown from fighting anymore. Despite the fact that she enjoyed toying with him, Essence would much rather go about her business and continue her journey to the next town or city.

She took notice of the thief's sudden change in facial expression. For some odd reason, he did not seem to be as aggressive as before. What could have caused his mood to change? Blinking her warm chocolate eyes a couple of times, Essence soon found herself lowering her guard just a bit. She lowered the Poke Ball before tucking it away and focusing her attention back on the male in front of her. Unexpectedly, she felt the inside of her stomach starting to flutter a little, as if she felt a familiar connection with the person in front of her.


Her eyes swiftly widened when the thief murmured out her name. A slight frown over her face as she took a few steps further to get a closer view of the man. "Cr-Crow? What in the hell? I should really kick your ass right now! You really thought that you could get away with one of MY Pokémon?" She questioned him, quickly slapping his chest with her right hand. "Thankfully, your skills are still as sloppy as I remember them," she teased him. "It has been years... Never thought that we would run into each other again... What are you doing in Johto, anyway?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

[AshenPhoenix]

Lv.13	Lv.11	Lv.10	Lv.9	? ? ?	? ? ?
Typhoon	Smolder	Breeze	Vice	? ? ?	? ? ?

    Exhaling a breath of relief, he leaned wearily against the wall, gradually sinking into a squatting position. Though his attempt at theft had faltered, he decided to let it pass this once. Now, it was time for answers, or at least he hoped so.
- If I had Greed, you'd sing a different tune. - he jested, a playful smirk flashing on his lips. With a snap of his fingers, he directed Typhoon to retrieve his sunglasses. Concealing his blinded side felt essential, even in the presence of someone he held a modicum of trust in. The Spearow deftly snatched the shades with its talons and swiftly delivered them back to its trainer.

    - But it's a great question, isn't it? - Crow's tone shifted, imbued with a seriousness that commanded attention. - Why are WE here? Why aren't we regrouping in Celadon? Where's Giovanni? Why are Archer or Petrel signaling us to 'revive' Team Rocket? - a torrent of questions poured forth from him as he settled his sunglasses onto his face. - Why were we abandoned in Hoenn with no support? Why doesn't a single grunt recognize me? And why the sudden expulsion? - his frustration simmered beneath his words, evident in the edge of his voice as he vented. Perched on Crow's arm, Typhoon showed concern and confusion, despite understanding few of the words spoken. Smolder sat beside Crow, casting occasional glances upwards, attempting to grasp the situation at hand. In their silent vigil, both Pokémon mirrored Crow's own sense of unease, their presence serving as a comforting reminder of loyalty amidst the tumultuous circumstances.

---

Feeling like a kid that has lost his mom in a supermarket

[❤ Aphrodite ❤]

"Debatable, because if I had my original team, you would have been stopped a long time ago," She replied with a cunning smirk. Her Absol would have been able to get the job done a lot quicker without any challenges. Perhaps, some day she will be able to reunite with her old companion. Her warm mocha eyes carefully watched as the tiny bird retrieved Crow's sunglasses. It appeared that her old friend still felt uncomfortable about his flaw, even around her.


Essence sighed at Crow's question as she folded her arms underneath her chest. "Yeah, I have those same questions, Crow. It makes no sense that we would have disbanded so quickly with little to no information about anything else," she answered him. "As excepted... We are here for the same reasons, to find answers to those unanswered questions," she added.


She walked over towards Crow, positioning herself beside him. "You know what we have to do, right? We will find all of those answers, and we will work together to help restore Team Rocket back to its old ways or even make better improvements for the overall good of the organization. We will not let anyone stop else or tell us otherwise... They will recognize us... Respect us... Even fear us... What do you say? Are you in?" She asked him, giving him a half-smile.

[AshenPhoenix]

Lv.13	Lv.11	Lv.10	Lv.9	? ? ?	? ? ?
Typhoon	Smolder	Breeze	Vice	? ? ?	? ? ?

    He looked at her quietly, then glanced down at the ground. Her proposal lingered in his thoughts - he already had a goal, carefully crafted alone, never considering allies. Even when he was an Admin, surrounded by loyal Grunts, he believed he could achieve his ambitions solo. Yet, here he was - weakened, vulnerable, with inexperienced Pokémon barely holding their own. Despite his hesitation, he reluctantly welcomed any help.

    Crow wasn't naive. He sensed hidden motives behind Essence's offer. Their past collaborations had revealed her ambitious and cunning nature. Trusting her blindly seemed risky, risking either losing his goal or facing betrayal. Paranoia crept in as he pondered his choices. Taking a deep breath, he met her gaze once more. Part of him wanted to share his plans, to explain his strategy for taking control of Team Rocket. But he feared her interference. Maybe it was best to keep the truth to himself for now.

    - You know, I didn't work so hard to get here just to give up on Team Rocket. - he said flatly. - Alright, - he continued, standing up. - Count me in. - a plan started to form in his mind. - First, we need to get the Team's attention. In Kanto, they've stationed Grunts to recruit trainers with badges. Getting one shouldn't be too difficult. - he said with a shrug. - And then... we'll adapt as needed. - Crow stretched, feeling exhausted. - I could use a break. Wanna hit the pub for a drink or two? We can catch up. - he proposed, his expression softening for a brief moment.

    He was disappointed Essence didn't offer any definitive answers, but comforted in the fact, that he wasn't the only one being screwed over.

---

Prepare for trouble, make it double