A Fine Treat (Rocket Slowpoke Quest)

[Tyger]

The ride from Cherrygrove had been long, and Rhoan fought sleep with every inch of her being. Gaining as much distance as possible from the scene of the crime, that most everyone would be waking up to here in a few hours, was of the most importance. The Quagsire had been dropped off and Rhoan had received the bounty for the Pokemon's head. Choosing to go ahead and rocket towards Azalea probably hadn't been the smartest thing, but it was the safest. Already having traveled up to Ilex, Ares knew the way which made things a bit easier for Rhoan. She could sit back and relax for a while. Keep a lookout, perhaps.

"Well, I gotta say, I wasn't too impressed with that other Rocket I worked with." She mumbled under her breath, half to Ares and half to herself. Her hand patted the bull's hide. The beast deserved a break. Lugging the Quagsire, and then running all this way until they got to Azalea... However, Ares merely snorted and shook his head to re-position the leather straps of his bridle. Taking that as a sign of listening, Rhoan continued. "She just... didn't know anything! She didn't set a perimeter. She didn't get there early to set traps. Nothing. If I hadn't, who knows what would have happened. We could've been caught, and that's NOT how the Red Tiger works, mind you." Gritting her teeth, she looked around the walls of the cave leading to Azalea. Ares's flank shifted and Rhoan noticed, but only barely. "Can't let you do all the work." 

In one swift motion, Rhoan kicked one leg over to slide off Ares's saddle and onto the ground. Her boots made a soft echo through the tunnel, and the rummaging to find Ares's pokeball hardly made any noise. "Relax, kid. We're almost there. I can walk the rest, you deserve a good sleep. We've got more work to do tomorrow." The beast watched her with a wary eye before closing them and lowering his head in what appeared to be appreciation. With a flash, the Tauros was sucked back into the capsule and Rhoan was left alone in the darkness of Union Cave. With no hint of the sun peeking out over the horizon, the woman continued forward towards Azalea. The thoughts of Sharada continued though. She was such higher rank than me. Why was I paired with her? And even more so, how could someone that dense make it that high? She wasn't necessarily insulting her intelligence, she just didn't act like a criminal. Criminals saw those sort of things. Rhoan had done enough to earn whatever punishment was ahead of her, if she were caught, but only if the folk here knew about her days in Oblivia. Her thoughts were silent for the rest of the trek. Azalea was ahead, and she was ready to make her move tomorrow night.

-

She hadn't ruined her reputation in Azalea yet. She was well behaved in her fight with Bugsy, and she assumed the boy had no idea of her nefarious intent in his little town. The nurse at the counter, who healed her Pokemon, not aware she and these same Pokemon stole a Quagsire to poison a refuge... this was how you were supposed to act. Make it a surprise that you were a Rocket. If anything, Sharada was making a good case against herself not being an actual rocket. Maybe that's how things worked here? Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she thanked Nurse Joy and walked out into Azalea. It wasn't bustling like she heard Goldenrod was, but it had enough trainers. No news of the Quagsire had hit yet, so her alibi would be solid.

Trekking back to the route near Slowpoke well, Rhoan sat against a tree and pulled out the piece of paper given to her after dropping off Quagsire. She had another mission already. It had been hinted at, hence Rhoan pressing to find the Cut HM needed. Sylvester, the inept kid in Ilex, had seen to that for her. The job was almost done. She just needed to help with the culling of the Slowpoke inside Azalea's well. Even from here she could hear the dopey creatures yawning and calling to eachother in sleepy tones. It wouldn't be like that tonight, however. From what she understood, there might be more rockets here tonight, so she'd have to make a good impression and have zero hang ups. Until then, she'd have to bide her time, and enter the well at dark. So, she'd spend the day training, just like any other normal trainer would.

-

Night fell, and the Route was quiet. Tracks and movement hidden by darkness, Rhoan pressed forward to the Well. There was a ladder for her descent, so she made sure she had Reaver out of her Pokeball with her for a little extra eyesight. Rhoan wasn't a night creature, but these little Joltik's were, for sure. "Mouth of the well secure." Rhoan barely whispered for the Joltik to hear. However, something startled the bug, and it scurried to the front of Rhoan's head to see further. "I figured we'd find some sort of trouble. Why don't you come on out so we can settle this, hmm?" A simple hand signal to Reaver hinted that whatever happened to pop out, she'd want an Electroweb tossed. Nothing like starting things off with a shock.

(Rhoan starting Slowpoke Rocket Quest. Using Electroweb on Silver's Zubat)

[Deleted]

Silver had been scoping out the Slowpoke well for sometime now as he had seen a decent number of team rocket grunts near the well earlier trying to check out the area and make sure everything was ready for their operation. Their sneaky nature led him to believe they were up to no good and he was going to stop them dead in their tracks before they could accomplish whatever it was they were after. As the grunts left the area Silver kept a close watch trying to find a good moment to make his move and enter the well to see what they were up to. Before he could get close to the entrance however he saw Rhoan near the entrance ready to enter the well. He was in no mood for a battle but he had no choice as there was no other way to get inside the well.

As he sent out his Zubat to try a sneak attack Reaver spotted him and fired an electrified web at the flying type before Silver could even say a word. The bat took a massive amount of damage and it's speed was lowered from the shocking surprise however Zubat was a tiny bit stronger than RHoan had given it credit. It was going to get at least one move off before falling victim to her. " So I see you are as sneaky as ever but guess what, I have been raising this little neck pain of mine and it will take more than one shocking encounter to defeat my Zubat this time. Now Zubat use Supersonic on that electrified mutant. I want it's head to spin so fast it rolls over and dies." Zubat then following it's orders let out a powerful series of supersonic waves aimed at Reaver as she tried to hide from the bat.

The waves messed with her head so badly that she rolled over on her back thinking up was down and down was up. As Zubat finally ended it's attack there was no denying it's attack had been a success as the sneaky spider in front of it was now in a state of disarray trying to make heads or tails of it's bearings. " You have to be kidding me, That degenerate cannot even handle a weak Supersonic from my Zubat without losing it's mind? How I ever lost to you in the first place is beyond me but by the end of this match you will be begging me to make you my slave. The humiliation I suffered last time has been something I have been wanting payback for and now I am going to get it."

With revenge fresh on his mind Silver was still full of anger but he also had questions he wanted answered and he was going to get Rhoan to talk either of her own free will or by force. " Now tell me what are you doing here. I already saw more of your kind here earlier and I know you all are planning something. Whether you answer me or not I will find out and when I do there will be hell to pay." He said as he waited on Rhoan to respond.

---

Trainer Battle

Silver's Zubat|level 18|
HP: 3/47 (6%)
Status: Normal (Speed -1)
Used Supersonic
I'm still standing!

VS

Rhoan's Reaver|level 21|
HP: 58/58 (100%)
Status: Confused
Used Electroweb
Since when was the sky on the bottom?

---

[Tyger]

Reaver's electroweb soared through the air, planting itself onto the aggressor. When the bright light of the electricity brightened the small corridor, it was illuminated and Rhoan recognized a Zubat. They were a dime a dozen, but when she heard and saw Silver, the pair finally registered in her mind. Great... Not this kid. She thought in her mind, visibly rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. Silver came into view, and Reaver squeaked in an apologetic manner. Her attack hadn't completely knocked out the Zubat yet, and it was rather unfortunate. It didn't matter now, though. It would be down soon enough. 

Retailiation came in the form of a Supersonic, and before Rhoan could warn the creature, Reaver was already confused and on the floor, grasping for the sense of reality. Gritting her teeth, Rhoan flashed an angry glare over at Silver. "Ugh, you're such a nuisance. What do you want!" She snarled, careful to keep her voice down. But, Silver was already monologuing, so it couldn't be helped. He proceeded to insult her Pokemon, despite knowing that's exactly what supersonic did, and proceeded to act as though he had no idea how he had lost in the first place. Rolling her eyes and gritting her teeth once more, Rhoan crossed her arms and bit back the urge to throw him up against the rock wall and beat him silly. Such a naive, obnoxious boy.

"You know exactly why you lost. Quit covering up your failures and acting as if they never happened. Not everything is a fluke. Some things are decisive and controlled, such as me wiping the floor with your pathetic Pokemon. They don't respect you, so how could you ever win?" Rhoan snarled, glancing over at Reaver. She managed to get back onto her feet, but still looked confused. She'd have to play it safe for now, and hope that her attacks would hit. If they didn't, it would be a long battle. She'd still win it of course, but she wanted this done quickly. It was a shame the first attack didn't knock the bat out, but it is what it is. 

Silver tried to inquire about what she was doing here, to which Rhoan only smirked. Uncomfortable with the loss of vision in the dark cave, Rhoan pushed her hair out of her eye, exposing her scar. It was dark though, so she was comfortable with him not seeing too much. She needed to have all bits of vision open for the battle. All sides covered, just in case something were to happen, or someone were to sneak up on her. If Silver made his way here, who knows who else was already in this cave. She didn't necessarily trust the other Rockets, especially with how the Rocket she was paired with acted at the Quagsire mission. She seemed aloof and not prepared. If the other Rockets here were the same, then it was possible Silver wasn't the only one here. Either way, she had to clean him up and whatever else was here by herself. Maybe then they'd see how useful she could be. At least, maybe compared to others in her rank.

"You don't even gain an ounce of respect from me. How can you throw yourself around like you're the latest and greatest thing, only to falter when it truly counts? You speak big, but your actions are small, and those of a coward hiding behind his facade of true strength." Rhoan's accent would probably take him a moment to digest, but after that, Rhoan wouldn't give him much time to act. "Reaver, Electroweb again if you can. Don't take too much out on yourself if you can't." Knowing the little bug was prideful, she didn't want one of her top performers faltering due to self doubt. If she couldn't attack, so be it. Rhoan knew that Reaver would pull through eventually. Seeing her workers in pain wasn't fun though. 

"You don't have to be friends with your Pokemon. Obviously you're not. I'm not. But, if you can train them and respect their power, they'll respect you. And sometimes, that's just as powerful as those that bond with them. Each member of my team has a role that they carry out. You're just a mess." Reaver squeaked and it seemed as though she was going to attempt an attack. Good on her. Rhoan stared over at Silver, quelling the urge to hit him once more. She'd have to settle with beating him, and then continuing on to finish this mission. She faced the issue of beating Silver, and then Silver running the authorities. This became a race against time as soon as this battle ended, and she wouldn't be able to utilize Ares until after the well. Already planning her escape route, Rhoan watched her Pokemon silently, making sure to keep an even glare on Silver occasionally.

[Morrigan]

vs Rival Silver
__________________________________

Silver had ran into a number of trainers during his journey thus far and every single one had fallen victim to his vicious, condescending words. But Rhoan was a tough broad herself and with her own snarls and snaps, seemed to be able to whip Silver into place, or atleast make him realise that he wasn't as superior as he thought. By no means was he scared of this vile Rocket but she was certainly one to watch carefully. It may have been amateur on his part but she had reacted to his sneak attack in a matter of seconds and virtually knocked out his Zubat in one strike. A person that prepared and ready for anything meant business and for Silver, he had to pull out all the stops. Noticing that she hadn't dropped any hints of just why she was in the well, Silver merely grunted. "Whatever. I'll find out soon enough, once I've put a stop to you."

His eyes falling on the confused state of Reaver, he noticed that despite the status effect looming over her, the tiny Joltik was trying her hardest to shake it off. Accompanied with Rhoan's little lecture about respect, the words seemed to sink in, not that he would be admitting it. "You talk pretty big yourself, despite knowing jack all. Respect? I'll only give it to those who deserve it and once my Pokemon have proved their worth, only then will I acknowledge them." Pausing, he snarled his top lip, notably unimpressed with the performance of his Zubat. "Respect or friendship doesn't come into it. I give the order, they follow. Intimidation is the key and my Pokemon know that I am superior to them. All they have to do is listen." Mock spitting to the side, he pointed a finger forward, "So hurry up and finish that darn gnat off!"

Flapping it's wings maniacally to keep itself in the air, the majorly injured Zubat picked up on the body heat of Reaver and went in for an attack. Only, Silver's lack of clear direction would cost him. Had he been a better trainer, he could've healed his partner first to avoid humiliation but instead, he sent his practically fainted Pokemon to it's final moments. Reaver, who had been tossing and turning, used Rhoan's voice to try and break itself out of confusion. The little Joltik did respect her trainer and she was going to prove her determination! Shooting out a sticky web from her body, it soared through the air and spread across the Zubat. Pinning it to a nearby rocky wall, the string zapped with a brief current of electricity, finishing the Zubat off. Growling between gritted teeth, Silver withdrew his Pokemon and prepared his next Pokeball.

---

Zubat: | Level 18 |
Health: 0% (0/47 HP)
Status: Normal
Zubat fainted!

VS

Reaver: | Level 21 |
Health: 100% (58/58 HP)
Status: Confused
Reaver used Electroweb!

---

Zubat was taken out!


Reaver gained 2 levels and grew to Level 23!
Reaver can learn Gastro Acid! Forget a move?
+1 Happiness



Silver switches to Gastly (Level 16)!
Change Pokemon?

[Tyger]

All Rhoan could do was shake her head at the ridiculous display that Silver was showing. Perhaps the only way to make himself feel better was to keep talking? Words hid insecurities. That's why Rhoan was silent most of the time. Why would she be insecure about her abilities? Fighting Silver, one of the possibilities Rhoan could have turned into on her journey through this new region, seemed to solidify her confidence. Now if only she could get rid of this pest to continue with her job. Just because she had the mutual respect of her Pokemon didn't mean she was a good person. She still needed, and wanted, to do her job. She couldn't help but snicker when Silver showed his discontent for her lack of answers. 

"Even if I told you, it wouldn't make a difference." That was all she grunted as she watched Reaver take down the half-fainted Zubat. Thankful that her Pokemon had pulled through, Rhoan scooped up Reaver and gave her a little pat before returning her into her Pokeball. Rhoan's faith in the little bug was excellently placed. She wouldn't have to stop and rest for the bug, either. Having taken no damage, Reaver would be good to go later on if something else... unexpected... popped up. Making sure she wasn't distracted during this battle was important though. As much of a pushover as Silver was, she had to handle the situation delicately, so no more thinking about the future just yet. 

The Gastly was released into the dark well, meaning Rhoan couldn't see it very well. Better to have a Pokemon that was capable of fighting in the dark. Or, perhaps... a dark type as well. Taking Cola's pokeball off of her belt, she released the dark crocodile into the well. She could see his jaws snap in a gesture of aggression. "Take it out on that Gastly." She grunted, ignoring Silver. Why waste her time replying to his rant when he wouldn't listen anyways? "Assurance." The crocodile slammed it's little tail against the ground and charged forward. Rhoan thought she heard something deeper in the well, so she looked over her shoulder for a moment before drawing her attention back to the battle. Silver was an annoyance, indeed. She had other things she could be doing right now, like her job. "If you make this quick I might consider going easy on you next time."

(skipping Gastro Acid <3)

[Morrigan]

vs Rival Silver
__________________________________

Rhoan's sudden lack of words did make the palms of Silver begin to turn clammy, ever so slightly. His striking, silver eyes narrowing curiously, he pondered on what was going through this woman's mind. How could she have done so much talking, just to go silent now? Maybe Silver hadn't realised it yet but he was a motormouth of vile, degrading words to most but that clearly wouldn't be happening in the presence of Rhoan. Gritting his teeth, all he could think of was that she had became smug because of her victory against his Zubat. Even as he sent out his rare Gastly, she barely even blinked at it as acknowledgement but that might've been due to the darkness playing around with her vision. "Heh. Meowth got your tongue, now? Where's all your big and fancy speeches." A sly smirk spreading across his face, he noticed that she had long already withdrawn the little yellow bug and was now choosing another Pokemon.

With a flash, a simple, brown crocodile appeared across the floor of the well. Large, goggle like eyes blinking as he gazed around the dark area, he soon made heads or tails of what appeared to be a Gastly and braced himself for battle with a snap of his jaws. As long as he brought victory, it didn't matter what opponent he needed to face. "Hmph. Dunno what that thing is but we'll be taking it down!" Parting his lips to order a move, Rhoan had been one step ahead of the fiery red head and with her order, Cola had sprung into action. Quite literally. To reach the heights of the Gastly, the Sandile needed to leap and with a front flip, his dark came crashing down and cleaning sliced the Gastly in half. The two parts separated in midair for a moment whilst wearing a very pained expression, the purple spirit oozed it's body back together before floating down to the ground with rolled back eyes. One hit and this one was down!

Silver stared on in disbelief. How could his Gastly fail? It had took him hours, days, to search for a rare and competent addition to his team. But to him, Gastly had proven just how useless it was and for the Pokemon it was either back to the training or going in the bin. "How?..." He muttered aloud, voice laced with malice. "How?! How?! HOW?!" Getting into a bit of a tantrum, he stomped his foot against the ground before thrusting forward his arm to withdraw the Gastly back into it's Pokeball. "This isn't fair! You have to be cheating... Working with those Rockets." Hearing himself going slightly over the top, he took in a deep breath and tried to regain composure. "But we're not done yet. I still have more!" Not being overly honest, the truth was that this next Pokemon was his last and it was likely something Rhoan had faced before or when it was in it's younger stages. A Croconaw.

---

Gastly: | Level 16 |
Health: 0% (0/40 HP)
Status: Normal
Gastly fainted!

VS

Cola: | Level 20 |
Health: 100% (56/56 HP)
Status: Normal
Cola used Assurance!

---

Gastly was taken out!


Cola gained 2 levels and grew to Level 22!
Cola can learn Embargo! Forget a move?
+1 Happiness



Silver switches to Croconaw (Level 23)!
Change Pokemon?

[Tyger]

Cola's potency in this battle was paramount, and the defeat and utter annihilation of Gastly seemed to send Silver over the edge. Rhoan's mouth curled into a small smirk as she crossed her arms, shuffling slightly in the dark, hardly-lit tunnel. At least they were close to the ladder? "Sounds like you're losing your cool over there. Do you throw these tantrums often? Learn to accept loss gracefully. You'll grow stronger as a person. Otherwise, you're just embarrassing yourself." Her words weren't laced with anything in particular, and were probably more helpful in their origin. He was making a fool out of himself at least...

"Good job, Cola. Return." The crocodile snapped it's jaws a few times, thankful for being useful and glad for the praise. It got to battle and show his strength, and that was enough for him. However, if things went well on missions, Rhoan was known to spoil her Pokemon with a treat or something. Maybe not what was waiting at the end of this cave, but at least something tasty for Cola. "Yes, I remember. You have one left. The Totodile you stole, but I assume you've evolved it into a Croconaw." When Silver released the blue croc, she almost regretted recalling Cola. The type differences would be too much though, as much as she wanted to pit her croc against his. Either way, she'd leave victorious, but hopefully not at the expense of a Pokemon. She needed this to go off without a hitch.

"Ares, you're up." Rhoan released the Tauros from it's binding, and the bull entered the battle. Inhaling to bellow angrily, Rhoan pressed her hand against Ares's flank, stopping him from making the loud noise. "On a mission. He's a nuisance, but a quietly eradicated nuisance." She whispered into his fur. Ares drug his hoof across the ground, displacing a pebble here and there. Snorting wasn't loud, so he'd resort to that. "Horn Attack. It'll take a few times to take down the croc, but we'll get there eventually. A good offense isn't necessarily one sided, is it Ares?" The tanky bull snorted and began his charge. Silver had another thing coming from the Tauros, as Ares hated distractions. It dove into Ares's sleep time, and no one wanted to interfere there. As soon as this battle was finished she'd go on to fry bigger fish, perhaps literally. "I'm surprised the croc evolved for you. One or two kicks will get anything you want, eh?"

[Morrigan]

vs Rival Silver
__________________________________

Gritting his teeth, Silver stepped back and merged in further with the darkness, the hefty shadows clouding the fact that his face had begun to seethe with a vivid red. Embarrassed or angered, both could've described the current state of Silver but he was hardly going to admit the former. Rhoan might have been a Rocket but she was calm and collected, dishing out advice which would help most, but he figured the Oblivian woman to be mocking him. "Tantrum? I'm no child! I just know that Rocket scum such as you, use unsavoury methods to win battles. Your Pokemon... I'm sure that there is some sort of trick you are using." Hissing his words out angrily, Silver thinned his eyes. He would use a bullying method to raise his own Pokemon, undoubtedly taking after his father's own training methods.

But one thing he missed was respect, which was something his father's Pokemon gave to the man, despite being an evil individual. So as Silver kicked and screamed at his Pokemon in order to strengthen them, they merely played along with him to avoid trouble, even to the point of evolving. Hearing the sound of snorting and scratching hooves against the Well floor, Silver could make out the shape of Ares and could clearly see his next opponent was a large one. As Rhoan softly spoke of the situation and her order, the raging bull immediately flew into action. There were no breaks with Ares. "Hmph! Counter attack with an Ice Fang! Don't let it knock you down!" Bellowing his order, the Croconaw and it's own bulky framed prepared itself for a head on collision with the bounding bull.

Head lowered, the horns of Ares crashed into the much softer flesh of the Croconaw, to whom grunted and lifted it's own arms. Grabbing Ares by the horns, the water crocodile held he Tauros in place and with a grunt of it's large fangs, stretched open it's maw and chomped down with an icy chomp. The two locked in a bit of a wrestle, Silver took the opportunity to snap back. "Of course Croconaw evolved. With all my training, it would be foolish not to!"

---

Croconaw: | Level 23 |
Health: 60% (42/70 HP)
Status: Normal
Croconaw used Ice Fang!

VS

Ares: | Level 23 |
Health: 81% (60/74 HP)
Status: Normal
Ares used Horn Attack!

---

[Tyger]

Unamused with Silver's prattle once again, Rhoan kept to herself and watched the battle instead. Ares was a formidable opponent and Croconaw would fall eventually, although Ares would probably be too weak to battle later on if it was needed. Hopefully not. She wanted to keep him strong for the getaway if needed. But if she could trounce Silver quickly... the getaway wouldn't be needed while he slunk off to lick his wounds. Of course, if he was petty and went to the authorties, which would be completely against his character and pride, then they'd need to move quicker. Thankful no one else had shown their faces, Rhoan kept to the current plan. Even Reaver didn't seem bothered. 

"Good job, Ares. Keep it up with more Horn Attacks until that Croconaw can't move."

That's all Rhoan said at that point, her icy eye peering across the field to Silver. It was too dark to see his facial expression but she could only guess that it was sour and dire. Her words must have been cutting him deep, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head as she played mind games with him. He had gotten silent for a while before this, so perhaps they were sinking in finally? His gruff comment about Croconaw didn't seem to betray that sense of realization, so she could only assume it wasn't at this point. Oh well. She didn't care about the red-headed teen. All she cared about was getting this mission going without a hitch, and unfortunately, that required dallying here until Silver was completely beaten.

"Sometimes evolution isn't always power. Look at Ares. One blow almost knocked your Croconaw down to half it's strength, and Ares will never evolve." The Tauros didn't have an evolution, yes, but that didn't matter when it came to the gruff creature battling. "But it's good to see at least one of your Pokemon showing a little bit of improvement. I didn't trounce it in one hit like the previous one at least." Rhoan crossed her arms, making a slight shuffling noise as Ares did his best to stay as silent as possible during the battle. The war beast would let battles get the best of him until he was nothing more than a snorting, fiery hunk of Pokemon with no conscious. This was good practice in limited space and in a silent area. The Red Tiger would be victorious. It was only a matter of time.

[Morrigan]

vs Rival Silver
__________________________________

For yet another short moment, Silver fell silent amidst the darkest. The red head had always been so stern and strict in the way he raised his Pokemon, thinking that the way he did things was correct and every other trainer was too kind, caring and thoughtful. Everything that he wasn't. But as he started to become lectured by a Rocket, who had gained respect from her Pokemon despite her role, to the point where they willingly worked with her... It just baffled Silver's mind. Things weren't adding up somewhere, something was definitely wrong. But he still refused to believe that it was he, himself and his ways which were wrong. His Pokemon would fight by his side but there was no emotional attachment at all. They fought out of fear, to protect themselves, it had nothing to do with him. If they wanted to, they could beat the human down together. Particularly the Croconaw. Could they see that he was just some pathetic boy underneath the surface, in need of some guidance? It was too early to say for sure but one thing was positive and that was the anger swelling up in the boy's gut. He didn't understand any of this.

The darkness shrouding a majority of his expressions, just as it did for Rhoan's own face, the boy let out what sounded to be a grunt of a laugh. Almost in disbelief. "Don't patronize me." His words were barely audible but his tone hinted that he meant it from the bottom of his soul, "I'm not going to accept some positive remark from a Rocket. Evolution is power and I will prove it." His nose wrinkling as his words snarled, he looked up to see the faint outline of Ares go in for another attack. Heading straight for the Croconaw, who stood his ground to try and grab the bull by the horns, the sound of the impact echoed throughout the well. A sharp point hitting something soft, Silver couldn't help but let out a confused gasp, yet avoided acting too out of character. He didn't care for his Pokemon, they were tools and nothing more. But whatever happened in the darkness was ominous and the only way to know if his Pokemon was truly okay was to order another move. "Get. Up! Get up, Croconaw! Use Bite attack!" A low, bubbling growl leaving the water type's jaw, the weakened creature bit out at Ares but was easily able to shake off the weak attack. Freeing himself as quickly as he was bitten, the Tauros snorted out of his nostrils as the body of Croconaw wobbled precariously in the darkness.

---

Croconaw: | Level 23 |
Health: 20% (14/70 HP)
Status: Normal
Croconaw used Bite!

VS

Ares: | Level 23 |
Health: 63% (47/74 HP)
Status: Normal
Ares used Horn Attack!

---

[Tyger]

Ares was executing his job perfectly and Rhoan couldn't help but almost feel sorry for the Croconaw. Silver placed all his bets on one Pokemon just because it evolved, instead of the actual capabilities of the Pokemon. No doubt Croconaw was fighting hard; it didn't want to lose and possibly get beaten or whatever else was a possibility when it came to being on Silver's team. But Rhoan could tell she was pressing the nerve once more, especially when she barely heard his angry squeak from across the battlefield. Poor thing, she must be striking a nerve. "Whatever, kid. We're almost done here anyways. Ares, Horn Attack." The shuffling within the cave made it hard to see, but as long as Rhoan focused on the big hulking shadow that's all she really cared about. More than likely Croconaw would be bested this turn. No Pokemon stood up to Ares for this long without feeling it. 

"How does it feel getting bested again?" She asked cooly, listening to Ares breathe and snort. "I know it must be frustrating for you, trouncing everyone only to come up short every time we meet. Especially when you have something you're trying to accomplish. Hopefully this serves as a wake up call for you, Silver." Ares could be heard shuffling even more within the cave. The attacks were probably being prepared at this point. Good. "Get better. There is always someone better than you. Don't get caught up defeating trash." After that it was silent aside from the Pokemon fighting. Reaver let out a little whine on Rhoan's shoulder, squeaking and tugging at her clothing. "Yes, I know. Ares is finishing up here and then we're continuing on." Rhoan whispered to Reaver, who was content to crawl back up into the fiery redhead's mane for the time being. Reaver was an endgame Pokemon in the actions to come, so she'd need to be ready as they progressed in the cave. They had one job here, and she was going to pull it off without a hitch. Rhoan's mind was always brought back to that woman she worked on the Quagsire mission with. If she could make it to a high rank, so could the Red Tiger. If it took mentally and physically crushing a distraught teen in the process, so be it. She wasn't all that fond of Silver to begin with.

[Morrigan]

vs Rival Silver
__________________________________

Uncaring of Silver's mood shifts, Rhoan had a mission to follow and needed to be successful if she hoped of sinking her claws into Team Rocket and scale their ladder of hierarchy. Her goal of making the Red Tiger feared throughout Johto drawing ever closer, it was very quickly becoming clear to Silver that this woman was in a league of her own. Tutting to himself, the read headed boy had a lot to think about, especially after experiencing a strange flush of emotion earlier. It was almost as if he had been worried for his Croconaw's safety. Her words digging into Silver's chest like a knife, the red head knew that he lost, from the sudden lack of energy from his Pokemon. No longer was the water crocodile bounding around with snapping jaws but rather, an ominous dripping replaced his stomping feet. Gulping down the lump in his throat, Silver remained still and silent as Ares was ordered his final Horn Attack which was more than enough to take his opponent down. As the head and horns of the raging bull came into contact with him, the Croconaw could do little to resist as his body made a heavy slam against the rocky ground.

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Croconaw: | Level 23 |
Health: 0% (0/70 HP)
Status: Normal
Croconaw fainted!

VS

Ares: | Level 23 |
Health: 63% (47/74 HP)
Status: Normal
Ares used Horn Attack!

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Congratulations!
Silver's Croconaw was defeated!

Silver dropped £690! (Updated)


Ares gained 3 levels and grew to Level 26! (0/2107)
Ares can learn Payback! Forget a move?
+2 Happiness

With a flash of light, Silver recalled his final Pokemon, now completely out of option to fight back with. Gripping hold of the ball, he grinded his teeth together. He was so close to cornering one of the Rocket Executives, who was currently lurking in the deepest part of the well. But Rhoan had gone and ruined it. Glaring through the darkness and managing to faintly make out her features, Silver hissed at her. "Fine. I can admit that you w-... won this time. But don't get all big for your boots. I'll come back. I'll find you again. I'll bury you and every damn Rocket underground with my strength alone!" Tossing his fist to the side, the boy fled into the darkness of the well, attempting to make it to the exit and back out into the safety of Azalea, in order to heal his Pokemon. "D-Damn her!" Mind completely frazzled, the boy was deeply confused. "She had a bond with her Pokemon. Is that what I am lacking? But they are tools but... How could a Rocket beat me?!" As he fled, it gave Rhoan the time to heal her team if necessary before continuing on. She wasn't a babysitter for this stupid boy, she had her own agenda. There was no use in trying to stop or silence him. He couldn't go to the police as he was a known thief and from his stubborn behaviour, chances were they would meet again in the near future.

With atleast one problem out of her hair, the Red Tiger's path was now open and she was able to continue. Her mission was to cleanly slice off a tail which belonged to a Slowpoke and then bring it back to base but before she could locate one of the dopey, pink creatures, another obstacle stood in her way. Not that she could see it right off the bat. Instead, the deeper she stepped into the underground well, the louder strange groaning like sounds echoed, it sounded as if someone was in a great deal of pain. The dull, deep tones suggested that of a male and as she turned the corner, any speculations would be answered. Crouched over a large boulder with his hand keeping him propped up, was a short and elderly man in a set of traditional looking blue clothing. Balding but with grey hair around the sides of his head, the man gasped painfully, slowly turning his head at the sound of approaching footsteps. Spotting Rhoan through the darkness, the man curled his lip in displeasure.

"Now I've always been a good judge of character. And you seem like the type of gal that's up to no good." Not wearing anything that suggested that she was a Rocket, it must've just been the aura that the criminal gave off which made the man step back. "You can't get one over ol' Kurt. I know what you're doing 'ere... You must be a part of them dang Rockets, terrorising our Slowpoke!!" His tone raising to the point that it bounced violently from the walls of the well, the man known as Kurt placed a hand inside his robe and pulled out a Pokeball. "Get outta here, you vile woman! I don't wanna see your face no more! I need ta save the Slowpoke!" Determined to stand his ground, despite his hunch posture of discomfort, the older man threw forward a Pokeball which soon burst open to reveal that of a Shuckle. Unusual to say the least, this was one defensive wall that she needed to take seriously.

Pokeball Craftsman Kurt stands in your way!
He sends forth Shuckle (Level 25) to block your path!
Please select a Pokemon to use in battle.

OOC: You are able to heal between the battle if you need to. I just thought posting Kurt here would speed things up a little.

[Tyger]

(Speeding up is greatly appreciated! Grabbing Payback :3)

Silver stumbled over his words slightly as he returned his Pokemon, fully admitting his loss. "Now get out." She grunted, listening to the footsteps retreat towards the mouth of the well. When she was sure the ladder rungs had run out and Silver had gone to heal, the time started now. "Ares, come here. Are you okay?" Eventually the hulking shadow of the Tauros came into sight. The wounds on his flank weren't much, and Ares snorted and pawed at the ground. No healing would be needed right now, it seemed. "Alright. I need you in tip top shape if this goes sour. We want to look and be our best. Return for now. Good battle." Rhoan watched the Tauros disappear into the ball before continuing forward deeper into the cave.

Not expecting any further retaliation, Rhoan was shocked to see an old man crouched on a rock. Obviously on the money when it came to her character, the man mentioned his name as Kurt and sent out a Shuckle. A strange Pokemon indeed, but nothing she and her team couldn't handle. "What's wrong with nabbing a few tails, eh?" Rhoan smirked, grabbing the front Pokeball on her belt. Reaver squeaked and buried deeper into Rhoan's hair, almost afraid of what was about to happen. "That's a tanky Pokemon there, but don't think that it's gonna stop me for long. I have a mission to do." The Pokeball released Tyrana, her Charmeleon. In a flash of fire, Tyrana appeared, eyes already narrowed and zoned in on Kurt. It wasn't until Rhoan pointed to the Shuckle that Tyrana diverted her attention to focus on that. "Tyrana, Dragon Rage. Let's clean this up so we can finish up down here. I shoulda brought a jacket." Her accent made the words sound funny, but Tyrana understood well enough. Blow up the opposition? Easy. Piece of cake. "With pleasure..." The dragon growled, beginning to charge up her attack within her chest.

"Honestly, I apologize. I wanted this to go without a hitch. I'd rather not battle and just get this done quickly. But, you've left me and Tyrana no choice. Your mistake. I'll make sure she doesn't hit you though." Rhoan casually shrugged, clothing making the gesture audible. "Heh... says you. I guess i'll behave. Easier to cut off a tail than hide a body."

[Tiki]

Listening to Rhoan's response, Kurt folded his arm and shook his head. He stood firmly, not moving from his feet, and then began speaking firmly as well. "When you take the Slowpokes' tails, you also take their life! Not literally, of course. How would you feel if someone come and take your Pokemon's limbs? Or one of your Pokemon's organs? Or even your own limbs organs? Just as you are trying to get your way to the Slowpokes, I am trying to stop people like you from slicing those poor Slowpokes' tails!"

"Now Shuckle, go and use Bide! We will take our time to stop you," Kurt ordered, staring sternly at the rocket.

For the battle between Shuckle and Charmeleon, thankfully the fire type was as impatient as her trainer. Concentrating on the Shuckle, the fire type roared fiercely, and then swung her tail at the bug's direction. Instead of red flames splattering out, it was blue flames that burned hotter than the usual red. The fire cloaked the Shuckle for a few seconds, until it shook it off. Afterwards, the Shuckle embraced itself, just enduring a few more hits and then it can retaliate with a powerful attack. Well, if it could endure a few more turns though. The dragon rage seemed to be quite a powerful move, knocking quite a lot of the Shuckle's endurance.

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Kurt's Shuckle- Level 25
12/52
Used Bide

Rhoan's Tyrana- Level 24
69/69
Used Dragon Rage

OOC: Hope I RP this right~

[Tyger]

"I'd hate to lose one of my limbs. But that's why i'm at the top of the ladder and those at the bottom aren't my concern. I have a job to do, i'm going to do it. Your guilt fest won't phase me." Rhoan grunted, glaring over at the older man through the shroud of darkness. His Shuckle was formidable, sure, but all men and Pokemon must fall eventually. With Tyrana at bat there wasn't much concern for losing. "Perhaps you should back off before you hurt yourself." It wasn't a threat, but it wasn't concern either. Perhaps a way to just poke and jab at his age. Rhoan held onto the ideals that if she wasn't willing to go up against someone in a fight, she wasn't willing to pit her Pokemon against them. Being as stubborn as she was, of course, that meant she didn't back down from many Pokemon battles. If she had to knock out the old man, so be it.

Tyrana would probably do both their shares, however. Her Dragon Rage was immensly powerful, and even though Kurt's tactic was solid, it had a fatal flaw. Given Tyrana's speed, Shuckle wouldn't be moving quick enough to get the Bide in before the Dragon Rage, thus nullifying any damage being thrown back to her in the long run. "Your plan is good, but flawed. Your Pokemon can't move before mine. All that power that Tyrana just unleashed, and for what? You won't be able to spit anything back out at me." The Charmeleon snorted smoke out of her nostrils with amusement. "Doesn't even matter anyway. I'll wipe you out and turn you into Slowpoke chow before you can even touch me." Tyrana snarled, inhaling for another attack.

"You know the drill, Tyrana. One more Dragon Rage should wipe this Shuckle out." Hopefully there would be no more interruptions. She'd hardly broken a sweat in the Silver battle. To be honest, this one was far easier than facing the angst-y teen. Not that it was difficult to begin with. Further in were other Rockets and an Admin. Being at the bottom of the totem pole, she could only hope to finish this quickly (like she had been) and start climbing the ladder to make an impression. Hopefully working with the inept brunette from Cherrygrove would work as well, and hopefully this old man was the last hurdle. Why didn't he travel further in, where the rest of the rockets were? "Pretty craven of you to lie in wait, attempting to ambush one person. Unlucky for you, that person was me. Why didn't you strut your confident self further into the well, hmm? Surely your defensive Pokemon could endure, but could you?"



//Dragon Rage