Shut Up and Dance! [TR] [F]

[The REAL Joey]

Shaking her head profusely, the kimono girl known as Saya was adamant about what they as a group knew. "You are making a very big mistake. None of us know the location of the Director. He keeps to himself, admiring our dances from afar. All this chaos and havoc you are creating is for naught. Please, you must reconsider what you are doing." Sadly, as much as she would plea, Sharada's words would make her realise she wouldn't be willing to come round to reason. "No heart? That is truly a terrible fate to have to burden..." Not quite understanding how someone could sink so low to champion Team Rocket's ways, it was very clear she was the most innocent of the bunch. Even worse still was the fact that Sharada had just sent out a particularly brutal, heartless Pokemon. It was certainly going a way to testify what she had said. Cowering at the sight of the Nidoqueen, Saya eventually closed her eyes. "I cannot overpower her... My sisters all made that mistake. Instead, I need to play to my strengths. Bedazzle the foe. Utilise our fancy footwork to confound the enemy... If I can do this..." Opening her eyes, she wasted no time in launching into the fight.

"Jolteon! Signal Beam!" An odd move choice to be sure, the Jolteon charged up the static energy from its fur and shot out a surreal beam of light. It's sinister shifting of colours was mesmerising to say the least. Fired directly at Bellatrix, it appeared to do very little damage. But that was not Saya's aim. What she wanted was to confuse and work the situation to her advantage. Clearly dazed, Bellatrix let out a grunt and with a defiant shake of her head, warded off any such possibility of Saya's plan working. "N-No... It was the only strategy I had...! Jolteon, please protect yourself!" Having heard Sharada's order, Saya knew they had no chance. Thrashing her foot down aggressively on the stage. It triggered a potent earthquake, even up ending all the tiled floorboards as the quake itself honed in on the Jolteon. Lashing out and knocked the Pokemon clean out, it had hit the mark. "Goodness... No... JOLTEON!" Cried out Saya, tears parting from her eyes. As she slung her hands in the as to run on over to her Pokemon, it seemed something fell out of her sleeve. Money it appeared. One thing was certain from this point though, Sharada had defeated all five of the kimono girls.



Trainer Battle

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Saya's Jolteon | ♂ | Level 32 |
Health : 0% (0/93 HP)
Status : OHKO'd
...

Bellatrix | ♀ | Level 35 |
Health : 90% (106/118 HP)
Status : Normal
Not even worth the hassle

---

Weather status: Normal

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Victory!

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Your Nidoqueen fought courageously and gained 1,600 Exp!
They also gain +1 Happiness!

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Payout!

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Kimono Dancer Saya was defeated!
They accidentally drop £750! Score!

---

Cradling her defeated Jolteon, Saya gave no regard to what would happen to her safety. However, the other defeated dancers would rally to their comrade. Lining up one by one, with Saya eventually joining their last act of defiance it meant Sharada wouldn't have to chase down the one she suspected knew the information. Of course, at this point, they had all been quite tight lipped. There were some minor clues which left things undecided. Naoko seemed awfully affectionate of the director but at the same time Suki was overly protective of Saya. Did it mean Saya knew something? As if to confuse things further, it was Suki who actually had Surf in her repertoire. Given she had her Pokemon know the move, did it mean she was privy to access to the director's suppplies? Ultimately Sharada could pin it all on one dancer now but there was definitely room to interrogate should she wish. Whether she grabbed a dancer and used that particular girl to extort information out of another or even kicked up a storm in the crowd to threaten the hostages receive a fatal punishment was her call.

Raising her voice, Zuki called out. "Are you quite done now? As you've been told a number of times, we do not know anything of the director's whereabouts!" Miki too chimed in. "Interrupting our show... Taking our valued guests hostage... Even hurting my Flareon... You're all monsters!" Suki was quick to scold Sharada. "For hurting all our Pokemon, we will never forgive you." Sniffling through her tears, Saya looked up. "Heartless... How could you..." Last but not least was Naoko who fluttered her fan. "What makes you think you'll get out of here safely? No doubt Oji-san has witnessed this all, called for help... I wonder. Will Team Rocket dregs be any match for the IPF's finest?"

Banding together, all the Kimono Girls deny any knowledge of the Director's whereabouts!
Based on what you know, make a decision or decide to interrogate further.

[Morrigan]

GRAYE'S MARINADES

As Sharada faced the final Kimono Girl, the female known as Saya was the one that the brunette was so confused about. Her gut told her that Saya was telling the truth, by not knowing where the Director was hiding. She seemed the youngest of the group and no doubt the most kind hearted. But why was Kuni so over protective of her? Unless it was just the case of the two sharing a particularly protective sisterly bond, Sharada still didn't quite have enough information to grasp their behaviour. Despite the situation, being across the stage from Saya made her feel unusually calm. She was the most level headed and innocent to the point of being almost cute but was this a reason for the Director to trust his panic room to her? Due to her being the most unlikely one to question? Raising a hand to cradle her forehead, a lot was swirling around the mind of Sharada. If she didn't care about the thought of a hostage being injured, then it would've made the decision a whole lot easier. But this feeling of guilt, by dragging in the innocent, would have to be something Sharada would learn from and overcome during her time in Team Rocket. If such a heavy burden continued to weigh her down, she would end up leaping head first into a pit of trouble. She needed to round this off and quickly.

"No. I trust in my source and I trust in my orders. The Director is here and one of you do know where he is." Placing extra emphasis on her words, by this point, Sharada wished that the one who knew would just hurry up and admit to it. Once the Pokemon battles were out of the way, all that would remain would be fisticuffs, the one thing she wanted to avoid. "Saya. Why don't you do the hostages, your sisters and even yourself a favour. Tell me where the Director is hiding... And if it isn't you, then surely you are aware of who he is closest with? He wouldn't want you all to put yourself in harms way like this." Attempting to reason with the kindest of the bunch, it was unlikely that anything would come of it, as Jolteon sprang forward with an attack. Unaware of the potential status infliction that came with Signal Beam, Sharada instead watched blankly as the attack hit her Nidoqueen and having raised Bellatrix since she was nothing but a small babe, knew that she wouldn't take any nonsense. The entire theatre soon fell victim to her uproar, as the mighty 'queen used Earthquake and shook the very ground. Knocking the Jolteon out in one foul swoop, it left Sharada face to face with all five Kimono Girls and the final decision resting on her shoulders.

Feeling the stares of the crowd, Sharada felt a bead of sweat form on her forehead as she was scolded by each and every one of them. Still, her potential choices had been narrowed down. "Tsk. If only Delphine could help me... Those three are by far the most suspicious but that still doesn't give me a clear answer. My head is telling me to go for the one who knew Surf but the other is just as quiestionable." Trailing off in her thoughts, Sharada folded her arms loosely, her eyes trailing over each of the Kimono Girls before falling back onto one she had considered to be a potential target; Naoko. "You seem awfully familiar with this Oji-san." Sharada mocked with a slightly higher tone before continuing. "So much so that you would place his safety over your own. But... We're not finished yet." With a click of her fingers, a dark figure jumped from the crowd and landed centre stage with a dramatic thud. From his movements, it was almost as if he wasn't human! It was Tenebrae, her Zoroark, in a human form and when sharing a nod from Sharada, acted on why she had called him up.

With animal like reflexes, Tenebrae shot towards the group of girls, with one in particular in mind; Saya. Grabbing hold of the yellow Kimono clad woman, he once again lept backward, landing on the stage beside Sharada, as Bellatrix the Nidoqueen acted as a wall, to keep the other Kimono Girls back. "So you all are saying that the Director isn't about? Well. That is just bad luck on my part. But if that is the case, I guess I should have some fun of my own, you know, since not a single one of you has anything interesting to tell me." Eyeing each of the girls across the stage for a chance of a reaction, Sharada squatted in front of Saya, who was being tightly held in place by the strong arms of Tenebrae. "Saya." Stating the girl's name bluntly, Sharada slid her hand into her own boot, pulling out a concealed switch blade. "Tell me. Just why are you and Kuni oh so close? And how did she get her Pokemon to learn such an interesting move like Surf?" Extending the blade with a flick, the brunette held it in front of the girl's face but went no further. Pulling a rather bored expression, all she wanted was some answers. Her tone of voice up until this point had been one that was trying to get an answer of some sort.

For now, all she could do was put Saya in an uncomfortable position and hope that Kuni would respond. "How about it, Kuni? Is the location of the Director that important to you? I'm not playing your silly games. If you choose not to answer, I can't guarantee her safety." Not taking her eye off of her hostage, Sharada was certain that Bellatrix would've been capable in holding the girls back. Instead, she raised her voice and questioned the woman in blue. She didn't have a conclusive answer so instead, she would use the power of elimination.

Using Saya as bargaining chip.

[The REAL Joey]

The air around them taught with tension as it boiled down to making the right choice, it seemed the kimono dancers had covered themselves well. A few loose ends but there was nothing concrete there for Sharada to make a decision. All heavily breathing from stress, the line up of dancers was unsure as to how this would go. Ultimately they would have loved for this to be a horrible nightmare they all shared and to one they wished they could wake up from but it was impossible. Despite their lengthy stalling, no help had arrived either. And to make matters worse, it wasn't as if they could just sacrifice themselves, there was no way they could burden the guilt of letting these innocent hostages get caught up in this diabolical situation. As Sharada began to narrow down the options, singling out Naoko, the Espeon themed dancer simply turned her nose off the side in a snooty manner as she flapped her fan. "Of course I am. We all are. The director was the one who saved our dance hall. Without his backing we would have had to close up shop. It was thanks to his financing that we were able to carry on our heavenly dances. Make no mistake, as much as we owe Oji-san, none of us are favoured over the other." Whether or not she was telling the truth was still up for debate but Sharada at least had a cunning plan to crack this wide open.

As the other dancers were about to chime in with their agreement, the sudden dark shadow that crept out of nowhere had them all taken by surprise. Most noticeably Kuni. "SAYA! NOOOOOO!" "What beast is this?!" "Another foul move...!" Wanting to retrieve her back, the presence of Bellatrix was quite the barrier and made them reconsider their actions. They were of no use to anyone if they were beaten within an inch of their life. "Grrrr... You black hearted villain. UNHAND HER AT ONCE!" Yelled Kuni. Her face was now very much evocative of a storm writhing out at sea. However there was no threat to Sharada who was so far in land. Proceeding to withdraw her bladed knife, Saya began to writhe hysterically. "Don't panic Saya... Calm down. I'll save you." Called out Kuni in her most calming voice. However within seconds she returned to Sharada and resumed her stormy tone. "ENOUGH! Do not harm her, for if you do, I will see to it that none of us will speak anything further. For now I will entertain your questions... What do you want?!" Sadly, Sharada would ignore her and instead began interrogating Saya.

Stifling her tears, she sniffled and wanted this all to end so began to respond with a whimper. "W-We... S-She... Always looked after me." Cutting in Kuni would rather it not be a one sided interrogation. "Saya! Please...!" Looking to Sharada, Kuni spoke out whether or not Sharada wished to hear it. "I am close to Saya because out of all of us, she was the shyest... I saw great talent in her and with my help, i've managed to get her to come out of her shell and become the dancer she is today. But if you do this, she'll be forever damaged by your actions!" Given how genuine both of their cries sounded, it really did seem as if this was a dead end. Things would only become more apparent as Sharada probed another question regarding the move Surf. "I-I... I DON'T KNOW!" Blurting out and now flooding with tears, it appeared she was beginning to clam up and not be of much use. Thankfully, being in such a state meant Kuni would reveal everything. "She wouldn't know! My Vaporeon knows this move because... I found a HM disc lying about the premises! Look!" Pulling out a disc from her sleeve, she brandished the object for Sharada to see. "It didn't appear to belong to anyone... So... I took it." Narrowing her eyes, she remained locked with Sharada's line of sight. There was no hesitation, no falseness in her voice nor expression. It seemed she really was telling the truth.

"So that's how..." "I always wondered..." Murmured Zuki and Miki. It seemed as if the ability to use such a move had evaded their understanding as well. Only Naoko seemed silent. Eventually speaking up, she continued to flutter her fan in front of her face. "You know what the public are like... Leaving things lying about... That could be anyone's! Why is that of any interest? I thought you were after the Oji-san?" Almost as if she was trying to dissuade any attention to the Surf angle, it certainly didn't help her case. If she was close with the director and assisted him with errands, there was a high chance she would have been aware of the HMs existence. The only problem that Sharada now faced was that her interrogation had only gone so far and time was ticking. She would have to pick out who really knew.

[Morrigan]

GRAYE'S MARINADES

Squatting on the floor in front of Saya, whom Sharada had chosen to act as a bargaining chip of sorts, in order for the others to hopefully spill some information, the brunette was pleased with what she had learnt. Waving a flimsy knife around was perhaps a bit much, as the young dancer burst into tears after her words and Kuni even went as far as to state she would cease all conversation if anything happened to her sister. Of course, in the end Kuni felt that there was little choice but to speak of what she knew and from it, the brunette learnt a great deal. A big bonus was that no one needed to get physically hurt. Tenebrae, who held onto Saya, did send Sharada a bit of a displeased glare at her methods but she tried to avoid eye contact with him. "All I use this for is peeling fruit..." Shaking her head, she continued on with the interrogation.

Pouting her lips, Sharada soon burst into a genteel laugh, retracting her knife wielding hand to cover her amused grin, "-ahah.. Hah.. Sorry. I just thought I really would have to do this the hard way!" Not quite putting her thin blade away just yet, she instead turned her head to look towards the girls at the opposite end of the stage. "But you found a HM here in the theatre? How convenient. What you just said clears up a few suspicions." By this point, there was only one woman who was quieter than the rest, whilst the others muttered between themselves. She was also the one who was trying to steer the direction of the conversation back onto the Director which was understandable, as Sharada had never mentioned just why Team Rocket wanted the Director in the first place. Director Tetsuo had a shipment of HM Surf and would likely be in contact with a supplier to get more. This was the link that brought Team Rocket to the show and also the reason as to why none of the hostages or Kimono girls could be harmed. Team Rocket liked to be big and noisy but if word of this infiltration got out, then Tetsuo's supplier would cancel all shipments and that wasn't what they wanted. But if the Kimono Girls knew of this reason, then they would have something to use against Sharada by not speaking, fully knowing that none of them could be harmed. The brunette was so close. If she could pin point the one holding the information, then she would be able to find his location without telling them the reason for seeking him out in the first place.

"The public? Do you really feel that they would leave such an important and useful item laying around?... But I do agree. It is the Director that I am after. I just wanted to know how she was able to learn such a strong move!" Trying to shrug off the importance of Surf with a bluff of her own, Sharada played on the idea of merely questioning how Kuni's Pokemon had learnt it. "But from your reactions, I was able to work out just who the Director's favourite is." Nodding her head to Tenebrae, the Zoroark disguised as a human gripped a bit tighter to Saya as Sharada stood to her feet. "Did you not say yourself that the Director has likely witnessed all of this and called for back up? You may very well be stalling for time but so far, no one has come to your rescue." Focusing directly on the purple clad woman, the brunette continued. "Somewhere in this Dance Theatre is a panic room where the Director resides. There is no doubt that one of you knows of this location and Naoko, I believe that you are the only one who knows this!" Dramatically pointing a finger towards the woman, Sharada needed to back up her claim. "You are the only one who refers to the Director in such an affectionate term. As you said, you all respect the man who saved you but if that is the case, then why do your sisters not follow your lead? Could it be that your relationship with the Director goes that bit deeper?!"

Taking a step away from her hostage, absolutely certain that Tenebrae could keep her in place, Sharada lent casually on the shoulder of her Nidoqueen, leaning to the side in order to get a better grasp of Naoko's reaction. "You were very quick to announce that the Director has witnessed this event, even whilst the others were still unsure of his whereabouts. Could that be because you know where he is? Tsk. What an awful sister and host you are. Putting everyones lives at stake, all for one man." Shaking her head in a mock of disapproval, Sharada hoped that by putting Naoko on the spot, her other sisters would doubt her and she would eventually spill the truth. "Will the show be able to go on without one less sister?" Sending a glance back to Saya, Sharada had no intention of actually harming the girl but Saya being incredibly protective would perhaps work in her favour. Maybe her incessant crying would cause Naoko to crack. "If you dont speak now, everything your sisters and the Director worked so hard to build is going to be knocked right down. Heh. I don't mind showing a little patience but with you, it's staring to wear thin. And I doubt the crowd will be able to contain their excitement for much longer." If this continued, there was no chance in being able to stop a hostage from becoming hurt and Sharada was beginning to prepare herself for that. She was still an amateur, learning the ropes, not being stern or demanding enough in what she wanted. She had to make a few mistakes to get to the right frame of mind but words could only take her so far. Falling silent, her stare bored into the face of Naoko, waiting to hear her response to her claim.

Selecting Naoko (Purple Kimono Dancer).

[The REAL Joey]

Proclaiming she had worked out who was the dancer the director had placed their trust in, the whole troupe reacted with a gasp. Even the audience themselves, although hostage to the various Rocket grunts, had reacted in unison with gasps of their own. It seemed a number of the audience had become so engaged in this confrontation they had placated somewhat in enjoying this as the show they were missing. Annoyed by her lofty words without so much revealing who it was, Zuki and Miki shook their heads. "That is a very bold statement to make and yet..." "I don't hear any names being called, a bluff! To be expected of a trainer who resorted to such underhanded tactics." Quick to jump the gun, they had not allowed her to finish. Proceeding on despite their dismissals, she finally put forth her suspicion on whom was the loose end which would unravel this whole mission. Hearing her name, ring out from Sharada's voice, the pink and purple clad dancer let out a shrill laugh as she fluttered the fan in front of her lower face nervously. "Hahahahaha, you really believe I would know?" Her choice even causing some intrigue from the fellow dancers, Kuni was seemingly making some sense of the accusations. Muttering under her breath, it would be a testament to Sharada's hearing if she were able to catch her words. "...So those meetings where Naoko disappeared off to..." It becoming apparent Naoko kept this private trust between her and the director secret, it would no doubt send the dance troupe into disarray.

Glaring at Kuni as if to dissuade her travelling down that line of thought, Naoko returned to look at Sharada. "Please, she has simply lashed out in frustration hope to trip us up. I know your game. Bluffing will do you no good." Despite her protests, Sharada would piece together some of her reasoning in front of the whole dance hall to break down what Naoko was disputing. Already trying to interrupt, she cut in as Sharada spoke. "And? That's hardly evidence enough to pin on me. We all call the director diff--- Ngrk?" Following on from the fact she spoke about him in such an endearing term, the simply tease of their relationship being more intimate appeared to trigger an involuntary reaction from the young maiden. Blushing red, she was too slow in hiding this embarrassment with her fan. Sharada would have no doubt seen it, as did the auience and also her fellow dancers. "N-Nonsense!" She spluttered together some words. However it was as Sharada made a final ultimatum that Naoko seemed to give up all pretense. Sniffling Saya, seemed almost in shock about the secret relationship Naoko had. "*sniff* I... I think i'm gonna faint..." Shaking her head, Naoko called out. "FINE! I shall come forth and admit it. I know the safe room whereabouts... I will tell you on one condition and one condition. You swear here and now that no harm befalls my sisters, the audience or Oji-san... Well? Release Saya and follow me."

Naoko reveals herself to be the Director's confidante
She will show you to the secret location of the director

Disappearing off to backstage, she was placing a lot of trust in the fact Sharada would agree to her proposition. After all, this Rocket seemed desperate and the fact she was so intent on finding the director meant she would likely agree. It wasn't as if she was losing any bargaining chips either, Team Rocket had the audience as a whole their unwilling captive. Now in the backstage, Naoko looked to Sharada and glared. "I will get you for this. Mark my words. It won't be any time soon. But I will remember what you did here today." Looking over to an inconspicuous wall, she began tapping at some random spots. Amazingly, the very areas she was tapping against seemed to be a well hidden keypad. Sliding open, a voice called from inside. "Naoko darling? Is that you? I escaped here when I noticed something was afoot... Have you and your sisters dealt wi-"

Coming out of his hiding hole, his Psyduck waddling alongside, the director looked up and was met with a horrific shock. Naoko was there but with her was a member of Team Rocket. "N-NO! THIS-!" "I'm so sorry Oji-san..." Naoko said, on the verge of tears. She knew by doing this she had betrayed his trust but she was doing this for the greater good. There was so much more at stake rather than some poxy HM shipment they could easily replace.

It all amounts to this! You've found the Director, now make him talk!
You can either hold Naoko hostage, harass the director violently or utilise whatever means necessary to obtain the shipment location.

[Morrigan]

GRAYE'S MARINADES

Bit by bit, the secrets began to unravel themselves and for Sharada, she had seemed to make the right choice. An eerie silence cloaked the Dance Theatre as not only the guests but the other Kimono girls were both shocked and surprised by this revelation. It turned out that Naoko wasn't simply the most trusted out of the bunch but a deeper relationship was actually going on between the pair. A few words Sharada had strung together in attempts to get a reaction, this wasn't the reaction that even she had bargained for. Eyes wide at first, a sly smirk crept across her face, "Ahh. So that is how it is between the two of you." Not only Sharada but everyone was able to see the crimson shade Naoko's face plummeted into. There was no way she was able to hide these emotions and due to this, everything had been made crystal clear. Naoko was indeed the one and now, she had no way to worm herself out of it, as even her sisters began to query her in doubt. "Heh. I have said from the very beginning that he is the one I am after. But to keep it to yourself for this long..." Shaking her head, it was questionable to Sharada just who Naoko prioritised.

Still, the nice girl within Sharada was able to grant her request. "Of course. Now that you have told the truth, I have no need for her anymore." Saya, who had been traumatised by this, looked completely broken upon hearing the secret her sister had kept. Pausing for a moment, Sharada watched as Naoko moved on ahead as Sharada took a step back and eyed Tenebrae. Speaking calmly, she nodded her head. "Take Saya back to Kuni. Gently. I doubt she can stand on her own." Although her words were almost of concern, she didn't hang around long enough to hear or see a reaction. Rubbing the back of her neck wearily, Sharada followed on after Naoko. Still holding tightly to the girl, Tenebrae leant in to her ear, whispering ever so softly a word which almost sounded like sorry before cautiously lifting her up to her feet. Supporting the girl along the stage, Tenebrae made certain to hand Saya directly into the arms of Kuni before rushing off to follow after his trainer. Meanwhile backstage, Sharada trailed behind, looking around the new area as Naoko hissed her warning. "Yeah, yeah. I get it, just keep walking." Shrugging it off, it seemed the brunette would have to keep a closer eye on her own back now.

Stopping in front of a odd looking wall, Sharada watched as Naoko entered a code into a hidden keypad which opened the door to the hidden room. Awwing in fake amazement, Sharada fell silent as a male voice called out, which was swiftly followed by the Director and his pet Psyduck. There was a bit of emotional tension between the pair but putting her Rocket hat back on, Sharada waved it off by fluttering her hand in the air. "Jeez... You guys can kiss and make up later." Glaring over to the man, the brunette wouldn't be happy if he decided to place the blame on Naoko and she was prepared to make that clear, even despite her ties with Team Rocket. "None of this would've happened if you'd listened to our requests. So, we've come here ourselves, to force you to listen." By this point, Tenebrae arrived, the wild haired Rocket acting as Sharada's back up. "Your audience is still our hostage so listen closely." Edging closer to Naoko, the two Rockets stood either side of the woman. Not quite holding her at knife point like Saya had been earlier but considering what she had done until this point, Sharada was willing to do the same if he was uncooperative. "We're aware that you have received a shipment of HM Surf. A move such as that would prove useful to us and that, is all we are after. Director."

In the end, after all the commotion, her request wasn't exactly anything major. From a business point of view, of course Tetsuo wouldn't want to get involved with Team Rocket but he was beginning to run out of choices. "But we aren't here for just one lot. We want you to be able to hand over future HM stocks to us upon request. Surely it is a better option than Team Rocket attacking your girls and harming your guests." Thinning her eyes, Sharada leaned forward, "It is a small price to pay if you truly care for these girls. Especially Naoko." Turning her glare away, she couldn't help but notice that the Psyduck he was with was holding tightly onto a brief case. Eyeing the Pokemon suspiciously, was the supply literally in arms reach of her? For now, she waited to see if the Director would play ball. She hadn't roughed anyone up, just as Naoko had asked. If this situation could be sorted with no more violence, it would be a win for all sides. In some regard.

Holding onto Naoko here.

[The REAL Joey]

The director's eyes following Sharada very carefully, it was obvious he had a deep seated hatred for the group. Whether they had caused some significant pain in his past or he was simple a man of law and justice was open for interpretation but he looked ready to almost strike out her. "Y-You leave Naoko alone! You hear? YOU DAMNED ROCKET!" Spluttering, it was a miracle he hadn't lost his temper and went for Sharada or Tenebrae. Or perhaps not. Naoko seemed to be all too valuable a bargaining chip. Trying to keep himself in check, he listened as Sharada spoke. "I thought I made myself very clear. I will NOT be dealing with criminals. This is a reputable establishment. I will haven o sl-What?" Whether Team Rocket had approached him before about something else, as Sharada explained what exactly it was they wanted, he seemed quite lost. Explaining what had piqued their interest was the Hidden Machine Surf, this changed things drastically. Whilst it was still helping the criminal group it was a whole world over from what they had originally propositioned him with. "I..." Trailing off, he creased his face up as he wanted nothing to do with Team Rocket. But he had the stake of the Dance Hall and its Kimono Girls at the forefront of his mind. Securing their safety was a small price to pay in handing over such a move. Or so he thought. There were wider implications at foot here. Should Team Rocket gain a supply to these HMs, it would mean the director was inadvertently responsible for allowing them the chance to extend their sphere of influence even further throughout Johto, nay all the regions.

"Argh! You criminal monsters... If what you are after is a supply of the HMs, i'm sure we can come to some sort of business arrangement..." "OJI-SAN! NO! Don't do this...!" "I must Naoko dearest... You've seen what Team Rocket are capable of. They've strong armed themselves into the Dance Hall, taken us all hostage... Beaten us into submission. I'm sorry. But I do this for the Hall. Your sisters... You. Us." Pained as he turned to face Sharada, he set forth the terms. "As we are we are treating this as a business arrangement, I understand your terms but wish to make known my own. Should you violate these, I will rescind all supplies." Moving away from the entry to his panic room, he waved over his hand a number of crates bearing a sea faring Pokemon. "Here is but one supply crate I have in storage here. This contains 20 stock. More supply will arrive and we can arrange co-ordinates for a safe hand off. I do NOT wish for your kind to be scene around the premises again." Clearing his throat, he was very particular about this next endorsement on their deal. "Should you so much as harm any of the kimono dancers, I will ensure no further trade is made and all of us will vanish from the face of the earth." Narrowing his eyes, he was very deliberate on this next point. "To think, you had to berate my dancers in order to find me. Had they not known, you would have never have found me. If I so much as catch wind against any plot against us, I will take the entirety of us into hiding."

Wanting to make sure the deal was made, he looked to his Psyduck. "Psyduck. Present it to her. I trust this will be seen as a gesture of my commitment to this deal." Letting out a confused quack, the director nodded as he reassured the Psyduck. Waddling forward, nervous from all the drama that had gripped the evening, he undid the locks to the case and opened it up, presenting a single copy of HM03 to Sharada. "Take it." Stated the director bluntly. Certain his terms would be agreed, he cared not for his safety this point and rushed forward to the sobbing Naoko. Holding her delicately, he wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oji-san... I'm sorry... This is all my fault..." "Naoko dearest, do not blame yourself. Come, we've arranged a deal for now... We will be safe." Looking up and to Sharada with a defiant glare, he raised his voice. "Get out!"

ROCKET MISSION COMPLETE


Sharada has successfully cleared Operation Festival of Fear!
The Mighty Typhoon receives 40 Rocket Prestige and 4 Slowpoke Tails!
Sharada has brokered a deal for future HM03 shipments and also handed a HM03 Surf of her own!

[Morrigan]

GRAYE'S MARINADES

With her request and propositions all laid out, it was up to Tetsuo just how he would react to Team Rocket's terms. He was very enraged and uptight, for good reason but as Sharada's words sunk in, it appeared that she had approached him involving a different reason than he had been used to. Agreeing quite quickly, much to the upset of Naoko, Sharada stood with her arms folded and nodded in agreement. "Good. This is the best way to avoid further conflict, after all." Listening to his own set of terms, Sharada herself wasn't able to solidify the agreement but she was certain that it would be accepted with the higher ups. Her goal was to take a crate of HMs and she had now also set up a steady supply. As long as the hand over was completely promptly, there shouldn't be a reason for such a request not to be accepted. Nodding slowly, she tried to give him a bit of relief. "Understood. A different agent will be in touch with you shortly to discuss co-ordinates. In return, Team Rocket will keep away from the Dance Theatre and not harm your girls. However. If you break our terms, in not setting up a supply link or delivering on time, we will make a return." The serious stuff almost over, an unfitting, gentle smile crept across her face, "So as long as you keep up your end of the bargain, you wont see any of us in your hall again."

Pointing out where the first crate was held, as well as offering the master copy of Surf to Sharada herself, both Tenebrae and the brunette moved to one side to allow the duo to calm one anothers nerves. Kneeling forward, Sharada took the lone copy out of the case and grinned at the cute Psyduck, "Thank you kindly." Straightening up her back, she turned to Tenebrae, holding the disc towards him and asking out of curiosity. "Is this legit?" Muttering to him so not to raise the level of Naoko's tears, Tenebrae touched his hand on the object before pulling away. "Yes. But I am unable to learn it." "That's fine." Moving across to the crate which held the rest, it was just small and light enough for Sharada to lift on her own. Moving it up from her torso and balancing it on her shoulder, the brunette hear a boom of a warning from the irate Director. "Sheesh. Keep your hat on. We're going." Stepping off, Sharada gestured Tenebrae to follow, her eyes quickly glancing back to Naoko once last time. There was nothing else left to say but all she hoped was that their show would go on. A deal had been made and their safety guaranteed, atleast in Sharada's eyes. It was likely that if it was a different Rocket, the conditions would've been much more strict. Leaving the backstage area, Sharada soon found herself in the spotlight once again.

With a crate balanced on her shoulder, the Rocket looked amongst the crowd, of which was still scattered with Rockets grabbing hold of their hostages. Swallowing a lump in her throat, the brunette boomed out her voice. "Release the hostages! We have got what we came for! Return to base and report to your superior!" Uncertain on if any of them would even listen, to her amazement, many began to stand and make their escape. Perhaps they were amazed by her battling or skills of deducting who the mystery Kimono girl was. Regardless, Sharada kept a close eye on all as the rat like Rockets dispersed, leaving the sobbing audience unharmed. With just a lone female figure waiting by the exit, Sharada left her spot on the stage and began her own escape. As she stepped closer, the fellow Rocket she had met earlier waited with a vile smirk. "Not bad. I didn't think you had it in you." Expecting to meet atleast a couple holier than thou types, Sharada thinned her eyes. "A few of us have a base in Goldenrod, you should come along sometime." Surprised by this invitation, the brunette moved past her and pushed open the door with her spare arm, "S-Sure... Let's head back to base for now."

Mission complete! Thank you~