Kurt has filed a police report about urgent Team Rocket activity in the Slowpoke Well. He has battled one of the grunts and captured them for evidence. His Shuckle used constrict to restrain the grunt when they struggled to break free. He is too old to be climbing down the well again and needs to rest, hence why he's requesting law reinforcement. It is up to the IPF to stop whatever no good goings-ons are happening down below.
Once you have either detained or bypassed all the Grunts, you are faced with the infamous Rocket Executive Proton (as well as his dastardly operation of forcing poor totodiles to bite off slowpoke tails!). He cannot be negotiated with or avoided. You must face him down here and now.
After winning the battle, the crafty executive will be detained...but unfortunately, he has friends in low places, and will escape later from custody, off to continue Team Rocket's mission. However, your good work helped stop a large scale slowpoke tail harvesting ring. That deserves some recognition back at the station. In fact, you are asked if you would like to adopt the rescued totodile from the mission as part of your reward.
Staff Guide
Players have an option to question the captured grunt. Depending on their class, they may earn different rewards for doing so. Bonus merit is, as always, available for playing according to their class, even if that means not negotiating at all. Some possible information that they could interrogate/negotiate out of the captured grunt:
-They tell you of a shortcut through the Well, letting you avoid the Grunts and go straight for their leader (Bike Patrol)
-They tell you where the Slowpoke are being held, you take a side detour to rescue them (BRE)
-They help you convince the other Grunts to surrender instead of battling you (Negotiator)
-They tell you about the alarm systems and how to disable them (Operations)
-They agree to help you battle the other grunts (Training Officer) [Turns the battle with the remaining grunts into a double battle]
-If you choose not to negotiate at all and just charge in the quest plays out as normal (SRT)
-They tell you the criminal history (read: RNG'd personalities) of the other Grunts (Detective)
**Interrogating the captured Grunt to obtain the other Grunts' backstories is how you obtain blackmail material (the specifics don't matter to the quest, but feel free to come up with whatever flavor text sounds appropriate).
Note that you are welcome to give more information, but different divisions may not be able to as effectively use the extra hints. A bike patrol officer may learn about the alarms from interrogation but then be lacking the tools or skills to disarm the alarms. Always keep in mind the division when performing certain tasks or attempting certain actions.
If the player does face the grunts, they may choose to start a battle right away or attempt to convince them to surrender. Roll on the table below to determine the Grunt's behavior when the encounter is initiated.
1. Timid Grunt
This grunt must be wet behind the ears, because they seem terrified of the player. They're easy to intimidate or talk into surrendering. But also very skittish and easy to provoke into a battle if the player is aggressive.
Timid Grunt will wait for the player's behavior before responding.
If Timid Grunt is presented with blackmail, they will surrender immediately.
If the captured Grunt accompanies the player, and the player negotiates, Timid Grunt will surrender immediately.
If alone, and the player negotiates, Timid Grunt will surrender (challenge: Easy).
If alone, and the player does not attempt negotiations, Timid Grunt will sound the alarm and fight.
2. Loyal Grunt
This grunt is confident and loyal. They're not going to stand by and let you pass. They will attempt to sound the alarm right away if not disabled and likely can't be convinced to stand down unless the original grunt is with you.
If the captured Grunt accompanies the player, Loyal Grunt can be negotiated with and will wait for the player's behavior.
>>If Loyal Grunt is negotiated with, they will surrender (challenge: Difficult).
>>If Loyal Grunt is presented with blackmail, they will immediately end negotiations, sound the alarm and fight!
If alone, Loyal Grunt will always sound the alarm and fight without waiting for the player to act.
3. Greedy Grunt
This grunt is willing to talk, but you better make it worth their while. What? You above bribing people, officer? Then no dice, time to battle. However, they can be blackmailed if you have the right information.
Greedy Grunt will offer to leave if the player pays a bribe, then will react to the player's response.
If Greedy Grunt is presented with blackmail, they will surrender immediately.
If the captured Grunt accompanies the player, Greedy Grunt can be negotiated into surrendering (challenge: Moderate).
If alone, and neither the bribe nor blackmail is presented, Greedy Grunt will sound the alarm and fight.
4. Shifty Grunt
This grunt doesn't want to talk or be arrested. They don't want to deal with cops at all. You can pass if you want. Here, take this [insert money here] and let them go. They won't tell a soul. No? Fine then, have it your way. Time to battle. However, they can be blackmailed if you have the right information.
Shifty Grunt will offer to leave if the player accepts a bribe, then will react to the player's response.
If Shifty Grunt is presented with blackmail, they will surrender immediately.
If the captured Grunt accompanies the player, Shifty Grunt can be negotiated into surrendering (challenge: Moderate).
If alone, and neither the bribe nor blackmail is presented, Shifty Grunt will sound the alarm and fight.
**Bribery info: Receiving bribes or giving bribes are equivalent to what the grunt would have dropped in prize money (game corner coins possible??)
If any Grunt is battled as normal, they will sound the alarm, and Proton will fight with a +1ATK/+1DEF buff
The alarm will not sound if:
The Grunts are bypassed (Bike Patrol route)
The alarms are disabled (Operations route)
Both Grunts are negotiated into surrendering/successfully bribe(d) without battling them.
If the alarm is not sounded, Proton is surprised, and he fights without the buff.
Depending on the character's division and personality, there may be times when it is more logical to have the alarm be triggered, even if they could theoretically take actions to bypass the alarms. This is intentional.
- Merit loss for accepting or giving bribes
+ Merit acting according to division
Merit Bonuses per divison:
Bike Patrol
+Interrogate the captured Grunt and discover the secret passage
++Travel through the secret passage without being discovered by the patrolling Grunts
*You get to skip the patrolling Grunt battles and confront Proton without triggering the alarm.
BRE
+Interrogate the captured Grunt and discover the location of the captive Slowpoke
++Release the captive Slowpoke from confinement
*One of the Slowpoke is grateful and gives you a small bonus (healing Berry?) as a reward.
Detective
+Interrogate the captured Grunt and learn the backstories of the patrolling Grunts
*You have advance knowledge of the patrolling Grunts' RNGed personalities and can plan around them.
+For each patrolling Grunt you manage to blackmail without fighting
*You get to skip the patrolling Grunt battles without triggering the alarm or losing merit for paying/accepting a bribe. (Does not work if you only roll Personality 2 though. This can be fixed by requiring that both Grunts have a different personality.)
Negotiator
+Befriend the captured Grunt and convince them to accompany you to negotiate with their former allies
*You gain expanded options for negotiating with the Grunts (see below).
+For each patrolling Grunt you manage to convince to surrender and give up their wicked ways
*You get to skip the patrolling Grunt battles without triggering the alarm.
Operations
+Interrogate the captured Grunt and learn the location of the alarm system
++Disable the alarm system (I want to say that if you are Operations, you can disable the alarms on your own; if you are not, you must convince the captured Grunt to accompany you and help you, with the Negotiator's or Training Officer's befriend route)
*You get to confront Proton without triggering the alarm.
Training Officer
+Befriend the captured Grunt and convince them to accompany you to battle against their former allies
*The patrolling Grunts battle becomes a Double Battle, which can be easier.
++None of the captured Grunt's Pokemon are fainted at the end of the battle
SRT
++Do not interrogate the captured Grunt at all
+For each patrolling Grunt you defeat in battle without attempting any other talks first
