Back for Round 2 [Interior Warehouse]

[Morrigan]

Eyes narrowing as Esmé began to wail and even go one step further to embrace Sharada back, that was more than enough to prove that the brunette was doing the right thing, in terms of comforting her. With a lift of her other arm, Sharada tightened her hold of the young teen, almost possessively, as she continued to cry her heart out. No matter what her story was, the girl was still but a child. Beginning to question whether or not Joe had done the right thing in taking this girl in, she was quick to dismiss this doubt. The gang was a little rough around the edges to outsiders but each of them had a good heart. Whatever Esmé's story was, Sharada believed that Joe and his friends would do well taking her in. Besides, if she still had doubts later on, the brunette could atleast visit herself now that she had seen this tender side to the teenager. As her own words began to stop flowing, she loosened her grip of Esmé who had since calmed down and began responding back. Being reminded of her role being a Beast Tamer, Sharada smiled softly and tilted her head to the side. "No, you don't have to apologise. You knew just what to say to make me quiver and back down, I can tell that you are very strong." As the teen sniffled to herself before perking up at her hint of an old story, Sharada couldn't help but laugh out loud to herself. "The very same! Although, I say I took them all on but Smeargle did most of it by herself. Really, I can't control her in the slightest!"

Falling quiet again, Sharada listened with a look of great intrigue as Esmé told her story. It was something she had not yet pieced together but bit by bit, it sounded just like that of a typical Joe response on handling the situation. "You... ran away from home?" She questioned cautiously, with a slight tilt of her head. Not really being able to understand since having such a loving family, Sharada couldn't comprehend why such a young girl would want to run away so badly. Not the type to pry, she didn't question any further in that regard. Surely if she was going to be sticking in the Warehouse, they would get to know each other better somewhere down the lines. Not helping but chuckle with a hand up to her face as Esmé described a wild, smelly man, she could already tell that she was hinting at Joe. Actually wanting to see this battle as Esmé roughly described what happened, there was one thing Sharada still underestimated and that was the strength of Joe despite his laid back attitude. On the outside, he looked almost like he would be a joke but truly, he was an opponent even she didn't want to cross wires with. Feeling a drop of sweat form on her brow out of worry, Sharada tried to shake off this sudden wave of anxiety, "Sounds just like Joe to me. Especially that he took you under his wing. Hah, he really does have a soft heart despite looking like such a ruffian." Smiling warmly, despite their current circumstances being rocky, she was glad to have met him on this journey.

The conversation slowly fading from Joe and back to the terror that was plaguing the Warehouse, Sharada's eyes widened as she learnt that the gang wasn't actually here. "Huh... They left you here on your own?" She questioned in surprise before frowning, "Those guys... Talk about terrible timing." Forgetting her own business of being there and now wanting to focus on helping her get rid of the problem, she too quickly remembered the second unknown face as her own eyes mirrored that of Esmé's reaction. "Ahh! That other guy!" Watching as Esmé stood to her feet and withdrew her team member, Sharada gave a quick glance up to Lute who was still safely perched on her head, before listening to the next plan of action. Being given two different places of where to check, Sharada considered their options. Typically, it would've been best to go down to the Saferoom, as that is where most of his gang would escape for a quick drink. But something was telling her otherwise. "If this is the case, we should check the Bike Storehouse first." Turning to the young girl, Sharada tried to be a little more serious now, considering the situation was a lot deeper than she first guessed. "Eight would be mad if anything happened to his Storehouse, it'd be best to check there, just to make sure everything is alright." Turning to the direction of where they would need to travel, she roughly shrugged her shoulders, "I am guessing Baldy would be in the Saferoom but let's check both, just to be sure."

- Sharada chose to investigate the Bike Storehouse. -

[The REAL Joey]

Esmé led the way as they headed over to the doors which led off to the multiple sections of the large warehouse. Pushing through them, she held open the door as she looked back to check up on Sharada. "Hehehe, Joe-Joe is bit of a diamond in the rough. I never really had anyone treat me so nice though. I was always this curious street urchin or so they called me." Pouting, she made a small shrug to display she could not care less as to what the residents in the area she had grown up in cared about. "One thing's f'sure, i'm never EVER going back to my parents. Not after what they did." Obviously a sore subject, Esmé did very little to provide an opening for dig further into it. At a later stage the topic may be up for discussion but for now it was clearly off limits. "Stupid idiots. I got my new family now." Smiling, she was back to her energetic old self. Hard to believe such a girl was crying her eyes out earlier.

"Baldy does have me worried though. He makes out to be this roughneck. And all the tattoos he has... Phwoar. He is littered with them from his neck down to his toes. And there in between I guess... Not like I bothered lookin'!" She said with a slight blush of embarrassment over her face as she realised what she had said. Skirting back onto what she was originally intending to say, she continued. "But yeah, like I was sayin', he doesn't use very tough Pokemon. It's like me and him would use the opposite's Pokemon if you were trying to guess the type of Pokemon we trained. If his big bro wasn't in the gang you can bet we'd make him the butt of all our jokes more often!" Once again making an off hand remark, she didn't exactly confirm who Baldy was related to but perhaps from what Sharada had seen there was enough semblance there in his face with one she knew already in the gang. As they continued along the corridor, Esmé gasped as she pricked her ears and noted something was afoot. "Uh oh... Hear that? Sounds like the monster." Whatever it was, it could be heard sounding away incessantly. It was a peculiar sort of sound. A rustle.

"I bet it's eating even more stuff! Grrrrr!" Darting off on ahead, Esmé kicked open the bike storehouse doors and went barging forward with a leap. A bit gung ho as it were and without even a moment to assess her situation, the young girl was already regretting her actions. "Aaaaaaaiiiiyyyyyeeeeeeeee! It's all sticky! I'm trapped! Sharada! HEEEEEEEELP!" Falling back to her dreadful banshee like wails, the sight Sharada would come across was a shocking one to say the least. The storehouse was now covered from wall to wall, bike to bike in a thick, sticky webbing. Having barged in so recklessly, Esmé was now trapped in a weaving of it. However, there was one certainly puzzling question about it all. Who was weaving the webs? Resuming the loud rustling noise they had heard earlier, attention was drawn to the centre of the room that housed a large, vicious looking arachnid. "Oh jeez! I wasn't far off when I said we'd go lookin' for a monster. It's not the monster but its close enough. That's Nercscylla, Joe's Ariados. He's about the only one who can calm her down, even i'm havin' trouble."

Letting out a raspy shriek, Nerscylla spotted interlopers and was all too unhappy about having to pay host to uninvited guests. Maybe Sharada would be just about the only other person to be able to calm this spider?



Encounter

---

Joey's Nerscylla (Level 28) has appeared!
Please select a Pokemon for battle.

[Morrigan]

Following at a slight pace behind Esmé, Sharada was led through the maze of the Warehouse. If she was on her own, there was no doubt that she would've gotten lost. The large doors were misleading and all looked similar but this girl was navigating the place as if she knew it like the back of her hand. As the talk of Joe sparked once more, the brunette felt her eyebrow twitch in an irate manner. "I guess that is one way to describe him. He certainly isn't what you would expect... When I first met him, I couldn't agree with the stuff that he did. But look at me now." She agreed, of course, whilst he came across as rough and intimidating, he was actually anything but. Yet when she heard others describe him in such a way, she couldn't help but have the gut wrenching feeling of jealousy. She was by no means angry at Esmé, as she was young and probably saw the rogue as a protector rather than something else but even the fact she was referring to him with a nickname made her nose crease. Raising a hand to her forehead, Sharada exhaled in audible, not quite being able to believe herself over being jealous of the position the young teen was in. Peering her eyes back over to Esmé as she dropped another hint about her past, she was once again not going to pry just yet, especially considering the situation. "Yes... Being here makes me feel like I have a home away from home, too. I like everyone here." Trailing off slightly, she drooped her hand back down to her side. It was a shame that no one else was around because despite all her mishaps and occasionally feeling as if she wasn't welcome, she did miss the bunch.

Beginning to learn about this second, newer member, Sharada finally cracked a laugh, more so at how sweet and innocent Esmé's reaction was to describing the man known as Baldy. "Tattoos huh?" Rubbing the back of her head and slightly disturbing Lute in the process, Sharada couldn't help but manage a soft blush herself, as if feeding off the embarrassment from Esmé. "I wonder if he'll show them... Err, not the ones inbetween o-of course." Laughing somewhat awkwardly, she was then given a few hints about the Pokemon he used, which made Sharada more than surprised. She had only met one of Esmé's Pokemon, yet it packed a decent punch and was hardly something to laugh at. If he had the opposite, would that be something soft and gentle? Frowning her brow, she couldn't quite picture it, "Opposite Pokemon? Well, I am sure it can't be anything like a Wigglytuff... Ooh. But then again. I have a Jigglypuff of my own and she is nothing to take lightly. Huh, I wonder what sorta Pokemon he has then." Suddenly, she made an exclamation that would quickly eradicate her previous question, "Wait! Big Bro?!" The conversation turning stagnant, a possible interference was suddenly heard. Lute had recently awoken herself from Sharada's hair, looking around which alerted the brunette that something was indeed close by. Her own ears not picking up on anything at first, with a few more steps, she could finally hear it. Squinting her eyes as if hoping it would help her hear better, she turned to Esmé, "Yeah, I can hear it. Just... What is that?"

But in a very Joe like manner, Sharada watched as the young teen darted off a head in a thoughtless manner. No really being the type to charge head first into danger, Sharada grimaced, "Wait! Esmé!" As her foot connected with the Bike Storehouse doors, Sharada was left to watch in horror as the girl went head first into a nasty, sticky web. Her struggling was only leading her to get further tangled but by the time the brunette had reached her to try and help free the girl, she was instead faced with a different challenge. Trying to look past the pure mess and chaos the storehouse was in, she almost felt weak at the knees. "Eight is going to go absolutely--" Trailing off, she finally spotted the cause. Sitting right in the centre was a large Ariados and considering Sharada very well have burnt one of her spider children to a crisp earlier on, there was a chance that this Nerscylla might've just been a little bit angry. Keeping her eyes on the large arachnid to watch her movements, Sharada was briefed on the Pokemon and immediately went for a Pokeball of her own. "Lute. Try and carefully peck Esmé free. I'll keep the Ariados distracted." She spoke cautiously, feeling the golden Swablu shift from her head. "Nerscylla, huh?" Sharada called out a bit louder, hoping to grab the attention of the mother spider. "This place may be your home too but you can't just go around stringing up the other residence and their bikes."

Smiling confidently, she finally lifted her choice of Pokeball. "But if you need calming down, I am more than enough for you." Enlarging the ball with a press of the button, she pulled her arm back before tossing forward with a call, "Santana!" Popping mid air, the bright flash of quickly merged into the shape of a hovering Pokemon. Calling forth a bug type of her own, Sharada had summoned her Vespiquen. Small wings beating, the red, gem like eyes of the queen bee glimmered as she took in the sight of Nerscylla... Instantly hating her very existence. Anything that wasn't as submissive as a sweet, little Combee was immediately in her bad books and as a fellow queen in her own right, she wasn't going to be overpowered by a mere Ariados. Barely accepting of Sharada, Santana glanced over her shoulder as if acknowledging the battle, if only to prove that she was the true queen of bugs. "Don't be too destructive, Santana. This Pokemon belongs to Joe, we are merely calming her down." Huffing in disapproval, Santana folded her arms, there was no way she was going to hold back. "Use Power Gem!... Gently!" Ignoring her second request, Santana began to slash her way through the webbing in order to get to Nerscylla. She wasn't actually obeying Sharada but more showing off her strength, so that the human was reminded who was the true ruler between them.

[The REAL Joey]

Shrieking with what can only be described as a venomous hiss, it was obvious that from wherever Joey had obtained this Ariados, she was not the most pleasant of Pokemon. Her sheer size and all the webbing she had created pegged her as a decidedly tough opponent. Focusing one eye on Sharada and the other on Esmé it was unclear what the arachnid creature would go for. On one hand, there was a defenceless youth trapped in her snare and it appeared a fluffy looking treat was going over to get stuck also and yet... There remained some threat in the female still standing there. Clearly not a fool, Nerscylla looked away from Esmé and Lute as she realised it was a tempting choice to go and snack on them or weave a web to save them for later but it knew that this unknown party would more than likely prevent itself from reaching its ambitions. Deciding she would exact a lightning fast dispatch of an assault against Sharada, the Ariados scuttled to rearrange itself on a different plane of its nest however by this point, Sharada had safely taken a defensive initiative to protect herself. Summoning forth her regal queen of the hive, Nerscylla took in the sight of the Vespiquen and let out another fowl his of resentment.

This was going to be a fight to end all fights. We had the arachnid mother of the spiders against the haughty queen of bees. No matter how you looked at this, it was going to be a clash of titans. The intense hostility building between them, there wasn't a moment longer of inaction. As Santana began working her way forward slashing through the intricate webbing that Nerscylla had built up, this invoked a wrathful response from the tarantula like beast. Letting out a raspy shriek, Nerscylla launched forward with unbelievable speed. Given how cautiously she moved along her own webbing, it wasn't predictable at all to think she could move so fast. The real reason was that her adrenaline was now pumping and she wasn't going to let Santana get a move off first. Darting from webbing to webbing, the spider catapulted itself one after the other as she zoned in closer and eventually made good of her assault. Doubling up her appendages, she transformed them into a colossal sucker punch that struck fiercely against Santana's being. In the process, some of the webbing had got tangled up in the fray and as it did, pulled along everything it had been attached to, causing a large number of bikes to become unbalancing, trailing to the ground.

"UH OH! Mr.Eightball really isn't gonna be happy about that. If we have time, we'll have to get this place cleaned up and reorganised." Having spoken up from having watched Nerscylla move, Esmé had regained some of her efforts in trying to release herself. The more she struggled, the worst the binding of the webs seemed to affect her. Releasing she had little choice but to rely on Lute she looked at the fluffy golden bird and smiled hopefully. "C'mon Fluffball. You can get me out, right?" Her head looking up over to Sharada, she called out with a warning. "I've been around Nerscylla before but she's never been this tough. I guess your choice in Pokemon has set her off big time." Whilst Esmé had called out, it appeared Santana had recoiled from the blow and was finally read to counter attack her arch nemesis. Using her wings to evade carefully not only Nerscylla's out of turn swipes and her webbing, it wasn't long before the queen be began her attack. Summoning energies from the power located in the crown jewel on her forehead, it confused her enemy. Not too sure what was going on, the arachnid shrieked angrily as it went to swipe but was suddenly blasted with an intense ray of light that could only be described as radiant as a clustering gleam of gemstones. Forcing the spider backwards as it made a back pedalling retreat through her webbing nest, it appeared that Nerscylla took a significant amount of damage but was clever enough to realise the thickness of her webs allowed her to shield herself from anything too catastrophic. It had only been one round but the results something explosive.



Joey Pokemon Battle

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Nerscylla | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 65% (67/103 HP)
Status : Normal
Queen of the spiders!

Sanatana | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 69% (59/85 HP)
Status : Normal
Queen of the bees!

---

Weather status: Normal

---

[Morrigan]

Unsettled as Nerscylla began to eye both the trapped Esmé and Sharada herself, the brunette was quick to realise what the arachnid queen was considering. With Lute now trying to help the trapped girl, for the Araidos, it probably just meant two birds with one stone and a tasty snack for later. Needing to draw her attention away from Esmé somehow, she was glad that Santana was enough to do the trick. Her Vespiquen clicking threateningly as Nerscylla hissed in her own tongue, Sharada remained behind her choice of Pokemon with a feeling of relief. "That's right! We're you're opponents!" She called out, trying to ensure that there would be no last minute changes to try and attack the trapped Esmé. As Santana began slashing her way through the webbing in order to approach the scuttling Araidos, Sharada cautiously followed behind, entering the storehouse herself. If they could push Nerscylla into a corner, it would hopefully give Lute enough time to help free the young teen. Suddenly flinching, Sharada dashed to one side as the spider queen was the first to make a move. Flying forward with sprayed legs, she landed a vicious punch with her appendages, striking the airborne Santana. Whilst the hit itself was enough to startle Sharada, as the Vespiquen reacted with a shriek, the loud sound of crashing bikes also brought a look of chaos to Sharada's face.

Raising both her hands to her head and staring at the bikes which were now scattered across the ground and most likely damaged, if not heavily scratched, the brunette shared a very similar worry to Esmé. "The... bikes!!" She barely spoke, eyes closing and head shaking from side to side. Having more to worry about, she turned back to the battle at hand, Santana being the one that needed her attention more than some backs. "Hang in there, Santana. I know you win this!" Clicking and ticking through the beating of her wings, it was fine for such an agile human to duck and dive between all these sticky threads but it was much harder for a creature of her size and shape. Luckily, it wasn't too much of a hassle and since Nerscylla had attacked first, she had now taken this personally and fully intended to succeed. With a shine of her jewels, Sharada noticed that it had caused a fair amount of damage to the Ariados, as she scuttled back into her webbing. Moving deeper into the webbing to join Santana, Sharada was quick to bark out another order. "Hurry! We can't let Nerscylla rest. We can't be as gentle as I first thought, we need to finish this off as quickly as possible."

Worried that the Ariados could possibly be plotting something, Sharada had wanted to be cautious but after seeing the first blow, she couldn't allow this to damage the bikes any further, or her own Pokemon. "Use Gust, this time. We need to blow some of these threads away so Nerscylla can't use them to hide in." Actually understanding and somewhat agreeing with her trainers words, Santana acknowledged with a stern nod and moved ahead once again. This time, she focused all her energy into her wings, hoping to blow away some of this sticky thread and strike Nerscylla in the process. Meanwhile, Lute was having a bit of trouble. She was pecking her way carefully through the thread but it was thick and hard to snap through. It would be easier to burn through but she couldn't possibly put Esmé through so much danger. Looking up, the golden Swablu caught a slight glimpse of Sharada, who had looked over her shoulder briefly to check the progress Lute had made before turning back to the battle at hand. Noticing Sharada's glare had been quite stern, the moment of pause for Lute came to an end as she suddenly looked more determined. Turning back to the webbing, she continued to try and hack her way through.

[The REAL Joey]

Focusing all her energy in beating her wings, Santana began whipping up a gust in the general direction she had assumed Nerscylla had escaped too. Given how dark and murky the storehouse was, especially with all the webs blanking out the limited window space there was, it was no easy feat. As the gusts of wind began to pull off some of the webs that had been made, there was no sign of the vile arachnid. It was only when some of the webbing off to the side began to bounce excitedly that it became apparent Santana had been completely off base. Readjusting herself to face in the other direction, her new burst of gusts were off target once more. At this point, it was clear that Nerscylla was evading attempts and maybe even taunting her rival by zipping from one web to the next. Taking one more attempt, Santana began beating up a gush of wind but it was too late. As if from a deep abyss, a large shadow stalked forward. It was obviously an extension of Nerscylla but it was warped and corrupted to a much larger, intimidating size. As the shadow sneaked up upon Santana, Nersyclla herself popped out from the darkness and with a deft strike of her many legs, knocked Sharada's Vespiquen once more.

The moment she did, Santana had found her chance. Having made herself open to assault, she quickly pivoted her body and focused the beating of her wings on the tricky foe. Creating an incredible force of wind, a small vortex was sent swirling forwards which ripped Nerscylla from the safety of her nest and battered her around as she went crashing from wall to floor and lastly into another row of bikes causing a horrifying crash. Her wings stopping their attack with a deft click, it was clear the wasp queen was getting the upper hand on this perilous foe. All the while this entanglement of Pokemon fought on, Esmé appeared to be that much closer from freeing herself. Her upper body now torn free from the trap, she was now focusing on one of her legs whilst Lute did the other side. Hoping to not draw too much attention to herself, she winced fearfully as she noticed another rack of bikes had been knocked to the floor. "C'mon just a lil' more... This is the last time I go recklessly charging in." Straining as she tried yanking the webbing free from her leg, she looked over to Sharada and whispered as to not draw more attention. "You're almost there...! You've put her on the defensive now. First time that's happened." She mused.


Joey Pokemon Battle

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Nerscylla | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 33% (34/103 HP)
Status : Normal
This isn't over just yet

Sanatana | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 52% (45/85 HP)
Status : Normal
Blow you away

---

Weather status: Normal

---

[Morrigan]

Remaining behind Santana as she continued to re aim her Gust attacks, Sharada could sense her frustration as the first few failed to hit. Escaping behind the thickness of the webbing, even Sharada was finding it difficult to keep up with Nerscylla's movements. Yet with each move blowing off strands of webbing, she couldn't help but notice the destruction of the storehouse with came with it. Flinching as yet another row of bikes and numerous tools took a tumble, she would have to deal with the wrath of Eightball at a later date. For this was now and if this webbing managed to stretch across the entire warehouse, there would be even bigger trouble. Plus by sounds of it, this wasn't even the monster Esmé had been mentioning! Needing to reposition herself to safety once again, Sharada moved to the side as Santana hovered in front of her, catching her clothes on the webbing and grunting under her breath irritably, "Last time I even try to look nice when I come to this place... What is even the use." Curling her top lip angrily, she brushed the string like substance off before taking a sudden dive to one side as a shadow loomed over the pair. Moving just in the nick of time, Nerscylla finally emerged, eerily crawling out from the darkness and using her legs to deal a swift strike on Santana.

"Now is your chance, Santana!" Sharada tried to call in time, yet her words made now difference. The Vespiquen was intelligent and did not need the delayed opinions of Sharada. Already beating her wings, she sent forth a gush of air, slashing through the webbing and catching the Ariados within blast in the process. Having a moment to check over to Esmé since Santana landed a powerful blow, Sharada noticed that the girl was almost free and Lute was still working away aswell. Listening to her cautious words, Esmé was still trapped and the most in danger at that time. Merely sending her a nod in order to not draw too much attention, the brunette turned back to the battle, only to see Santana moving toward the Ariados once again. Glancing across the weakened body of this supposed spider queen, Santana was hardly impressed. She had been having to fall to dirty tricks, hiding behind her webbing and deep in shadows. Hardly a queen or ruler in Santana's eyes. To her, she should be at the front of her battles, to prove her strength to all. She had undying loyalty from her subjects and the Vesiquen wanted Nerscylla to know this.

With a loud series of clicks and ticks from Santana, an odd noise began echoing all around them, the sound of beating wings echoing throughout the warehouse. All of a sudden, a swarm of Combee came rushing in. "What's going on?!" Sharada called in a startled manner, as numerous bee like Pokemon flew past her and began clinging onto the body of her Vespiquen. It seemed as if they were giving her gathered honey one by one and in a matter of moments, her previously lost energy had returned. A Heal Order to her followers. "That move... It was as if she had just ordered those Combee to heal her." Amazed her Pokemon could do such a thing, she watched the incredible sight of the Combee flying away since completing their given order. Arms folded back, however, Santana was far from finished. She had been more than prepared to finish off the battle in one final swoop but felt it necessary to prove her true standing as queen. Not even waiting for an order from Sharada, who had become speechless in awe of her power, the Vespiquen unleashed another Power Gem, in certainty of finishing the Ariados off.

[The REAL Joey]

Clicking her mandibles as she overheard Sharada's guidance on making use of her opportunity, Nerscylla wasn't going to let such a thing happen. Having balanced herself on a new strand of webbing she had made, the arachnid Pokemon tensed her body up and with a sudden expulsion of webbing, latched onto the ceiling. At this point, it was all too easy for the Ariados to predict that Santana would succumb to her rage and Sharada's advice. That in itself meant a successful Sucker Punch would be possible. Slinging herself forward with writhing anger, Nerscylla predicted where Santana would try to dodge off to and in that capacity would strike in the predicted direction. Her mandibles clicking with increased incessant movement, her many eyes narrowed in surprise as it appeared Santana had decided to follow through with a move of her own. Whether or not she was restoring herself from having received so much damage or had simply been one step ahead of her foe, it was impossible to comprehend. Having completely failed to gain a read on her enemy, Nerscylla continued on flying forwards before she went crash against the storehouse wall.

Remaining still on the spot, Santana had performed a non offensive move in the form of Heal Order. Indeed, she had received some quite grievous wounds but with her loyal subjects emerging from her skirt like hive, she was soon covered head to toe in Combee drones which lathered her wounds with restorative honey, meaning she now had full stamina to rest her laurels on. Scuttling back up to her feet, Nerscylla's very demeanour was one of enraged contempt. Not only had she had the advantage stolen from beneath her many feet but now this queen of the hive was outright taunting her by healing off all the damage she had accumulated. Letting out a vile hissing shriek, Nerscylla wasn't going to hold back this next attack. Scuttling off whilst Santana was covered in head to toe in Combee, it meant striking in an unfair manner but ultimately morality such as that was beneath her at this point in time. This would be Nerscylla's last mistake. Having decided to resort on mauling Santana with Fury Swipes, she had failed to use any of her priority moves, meaning she was now of a slower reaction speed to strike out. Realising the many legged fiend was fast approaching, Santana let out a raspy cry of her own to order the healing drones out of harm's way. Returning to their hive, Santana quickly turned on the spot. Having already anticipated her nemesis' move, she had began to power up the jewel in her crown. As the power intensified a gem like beam shot forward with incredible strength. Blinding by the light and feeling herself being crushed by the rays, Nerscylla flipped onto her back and began folding her legs inwards as it to admit defeat.



Joey Pokemon Battle

---

Nerscylla | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 0% (0/103 HP)
Status : KO'd
...

Santana | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 100% (85/85 HP)
Status : Normal
Undisputed queen

---

Weather status: Normal

---

Victory!

---

Your Vespiquen fought courageously and has gained 1400 Exp!
Santana also gained +1 Happiness!


Your Darumaka observed brilliantly and gained 1400 experience thanks to Exp. Share!!

---

At the very same time, a cry of joy could be heard ringing out from Esmé's location. "Alright! You've done it! And I just got free from all this web. Uck." Dashing over to Sharada's side, the youthful girl fumbled out haphazardly around her belt. It was surely a time of celebration, not panic. "Urgh, stupid belt, where is it..." Painstakingly looking for something, she mumbled as she tried to find the right Pokeball. "Joey always stated he wanted the Pokemon he caught to run free in the warehouse, giving them full reign over the place. But he also mentioned if they step outta line, we're to tow them in. Seein' as i'm on duty, I got all the Pokeballs but where... AHA! Gotcha!" Ripping a Pokeball out from her belt which sported a rather crude spider like etching on it, Esmé went to aim the Pokeball at Nerscylla to force her to return but the wily arachnid was too quick. Having played dead, she had worked out her chance of escape in the time Esmé had gone to look for a ball.

Hopping out of the way of the retrieval beam, Esmé fired off a few more return shots, missing each one as she scuttled off to a large enough opening in the wall for her to retreat. "Dang it! Almost had here... Woah what?" Before she could finish, it appeared Nerscylla had decided to call upon some subjects of her own. Scuttling out from the crack in the wall, a duo of Spinarak launched forwards and guarded the escape route for their queen in the hopes she could escape elsewhere. Slotting away Nerscylla's Pokeball and gripping onto her whip, she appeared willing to help out. "Alright Sharada, i'm happy to help out but from the looks of things, I bet you can take care of yourself, heh." The choice was clear, Sharada could either take on both of these soldiers by herself or enlist in the help of Esmé who had certainly proven herself in their previous battle. Either way, something would have to be done with these aggressive Spinarak.



Encounter

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Nerscylla summons two soldier Spinarak (Level 22) to cover her retreat!
Please select two Pokemon for battle or ask for Esmé's assistance.

[Morrigan]

Watching as the Combee flew from the body of Santana, the fact that her Pokemon was able to command others was amazing in itself. Within her team, Sharada held several powerful females, each with their own quirks and skills. More often than not feeling out matched by them she was atleast pleased that they were on her side. Shining blue eyes flicking between her Vespiquen and the injured Nerscylla, the battle was clearly about to round off. Not even needing to state an obvious move, Santana was prideful and knew how to end the battle of the queens with ease, whilst obtaining domination. Blinding the Ariados with her glittering gem once again, Sharada placed a foot forward and held her hand into the shape of a winning fist. "That's it! Nerscylla is down!" Sharada exclaimed with a look of awe. She had certainly not been a bug to take lightly and there was no doubt a undying rivalry between the pair from now on. But Santana had come out on tops and Eightball's storehouse had also been saved from further destruction. Not that it would've made too much difference considering how bad it already looked.

Flipped on her back with legs folded, mimicking that of a dead spider, Sharada stepped forward to view the damage around her, eyes slowly falling onto the hovering Vespiquen next to her. Looking upward, Sharada didn't wear a smile, for a Pokemon such as Santana was likely to reject any sign of fuss or cheer. "You did well, Santana. When it comes to bugs, I know I can count on you the most." Bearing a resistance along with moves that were effective against other bugs, Santana was certainly a go to Pokemon in that regard. Together, they had taken down the tough Gym Leader Bugsy. Without Santana's strength, she wouldn't have been able to win, very similar to the situation they were in. "I am grateful for your strength." She added on in a quiet hush, not exactly aimed for Santana to be able to hear but it was in regard to her. Folding her arms, the Vespiquen looked away with little response. Whilst Sharada had not noticed, the battle was not yet over.

Before taking notice of an approaching pair of threats, the brunette swiftly turned at the sound of a voice, followed by the soft feeling of cloud like fluff landing on top of her head. Esmé had managed to become free with a little help from Lute. "Esmé, I am glad you are okay! Sorry for going all silent on ya. I just didn't want Nerscylla catching you in a bad place. I am glad we were able to calm her down a bit." Giving a quick glance over her shoulder towards Santana, the queen bee didn't respond, her crimson eyes still focused on the fallen Ariados. "What are you looking for?" She then questioned, noticing she had been searching across her belt for a while. Learning that whoever was in the base had access to Joe's Pokeballs, she looked upward in realisation. "Ooh, I suppose that makes sense." Nodding her head in agreement, she turned to watch Nerscylla to be returned to her Pokeball and hopefully rest up. But as she went to observe, she couldn't help but noticed the Ariados get up and scuttle off. "No! She's getting away!" Calling out as Esmé tried her best to return the Pokemon back into her ball, the team watched as she managed to secure an escape route and slip through a crack in the wall.

"Tsk... Nevermind. Hopefully she had calmed down some and atleast Eight's bikes are... Safe?" Noticing Santana had begun to click angrily at her frustration due to her lack of speed, she was about to be able to redeem herself as two young Spinarak made their way onto the scene. "Great, more distractions." Sharada mumbled angrily, realising they had appeared to slow them both down. Turning her head slightly to Esmé as she gave her offer, she had already settled on using Santana, since the Vespiquen was already preparing an attack. But with a flutter above her head, she knew she couldn't accept the girl's offer. "It's okay, we can handle this." Sharada stated abruptly, as Lute decided to make herself the second option in this double team. Glaring at the Swablu from the corner of her crimson eyes, Santana began beating her wings, followed by multiple hand gestures which suggested for Lute to stay out of the way. Having not battled herself for a while until today, Lute herself was not willing to pay close attention, wanting to battle herself. "I know you said it was all take but... I want to prove that I am not a liability. My Pokemon, my friends... They are strong. I'll be needing your help against the monster anyway."

Bowing her head to Esmé, she raised an arm and tried to command her Pokemon. "Santana, focus on using Power Gem! And Lute, use your Flamethrower! Once we have finished here, we'll be moving on." Her Vespiquen already planning on using the attack given regardless, Lute was the one to send back a nod, aiming for the opposite Spinarak to the one Santana was aiming for. As each of her Pokemon went for seperate spiders, Sharada turned back to Esmé, "Let's just hope that Baldy is safe."

[The REAL Joey]

Nodding at Sharada's decision, it appeared that Esmé was accepting of Sharada's guidance in the matter. She had no doubt they would have made a formidable team but there were definitely more pressing concerns. The monster they had been searching for had still not been located and there were worse problems yet. As the two Spinarak crawled forward to meet with Sharada, it appeared another crack in the wall was now flooding out a whole nest of the eight legged freaks. Turning her back to Sharada and pressing up against her to ensure that her blind side was covered, Esmé called out, wanting to alert Sharada. "THEY'RE SWARMING!" Alarm ringing in her tone, it was obvious that despite her lofty title of beast tamer, the subject of spiders was something of a touchy issue. Grabbing tightly onto her whip, Esmé could only watch as a whole slew of Spinarak routed them off from behind.

Gulping loudly, Esmé could tell they were of a weaker caste and that Sharada had the tougher grouping of enemies to face but this sheer number was going to be a difficulty to fight. "I dunno about you but I think we took a wrong turn. Urgh. It's time I called upon some much needed assistance. Ferror's likely still a bit beat up from our fight. Tch." Taking out a Pokeball of her own, she tossed it forward quickly to try and impede the march of the Spinarak trying to overwhelm them. As the light from her device faded, an accompanied howl was heard bouncing off the walls of the storehouse. Out of the light came a canine with its head focusing on the heavens as it continued its battle howl. Joey may have had Hades, his own Houndoom but it appeared Esmé had one of her own.

"My little hellhound will take of the swarm! You focus on those Spinarak soldiers. With any luck, we'll mop up these spiders and find out where the hell Biff got off too." Stepping forward with a crack of her whip, a number of the Spinarak appeared to take heed of the girl's sudden wave of fierceness. This was only carried over further as her Houndoom lowered its head and growled violently as flames began to flourish from its maw. With the battle now under way, it was time for Sharada to secure their side of the fight. As Santana and Lute lined up to bat, it was clear that Sharada was putting a lot of faith in her Pokemon. Thus far, they had secured some important victories against Esmé's challenge and the threat of Nerscylla but this would be just another hurdle in their stay here. In Joey's warehouse, there was never a dull moment. It was as if the location knew nothing other than drama in its dilapidated hallways and interiors.

Already quick to take on the cronies of her arch rival, Santana powered up the gleaming jewel of her crown. Just as she had vanquished the vile queen of the arachnids, she would do so her spawn. As the light became powered up to rival that of a laser beam, the intense light particles shone forward and with a crushing strength, caused the Spinarak to shriek out in a painful cry. It was one of Nerscylla's tougher guardians and even it had no means of protecting itself from the power gem assault. Eventually feeling its body crush, the Pokemon flipped upside down and scrunched its legs up tight as if to signify it was no longer of this world but somewhere far less obliterating. The other Spinarak noticed its partner bite the dust and it was clearly panic stricken. Shuffling from side to side with its patterned legs, the Pokemon leered its eyes at the opponent it had been pitched up against and realised it was nowhere near as terrifying as the apis queen. Opening up its mandibles ready to strike, the Pokemon was foolish in its assumption Lute would be any less dangerous. Having already began streaming a steady flow of fire towards it, it was almost as if Lute was emulating that of a terrifying, fire breathing dragon. Doused in flames, the Pokemon shrieked out painfully as it's comrade had and it wasn't long before the Pokemon stopped moving, still burning away with embers as the battle had been secured.




Double Battle

---

Spinarak | _ | Level 22 |
Health : 0% (0/56)
Status : OHKO'd
...

Spinarak | _ | Level 22 |
Health : 0% (0/56)
Status : OHKO'd
...

VERSUS!

Santana | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 100% (85/85 HP)
Status : Normal
My drones would crush these peons

Lute | ♀ | Level 28 |
Health : 100% (71/71 HP)
Status : Normal
That thorny egg was tougher

---

Victory!

---

Your Vespiquen fought courageously and has gained 1100 Exp and has levelled up!
She is now Level 29!
Santana also gained +1 Happiness!


Your Swablu fought courageously and has gained 1100 Exp!
Lute also gained +1 Happiness!


Your Darumaka observed brilliantly and gained 2200 experience thanks to Exp. Share!!
Umaro levels up to Level 32!

---

With the toughest soldiers defeated, it appeared the tide was also turning for Esmé's corner. Her Houndoom had fought ferociously and had used a mixture of powerful Fire, Dark and Poison moves to subdue and lash out at her foes. "Hah! Hah! Hah! HAH!" Whipping up a frenzied tempo with her whip, she kept the would be Spinarak at bay as she kept her Houndoom fighting on in sync. Each lash of her whip directed the hellhound where to attack next as their advance was endless. Picking them off one by one, it felt almost as if they were endless in nature. Sharada's victory however had been the pivotal component they had needed. Seeing their superiors so easily quashed, the majority of the Spinarak swarm went into full retreat. All but one single remaining foe. Realising this was a perfect opportunity to rise through the ranks and win the attention of its queen, a particularly nasty looking Spinarak tensed its legs as it eyed up Esmé in particular. Knowing that the Houndoom stood between them, the wily spider had a means of hopefully bypassing the dog and take care of the girl. Launching itself in the air with a peerless jumping ability it went flying forward. It was a commendable attempt but ultimately a foolish one. "Ya gonna regret that you little bug! Let 'em have it! INFERNO! Don't spare the heat! INCINERATE THAT IDIOT!"

       

Letting out a quick snarl, Esmé's Houndoom's body suddenly exhibited a coursing heatwave that impacted everything in the room. Soon thereafter the heat, a rampaging, swirling onslaught of fire burst from the Houndoom's mouth. Aiming directly at the Spinarak flying through the air, the move was sheer overkill and by the time the wall of fire swept forwards leaving an inferno in it's wake, there was nothing left of the villainous spider to even identify. Letting out a small snort of its nose, the Houndoom took a neat seating by Esmé's side as the duo looked over to Sharada. "Wow! Workouts like that... Don't come often. I would've been spider chow if you hadn't have taken out those two bigger Spinarak. Seein' them get a curb stomping must've sent the right kinda message to the rest of the lot." Doubling forward slightly, she let out a few pants before standing up to straighten out her back whilst patting the head of her Houndoom lovingly. "Hehe, I had this Houndoom since it was a lil' pup. They've come a loooooong way." Nudging its head at Esmé's hand for more affection, Esmé patted further before her eyes became startled. "OH NO! BALDY! We'll have to tidy up this place later. C'mon, we need to head off to the saferoom. It's the only place he could've got to."

[Morrigan]

As Sharada made her decision to tackle the two Spinarak on her own, she became thankful of this choice as another threat loomed from behind them. Turning her head slightly at Esmé's sudden outburst cry, she felt the young teen push her back against her own, as she was suddenly cornered off too. Tutting to herself, Sharada watched as a swarm of Spinarak began weaving out of the cracks in the Warehouse walls, feeling shivers shoot down her spine at the sight of the many wriggling legs. They all looked fairly weak but the sheer amount of them was enough to make Sharada a little apprehensive. Esmé also wasn't reacting particularly well to the sudden appearance of the little spiders but after being tangled up in a web herself, the brunette couldn't exactly blame her. "You can say that again. If I ever make a decision again, make sure we always go for the other option that I don't pick." Flinching as another group of arachnids made an appearance, Sharada could only focus on one battle at a time so for this particular horde, she had to rely on Esmé to deal with them. "I trust you have a plan?" She questioned suddenly as the girl clicked her tongue over the state her Ferroseed was still likely to be in. But placing her trust in Esmé was the right thing as with a flick of her wrist, another Pokemon of her own emerged. A slight smile forming in the corners of her lips at the sight of the Houndoom, Sharada felt much more confident and turned back to her own battle, yet keeping her back still up against Esmé. "All right! I know you and your Houndoom can handle this. I don't like it but we'll just have to do this bit of pest control first."

With a trust worthy partner now backing her up, Sharada felt more confident in that she didn't have to apply too much pressure onto her Pokemon, one of which had already dealt with the queen of them all. At the sound of Esmé's cracking whip, both Santana and Lute used the sound to swoop in and begin their own assault. Santana being one to never hold back, particularly against her new rival Nerscylla's peons, the Vespiquen was in a hurry to show these Spinarak just who the true queen was. Finishing off the first spider with just a simple flash of her incredible jewels, Lute was left to mop up the second, aware that she was going to be looked down upon due to not possessing intimidating or fearsome looks. Not letting it get to her to the point of effecting her performance, Lute knew how much Joe meant to Sharada and was willing to do anything to help save his Warehouse from becoming a humongous web for the spiders. Parting her beak, she managed to release a stream of fire which just as quickly crippled the second Spinarak. Clenching a victorious fist, it appeared that Sharada's Pokemon had been successful without so much as breaking a sweat. There was nothing for her to worry about after all, "That's it! Those Spinarak wont be coming back after a defeat like that!" Grinning at their success, it was Lute who chirped out, redirecting Sharada's attention to what was going on just a few steps behind her.

With a turn, the brunette was left to watch Esmé in action, her face immediately flinching and being grateful that she wasn't on the receiving end of the whip as it was lashed around in incredible sync with her partner. Folding her arms, the dominating Santana silently took in the way Esmé battled, almost as if taking down mental notes of how to treat her own subjects to abide to her bidding. With a sudden scuttle, the majority of the Spinarak fled, leaving all but one left over. Placing a hand on her hip, Sharada's eyes widened, "Ooh. Look at that brave one." She mumbled, just loud enough for both Santana and Lute to hear. Feeling Lute nestle on the top of her head once again, the trio watched how Esmé handled the situation, her Houndoom quickly destroying the bug in a massive wall of fire. Almost feeling a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face, Sharada suddenly felt almost lucky that she had faced the Ferroseed rather than this ferocious beast. Not that Ferror was an easy opponent but still, Sharada couldn't help but feel that after seeing the Houndoom's power that maybe Esmé went easy on Sharada since the beginning. Exchanging a very subtly glanced with Vespiquen, who hated fire herself, she returned the queen bee back into her Pokemon to rest as the young teen finished her own role.

Feeling somewhat tired after that ordeal herself, Sharada ran an arm over her forehead as Esmé approached but couldn't help but smile. "Still, I am relieved it is over. I just hope none of those bikes are too badly damaged. Eight and the others will just have to deal with it when the time comes. Atleast we stop Nerscylla before things went too out of hand." Nodding, she was desperately trying to convince herself that they did the right thing. But a part of her was still nagging at the back of her mind, wondering what might've happened if they hadn't entered in the first place. Maybe the storehouse would've been a webbed mess but the bikes and tools wouldn't have been tossed around. Sighing, she drooped her head ever so slightly before taking in the sight of both Esmé and the Houndoom. They certainly had a clear bond which brought a smile back to Sharada's face. "You both had a real rhythm going, as if you knew what the other was thinking. I hope I can get a bond with my Pokemon like you both have." Speaking sincerely, Sharada wanted to form tight bonds with all of her Pokemon, no matter how long it took. Grinning, she felt Lute affectionately wriggle on her own head too but with Esmé's help, was quickly reminded of why they were there in the first place. "O-Oh no!" Sharada stuttered. "We've been here for a while, I hope he is alright." Quickly turning to the young girl, she had to rely on her for clear directions, "Then let's head over to the Underground Saferoom! He's gotta be there, right?"

- Sharada moves to the Underground Saferoom. -

[The REAL Joey]

With the duo breaking out of the storehouse, they quickly made their way along the lengthy corridors the warehouse offered. "Eight's gonna be peeved either way. I know we mentioned about doin' a little cleanup there but there's no point. Even if we take down all the webs and reline up all the bikes, he'll notice his favourite patch of dust has been tampered with or somethin' stupid. Nothing gets past him! Jeez, I remember that one time I was explorin' and I so much as breathed and his Machamp scooped me up and placed me back outside the storehouse." Making their way further along, Esmé sighed wistfully. "Kinda annoyin' too. This is a gang of bikers and they say i'm too young to have my own motorbike. No fair!" Her head shaking from side to side, she looked over to Sharada's direction and laughed. "Baldy ain't allowed one either. Me and him are the younger members of this gang. Guess it makes me feel a little better he ain't allowed to ride a bike either just yet. Which is why I wanna make sure that jerk's alright." Nodding her head, they proceeded along further, making a sharp turn along the way. "Gotta warn ya too. This monster... We ain't got a clue what it is. Even in all the time i've been tamin' beasts, i've never come across anything like it."

Recounting its features, Esmé vaguely pieced together an illustration for Sharada to try and deduce what it was. "Let's see... It was big and noisy. It also seemed to eat everything in its path. Umm... Didn't really get a good look at it because it kept to the shadows. Huh..." Snapping her concentration back, she looked to Sharada and pulled a small face of uncertainty. "I ain't got a clue. You any idea? Joe-Joe said you got a lot of cool Pokemon." Their conversation coming to a halt, it appeared they had trekked from one side of the warehouse to the next and before them stood the decrepit elevator that led to the underground safe room. Pressing the buzzer, a rickety elevator was pulled up and the shutters opened with a frustrated creek. Considering it was an elevator, it was certainly quite a spacious one. "Heh, a lot of time people use the stairs to get down to the safe room but I like takin' the cargo elevator." Stepping in, she waited for Sharada to hop in and pressed the button to guide the lift down. "Goin' down!" Shakily lowering, it wasn't long before they reached the warehouse's basement. Shoving the grates across, Esmé stepped out and looked around. "Wow, it's so dark here. Usually a light's left on or summat..." Moving over to the wall, she fumbled around for a light switch. Eventually finding one, she was met with absolute shock and horror.

Gasping, she covered her mouth with her hands as her pupils shrunk in realisation of what was over in the corner. It was not a pretty sight. Hunched up in the corner with his body stretching out into a slump was the bald biker that Sharada had seen earlier. His arms drooping either side of him, it seemed he was clutching onto some rather unexpected Pokemon. A Cleffa and a Igglybuff. Uncertain whether these were his Pokemon, it was possible he had tried safeguarding some Pokemon Joey may have come across. The disturbing part of this image however was the blood red substance that covered the male from his head all the way down his front and over his jeans. Finally managing to secure her words, Esmé cried out. "B-B-BIFF!" Rushing over to him, she nudged him desperately before looking to Sharada. "SHAR! I-I-It's BIFF! The monster got him! He-He-HE's... DEAD!" Her eyes starting to flood with tears and her lips trembling furiously, it seemed Esmé was about to enter another crying fit.

Despite her noisy tears, a definite rustling sound could be heard off in one of the saferooms adjacent to them. With the door slightly ajar it was impossible to tell if something lurked behind it but it ultimately meant Sharada had one of two options.

Examine the cadaver or check to see what is behind the safe door

[Morrigan]

Following after Esmé, the two hurriedly paced down the corridor, making their way to the second location where the bald man could've gone to. Sharada looked fairly seriously ahead, wondering why the warehouse had fallen into such a state of bad luck. She had always found it nice that Joey allowed his Pokemon to have free reign of the Warehouse, with the size of the place he had no reason not to allow them to roam as they wished. More often than not, she would hear about how his Pokemon would help the other members of his gang, too. But hearing a monster was roaming had her wondering if this was also another one of Joey's Pokemon gone rampage just as Nerscylla had or was it something completely new? With Joey, she imagined that they would never know what could be sent back here. She just hoped that if it was anything too powerful for both her and Esmé to handle that the other members of the gang would make it back in time to help them. "It's a good thing I showed up. Even though she has a tough exterior, could she have really handled this situation on her own? I don't know enough about this Baldy guy to know if he would've protected her... Tsk. Why did he run away earlier?" Looking at the back of the running Esmé, it seemed Sharada had already begun to find a soft spot for this girl. With both Harley and now Esmé, it felt strange that she could say that she finally had some female, human friends.

Sharada's ears perking up at the sound of the young teens voice, despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile. Eightball was rather intimidating but she could tell he had a friendly side too, especially after the Rocket escapade where his help in bike knowledge allowed them a speedy escape. "Hah! I know what you mean! That was my first time in the storehouse and no doubt it'll be one of the last, too! The only sorta stories I have heard is when Merton tinkered about with his bikes. That was enough to keep me away from that part of the Warehouse!" Further hearing that her age meant that the gang didn't allow her to have a bike, it gave Sharada a bit more hope in that the gang knew what they were doing by taking her in. She knew deep down that not allowing her to have a bike just yet was the right thing. Not wanting her to feel too left out, Sharada glanced upward, "Ah! Now that I think about it, I don't even know how to ride one myself. I doubt Joey would allow me to either so don't be too disheartened." Trailing off to learn that Baldy, too, wasn't allowed a bike, she frowned her eyebrows somewhat. "He has tattoos and drinks but can't ride a bike?" Shaking her thoughts as they turned the corner, finding him was more important than questioning him. "It's alright. I am sure they'll teach you guys soon. I mean, can't really be in a biker gang without riding a bike, right? I know I'd start to feel left out."

Slowing down their dash as the end of the hall started to show the entrance of an elevator, Sharada tilted her head at Esmé's brief description of the monster that was terrorising the Warehouse. Her pace now becoming that of a walk, Sharada took in a deep breath as she pondered, repeating the words of the teenager, "So, it's big, noisy and eats stuff?" Frowning in contemplation, her features softened some but she shook her head from side to side. "Sorry, I'm really not sure myself without seeing it. The eating thing bothers me a bit though. I hope Harley's greenhouse is okay." The idea of more places in the Warehouse being taken over like Eightball's Biker Storehouse had been sent shivers down the brunettes spine. There was only so much her and Esmé could handle, after all. If there were more opponents like Nerscylla, she could imagine the energy of her team dwindling fairly quickly. "Big... And eats..." Stepping into the elevator as the grates slid open, Sharada pondered for a moment more, slightly taken off balance as the rickety lift chugged downward. Realising that she hadn't been in the lift before herself, she smiled as she learnt something knew about the place, "Ah! You're right. I haven't had a proper look around the place but I didn't know there was a lift." However, as they reached the bottom and opened the grates, the welcoming of darkness was almost enough for Sharada to want to go straight back up.

More than a little spooked, Sharada stepped out of the lift and felt around for the grate, dragging it across to close as Esmé fumbled for a light switch. Flinching her eyes as light poured across her vision, as they refocused, neither her or Lute expected the sight before them. Her expression mimicking Esmé's own, Sharada stared forward in absolute horror at what appeared to be a dead body of a man, slumped against the wall with a pair of Pokemon in his arms. Frozen on the spot, Sharada tore her stare off of Biff's body as Esmé ran from the wall and crouched down beside him. A hand raising to her forehead, Sharada stared at the ground, "J-Just what the heck is going on?!" Trying to keep her emotions under control, she peered up, only to hear a panicked Esmé scream that her friend was dead. "N-No...!" Sharada stuttered, lowering her hand. "H-How could I let this happen? D-Dammit! I never should've gone to the storehouse!" Kicking her foot angrily against the ground as she fell into a state of self loathing, she had no idea who this man was yet tears slowly filled her own eyes, only worsening at the sound of Esmé beginning to bellow.

Turning on the spot, she had to do something. About to step toward the dead biker and crying beast tamer to comfort her, after a few steps, her eyes widened again. Lute, also froze in a similar manner. The two had heard the same thing, a rustling from close by. Turning her head ever so slightly, the brunette noticed that the safe door was ajar and behind it was a clear sound. "Esmé. Sshh." Sharada tried to warn the girl, raising a hand as if trying to calm her down. Looking around to see if the noise was perhaps coming from somewhere else, another rustling confirmed that it was coming from behind the door. Both fists clenching, Sharada knew that she had to deal with this. If Biff had truly died, then she needed to protect Esmé at all costs, even if it was to give her some time to escape and warn the others. Having gained some confidence or maybe even stupidity from Team Rocket, she decided to investigate. Parting from the side of Esmé, Sharada cautiously approached the door, lowering her head as she approached, the sounds being much louder now. Glancing back one last time to the crying Esmé, Sharada sighed to herself. "I can do this. I can protect her." Then, with a bend of her knees, Sharada charged around the door of the safe, hands by either side ready to grab at Pokeballs if necessary. Hoping to startle whatever was there, she roared a massive, "HEY!!" at the top of her voice, face glaring angrily at whatever would be waiting.

- Sharada investigated behind the safe door. -

[The REAL Joey]

As the safe door opened, it opened up into a large, fortified safe room which was one of many that the gang used to store a plethora of valuables, bike parts and even their food supply. The very door that Sharada had opened was none other than the food safe and what a mess it was. With the light switched off, all that could be heard was further rustling but from the light that did pierce into the darkness, it could be seen that empty packets and large leftover waste of food was littered and strewn amongst the floor. As Sharada boomed out at the top of her lungs, the presence amongst the shadows seemed to stop its activities and without being really able to see what it was doing, clearly shifted around to view Sharada head on. Shrouded in darkness, it was clear that whatever it was had an incredible size, unlike that of any Pokemon Sharada had likely ever seen in her time as a trainer. Despite being clad in shadows, the only thing that peered back at her were a pair of greedy, gluttonous eyes that eyed her as something of a snack. Gleaming ominously, it was deeply unsettling to say the least. Getting to its feet, the very warehouse itself seemed to quake in fear of the large creature with every step it made in getting up.

There was however a slight interjection. A familiar voice called out with a typically cavalier tone to his voice. "I wouldn't have done that if I were you." Enough to grab Sharada's attention, it appeared that in the stairwell to the basement floor was the man who had engineered this entire gang and been the cause of a lot of upheaval in her life. It was Joey. "There I was, having a blast exploring some ship wreck when I got an emergency message ping up on my poketch. Cause, i'd get here in a blink if anythin' was threatenin' my gang or the base. Must admit, surprised to see you here dollface." Winking at Sharada, he grinned playfully before looking over to Esmé and the deceased Biff. "C'mon Esmé, stop your bawling. That layabout ain't dead. Get the hell up Biff! Your bro must've taken all the brave genes or something, yeesh." Stopping abruptly, Esmé picked up and looked between Joey and Biff. "Huh-Wha-Nah-HUUUUUH!?" As perceptive as ever, it appeared Joey was all too aware of Biff's antics and the fact a large jar of tomato passata had been broken up near Biff's proximity. His eye opening cautiously, Biff sat up as the Pokemon he was safeguarding as well came to life. "Cleff?" "Iggly?" Realising that the monster was nowhere to be seen and he was in the company of Esmé, Sharada and Joey, Biff came around.

"Oh...! H-Hey guys! Fancy seein' you dudes down here. I can explain." Even if he could Esmé was deeply antagonised by his actions. If he was playing dead, he had done an impressive job of it. "DAMMIT BALDY! I nudged you a few times and Shar even came over. And you STILL played dead?! I bet ya goofin' off, weren'tcha?!" Had she been a bit more distant, her whip would've been more than likely deployed but instead she gave the cowardly male a hefty slap across the face. In the process, she procured some of the tomato sauce on her hand, much to her chagrin. Wiping it on the floor, she leered at Biff. "WHAT?! You said go find the monster. I FOUND IT. But that thing was beastin' so I decided to play dead. Ain't that right guys?" Looking down to the Pokemon in his arms, they both nodded quite frightfully. As odd as it seemed, were these cutesy, baby Pokemon actually his? Coughing loudly to rope attention back his way, Joey pointed over to behind Sharada. "Might wanna make way. That thing's comin' closer!" Dashing over, he tugged Sharada's arm towards his direction and looked into the shadowy saferoom. "Dammit. The message said it was some big monster but whatever that is, it's humunga-dunga!" His eyes fixated on the safe entrance he yelled out to someone behind him other than Esmé and Biff. "Cali! You got any idea what this is?!"

As he finished, the sound of sauntering heels could be heard approaching from behind. Moving to the side of Sharada and Joey, the striking female folded her arms and wistfully tilted her head to the side as she gazed with her razor sharp stare of hers. "Nothing i've come across. It boasts a terrible power though. That much is certain." Punching the air in annoyance, Joey decided there was only one thing for it. Cupping the side of his mouth with his hand, he yelled out. "OI! YOU BIG FATTY MONSTER! WHAT'S THE HOLD UP?! I GOT SOME GRADE A PORK CHOPS WITH YER NAME ON IT!" At the very mention of food, the ground quaked incessantly as the figure approached. A monstrous hand appearing at the side of the safe, it was followed by another as a head poked out following with the rest of its enormous body. Now in full view, the whole group looked in sheer disbelief. "Are you... Ain't that a...?" "Yeah, that's a..." "Hm." "A Munchlax?!" The group in unison, it seemed that none of them were quite in belief of what their eyes relayed to them. It was indeed a Munchlax, one which nobody seemed to recall inviting and what was more shocking was simply how large it was. "That's a freakin' behemoth!" Looking around at the awed faces, the Pokemon let out a nasty burp as it grinned deviously. It had been summoned on the promise of food but it appeared that there was none.

"I dunno what the hell's goin' on here but we gotta subdue this fat tub of lard before he makes anymore damage." His head shifting to Sharada, Joey nodded. "You in?" This would have been the umpteenth time he had relied on Sharada's assistance but in a time like this, who could exactly blame the guy. Grabbing a Pokeball from his belt, he fired off a cocksure grin as he looked up to the gigantic Munchlax. "Heh heh, to be fair, I was gettin' tired fishing. This is a real battle!"


Encounter

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A trespassing Munchlax (Level ??) has appeared!
Please select a Pokemon for battle. Joey will be assisting in the fight.

[Morrigan]

Managing to draw the attention of whatever was lurking in the safe room, Sharada stood at a decent distance from the doorway, face determined to take on whatever might've been there. Lute, who was still sitting on her head, had straightened up after sensing the strength of what was lurking in the darkness. Unlike Sharada, she was less hopeful in taking on whatever was in the shadows. Shuffling about, as it turned it's head, Sharada still couldn't make out what it actually was but instead could clearly make out it's glistening eyes and it certainly wasn't a look she wanted to receive. Edging one of her feet backwards, her pupils shrunk, "W-What the... What is this thing? It's huge!" Gasping her words out loud to herself, she wondered how she could take on something so big and if she even had anything powerful enough to do so. Edging back a little more as the beast began to stand to it's feet, she glanced back over to Esmé. Would she really be able to protect her against this creature?

Feeling much more doubtful, before she could come up with a plan, a very familiar voice flooded her ears. One which she hadn't heard in a long time but recognised it in an instant. Immediately turning on the spot with wide eyes, her long lashes flickered as standing in the stairwell was someone who she had greatly missed since delving into Team Rocket. Suddenly finding herself completely at a loss for words in his presence, she lowered her head as her face turned a deep shade of red, her hands immediately trying to fix up her hair. With all the Spinarak's she had faced, there was no doubt that her once pristine appearance was now a little rough around the edges but still. She didn't want to look like a mess in front of him and despite it being his Warehouse, she hadn't anticipated seeing him here. Parting her lips to give him some sort of greeting back, her nerves held her back, his own attention turning to that of Esmé and the seemingly dead Biff. Faltering, she too turned to the pair, her nerves shattering in an instant as she learnt Biff had been pretending this entire time, "...Eh?" Right before her eyes, the two cutesy Pokemon sprang to life, his own bald head lifting upon hearing the voice of Joe, greeting the group.

Sharada's eyebrow twitched angrily, holding herself back from intervening as Esmé unleashed practically the same emotion that Sharada herself was feeling at this point. Not even pitying him as the slap lashed across his face, her eyes instead narrowed blankly, listening to his explanation on what he was exactly doing. "You found the monster and put sauce on yourself? I'm surprised whatever it is didn't gobble you down earlier." Speaking her thoughts rather than aiming it directly at him for a response, it was obvious that she wasn't impressed. But at the mention of the monster, Sharada felt a firm grip wrap around her arm. Her eyes following the source, she flinched as it belonged to Joe and hurriedly followed alongside him, both Biff and Esmé behind the two of them. Once again, even though they were in a sticky situation, Sharada looked down awkwardly, having more trouble thinking of what she wanted to say to Joe after so long, rather than how they were going to deal with the opposing threat. "E-Erm...!" About to bring up the suggestion of maybe moving to higher ground, Sharada felt her entire body freeze at the presence of another woman.

From the name Joey had spoken and her wild red and black colouration, the figure who strutted her way to the side of them shouldn't have triggered a jealous spark in Sharada. But it did. Taking in the figure and how much more womanly and beautiful she was in comparison to Sharada herself, her sudden bout of worry and jealousy would be for naught if she had used her head and realised it to be Calistra in her human disguise. Still, it didn't stop Sharada from lowering her head, hair obstructing her slightly bitter face. Not helping but snarl her lip for a moment as Cali's voice spoke out, Sharada snatched her arm out of Joey's grip, attempting to get herself together. "Why does he have such a strong effect on me... Dammit, I should be more worried about this beast!" Lifting her head to show a somewhat flustered expression, she grunted as Joey cupped a hand around his mouth and teased the creature out with a suggestion of food. "Oi. You just told me that doing stuff like that isn't a good idea." Her voice becoming somewhat snooty, she decided it would be best to try and distance herself from her usual, caring attitude for him as it would only get in the way.

Feeling the ground quake as the monster began to stomp closer, Sharada braced herself for what could potentially appear but what it turned out to be was something she didn't expect. Leading her reaction to be something similar to the other's. "I guess it makes sense. It's big and it likes to eat. Of course it would be a Giga Munchlax." Her voice dreary and somewhat sarcastic, now that they knew what the Pokemon was, it didn't make things much better. It was still prowling the Warehouse, eating and destroying things as it went. Plus with Joey's taunt, the Munchlax probably saw them as the snack now. Sighing to herself, she raised a hand to her forehead to caress it gently, only turning her head to the side to finally look Joey in the face as he invited her to battle along side him. "M-Me?" As she took in his facial features, she hated to admit it but he was hardly someone she could turn down. Face frowning angrily in frustration at her feelings, she loosely shrugged her shoulders. "Hmph. I was going to if you hadn't turned up anyway." Glancing over to the woman known as Cali, she still hadn't figured out that she was actually Calistra and wondered why Joey hadn't asked her to help instead.

Still, she was going to protect Esmé as that was her original plan. Turning to look over her shoulder, she managed to smile at the teen and nodded her head, speaking in a much softer tone to her, "You okay? We'll get this over with quickly, I promise." She then looked to Biff next to her, her smile becoming a bit more twisted, "And then we can make sure that Biff is truly okay. I mean, we need to thank him for making us worry, right?" From her tone, she clearly meant the opposite, after feeling guilty of thinking she had let him die, she certainly wasn't going to let him get away with it. Turning back to the battle at hand, she picked a Pokeball from her holster, one that she knew would do well by the side of any of Joey's Pokemon. Tightening her grip, she tossed it forward, revealing her Darumaka. Tiny in size, the sight of the massive Munchlax did little to sway his confidence. Jumping into the air with a wriggle of his arms and legs, he seemed more than ready for this fight. Almost expecting the others to doubt her choice, Sharada's face remained blank to the matter. She knew Umaro was her strongest Pokemon, his size proving that even something small could be deadly. "Are you ready, Umaro?" Sharada called out, his little fists waving back to her cheerfully. "Alright then... Flare Blitz!" Ordering a powerful fire type move, it was questionable if Sharada knew what she was doing. But Umaro knew exactly what to do and was ready to unleash his power when Joey had also decided his move.