Celebrity Status (F)

[latani]

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The sound of the helicopter filled him with a mixture of delight and regret; on one hand, people were chasing him down, which meant he really was attracting some high-class attention. They were perhaps reporters, or hey, a rich fan he could swindle from. On the other hand, it meant his private day was ruined and he would be forced to spend his time in company with other people. Probably ugly people who wanted to fawn over him or beg him to model for their retail stores or fast food joints. Pah! Ashton Jace Reid was far above modeling for the latest trendy burger joint.

Glaring up at the metallic beast as it approached, he kept a typical scowl on his face as it drew near, a single, slender figure dropping from it on a line. This was surprising; were they hoping to seduce him into agreeing to ink a deal? The model might have said yes, had he not caught sight of what this strange woman was wearing as she strode towards him, all business with a cloud of cigarette smoke making her features slightly hazy.

One black eyebrow cocked up as he took in her attire, unable to stop himself from commenting. "Dear Reshiram, woman, where the HELL did you find that outfit, the reject rack of some second-hand store?" Ashton blurted, his amber eyes scornful as he continued to gawk at her, not sensing that he was faced by a very real threat. "Or has smoking killed so many brain cells that you've become completely stupid about dressing yourself? Good lord."

Pausing, he was about to speak when she cut across, stating his name almost rhetorically. It wasn't surprising that she knew it, given his fame, but her next words had him rolling his eyes. "Oh please woman, you can barely dress yourself, what makes you think I'll take you as a threat seriously?" Ashton sneered, flicking a strand of jet-black hair from his face. (Team... ROCKET?) The man let out a bark of laughter, nearly doubling over. "Pftahahaha! Team Rocket!? Is everything about you entirely lame? Team Plasma would give your rinky-dink team here a run for it's money, and their outfits are just as bad. But at least they don't send a single trainer to do a job. They must really think you stink as a member if they sent you out here to the boonies to try and accost me."

The Darumaka she released to challenge him had him scowling even more; they were very well known for flinging... well. "Oh wow, you got something right for once! Damn straight I won't back down from a challenge. Scintilla, teach that shit-flinging ape who's boss!" Ashton commanded as he sent forth his Scraggy. Eyes returning into focus, the lizard zeroed in on her opponent and grinned, smacking her fists together in her eagerness for the upcoming fight. "Give 'em hell with Rock Slide, Scin."

(Psst Morri I love you but Ashton doesn't because he's a douche <3)

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[The REAL Joey]

As the battle begun underway, it was going to be a real test of might to see who would win. On one hand was Sharada and what she stood for, crime, theft and injustice. The other was Ashton. The innocent party in all of this, it would be interesting to see if he had what it took to fend off such unjust behaviour. With the two creatures eyeing one another, it was only as the two trainers belted out their orders that action finally took a hold of the confrontation. Not wanting to give the other an unfair quarter, the Pokemon had waited until both orders had been sounded so they knew what to expect. Having heard Sharada was ordering her Darumaka to use Headbutt, Scintilla stood forward, picking up the slack on her elasticated trousers. Scraggy were known for the hard skulls they possessed, shrugging off an attack such as that was surely not going to be that big of a deal. Bracing herself as her eyes leered in tight, Umaro came bounding over with an incredible few leaps that hopped over the distance between them.

Landing practically a breath away from Scintilla, the Umaro beamed with his impressive set of teeth and readied the attack. Leaning backwards, the simian went heaving forwards with an incredible impact, something Scintilla was keen to meet head on, butting her own head forward. The result was a shaky impact that resulted in both Pokemon forcing their head forwards, a look of determination on both Pokemon. It was only when Umaro began to start tapping with his feet that the Pokemon made an impressive somersault of a back flip in retreat that the two were separated. Now was Scintilla's time to shine. Using her stretchy trousers, she used the resistive tact of them to amplify the kicks of her feet as she hammered them down into the ground, chiselling lumps off the ground. Having done this several times, she then leaned forward and began launching up the impressive load of rubble into the air. Looking up with awe, the Darumaka barely braced itself at the last second by retreating into a little snug curl as the rocks began to hammer down upon it. It had been an intense first round to say the least.



ocket Battle

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Sharada's Umaro | ♂ | | Level 50 |
Health : 31% (45/145 HP)
Status : Normal
If in doubt, use your head

Ashton's Scintilla | ♀ | Level 50 |
Health : 53% (67/125 HP)
Status : Normal
I prefer heavy rocks

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Weather status: Normal

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[Morrigan]

It was clear Sharada wasn't going to get a happy response from the male, but vicious words after words leaked venomously from his lips, really catching the brunette off guard. Eyes blinking slowly and cigarette almost tumbling over her slightly parted lips, she found herself speechless. Having a feeling that even if she weren't a Rocket he would've acted this way toward her, she couldn't believe just how obnoxious some of these famous types were. "Are you... done?" She eventually spoke out, her overall shock finally fading. Not yet finishing her cigarette, she flicked it out and pressed it into the snow with the tip of her boot. Releasing a blast of smoke as if she were an angry volcano, her frosty blue eyes glared at the fashionista. "Huh. I guess a model's mind really can't go much further than their wardrobe. Shame, I thought you would have a bit of sense." Taken aback at his sudden burst of over dramatised laughter, he was already starting to get on the wrong side of her. Not bothering to cut him off, she rubbed the side of her head and sighed wearily. "Ooh jeez... I hate pompous guys like this." She grumbled to herself, her words being just audible between his bouts of laughter.

Finally lowering her hand from her hair as his laughter was replaced with words, a single eyebrow raised at the mentioning of some other team. "Team what now?" Shrugging her shoulders after racking her brain only to remember nothing along the lines of Team Plasma, she could only guess that Ashton was pulling her leg. "You're either taking the piss or you're not from around here... Nah, that accent of yours makes it all too clear." Guessing in her mind that he was from the exotic land of Unova or something further then Hoenn, either way, she ignored it as he spat out more insults. Feeling a throbbing vein beginning to form on her forehead, the brunette was starting to struggling in keeping her cool. "You really, REALLY have no idea. I sorta pity you. You've probably been guarded so much that you aren't aware of the horrors in the world." Words almost sarcastic, her blank face curled into a subtle smirk. "Funny, you really think you are a hard nut, huh? Breaking away from your little cage and exploring the big wide world. Sooner or later, you'll learn that a single trainer is just as powerful or even more so than a group. Sure, some say Team Rocket are a pack of rats who band together in order to actually become a threat but I work by my own morals."

Despite him being nothing less than an annoyance so far, it wasn't anything the brunette couldn't handle. But it was when the remark on her Pokemon was made that she actually bothered snapping back. "What did you say?!" Nose wrinkling up with anger, she took a single step forward, "No, really, what the hell did you just say?! You can really call my Pokemon that with a straight face whilst your stretching pants lizard looks just as ridiculous!" Shaking her head from side to side, she eyed the yellow lizard he had sent forth. Having met a Scraggy in the past, she knew they were tough little cookies and with such a simple attack ordered on her part, she almost felt sweaty palmed. Shaking it off after watching the two Pokemon skirmish amongst themselves, Sharada felt it wasn't necessary to feel guilty for attacking this man. She wasn't going to announce she was actually a double agent, even if she did he probably wouldn't care. But even in Team Rocket she just couldn't quite hide the protective bond she had with her Pokemon. "Umaro, it really is time to fling some shit. Hammer Arm that Scraggy and get this over with."

OOC: LMAO! It's no problem, a bit of douche-ness is always a laugh~ Also, sorry for the wait and any future waits, I've been stuck in the office at work, so when I come home the last thing I want to see is a computer screen lol. ;__;

[latani]

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His amber eyes rolled as she droned on about him being shallow and lacking sense. A dark smile curved his lips, something sparking in his gaze as he regarded the woman standing across from him. "A person's attire says a lot about themselves. Clearly yours is saying you're a ruffian, out to troll random strangers and hoping for a thrill. The cigarette is to give you an intimidating edge, not simply for the sake of being cool and 'in'. The splash of red is a warning, the letter a representation of something dangerous that you're supposed to be. But trust me, doll, from what I can see in your eyes, this is all but a sad ruse."

Having experience with being deceitful in appearance to others, Ashton spoke carefully and precisely, hoping to strike a proper nerve. Something about this proclaimed 'Rocket' was... off. Not that he cared deep down, but this whole thing didn't add up. Ashton shrugged off his moment of seriousness and was back to his usual arrogant self in no time. "Ah, you're... well, I'll be nice. You're one dense woman. If you really are a 'criminal', should you not know of rival organizations? Do they not tell you ANYTHING?" the model sneered, brushing off his shoulder in a dismissive gesture.

Her reaction to his insulting of her Darumaka had him taking a step back as she pitched a hissy-fit about it. "Are you PMSing or something? Zekrom almighty, calm down before you burst a blood vessel... so unattractive..." Ashton replied caustically, ignoring her jab at Scintilla. Scin didn't seem to mind either, but that was more than likely due to the fact she had her mind entirely focused on the battle, trading blows with her scrappy opponent. Ashton wondered why a criminal operative would be so touchy over their Pokémon... most of the Plasma members he'd encountered hadn't given a flying shit about theirs.

Hearing the call for Hammer Arm, Ashton displayed his naivete to the world of battling when he merely shrugged this off. Typing, attack strength, health... they weren't things he had learned to keep an eye on yet. Scintilla didn't give any sign she wanted to back out, punching her fists together to enunciate upon her readiness to leap back into the fray. Darumaka lived in the desert where she'd originated from before being spirited away by poachers, and skirmishes with them weren't uncommon; it was gratifying to be facing down another one she was sure she could win against. "Scintilla, another Rock Slide, and make it quick."

(My turn to aplogize for ze wait D: )

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[The REAL Joey]

As their words reached a fever pitch with neither battler reaching a victory over the other, it was clear the only way to settle their arguments was through the use of their Pokemon by duking it out in battle. With both trainers quickly rising to one another's threat with the hearing of their orders, it would quickly spurn both Pokemon into action. Given there was a fair distance between them, it meant there would be a disadvantage should one try to near the gap between them as the other could easily dig in and prepare a strike. However, such logic was flawed in the case of these two Pokemon. Understanding that Umaro was just that little bit faster, Scintilla stood strong as she leered down the Darumaka with some fierce vibes. Undeterred, Sharada's Umaro merely stormed on ahead. Despite the fact this simian had very podgy, stubby little legs, it was made up for the fact it had such a limitless enthusiasm. Leaving but a small foot gap between them as Umaro arrived near to Scintilla, the Darumaka was cautious as it leapt into the air with an incredible bound.

Eclipsing the sun that hovered above overhead, Scintilla had to narrow her eyes as she kept up with the Pokemon's movements. Instead, as she gained a fix on the opponent, it was too late. Smashing down with a hurtle from the sky, Umaro was forcing all of his momentum and weight onto his clenched fist. With an almighty crack against Scintilla's head, the Scraggy was pulverised into a tiny crater as Umaro's attack connected. With the debris and dust fading, all that could be seen was Scintilla wobbling back and forth. Her anger and rage at wanting to beat this Rocket floozy still apparent, it was a shame that her fatigue had surpassed her determination. Slumping to the floor, it was at the same time that Umaro got up having hopped around and rolled along the floor as it nursed its hand. Having dished out such a ferocious hit, it appeared that the recklessness of the Pokemon had cost it and thus slowed down it down rather sluggishly. Being the first to fall to Sharada's assault, Scintilla was surely a marked target aside to the main objective.



ocket Battle

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Sharada's Umaro | ♂ | | Level 50 |
Health : 31% (45/145 HP)
Status : Normal; Speed -1
Cha-cha-CHA!

Ashton's Scintilla | ♀ | Level 50 |
Health : 0% (0/125 HP)
Status : KO'd
...

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Weather status: Normal

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Scintilla fainted!
Unfortunately, Scintilla has been marked for theft.
Please select another Pokemon for battle.
( 1 / 2 Pokemon beaten until target claimed )

[Morrigan]

Sharada's eyes narrowed, fumes from her cigarette leaking out from between her parted lips as Ashton did his little fashion analysis of her. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud and tried to limit the change in her facial expression, she was actually surprised by his words. He had linked up the dots pretty well for someone who she had just met and knew nothing of her nor Team Rocket by looks of things. A slight nod of her head and shrug of her shoulders, the girl couldn't quite make a comeback from the cold, hard truth. "Well, this is excellent. Just the image I was aiming for." Slipping the cigarette in between two fingers she held it out in front of her. "Intimidating. Dangerous. That only scratches the surface of what Team Rocket is about. Whilst you may think the outfit, the colours or whatever looks ghastly, it gets the job done most of the time. There are always trainers with mouths bigger than their brains, a bit like yourself." Eyes rolling onto her cigarette, she feigned a look of subtle disgust, "As for smoking, it's the only damn luxury in this world to keep me calm. Even if I admit it's a dirty habit, I couldn't care less what others think about it."

Sliding in the cigarette to still her tongue for a little while, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the smoke raised past her line of sight. Back to his snappy tongue and not so humorous insults, she couldn't help but secretively agree with him once again. It wasn't just other rival teams in other regions but surely there were gangs and mobsters of the sort which were a constant thorn in Team Rocket's side. But clearly it wasn't the case, they had eyes and ears practically everywhere. Lifting her head and peering down the bridge of her nose, she tried to enlighten him, "That or they are simply not a threat. Team Rocket are quite simply the most dangerous organization in this measly world, there is no one who would dare stand up against them. Simple as." Smiling as she lowered her head, she cocked it to one side, "But hey, I'm just a single, dense trainer sent by them. I'm sure you will experience more of Team Rocket's might the further you travel. If you decide to, of course. It might be difficult if you lose your Pokemon right here."

Trailing off and still feeling sour at his Darumaka comment, her eyebrow twitched as she finished off her cigarette but was quick to light up another. Remaining silent and choosing her words carefully, she eventually stared back at him, "Urgh, nevermind it. Just keep your Pokemon insults to yourself." Flinching momentarily, she was quick to make another snap to hide any connection to her team, "If anyone is gonna be making complaints about the state of my tools, it'll be me." Looking away to see how the battle was going, she was relieved deep down that Umaro paid no attention to her words. Instead, he was too busy defending himself from this Scraggy. For once he had to actually concentrate, Scintilla wasn't playing around and she was incredibly strong. From Sharada's view, she could imagine Team Rocket being thrilled with having it. Leaping forward and finishing with a slam down of his arm, the brunette flinched back at the fierce collision, dust quickly dying down to reveal the creature still on her feet. "Oho! Look at this-- Hmm?" Actually believing that the Scraggy had survived, she was a bit surprised when the creature slumped unconscious, meaning that Sharada was partly successful in her goal.

Not particularly liking it, this was the path she had decided to follow for a temporary time. She had picked this mission willingly and was going to continue with it. Not the type to act overly cocky or rub loss in the opponents face, she instead exhaled the fumes of her cigarette, face completely blank as she pointed a finger forward, "One down... Shame." A hand suddenly lunging for her holster, she selected a second Pokeball and held her arm out to the side of her. With a click of the button on the front of the ball and a flash of blinding light, another Pokemon of hers popped out, her slender, humanoid frame breaking out of the light to reveal a Gardevoir. Levitating ever so slightly off the snow sprinkled ground, the psychic type sighed heavily at the feeling of the cold around her, turning elegantly before focusing moodily on Sharada. "You fool. You better have a perfectly good reason for calling me out into this frosty wasteland. Speak." Delphine hissed in her own tongue, making it difficult for Sharada to understand the usually english speaking creature. Regardless, being ordered around by her own Pokemon in front of this Ashton would be embarrassing in itself, so she needed to remain firm.

Oddly though, she remained silent, focusing her order through her thoughts alone, "Delphine. Take the Pokeball belonging to that Scraggy." A wry smile spreading across the face of Delphine, she lifted a hand to try and obscure her grin. Despite not being overly fond of her gentle trainer, it appeared she was having a change of heart? Regardless, Delphine could never say no to the chance of chaos or heart break. Not even replying, the Pokemon merely turned to look towards Ashton, a lone hand being held into the air. An ethereal blue glow embracing her arm, the Gardevoir used her power to forcefully tug the ball belonging to Scintilla right from his possession. Soaring through the air and landing just as fiercely into the open palm of Sharada, the two females sent each other a swift glare before going back to the male and waiting for any reaction. Now having the Scraggy's ball in hand, she returned the fainted creature before swiftly pocketing it. "Next. But hey, don't be upset. I'm still just a single, dense trainer. You should be able to get her back no trouble. Otherwise, your... Scintilla? Will be the next slave in line for Team Rocket." Slipping the cigarette back in her mouth, she smiled, "But I'll be nice too, I'll give you a few more chances. But for now, Umaro, prepare a Headbutt."

[latani]

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A wolfish gleam entered his eyes as she scoffed off his assessment of her, trying to turn it back on him as if this would stop him from commenting further. "Big mouth? Is that the best 'insult' you can contrive? Do yourself a favour, shove another cig in that sinful little mouth of yours, and stop trying to talk mean. You're clearly inept at everything you do," Ashton sniffed, crossing his arms and giving the proclaimed Rocket an irritating smirk. So focused on slinging mud, Ashton didn't pay attention to the sparring Pokémon one bit, which would be a costly mistake.

"If your team is so powerful, why are the streets not amok with chaotic masses? People crying, robberies happening left and right, criminal mischief committed on a constant basis? I see none of that. Hell, I don't even see people acting cautious or wary, seeds of doubt sown from the shadows to instil suspicion and distrust. If you lot are stooping to thieving Pokémon you haven't gotten very far, have you?"

Lapsing into a moment of silence, Ashton finally looked towards Scintilla in time to watch her get pounded heartily into the ground, the impact so severe the ground imploded. Snow and clumps of the earth underneath burst into the air, making the battlefield impenetrable to human eyes for several seconds. (Good girl Scinny, now hit back while that imp is too busy with its hand.) The Unovan model seemed confident that his Scraggy would prevail, until she slumped down and fainted.

While most people would be gutted to see their Pokémon fall, Ashton didn't hide his contempt and scowled fiercely at the failure. He didn't look away from where the Scraggy had fallen, ignoring the release of Delphine and the silent conversation with her trainer until he felt his bag shudder rather violently. Looking down, Ashton watched a ball silhouetted in blue light emerge from his bag, his hands snapping out at it, but missing it by mere inches as it sped towards the woman he was fighting, landing perfectly in her hand.

"Slave? Please, she's stupider than you," Ashton replied, almost dismissing Scintilla entirely. "What use could she possibly be? I'm not done with you yet though. Astraea, you're up!" he barked, sending forth his second fighter. The Squirtle landed in the snow gracefully, looking over at Sharada, then to Umaro, and back to Ashton. "What the HELL have you gotten us into now, you pea-brained flesh bag!?" she angrily spat, clenching her hands into fists.

Ignoring her outburst, he flung one hand out and pointed at Umaro, amber eyes cold and determined to drive this harpy off and perhaps reclaim his stolen partner. "Enough of the 'tude. Bubble!" he said succinctly, not wasting time. Astraea rolled her eyes but stomped forwards to where Umaro was hopping about, glaring at the ape with her hands on her sides. "Stand still, shorty, this will hurt a lot!" she rasped, inhaling deeply before readying herself to fill the air with a multitude of bubbles.

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[The REAL Joey]

Clearly not off to the best of starts with their first impressions of one another, the intensive back and forth of words between the two trainers was in some regards much more abrasive than their Pokemon engaging one another in battle. However, with the arrival of Astraea, things were likely to become a lot more heated as the indomitable Squirtle squared up her foe. Umaro the Darumaka was surely not in as great shape as the start of the battle but the lively bugger still had a good bit of go left in him, as Astraea would be all too soon to find out. With both trainers relishing the chance to strike out at one another, the two Pokemon dashed off into the fore to partake in the fray. Having numbed his hand from the sheer impact of Hammer Arm, Umaro was being particularly sluggish. Giving Ashton's Squirtle a nice enough edge, the water turtle skidded to a halt as she neared that much closer. Inhaling the air around her, she stored the oxygen around in her lungs where a miraculous conversion unfolded.

Blowing forward the change, Astraea was keen to bombard Umaro with a flurry of water filled bomb like bubbles. As they floated along the air along with the force of her breath, they sprung apart all over the fiery creature and caused it to dance around terribly as it tried to shrug them off. Amazingly, by the time Astraea had run her course with fatigue setting in, Umaro was still standing. Swaggering from side to side with any semblance of balance fleeting, Sharada's Pokemon wasn't going down that easy. Realing back drunkenly, the Pokemon went tumbling forward head over heels before rolling up into the air and come crushing down on a bewildered Astraea whom took the attack head on. The sheer force of their heads donking together was painful and forced the stoic Pokemon of Ashton's to back away slightly.



ocket Battle

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Sharada's Umaro | ♂ | | Level 50 |
Health : 8% (12/145 HP)
Status : Normal; Speed -1
How low can you go!?

Ashton's Astaea | ♀ | Level 50 |
Health : 49% (58/119 HP)
Status : Normal
What sort of monster are you?!

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Weather status: Normal

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[Morrigan]

Silence once again fell upon Sharada, blue eyes staring directly at the mouthy model who stood before her, tearing pieces out of both her and Team Rocket. It was almost surprising she hadn't snapped by now. The sort of comments he was drilling into her would've usually been enough to send the girl into tears, but then again, that self conscious, paranoid side had since disappeared after she landed in the villainous group. Mind wandering and blanking out his words, she did indeed go for another cigarette, lighting it quickly and inhaling the fumes to calm any nerves which would unearth sooner or later. Hand losing it's slight shake, the brunette lifted her gaze from the ground and looked past her strands of rogue hair, fluttering in her face. "You're a trainer, right? But you don't seem to care overly care for this Scraggy. Calling it stupid and..." Her inner trainer almost rearing it's head, the girl clenched her jaw, dual ponytails flailing from side to side as her head shook lightly. "Pah, what the hell do I care. But hey, keep up that mind set and maybe you could join our little group."

Rolling her shoulders into a loose shrug, her posture relaxed a little more, forced smirk appearing on her smoke shrouded face. "From the way you were just talking, you might be able to inject some life into a good chunk of our brain addled grunts. But to answer your puzzlement, all I can really say is that we are biding time. I can't disagree with you on the fact I am just a lowly grunt but even we hear whispers of what the higher ups have in mind for the worthless region... Or world, for that matter." Trailing off, she knew that there wasn't any point in trying to converse for much longer. She was wasting too much time chatting rather than knocking out his Pokemon and escaping. Witnessing the tail end of Umaro's attack on Ashton's confident little Squirtle, Sharada could tell the Darumaka wasn't going to last much longer. The fire in his dancing steps had since died down into drunken stumbles and while any Rocket would push their tools to the very brink of death, this brunette wasn't entertained by seeing a partner fall.

A hand lifting, she brought up a Pokeball. Not giving Umaro any words of how well he had done nor fake words of him being useless, a simple flicker of red light drawing him back into the ball was more than enough. Pocketing it cautiously, she merely turned her head to face the Gardevoir who floated with disinterest next to Sharada. "Delphine, we're running out of time. I'm sending you in." A pair of narrowed crimson eyes staring back at her, the urgency to run was far to humorous for Delphine. Being one to play on the fact, she would surely get some sort of reward or another if she were to comply for now. "Thunderbolt, Delphine. Make it snappy."

OOC: Huge apology, this completely slipped my mind with everything whats been going on. I'll try and keep it short and hurry through this so poor Ashton can carry on.

[latani]

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Ashton ignored her comment over his dismissal of Scintilla. He did like the Scraggy in a weird way, but there was no bond present yet. Of course, having something taken from him riled him right up. Especially from someone dressed in atrocious attire and acted like she was the biggest, baddest b... baddie of them all. He snorted loudly when she mentioned him keeping up the 'tude and joining her little group of criminals. "I think I'll pass based on what you have to wear... full-on black outfits are so passé," the model replied, sniffing.

Astraea gritted her teeth as she listened to the exchange between humans, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the opposing trainer. She seemed downright unpleasant, as did her Pokémon; her head still ached from the attack she'd just taken. But as she prepared to finish off the red dancing monkey, he was recalled to his ball, drawing a huff from the turtle. 'Tch, you cowardly woman... take a defeat with some dignity!' Astraea muttered angrily.

When the Gardevoir was ordered forwards, Ashton felt his blood turn cold. (Shit... Astraea can't take on something that strong... none of my Pokémon can.) He felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck, nervousness slowly edging out his cocky swagger. Despite his sudden anxiety, the man's face remained composed of its usual smirk, to hide the fact he was the slightest bit disturbed by this change of events. "Wow, you actually display some intelligence... don't want your precious partner to lose to a turtle?" Ashton leered, oblivious to the fact that Astraea had moved on her own until she was almost halfway to Delphine. "Astraea, NO!" he snapped, panic flickering to life on his face as the feisty Squirtle attempted to launch a Tackle attack on Delphine.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[The REAL Joey]

Despite the sudden flurry of action, Astraea seemed none the dissuaded by the looming presence of Delphine onto the scene. Clearly powerful and also boasting a fully evolved form, it must have seemed quite obvious to onlookers that the tiny turtle Pokemon stood no chance. But that sort of attitude had no place in a high stakes battle such as this. The fact was unable to be ignored, if she didn't do everything she could, more of Ashton's team as well as her friends would be abducted along with the already captured Scintilla. Peddling forward with her short stubby legs, the turtle whipped up a surprisingly fast jog before launching into the air with a leap. Spinning through the air with a motion, Astraea soon retreated into her shell, head, arms and legs and all. Now spinning furiously with the shell homing in on Delphine, the princess pampered Gardevoir had no time at all to react, no matter defend herself.

Conked in the centre of her delicate frame, she stumbled backwards, her lithe legs staggering at the floor to steady herself. Rebounding off, Astraea landed on the floor as she untucked just in time to make a careful landing. Sadly, as she looked up, the Gardevoir was angrily reacting to being punted so savagely. Swaying her arms out to the side, she guided them together as a strange surge of energy was summoned from her being. Manifesting itself in the form of a thundering bolt, the electricity shocked forward as it electrocuted Astraea, sending her up in the air, writing in spasms of pain. Distracted any trainer would be by the sign of their Pokemon being so brutally harmed, it was perhaps just enough time for Sharada to make her snatch for the target Pokemon at the crux of this all and make an expedient getaway.



ocket Battle

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Sharada's Delphine | ♀ | | Level 50 |
Health : 87% (124/143 HP)
Status : Normal
Smite thee

Ashton's Astraea | ♀ | Level 50 |
Health : 0% (0/119 HP)
Status : KO'd
...

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Weather status: Normal

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Astraea fainted!
Unfortunately due to Astraea's loss, Rocket Operative Sharada
has her opening and claims her main target, Nazeli!
Sharada can now make a getaway!
( 2 / 2 Pokemon beaten )


Ashton has lost two of his Pokemon!
Scintilla and Nazeli are unusable until Ashton mounts a rescue attempt.
Further information on the rescue can be read here and Pokemon are now located here.

[Morrigan]

Cigarette dangling out of her weary, parted lips, she began to question if this male would ever zip it. The presence of Delphine swooping elegantly into battle was enough to hush him momentarily but even Sharada was on edge when it came to the puzzling mind of her harmful companion. Crimson red eyes glaring across to the young Squirtle posed defensively in the snow, a wry smile crept across the Gardevoir's face, carefully hidden by the positioning of her head. Whilst she enjoyed torturing and dragging out pain against her enemies, just this once, a single bolt would be enough to please the graceful Pokemon. With Ashton having a free hit, Sharada kept her tongue still, arms slowly crossing as she tried to hide the fact that she was getting cold. But really the frosty chill on her skin was the least of her worries as Astrea pranced forward for her blow. Tackling right into the chest of Delphine, her lithe frame staggered back, but even though she was hit, her movements were still as graceful. Arms swaying down to her side, Delphine span slowly on the spot, eyes closed as a rather mocking yawn escaped her mouth.

About to step forward to display an attack of her own, a blunt cough from behind her stopped the Pokemon in her tracks. Eyebrows furrowed, Sharada appeared annoyed by something Ashton had said. "Think of it as cowardly, I don't care. The fact that Team Rocket was after you made me think there was something a little more to you than fancy clothes and a pretty face but now, I know that I was thinking too highly of you." Shaking her head from side to side as if greatly displeased, she removed the cigarette from her lips and blew out an enraged cloud of smoke. Looking away from him, she grumbled, "And because of that, I'm tired of battling fairly against you." Almost as if reading her mind or merely growing tired of the small talk herself, Delphine lashed in. Body becoming enveloped in a seal of golden light, angry sparks began to crackle all around her frame. Her once crimson eyes now set alight in a piercing blue, a horrific bolt of thunder shot from her curved hands, zapping forward and brutally electrifying the Squirtle to a crisp.

Taking a step forward and rather bravely placing a hand on her Pokemon's shoulder, Sharada nodded in the direction of Ashton. Now was as good time to grab the Skitty, whilst he was dealing with he fallen companion. "Find the target." Beginning to enjoy teasing this male, a light glow wrapped around Delphine's body once more. Her large eyes scanning him for the wanted Pokemon, she once again used her psychic powers to drag the correct ball forcefully off his belt. Feeling the orb like object land in her palm with a bit of force, she shot a look to Delphine before pocketing it and turning back to Ashton. Blinking, she stared at him blankly, "Funny. You actually show emotion after all." Having heard his cry to Astrea earlier on as the brave little Squirtle had decided to attack on her own accord, Sharada couldn't help but sigh. "How a Squirtle like her land in your lap is beyond me." Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, by now the brunette should've dashed off with her prizes but she couldn't help but stick around. Almost as if to rub it in. Turning with a thankful nod of her head, she withdrew the Gardevoir and began to search around for a different ball, all whilst talking to him indirectly.

"What I wanna work out is why some grumpy git like you would want to be a trainer in the first place if you couldn't give a Rattata's arse about your Pokemon." Grumbling to herself, she was clearly talking about Ashton but the way she spoke in such an uninterested, indirect tone questioned if she was actually asking him. With a shrug of her shoulders, Sharada appeared to find what she was after, a flash of light revealing a rather extravagant Zebstrika. Not wasting any time mounting the creature incase Ashton became a little physical with his violence, she instead spoke down to him from the Pokemon's back. "You were unlucky... But..." Trailing off, the girl slowly looked away. Puzzled, her mind was arguing with itself. Should she help the guy out or just dash off? He wasn't the nicest in the world but he didn't necessarily deserve it. Eyes scanning back and forth, as if searching for any watching eyes, she soon brushed off her silence with a single laugh. "Tell you what. I'll give you a second chance. Merely because of the energy that little Squirtle of yours had." Straightening her back, she sat with leering eyes and spoke in a serious tone, "These Pokemon mean nothing to me but if they do to you, then surely you'll want them back?"

Smirking, she continued, "Maybe Team Rocket hoped by attacking you, you would wish to trade a handsome sum of money in return for your Pokemon but... There's no fun in that." Nodding her head backward, she gestured that she was heading toward Cherrygrove, "The docks in that pretty little city aren't just for sea loving sailors... But hey, I'm just a single, failed trainer who instead turned to a life of lowly crime, you're not getting any help from me." Smiling to herself, she tapped the side of Kirin, the Zebstrika slowly turning on the spot, hooves itching to take off for a run. "As for you. You need to learn to actually protect your Pokemon, care for them, nurture them as they grow. Ain't no fun when trainers don't give a crap... Hopefully we wont meet again but if we do, well, let's hope you're a little stronger." Having said far too much already, Sharada nudged her escape into action, her faithful Pokemon leaping into a frantic sprint. It was time to report back to HQ and maybe even get a little bit of praise from her boss.

[latani]

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Still in shock over Astraea charging out to attack, Ashton could only watch with his face frozen. They weren't the best of friends but the sassy little turtle was one of the first things he'd begun to care about since leaving Unova that wasn't himself. She hurled herself into the elegant yet cruel Gardevoir, actually making the lithe Pokémon stumble. Astraea gritted her teeth as she landed back in the snow, knowing she had to try harder where her idiot trainer had failed.

But nothing prepared her for the electrocution she was subject to following this, her skin feeling as if it were being roasted and nerves gone haywire from the horrific pain. A silent cry parted her lips as she was blasted literally off her feet, crashing down mere feet from her completely aghast trainer. His amber were eyes uncomprehending and dull compared to the fire that had blazed in them during the back and forth barbs he had traded with the woman stealing from him. "No..." Ashton muttered hoarsely, dropping to his knees to grab the unconscious Squirtle and cradle her.

He barely registered what happened next, watching another Pokéball go flying into the palm of this evil, heartless wench. "Why I became a trainer is none of your goddamn business. I sure as hell won't sink as low as you, waltzing around and stealing from people left and right because you're too weak to do anything without the power of some crime gang at your beck and call, thinking yourself all high and mighty. You're pathetic," the model snarled, his one free hand tightening into a fist. Gone was the mocking man who taunted her over her clothing, replaced with a barely controlled fury that had him shaking with its intensity.

"If I paid any sort of ransom to Team Rocket, some if it would fall into your dirty little paws. That will never happen so long as I breathe," he shot back at her snarking that perhaps her gang wanted to extort money. As she turned to ride off on her Zebstrika, Ashton took a deep breath and shouted off his own special farewell. "HEARTLESS *****!"

Astraea stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open faintly and regarding the mixed emotions running on her trainer's face. It came as a hearty shock to see wetness threatening his usually piercing, annoyed eyes, his breathing as ragged as his composure. It wasn't the theft of his partners that had robbed him of his facade, but nearly losing Astraea. Perhaps he had grown to like her because her 'tude reminded him a little of his sister, and seeing her bravely charge into battle and then take a staggering attack that could've cost more than her remaining energy.

Hugging her gently, Ashton fought back his wildly tangled emotions and bowed his head, ignoring how cold it was outside and the fact that everything seemed to be growing blurry. "I'm so sorry Astraea... I... oh Zekrom, forgive me for being such an idiot," he choked out as he looked at the half-conscious turtle in his arms. For once, Astraea smiled, reaching up to smack him on his cheek before letting herself fall asleep, her energy completely drained. Rising ever so carefully, Ashton used his free hand to swipe at his eyes, shielding Astraea from the elements as he staggered back into town, determined to see to her condition before even considering mounting a rescue of his stolen Pokémon.

OOC; okay first kdsghfrugthdiurjgt - now I'm putting this on hold to do the rescue because... well yeah.

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[latani]

► i disappear behind the beat when the mirrors and the lights and the smoke clears, i'd never guess how we ever could've got here

• requesting a ralts encounter • It was with some sense of bone-deep relief that Ashton returned to his hotel room, fresh off of the rescue of his Pokémon. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving fatigue in its place, but he was so grateful to have Nazeli and Scintilla back safe that he shrugged off any ideas of rest. But as he sat on the bed, setting his bag down on the smooth surface of the comforter, he realized he'd have to talk to his manager about this. It was one thing to be mobbed by fans, and another to be targeted by a group of thugs (with horrid fashion sense). Nolan would be frantic, of course, and his first instinct would be to provide some big, hulking security detail to Ashton immediately. Ashton frowned as he realized the problems this presented; he could hardly make any headway as a trainer with security guards dogging his every step. Not only that, it would only increase his likelihood of being targeted again; someone important enough to warrant bodyguards might as well start wearing a neon sign that read 'ROB ME'. A sigh of frustration escaped his lips, hands sliding into his hair. Calling Nolan was unavoidable, but maybe he would just downplay the situation to avoid any freaking out. Tomorrow he'd have a fresh start, hopefully get some training done... without alerting the general public to his plans. After what happened with the Picnicker, Ashton was leery of any die-hard fans bothering him for, well, anything. Setting up his plans for tomorrow eventually wore the man out, and Ashton finally retired to sleep, dreams plagued by stolen Pokémon and ghosts of his past. Morning finally arrived, keeping his mind occupied by staying busy with calls and sorting out his Pokémon team. So it was by mid-morning, with most of the brunch crowd gone, that the model slipped downstairs and outside, dressed as stylishly as ever. Not even being robbed would see him in dowdy clothes, no sir. Today he wore a black blazer over a navy blue button down shirt, finishing the look with dark denim jeans and black loafers. Donning his sunglasses, Ashton strolled outside, ignoring the admiring looks directed his way by a gaggle of women standing in line for a coffee shop. Making a beeline for Route 30 was his only goal, and stopping to flirt would just be a hindrance for the time being. Nolan had gotten word to him that there were several trainers interested by a local Pokémon that could be found on the route. "And, Ashton, it's likely they'll cough up some good money if you feel like catching a few. It'd be great press too; Ashton Reid, model with a generous heart, taking time out of his indescribably busy day to make another trainer's day just that much brighter." Ashton snorted at the thought now. He wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his own heart. Aside from this venture offering the chance to train his Pokémon, it was just a means to earn some money to fund his journey. Sending forth Scintilla, who looked no worse for wear despite her ordeal, Ashton pointed at the grass and scowled at the Scraggy when she stared at him rather blankly. "Don't stand there gawking, you dunce. Use Rock Slide and flush some of these Ralts out of hiding!"

Made by Siren of GS and THQ

[Deleted]

Ralts had been minding it's own business the entire day as it walked along the grass covered parts of route 30. The small psychic type had been trying to stay dry as the rainstorm above dumped loads of water on the area leaving mud puddles everywhere. Ralts was not a huge fan of a downpour but it hoped that the weather would keep any trainers away from the area so it would not get bothered. As Ralts found a hole in the trunk of a nearby tree it decided to hide out until the weather cleared up. Ralts thought it would be a good hiding place until it heard what sounded like a mountain exploding a short distance away.

Deciding to be nosy Ralts went to investigate when it noticed the young man with a Scraggy. It seemed as though the Pokemon was trying to draw some attention to itself in hopes of drawing something out but little did Ralts know that it was what the trainer was hoping to encounter. As Ralts walked up to the young man it began to hum trying to get his attention and it was at that moment that the Scraggy standing next to him went into action as it spotted the target. Scraggy picked up a nearby rock and kicked it towards Ralts in a makeshift landslide in an attempt to catch the small psychic type off guard and it was with this action that Ralts realized a battle was about to start.

A level 8 Ralts appeared. It accepts your challenge to battle.

Wild Pokemon Battle

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Ralts : | Level 8|
Health: 45% (11/24 HP)
Status: Normal
Chill out bro!
Move: Growl

Ashton's Scintilla: | Level 8 |
Health: 100% (28/28 HP)
Status: Normal, Attack -1
You look too cute to be a threat!
Move:

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Weather: Rain

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The rock Scintilla kicked hit Ralts right in the forehead as it was not expecting an attack just yet. The small Pokemon grew angry over the attack and let out a menacing growl that was rather intimidating for such a small Pokemon. Scintilla was a bit unsettled by the growl but she was not about to run away from a Pokemon that looked like it would not hurt a fly and instead stood her ground despite being a tiny bit shaken by the growl. As Ralts had never encountered a Pokemon that had stood it's ground before it grew increasingly worried that being nosy in this case was not a very good idea.

It was bad enough that the rain had gotten it all wet but now it had to deal with a headache from the boulder and a stubborn Scraggy. Ralts's day was not going very well at this point and if the defiant posture the Scraggy was displaying was an indication of things to come things were about to get a whole lot worse before they would get better for the nosy Ralts.