Something to Relate to (Joey)

[The REAL Joey]

The battle was intense and there was no mistake about it. Actually realising that this grunt was a cut above the rest, Joey shed off his typically cocky exterior to that of an ardently determined expression. Sure this Rocket may not have used the typical Zubat and Rattata fare but that didn't suddenly make him invincible. Unfortunately it meant their Pokemon were going to be sorely tested. As the previous round came to a close, Joey turned to face Sandy as she called out to him. "No kiddin' some scum like him would exploit that. Consider Hood her personal bodyguard." Sporting a small grin and giving her a thumbs up, he quickly redirected his attention to Hoodlum and gave him an order. "Yo Hood! Make sure you protect Muru. Don't let a THING get past you. So pull on back and let everyone else duke it out." Shifting his eyes back and forward to the devious grunt, Joey quickly tacked on another order. "And if anythin' does try gettin' near ya, let loose with some Payback!"

Feeling the back of his neck, Joey became ever more aware of the inferno like blaze that the warehouse had been plunged into. Even with Berry and Scatter trying to subdue the fire's wrath, it didn't seem to be curtailing it at all. "Dammit, we need to hurry this up. Is Munchy even anywhere?" Noticing Slash still in their vicinity, Joey flung his hands out to emphasise their need for hurry. "Slash, while we keep this bozo preoccupied, you go and have a quick scout alright?" Raising up his bandanna to ward off the fumes and also to disguise his dislike of all the fire, it was clear the feline was a little apprehensive. "If I get so much as a lick of my fur burnt..." Mumbling as he pounced off, Joey turned to Sandy. "And we gotta find Hiroki too right? Bet the poor fella's wonderin' what all this noise is about." Shooting his glare back over to the Rocket, Joey brushed a hand by his nose. "I'm gonna make sure a part of this warehouse is still burnin' so I can roast your face off you piece of crap." Finishing his jibe, Joey's eyes couldn't help but flicker around the outskirts of the warehouse. If Sandy had one of her Pokemon stolen here, could the same be said for his own?

As he perplexed over the possibility, his expression became all too detached from the reality before them.

[Kataya]

"I can take care of myself!" A voice suddenly snapped, startling both Sandy and the Rocket Grunt across from them. Sandy hadn't been looking at Joey, therefore she didn't know his reaction, but she looked down at Muru, who's eyes were focused on the two, half filled with a sort of anger. Her tail lashed, though her understanding of what they were trying to do was clear, they were doing exactly what she didn't want.

"Muru? That was you?!" Sandy questioned as she leaned on one of the crutches. Muru nodded and then looked away.

"I wasn't ready to use any sort of telepathy until now." she responded blandly as she whipped back around. Sandy could tell now how Angry she was with the Arcanine across from them.

"Heh. Since we're so underhanded, Arcanine, show them another one of those cheap Thunder Fang attacks of yours, same Target!" The Arcanine took off in a run, though Muru simply smirked, a low growl rumbling in her throat.

"No way!" Ignoring the pain she'd feel from what she was about to do, she sprung upwards and jumped over the Arcanine's head, landing on her back before jumping off again and landing on her other side. Though when she landed she stumbled, the pain of her bad leg finally reaching her.

"Muru! Don't do things like that!" Sandy called out. Scatter and Berry stopped for a moment to look at what was going on, but had no time since the flames kept licking towards them. Berry could tell Scatter was concerned, but at least he was focusing on the more important thing at that moment.

Arbok slithered forwards next, ordered by his trainer to use a Wrap attack. He surrounded Hooldum in the blink of en eye, coiling tighty around him until the Lizard couldn't move. Though, Hoodum after maybe a minute or so of struggle, managed to get his arms loose, and clapped them together. A ring of energy surrounded arcanine and Finally closed in, causing the Arcanine to howl in pain before collapsing where she stood.

Muru, impressed with Hoodlum's quick disposal, let her eyes glow a bright blue, surrounding Arbok with the same color aura. The snake was uncoiled from Hoodlum against its will and thrown against the floor, a couple of times at Muru's will.

"Tch, that'll teach you!" She snorted before limping over to Hoodlum to see if he was holding up okay, which he probably was. If she hadn't managed to dodge the Arcanine, she would have been in deep trouble herself.

"Gah, I didn't know a runt like you'd be so strong with help!" The grunt uttered, recalling his two fainted creatures. Though, the man didn't know when to quit. using the path Scatter and Berry had cleared to the exit, he ran to the door and blocked it.

"Ah no, I am NOT reporting my loss to Maradeth, but I'm certainly not going down alone!" Sandy observed the man's scrawny figure before looking back at Joey, while her three Pokemon gathered at her sides.

"I don't know if he wants to do that..." she muttered. "We'd better get him out of there Joey, don't forget now we've got Slash ahead of us too, we don't want another one lost right?" she asked, paying no regard to the rest of the man's rant.

(I originally thought that Arcanine would Survive a payback, but it wasn't what the RNG and Damage Calc decided o.o)

[The REAL Joey]

Visibly taken aback at the sudden voice that sundered through the air, Joey looked around before realising that the source was undeniably that of Muru. "Hey! She's using that tele something... I should know given how I keep getting badgered by a fair few users of my own." Rubbing the back of his head in case one of his very own did try to barrage his head with a slew of psychic comments, he instead focused on the ensuing battle unfolding before them. There was no doubt this grunt was a step above the rest on the ladder but the fact he was on any kind of ladder meant he could be knocked off by tipping the ladder itself. Obviously sensing this, Muru was clearly determined to stare down the intimidation the Rocket was trying to induce. Forsaking even her own injuries, the Espeon manoeuvred around with surprising grace, however falling prey to her poor leg at the end. Worried for Kat's Pokemon, Joey was about to call out for support when he noticed his own Pokemon was under pressure. Shifting his attentions, he yelled out Hoodlum. "Watch out for that wrapping Hood! Arbok can squeeze hella tight!" Finding himself being binded without mercy, Hoodlum gritted his teeth and did everything he could to keep himself from having his bones cracked in two.

"Awwww sheeeet.... SOOOOOON... I think this busta likes me... Hnngh..." Taking a sniff of the Arbok's breath, Hoodlum recoiled back in disgust. "YOU HUMMININ' NIGGA! HOOOOLLLA!" With his arms somehow struggling free, the ghetto lizard was going to make good on his order. "I ain't no hood rat... Ngh... Gunna hype fiendin' dat diggity dog... YO!" Slapping both his hands together, the sudden instance of payback was enough to fend off the Arcanine who had been relentlessly goading at poor Muru. As his attack slaughtered the canine, Hoodlum felt the grip around his waist tighten as the Arbok continued its own assault anew. "Awwwww naw son... Dis is it... Tell my mamis I loved them... Dis wangsta... HOLLA, YO!" Feeling his body almost cripple on itself, the snake suddenly uncoiled as if against its will, leaving the gangsta Pokemon to slump on the floor and recover his breath. "Hoooooooooooooo, now gurl!" Watching as Muru unleashed an unforgiving performance of psychic power at pummelling the cobra, Joey let out a sigh of relief. "Haha, looks like both our Pokemon had each other's backs. That was good goin'." Turning away from Sandy, Joey felt more than obliged to step in to take care of the last problem, that mouthy Rocket member. Spitting on the floor, Joey clenched his fist.

"Anyone's tougher when you ain't gettin' the drop on them you measly sack of... Woah, hey, where you going?!" As he blocked off the path on, Joey gritted his teeth. "These schmucks just don't know when to quit!" Nodding as Sandy reminded him about their invested interests, Joey gave her a brash grin. "Heh, I really do owe you one for takin' me along. Allow me to repay you as best as I can with the only way I can." Cracking his knuckle, he turned on the spot and with his back now facing Sandy but focusing straight on the Rocket, Joey smirked. "I always find they're more co-operative unconscious." Storming forward with the velocity of a bike, Joey raised his arm with a bend before striking it out as he aimed for the man's chin dead on. Hoping it'd connect, they'd at least have one less worry to be trifling around with. Next they'd just have to find their Pokemon and get out of there. And in Joey's case, hopefully find another Pokemon more than just Slash... If the Rockets were stashing stolen Pokemon here, then perhaps his long lost Ditto was hidden away.

[Kataya]

Sandy could hardly stop Joey as he rushed forwards. She could only watch as his fist connected cleanly with the Grunt's chin. She winced a bit, imagining that it had to have hurt. Though he deserved it, Sandy still didn't like violence. However, she of course understood that in this circumstance, it was needed, and she just wished that the guy would have realized that he wasn't just dealing with her anymore. Moving forward on her crutches, Sandy inspected the grunt as he fell to the floor.

"Wow...I wouldn't have wanted to be on the receiving end of that." She commented jokingly to Joey, poking the knocked out man's side with one of the crutches. Turning back to Scatter and Berry, she called them back to her side. Quickly, she returned Scatter and allowed Berry onto her shoulder, stumbling a bit at the added weight, but it didn't take to long for her to find her balance.

"They're close, I can sense it." Muru commented as she pushed a shoulder against the door. Once she had gotten it fully open, the only thing Sandy and Joey headed into next was more fire. Berry blasted the flames with a water pulse, clearing a path for the girl and the thief. Sandy tried her best to keep up beside Joey as they continued through the warehouse, which was surprisingly unguarded despite the fire.

"Joey...something's not right...shouldn't there be more security? If they have stolen Pokemon here they must be keeping a watch over them. And why did they just let the fire burn for so long? We went through a whole battle and everything is still in flames!" she commented, pausing to breath. It just seemed so off. What seemed like a moment later...

<<AGH!>> Sandy gasped at the sheer pain in the cry coming from the other room that they had yet to visit. She struggled to get her movements to work with the panic in her brain.

"That was Munchy! Joey, we have to get in there!" Muru noticed this door would be much harder to open, since it was covered in locks, so she curled around Joey's feet for a moment and focused on the door.

"Please allow me." In moments a Psychic aura surrounded the locks and snapped them clean off, but it left the door to be pushed open.

"If you'd help her with that, I'd like her not to do anything stupid before we get in there." she mewed to Joey before limping over to Sandy. Sandy waited for Joey to get the door opened before they both could enter. The room had to be the biggest in the Warehouse, and the only one that wasn't on fire for that matter. Walls and walls of cages filled with various Pokemon lined the area. Sandy stared out at them with a certain degree of horror, eyes wide as she watched a Purrlion pace in one of the cages nearest to them.

Though, if that wasn't bad enough, in the middle of the room, They had Munchy stuffed into a rather small cage, and it looked like he was soaked in water. About six grunts surrounded it.

"..Stop! What are you doing to him?!" It had taken her a bit to find her voice, but even as she did it was shaky.

"Oh it's just you. We were worried for a minute that you'd come with a copper or somethin', but all you brought is some big thug eh?" This man was not the one who had actually taken Hiroki from her, but his partner, who had been the one to push her. Eyes traveling to Joey, another grunt laughed.

"What, don't you belong in one of them 1970's movies or somethin?" He asked, taking note of Joey's attire. Giving Joey time to retort, Sandy soon cleared her throat.

"L-Let him go, he hasn't done anything to you!" One of the grunts scoffed at Sandy's rather meek demand.

"Nothin? It set our damned Warehouse on fire! Woulda set this place on fire too if we hadn't doused the damn thing." he commented. Munchy stood still, as if he wasn't willing to give up after he was already beaten. Muru's ears tilted downwards at the sight of his current state.

"Oh Munch...if you'd only waited..." she muttered to herself. The clicking of heels and sudden clapping rang through the large store room, and from the shadows emerged a tall, pretty woman, her pale brown hair, almost red under the light, emerged from where she had been hiding. a chuckle escaped her crimson glossed lips, and her maroon eyes focused on her guests.

"Now now boys, be nice to them. this little wench and her brutish friend went through some heat to get here."

"W-Wench?" Smiling, the woman circled the two and stopped, leaning closer to Sandy to inspect her face. Sandy shifted her gaze nervously to Joey, unsure herself of what to do.

"You know, I was so worried I was in competition with some girl I've never met, but at least now I know I have nothing to worry about! You've got poor posture, your eyes are a hideous color and don't even get me started on your hair-" Sandy recoiled as the woman took a strand of her hair into a hand, retreating slightly behind Joey.

"Excuse me... who are you?" She stepped back, the smirk hadn't left her face.

"Oh how rude of me. Maradeth, the woman you only wish you could be."

"Maybe if I had a death wish..." Sandy muttered to Joey uncharacteristically. She sounded upset...mad even. Muru picked up on the sudden emotions flowing from her trainer and shivered like she had never felt them before.

"Now, you're here for that Diglett, yes? He told me that had some value to you...some...kid gave it to you? Well, I'm glad stealing it brought you here." Sandy gripped her crutches. How she knew that was something that bothered Sandy.

"Who's he?" she asked. Though, Maradeth skirted around the question, her eyes shifting to Joey.

"And you... you seem like you're...looking for something...no?" Her voice was almost sly. Two Pokemon came to her side suddenly, and Sandy Recognized them as Jolteon and Houndoom.

"So, How about this...I answer your question, and you get your Pokemon back, if you can beat me." Maradeth mentioned, stroking the Houndoom's head carefully.

"Be warned, I will not be as easy as my underlings." She continued. "If you lose however... well I'm sure there'd be a use for you, brutish one, and you can become a cute little serving wench for my boyfriend and I, my dear." she commented to Joey and Sandy respectively. Sandy let out an exasperated sigh.

"Will you stop calling us that?!" The only response Maradeth had to getting a rise out of the normally quiet girl was another smirk.

"Joey, it doesn't look like we have a choice...so another battle?" she questioned, motioning to Berry to get ready for a fight.
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Rocket Maradeth wants a battle!


She sends out Houndoom (Level 33) and Jolteon (Level 33)!



Sandy chooses Berry!

(OOC: Excuse the rushed Recolor Sprite I kept forgetting to make an actual one for Maradeth there. ^^