Team Rocket: How the Muk are They Still Alive?

[Eshkigal]

Gerald pats Ethan's shoulder.
"We survived this. How's this, we put a pokeball gatling gun on the plane, find the herd of growlithes, and bag the whole herd. Get Audwulf back, and a growlithe pack for him to lead."

[MesiDoomstalker]

Or to slaughter. Thank you, but revenge is best served hot and painful Gerald. I'm sure you understand.

[IrnBruAddict]

Romeo removes his shoe and tosses it at Ethan. 'Hey, they are wild pokemon, doing what wilds do.Follow that path and you'll be little better than Anni.'

He goes over to John and Ven. 'Well, if you like pokemon you'll like Mama Versa's ranch. I even have an extra Nidoran running round, you can have that too.'

He looks at the assembled group. 'How about an early night? Paul has his challenge, and we all probably have stuff we want to do tomorrow. Call in for tonight?'

[Esprit15]

The shoe stops midair. "To be fair to Ethan, they didn't need to take Auwulf. They did that after they had what they needed."

"Paul's making a challenge? I'd kinda like to see that, if possible. But yeah, call it an early night. Though we did just tell Jess and Taylor that they were invited over..."

[Eshkigal]

"...Do you mean aside from today's experiences?"
He looks slightly puzzled before shaking his head.
"Look, he's alive, and that could kill him. Besides, growlithes and dog mon in general are awesome. Why not enjoy having more of them? Or at least trade them off?"

[MesiDoomstalker]

Ethan balls his fist, before unclenching them. Ya early night. Ollie, Thor. Lets go. Ethan walks out the room without another word, his two mon following close behind. Pokemon are sentient, you dullard. They knew what they do and why.

[Esprit15]

And then the fighting begins. "...on second thought, we might all be a bit on edge." Okay Romeo, I'm not the best at social things, but I do know that you don't want look understanding of the side opposed to who you're talking to. Never has ended well for me.

Ethan, you know it's hard for him to see negative in anyone. He does feel bad about Aud, even if he doesn't show it properly. Arte waves off Ethan as he leaves. He's just upset, and not without reason.

[MesiDoomstalker]

He's the one concerned about Pokemon behavior but he knows nothing of them. Good night Artemis. I'd like it to keep it that way. Not so much a threat but a passive note. Stay out.

Finding his room, he quickly opens the door. Letting his mon in, he motions for them to settle in. He quickly undresses, list of tests to conduct on the Steelupi running through his head.

[Esprit15]

"You know, Romeo, that... no, it doesn't need saying, no sense dwelling on things now...

Hey Taylor, you know anyone on the Team who could fix some armor up, maybe make it a bit more effective? ...by the way, the boss said that it was customary to give an especially powerful mon upon successful entry. What did you and Jessica get?"

[Arcran]

"You know, Romeo, that... no, it doesn't need saying, no sense dwelling on things now...

Hey Taylor, you know anyone on the Team who could fix some armor up, maybe make it a bit more effective? ...by the way, the boss said that it was customary to give an especially powerful mon upon successful entry. What did you and Jessica get?"

"I'm sure there's an armorsmith somewhere. Just look around; neither Taylor nor I have ever been much of ones for armor."

"As for the starter, well," she says with a mischievous grin, "let's just keep that a surprise."

[IrnBruAddict]

Romeo decides to turn in early for tonight. He invites John and Gerald backto his room to watch the latest PokeStar Studios epic, 'the Princess and the Poliwag'. He needed something light and cheerful after today. fter watching the movie, with or without company, he heads to bed, letting Arte go off and do her own thing with the girls if she wanted.

[Esprit15]

"Hm, I will. Would have never survived the Skorupi without it." Artemis chats with the girls a while longer, deciding against just reading whatever the mon is from them. With how on edge Ethan was, who knows if the girls are too...

After the girls leave, she sneaks in to join Romeo and Gerald half way through the movie, and later falls asleep.

[Eshkigal]

"I'm up for giving something new a try."
He grabs Joe and Squint first, as Kubota and Glasgow decide they want "alone" time. Well, hope they enjoy. He settles down and watches the first movie of his life-before or after, really-with enjoyment. Once it's done, he wanders back to his room with his team and, seeing the bed still in use, curls up beneath a desk (oddly comfy, in his opinion). Squint, Wagner, and Sparky join him, with Joe sleeping in his bowl just outside this.

[Arcran]

As you all daze off, and Paul returns to his trailer, you soon fall asleep. Some have a more restful night than others though.

Romeo:

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While you're sleeping, you awake halfway through the night to the sound of static playing on the television. THe movie seems to have ended a long time ago. As you look to the screen though, a myriad of images flashes across it. A fly crossing the television. A waterfall. A Ponyta riding across a field.

Then it goes still on an image; a woman at the bottom of a well. She looks straight into your eyes.

Suddenly, an arm comes out of the television. Then another arm, then the growling mouth of the woman from the well. She seems dead; skin and bones itself, wet black hair plastered across her skeletal face. You scream, trying to run, but an ice cold hand clamps down on your ankle. You try to kick back, but to no avail. You feel cold, dead hands grasping your throat....

You wake up, shaking, gripping your own throat, checking for the hands. The television is paused on the main menu of the movie you had been watching.

Sun is pouring in through the blinds. It seems to be a nice day. The boss lady had said the rewards would come tonight, so you have a whole free day ahead of you.

Artemis:

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As you slowly fall asleep, you soon awake in the middle of the night with the overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom. As you approach the restroom the air grows chill. You go inside, taking of your pants to do your business. Once you are finished you pull your pants back up and turn to the mirror to wash your hands.

In the mirror, however, isn't you. Well, it is you, but not you. You're more beautiful by far; features more defined, slender, curvier, with deep dark eyes. At the same time you're terrible. You glow with a dark purple aura, the signature power of a Hexer. Ghosts fly around the back of the mirror.

I am you, the figure mouths. As she mouths it, a powerful force grabs you, pulling you forward. You get pulled further and further into the mirror, going through it like some kind of portal. Soon you are all the way through. As you look around, you see you have become the figure in the mirror. She, on the other hand...

Welcome home honey, your mother says, outstretching a hand to pull you up, Froslass by her side.

You wake up, barely choking back a scream.

Sun is pouring in through the blinds. It seems to be a nice day. The boss lady had said the rewards would come tonight, so you have a whole free day ahead of you.

Gerald:

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You slowly fade in and out of consciousness, finally falling into a deep sleep.

As you sleep, you find yourself in a long hallway, dimly lit. At the end of the hall is a dark figure. Try as you might you may not move in either direction, stuck in one place.

Come to me, the figure calls in a hypnotic voice, summoning you forward. You can't move though, stuck in one place.

Go to him, a disembodied voice speaks behind you in a familiar tone. As you turn you see the decapitated head of Akinektos, floating through the air, blood dripping from the neck. Go to him and fulfill your duties. There must be a chosen, he says, cackling wildly.

Go to him, go to him, go to him...

You wake up at the crack of dawn, the first rays of sunshine coming in through the window. You feel a strange pulse in your hand; looking down, you see the knife clasped in your grip. As soon as light connects with it it burns blazing hot, forcing you to drop it with a curse.

The others are still asleep. As you begin to move, your phone buzzes.

Gerald,
We have collected your file. If you find yourself having time, please come by the Headquarters and pick it up.

-S

Ethan:

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You make it to your room without problem. As you search for paper to write your plans down, you soon find the hotels complimentary paper. A few sheets later you are ready to turn in for a restful night of sleep.

Sun is pouring in through the blinds. It seems to be a nice day. The boss lady had said the rewards would come tonight, so you have a whole free day ahead of you.

A quick look at your phone reveals a new message.

Ethan,
We have acquired the required forms for your transfer to your preferred workplace. We also have a ticket reserved. Please return when you wish to leave for your new workplace.

-S

Paul:

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You safely return to your trailer, nobody even considering trying to mug you. You're greeted by a small swarm of Rattata dashing around your legs as you slowly climb into your trailer. You flop down onto the bed, exhausted by the days of work. You soon fall into a deep sleep.

Eventually the sun somehow creaking through the grimy trailer windows wakes you up. Your alarm seems to have not gone off for whatever reason, but the clock still works. A quick glance reveals it to be 8:47.

Wait, 8:47? Don't you have a Gym Battle at 9?

[Esprit15]

Artemis wakes, a pillow and a piece of something solid clenched in her hands. Where am I? What am I- oh, part of the couch. She flails about a bit, falls from the couch, and looks under the blanket. Still me? Think so. She grabs her glasses from a side table and rushes to find a mirror. Phew. Same ragged black hair, same pale skin (maybe a bit warmer looking compared to a few days ago), same grey eyes, same various other details. Still me, still nothing more like her. Need to get someone good at mental digging to look at those. I am getting very tired of waking up covered in cold sweat.

She goes to her room, showers quickly, changes, and grabs a leftover slice of pizza. Not the best breakfast in the world, but it would do. Want to see that Gym battle that Paul was doing, know whether she would want to take the challenge here or not, maybe learn a few tricks from...both sides, unfortunately. She grabs a small sheet of paper, leaving a note to Romeo in his room to let him know where she went off to if he isn't up yet, and heads down to the gym. If she's reasonably earlier than Paul's schedualed battle, she looks around for a friendly battle with any other trainers at the gym.

[Eshkigal]

"Dammit...hm."
Gerald opens the closet and holds the knife within with his mech hand.
"You want to talk, we talk now. Let me make this perfectly clear. You have nothing I want. No power, no vengeance, no memories, nothing. Your idiot gave me what I needed, and restoring them will do nothing for you. So shut up or talk rationally, without this bullcrap. Otherwise we're going to find out how hard this is to destroy together. Or I just get downright disrespectful. And believe me, I have not even BEGUN to do so."
Then he brings it over to the toolkit, not waiting for a response as he tosses it in. He wakes up his team, takes a quick shower and shave, and heads off in the wee hours of morning to see the boss lady.

[Arcran]

Artemis wakes, a pillow and a piece of something solid clenched in her hands. Where am I? What am I- oh, part of the couch. She flails about a bit, falls from the couch, and looks under the blanket. Still me? Think so. She grabs her glasses from a side table and rushes to find a mirror. Phew. Same ragged black hair, same pale skin (maybe a bit warmer looking compared to a few days ago), same grey eyes, same various other details. Still me, still nothing more like her. Need to get someone good at mental digging to look at those. I am getting very tired of waking up covered in cold sweat.

She goes to her room, showers quickly, changes, and grabs a leftover slice of pizza. Not the best breakfast in the world, but it would do. Want to see that Gym battle that Paul was doing, know whether she would want to take the challenge here or not, maybe learn a few tricks from...both sides, unfortunately. She grabs a small sheet of paper, leaving a note to Romeo in his room to let him know where she went off to if he isn't up yet, and heads down to the gym. If she's reasonably earlier than Paul's schedualed battle, she looks around for a friendly battle with any other trainers at the gym.

Paul's Gym Battle starts in 15 minutes, but he's nowhere to be found. That can't be good...

"Dammit...hm."
Gerald opens the closet and holds the knife within with his mech hand.
"You want to talk, we talk now. Let me make this perfectly clear. You have nothing I want. No power, no vengeance, no memories, nothing. Your idiot gave me what I needed, and restoring them will do nothing for you. So shut up or talk rationally, without this bullcrap. Otherwise we're going to find out how hard this is to destroy together. Or I just get downright disrespectful. And believe me, I have not even BEGUN to do so."
Then he brings it over to the toolkit, not waiting for a response as he tosses it in. He wakes up his team, takes a quick shower and shave, and heads off in the wee hours of morning to see the boss lady.

Despite your attempt to communicate with the knife you receive no response.

You manage to quickly travel through the city to the headquarters, arriving there by 8. The boss lady is sitting in her office, working. Did she ever stop working?

[MesiDoomstalker]

Well that settles that. Ethan dresses quickly. He had a short list of things to do today before he finally gets paid. Hopefully, the reward money would cover it. He lets Ollie and Thor stay out with him, not giving either much attention as of late. His first stop was Silph building. He wanted to pay Jane a visit.

[Esprit15]

Heh, slob won't make it. Be a shame if he doesn't. Was wanting to watch, get a few ideas. Oh well, he fails to show, his loss. If he doesn't, I can maybe find a good Empath or Dream Doctor, someone who would be able to help with that Nightmare Smoke.

[Eshkigal]

Gerald knocks before entering.
"Good morning, Miss. I believe you sent a text about the dossier?"

[IrnBruAddict]

Romeo wakes from his copyright infringing nightmare with a start. Once he checks on Elly, ohn and the team, who were all stil asleep, he gets a start on making breakfast for everyone, putting the nightmare to the back of his mind for now. He could talk to Cresselia about it later.

He starts to whip up some food, and sends a text to Ethan as he does so.

-Don't want any bad blood between us. Let's settle this fairly, like men. Pokemon battle in 2 hours? Loser appologises, and we put this behind us. Don't want the team splitting up due to our fighting and big headedness.-

[MesiDoomstalker]

Ethan gets the text as he leaves the hotel. -Alright. We should try to avoid another 'Hank Incident' if possible. 4v4?- Poor fool. He won't stand a chance.

[hustlertwo]

Rats. Wait, not you guys, I mean...well, never mind. Time to boogie. My special anti-psycho team, in your balls and away we go.

Faced with lateness, Paul breaks out something he only saves for emergencies where being on time is more important than looking ridiculous. A rusty relic of his younger days known as Rosie, the moped. He hops on, distributing his formidable bulk on the too-small seat, and sputters away to the gym.

[Arcran]

Well that settles that. Ethan dresses quickly. He had a short list of things to do today before he finally gets paid. Hopefully, the reward money would cover it. He lets Ollie and Thor stay out with him, not giving either much attention as of late. His first stop was Silph building. He wanted to pay Jane a visit.

You soon arrive at the Silph building. It takes a bit to arrive but you are soon in the secret base.

Gerald knocks before entering.
"Good morning, Miss. I believe you sent a text about the dossier?"

No. I sent you a text, she says, rolling her eyes.

Anyways, here it is. As complete of a story as we could compile about you. I'd warn you though; it's not exactly light reading. You might not want to read it.

Rats. Wait, not you guys, I mean...well, never mind. Time to boogie. My special anti-psycho team, in your balls and away we go.

Faced with lateness, Paul breaks out something he only saves for emergencies where being on time is more important than looking ridiculous. A rusty relic of his younger days known as Rosie, the moped. He hops on, distributing his formidable bulk on the too-small seat, and sputters away to the gym.

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Eh, I roll with it.

As you fly through the city, broken down moped hardly supporting your weight, you just manage to race across town to arrive at the Gym. 8:57. That's pretty good time!

As you dismount the moped you accidentally kick it over, causing the old piece of scrap to fall over, the handlebars breaking off and one wheel rolling down the street.

You race into the Gym, just barely making it.

"Mr. Ticker," you hear from a familiar voice behind you. As you turn, you see a very familiar face. Sabrina, head of the Gym itself, standing behind you.

"Mr. Ticker, what are you doing wasting your time at this Gym? I thought you were the champion," she says with a superior smirk, obviously taunting you.

Artemis:
As you arrive at the Gym you see Paul dash into the Gym, overweight figure heaving. What's really interesting is who he's talking to. Is that... Sabrina?

[hustlertwo]

Paul shrugs, leans the busted vehicle by a light post, pulls out his chain to lock it up, sighs, and just pockets the chain and walks in with the loose wheel in his hand.

Paul's surprise at this unexpected visit from the true head is somewhat short-lived; any challenge to his ego must be met with his odd mix of bravado and self-deprecation. Even if it's from someone who can crush his junk to powder with just a thought.

Awww, someone's been reading what I sign on those overpriced headshots I hawk at the conventions. But it's more of an honorary title. I'm out to make it a bit more legit. Besides, someone has to show these young Croagunk-lickers that being old-school isn't a dirty word. Will it be you that will tango with me today, or do you have a flunky for me to trounce and are simply here to enjoy the show?

[Eshkigal]

"Sorry, guess I tend towards paranoia. Anyway, the more I know about myself, the less that can be used against me, either as a bribe or as a weapon."
He takes the file, and nods.
"Thank you again, and sorry to waste your time more. I'll return it when I'm done."
For safety, he tucks it away and steps out. He heads back to the hotel, going to his room before sitting at the desk and grimacing. Moment of truth time.

[Arcran]

Paul shrugs, leans the busted vehicle by a light post, pulls out his chain to lock it up, sighs, and just pockets the chain and walks in with the loose wheel in his hand.

Paul's surprise at this unexpected visit from the true head is somewhat short-lived; any challenge to his ego must be met with his odd mix of bravado and self-deprecation. Even if it's from someone who can crush his junk to powder with just a thought.

Awww, someone's been reading what I sign on those overpriced headshots I hawk at the conventions. But it's more of an honorary title. I'm out to make it a bit more legit. Besides, someone has to show these young Croagunk-lickers that being old-school isn't a dirty word. Will it be you that will tango with me today, or do you have a flunky for me to trounce and are simply here to enjoy the show?

"Me? Battle you?" she says, chuckling. "Paul, dear, even when you were in your prime you wouldn't have stood a chance against me. No, Samara will be battling you," she says, a serious looking girl stepping forward with (obviously dyed) blue hair.

"She will be your competitor in this battle," she says, looking towards her subordinate. "Now, if you'll take your place on the field, we can prepare to start this battle," she says, gesturing towards a dark room and, with a wave of her hands, lights it.

"Take you place. Set down as many Pokemon as you plan on using. I'll be commentating this myself," Sabrina says, a superior smirk on her face.

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You don't have to specify the ones you will be using in this thread, but PM Esh your selections.

"Sorry, guess I tend towards paranoia. Anyway, the more I know about myself, the less that can be used against me, either as a bribe or as a weapon."
He takes the file, and nods.
"Thank you again, and sorry to waste your time more."

Gerald, while it may have been many things, a waste of time is not one of them.

[Esprit15]

Whoa, she did not expect to actually see Sabrina. Void, this was the first time she had seen the leader. The only reason she recognized the woman as Sabrina even was the amount of power radiated and her voice being similar to the one she had heard in her head several days back when she was training with Ethan. She simply stays back and watches, still not fully certain how to act in the presence of her boss at the gym and one of her bosses in TR.

Seeing the group heading off, Artemis begins to follow. Madame, may I watch the fight as well?

[MesiDoomstalker]

Ethan makes his way back towards the jet, asking where it was stored if necessary.

[hustlertwo]

Probably true, ol' Sabby. But win or lose, Paul Ticker always leaves the ladies wanting more.

Somehow he manages to wink in a greasy manner. No one can explain exactly how this can be, but it is undeniably a greasy wink.

Now then, let's get started. My blue-haired beauty, get your little buns on the stage and get ready to get slapped in the face by my Weedle.