What the hell was Jacob thinking when he decided to cut down the Jagged Pass, rather than go down the cable car like a sane person? As the Unovan Rocket navigated the dangerous area slowly, he would notice a woman from a distance, also attempting to navigate the dangerous path before them. But what really got the attention of the redhead was the fact that she had a kid with her.

Approaching the woman slowly, Jacob got in closer. As he got closer, it dawned on him that the woman looked familiar. Still approaching, Jacob would finally speak up to the moment. "Excuse me, ma'am, but what are you doing down here with a child? Don't you know how dangerous this area is?", he would ask her sincerely. If she were to turn to face him, his look of concern would turn to one of complete shock.

---

@rowan

Jacob's expression of shock would be reduced to soul-crushing guilt as Rowan spoke to him. Reminded of how things ended between them in Kanto, all Jacob could do was hang his head in shame. He couldn't utter a single word in response to his ex's scornful words. She was absolutely right to hate him, for going behind her back like that, for lying to her to see this woman. Had he been better about exerting self-control, he'd probably still be happily with her, if she didn't leave him over his affiliation with Team Rocket, that was.

"We... we split up.", he told her weakly. In truth, after the whole affair reached its boiling point, Jacob called it off with his partner and lover. The boy had closed himself off at that point, refusing to even speak to the woman that had seduced him. But in the end, he was entirely to blame for what happened with Rowan, and he knew it.

A Machamp spotted the two, and began to charge at them. "Rowan, run!", he called out to her, sending out the first Pokemon he could reach for, a Zorua. The Zorua would attempt to slam into the back of the Machamp, using some Foul Play to turn his strength against him. The Machamp, after pushing himself off the ground, loosed a Dynamic Punch at the Zorua. Despite her best attempts at dodging, the wild punch struck her, sending her flying back to Jacob, in a bad state.

"Morrigan!!!", cried out Jacob in shock and despair.

In shock, Jacob scooped up Morrigan, and attempted to run. The Machamp would give chase, intent on hunting the human down and killing him. Meanwhile, the Girafarig from earlier spotted the Machamp attacking the human. With a Nasty Plot in mind, the Girafarig galloped after them.

By the time the two-headed giraffe caught up to them, the Machamp had the human and his Zorua cornered. As he was about to Cross Chop the Rocket in the neck, the Girafarig fired off a Psychic blast into its back, causing the Machamp to slump over and collapse. Jacob looked up at the Girafarig with fear in his eyes. After a moment of staring down the human, the Girafarig galloped off, satisfied with her handiwork.

Jacob would slump up against the wall he was backed into, catching his breath and clutching his unconscious Zorua close. "Morrigan, hang in there, girl...", he weakly croaked, before producing her Pokeball, and storing her inside. He would then move to try to make it back to the path to Lavaridge, hoping to find Rowan, and at least make sure she makes it to Lavaridge safely as well.

---

@rowan

The Hitmon duo took a moment to watch the woman carrying a child. The two of them looked to each other for a moment, before deciding to go up the mountains, completely ignoring her in favor of other business.

Jacob, for his part, slowly and timidly moved down the Jagged Pass. The journey to Lavaridge would prove to be a frightful descent downward. Though he wondered what Rowan was thinking when she decided to head down the mountains with their kid, rather than hiring someone to look after her while she made this journey, that didn't matter now. All he cared about was seeing to it that they were safe. It was the only thing he could do as a father for his kid, the only decent thing he'd have done in the last year, and probably the last decent thing he'd do for a while.

As Jacob turned the corner, he'd quickly find himself ducking back behind it, his heart racing in fear as he spotted two Pokemon staring each other down. He had to wonder if they spotted him. As he peeked out from behind his cover, he would see that the pair were now fighting. Whether it was a spar, or a serious fight was unknown to him, given the intensity they were going at each other. The Hitmonchan's punches were intercepted by the Hitmonlee's Blaze Kick. The Hitmonlee's Close Combat was countered with the Hitmonchan's masterful Detection.

So while the two were slugging it out for whatever reason, Jacob decided that he would make a break for it, running to the next point of cover while they were distracted. Thankfully, the two fighters were either too busy with their battle to notice him, or too into it to care about some human.

---

@rowan

Skipping both

For a moment, Jacob would breath a sigh of relief. Seeing that neither member of the Hitmon duo were chasing him down, instead continuing on with their scrap, Jacob seemed to be in the clear. It was then that the rumble of thunder would signify the falling of rain. While the rainfall began as a gentle trickle, it was clear that it would only get heavier as time went on. Without a raincoat, and without any shelter in sight, Jacob lamented the fact that he'd have to endure the rain to get his beloved Zorua any medical attention.

That was when blinking lights began to beckon him down the path. The distant lights only seemed to go further back, until he could see them in the mouth of a small cave. Smiling at his seemingly good fortune, Jacob rushed towards the cave, without a thought to what potentially awaited him.

For his trouble, Jacob would find a set of tentacles wrapping themselves around him. One of them would wrap around his throat, and the other would try to get his arms. Instinctively, Jacob would reach for the tentacle around his neck, only for the other tentacle to drag his arm down. Jacob would struggle and grope for one of his Pokeballs in desperation, before the tentacle would bring his arm down. Jacob managed to grab one of the capsules, and quickly released the Pokemon inside, Pierce the Pawniard.

As Jacob choked and struggled for air against the appendage around his neck, the Pawniard saw his master's plight. An Inkay had grabbed him from behind, and was attempting to kill him. Without even waiting for his master to give an order, the Pawniard delivered a Night Slash to the floating squid, who cried out in pain, releasing the redheaded human from her grip. As Jacob grabbed his freed throat, and began breathing heavily, the Inkay would try to cut down the Pawniard with a Night Slash of her own.

Pierce simply stood and took the attack, wincing, but standing strong. "Pierce!", Jacob cried out, before coughing. "Fury Cutter!", he would continue, before going into a spell of gasping and coughing. The Pawniard would nod, and deliver a swipe at the Inkay, who would cry out in agony at the attack, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Jacob got back up to his feet, still catching his breath from the ordeal he went through. "Thank you, Pierce!", Jacob said to the Pawniard, before looking at his fallen attacker. Upon getting a better look, Jacob identified the creature as an Inkay, a Pokemon that was not only among the Dark-type, but a line that was considered an asset to a group like Team Rocket in general, thanks to their hypnotic capabilities.

Jacob would pull out a vacant Pokeball from his bag, and tap the now unconscious Inkay with it.

---

@rowan

Capture attempt on Inkay

Once the unconscious Inkay was captured, and sent to his PC, Jacob would sit back down on the ground, catching his breath. Pierce would walk up to his trainer, making sure the redhead was alright. Jacob smiled at the Pawniard, giving him a careful pat on the head. "Thank you again.", Jacob told the Steel-type, smiling at his faithful companion.

Before Jacob could turn around to see Rowan further into the cave, Jacob would be greeted with the sight of an angry Primeape strutting into the cave. The Fighting-type glared daggers at the redhead and the Pawniard, before letting out an ear-piercing Screech. Jacob covered his ears with his hands, pressing the palms into them as hard as he could to shield himself from the noise. Pierce winced and flinched, before staring down the Fighting-type angrily, his Defiant nature kicking in.

"Pierce, Iron Head!", Jacob called out.

The Pawniard would charge the Primeape, who would also run towards the two. The Primeape would get the first hit in, punching the Pawniard in the side of the head, before unleashing a vicious barrage of punches and kicks at the bladed Pokemon. Jacob could only look on in horror as the Primeape mercilessly beat Pierce into scraps, before kicking him back to Jacob, the Steel-type clearly in bad shape from the assault.

"Pierce!", Jacob cried out, before coughing.

The Rocket Grunt would recall the Pawniard to his Pokeball as quickly as he could, sending out Catty.

"Catty, Play Rough!", Jacob cried out in desperation. The Purrloin would nod, dashing up to the Primeape, before pouncing on top of his head. The Primeape cried in pain, before managing to shake off the Purrloin. It would then furiously start punching and kicking at the feline with Close Combat, sacrificing defense to take out the cat. Before he could inflict a killing blow, Jacob quickly recalled Catty, who had still been badly beaten.

"I'm sorry, Catty!", Jacob cried out, hot tears streaming down his face. The Primeape, hurt but still furious, strode over to the human, ready to smash him into oblivion. In an act of desperation, Jacob sent out Johanna the Vullaby. "Please, Air Slash!", Jacob cried out, the fear in his voice as clear as day.

The Vullaby would flap her wings, creating a sharp, blade-like gust of wind that blasted the Primeape back, finishing what her two fallen teammates had started. The Primeape momentarily attempted to get back up, before falling back onto his rear, and into unconsciousness.

With the harrowing encounter finished, all Jacob could do was pathetically bawl his eyes out. "Morrigan! Pierce! Catty! I'm so sorry!", Jacob cried out, unwittingly in the presence of his former love. "I... I'm such a failure! I failed Rowan! I failed Lillie! And I failed my own Pokemon!", Jacob continued to tearfully rant, before crumpling into a fetal position on the ground, with Johanna hopping over to try to comfort her master.

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@rowan

Pawniard & Purrloin KO'd