Mikami Nakamura had not expected to be in Slateport City, but he'd make do. His faithful Mimikyu remained at his side, as per usual, its eyes shining through its ragged costune. He simply rested a hand on its head, wordlessly commanding it to remain still and silent so they wouldn't get into trouble. The Pokemon obeyed, sliding behind him and ducking into the shadows, tail swishing to and fro as he brushed off his pin-striped suit. He'd once again brought along all three of his Pokemon, including the possible dead-weight that was Poseidon the Magikarp-a literal fish out of water who would sooner splash around than attack-and the Magikarp was fortunately still in its ball. 

When he was asked how bad his injury was, he frowned to himself. The injury on his side-sustained from his own recklessness-hurt like hell, but he grit his teeth and managed to ignore the pain for now. "It's perfectly fine; I can barely feel it anymore." He muttered, trying to remain confident and calm in spite of his growing anxieties. 

His Mimikyu had just broken from its ball without his permission, eager to get a taste of the destruction. Razor-sharp claws glinting beneath its cloak, the creature hissed and lifted a clawed appendage, ready to strike anyone who dared come close to its master.

Nakamura knew he didn't wear stress well at all(especially with an injury), so when his companion released a Dragonair-the refined creature giving out an affirmative cry at its own trainer's words-he simply swallowed his apprehension and nodded in assent. "Understood. Hades, stick to its shadow and don't let yourself be seen." The Pokemon obeyed dutifully, silently slithering into the Dragonair's shadow, the only trace of its original "body" being the wooden tail and the tattered rags it left behind. 

Mikami Nakamura wanted to scream when their entrance(rather, their exit) was blocked by a man who had just..showed up. He hadn't even done anything particularly bad today, beyond get himself injured while on an important mission-and not accomplishing anything on said mission because his damned conscience continued to rear its ugly head-but now it seemed he was being punished. How delightful. If he weren't an expert at keeping his emotions in check by now, he'd be cussing this man out like there was no tomorrow. Instead, he slowly lifted his head, one hand held against his wounded side to keep from spurting his fluids all over the place, putting pressure on the wound as to not bleed out. Hot, wet blood seeped through the fabric of his Rocket uniform, soaking his shaking hand as he cursed bitterly underneath his breath, legs starting to shiver underneath his weight. 

The blond, obnoxiously-dressed man who'd landed before them and proceeded to rattle off multiple moves at once gave him no time to react. He'd just pressed down on the Pokeball that held his new Houndoom, in a last-ditch attempt to send someone else into the fray, only for the ball to click uselessly and not work. Perfect; whatever move this man used prevented Pokeballs from being used. How wonderful for them. What was supposed to be a rescue mission was turning into quite the agonizing experience already; first he almost bled to death out here before his teammate arrived to help him, and now they were cornered by a clever trainer and his group of Pokemon. Judging by the Gengar's malevolent grin, the meaningful look cast at his Mimikyu's discarded cloth, and the man's next words, it wouldn't be a very good idea to have his Mimikyu attack right about now. The fairy lock attack had formed some kind of prison around them, effectively trapping Mikami and his cohort where they stood, without any chance of escape unless his Mimikyu could escape, which was probably impossible considering that the Gengar was watching its cloth like a hawk. 

"...Four on two isn't exactly fair, is it? Games are only fun when you have a chance to win. Besides, why did you bother trapping us? We have two Pokemon between us and my side is torn to shreds. What do you think i'm going to do, bleed on you?" 

He griped in response, trying to stand only for his Arceus-damned legs to give out, gasping as the pain in his side worsened. Moving with this gash on his side didn't seem like the best idea for now; he'd been toughing it out for these past few moments, but the pain seemed to hit him all at once when the attack was laid out. Just sitting in one spot would make the pain even worse, and even then, if he could send out his Pokemon, there was no guarantee any of them would do especially well against the Gardevoir and Gallade. He did have Houndoom with him, but one well-placed Fighting-type attack from the Gallade combined with a Fairy-type move from Gardevoir would knock the Pokemon out right away even if he did use it. Backed into a literal and proverbial corner, his Mimikyu returning to its spot underneath the neglected rag and sliding over to Nakamura's side with an annoyed glint in its eyes, he could only glower at the man who'd had the gall to imprison them like this, 

"Why don't you let me use my Pokeballs and have a real battle? Besides, wouldn't it be awfully anticlimactic if you just defeated one of my Pokemon here? Why not win fair and square, unless..perhaps you're too much of a coward to fight me properly? I'm not foolish enough to run away; I'm injured, and I don't think I'd be able to get far."

marcel maeda  arian coin  

Mikami Nakamura pondered what the man had just said, his expression going from annoyed to plain confused and back again within the span of his next few sentences. He nodded in thanks when his partner had his Dragonair use Protect, and muttered out, "Mimikyu, standby. Do not attack." The Ghost-type obediently slipped over to his side and hopped up on his bony shoulder with a reassuring sound, wagging its wooden tail to and fro to the beat of an invisible pendulum. Sighing, he hobbled to his feet; they were outmatched and outnumbered, and this gym leader was clearly quite crafty. Even if they could escape-doubtful, given the state they were in right now-it was his fault they were caught to begin with. In a sense, he found the weight of this defeat to be his burden to bear. 

"I'll deliver whatever it is you want delivered." He managed to say, wiping sweat from his brow. "I doubt Silas would want to make arrangements to see a lowly grunt unless they have something important to say, but I'll be sure to let him know it's..urgent." Casting a glance back to his friend, he clutched the injury on his side, continuing to put pressure on the bleeding wound as the liquid seeped through his bony fingers and onto the ground below. Clenching his jaw, Mikami tried to remain strong, putting on a brave face in spite of all the pain he was in. "I'll let my friend make his decision on his own, though; it's his choice to make, after all. I can't just..make it for him." He muttered, glancing away from the golden-haired man's suddenly intimidating expression. 

The golden-haired man brushed his long bangs from his eyes and quickly jolted himself upright, shivering when his wound resumed aching. "...It is my fault we're stuck in this mess, anyway, so if there's anything more you need me to do when I am done delivering my message, just let me know. I'll make sure it's done." His Mimikyu hissed in displeasure at his words, and narrowed its eyes underneath its raggedy little cloak, as if it were just as infuriated with these proceedings as Mikami had become. He wouldn't blame it if it was; his Pokemon tended to emulate his emotions, or at the very least feel the same way he did.