It was common practice for lighthouse keepers to use electric Pokemon to power their beacons. Ampharos were the preferred choice, especially when compared to other species such as the Pichu line or the Shinx line. The former tended to be stubborn and difficult to work with, while the latter was too intelligent for their own good. Mareep were dumb, loyal, and obedient; and their final evolution was capable of producing more than enough electricity to keep a lighthouse going all night long.

[break][break]So when Zilla was told to assist a fellow grunt in snuffing out the light "by any means necessary," she wasn't too concerned. She had a history of capturing and trafficking Pokemon, so this type of work was right up her alley. To make things even better, the Ampharos was probably be unguarded, and as long as the duo got out of the lighthouse immediately after the deed was done then they didn't have to worry about being spotted. All things considered, it was an easy job.

[break][break]The violet-haired woman approached the figure on the cliff, his outfit dark and the back of his head concealed by an upturned hood. Zilla didn't even need to speak to know that he was the individual she had been sent to meet. She spoke up regardless, hoping to help break the ice while verifying that she had located the right person. "Nice lighthouse, isn't it?" she grabbed a black mask from around her neck and pulled it up above her nose and mouth, "Sure would be a shame if something happened to it."

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber in Lights Out

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Her voice came out of the dark night and startled him enough to almost drop into the sea. As it was, it felt like his heart had lunged forward, cavorting free of his chest and taking a suicide drop down to the frothy, aquean, always open maw below.

“It’s okay,” he said, breath coming back into him and finding some of his regular bite, some snark, the normal prgrams he runs when he has to interact with people, when he’s incapable of being polite and has to be a smart ass, “if you like antequated heaps of metal.” His tone suggested he did not.

The lens, though. Fresnel lenses were a miracle of modern science-- at least, at the time. Part of his reason for taking this mission when it was so squarely out of his frame of experience was because he wanted that lens.

Him relaxing at her presence was an unintended side effect. She clearly knew what she was doing-- or, at least, had enough confidence to fake it quite well.

“It doesn’t matter what you have to do, but leave the lens intact,” he said, amazed at how smoothly it came out of his throat, a column so unused to giving orders. He pulled up his own mask and struck out along the coast for the lighthouse.

Zilla Dumay
MISSION

☉

"The lens?" Zilla repeated, taking a moment to glance up at the towering construct. A beam of light swiveled in a slow, steady circle around the top of the building; and though the grunts couldn't see the source from so far away, they knew an Ampharos was up there somewhere. An Ampharos. Their target... But Kepler seemed more interested in the architecture.

[break][break]People in her position were rarely given every piece of information regarding a mission, and that didn't usually bother her—she didn't need to know the nitty-gritty details, she just needed to know what the job was and how much she was getting paid—but the idea that Kepler may have known something more than he was sharing bothered her.

[break][break]"Didn't hear anything about that," Zilla said, side-eying her partner. "Snuffing the light is the objective. If the lens gets damaged in the process then so be it." She could have been persuaded to be more cautious in her approach of the mission, but without having more details about why Kepler wanted the lens to remain intact, she didn't really care what happened to it.

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber in Lights Out

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Yes, the lens,” Kepler responded, a tinny petulance rushing into his voice. The wind whipped against the coastline, threatening to topple him. “The Ampharos is the source but the Fresnel lens magnifies the light. Large aperture, short focal length, at up to 1/26th the mass and volume of a traditional lens.”

It didn’t really matter, but Kepler was a scientist. He found comfort in numbers-- in fact, he was counting his strides, knowing that when he got to roughly 256 he would be at the base of the lighthouse and then probably should focus on more important matters than counting his steps.

“Most modern Fresnel lenses only refract, but ones in lighthouses refract and reflect. Also, they’re incredibly expensive. Consider it an investment to the Rocket science team.” There, if she wasn’t a fan of science, she could, at the very least, lean back on party loyalty-- if she had any of that, Kepler didn’t know.

Zilla Dumay
MISSION

☉

When Kepler began speaking, Zilla quickly tuned him out. As much as her job at the Mauville Game Corner forced her to be good at quick math, she didn't care so much about its scientific application. Such things were beyond the scope of her understanding or interest. She was more like a gun: someone needed only point her at a target, pull the trigger, and let her handle the rest. Kepler, on the other hand, was more of a scientist than a common criminal, and so his priorities were misaligned with hers.

[break][break]Zilla made a face under the mask and tore her gaze from the other grunt. "Arceus, why did I have to get stuck with the nerd?" she wanted to grumble, but she bit her tongue and kept the ridicule to herself. The sooner they got the job done, the sooner she'd be able to ditch the little weirdo.

[break][break]Her ears pricked up when Kepler mentioned that the lens would be an investment to Team Rocket's science department, however. Zilla wasn't a die-hard member of the organization — a fact that many of the elites were surely aware of — but she was loyal to them all the same. They had treated her well, they protected her against the long arm of the law, and they offered plenty of opportunities to make money. If she could pay them back for supporting her life of crime, there was little reason not to. Perhaps this lens, she thought, was an excellent way to do just that.

[break][break]"Alright, alright, dork. I'm in," she said with a dismissive wave of the hand, "I can't promise anything, but I'll try to steer clear of your precious lens." Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh, but Zilla was tired of all the science talk. It made her feel stupid, and that didn't sit right with her. She liked being the one in charge of the conversation, so silencing him and assuming some dominance over the situation was the best way she knew how to handle it.

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Kepler was used to people turning off their brains when he started talking. Actually, he was used to most everyone having a brain that was permanently turned off. Such was the price of genius.

Of course, he was most used to being brained against lockers or hunted down in the dark of night on his way home from school, dumped in trash cans or splitting his lip against white porcelain toilet seats.

Also he’d gotten kidnapped that one time (totally unrelated).

So Zilla calling him dork alarmed him and steeled him in equal measure: he had a thick skn and was used to much worse, but the word set off psychological triggers in his brain that he needed to hurry up and turtle because much worse was coming.

At the base of the lighthouse, he did what he was told and shut his mouth, figuring they were on an op, after all, and he probably shouldn’t let his obsession with the lighthouse lens distract from that. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked; he shoved his shoulder into it with a grunt, to no avail except bruising his arm.

“Stupid--,” he struck out his right hand, palm flat, fingers splayed, and Hagakure’s Pokeball spat a beam of light that flowed down his forearm and then expanded into the Honedge. Instead of following the expected course of action and bashing her against the door, he pointed the blade down towards the earth.

A shadow, almost like liquid, dropped off the point of the sword, slipped under the door, and a few moments later it unlocked with a click, swinging inward as Hagakure’s shadow returned to her.

“How’s that for a dork?” Kepler couldn’t help asking, releasing Hagakure to hover nearby as he pushed into the dark lighthouse. “The Ampharos should be on the top floor.”

Zilla Dumay
MISSION
this was not on my tracker GOMENASORRY
hagakure used shadow sneak

☉

The conversation quickly came to an end and the duo approached the lighthouse. The door was locked, as expected, and Zilla took a couple steps to the side to see if she could spy something that would offer them another way inside. A backdoor or handholds along the side of the building, perhaps. She huffed in annoyance at the realization that if her Fletchinder or Charamander were evolved, they could have flown her straight up to the top. Well, there was nothing to do about that now.

[break][break]Zilla looked back at her comrade when he hissed something under his breath. Much to her surprise, he summoned a Honedge and pierced the ground with its blade. A long shadow melted down the hilt and slipped below the door before it unlocked and swung open weakly. Alright, that was impressive. There were other ways to get the job done, but Kepler's tactic involved less brute force and arson. Zilla would've been a fool to not recognize his competence.

[break][break]When the Rocket scientist asked "How’s that for a dork," Zilla smirked. She enjoyed witty banter, and much to her delight, it seemed her partner was willing to play along. "Underwhelming," the indigo-haired woman rebutted with a grin. She was teasing, of course. She had been truly impressed, but admitting that aloud wouldn't have kept the playfully snide dialogue going.

[break][break]Upon entering the lighthouse, the duo were met with a wall of darkness that was only broken up by a faint glow shining at the top of the spiral staircase. To help light their way, Zilla sent out her Charmander. He emerged with an excited cheer, which his trainer quickly hushed. As he swiveled to get a better look at his human, the flame on his tail illuminated the entryway. All things considered, it was plain, with only a hand-lantern and couple of janitorial supplies to prevent it from looking entirely abandoned.

[break][break]The stairway itself was fairly narrow, and it curled around the perimeter of the interior. "Guess we better start walking," Zilla whispered while taking a few steps up, followed closely by the small orange lizard. "Unless that big brain of yours knows of a faster way," she teased with yet another playful smirk.

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber
[break]+ Not a problem! It gave my time to get over Covid, lol

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She hadn’t moved to punch him in the face or push him off the cliff, so Kepler counted that as a win in his book.

“Yeah, well, my bar is real low,” he said, his own smile faint on his moon-pale face, “so you might try lowering your standards.” His voice was a quiet echo in the stone and metal monument.

Zilla’s Charmander bathed the ground floor and the first few steps in a warm, orange light. She started up the stairs, looking back down at him and asking him if he could think of a faster way than just climbing a million stairs.

“Nothing that fits in a confined space,” was his answer, because the other answers were elevator, teleportation pad, and jetpack. None of which were useful here.

He trailed up the steps after her, willing to let her take the point on this one. The Ampharos would put up a fight, probably, and at the very least, be incredibly startled at the intrusion of strangers in its home.

As they neared the top, the oscillating light began to grow bright and brighter. Hagakure hovered in the air near Kepler, silent in the orange-tinted darkness save for the light tap of their boots on the stone.

Zilla Dumay
MISSION

☉

The ascent was fairly uneventful. The entrance disappeared in darkness below them, and the oscillating beacon became steadily more visible as they climbed the stairs. With no sight or sound to indicate there was anything standing in their way of achieving their goal, the Rocket duo could breathe easy. For now, at least.

[break][break]After only a few minutes, they arrived at the top of the staircase. Peeking through the gap in the ceiling revealed an cylindrical room. The walls were made of glass panes, and a single glass-and-steel door was visible amongst the windows. If Zilla had to guess, the door likely led out onto a balcony which allowed workers to better clean the glass from the outside. Though she had no proof either way, she also assumed the door was locked as a means to prevent people from breaking in. Then again, if someone was determined enough, they could shatter one of the panes and enter that way instead.

[break][break]In the very center of the room stood an Ampharos. Surrounding the sheepish creature on all sides were warped lenses, which Zilla presumed to be the Fresnel lens Kepler was after. It was difficult to see the Ampharos beyond the glass, but the silhouette and colors were unmistakable. Looking at the light source for too long, however, proved to be blinding. Zilla crouched down and blinked rapidly in a desperate attempt to clear the stars from her eyes.

[break][break]"Your precious lens is blocking us from getting to the Ampharos," she explained in a hushed voice, "If we leave this stairway, we'll be spotted for sure." She paused a moment, as if to consider something, before speaking up again. "I don't think the lenses went over the Ampharos, just around the outside." She created a circle with her hands by touching both thumbs together and both index fingers together. "I could send out my Fletchinder to attack from above," she suggested, "But that'd blow our cover for sure..." Her voice trailed off, half hoping Kepler had a more stealthy approach.

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He pressed himself back against the wall, stone cold on his shoulder blades, as Zilla peered through the cracks to see what was to be seen. She ducked back within a few oscillations of the light beam, blinking her eyes furiously to readjust them to the dim light of the stairwell.

“Don’t go into the light, Carol Ann,” Kepler whispered, having to clap a hand over his mouth to avoid giggling.

“So above is our way in,” Kepler mused, trying to think fast. Any struggle would risk damaging the lens. They were also on a schedule, because the Rocket op was going to go down with or without this light being off.

“We would have to be quick, but Hagakure can shadow sneak in,” he said, drawing a line in the air with one fingertip. “If she can make it in one rotation of the light, she can take the thing out.” But that was putting a lot of eggs in one basket. Plus, they didn’t know exactly how much room they were working with and, again, he really didn’t want to damage the lens.

“I really wish I had teleport right about now,” he said, frowning into the low light. “But I think it's our best shot. If it messes up we send in your bird. Deal?”

Hagakure lowered her point to the stone, preparing to shift into shadow.

Zilla Dumay
MISSION

☉

"Quick. Right," Zilla agreed with a nod. Regardless of the ultimate plan, they'd need to move quickly before the Ampharos spotted them and retaliated. Disrupting the light was the goal, of course, but it would have been better if the Rocket grunts could quickly knock out their target and get out before police arrived at the scene. They were already on a tight schedule given Kepler's desire to dismantle and snag one of the glass panes, so every second they could get would help in the end.

[break][break]As Kepler explained how he could use his Honedge's shadow sneak ability to slip in unnoticed, Zilla lowered one hand to her belt. Since speed and stealth were the priority, Sneasel would have probably been the better option — at least when compared to Fletchinder. She was the most agile member on the team, and her Icy Wind always worked wonders to slow down opponents by striking them with a subzero freeze. The man's Honedge was still the best choice to take the Ampharos off guard, but Sneasel and Fletchinder were excellent Plan B options.

[break][break]"Deal," Zilla said with a small smile. As Kepler prepared to stab the sword into the stone, the dealer patted Charmander on the head and recalled him. Keeping him out would prove largely useless; if anything, his presence would end up being a hindrance. Zilla didn't want to risk him getting injured or left behind. Once he was resting safely in his ball, the grunt turned to her comrade and gave another quick nod, letting him know that she was ready whenever he was.

[break][break]With any luck, the Ampharos would go down in one or two hits, but if it didn't, Zilla was ready to provide backup. Working Pokemon weren't usually the best in combat settings, especially without trainers to direct them from a distance, but it would have been foolish for either grunt to underestimate their target. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," as the saying goes. The beam of blinding light reached the hole overhead and began fading soon after. It was time.

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber
[break]+ A lazy edit of the lighthouse!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Kep nodded at Zilla’s assent and then nodded again at Hagakure. The blade slipped into the darkness of the floor, slithering and expanding under the door.

Once the beam of light passed, she dashed across the floor, under the lense (her dark form refracting in the lense panes). She slid up and rematerialized just as the Ampharos finished three-quarters of a turn.

Hagakure struck the Ampharos. The fresnel lens lit up red with light streaming through a film of blood. Kepler chose then to open the door and enter the room; the Ampharos cried out weakly and there was a strange humming noise. Static shot up his arms and Hagakure pitched upwards, drawn by the magnetic change in the air.

The Ampharos lurched sideways, down but not yet out, and the flashing, though weakened, took on a specific pattern: dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot

Zilla Dumay
MISSION
ampharos used magnet flux

☉

The initial blow had been dealt, and the countdown officially began. The grunts needed to get in quickly, finish off the Ampharos, and snag the lens — or part of it — for Kepler. The timer was ticking, and additional pressure was applied when the electric sheep illuminated the bulb on its tale in a deliberate pattern. It was calling for help. Anyone and everyone within a 30 mile radius could see something was wrong, and aid would arrive in a matter of minutes.

[break][break]As Kepler pushed in, Zilla opened a ball on her belt, releasing a grinning Sneasel. The feathered fiend needed no instruction to act; she quickly unsheathed her long, white claws and leaped gracefully over the Fresnel barrier, seemingly unaffected by the shift in the magnetic field surrounding the lighthouse gallery.

[break][break]Upon clearing the glass, she opened her tiny maw and let out an Icy Wind that covered the Ampharos in a layer of frost and sleet. The lens directly behind the sheep froze over and cracked a bit at the rapid change in temperature, but the other panes remained safe and intact. Though not frozen solid, the Ampharos' movements and flashing light slowed as it was chilled to the bone. Taking advantage of the opening, Sneasel closed the distance and delivered a single well-placed Slash across the poor Pokemon's chest.

[break][break]Blood pooled under its feet, a tall yellow body crumpled to the ground, and the lighthouse's final cry for help fell silent.

[break][break]"Alright, nerd. Grab what you can and let's get outta here," Zilla said while glancing back at the stairway. They finished off the Ampharos in less than a minute, but there was no telling how close reinforcements were. Sneasel clambered on top of the glass half-wall and looked down at the thick lens underfoot. It chittered something before looking at Kepler, seeming to ask, "How can I help?"

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber

[attr="class","pokeclass"]