@isaac thinks he's doing those Pokémon a favor. Orion? He doesn't care. Not about the Pokémon — each and everyone one was sacred and deserving of protection, even those belonging to criminals — but about the reason behind the thievery that sends up a red flag for Slateport's Rangers on standby.

"Lykos en-route to the Lower District. Five minutes out."

Chatter on the radio from other Rangers reveal he's the closest, and so it falls to him to intercept as Isaac carves a path down moonlit streets.

"Tianyi, get us up to the rooftops."

The TELEPORT executed by Orion's ALAKAZAM finds them on the roof of a squat apartment building in the lower district, a good vantage point of the streets that sprawl below. In the tranquility of dusk, it's not hard to spot the motorcycle. When the runaway Rocket takes a turn down a narrow, isolated road, Orion sees their chance.

"Cut him off."

Another TELEPORT sees the ALAKAZAM warp straight into Isaac's path.

Orion's intent is vicious, but not murderous. When the bike careens off the road and its rider is thrown, TELEKINETIC energy from the ALAKAZAM seeks to soften Isaac's fall. It would still hurt, and immensely at that, but he'd be spared the broken bones that might've otherwise resulted from the crash.

The silent wings of an INFILTRATOR do little to betray a NOIVERN'S presence as it swoops down from above, Orion sliding from its back. It doesn't attack, instead sustaining the TAILWIND that had carried them down.

"Cepheus. Heal."

A SLOWKING released at the Ranger's side fires a HEAL PULSE at the Rocket, a back-up plan in case the Alakazam's cushion had failed. The gems on the Pokemon's crown wink in the moonlight.

For all his attempts to sustain life, there is no mercy in Orion's eyes. Their depths are dark, cold as the metal of the prosthetic arm he stretches out in expectation.

"Lykos, Slateport Rangers." Though difficult to make out details in the gloom, his uniform identifies him with the red badge and armband. "Hand over the Pokémon you stole."

His right hand, of flesh and blood, reaches for a radio to call for back-up.

Orion is, admittedly, a little disappointed when the criminal gives up without a fight. He's itching for a scrap these days, even if he shouldn't be. Still, this is the desirable outcome in the eyes of his superiors, so Orion buries his disappointment and curls his metal fingers around the offered ball. The other never makes it into his hand. He purses his lips in annoyance but doesn't snark (he had just ran the man off the road, after all), bending down to retrieve it.

Several things happen at once.

A flash of light (the pokeballs, opening) blinds him.

He coughs, violent, as SPORES are scattered in his face.

"Fuck,"

His radio fizzles, sounding only static.

Thankfully, Orion's Pokémon are prepared to go on the defensive. Where the Golbat seeks a truce, the battle-scarred NOIVERN answers with a deafening BOOMBURST. Libertas. Liberty. The Noivern had been rescued from a Black Market operation, whipped and beaten into a vicious fighter who would now utilize those skills to defend the one who'd rescued him.

Orion staggers, suddenly exhausted, but a quick SAFEGUARD set up by the SLOWKING stops him from falling asleep. Struck by the SHOCK WAVE, the Royal Pokémon staggers in pain.

With its TELEKINESIS DISABLED, ALAKAZAM instead begins to rely on its FUTURE SIGHT.

SPORES may not have put Orion to sleep, but they render his movements sluggish and his response time slow. He manages only to grab for a single ball, a SILVALLY howling as it appears at his side. It's fur is accented deep pink (RKS SYSTEM - PSYCHIC MEMORY). It doesn't attack, a low growl rippling from its jaws as it sets up a HEAL BLOCK.

A fight. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?

Orion's head is spinning. He feels like he's going to be sick. Humans weren't meant to take point-blank SPORES to the face, much less resist their soporific effects. Coughing, he regains his faculties only to spot the criminal meddling with his bike.

"Step away from the vehicle!"

Damnit. He's not Slateport PD. He can only make a citizen's arrest if the citizen is cooperative, and hope of immediate back-up was dashed when his radio was compromised. There's his phone, but his ROTOM is interfacing with the prosthetic arm and he's still not used to operating without the Pokémon's aid.

CONFUSED by the SUPERSONIC, NOIVERN'S AIR CUTTER swings wide. FUTURE SIGHT comes down upon the GOLBAT in retaliation, ALAKAZAM bending its spoons toward the airborne annoyance. POLLEN PUFF weakens it in return.

CURSED by the DUSKULL, the SILVALLY has only a few minutes on the battlefield. Orion knows this, taking a DARK MEMORY from inside his Ranger's jacket and swapping it out as Perseus leaps to his side. RKS SYSTEM darkens the chimera's fur before it rounds on the DUSKULL with a DARK-TYPE MULTI-ATTACK.

SLOWKING, significantly weakened by two electric attacks, is SWITCHED OUT in exchange for an ABSOL. Altair targets the AMOONGUS with a brilliant FLAMETHROWER that lights up their makeshift battlefield, exposing Isaac in silhouette.

"Back-up is en route!" A lie. "Stand down!"

Alakazem TELEPORTS to avoid the SHADOW BALL, sustaining no damage but left unable to go on the offense as a result. Absol lights up the POLLEN PUFF with another FLAMETHROWER, growling low in his throat.

Silvally has no means of defending itself from the CLOSE COMBAT, staggering under the force of the attack. Panting, snarling, the chimera backs away from its opponent with teeth bared. It can't rest with so much attention focused its way, so the weakened Pokémon instead opts to retaliate with a sharp AERIAL ACE. If it could take down the Riolu...

Sensing a desperate situation, Orion looks up at Noivern.

"Stop him!"

Libertas shrieks in answer, turning its attention from the battle to Isaac Merlo himself. Though the Noivern was more than capable of fatally wounding with a well-placed attack, knowledge of its trainer's disposition instead leads the large-eared bat to fire a SUPERSONIC blast. With luck, it would confuse the man and hinder his escape as Orion recovered from the spores.

A dark glow ripples down Orion's arm as the Rotom within forms a NASTY PLOT. Slowking is sent back onto the field, REGENERATOR offering a burst of vitality it had earlier lacked.

Crobat. A Pokémon who could only achieve evolution through a strong bond of loyalty with its trainer. That the criminal's Golbat evolves out of sheer desperation in the middle of combat should perhaps have softened Orion's views on his foe, but Orion only finds himself annoyed as the CROSS POISON strikes his Silvally.

Perseus is still on his paws, bitter and determined as weak as he is, but Orion won't force him to fight in his condition. Red light swallows him, the only solace in the fainted prey beneath his claws.

SHADOW BALL strikes Slowking in his crystal-studded crown, its HEAL PULSE offering no aid to the Royal Pokémon's own injuries. It does help the scarred Noivern to remain airborne in spite of the violent DISCHARGE from their confused foe, though Libertas is forced to land and ROOST in the aftermath.

DETECTING the trajectory of Pinchurchin and Amooongus' attacks, the Absol feints in order to bait out the POLLEN PUFF and then jumps back from the BUBBLEBEAM.

Left unmolested, Alakazam elects to RECOVER from its injuries. Orion starts toward Isaac Merlo, his arm still radiating energy from another building NASTY PLOT.