The Beast hated venturing into the Space-Time distortions. She found the risk greater than the reward. Afterall, she wasn’t going to do anything with these damned Yellow Shards. Apparently, Rocket scientists were able to construct something with them which also made her less inclined to turn them in. Instead, she should sell ‘em off to someone else.

She really needed to get over her visceral hatred of Rocket’s scientific department.

“Hope it’s worth the effort,” her own yellow shards clang together as she tosses them into her own backpack. There’s a little more commotion as she swings the backpack onto her back and laces her arms through the straps.

Lex liked this one, Zev Harcourt. He is quiet, focused on his work, and good at what he does. There wasn’t a single moment she felt the need to interfere with his progress and he didn’t interfere with hers. Best of all, he wasn’t trying to be her friend. For an organization brimming with broody criminals, you’d be surprised how many annoyed the piss out of her with small talk and incessant tapping at her personal bubble.

“Yeah, let’s get outta here,” a sharp whistle leaves her scarlet lips, calling the Gengar back to her own shadow. Her gazes fixes on her own shadow, expecting to see the Gengar meld with it, but nothing happens, “I’m gonna kill him,” Again. The rather obedient ghost’s retaliation is unsettling. So, Lex turns her gaze to the tree line around them. Something is off.

Zev Harcourt
+ Onward!

With deafening roars, two Ursaring smashed through the trees, heading straight for the trainers. Smoke’s instincts were right, something malicious lurked in the shadows, and it wasn’t just the ghosts. A high-pitched cackle escaped the ghost’s maw from behind his wide smile. Lex was quick enough to duck just in time to miss being mauled by the FURY SWIPES.

“Smoke,” she growled in annoyance as the Gengar seemed to be taking his sweet time floating over to her aid. Lex had half a mind to reach for another pokeball when he finally cut in. As a Dazzling Gleam sprouted from the other Gengar’s fingers, a colorful array of lights floated from Smoke’s. The CONFUSE RAY danced around the bear’s head, sending it into a fit of swatting at what appeared to be nothing.

“Where the hell did these comes from?” she assumed they were left over from the distortions they just left. The thief spun around quickly to survey the land behind them and make sure they weren’t being ambushed from behind.

Zev Harcourt
+ Lex’s Smoke uses CONFUSE RAY to slow down the other Ursaring
+ Lex scans to make sure there are no others that might ambush them

“Hmph,” Lex snorts, another mystery probably not worth solving. She’d chalk it up to the distortion and nothing more. It didn’t warrant any more of her preciously little brain power when they could just dispose of these Ursaring and move on with little consequence.

Lex’s own Smoke seemed to be toying with the confused bear, playing with its meal before it went in for the kill. The ghost giggled, smiling widely as it stung the bear with little waves of DARK PULSE. It’s confused SLASHES were useless against the Gengar. Zev’s own Gengar was quick to call upon HYPNOSIS, a common tactic for ghosts.

Zev’s offer to help was met with a mildly annoyed furrow of her brows and burning amber glare, “We’re fine,” it was probably a question out of courtesy but Lex’s is a touchy woman. Did he thinks he couldn’t handle one measly Ursaring?

Zev Harcourt
+[]/b] Help? Lex is offended
+ Lex’s Smoke plays with its food before putting it to sleep and feasting

Lex appears to be patient as she waits for her Gengar to finish playing with the Ursaring. Since there were no other threats perceived by Zev’s pokemon, she saw no need to rush the ghost. He could have his fun outside his pokeball with no detriment to their mission. The beast shrugs the backpack back onto her shoulder, holding the strap tightly with one hand.

“He’ll find us when he’s done,” she watched Smoke finally lull the bear to sleep with HYPNOSIS. Beads of drool gathered at the corners of his content smile in anticipation for his feast.

Lex shifted to move forward, but the subtle scent of tobacco on the air gave her pause. Her nose scrunched put, but not in distaste. It was quite the opposite. She inhaled, an involuntary warmth filling her chest. A small pang of longing rested there for a moment. It reminded her of Killian Decker who would hopefully be at home waiting for her.

Her hand waved forward to spur them to continue down the path. A more pleasant woman would likely fill the silence with small talk, but Lex doesn’t quite care for it. Zev didn’t seem to mind.

She liked that.

Zev Harcourt
+ Lex’s Smoke finally puts the Ursaring to sleep
+ Lex likes the smell of cigarettes -sniffa-

Once the Gengar had had its fill of the Ursaring’s dreams, a shadow snaked across the forest floor, eventually melding with hers in a similar fashion to Zev’s Gengar. Smoke’s reappearance didn’t go unnoticed, but it wasn’t acknowledged either.

With Fortree fast approaching, their mission was coming to a close. Her amber gaze shifted towards Zev when he spoke of going to the lab. Her jaw tightened, immediately uncomfortable with the idea. Lex shifted the backpack with her own collection of shards. Suddenly sliding it off her shoulder to hand to Zev, “If you wouldn’t mind taking these with you, I’d appreciate it,” anything lex could do to avoid the labs, the better. She didn’t trust scientists. Particularly Rocket scientists, “I have another assignment that needs immediate attention,” not necessarily a lie, she did have another assignment that wasn’t scheduled until this evening but preparation was important.

Zev didn’t really have a choice in the matter. If he refused, she’d order him to but she thought the kinder route would be more effective than pulling rank. A brief glance into the guarded mind of the Rocket Beast before she left Zev on his own with her satchel of treasures and the potential to take all the credit for himself – all to avoid a trip to the Rocket labs.

Zev Harcourt
+ Lex asks Zev to take her shards with him so she doesn’t have to go then she leaves