Indeed she would be here soon. In fact, she was already there, simply peering through the hazy veil of the phantom plane. Her eyes are trained on the man in question: onyx straub. Lex didn’t trust anyone, especially those she didn’t have a fairly good idea what their deal was. Onyx is a complete stranger and there was little to find on his association with Rocket. She has been stabbed in the back too many times to not be careful.

When she’s satisfied this isn’t some sort of an ambush, the Shadow Gardevoir released her hold onto the phantom plane and allows Lex to step into reality, surprisingly close to Onyx. She’s wearing her staple leather jacket, hands shoved into the pockets as she cocks a hip to the side. Judgmental amber eyes don’t hide her concern, “You look a little worse for wear. Should you even be here?” Lex hated a waste of her time, and if this was going to be a waste of her time she wouldn’t hesitate to leave.

onyx straub
+ Hi

The Beast quickly loses interest in what Onyx has to say after the first half of his sentence. Quite frankly, she didn’t care for his well-being, only her own time. She stated her peace and she would chastise him afterward if she felt it necessary. Before he’s even finished speaking, she waves a hand casually in the air to dismiss the rest of his story as she spins on her heels to turn away. She brushes through the remnants of the PHANTOM FORCE, black mist dispersing in her wake. The Shadow Gardevoir didn’t follow.

“Sure,” she pauses at the other end of the training room. Her mind runs through her options. A good fight would be a quick one by her standards but she’s sure that’s not what he meant. She could easily wipe the floor with him if she used Hecate or War. Maybe even her Zeraora . . . she hadn’t fought with that pokemon in a long while. No . . .

She spins around and with the movement she tosses a pokeball into the air. The light flashes down to release a Blaziken. It’s beak snaps together anxiously, sharp claws tensing in anticipation for a battle.

onyx straub
+ She actively tries to make people hate her, smh

Lex’s job wasn’t to chit chat or make friends. She was promoted because she got results and continued to produce them. The thief did that by remaining focused and keeping distractions to a minimum. She relied on herself, and only herself. There was no reason to trust those within Rocket, though she would probably get much further if she did. Pity she had such a thick skull and was too stubborn for her own good. Maybe one day she would learn.

A critical and judgmental glare analyzed the Garchomp. Strong, quick, a pokemon she had on her own team. It was versatile but sadly had many weaknesses. She would likely not exploit them today, but Lex was full of surprises. Overall, the Beast seems rather apathetic towards the choice of pokemon. It would out up a good fight which was favorable and good for her own training.

The fire-type didn’t seem phased, even as the Garchomp roared and lunged with SLASH. Somehow, Lex’s pokemon didn’t seem to take any damage, not in the least bit. Did the Garchomp miss? It’s as if the Slash phased right through it.

With the Garchomp so close, the Blaziken didn’t need to move far to take aim. It’s gut contracted and released in a series of violent movement before the pokemon’s beak opened wide. A voluminous amount of putrid sludge exploded from the pokemon’s open mouth, aimed straight for the Garchomp’s eyes.

A Blaziken using SLUDGE BOMB? How strange . . .

onyx straub
+ Blaziken uses SLUDGE BOMB

The ILLUSION seemed to have fooled the Garchomp for a moment. It was stunned enough to barely avoid the SLUDGE BOMB regurgitated from the bird’s beak. Although strong against poison, the pokemon hoped it would burn through enough to be debilitating. Though they were equally matched in speed, the dragon’s strength far surpassed the ghost’s.

A TWISTER fueled by frustration and rage rose between the two pokemon. The forceful winds buffeted against the ILLUSION’s resolve. The façade broke, fading away to reveal the Hisuian Zoroark beneath. It wasn’t so much as an underhanded play, but a lesson in always expecting the unexpected.

Nova is thrown back by the Twister. Her sharp claws dug into the ground, slowly her progress and the lifeless, crimson eyes locked onto the Garchomp. Red faded to dark pick as she summoned psychic energy. The pokemon didn’t move, it seemed to just be staring. An unseen and unheard blast of potent energy aimed to overtake the Grachomp, bypassing the pokemon’s strong exterior and penetrating into its core.

onyx straub
+ The ILLUSION shatters when hit with TWISTER
+ H!Zororak uses EXTRASENSORY

EXTRASENSORY pulses in waves from behind the ghostly Zoroark’s magenta eyes. She doesn’t feel her hit her mark, but the way the Garchomp collapses beneath the metaphorical weight of the attack curls the edge of her dark lips into a smile. Her fangs glisten a dull white in the fluorescence of the training arena. There’s no mistake that she relishes in the afflicted pain.

Mordekaiser tears at the ground, desperately trying to escape the invisible onslaught. As the dragon passes through the threshold, and Nova loses sight of the pokemon, the Exrtrasensory sharply stops, giving them relief.

A sharp, annoyed hiss escapes from between the canine’s snarl. The white tail twitches anxiously as she stands ready on her toes. She wants to follow the Garchomp through the burrow, but that would be a mistake. She wouldn’t stand a chance in the pokemon’s subterranean pathway.

A swirl of ghostly shadows fills the space between her taloned paws. Without sight, the Garchomp would have to rely on the vibrations within the ground. The SHADOW BALL launches out of her grasp and skids across the floor nearby, hoping to confuse the Garchomp into thinking she moved.

onyx straub
+ Nova fires a SHADOW BALL at the ground about 5 meters from her to try and confuse the Garchomp into thinking she has moved

Lex’s mouth curls into a scowl as the SHADOW BALL washes across the floor like a spilt bucket of water. It probably did just as much to distract the Garchomp. Nova would live and learn, that’s what training was for.

The ground erupted from beneath the Zoroarak, a terrifying dragon snarling and lashing out at its target. The ghost hissed, teeth bare and arms flailing as it was thrown off balance – easy picking.

The fox howled in pain as the sharp teeth sank into its arm, tearing strips of flesh aside much like the wound already prominent on the pokemon’s thighs and shoulders. Bright red blood stains the otherwise clean white coat. The ghost’s form shimmers in space, the feeling off flesh between teeth fading, although the metallic taste of blood remains.

Nova phases between realms, crawling into a shadow that stretches past the Garchomp. The Zoroarak’s claws tear out of the darkness, scraping against the ground like nails on a chalkboard as it pulls it’s wounds body up from the abyss of the shadow. Blood drips freely from its wounds, a deep crimson that matches the enraged glare in its lifeless eyes.

onyx straub
+ Nova is hit with DIG and is BIT
+ Nova uses SHADOW SNEAK to escape the Garchomp’s jaws before being dragged down