Aaron did notice the bleeding, eventually. And saw the scar that Alec had. Still, he stayed silent, not really caring how the lad had gotten it. The gym leader started in with a question.
"Not really." But Alec continued anyways, letting them know that Rocket was to blame. And the reason for coming here. The blonde looked at the guy with the blandest, deadpan look one could possibly get. Help fight against those weaklings? Came here for personal reasons?
"Soooo just like everyone else here. Pretty sure we're all here for personal reasons." Even if a younger Alec would be here on orders. The man soon addressed him directly. And he was...pretty unimpressed. He didn't pay any attention to what Elise said, just waited for her to finish.
Standing up, he faced Alec.
"You weak willed fool. Rocket was full of wusses in Littleroot during Meteno, with maybe the one that had Xerneas able to provide a challenge, but otherwise I sent each one running without breaking a sweat. The only solid hit my Pokemon got was ganged up on by multiple opponents. Something to fight Rocket with? You should already have it, being a former gym leader. The only thing you lack is resolve. John Sullivan said his responsibility technically started and ended at Mauville. Should I become one while I'm still a minor, I will hold onto that fact much more harshly than him at Littleroot, maybe even after I turn eighteen, and heaven help any Rocket that step foot in that town again." Putting his backpack back on, he glared at the guy in the eyes again.
"If all you ever did was hand badges out, then you were weak or a part of why the League and/or older trainers are bigger wusses than Rocket is."He was a firm believer that your hard work counted for something. Training and raising your Pokemon to be strong or well-versed in a role was one such thing he took very seriously. Heck, his hard work with Trevenant allowed him to tie with
noah faber in an ad hoc double battle. He wasn't even trying to earn the gym badge, just giving the fight all he got. Even if he thought that Noah would have won given another Ice Punch or two. As for the rest...well, if the adults needed a child to save them, they were pretty worthless adults, and probably should be culled from the gene pool. And didn't do anything to make him rethink his plans in going for the title. The back ups were still there, of course, but that's all they were, backup plans should being a gym leader not work out.
Upon hearing some rumbling, he snapped his fingers. Immediately, his Banette, Dhelmise, and Jellicent were right by him. The professor let out a Tyrantrum. Even as that Pokemon went at it, Banette used Flash to blind and make the first wave hesitate. Hopefully enough for Dhelmise to use a Power Whip on most of them, and Jellicent to use Giga Drain on the rest. But they just kept coming. Revealing a Mega crystal, he ordered his Banette more into battle.
"Banette, Mega Evolve, and Gunk Shot!" The ghost screeched as she evolved into a higher form, and firing globs of poison gunks into the swarm, taking out huge swaths of opponents. Hopefully the others had similar tricks up their sleeve, or this will end with their bones being added to those Sharpedo...
Aaron's personal prompt cleared?
Altagracia Contreras Elise Calcifet alec foster