Protecting and patrolling the cave routes, huh?[break]
Simple enough of an assignment, even if he was being paid fuck all for this and everything else he’d done.[break][break]

Yet regardless of pay, or motive, or anything else of the sort, he’d already spent the majority of the past while busying himself, and so busy he’d find himself continuing to be as word of League members entering the cave rang through communications. Just as those traversing the tunnels had been undoubtedly doing, he wove through dirt and rubble with deft, light steps, though had encouraged a particular, beloved Aggron of his to take the further lead for a number of reasons, really.[break][break]

Unless the trainer were to be glued by its side, it would normally be relatively hard to tell the domesticity of a wandering creature, after all.[break][break]

And so he followed a copious number of steps behind Kaitiaki’s tail, silently glancing to and fro throughout the varied dips and turns of the cave systems around them. Though the prospect of peace had been one that most would be relieved to take part of, he couldn’t help but breathe a low sigh of impatience as he and his companion trekked along. He was promised a fight, after all— and after encountering someone outside a while before, his blood had already been boiling; his battle-forged appetite ready and rearing to continue upon a newfound conquest.[break][break]

And conquest he would have, it seemed. Possibly.[break][break]

Before long, the Aggron had trudged its way into another fork in the path, turning his head one way before pausing at the sight of movement some ways away, all while his trainer brought himself to a hastened stop, holding an arm out to his side as a means to stop the person by him by means of touch or shortsighted grace.[break][break]

He breathed a low, barely notable, ”Fuckin’ finally...” under his breath while urging his fellow Rocket along the wall and behind a couple of stones jutting out, all while he waited to see how the situation would unfold.[break][break]

---

MP TRACKER (60 MP)[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
• IC Post (+10 MP)
  

faelan foxgrove Kyrenai Black ARIADNE MAUCH[break]
outfit. on the nose, i know lmfao

☉

This is going way above her paygrade. [break][break]

The man who's been walking along with her will doubtlessly agree; Rocket hasn't been paying them enough for this ground work, especially considering the risks in this war. Perhaps it's her sheer disconnection with Rocket nowadays, but she doesn't seem to understand why they still continue with this - for the sake of knowledge? For the sake of research? [break][break]

It's sad to say that she doesn't understand Rocket's aim anymore. [break][break]

It's sadder to say she'll feign loyalty if it means getting a roof over her head. So regardless of her stance, she'll continue with her crime, with little regard for those who get caught in the crossfire (it is, she's learned, how the world works). For the sake of both of them, her footsteps are light as she's walking at a pace and, for once, she knows to be quieter and more serious about this venture. [break][break]

Her fingers lightly pinch on the fabric of a man's coat. The last thing she wants is to be separated (she already knows she can be a liability with the distinct lack of sight), and the last thing either of them need is a woman giving away both their locations. [break][break]

Her steps only stop when she feels the hand stretched out before her, and she hears the footsteps directly in front of her, coming to a stop. There's no need for sight when she can already gauge the distance with sight - though the echoes of the cave will forever be the bane of her existence. [break][break]

Quickly, she hides with fingers stretched out to gently touch the rocks. Then, beneath the mask, she takes quiet breaths - until they're barely audible to herself. Her other hand maintains its soft pinch on a man's sleeve as she ducks a tad, lowering her head without a word. [break][break]

For once, she's quiet. [break]
Uncharacteristically so.

[break][break]

---

MP TRACKER

60 MP

> Postdorm Bracket +50 MP
[break]> IC Post +10 MP

Josh Devlin Andrea Vaneau Inigo del Rosario
outfit (fully zipped)

☉

She follows along quietly, thanking her instincts for having indulged in her silent training not too long ago. Traversing Granite Cave seems like child's play by now; most of the layout has been mapped and etched into her subconsciousness, and the dark has become less of a hurdle than it would've have otherwise been. Even on the uneven rocky surface she seems to move almost silently, no longer needing Jaci to point out any floor-bound hazards that could endanger her footing or give her away. It's for that reason that the Lunatone's taken to guarding their rear, a few dozen feet behind them, casually floating about but still very much alert.

Yet it knows, that unless it is called it will remain there. Forever vigilant.

The assassin has been given her orders. And although hesistant, she followed them regardless, on the condition she be allowed to return swiftly and resume her guard duty for the only person allowed to order her around. When faelan foxgrove raises she lingers, moving closer to a formation of rocks; the dark of her reinforced suit allowing her to blend in that much better. Kyrenai's hand lingers on the knives strapped on her thigh and bides her time, allowing for her partner to call the shots.

Beyond the bend there's the subtle stomping of a large pokémon, and then a pause. A single glance is enough to realise it has taken note of them; yet the question remains whether it's a wild specimen or no... and if the latter, whether its trainer was near, or if it was just meant to guard the perimeter.

Kyrenai tries to eye down Faelan with as little movements as possible, wordlessly urging him for their next choice of action.

For a moment she entertains playing the bait and moving into the open. Which is exactly what she'll do if he doesn't make up his mind fast enough; abandoning her cover while gesturing for Faelan to stay down and at the ready, she approaches the Aggron from a safe distance, whistling a happy-go-lucky tune that echoes against the cavern walls. As she speaks it is loud and clear; she wants to be heard. For her position to be compromised. "Well aren't you a big one~" she muses, pulling out a pokéball, looking like she's attempting to catch it.





MP Tracker
- Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
- IC Post (+10 MP)

faelan foxgrove ARIADNE MAUCH Inigo del Rosario

☉

For several moments, the Aggron merely kept hues of icy, glaring blue upon the two trainers before him, watching each of them closely (and, in the case of the little bundle of flowers by them, with a touch of what could only be assumed to be disgust). Eventually, however, his gaze began to follow the stalking one as he began to inch around the outer areas of his vicinity, only to look back towards the remaining person as she seemed to pull a familiar, red and white capsule out.[break][break]

A low growl emanated from within his throat before bellowing into a proper roar, and after little more than a moment’s worth of consideration, he slammed one of his hulking, steel-clad feet into the earth beneath him. With a faint quake that shook the area, the ground beneath him loosened into a number of rubble that began to lift and fly in the form of a Rock Slide soon after— namely in an arc that direct itself, first and foremost, towards the selfsame Leaguer with Pokeball in hand.[break][break]

”And that’s our cue…” he murmured, gun in hand as the remaining shifted immediately towards one of several belts sheathed within his belt. He gave it a familiar spin betwixt nimble fingers before raising himself, holding it within an inverse grasp as he held both it and his firearm before him while creeping slowly along the wall and boulders.[break][break]

---

BATTLE TL;DR[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Kaitiaki (Aggron) uses Rock Slide, Yeeting(tm) rocks towards Kyrenai.
• Inigo is packing heat and slowly advancing closer to where Faelan probably is.

MP TRACKER (70 MP)[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
• IC Post (+10 MP)
  

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)

faelan foxgrove Kyrenai Black ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
outfit. on the nose, i know lmfao

☉

Her ears perk. [break][break]

Though, she already felt the vibrations that came with the rocks. Still, she kept her arms stretched out, slightly, as she traverses through the darkness. Whereas he held a gun between fingers, her gloved hands reach for a pokeball. This time, releasing a SALAZZLE who blends a bit too nicely with the darkness. The trainer raises her hand to her lips, with a smile, as to hush the Salazzle as she slinks into the darkness, and to scurry ahead of them. [break][break]

The Salazzle is swift, making work of the walls with sticky fingers and feet. In the darkness, with her lights dimmed, you can barely see her - and she's using that to her advantage. Her little taps are disguised over the grumbling of ROCK SLIDE caused by the AGGRON not far deeper in, much to her contentment. [break][break]

Lavender eyes lock in through the dark, to a figure that moves, attempting to sneak past the large, armored pokemon. Her maw snaps open, shooting out a sizzling FLAMETHROWER towards the trainer and flower pokemon that accompanies them. [break][break]

The crackling of flames can barely be heard by the trainer, but it's enough to briefly light up the cave around where it was released. Meanwhile, the trainer hums, her ears twitching slightly as the flames begin to die out. "Someone's coming over." she squints beneath the blindfold, one hand raised to the ear piece as the other rests against the stone cave. "Careful turning corners."
[break][break]

---

> Hey there faelan foxgrove <3
[break]> SALAZZLE uses FLAMETHROWER on faelan foxgrove and BELLOSSOM

[break][break]

---

MP TRACKER

70 MP

> Postdorm Bracket +50 MP
[break]> IC Post +20 MP

Josh Devlin Andrea Vaneau Inigo del Rosario
outfit (fully zipped)

☉

The Aggron roars, and within moments the serene quietness of Granite Cave explodes into violence. The edges of Kyrenai's mouth curl into a smile as she regards it all; the rocks bound for her; the flare of fire in the distance, and the Bellosom valiantly putting herself in harm's way so Kyrenai would not.

The pokéball in her hand drops to the floor, and after a single tap the silhouette of a manta takes form. Hideyoshi spreads its wings as Kyrenai points, unleashing a torrential Hydro Pump at the Aggron aimed as such that if it were to dodge the water would still be hurled further down the cave.

Now they'd been had, Kyrenai let go of the pretense and dropped low, her hands gripping the handles of the knives clinging to her thighs. She follows in faelan foxgrove's wake, leaving her Mantine to deal with the Aggron. Pulling a small cloth over her mouth to keep the Sleep Powder's pollen at bay, she inhales deeply before rushing off through the cloud, ready to act as Faelan's back-up against whomever else was hiding in the caverns.




MP Tracker
- Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
- IC Post (+20 MP)
- Majestic sea-flapflap Mantine uses Hydro Pump on Aggron
- Kyrenai has also brought knives to a gunfight

faelan foxgrove ARIADNE MAUCH Inigo del Rosario

☉

Silence and serenity; calm before calamity.[break]
In the grand scheme of things, they always proved to be so, so fleeting.[break][break]

And that, in itself, had been precisely why anyone and everyone should have always been ready to deal with the downfall that so inevitably proved itself, time and time again, worthy to slip between the cracks. To face said downfall—said danger and strife—had been a matter he’d become long accustomed to within his line of work— and so as the battle begun within the cave, and as the faintest speck of movement caught his attention from around the corner, his form immediately tensed and relaxed subsequently.[break][break]

Immediately.[break][break]

All while his Aggron had conjured a Protect to weather the swell and force of the Hydro Pump aimed at him, and as said beast began to trail back in an attempt to back away from the Sleep Powder, they lunged. The form approached him with a lithe touch; one that he couldn’t help but recognize and respect as one of experience and calculation, in spite of the swift measure. With a faint grin stretching upon his lips against the fabric he wore, he shifted his foot slightly as a brace—a security—prior to leaning out of the way as far as he could, all while unfolding his arms in favor of hooking his own, bladed hand within an arc with an intent to deflect the man’s arm away.[break][break]

”Sweet moves, Cuz~,” he laughed, his eye contact unfaltering as his voice trailed from its distorted filter.[break][break]

He quickly pointed his remaining hand down, aiming to fire for his feet, legs— anything of the ilk.[break][break]

”Gimmie more of a show, yeah~? Takes two t’tango, after all— and I love me some dancin~’.”[break][break]

---

BATTLE TL;DR[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Kaitiaki (Aggron) uses Protect for him and Pele (Salazzle), deflecting the Hydro Pump. Enough to make not make the water rush into everyone? Maybe?
• Kaitiaki (Aggron) is doing his best to back away from Sleep Powder.
• Inigo is Throwing Hands(tm) with Faelan.

MP TRACKER (90 MP)[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
• IC Post (+10 MP)
  

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)
• Assist (+10 MP)

faelan foxgrove Kyrenai Black ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
outfit. on the nose, i know lmfao

☉

He heeds her warning, at least. [break][break]

The sound of a blow is right in front of her, and she knows better than to approach. Honestly, it's times like these where she despises how useless she can be. If only I could see, she thinks, she could be more help, then, no? But now's not the time to think and dwell - not when it sounds like they've been found. [break][break]

The crackling sounds of FLAMETHROWER crackles through the dark cave once again, illuminating the clearings and canyons that twist around this maze. Of course, the reptile is smarter than to use the move from the same place - so blending into the darkness, she climbs upside down, maw snapping open with flames raining from above shortly after the PROTECT from her companion. [break][break]

The embers rain from above, and no rock can save the BELLOSSOM nor blade-clad trainer. The fires burn what remnants of SLEEP POWDER were in the air, creating a thin veil of smoke in its wake, though the fire isn't enough to mask the sound of metal and steel approaching, echoing. [break][break]

Inigo is taunting, ready to throw hands with the person who found them - but what about the person approaching? [break][break]

"Tahuna." She squints beneath the blindfold. "Someone else is coming" her hand reaches for another pokeball, ears listening for soft echoes "They're here."

[break][break]

---

> PROTECTED from HYDRO PUMP
[break]> SALAZZLE shoots FLAMETHROWER to BURN SLEEP POWDER and at KYR + BELLOSSOM
[break]> Ariadne, hearing the clank clank of more knives and going :monkas:

[break][break]

---

MP TRACKER

80 MP

> Postdorm Bracket +50 MP
[break]> IC Post +30 MP

Kyrenai Black faelan foxgrove Inigo del Rosario
outfit (fully zipped)

☉

The fire comes again, raining down from above, and this time there's no conveniently thrown projectiles they can use to counter them. The woman is all but willing to resign herself to a fate most crisp and turns, abandoning her initial plan at backing her fellow knife-bearing Leaguer for the 'greater good' of tackling his Bellosom out of the way. In an attempt to break their fall she's forced to part with one of her knives, hearing it bounce off into the darkness beyond her, but it beats being pierced by it solely because she didn't wish to let go of it.

Hideyoshi, nearby enough to react rushes forward and stretches its wings wide, flinging itself in the way of the Flamethrower to protect its allies from the incoming onslaught from above, taking the burnt instead. It tries to persist, using Aqua Ring to slowly heal itself.


MP Tracker
- Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
- IC Post (+30 MP)
- Kyr grapples Bellosom and jumps out of the way, drops a knife in the process
- Mantine flings itself at the Flamethrower
- Uses Aqua Ring to lessen the damage taken

faelan foxgrove ARIADNE MAUCH Inigo del Rosario

☉

The Protect had worked, thankfully enough. The surge of water still pooled upon the ground around the feet of those remaining within the cavern, but it was a start.[break][break]

A low, rumbling, and almost calculating grumble emitted from within the Aggron’s throat as he glared past the semi-translucent borders of the barriers he’d put up. The fires from the Salazzle by him raged on, only to be met with a Moonblast that surged vigorously from the little plant standing some ways away.[break][break]

He held the barrier up for several more moments before settling his eyes upon the Mantine afar upon noting as such, smashing his foot against the floor once more to loosen the terrain beneath him before the rubble lifted for a second time, flinging at the aquatic beast in the form of another Rock Slide.[break][break]

His trainer, meanwhile, found himself swiftly and soundly matched as the knife found purchase against his wrist, prompting a low hiss of annoyance and pain, alike, escape his lips as it further dug and sliced along his hand with his opponent’s swing. Before long, the pressure of another body upon his own clicked within his mind, and after little more than a moment of debate, he holstered his gun before dropping the blade from the hand that initially held it, catching it within the then-freed one.[break][break]

As he was latched onto, he turned himself and rammed himself—back first—into the nearest wall, all while reversing the grasp of his rearmed hand an arcing it and stabbing the blade where the Leaguer's side would be behind him.[break][break]

---

BATTLE TL;DR[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Kaitiaki (Aggron) uses Rock Slide on Hideoyoshi (Mantine).
• Inigo has Faelan on his back, attempting to ram him against a wall. Also attempting to stab Faelan's side while he's on him.
• As of now, one of Inigo's hands is still trapped in place. Transferred his knife from that hand to his free one.

MP TRACKER (110 MP)[break]

SPOILER: Click to show

• Postdormitum Battle Participation (brackets) (+50 MP)
• IC Post (+10 MP)
  

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)
• Assist (+10 MP)

---

• IC Post (+10 MP)
• Assist (Pokemon) (+10 MP)

faelan foxgrove Kyrenai Black ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
outfit. on the nose, i know lmfao

☉