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It's one thing to know that you lost one of your strongest Pokemon. And for Ashley, he had little time to mourn. Once Jayden helped pick him up, he had to bandage himself up quickly. Luckily the shot to his head was a graze, but his face was covered in bandages. Man even realigned his own nose. That's how messed up that last fight was.[break][break]

His vision was shaky. His legs trembled. But he was still walking. Not because he wanted to, but that he had to. Jubilee, Sushi, Bullet, Pluto. Bongo. He had fire in his eyes.[break][break]

In the distance, another guy. He couldn't catch a break. First francie myrtle , then ollie morales , Greyson Connors , paxton concordas , and now this guy. He was just trying to keep others from getting inside before, keeping the comm towers safe. But those last two really did a number on him. But Unovan streetfights build strong guys, and he had worked out recently.[break][break]

His eyes clash, as he grabs the wall to hold onto. Maybe it was anger that this guy was yelling to kill him. Or maybe... "Fuck off." Out comes Chad, his Mankey. Mankey was still fresh, she hadn't hurt a singular foe. So that meant, she was ready to roll, and that green monkey gets into an angry, defiant-riddled stance. "I'm gettin' sick... of you goddamn Leaguers." He's panting already. "Bud... run'em down." And Chad has both arms behind her as she runs, and comes too the Zweillous with a CROSS CHOP.[break][break]

His vision is still shaky. He has to keep himself stable. The cave wall is his support.

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So, there's an immediate conflict that plays on Ashley's face. On the one hand, he wants to believe the guy, really. The League was a ship perpetually burning and letting crime happen beneath their very nose; it's why he left twice now. The first time, a foster kid disillusioned, the second a League civilian bitter from their lack of omnipotence.[break][break]

But on the other hand, this guy could easily be lying.[break][break]

It becomes a lot harder to see it that way when he's offered water and pills. And while he doesn't get the pills, he does take the water, practically collapsing and leaning against the wall. Poison or not, he had no idea how thirsty he had actually been. But... hearing that the paperwork was in transit, Ashley begins to... laugh.[break][break]

It's not a fully sane laugh. It's an exasperated, 'holy shit are you kidding' kind of laugh. At that moment, he leans back, uncomfortable by the wounds on his bandaged face. And he pats the guy on his shoulder.[break][break]

"Shit. Sorry. Misjudged you." He would pant quietly, watching Chad slap that Cross Chop down, before the Outrage blasted her away and tumbling. She was still a Mankey, and she was still getting thrown around like a rag doll. Too tiny, as she forces herself back to her feet.[break][break]

"... you know what? I actually don't mind this now. After the hell of Landon Cassidy and Greyson... this is just... chill." He wipes at his face again. "Sawyer. You?"[break][break]

Taking her moment to get back up, she gets angry, and begins racing back, pounding the ground and throwing out a flurry of a THUNDER PUNCH, angry. She was getting angrier and angrier... and beginning to glow from it too.

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The other juniors? Huh. Come to think of it, he doesn't recall many if any of them. Most of them... huh. He's been so busy with his own shit, he hasn't thought about them. Maybe it's the bank heist? He knows Gerald and Makoto, well, by dossier. But his circle is so small lately.[break][break]

He scowls.[break][break]

"'fraid not, Sharpe." He rubs the back of his neck, feeling it crack... and for the first time today, laughs. He laughs quietly towards the guy. Not at him, no, at the situation. "Must have done a number on you, man." He's cackling now, grabbing at his face, and slowly groans in pain. Dammit. Landon did him a hefty beating. "Can't blame you. Though I prefer someone who can think circles around me over beating circles out of me. That's why I fell for my boyfriend."[break][break]

He smiles quietly and grips his hand to shake. And with it, merely watches Chad and the Zweilous go at it. Though the Thunder Punch was ineffective, the burst of white light as the shiny green monke grew, and with her two fists, catch both heads from the Outrage, a green Primeape staring at the dark dragon, and readying to off him... if that was what Ash wanted.[break][break]

Ash shakes his head.[break][break]

"Don't misread of the situation. Go easy on them. They're chill." Chad nods, slightly dejected that she doesn't get to attack at full force. She backs up, throwing a new attack altogether; a RAGE FIST, the ghostly fist thrown forward, as Ashley returns his attention to Milo.[break][break]

"You flatter me. But I lose more than I win. Should have been there in Mt. Pyre, me and my buddy practically won a hostage situation. Still have nerve damage from it. Or the Carvanha that stuck a tooth through my arm months before that." He grins quietly. Though the blood it spilled was worse than anything else. But the mention of... a Luka Chene, has him shrivel, and lean back. Because he thinks of Blondie (francie myrtle ), and Shalin Nariya , and then a number of Leaguers that weren't shit too. He shrivels up.[break][break]

With a sigh, he just looks down to his hands. Bandaged up. "You're gonna meet a lot more people like her. For every shit Leaguer, there's another one who isn't so bad. Just like Rocket." He quietly smiles down.[break][break]

Isaac Merlo was right. He wasn't an awful person. Just took (potentially) losing another Pokemon to reinforce that. "Why do you want to be in Rocket, anyway? Money? Power? ... romance?" He can't blame the last one.

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He chuckles again. "Don't I know it." He's laughing again, all while Chad helps the dragon up, and pats it of the dust all over them. At the very least, the two-headed dragon was gonna be treated nicely by Chad, who just wanted to fight more. And once the Greninja came out, she bounces, only to get hit with Extrasensory. And it has her writhing on the ground, beating her head into it. Psychic shit? Not good for Chad.[break][break]

Ash quietly looks up. "Met my boyfriend on a day I was going to eat lunch with another friend. Unrelated. They ditched. Found him and my best friend buying groceries and decided to cook them sushi. I guess I was really into him, because yeah. I was originally out to meet my friend. Instead, found out I was smitten with this sassy guy. It was like everything made sense. So I feel you." His memories of kepler brueshaber are fond, and he just hopes the boy can hear him say it all. To let him know he was okay, after his inning with Landon (paxton concordas ).[break][break]

He didn't find it necessary to go into detail about the trick or treat date that led back to his place on the couch. Both of their lips were kind of sealed that night.[break][break]

Milo really was a newbie, so at least he could help inform. "Ever hear of Meteno? Big doomsday meteor. Mt. Pyre was a warzone." War never changed. Neither did PTSD. As Chad goes in for a THUNDER PUNCH again, the monkey making snarling noises to punch this frog in the face, Ashley just listens.[break][break]

He leaves the part out of the Leaguers that are more humane. It was easier that way to fight them. If they aren't his friend, they'd be easier to fight. But that was such a lonely way of living.[break][break]

Better than being subject to Walsh's wrath.[break][break]

His comment on ruining his life for a girl has him snicker, but hearing the guy speak about being blackmailed leaves a bad taste in his mouth. "Ah." He looks away. "Which one? Actually... don't answer that. If you've found kindred spirits like I did, you're probably in for the long haul regardless." He leans back a bit, and pulls his mask down. "Guess you found another. Foster kid, and boy did I let everyone around me know it till I joined Rocket as a teenager. Then I left, nearly got killed for being a traitor, and came back."

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Ash feels himself grin, as Chad was bombarded endlessly with Water Shuriken. She wasn't even trying to dodge anymore, taking each shuriken with a defiant, angry look in her eye, as she gets even more irrate, and attempts to beat the ground around her in sheer defiance. Attempting to rush the frog, she comes in with another RAGE FIST, throwing it at the Greninja with white-hot-fury within her gaze. Her veins were positively POPPING.[break][break]

"I suppose. After making him sushi, I wanted to see him again. So I asked him out to trick or treat, and I woo'd him. Suddenly, we're at my place, and the rest is history. I was down bad." He goes on to explain. No need for gratuitous saucy detail.[break][break]

He remembers so easily. The southern Unovan dialect, knowing the people around. The first kiss in the streets of Slateport. It's cheesy, but Sharpe isn't wrong. Like a movie almost.[break][break]

Course, as Milo goes on about it being Mint, Ash's eyes widen. "Damn. He's more dangerous than I gave him credit for... first met him last summer when we had a butt battle on a float."[break][break]

And he did not elaborate further.[break][break]

The idea of family they get to choose rung so true. "Try to befriend them while you can. Things in Rocket get muddied real quick. Better to have that family on your side than let them have a reason to let you die." He smirks to Milo.[break][break]

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Once you rest up, that is."

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What makes it fascinating, is that as the Water Shuriken comes in, the Primeape would beat on the ground again, the green arms flailing. And the moment that frog was down, she would pass out, the adrenaline no longer driving her. It seems it was a double knockout, to such a degree that Chad would do so standing up.[break][break]

Returning Chad to the Pokeball, he gestures towards the Pumpkaboo. "Take five, little one." He was enjoying the conversation, so at the very least he wanted to prolong it a little.[break][break]

Suffered way too much physical and emotional abuse to want to finish it prematurely.[break][break]

"Yeah. Mint just has that kinda power. What can you do? You get drinks with the guy, and-" ... nope, he didn't know Sharpe enough to get into that conversation. Grabbing the bridge of his nose, he shakes his head. "He's good like that."[break][break]

The number on a scrap of paper is nice, and as he looks it over, and nods, he groans in pocketing it, hoping it doesn't get too bloody. "You're alright." He pats a hand on his shoulder. "For what its worth, you got a friend in Rocket now." He lets go, and then with a Pokeball, releases his Scorbunny. He hadn't seen action much at all today.[break][break]

"Sunny. No Fire-Type attacks. Just show that little ghost what you got." With a salute, Sunny conjures an Electro Ball, and proceeds to bicycle kick it towards the Pumpkaboo. Ineffective moves should help assist things moving forward.[break][break]

Now, while they fight...[break][break]

"You're down two to one right now. Though I think Chad just got sapped of her energy."

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The Pumpkaboo was sweet, a cute little thing, and so as the Leech Seed came Sunny's way, as the little bunny smiles, he stays in place. To try and help the little ghost tree out, he purposefully lets himself get hit, the other two seeds clinging on him, as he uses AGILITY, activating LIBERO to become Psychic Type. He gained speed.[break][break]

As the conversation went on.[break][break]

"Between you and me, I had a similar experience with Mint after the butt battle, but uh. That's ancient history." As ancient as 9 months can get someone, but well, he wasn't ever going to tell that to another soul. No chance in hell. He hadn't even told Isaac or Jayden.[break][break]

He found himself perplexed. Maybe he didn't hate Jayden as much. He winces, silver eyes downcast.[break][break]

"Yeah. Don't be like me, man. Cherish your friends. They'll... always be there for you. Thick and thin. So be there for them too." He tries to wince, and leans back. A scowl on his face.[break][break]

"Nuff feelin' sulky. We should go drinking sometime. We'll get some of your other juniors too. On me. Sides, I'm coming into a lot of money soon enough." He offers, a slight smirk on his face now. A little arrogance never hurt anyone.

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