[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]It was odd to feel like the more battle-hardened partner on a Rocket mission for once, especially when Aurelie had gone on a few missions with some impressively seasoned Rockets in the past. Yet, as she glanced toward Xiura's homemade snacks and listened to her chatter perkily about the prospect of a picnic, the red-haired smith smiled fondly but couldn't help sighing too. Is this what Zev Harcourt felt like when I followed him around? she wondered, feeling a decidedly strange sense of kinship with the frightening hitman.

"Maybe we can have a picnic later," she replied gently, waving away the offer of a delicious-smelling potato puff. "Right now, we have business to attend to, remember? The Gardevoirs we're looking for?"

As if to underline her point, she pulled out a long black wig and oversized sunglasses from the backpack slung over her shoulder and slid them both on, taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around at the moment. The wig completely hid her distinctive red hair, and once the sunglasses were in place, Aurelie felt better taking off her equally distinctive eyepatch. She tucked it carefully into her pocket.

She repressed another sigh as she looked at Xiura happily munching another potato puff. Firstly, Aurelie regretted not tasting one, as she normally loved Xiura's cooking and baking. Secondly, she was annoyed with herself for not having the heart to chide her friend for bringing along such a fragrant snack in the first place. She feared the spicy, fried smell would cling to their clothes, making them noticeable to the Gardevoirs and memorable to any Rangers they might encounter.

But in this case, Aurelie had already brought something else that would also happen to take care of the issue of scent. She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out two flowing, woven ponchos, which she'd bought at a steep discount from the tailor whose shop neighbored hers in Lilycove City. Something about the customer canceling their original order at the last minute.

"Here," she said, handing one to Xiura. Lowering her voice as someone appeared at the other end of the sidewalk, Aurelie explained, "These will disguise us and keep people from easily seeing too many distinguishing features about our bodies. And we can take them off and throw them away afterward."

Aurelie took a deep breath, settling the blue-and-green poncho over herself. "I saw the forecast saying there were moderate rain chances today. And I saw a couple other people are carrying umbrellas, so hopefully wearing ponchos doesn't look too weird. Pull up the hood if you didn't bring anything like a mask or wig yourself," she added, eyeing Xiura's lovely purple hair.

She crossed her arms as they approached the edge of town and saw a sign pointing toward the nearby pond where Ralts and Gardevoirs reportedly tended to congregate. Taking a deep sigh, she turned to Xiura and raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "So? Are you ready?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie nodded approvingly when Xiura put up her hair and donned a short blond wig and fake glasses, and again when she mentioned using STRING SHOT to slow down the Gardevoir. She did sigh a little when Xiura then beamed perkily and saluted, unsure if she was being made fun of. Turning away, she looked over the pond area and was grateful to see not only the Ralts and Gardevoirs they'd come for but also no other people by the water to get in their way.

At least for now, she thought warily. Pursing her lips in thought, Aurelie decided she liked Xiura's idea of trapping the Pokemon before they could flee. As Xiura and her Beedrill readied themselves for action, the red-haired smith quietly dropped the Poke Ball she'd grabbed earlier back into her pocket and pulled out another.

"Let's make it even harder for them to get away," she murmured in a hushed tone. There was a gentle jingle as she released her Klefki, which hovered in place next to her, and pointed with her chin in the direction the trio of wild Gardevoir. "Edmée, use FAIRY LOCK, please. But don't get too close!"

Obediently, the Klefki glided ahead of them toward the pond, before stopping at the edge of FAIRY LOCK's range. The air around the Klefki shimmered with a suggestion of ethereal pink chains and padlocks, which floated toward the Gardevoir to restrict them from fleeing. The psychic Pokemon looked up at the unexpected disturbance, their roseate eyes widening and then narrowing when they noticed the Klefki, Beedrill, and, beyond them, the two humans in the clearing.

She drew in a long breath as the Gardevoir tried to back away from Xiura and her, only to be stopped by the FAIRY LOCK's invisible barrier. The Ralts who had been playing peacefully in the pond began to circle and weave hurriedly around them, evidently panicked.

"Good job, Edmée," Aurelie called softly to her Klefki. Turning to Xiura, she shifted her shoulders awkwardly under the unaccustomed weight of the artificial long black hair of the wig and gestured toward the Gardevoir. "This should be a good time to bind them with STRING SHOT so we can capture them in our empty Poke Balls."

Pulling said empty Poke Balls from her backpack, she handed one to Xiura. She also quietly put one hand on the Poke Ball she'd replaced, containing her Scizor, just in case they needed to fight off the Gardevoir if they got aggressive. "Ready? Let's make this quick."

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]When she heard the man's shout slicing the air and turned her head to see the familiar figure running toward them, Aurelie's first reaction wasn't shock, or anger, or even guilt. It was a jolt of déjà vu. Her first thought wasn't, Damn it, we've been caught! or What do we do now? but a resigned Oh no, not again.

She still vividly remembered Jack happening upon her and Zev Harcourt hunting Spoinks for their pearls on Mt. Chimney. She hadn't been able to look at a Corviknight in quite the same way for months afterward. Someday, perhaps, Jack would find out that she—and Xiura, for that matter—were Rocket members, but Aurelie hoped it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Now, while Xiura swiftly snared Jack with a STRING SHOT, Aurelie's mind began buzzing with options, ideas, and ramifications. If it had been any other Ranger, she might've tried to bluff it out and pretend they were ordinary confused citizens. But Jack would know our voices, I'm sure of it, she thought, and he'd wonder why we're wearing these wigs and ponchos.

For a moment, Aurelie regretted bringing the disguises and not letting Xiura set up a picnic like she'd daydreamed about earlier. That would've been the perfect way to disarm Jack's suspicions, she thought regretfully. An innocent picnic in Petalburg...

But how was I to know he'd be here? This isn't where he usually works, I thought. And now... Now, even if Aurelie could somehow figure out a convincing explanation for their disguises, she had no idea how to rationalize Xiura entrapping him with her Beedrill's STRING SHOT. Especially when Jack hadn't done anything but ask them what they were doing.

There was nothing to do but try to capture the Gardevoirs while Jack was stuck. Aurelie turned toward her Klefki. "Edmée, use MIRROR SHOT! Let's weaken them and then go for the catch."

As strong as they were against Fighting-type Pokemon, Gardevoirs didn't fare so well against Steel-type attacks. The obliging Klefki's energy attack caused one wild Gardevoir to crumple, its lovely face twisting in pain. Aurelie fumbled in her pocket for an empty Pokeball.

"Can you keep him occupied?" she hissed, glancing back toward Xiura. "We're so close..."

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Though Jack and Xiura were focused on each other, Aurelie could only partially monitor the conflict and drama unfolding between them and their Pokemon. The redhead's attention was mostly occupied by the Gardevoirs and Ralts, who—as soon as her Klefki used its MIRROR SHOT on them—turned toward her in unsettling, distinctly unfriendly unison.

Even as Aurelie pulled out a Pokeball and raised her arm for a throw, the Ralts clustered around the hurt Gardevoir and bent toward it. Waves of HEAL PULSES radiated from all of them, rapidly mending the Gardevoir's injuries. Meanwhile, realizing it could no longer flee, a second Gardevoir glided slowly and menacingly toward the Klefki and opened its mouth.

Aurelie cried out as the Gardevoir breathed a blast of MYSTICAL FIRE at her Klefki, causing it to shudder and drop in a dead faint. Wincing unhappily, she hastily started to put the empty Pokeball back into her pocket but then hesitated. Behind the Gardevoir who attacked her Klefki, Aurelie could see the healed Gardevoir rise back to its feet and advance with vengeance in its ruby-red eyes.

Only then did she also catch sight of Jack reaching for a second Pokeball from his belt. Aurelie swallowed hard, looking apprehensively from the group of angry Ralts and Gardevoirs to the equally angry Ranger. How much can the two of us afford to battle on multiple fronts? she wondered, thinking of her and Xiura's battle prowess.

Even as she reached for a Pokeball of her own, Aurelie winced again as the healed Gardevoir unleashed a MOONBLAST at the Kommo-o, shining with silvery lunar power. She hesitated again.

Then, biting her lip, the red-haired smith finally took a deep breath, shook her head sharply, and turned toward Xiura. "Never mind," she hissed quietly and succinctly. "We're outnumbered. Let's retreat."

It was hard for the impetuous smith to make a decision like that, but metalworking and life in Hoenn in general had taught Aurelie that sometimes it was better not to over-pursue a goal that was no longer feasible. She wondered if Xiura would agree with her assessment or argue they should keep on battling. We can catch Gardevoirs another time, Aurelie thought at her silently, and if we back off now, we can have that picnic you wanted after all...

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT