"Of course I am...." He stated to her simply as he stopped examining the tracks, and turned to face her with an easy smile on his lips. "While I understand it might be boring to you, the prospect of finding, and obtaining something no one else has yet is novel to me." Though if she truly understood he didn't really know. Amor was many things, billionaire, scientist, collector, obsessed. "Besides I'm curious to see how strong the creatures that live in this new world are, they could be useful in shoring up our own power. With the League gaining yet another avatar, and a powerful one at that....It's only prudent we try to strengthen not only each individual, but the whole of Rocket as well." There was an obvious displeasure on his face at the fact that Rocket was once again on the the backfoot.

Whether that was true or not, it was his opinion that with the League gaining Palkia it felt like Rocket was at a massive disadvantage once again. Perhaps not as bad as when he first joined, but a disadvantage nonetheless. With a sigh he went back to searching for more tracks, but that is when his Dragapult returned to him, and made a motion to up ahead. Following his dragons directions he found another trail, more sets of tracks in front of them. This was becoming more promising, and he gave his Dragapult a pat on the head.

"Between the two of us I think we can handle whatever comes our way, don't you Ms. Briarwood?" He said to her with another pleasant smile before continuing onward. Perhaps he was treating this trip a bit to leisurely, but the fact that he had his ghost dragon hidden in his shadow scouting around, at least alluded to him taking this seriously.

Alexandra Briarwood

1_BQw5ue

"Well I have no interest in letting you die as it were...." For one reason or another, he didn't elaborate on that, and at her words of choosing herself over him he just chuckled, and smiled at her brilliantly. "I'd expect nothing less, besides if I can't protect myself I don't deserve my rank as far as I am concerned." Was all he said to her before following the tracks further. Her Houndoom was sniffing around now, and that would help them as well, quirking a brow at her alluding to him getting soft, and kept his back to her, but he shook his head.

"No, lab work has not kept me out of shape on that I assure you....I'm in top form as always." Though that would mean nothing to her as they had never seriously fought one another. Walter would reprimand him for showboating, so he rarely fought unless forced. "Though there has been a question nagging at me, you don't have to answer of course...." He let the words hang in the air giving her time to compose herself.

"Why did you leave....? As far as I know, you were one of the strongest within Rocket, perhaps outranked by only two others, and only because I've never seen you fight them....It strikes me as odd, and out of character for you to just leave with no warning like that, despite us not knowing each other well." It was true, Amor could tell that she wasn't a deserter in the normal sense of the word. Had she been sent on another mission elsewhere? "My only answer is that declan walsh sent you on a mission elsewhere....Which I would have disagreed with him on, as we sorely needed your talents here. It has been...." He sighed a bit. "A mess to say less...." He laughed a bit.

Alexandra Briarwood

GHemp59l

Ignorance was truly bliss, and perhaps that is what allowed him to not feel threatened despite the tone of her words. Part of him wanted to rise up to the challenge, with his increase in rank his nose belonged in many places now, and there was a moment of defiance in his eyes when he looked back at her. But it passed, and he smiled at her just as easily as he had before, Amor was no stranger to keeping secrets. In fact he could count on one hand how many people knew his goals, and there was only one person who knew the name of said goal.

"You're right...." He sighed a bit at those words. "My apologies for the question." Whether she viewed his apology as genuine or not, he wouldn't know, but he trudged forward. "Curiosity killed the Meowth, after all." He said, and looked around for more tracks.

For as smart as he was, he was equally as stupid sometimes, and this was one of those rare moments where it showed, but as long as she didn't murder him outright. He figured he had a chance to salvage whatever was left of their excursion. Though now he would have to tread carefully on what he asked her from this point forward, and so a silence would befall the pair of them. The Tera Crystals around them were growing thicker the further they explored this place, and he stopped to observe them for a moment.

"This doesn't seem right...." His brow furrowed as he studied the crystals around them, all of them were glowing faintly, it was hard to see with the sun out, but it was there. "They are giving something power...." Another frown crossed his lips as he looked around. Why did it feel like he had been lured into a trap....

Alexandra Briarwood
rhJDTYVl (This is the Ariados, and Galvantula prompt, we can tackle it in our next posts!)

"Both of you, don't move....!" His voice was low, and while it might get him killed he started to reach out to grab her arm, but he stopped midway, and let his own fall to his side. Clenching his jaw as he looked down at the ground, and found himself stuck there for the moment. The webbing was extraordinarily thin, thin yet strong, and if it hadn't been for the glowing crystals he wouldn't have ever noticed it. "We are in a spiders nest....." He whispered to her, and he looked around at the cliffs that hovered on both sides of them, and he frowned. Now seeing the holes where they lay in wait for prey. At first it was Spinirak that were climbing out, just a few....Soon however Ariados followed them, and there was a small horde of the creatures coming towards them, but the strange thing was that they were all coated in a crystalline glow.

"They are drawing power from these crystals....." It was a unique glow, it wasn't like normal Terastalizing he could see that much from just a glance. However that didn't stop him from immediately summoning his Charizard, and letting it bellow flames towards the group of insects trying to close in on them. Amor was stuck, he had hoped that his warning go through to her fast enough so that she wouldn't wind up trapped like he was currently. "Just my luck...." He grimaced.

Alexandra Briarwood
72YaYZmY

Part of him wished he had worn his armor so that he could have hidden the surprise on his face when she opted to help him. Amor didn't understand why she would renege on her earlier words, it wasn't like he would say anything, or take any action against her if she did. It didn't matter at the moment the moment the way was cleared he raced after her, his Charizard covering their backs with it's raging flames, while her Houndoom cleared the way ahead. Considering how little they actually operated together their teamwork was quite admirable. If this could be called teamwork that is.

If there were more traps in front of them they were quickly burned away, and looking around he didn't seen more exiting from the sides of the cliffs, but there were more curious tracks on the ground as they ran past. He barely noticed them, his Charizard let out one more ferocious jet of flame releasing several Fire Spins behind them to barricade the way, and grant them all some reprieve. Hopefully the bug pokemon would just give up, and go back to their nest, and leave them be.

Once they were far enough away, and the heat of the flames died away, only then would Amor slow his pace, and only if Alexandra Briarwood did first. No use in being saved only to be left in the dust.

"I suppose I owe you one then...." He clicked his tongue making a 'tch' noise, but it was at himself mostly. It was annoying that he had allowed himself to fall into such a trap, and need to be saved in the first place. If she weren't there he probably could have made due, but it would have been far messier. He let his guard down, and it could have cost him. "As long as it's not unreasonable of course...." Amor wasn't someone who liked to be indebted to others, but he wouldn't be ungrateful either.

Alexandra Briarwood

qpNcLKhv

Amor was confused for a moment, but he didn't think to hard about it. He was being teased, and taunted nothing more, nothing less. All he could hope was that she wouldn't ask something unreasonable of him, but he would cross that bridge when he got there should it come to it. A crystalline forest stretched out in front of them, and he took a moment to drink it all in. Banishing all previous thoughts, he stayed a couple steps apart from her. No need to bump into her should she come to a sudden stop, his Charizard was still hovering behind him. Though he realized that he hadn't exactly told her what he was looking for.

"Ah my apologies for that...." He pulled out three folded pieces of paper, they contained sketches of the pokemon that he had seen in this place. A blue raptorlike pokemon, a red triceralike pokemon, and finally a yellow longneck pokemon. The sketches were the best he could throw together with the few glimpses he had managed to catch of them. "I'm looking for these....I would like a full set, but I'll settle for just one...." He explained to her not knowing how much she knew of the Paradoxmon.

"I think they will be particularly useful against certain individuals in the future, if they function like the other variants I have." He explained to her, but these three seemed far stronger than the other past variants he had in his arsenal.

Alexandra Briarwood

XdsNqijr