Ameena throws her pokeball with clinical precision to land atop the felled tree. Malamar appears above, using thunderbolt to summon lightning to strike the tree in two and give her an easy path to cross through the arboreal obstacle. Rocket caravans have been largely uninhibited by League interception, but who knew when they would lick their wounds enough to strike? [break][break]

She was sure the rebellion would come in waves. There were too many different elements for the League to address, to many gaping holes bleeding Hoenn dry. Rocket had less manpower, sure, but they answered to fewer constituents. There were less people to disappoint and they were less beholden to morale anyhow. [break][break]

The politics of their takeover was a drag, but the increased opportunity to cross paths with the one and only Montgomery makes it worth the trouble. [break][break]

"Long time no see," she greets warmly, though an outsider might mistake it for the teasing of a villain who continues to escape the hero. "I found myself in a bit of hot water with the bosses, so I will have to make this look good." Her gaze falls down him suggestively, though she's also taking inventory to know if he's already been roughed up by anyone else on the border of the territory. If she has to leave him with a shiner to sell the story, at least she can lick his wounds later.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP describe your character's pokeball throwing style.[break][break]

"Ah, so I am just another notch?" In your bedpost, she'd have said aloud if she was sure they had no listening ears. With her own Unown betraying her by not communicating the presence of Cillian, she had become more paranoid of Nomi's Unown surveilling her. [break][break]

She gave a curt nod, encouraging Malamar to attempt hypnosis on the Hisuian Zoroark. [break][break]

"I wonder where I have heard that before." She alluded to their first meeting with a confident smirk. "You may need some back-up to handle me." Her eyes glittered with the mischief she felt. Malamar was a more recent acquisition of hers, inspired by her meeting with MAKI YUKIMURA whose pokemon seemed rather capable in their short time together. [break][break]

She spread her arms out wide, as if saying come at me. "Impress me."

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread)[break][100mp][break]

Underneath the stress of lying, there was a twinge of thrill. More than that, performing as an actor against Montgomery to keep up appearances - a delusion he contributed to, too - was fun. "I hope that honor keeps your grave warm," she taunted, playing the part of the confident villain easily. [break][break]

His Zoroark transformed into a visage of Malamar, which Ameena hadn't expected, but which she would brute force her way through. "Tera," she instructed, and Malamar terastallized with dark tera before following through with a night slash, charging forward through the shadow ball to strike the Zoroark. [break][break]

"You could still join the winning team, you know."

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties[break]
50 MP have an antagonistic exchange of dialogue between your character and another writer's character or NPC[break]10 MP terastallize your own pokemon in your thread.[break][230mp][break]

That was an interesting response. [break][break]

"Winning isn't enough reason for you?" She took easy strides to the side of the fight, as if circling their pokemon. She got a new perspective as she watched the Tinkaton kiss at her Malamar. The terastallized pokemon struggled to keep its gaze straight as a result. Ameena rolled her eyes. "You can play little games," she insisted, "but the stakes will continue to rise." How much of it was a script? How much of it was a lead-in for Malamar's next move? [break][break]

She chuckled. "Bring the sky down, Mal." Malamar would struggle to see straight, but this technique didn't require it: he used gravity to apply pressure to all of them in the area. She knew how to continue to adjust when the odds were stacked against you. The human body had several pressure points, tactics had several approaches, and their conversation had several twists. But all of it would always come down to a victory for her; she was a bullet shot from a gun, her trajectory decided just like her target, and she would not be deterred. [break][break]

Not until her dreams came true.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP showcase your own character's strength(s) meaningfully.[break]
50 MP have your character learn something from the other character.[break][340mp][break]

She liked when he spoke about justice. A man with conviction was attractive. That said, his moral compass could use a little tweaking for her tastes. If he sought justice, she wanted him to do it more... freely. [break][break]

"Justice is not an end goal but a process," she argued as Malamar struck the impending Tinkaton with a superpower. [break][break]

She wondered if he would really pull away from the police department and fully consider taking things into his own hands. She had the resources to assist him. "Tell me, Deputy," she said as she took a few steps towards him, "who needs justice the most?"

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP have your character learn to respect another character in some way.[break]
50 MP have your character self-doubt or cast doubt on another's confidence/allegiances/beliefs, etc.[break][450mp][break]

At his core, he valued people. [break][break]

It was exploitable. The baseline desire to serve and protect people could be served by her side or even fully independent as a vigilante without her resources; he did not need to stay so strongly with the League nor within its legal system to accomplish such a noble goal. As the world complicated his role, he would get pushed out of it naturally. He would inevitably be forced to choose between helping the innocent and pushing a League agenda. [break][break]

Malamar fainted. Slowbro took his place, generating a psychic terrain. A toxic chain hung from its neck. [break][break]

"Innocent people lived in Sootopolis, too. League interference caused the flood that killed and displaced thousands. Or do they not count because they were worthwhile sacrifices to the League agenda?" Her tone is light, too light for the subject matter, but she only wants to provoke a thought exercise. They are allies outside of this battle, and it is only for appearances that they fight. She's too opportunistic to pass up the opportunity to prod his moral defenses, but she won't press so hard as to damage him. Not mentally, at least... she looked forward to dressing his wounds later. For a brief moment, she regretted bringing it up at all.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES –
50 MP have your character make a regrettable decision or make a sacrifice.[break]
50 MP have your character's Pokemon symbolize or represent in some way, the condition of your character.[break][570mp][break]

He reminded her of Gwendolyn Conway, a young Ranger and science-aligned mentee that fought ferociously and with principle. The redhead had inspired Ameena to reach out more to those outside of Rocket. She wouldn't be so amenable to Montgomery without the earlier success with Gwen that made it all possible to imagine a world with League allies -- ones she fully intended to convert, but still. [break][break]

His pokemon struck with a fake out late into the battle, but it still threw Slowbro off his rhythm. He launched a psychic at the glowing Skarmory, which was good, because Ameena was stunned at the sight of it.[break][break]

She'd killed his original Skarmory. "And who is this?" What was the story? She had nothing but questions. She figured it would be beneficial to back off the civilian angle, something that seemed like a raw wound for him. It suggested... well, that he might be more open to the vigilante concept than she had thought he would be at this stage. She wanted to celebrate such a success, but she didn't believe in celebrating too early. The light of the Skarmory reflected the brightness that Montgomery offered her life, some recurring image to remind her that she wanted the light he offered her in a dark, unforgiving world.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – 50 MP include a motif or recurring symbol of some kind in your thread.[break]
50 MP pace your narrative accordingly by featuring a "back and forth" in terms of advantage and raising the stakes until the climax.[break]
50 MP have your character become inspired or consoled by another writer's character (tag them).[break][IDK mp must calc prev post still][break]