It doesn’t take long to list the avatars Lex has met. It hasn’t been many, but they have all left sours tastes in her mouth and a knife firmly planted in her back, “They’ve all been assholes,” she comments with distaste. A personal opinion, of course, stemming from experience. They had power, and they used it, “How do you feel you fair against them? Could you hold your own if they tried to kill you?”

Shadow Gardevoir can feel the tension building in her master. Its irritating, and she takes it out on a passing Dusclops by nearly ripping it apart with PSYCHIC. Lex winces at the obvious display of aggression, perhaps noting her own growing frustration, “Sorry,” she whispers to the Shadow pokemon, tossing a pokeball at the barely conscious Dusclops.

THEO BECKETT
Catch attempt for Dusclops!
-5 premier balls

If Lex really thought about it, she would probably have to say her favorite thing outside of work as spending time with Killian Decker. But is that really a hobby? Not really. But she is sure she would enjoy whatever it is they did as long as it was together. Between settlinginwith Deoxys and now Meteno looming over them, they hadn’t had much time together. Of course, Lex wouldn’t admit this ‘weakness’ to a stranger such as Kepler, but it’s no secret her fiancé is her world.

The Chandelure falls easily to the ELECTROWEB that engulfs it. It tries to escape it with fire but the electricity only cracks strong at the heat. Lex tosses another pokeball to snag the ghost.

“What’s Pinterest?” she asks casually, moving to retrieve that pokeball as well.

kepler brueshaber
Catch attempt for Chandelure!
- 11 pokeballs
Duo Wild (water/ghost)

Lex picks up the pokeball to tuck away with the others. This was already proving to be a successful trip.

“There is,” she confirms, turning back towards Dione, “Shedinja, it’s a rather interesting creature,” she had recently seen one on the trip here with THEO BECKETT, “Do you like bugs then?” she asked, assuming so since that seemed to be of particular interest to her.

“Ghosts are fascinating,” she simply states, “And I don’t know. I’m just . . . drawn to them. We have similar personalities,” loners, keeping to the shadows, stealth. They were very useful in her line of work.

Suddenly, the tombstones shimmer with crimson writing, shifting and lifting out of the ground and forming into a Runerigus. It doesn’t quite get the chance to finish its MEAN LOOK. The equine intercepts and strikes by BULLDOZING right over the ghost type. Lex tries to catch it by tossing an empty pokeball.

Dione Sutoringu
-4 premier balls
Catch attempt for Runerigus!

A lot of things surprised Lex: Killian Decker’s acceptance of a parasite living inside him, Rocket thinking it’s a good idea to mine a meteor as The League tries to blast it away, Rocket wanting to take Littleroot of all places. Really she’s been noting but surprised recently. But, she’s come to expect these sort of things in Hoenn. The region was a fucking mess, and she missed Johto.

Fun enough, what surprised Lex the most was hearing from Yumi Hasegawa. It’s a name, and a woman, she hadn’t thought about in . . . years probably. There was the brief inclination to say goodbye before she ran but that would have been stupid. Just like everyone else in her life, she sealed Yumi up in a corner of her mind and locked her away.

A year ago, Lex would have run, assuming that the woman was somehow here to spy on her, take her back to Johto, claim the bounty on her head. Of course, that was ridiculous. Yumi wasn’t the type to get her hands that dirty. So, Lex agreed to a meeting.

Still, she’s paranoid. She’s been stabbed in the back too many times to not be careful.

It wasn’t hard to find her in the courtyard. It was rather empty with everyone preparing for the assignments after Walsh’s directions. Even through the haze of the phantom plane, Lex could see she was still beautiful, with the same piercing violet gaze and confident aire surrounding her. She wondered if Yumi would accept the ‘new Lex’. She had changed quite a bit. There’s only one way to find out.

The Shadow Gardevoir released her hold on the phantom plane. The haze dissipated as Lex stepped through back into realty in front of Yumi. The black miasma at her heels crawled across the manicured grass. A large, clawed hand rested over her shoulder, and slowly pulled back as the Shadow Gardevoir once again returned to her plane.

“Yumi,” there is a small smile that crept into the corner of her lips, “I was surprised to hear from you.”

Yumi Hasegawa
+ Hi, friend(?)!
OUTFIT

The Beast hated venturing into the Space-Time distortions. She found the risk greater than the reward. Afterall, she wasn’t going to do anything with these damned Yellow Shards. Apparently, Rocket scientists were able to construct something with them which also made her less inclined to turn them in. Instead, she should sell ‘em off to someone else.

She really needed to get over her visceral hatred of Rocket’s scientific department.

“Hope it’s worth the effort,” her own yellow shards clang together as she tosses them into her own backpack. There’s a little more commotion as she swings the backpack onto her back and laces her arms through the straps.

Lex liked this one, Zev Harcourt. He is quiet, focused on his work, and good at what he does. There wasn’t a single moment she felt the need to interfere with his progress and he didn’t interfere with hers. Best of all, he wasn’t trying to be her friend. For an organization brimming with broody criminals, you’d be surprised how many annoyed the piss out of her with small talk and incessant tapping at her personal bubble.

“Yeah, let’s get outta here,” a sharp whistle leaves her scarlet lips, calling the Gengar back to her own shadow. Her gazes fixes on her own shadow, expecting to see the Gengar meld with it, but nothing happens, “I’m gonna kill him,” Again. The rather obedient ghost’s retaliation is unsettling. So, Lex turns her gaze to the tree line around them. Something is off.

Zev Harcourt
+ Onward!

Indeed she would be here soon. In fact, she was already there, simply peering through the hazy veil of the phantom plane. Her eyes are trained on the man in question: onyx straub. Lex didn’t trust anyone, especially those she didn’t have a fairly good idea what their deal was. Onyx is a complete stranger and there was little to find on his association with Rocket. She has been stabbed in the back too many times to not be careful.

When she’s satisfied this isn’t some sort of an ambush, the Shadow Gardevoir released her hold onto the phantom plane and allows Lex to step into reality, surprisingly close to Onyx. She’s wearing her staple leather jacket, hands shoved into the pockets as she cocks a hip to the side. Judgmental amber eyes don’t hide her concern, “You look a little worse for wear. Should you even be here?” Lex hated a waste of her time, and if this was going to be a waste of her time she wouldn’t hesitate to leave.

onyx straub
+ Hi

Amidst the SANDSTORM, Lex can barely make out the silhouettes of the two. The wind is soon strong enough to drown out their words. Thankfully, Lex is fast, and when Jayden swoops overhead with the Dragapult and an outstretched hand, Lex it quick to grab it and allow the Admin to pull her up to find a grip on the dragon. The Aegislash sinks back into the shadows, racing after them in a SHADOW SNEAK

“Let’s go! We can’t waste all our energy here, the Primal Node doesn’t matter,” they had other obligations, and more League patrons to stall.

---

+ John Sullivan & jayden cross
+ Aegislash returns
+ Lex flees with Jayden

TOTAL: 110 MP

DONATING

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS!

DONATING: 240 MP TO TEAM ROCKET vs. Matias - Lex has now hit her 1000 max!

Melinoe can feel the bear fight against the HYPNOSIS. It's consciousness slips in and out of reach. Hungrily, the Gardevoir advances, leaning into the pokemon as if struggles to stay awake. The ghost's lip curve into a toothy smile, pursing to inhale invade the Urshifu's dreams, sucking the life force from it to heal her own wounds and fill her belly.

Of course, trapped within the SPRINGTIDE STORM, Lex doens't see the EARTH SPIKE coming. All she sees is bright white as the force of the EXPLOSION knocks her off her feet and into a nearby PRECIPICE BLADE. The crack against the pillar is sickening, but somehow she can still manage to feel all her fingers and toes. They move slowly as her own consciousness struggles to stay with her. A cough, a deep inhale. Pain shoots through her side forcing another cough that tastes like blood. Broken ribs? Probably.

She won't last longer against many more of Matias's EARTH SPIKES. Not after that blow. She manages the reach to her waist, unhitching another pokeball from her belt. An Aegislash slides out from the light, a SHEIDL FORM ready to protect her if he tries to hit her while she slowly recovers and rises to her feet, leaning against the pokemon for support.

Fuck. Maybe she was in over her head with this one. A frustrated and bitter glare narrows in Matias's direction, the shimmer of Groudon's crimson through the smoke is enough to keep her from advancing, ready to call back the Gardevoir once she's had her fill of the Urshifu.

---

+ MATIAS SILPH challenges Lex to a battle
+ S!Gardevoir uses DREAM EATER nomnomnom
+ Lex get's fucked uuuup, time to bounce??

TOTAL: 120 MP

PSYCHIC proves difficult to hold against the IRON HEAD. The palpable energy can't apply enough pressure to compress past the steel. Frustration grows in the Gardevoir as she's set on the Urshifu's annihilation. So much so she succumbs to the rush of the IRON HEAD. The force knocks her back into a daze.

It does give the Urshifu enough time to unleash the fae energy onto Lex. The Beast curses as the storm swallows her in a blizzard of pink and orange. It cuts at her face, her arms, her legs, tearing slices into the fabric, some deep enough to draw blood.

Although it takes a moment for the Gardevoir's gaze to adjust and narrow on the Urshifu, she makes the best of SPRINGTIDE STORM distraction, and attempts another blast of HYPNOTIC power to lull the pokemon to sleep.

---

+ MATIAS SILPH challenges Lex to a battle
+ S!Gardevoir is struck with IRON HEAD
+ Lex is struck with SPRINGTIDE STORM
+ Gardevoir uses the distraction to try her hand at another HYPNOSIS

TOTAL: 110 MP

A subtle sparkle of lights was all it took for the Manectric to cause a bit of as mess. In its confused state, the girl was obviously in danger. She was tacked in for a gentle jaunt around the track. Just as she suspected, the Gym Leader was quick to jump into action. Forever the heroes. How predictable.

With both sets of eyes fixed on the Manectric, Wisp decides to take a stab at the Glaceon that rode with another rider. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn’t, maybe they were on edge enough to suspect it, but the Haunter tries anyway, another subtle sparkle of lights swirling around the head of the Glaceon in an attempt to CONFUSE it.

Josh Devlin & John Sullivan
Wisp uses another CONFUSE RAY to attempt to confuse INKY this time!

Let the boys bicker. Lex wasn’t here to talk. There would be no convincing either side they were wrong. Eye on the prize, but don’t die.

THUNDER vibrated the air around them and the Aegislash’s KING’S SHEILD immediately flared to life. The ghost encased itself within an impenetrable barrier, safe from the numbing effect of the THUNDER WAVE.

Although the two original pokemon returnd to their pokeballs, Lex would be daft to think it was over. They were battling against a previous gym leader and Hoenn Captain. He wouldn’t give up that easily. A sharp whistle call the Aegilsash back towards her. The pokemon melts back into it’s shadow which stretches past the webs and to Lex’s side. Time to regroup and see what Doug had in store.

An intimidating Tyranitar took the stage, rattling the ground with a vicious EARTHQUAKE. Lex braced herself, finding purchase on the shield of the Aegislash that formed beside her. The residual effects of TELEKINESIS keep the pokemon from controlling its own levitation, and the two fall, the shield on top of the Beast.

When she rises, she can barely see through the sandstorm, squinting against it to try and find Jayden’s shadow amongst the rocky protrusions.

---

+ John Sullivan & jayden cross
+ Aegislash returns to Lex
+ They both fall due to EARTHQUAKE and she’s looking for Jayden like ’what should we do now?’

TOTAL: 100 MP

Matias was already a volatile being, but it seemed Lex struck a chord. He lashed out with words and more spikes, sending the thief on the run to avoid being impaled. Her chest heaved with labored breath, a smile lighting up the otherwise dark features of her face, “Sensitive, I see,” and just to be a thorn in the side, she pokes the bear, “Wonder what your girlfriend would think about that. Killing? Tsk tsk,” his personal life isn’t really personal, especially for how well known the both of them are. It’s no secret the professor is a little goody-two-shoes.

DETECT, the bane of any opponent’s existence. The fist ignites, warmth blooming amongst the cold presence of the ghost. With only one arm, she knows where the attack is coming from and a shift back to keep out of the Urshifu’s reach.

The ghost creates space between them, raising an arm towards the beast. Her fingers curl, tendrils of PSYCHIC energy aiming to curl around the pokemon’s neck. The unseen force grow tighter . . . tighter . . . tighter. She’ll squeeze until she sees the life leave the pokemon’s eyes.

---

+ MATIAS SILPH challenges Lex to a battle
+ Lex continues to be an idiot and poke the bear
+ Gardevoir barely dodges the FIRE PUNCH
+ Gardevoir tries to choke the Urshifu out with PSYCHIC

TOTAL: 100 MP