Lex holds her breath as the DEFOG kicks up a suitable wind strong enough to deter the spores from traveling any further. It releases in a relieved sigh when they no longer rain down over them. It’s obvious they are meant to hinder, so Lex attempts to brush them off, only to find them relentlessly sticking to her. Fucking, spores.

The feeling of relief is fleeting, just like the bright light cast by the Rocket Beast, bryan delarosa. It only lasts for a moment, but a strange symbols he doesn’t recognize becomes clear. Lex’s priorities lie elsewhere, and she scans the brief surroundings for any sign of Killian Decker and Deoxys. Unfortunately, they remain obscured by the alien’s strange ability to camouflage.

Luckily, Martín del Mar seems to know what to do.

But before they can act, Katherine Fairburne’s savage attack does its damage.

PROTECT YOURSELF.

A pokeball splits open to release a Omastar, the pokemon’s tentacles rise and create a PROTECTIVE barrier that shields the thief from Jester’s Demise. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Mandibuzz that has followed Killian Decker towards the tree. As instructed, it attempts to shield Killian Decker from the blast, only to be blown into chunks of feathery flesh.

In a frantic attempt to rid Lex of the spores, the Omastar uses it’s many tentacles to pluck the remaining seed off. As tendrils sprout, they bury into the pokemon’s blue flesh. It darkens, transitioning into black. The soft tissue crystalize and spread like a disease until the pokemon is no longer an Omstar, just a dark, black, crystal statue of what it once was.

Fuck, this bitch sucks.

There’ no time to mourn. Whatever is happening, needs to be stopped. Kicking the crystalized Omastar away, the Beast’s gaze falls onto the boy the Martín del Mar points towards: Hideo Kino.

“On it,” If that boy could help end this, lex would drag his scrawny ass across this dark field whether he liked it or not. A flash of light releases her own Zebstrika. In a swift movement, the woman mounts the mare that bolts forward in a gallop with the aid of AGILITY.

Sparks flash from the WILD CHARGE to light their way, “C’mon, kid, you’re going this way,” her voice carries over the steady beat of hooves. Her own Zebstrika strikes out and nips at his stallion’s haunches to herd them towards Martín del Mar. She holds a pokeball at the ready, a sacrifice to protect the boy that is apparently part of the key to this gruesome puzzle.

Killian Decker & Martín del Mar & Hideo Kino

- Mandibuzz dies due to Jester’s Demise
- Omastar uses PROTECT
- Omastar dies from the spores
- Lex follows Martín del Mar’s orders and mounts her own Zebstrika to force help Hideo Kino reach where he needs to go

Dp727ZNp

To reach for him is instinct, rooted deep in her muscle memory. He’s always been a safe space and his touch always brought comfort. Even after she realizes what she’s done, she doesn’t let go. Instead, she freezes like a Deerling caught in the headlights.

She can sense his tension, and when there’s no reaction she slowly withdraws her touch, tucking her arm back under the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, “Sorry, I-,” Forgot? She hadn’t forgotten.

Silence blankets them as she stares at his back. It takes everything in her to not reach out and embrace him and run her fingers across the muscular ripples of his shoulders. Though he can’t see it, she smiles, lightening the mood, “Smart? When have I ever done anything smart?”

Lex pauses for a moment, “Well, besides agreeing to marry you,” that was a smart move.

Killian Decker

All of the sudden, the tension is there, so heavy she feels like it’s weighing down on her chest. Her heart stirs, fueled by a light presence of adrenaline secondary to the pressure.

As soon as Killian suggests leaving, she quick to counter, “No,” her hand slips out from beneath the blanket, reaching to gently touch his arm, “No, please don’t,” guilt suddenly grips her throat, it’s her fault for reacting that way, “I just . . . need to get used to it.”

Killian Decker

Her amber eyes rolled when he called her sleeping beauty as she stepped further into the warmth of the bathroom. As she gets closer, she noticed the change in his eyes. It’s something she’s not used to yet. Their night almost made her forget Deoxys even existed.

Lex pauses, taken back by the presence of the alien. Her eyes grew wide and for a moment she tightened the blanket around her as if a stranger was watching.

“Um, no, it’s fine,” her gaze focuses on the crimson eye, “Good morning, Deoxys,” there’s almost a bitterness to her tone, annoyed at the reminder that the alien is there.

Killian Decker

Alexander Stone. Who didn’t know who he was?

Was.

He should be dead. His presence disturbed Hoenn’s already fragile balance. They need to end it.

Beside the lumbering Dhelmise, Lex chooses to release a different ghost, a Jellicent . The bright blue jellyfish floats ominously beside the ghostly anchor. To the side of the ghost she crosses her arms over her chest, glaring across the empty space at Alexander and Tapu Fini.

“Yet?” Misty Terrain bleeds from Tapu Fini, a familiar sight.

The Jellicent takes it as a threat, stirring and wiggling its tentacles. Purple oozes from his body, leaking from him like poisonous sweat. The ACID ARMOR solidifies, raising its defense sharply.

His promise means nothing. He won’t accomplish his goals, not in their city, “You picked a fight showing up here,” her gaze shifts to Tapu Fini, she mostly speaks to the legendary at this point. She hasn’t forgotten their encounter at the Tree of Life. It’s unavoidable at this point, his demise is imminent. They would return from where they came.

nina larson & ALEXANDER STONE & FERNANDO SILPH

Jellicent Uses ACID ARMOR

REDEEMING

from her inventroy

1X TM/TR (0 PD) -> Jellicent learns Sludge Bomb and forgets Night Shade

TOTAL

do come again!

0 PD

It is Chu-e Choi. She had only interacted with the Underboss briefly, but he was unmistakable. Her lips pressed into a tight line, dread crawling over her body like a hundred spinarak. Goose bumps rose across her skin and she instinctively moved closer to Killian, a hand reaching out to grip his jacket tightly. As roots rose and impaled the Beheeyem, it disappeaeds in sparkle of dark crystals, consumed by the tree itself. It reminded her of the way the deceased pokemon disappeared when they ventured inside the tree. But this was darker, more unsettling.

The Beast’s expression grew stern. Her brows pinched into a creased line as her jaw tightened. A mass of Rocket and League against a tree and dark figure – the odds should be in their favor.

Then why did it not feel that way?

BLACK SPORES descended around them, shortly followed by DARKNESS. It’s a darkness she’s never seen, not even comparable to the phantom realm. It was oppressive, impenetrable. If she had been at the Teahouse, it may look familiar.

The pokeball plucked off her waist opened to reveal a Mandibuzz. The avian floated above them, barely visible in dark, “Get rid of these!” she hissed, already feeling he sticky spores clinging other bare skin. They’re heavier than they should be.

The Mandibuzz snapped its beak together with a click, her wings unfurled to their full length. A strong wind kicked up the dirt beneath their feet, an attempt to DEFOG the surrounding area and clear it off the hindering spores.

“Killian, what are you doing,” she snapped, as soon as he slipped out from under her grip. The scene she witnessed before her is perhaps even more disturbing than what was transpiring at the Tree, “Killian, no,” she sounded desperate now, begging him to not change, to stay, “Don’t leave me,” despite the grotesque form he had taken she still lunged forward to reach for him but he slipped away into the darkness.

“KILLIAN!”

She’ll never find him, “GO!” she growled, commanding to Mandibuzz to follow, to protect. He didn’t need it but it made Lex feel better. She should follow him, but she didn’t. Instead she listens for once and sticks close to Martín del Mar, bound to aid him by her duty as a Beast and also by request of her fiancé.

Killian Decker & Martín del Mar

Lex is affected by the DARK SPORES
Mandibuzz uses DEFOG to attempt to clear the spores
Lex sticks close to Martín del Mar as instructed

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The shadows of Sootopolis are not what ALEXANDER STONE will remember. They belong to Rocket now. Although the buildings remain mostly untouched, the darkness that spans between them is far from empty. Since Katherine’s departure, a new Beast has laid claim to the phantom realm. She patrols the city with an army of ghosts.

Whispers of ALEXANDER STONE’s rise quickly spread. The unnatural state of their ex-champion’s presence disturbs the already restless spirits. The phantoms tremble with anxiety and anger, bringing the disturbing news to Lex with haste.

“Impossible,” she hisses, seemingly speaking to nothing as she gazes off into the distance. Her focus leaves nina larson, giving the grunt the opportunity to strike if she dared.

The air around Lex vibrates, restless and determined in its warning. The phantoms’ anger seeps through the cracks, oozing into their master and shifting her own demeanor into something foul, “It’s not right,” Lex doesn’t know of Fernando’s capture, she’s not high enough on the totem pole to be privy to that information. But Tapu Fini without its proper avatar is . . . telling.

“C’mon,” Lex drags nina larson through shadows of Sootopolis whether she likes it or not until she finds their prey.

Through the darkness their silhouettes emerge, “Aren’t you dead?” she asks with a bitter scowl. She knows the answer. The closer she gets, the more irritated she feels the ghosts around her, “You’ve disturbed the peace, leave,” it’s not a request, it’s a demand.

nina larson & ALEXANDER STONE & FERNANDO SILPH

It had been too long since she slept in their bed. Lex had been avoiding it for obvious reasons. It reminded her too much for what she was missing. An unfamiliar, cold cot in the submarine was more comfortable. Although she rarely got a good night’s sleep.

Last night seemed like a dream. When she woke up, she barely recognized it. The plush sheets, the familiar mattress, the warm scent of him. It would have startled her if she didn’t feel so relaxed.

With a few flutters of her eyelids, her vision cleared, bringing their bedroom into focus. She smiled warmly at the memories that followed as she sat up, her mind finally filling in the blanks. She had been drunk on him, lost in something she had needed. Surprisingly, the alien stayed silent and she almost forgot Deoxys existed.

Eventually, she made her way to the bathroom door with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to shield her bare skin from the chill of the bedroom. The warm steam of the bathroom was welcoming.

Lex stepped into the threshold, a sleepy smile greeting her fiancé.

“Good morning.”

Killian Decker

Lex isn’t the sharpest knife in the kitchen. She doesn’t stay up to date on all the end-of-the-world gossip that seems to plague Hoenn. It’s just another day, another threat they have to deal with.

She’s beat down, exhausted, weary, but the call comes and it’s concerning. They sound frantic almost. The tree is under attack.

Naturally, she expects another League attempt to procure samples. As the sky darkens and utter helplessness falls over the city of Sootopolis, the mood changes, and she finds herself shivering beneath the cold weight of death. This is different, very different.

The air beside Killian Decker and Martín del Mar shifts, thrumming to life as the phantom stallion steps through into their plane of reality. Mounted on his back is Lex. The Beast glares up towards the dark figure, her face twisted into a snarl. Without taking her eyes off the disturbing scene before them, she slides off War’s back, promptly returning the tired stallion to his pokeball. He’s in no shape to fight. B-team it is.

“What the hell is going on?!” that seems to be the themed question of the day. Looks like she’s not the only clueless one.

Killian Decker & Martín del Mar

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

10X gacha (500 PD)

TOTAL

do come again!

500 PD

It’s hard to fly under the radar when you’re good at your job. That’s the sort of thing that got Lex tangled in the cobwebs of Rocket in the first place. When you got results, others noticed. That also meant that when you failed, they scrutinized it even harder.

Another reason Lex actually feared her promotion. She’s been victim to the wrath of upset underbosses. Perhaps it made her stronger, but it certainly shattered her trust. There’s only one person she trusted: Killian Decker. All the others she thread around with caution. Parker would be no different.

That why when she speaks of getting the information from the target himself, Lex smile, quirking a brow in interest, “Oh really? I’ll just sit back and watch then,” A joke, obviously. Fine. She’d be ready in case Parker failed – standard protocol.

Lex pushes off the wall she’s leaning on, moonlight casting shadows over her hardened features, “I’ll take the back, you take the front. We’ll work our way up. If they make it to the roof, I’ll have measures in place to ensure they don’t escape.”

parker jones

Lex takes her chips with a smile and heads on inside with everyone else. On her way towards the first game table he wants to show off, she grabs a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing Gothitelle. Lex regards the pokemon with a thankful nod before sipping the bubbly drink.

The red head slides in beside Aurelie Lefevre, a fellow red head, and gives the board a once over. She grins at the two bets. Her own numbers were all odd (and two the same, how unlucky). Regardless she’s here to have fun and support her fiancé’s endeavors, “So many for even! I may as well go for the odds,” Lex places 2 CHIPS on the designated square.

“Good luck,” she smile, raising her champagne glass to the others. She raises a gloved hand to usher a passing Gothlitelle over with their tray. It gracefully obliges, holding out drinks for those that wish to indulge in the libations.

Killian Decker
2 CHIPS on odds
outfit
Chips: 18
Numbers: 37, 57, 37