His satchel is filled not with essays or research, it lacks the complicated terms and theories the man usually carries with him. No today he's armed with a textbook and a few worksheets. Weapons of choice. Hidden deeper still a slice of cake held steady in a plastic container, his hidden blade in case all else fails. His step is purposeful as he moves through the medical bay, a light rap against a med bay door and he's facing today's combatant.

He'd heard rumors of the girl, the youngest rocket agent injured in a mission. His heart sinks even if his eyes smile. There was no reason for a child this young to be here. No child should be here.

"Ms. Eris do you know who I am?"

He prays one day she's able to utilize that which he wishes to impart.

He was the wrong person for the job, but in terms of partners, there seemed like no one better aesthetically at the very least. De Luca, was a beartic of a man. Miles sips his beer a sole eye sizing up his figure as the two are led to the underground arena. Miles was chosen to be the overseer for the man, while he fought in the ring. If things got too out of hand, Miles would step in, but the organization wanted to test De Luca's potential to see if the sailor's muscles were for show, and to see if he had the machismo to finish jobs that'd be required of him. Gruesome stuff, but better him than any of the children he's seen running around the base.

The elevator slows revealing another bar-like area in the center is an arena where both man and pokemon fight side by side. "How do you feel De Luca?" His voice is colder than usual as he hones in on the den. There was a bar and seats surrounding the center stage where people would watch the fights take place. Individuals of all kinds socialites to thieves watched betting on the various fighters. If Sin was palpable one was sure to find it here.

"Of course I'll cover you if things get too rough, but largely this is a test, not one of my choice." Their booking agent is impatient and begins to walk them closer to the stage.

"They are. It's been proven. The primary difference between Z-moves and Mega Evolution isn't in the energy used, it's in how the energy is spent. He's finds himself enjoying the conversation with Choi, the first conversation he's enjoyed since speaking with glitch maverick a week ago. It's because of this excitement the man chooses to follow the boss making sure to wrap up his research materials before following along.

"If I were to word it, it'd be something akin to a sprint as opposed to a marathon. You unleash a highly focused spurt of energy allowing your pokemon to create a hyper-focused singular attack. It's a lot of energy in that moment, but because it's so quick the effects feel lighter and the body recovers faster. Mega evolution is a constant transfer of energy that permeates in the recipient's body. You're constantly feeding that energy to your pokemon until it's unnecessary to continue, or either of the bodies involved find themselves unable to transfer or receive that energy."

He pauses for a second debating his next words carefully before rolling the dice."Perhaps this is a bit forward but as a 'thank you', would you be open to lunch or dinner? It would of course be on me." He begins to breach the boundary of coworkers, of boss, and employee but for a man so willing to trust him extending the olive branch is worth it. A kind smile rests on his features, truly he doesn't belong in this organization.

Chu-e Choi

The fire type's speed is unquestionable. Its hoves spark against the concrete immediately creating distance between itself and the other racers. How long had she been training the horse he can't help but wonder, Rapidash were naturally fast but this was so far beyond that. Her comment snaps him from the thought. Head turns halfway to face the competitors determined not to be disgraced on their field.

"What you had doubts?"

Aerodactyl would twirl in the air lowering in altitude to serve as a cover for any other attacks. The staraptor manages to regain its balance before soaring high into the night sky cutting across the course. It hones in on the riders preparing to attack head-on in what was a highspeed game of chicken. The Gogoat also has more than enough fight left in it and so from behind the fires a razor leaf.

"Care to handle thi-" He bites his tongue trying to be cute. Classic.

Aerodactyl is already prepared facing the 3 pokemon behind. The other racers attempt to catch up only for the rock type to whip up a sandstorm annoyed by the blades of grass that struck the creature from behind. In seconds the gusts catch stride, dirt and barrels pick up in the wind slowing the other competitors down as the storm grows fiercer. It'd be up to the driver to dodge the Staraptor spiraling toward them its wing glowing with fierce power.

Even through his self-immolation, there's a smirk on his face.

He was having fun.

"My objective is to help people." He responds on reflex, keeping his emotions tied back his grip on the leash remains tight, but it can't hold forever. "The information here can, plain and simple" Gelping people was always his primary goal even if it was tougher to to remember in the moment.

"Does it matter?" He gives no edge to his allegiance gaze steadied still on his partner. A scyther charges through the reflect only to be brought low by another torrent of water, between the two. Miles doesn't flinch.

"I was under the impression Silphs stay locked up in Slateport or Lilycove, maybe Evergrande on a particularly good day." He'd only heard of three Silphs in the region. Two women and Fernando himself.

What are the chances your last name is a fluke?"

-------

- Bugs fall
- They continue

Beckett picks another fight an Air Slash cuts through a Slugma knocking it out immediately, before another air slash flies deeper into the path connecting with a beast glowing just out of sight. The ground trembles, as the faint glow grows larger. Miles releases the pokeball his instructor so kindly flung him and just like the many before it the slugma fings itself trapped in a spherical prison.

Coron steps forward far more interested in what's begun to appear from shadows. The empoleon understands it's large, but 'large' and 'challenging' were oft mutually exclusive. The glow reveals itself to be burning embers from a coalossal. The titan stomps forward the ground quakes beneath its feet, more than enough to stir the Emporer to battle.

The rock type takes the first move firing tar at the group of four only for the filth to meet a whirlpool cancelling out the attack. The titan is a step too slow preparing its famed burn up, but before it can fire, a second torrent more forceful than the previous slams into the dual fire type's stone chest, the hydropump manages to increase the speed of the enemy much of the water becoming steam as strikes the creatures furnace-esque body, but before said speed can be utilized it collapses under the weight of the water.

Another Pokeball and even the titan finds itself imprisoned.

The researcher passes the Slugma's pokeball to the kanto era veteran before retrieving the coalossol's.

"How did you get involved with rocket." Miles would fight until Beckett felt assured in his abilities, but having traveled so long now, the researcher figured he was owed a question at least. He returns Empoleon for the moment prepared to reveal a new pokemon when the fights inevitably continued.

His weariness had clearly gotten to him, and the girl notices it. It's in the way he moves, in the way he speaks. How sloppy. He makes a note to sharpen his focus sliding a hand through his hair all the while, an idiosyncrasy he'd developed in college. She emphasizes her name "Robbin" and he plays it back a time or two.

"My apologies, long day, Robbin." And it promised to be an even longer night judging by the looks of his own muddled mind. "I suppose I am for better or for worse." His response to her comment concerning his profession. He cares too little to bring up his own rank or accolades at the moment. As far as the young Ms. Robbin was concerned he was just that some wandering scientist.

She asks what he's doing up, and he has no real answer. His brain was built to spin and spin until it couldn't anymore, and only then was he granted rest. Of course, certain factors were able to work outside the callous machine. Stormy for one always had a way to put the man at ease; one of her many talents and conversations with his longtime ally, Eliz also helped the man find rest following a talk or two.

He relates to her take. As scenic as the gardens could be at times, 'scenic' wasn't always what was needed. Tonight the barren hallways took their place the drab empty blacks and greys of the sub if nothing else helped clear mental space. What it lacked in color and beauty it made up for in emptiness, less to focus on externally meant less to distract internally.

"Aren't we curious." His only response warding the girl's question away. He had yet to come up with an answer and so he had no intention of answering. Thankfully, rattling occurs in the vents above, loud enough to disrupt any flow the conversation had built.

Eyes focus on the shaking and skittering above as the vents lead down a corner. There was no exit, but whatever small pokemon that'd gotten caught in there could cause damage if it wasn't dealt with in some capacity. A task Miles could accomplish.

"I suppose that is why I'm up now." As he begins to walk. He doesn't expect the girl to follow, but if she were he'd have no intent to stop her.

he continues to scale the manufactured walls following Mare as it scuttles even higher up the bluff. A shifting stone shakes the man's balance and in that his pick falls to the watery depths below. He pauses momentarily finding his balance, figuring out the next best way. A breath later and he has his solution. He pulls himself up to the next patch the kabuto's been circling. From the tools he has the man pulls a hammer before giving instruction to the fossil pokemon at his side. "Use your claws to pry around carefully, give yourself a wide berth and I'll remove it from the wall." The kabuto begins and Miles prepares himself by tying his cord to a firmer rock giving him not only more space to work but more importantly more space to maneuver his remaining tools.

As he finishes preparing Kabuto scurries away revealing a piece of rock ready to be fully excavated its multitude of tiny claws had done the job perfectly. And so with the backside of the hammer Miles wedges it into the stone slowly before in multiple small yanks the rock is brought from the stone revealing...

kKwAmpdo


A piece he already had. How unlucky.

-----
Part 1: Confirmed
Part 2:
Part 3:

From the earth below rises a pokemon he couldn't expect. What he thought was a diglett or a small dugtrio reveals itself to be a gible more confused than anything. Still, the pokemon upon seeing the trainer decides to roll the dice and prepares for battle with the hiker. A Pokeball reveals a Kabutops whose plan was to make quick work of the dragon pokemon. And to her credit the kabutops does, though it's a second or two longer than both the trainer and the fossil predict. A dragon Rush or two throw the kabutops off guard clashing evenly with the rock type's night slash.

The battle threatens to go even longer, but a well-timed liquidation knocks the rambunctious dragon out of commission the large jawed pokemon falling on its back as unconsciousness takes it. Just as quickly a red orb soars through the sky before making contact with the dragon's fin the orb's red light immediately sucks the pokemon in. Upon the capture the man would continue his hike, While the gible wasn't technically his specialty the ground dragon had many uses and for the man to survive his strategies would have to change, the gible was a part of that.

attempting capture of gible

APRIL CURRY ^[x]

ORAN ^[1]

[h1][font color="cb4335"]
oran
[/font]
[/h1]
[h2]
evolves stage 1 → stage 3. | Gible ---> Garchomp
[/h2]


Lavenders^[2]

ASPEAR^[2]

[h1][font color="cb4335"]
aspear
[/font]
[/h1]
[h2]
teaches a level up move.  Garchomp ---> Sandstorm  | Armaldo ---> X-Scissor
[/h2]


Pits SW^[1]
Rock Lifts^[1]

PECHA^[2]

[h1][font color="cb4335"]
pecha
[/font]
[/h1]
[h2]
allows you to change your pokemon's forme (alolan/galarian, rotom, wormadam, lycanroc, etc.) alongside any applicable abilities or moves. forme changes that only affect the pokemon's appearance are exempt from requiring a purchase. (Holding For Now x2)
[/h2]


[

Liberation^[1]
Blazing Hikes^[1]

Her pure excitement is enough to shelve his sentiments. Perhaps later, much later he'd finally speak the words he held so close to his chest. The researcher tucks himself against the woman hoping Apollo doesn't mind the extra weight. He wants to bury himself in Stormy even now under the circumstances he finds her scent intoxicating, but there's a job to do and so he resists. An eye moves to the Aerodactyl who in a quick gust would take flight above the starting line. Sizing up his opponents dangerously. The staraptor whom despite its size in comparison refused to back down from the prehistoric bird to its credit.

A starter would walk between the pokemon, a green flag twirling in his hand. Miles inches closer against Stormy his heartbeat pulsates against her back. A final peck reaches her neck something he'd claim was for good luck after the fact.

3...

Aerodacyl roars the king of the skies is more than prepared to control the race's flow from his kingdom above.

2...

The Luxray crouches preparing his own thunderous start into the darkness.

1...

The crowd reaches its peak in the dead of night harbor lights the only testament to their being. The noise serves as the sole proof they're all alive in the moment.

The flag is swung and the pokemon race off. Already, obstacles appear in the first straightaway. An assortment of steel bins and containers had been recently moved onto the raceway a last-minute tactic to throw the newcomers of their game. The gogoat is the first to attack in its sprint the pokemon unleashes a seed bomb on the competitors only for Miles to make his move. "Rock Slide!" The Aerodactyl answers from above laying an assortment of stones behind the two stopping the seed bomb causing a small explosion above. Still, Rocks continue to fall one slamming into the staraptor, unprepared for the stones to fall so quickly.

His grip remains firm around her waist as the ponytail whips him now few times over the course of the ride. His mind remains on the race regardless. Miles was prepared to thwart whoever decided to rise from behind first. In the midsts, he can't help but feel this was how it was supposed to be. He'd guard the woman from behind while she shined as only she could.

He can't remember the last time he felt so alive in the company of another.

How had it come to this?

He receives the best answer he could have possibly got, it's a surprise at first but he very quickly finds his footing reciprocating that same passion. his other arm wraps itself around her, what was a partial embrace is now full. When the Rapidish stomps outside he remains firm refusing to let go of the woman. When their lips eventually part, his focus shifts honing in on those ruby eyes that threaten to consume the scientist. He can't get enough of her thus he still resists choosing to rest his forehead against hers in those final moments.

"With you, I'll do anything." He doesn't even think about it, regardless of how corny it may have been.

Only when he feels the energy of the crowd shifts just beyond their paper-thin walls do his arms finally drop.

"I'll make sure no one touches us Hero, just make sure you're going as fast as you can." There's an air of confidence about him as he ties a trinket to his hair keeping it hidden under the shadow of his ponytail. He holds the tent door back revealing the crowd of onlookers.

His eyes spot the starting line and their direct competitors. A Luxray and a Scoliopede were the racers, the former serves as the DK's pokemon of choice, accompanying the racing pokemon happened to be a Gogoat and a Staraptor. Pairs and pairs of eyes watch the two as they move to the starting line whispers and jeers alike all meld in sound against the duo, even so there's no fear holding the woman's hand in his. When they hit the line A pokeball releases his partner of choice an Aerodactyl that would support the two from the skies.

"Hey I...I can't wait to get back home tonight, after wiping these clowns." There's something else he wants to say, but it's still too soon or rather he fears it is. When prompted by his date he'd climb aboard the rapidash arms wrapped around her torso. He meant what he said, no harm would dare come to the woman while he was here.