Miles' eyes shift back toward Serena Malcolm , the Carracosta remains focused on the compliant stranger on the off chance he decides to strike while her trainer's back is turned. Miles nods at the woman "Your compliance is appreciated. We'll hold true to our side." The masked rocket would step forward calling another pokeball forth revealing a metagross who upon being released would promptly begin to levitate to further avoid the floor situation.

" Viper." His introduction is swift. "I'll block off the pathway to the stairwell. If you remove stragglers, my associate will guide them to the stairs. Our colleagues below understand the nature of the situation and won't attack unless otherwise provoked."

Just as he finishes another swarm no longer warded away by the massive rock type would charge. "Reflect." A psychic barrier would form against a pathway, the metagross using its powers to hold off the swarm as best it could. As expected a few of the larger insects quickly manage to push through. Surely it was time for MATIAS SILPH to shine.


- Miles gives Serena the go to start escorting hostages
- Calls Metagross
- Bugs resume attack
- Uses reflect to stop parts of horde
- Gives Matias his codename

"They intend to sir." He doesn't look back empoleon at his tail, From the shadows of the path another pokemon attacks, but it's been long since spotted. "Whirlpool." As the Pignite jumps to charge and slam the emperor with its skull it'd get caught in the torrent and redirected into a wall. Waves continue to assault the fire type until it finally submits to unconsciousness. Another pokeball flies and as it's done before the red light envelopes.

However, in its wake, a second pokemon appears, a Bulbasaur already on its last legs. Its body isn't made for this habitat; how it got here was anyone's guess. Miles is no monster, he prepares a second Pokeball to catch the critter lest he leaves it to suffer and die.

Capturing Pignite

”Excuse me?”

For all the pain, for all the condescension He's right.

They've been playing with different hands from the start, it wasn't a simple 52 card deck this was life and death, and in that there were no rules.

"Thank you, Temp." He gives the fellow grunt the time of day for the first time, he doesn't quite know what to think of the grunt, but he was nothing if not interesting. "But Mr. Beckett is correct. When we fight, it's not for pride. It's because we don't have the luxury of loss." He looks at Beckett now indignation gone replaced with something fiercer, preparedness. "It won't happen again sir." and for the first time since the day's start, he means it.

The ache of his finger is ignored entirely in favor of his other senses, all of which were enthralled with his date. "Anywhere? That's quite the bold claim." A wry smile forms, "Especially seeing as I've recently heard rumor of an ancient tower on route 111. So I hope that offer includes blistering desert sandstorms?" A joke of course, though he's certain any condition; weather or otherwise would be better with Stormy around.

"That said, I'll keep Lilycove in mind as I am admittedly fishing for ideas, after all, I'd never dare to disappoint someone so cherished with a bad date." His facetiousness ends as they enter the door to their private springs. Upon entering steam fogs the entirety of the area, warm gray stones create a path to the still waters. The hollow clack of a shishi odoshi sounds in the distance, a testament to the stillness of the area. On a bamboo rack leading to the pool towels made to be worn whilst submerged in the supposed healing waters sit. The Trapinch duo upon entering the area would climb out of the man's grip much preferring to walk now eyes interested in the area, to which Miles would respond by calling two pokemon of his own. Clypea and Sidia, the former a Carracosta whose motherly tendencies were already known around among the man's pokemon and the latter a bastiodon who'd recently been deemed the protector among the very same squad. " I'm trusting you both to keep the little ones stay out of harm's way." The two pokemon nod guiding two of the trapinch leaving the third to the couple.

He disrobes allowing the ornamental garb to fall off his shoulders. "Hot springs have been an integral part of Hoenn's cultural identity since the region was formed. Lavaridge was one of the first areas that people settled in upon arriving in Hoenn, and so much of our cultural identity was formed in these springs." As he finishes tying the towel around his waist he finishes his distracting diatribe, moving close to the woman, his eyes always pleased to gaze upon her form he pulls her close in a motion, it's not as suave as he'd like it to have been, but it's apparent he's learning.

"That's all to say..." He pauses lost in her for a moment. "There's no one I'd rather share a pool of very hot water with than you Stormy. And is that not romance at its core?" And with that he leans in close a head taller than the woman a familiar glint in his eyes, body pushing into hers, if nothing else he's more confident than he was nights ago.

To unload even a fraction of his worries on this bright-eyed child would have been cruel, though she in a sense was one of the said concerns. A girl like this should have been preparing for school tomorrow morning, or on some journey around the region pokemon in tow. She shouldn't have been here leagues under the sea in a den of criminals and cheats regardless of how well-intentioned some of them may have been. And so when she waves he can't bring himself to offer a smile, still offering a response, his middle ground.

"That's a way of looking at it I suppose." Seeing the girl wander reminds him to bring up a motion about curfews for underage grunts at the next board meeting, though it was certainly something that'd get laughed out by Chu-e and most of if not all others on the board.

"Your name and station?" He's curter than he intends, a byproduct of his weariness. "The manufactured gardens serve as a better place to wander in the night." An attempt to backpedal, at least somewhat.

The training rooms were generally a den of activity, but as the day grew later they aired and emptied, now in the dead of night only Miles remained. It was one of the many nights the man found himself unable to sleep. generally he’d move to the labs on nights like this and let his brain run wild with technology distracting himself with formulas and problems whose solutions were based in hard logic. Tonight he’s chosen the gym to work out his frustrations.

He’s ignored the warnings concerning the insect weapon because they’re ludicrous. if a genesect truly existed on the ship it would have drowned the lot of them ages ago. Still if only because the nature of his new life he’s armed himself with an assortment of pokeballs. What he doesn’t expect however, is a short blue haired grunt far younger than he to appear within the corridors along the way.

“It’s rare to catch anyone out of their rooms this late.” He can’t remember her name, but he’s seen the girl roaming a time or two.

Finally a crack into the truth.

“And therein lies a glimpse of the man they all believe Gavin Merlino to be.” Whether the truth was satisfying was debatable, but he doesn’t consider the rocket an enemy. No he’s more a force of nature, a storm that moves in a singular pointed direction. It’s more complex than that he’s sure, but he can work with a storm so long as he understands its nature.

“Then let’s raise a glass to the young Ms. Eris, and a future where she and all the rest ’Thrive’ as you so aptly put.” because in that he’d have Miles’ prowess. What ‘thrive’ meant surely differed greatly between the two men and they both know that, but to want ‘the best’ regardless of what that meant was enough for now.

“They expect much Gavin. But know your corner is filled with fighters. Perhaps the sentimentality of that is lost on you, but if you feed those under your charge undeserved deaths I dont care how hard those fists you cherish are. I’ll make sure you pay their sacrifice in full.

Threatening the beast wasn’t something done lightly, if he wanted Merlino could bludgeon Miles to death with his bare hands right here. Perhaps it was cute to see someone he’d consider weak push against his strength. Regardless of how it looked or felt the altruist was serious and if nothing else Miles was a man who could do what needed to be done. After all no one knew what a scientist was capable of if pushed to the brink better than Gavin Merlino himself.

There’s a level of skepticism as the good doctor makes his request known. “Is that so.” His tone is reminiscent of Lulu Flint making the air skepticism more known that he needs to be. Still he can’t say he’s opposed Hades was nothing if not skilled, if the rumors surrounding him were true.

“Well please come in.” He steps out of the doorway allowing the oddity deeper into his space. Coffee or Tea? the first of the what would most likely be many questions in the space. And an apt one at that.

“The tales of Hades are as varied as they are numerous and so I apologize for any ignorance, but what exactly is you’re specialized field or moreover where do your interests lie?”

“If she lives to see it.”

He ends the thought glass empty, now. The Gavin he speaks to is a perfect simulacrum for rocket, strong, but not violent by nature. No the trait that shines brighter than all others is One that’s arguably the most human. Greed, avarice as far as Miles can peer into his soul. Still there’s a flicker of something else in the man the question was would... no could Miles believe in that glimmer?

He doesn’t have his answer yet.

“So many souls latch onto you Merlino, it’s an unfair thing, but life rarely is. I hope those souls find peace wherever you decide to lead us, Walsh or otherwise.”

But be it far from me to judge another’s character. There’s a sadness there, not for himself. He thinks he’s come to terms with his own sins; past, present, and future. This melancholy was for all those that would follow.

“I don’t think the organization will stop in Hoenn, but beyond these shores is of little consequence to me.”A tough statement but true he cannot save the world, he oft doubts that he can save this region even at the cost of himself.

I ask because you’ve yet to answer my question. I care little for what Walsh wants in this particular moment, same for the will of rocket as a whole. A second bottle comes and he pours himself a glass. Dinner has become an afterthought in favor of the conversation.

You’d have me believe the will of Rocket, of Walsh is the will of Gavin Merlino. That your joys and sorrows are intrinsically linked to these two entities.”

That’s bullshit. He’s curt, “I know there’s more than that. Because the lives that believe in you are all more than that.”

Merlino’s chosen to keep his hand to his chest, and Miles can’t find fault in the decision we’re he in the man’s shoes he would have done the same.

His second goal is simpler, the systemic issues of war as a whole were far too complex for a 26 year old to solve regardless of how intelligent he may have been, thankfully his second objective is simpler.

“I have to end a lineage.” To say ’kill’ was both too and not enough severe. To kill was to cut off a single head of a hydreigon. There was an impermanence in that death as two more heads would rise in place of the first. His target was a cancer on this planet one that warranted rocket’s existence and his inclusion in it. For all that could be implied in those five words Miles for perhaps the first time since joining the organization chooses not to elaborate.

“So tell me what’s your end in all this Merlino. you recruit the Eris’ the Rowans and the Serenas of the region; the Miles’ and the Lulus even the Mavericks and Chois. Eventually this region is yours Rockets’ goals in Hoenn have come to pass. he gestures with his hand casually listing various comrades faces he’d once memorized on paper now alive in his memories. People with hearts and idiosyncrasies of which there are many.

What happens then?

Do you take those of us who managed to survive to the next, Sinnoh, Kalos, Galar?” He isn’t critical laying the information out neutrally sipping his wine all the while.

He wonders if there’s a conclusion to this, a conclusion other than death.

“An addendum. For all the faith and moreover the ‘weight’ because it is weight. Placed upon you, what is it that you hope to see from us in the future. What world will Eris Halla see when she’s come as far you have in life.”

"I like to believe those sentiments aren't mutually exclusive my friend. A lesser man would have dropped the poor girl in a bed and left the medics to their business, one lesser still would have left her to her fate." A move he expects from THEO BECKETT.

"As much as you're willing to share." He laughs, and it's honest. The man reminds him of an old friend, a man who was cursed to brood despite the emotions worn on his sleeve.

"Truthfully? to know if our goals are aligned." He stirs the red in his hand casually gaze focused more on the glass as he gathers his thoughts. "For one reason or another I fully believe rocket is the fastest way this region, My 'home' will find any modicum of peace." the mood shifts slightly as he continues.

"There's no reason girls like Eris should even be on the battlefield in any capacity." There's frustration there clearly, but it's not directed at Gavin. " Mr. Merlino. I have two goals in my life. The first is to minimize the effects of our conflicts with the league on the public. Their homes and livelihoods are robbed daily, and to take so much without recompense on both sides is inexcusable. It polarizes and forces people far younger than you and I to make choices they should never have to make." He understands the goals of Rocket and he's the first to admit the nature of his bleeding heart, even still he'd hold his head high on this point even if he was speaking to the host of the storm god himself.

"Do you disagree?