Zilla watched on as a Karrablast shot out from the tree branches, striking Mightyena square in the face with a well-placed Take Down. The canine winced from the pain but did not stumble or retreat. His tail, which had previously wagged with such fervor, now stood erect in a display of dominance. His ears and hackles rose too, and a low growl sounded from deep in his chest. Despite the fact that he had been the aggressor, Mightyena was still enraged by the fact that one of his prey chose to fight back.

[break][break] The Karrablast wavered somewhat, clearly rethinking its decision to fight an enemy so much larger and stronger than itself, but it stood its ground and launched a follow-up attack: Fury Cutter. The distance between the two combatants was short, so Mightyena knew he wouldn’t be able to successfully avoid the hit. Instead, he let the wild Pokémon get closer and make contact before he chomped down on the opponent with Fire Fang.

[break][break]The Karrablast screamed out and convulsed in pain, but it still managed to wiggle free of Mightyena’s grasp. Its whole body ached with a burning sensation and its tiny heart beat rapidly as panic began to set in. It was really out of its depth. Any courage the small bug may have had vanished the moment it spotted the silhouette of a bird flying overhead. It was outnumbered and outmatched. In a matter of seconds, it turned and waddled frantically into the dense foliage, desperate to flee before it was killed.

[break][break]By that point, Zilla managed to catch up to Mightyena. She hadn’t been concerned for his well-being, so there was no reason to rush the nice stroll she was on. "Atta boy," she said while gently patting his side. The canine’s posture relaxed as the fight came to an end and his trainer praised his good work. The Fletchinder, on the other hand, seemed agitated by something. He circled overhead, twittered anxiously, then headed off toward a nearby farm. Mightyena chased after.

[break][break]

+ Thomas Benoit
[break]+ Pass on both Pokemon

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It was common practice for lighthouse keepers to use electric Pokemon to power their beacons. Ampharos were the preferred choice, especially when compared to other species such as the Pichu line or the Shinx line. The former tended to be stubborn and difficult to work with, while the latter was too intelligent for their own good. Mareep were dumb, loyal, and obedient; and their final evolution was capable of producing more than enough electricity to keep a lighthouse going all night long.

[break][break]So when Zilla was told to assist a fellow grunt in snuffing out the light "by any means necessary," she wasn't too concerned. She had a history of capturing and trafficking Pokemon, so this type of work was right up her alley. To make things even better, the Ampharos was probably be unguarded, and as long as the duo got out of the lighthouse immediately after the deed was done then they didn't have to worry about being spotted. All things considered, it was an easy job.

[break][break]The violet-haired woman approached the figure on the cliff, his outfit dark and the back of his head concealed by an upturned hood. Zilla didn't even need to speak to know that he was the individual she had been sent to meet. She spoke up regardless, hoping to help break the ice while verifying that she had located the right person. "Nice lighthouse, isn't it?" she grabbed a black mask from around her neck and pulled it up above her nose and mouth, "Sure would be a shame if something happened to it."

[break][break]

+ kepler brueshaber in Lights Out

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The Mightyena raced over to a cluster of trees and began barking ferociously, his sharp voice echoing through the clearing. With pricked ears and tail wagging, he put both forepaws on the trunk of the tree and continued his frenzy of shouts. Birds and bugs stirred in the branches above and took to the skies in a desperate attempt to get away from their noisy assailant. Satisfied by his work, the Mightyena stopped barking, pushed off the tree, and lowered his nose to the ground.

[break][break]Trailing far behind was a woman sporting casual clothes and a low ponytail, largely unfazed by the canine’s antics. Instead, she seemed more interested in the wildlife her canine companion had scared off. The frightened Pokemon rose in altitude, their wings beating rapidly and their hearts beating even faster; but just as they thought they were safe, a Fletchinder swooped in and began terrorizing them. The fire bird pecked at their bodies and crashed into them at full force, never relenting.

[break][break]The sound of more barking made Zilla tear her gaze from the skies and look at the path ahead. Mightyena probably found another tree full of wild Pokémon, she thought to herself, and so she maintained a steady pace.

[break][break]

+ Thomas Benoit

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Zilla's fearful demeanor melted away and was almost immediately replaced by a look of aggression and wariness. In many ways, she was the same as a cornered animal that was ready to lash out and attack at any provocation; and now that her assailant had revealed himself, she knew exactly who to go after if push came to shove. The invisibility, while curious in and of itself, was not the primary focus of her attention. No, a human could turn invisible with the help of a Pokemon. A psychic or ghost one, she'd wager. Either way, it would be something her party was capable of handling.

[break][break]The thing that really piqued her interest was what he had to say. When the stranger introduced himself as a friend, Zilla instinctively scoffed and the Mightyena snarled louder, as if to show that even he was unamused by the theatrics and wanted the stranger to hurry up and get to the point. Despite the cold reaction from both tamer and Pokemon, the mystery man continued to speak vaguely about his purpose for stalking the casino dealer. Three things were known for certain: he liked this game of cat-and-mouse, he considered himself an ally and probably had no intention of bringing harm to Zilla, and he had an offer for the duo.

[break][break]"Back," Zilla mumbled in a low voice, and the Mightyena responded in kind. Though his hackles were still raised and he continued bearing his teeth in a display of hostility, his snarls quieted to the point of near inaudibility and his ears swiveled backwards to show submission. Still, he was protective of his life-long partner and he planned on doing everything in his power to show that he didn't approve of the stranger. "Alright, I'll bite," the woman said finally, "What's the offer?"

[break][break]

+ Killian Decker

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Zilla's gaze tore from the back of the vehicle and turned toward the sound of snapping jaws and likely the sound of someone in pain. As her superior pointed out, they were not alone. A less confident individual may have spiraled into thoughts of self-doubt and paranoia—how had she missed someone lurking around the corner, should she wait to call out one of her Pokemon, were there other strangers waiting in the shadows to jump them? But Zilla didn't concern herself with any of those fears. She was confident enough in her abilities to not get bogged down by theoreticals.

[break][break]Without a word, the grunt stepped away from the car and began to approach the source of the sound, hand still lingering on her belt. "Look what we have here," she snickered as her eyes fell on the reporter.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross PENELOPE LIVY

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Zilla instantly noticed the stranger's shift in attention from her eyes to her lips as she shot him a confident smile. Her expression did not waver, though she took the opportunity to sneak a glimpse at his lips as well -- flirting even without speaking any words aloud. He was cute. Not exactly a "pretty boy," but certainly handsome with some attractive features. Her eyes lingered a moment longer before returning once again to his striking blue gaze.

[break][break]"Matteo," the grunt repeated, solidifying the name to memory. "A pleasure, Teo. You can call me Rosa." Had they been in her home town of Mauville, she likely wouldn't have bothered with aliases. But because she was in Mossdeep for Rocket business and 'Zilla' was supposedly on the other side of the region, using a fake name seemed like the safest choice. It wasn't the betting she was wary of. It wasn't even the other bar patrons. It was the simple fact that she was secretly a member of Team Rocket.

[break][break]Generally speaking, the owner of the deck dealt the cards, so that had been what she was expecting. Much to her surprise, Teo wanted to leave that role up to fate. By drawing cards, it was a good way to randomly assign a dealer. "Low card deals," Zilla called as she pulled one from the top of the stack. She studied it a moment before flipping it over to reveal a two of clubs. "Looks like that's me," she chuckled, "Be a dear and pour me a glass, why don't you?"

[break][break]

tYMEH6Lm

[break][break]

+ angelo vestri
[break]Sorry about that wait. I was on vacation, but I'm back now!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Zilla took her time getting out of the vehicle. The tug on the handle, slow; the first step, deliberate. As she did, her eyes scanned the darkness for anything at all, anything out of the ordinary or any cameras that may have caught them in the act. Her cautiousness wasn't from a distrust in Jayden, but rather a paranoia and acute awareness that what they were doing was scandalous and none the least immoral.

[break][break]As the truck popped open, Zilla slammed the passenger side door shut and stepped around the side to see what Jayden was retrieving from the back. Still, her attention was split—half on the contents in the vehicle and half on the shadows cast in the darkness of the alleyway. The grunt had her fair share of bad experiences in these types of places, so she was prepared for the worst possible outcome. With a thumb hooked on her belt, Zilla shifted her gaze to Jayden and the trunk.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross, PENELOPE LIVY
[break]Sorry about that wait. I was on vacation, but I'm back now!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Right off the bat, Zilla knew she'd like this guy. He was witty, sarcastic, and competitive, but he wasn't overly pompous or rude in the way he spoke to his challengers. Perhaps her insight about him being a gentleman wasn't so satirical after all. He had a foreign demeanor about him — different from the other ruffians she met at seedy bars. Was it the city? This particular tavern? Or was there something about the man himself?

[break][break]Zilla cocked an eyebrow inquisitively but chuckled nonetheless at his jokes. He had a good sense of humor. And a cute smile. "I don't know whether I should be flattered or offended by the implication," the grunt laughed when the stranger pointed out that she likely wouldn't play fair. He was right, of course, but she wouldn't admit it aloud.

[break][break]Dark eyes trailed down the length of the man's torso, down his arms, and to his hands that held a dark brown drink to his lips. No ring. No tan line of one either. It was safe to assume he wasn't married and was open game as far as flirting was concerned. "Rummy sounds fine by me," Zilla purred, shooting a toothy grin at the idea of sharing a drink.

[break][break]She leaned back in her chair, threw a hand up in the air, and hollered, "Barkeep! A bottle of rum for the table over here!" There was a pause, however brief, as she considered whether or not to say what ultimately came next, "You can put it on Mister Blackjack's tab!" She lowered her hand upon hearing the bartender's shouts of confirmation and chuckled again. "You never did tell me your name," she probed with a coy smile.

[break][break]

+ angelo vestri

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

In a blink, the figure disappeared from sight. Instinctively, Zilla took a step backwards but kept her gaze fixed on the far end of the alleyway where the silhouette had first been spotted. Her eyes darted frantically around the shadows, desperate to find where the stranger had gone. Just as she was beginning to think it was all in her imagination, a low voice spoke from no where.

[break][break]At the sound of her name, the dealer was put on edge once again. Apparently someone had been watching her from the shadows—not just in that very moment, but for a while. Days, weeks, or perhaps even months. Zilla grabbed hold of a pokéball on her belt and opened it as she whirled around to face the mysterious entity that was breathing down her neck.

[break][break]A Mightyena appeared in a flash of light and immediately began growling at nothing. Whether he actually detected a presence or was just acting protective over his trainer remained to be seen, but his hackles were raised and his teeth were bared in a display of aggression. He wouldn't let anyone hurt Zilla, even if they were invisible to the naked eye.

[break][break]"Who's there?" Zilla snapped, staring at the casino door for a long while before finally turning away and eying her surroundings to ensure she wasn't being crept up on. "What do you want?" Her voice had a bite to it. It was sharp and hostile—her own attempt at seeming unafraid and intimidating despite the confusion—but her jaw was still clenched and her shoulders were tense with fear.

[break][break]

+ Killian Decker

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Despite the sexist jeering from onlookers, Zilla was eager to prove herself at the card table. Whether her opponent saw her as some helpless woman who was unfamiliar with competition or some shadow in the night come to rob him of all his money didn’t matter as much as his willingness to play. Fortunately for her, he did seem interested in the challenge. Then again, maybe he was just trying to look good for the crowd. If he was a local, it’d stand to reason that he’d feel the need to maintain a favorable reputation.

[break][break]Though his words and demeanor were coarse, the blue-eyed man did prove to have some manners, for he invited Zilla to sit by holding out a chair for her. Okay, so perhaps it was more of a gentle kick that caused the chair to slide out from under the table than him actually holding it out, but it was the thought that counted more than the gesture itself. ”How gentlemanly. I guess chivalry isn’t dead,” she chimed while taking a seat across from the gambler.

[break][break]When asked what game they should play, Zilla eyed the cards and gave a small, indecisive shrug. ”Straight Poker, Redeye, Tauros Takedown,” she suggested, letting her voice trail off as she grabbed her beer and lifted it to her lips. ”Or maybe we should do something easier, considering you lost to that last guy,” she teased, ”Pidgey’s Pick? Old Maid? Maybe some Go Fish?” With a wink and a grin, she tossed back her head and took a swig of her drink.

[break][break]

+ angelo vestri

[attr="class","pokeclass"]