"Mm, I'm trying to establish a foothold in Lilycove, been making a big splash too. But hey, the board wants what the board wants I guess." Xenon throws out noncommittally, though truth be told she was rather annoyed with how little progress she had made in Lilycove as of now. She set the entire Arceus damn route on fire and she didn't get any fucking attention from the admins, she's gotta do something big if she wants them to turn their eyes on her at this point.
[break][break]
She sneers at the pearls as she moves over to look at them with Kouji, appraising eyes looking them over to see if they were worth snatching first or better left behind scattered on the floor in case a guard wanted to play hero. "They'd look drop dead sexy on me like anything else in this store, but I'm better than that. Pearls are the white bread of jewelry." The emerald that Kouji had skimmed over though, that really interested her. "They say that emeralds give you the ability to predict the future. I can see why they'd be popular, a lot of people are scared of the future they can't see."
[break][break]
Xenon smiles as she says this, brushing her thumb against the glass and sighing. "Emeralds are for weaklings. Real power is knowing the future because you established it, changing the course of the river yourself instead of relying on a compass to chart the tides of fate."
[break][break]

+ Kouji Matsubara

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Ooh, you wanna make it a date huh? I dunno, I'm feeling like a classy bitch tonight, you sure you can afford me?" There was definitely something different about him compared to the last time, maybe he had gotten wrapped up in that Galar mess like she had. Didn't matter either way, everyone is a different person every day, she liked change in the end. She releases her Gothitelle from its Pokeball and snaps her fingers, a quick read of her trainer's mind and she knew the score top to bottom in a matter of moments. Then she's right back into her Pokeball, ready and waiting for the chaos to start whenever they so chose.
[break][break]
"Well then, ladies first~" Xenon trills as she waltz right to the front door and opens it on up. It's a classy ass store of course, lots of ladies in their fancy Sunday dresses looking at necklaces they were going to buy with their hubby's money, a nervous office worker looking at a diamond ring and wondering if he could afford it for his wedding, three bored looking security guards locking their eyes onto her as she walks through the door. She stands out in her white suit, but they're used to the eccentricities of the rich so she's smoothly glossed over as their gaze moves to Kouji. If he was by himself he'd probably get a very close scrutinization, maybe even get asked to the security room to "talk about why he's here." But standing close to her, the two fly under the radar just enough that they can properly case the place.
[break][break]
"You hear the word about Slateport? There's some rumblings that "the company" is gonna be opening up office here soon, like they had back in the old days." The girl comments as she bends over a little to stare at a set of Alexandrite rings, emerald by day and ruby by night. More complex than your bog standard diamonds and pearls, it changed depending on how you looked at it, she appreciated something that could change depending on your point of view.
[break][break]

+ Kouji Matsubara

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

She's out of her league in this fight, but that's never changed anything for her, she always made it out alive one way or another. They're two birds of a feather in that regard, the only difference was that one of them was about to break the other's arm and that other one was gonna make him work for it. She can hear the joint bending out of place as he squeezes, she can sure as fuck feel the burning hot ice in her elbow as it gets well on its way to snapping, but all of that is pointless, a rogue point of data that doesn't contribute to the formula of her survival.
[break][break]
For a brief moment as his hands wrap around her throat and begin to crush her airway, she considers snapping the fingers of her free hand and just calling over Rhodium to bite the mans head off, it would be breaking the rules of the fight sure, but what rules were there in the game of life outside of "If you die you lose." But that's just the adrenaline talking, she knows she can force this into a stalemate at least as her elbow finally snaps and her free hand reaches up to grasp at Tempest's face. The nails of her metal claw are easily as sharp as the knife digging into the man's guts, cutting through the silky smooth flesh of his face and leaving behind a nasty trail of bloody gashes, but it still isn't enough to get him to let go, she already knows that even as those hands continue crushing her throat with their iron vice grip.
[break][break]
That's why she grabs his throat and digs her claws right in. Not deep enough to gouge out the flesh entirely, but deep enough to make the point clear that she could. She could give him an amateur tracheotomy right now if she wanted to, if he didn't let go. And he could probably choke her to death in the time it took him to bleed out, crushing her spinal column and leaving her a paralyzed husk who couldn't breathe without the assistance of an iron lung. It's a stalemate at its finest, but its survival nonetheless.
[break][break]

+ Tempest Quinn

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Maybe if this Absol was a Synga then she'd be crushing Shalin way harder than she is now, but as things stood Xenon could only consider this an even fight, maybe even a losing fight as the bond between Pokemon and Trainer continued to climb even when separated. Xenon's full frontal assault on Shalin is beyond brutal, especially the hooks from her left arm as the ranger would undoubtedly notice the metal limb smashing into her ribs, undoubtedly giving her another reason to be thankful for that vaunted Sygna Suit technology.
[break][break]
But the game can't last forever sad as it is to say, the rage of a dragon reaching its crescendo as its wings vibrate at mach speeds, releasing a sonic wave that would probably demolish Xenon if she were caught directly in the blast radius. It's only quick thinking on her part that saves her as she quickly circles around Shalin, using her as a direct human shield to protect herself from the worst of the blast. The ultramodernist can still feel her skull rattling in her head though as blood pools behind her eyes, no doubt several blood veins had just burst in her body even with the protection of Shalin and her Sygna Suit. She couldn't take another one of those, and neither could Antimony as he staggers back to his feet after getting blasted through the air.
[break][break]
But they wouldn't have to.
[break][break]
The prophesied doom arrives without fanfare, a psychic force striking a burning branch above Sandy with a loud crack and dropping at least a few dozen pounds of burning wood onto the Flygon to finish it off. Xenon can barely hear herself think as she opens her mouth and spits out a lungful of crimson life onto the ashen grass, but still she has more to say.
[break][break]
"I can respect that answer, but now I'm going to pose another question to you. Are you going to waste your time trying to catch me and put me to justice for my crimes? Or are you gonna dig your partner out of the funeral pyre I just dropped on her and let me get away? And I promise you, if you try to send another of your Pokemon to try and have your cake and eat it too, you will never see them alive again." The mad rocket grins viciously as she recalls her Absol and starts staggering away, turning her back on Shalin as the monster that started this inferno in the first place drops from the sky and sets its metallic feet down onto the ground, waiting for her to mount it while LED eyes lock onto Shalin with all the cold inhumanity of a machine. That's what it was after all, a machine of war, pure and simple.
[break][break]

+ - Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It's almost a surprise that her knife actually manages to dig its way into his side, the feeling of steel scraping against his rib bones combined with his arm trapping her arm almost makes her let go of the blade, almost being the key word. It's always the key word with her, no matter how unexpected something might be she always adjusts fast enough that it seems like she planned for this the whole time.
[break][break]
Even with her arm trapped under his, she finds the presence of mind to twist the blade through his flesh and invoke as much pain as she can from her position, it's just a shame that he has the same idea as his free hand slams into her nose, a disgusting crack resounding through the training room as her nose is broken thoroughly. So why is she still smiling even as blood pours from her nostrils, past her lips, down her chin, and onto her training clothes? Well that seems rather obvious to anyone who's been around the girl for even five minutes doesn't it?
[break][break]
Her arm that's pinned, the one holding the knife, that's a weak thing made of flesh, muscle sinews, and bone. It would break, it would bruise, it would bleed, she's already written it off as a lost cause even as she tries to dig her knife as deep into his body as possible for he decides to snap the stupid thing like a twig and finish her off. But her free arm is different, it's so much stronger than flesh and bone. It's a machine made of steel, tipped with iron claws sharpened to a point that could rake through stone without much issue, she hadn't tested how strong her punch was with the new arm yet but now was as good a time as any as she pushes down with her palm and strikes the oncoming knee. It's a sloppy ass palm strike without any grace or fluidity to it, but she just needed to stop that follow up so she could focus on her own, hopping up and smashing her forehead into Tempest's jaw to try and get him to let go, or at least stagger him enough that she could start beating the shit out of him with the metal crowbar that was her fist.
[break][break]

+ Tempest Quinn

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Robberies weren't really her style truth be told, she didn't have all too much interest in things like material wealth or jewels, not unless those jewels were something that could make her stronger. But it had been a while since she had caused a little bit of chaos with the man known as Kouji Matsubara and as much as she claimed she didn't need or want friends, she couldn't help but enjoy the presence of someone just as unhinged as her.
[break][break]
"It's called being fashionably late, had to rob a different store to pick up a suit for this shindig." This wasn't true in the slightest, but she didn't think either of them really cared about things like that. Fiction served as a fine enough truth in a pinch. Her attire isn't all too different from Kouji's, a solid white suit to contrast against Kouji's black, her hair dyed black and a checkered scarf wrapped around her neck and covering her mouth and nose.
[break][break]
"I'm never rusty Matsubara, I'm always brand fucking new like a revolver fresh off the factory floor. You case the joint already or are we going in blind? I don't mind either way, surprise is one of my favorite spices~"
[break][break]

+ Kouji Matsubara

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The applause is fully sarcastic, but Xenon doesn't give even the slightest of fucks as she bows in an over exaggerated manner, drinking up the praise like the absolute attention whore she is (or at least pretends to be.) "You, are obviously here for two reasons! The first is to bask in my glory and do your best to learn from me in any way you can, since I'm such an absolute badass. Reason two, is to confirm the new artifact I found and reported to home base and make sure I'm not bullshitting them like I did when I reported the ancient laser cannon I found in the dessert. And reason three that you're finding out RIGHT NOW!"
[break][break]
She spins and points out to the horizon, past the retreating caravans and towards a distant dust cloud. "Is that I've found us a bonafide battleground between the locals, and I don't mean humans. They're all long dead, as you'll see when we get to our destination. Now quit shitting around and hop to it, we've got a warzone to observe!" Chromium lumbers over with a metallic rumble of curiosity, leaning an arm down for Xenon to scamper up, ending her journey right on top of the massive Metagross as it begins to float up and to the direction Xenon had pointed out.
[break][break]
They take a fairly wide berth around the caravans, because to be perfectly honest Xenon trusted the locals here about as much as she trusted any kind of ancient civilization, which was to say not at all. But it doesn't take all too long for Gerald to be able to see exactly what the ultramodernist was talking about as they pass by the corpses of freshly dead Pheromosa and Buzzwole lying on the desert sands, the shadows of circling Mandibuzz swinging over them as they wait for the two foreigners to vacate the feeding grounds so they can have their lunch. Xenon ignores the carnage like it's just another featureless plain, her attention is turned to dusty city ruins and the sounds of raging combat coming from within.
[break][break]
And she was not kidding when she called this a warzone, at least a dozen Pheromosas and Buzzwoles each find themselves beating each other senseless as they fight for control of the ruined city, for whatever reason Xenon really couldn't care less about. She suspected it had something to do with the very interesting relic she had found while skulking around the city, but that would imply that these alien creatures had some kind of higher intelligence beyond the animal IQ that most (non psychic) Pokemon shared. And if that was the case... well, she'd cross that bridge when she got there. "So basically the plan is we're waiting for them to kill each other off, maybe snag a few for ourselves, then I'll show you exactly what I found. And trust me, this is some good fucking shit, something like this is something Rocket is gonna want to keep a tight eye on."
[break][break]

+Gerald Kaiser

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

And when the running stops, the world blurs and shifts around her. She runs face first into some kind of invisible wall as some know it all starts bragging about Fushia has fallen and everything is inevitable and blah blah blah. This was one of those kinds of guys who just liked to listen to themselves talk, the kind of guy who really ticked Xenon off and made her want to kick the shit out of them.
[break][break]
Ah, but the invisible walls were meant to prevent just that kind of thing huh? What a narcissist.
[break][break]
Battle is inevitable as Xenon summons Argon to the forefront, but defeat is just as inevitable as a dozen different Walshes attack from all angles. She doesn't have the time to properly analyze this battlefield and determine a plan of attack, not when she's being pressured by a god damn Nidoking raging about and no clue which way was up as she constantly bumps into invisible walls turning her around every which way.
[break][break]
Radon throws out every trick under his belt and finds every single attack rebuffed, all it takes is a few Drill Runs to put the Gengar down before Xenon even has the chance to try out her fancy new toys. She was outplayed from the jump, fate had it out from her from second one. What a fucking joke.
[break][break]

+Gerald Kaiser

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

It's strange how fate can pull together two disparate souls in such a manner. Maybe it was odd for Gerald to expect to find Xenon here, it was a whole other world after all, to expect to find one singular person in such a vast and lonely desert was a little odd if you think about it. It's like expecting to pluck out a needle in a haystack immediately upon sticking your hand in, trying to find a specific grain of sand in a desert if you wanted a more apt metaphor. Just "expecting" to find her... it was truly strange behavior from someone who was otherwise so rational and level headed in all other matters.
[break][break]
So why is it then that fate would deliver unto him just this one flight of fancy?
[break][break]
It's distant, one could mistake it for the whistling wind rushing by his ears. But it's getting louder. There's a tone to it, a familiar tone that made absolutely no sense being here in this exact situation at this exact time. It's coming from behind, from the direction of the caravans he was just looking at? It's getting louder still. The sound of a woman screaming, screaming with joy as she does something absurd and ridiculous as always.
[break][break]
Yes, closer inspection through that handy little eyeglass of his would reveal Xenon, riding atop a raging Hippowdown, a raging Hippowdon that was rapidly approaching his location as it bucked and snarled trying to get the crazy human off of it. A crazy human that was whooping and cheering as she slashes at its leathery skin with a razor sharp metal claw. "LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" The Ultramodernist screams as she tightly grips onto the hippo's back with one hand, her other quite busy cutting up whatever it could reach and enraging the Pokemon even further as it runs straight for Gerald and his Tropius. It would seem the death of her partner on the last expedition didn't have all to much bearing on her demeanor, if anything it's like it never even happened at all.
[break][break]
And just as the sand leaking from its back begins to whip up into a Sandstorm, that wild woman pushes off of the Hippowdon's back and flips through the air, a shining light erupting from her belt and forming into a gleaming silver Metagross throwing a raging Ice Punch right into its snout. An instant KO coinciding with her stylishly landing in front of Gerald with a victory sign held up over her eyes. "Woo! What's up gloomy, I know you were looking for me!" She did not in fact know that, she just assumed it because she automatically assumed herself to be the most important person in the area at any given time.
[break][break]

+Gerald Kaiser

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

We're all here for each other, take care of each other and you'll find yourself taken care of, let's all be friends and help each other out~ It was like she was talking to a kid, an idealistic kid who saw the world through sunshine and rainbow tinted glasses thinking that everything would turn out alright if everyone was just nice to each other. She can't help but laugh at how absurd it was, even someone as insane as her could see what a stupid thought that was. Or maybe it was because she was so insane that she could laugh at the absurdity of it all.
[break][break]
"Plug your ears, cover your eyes, scream as loud as you like about how the world should be, it's all meaningless if you don't have the strength to make your ideals a reality." The wrist mounted monitor she wore began to beep wildly as Shalin activates her Sygna Suit, the latent energy of the area rapidly rising as the bond between Pokemon and Trainer rises and creates a defined zone of control around the two. The Absol could Detect the attack coming its way, Xenon didn't even need to be able to see the future to feel the vibrations shaking her bones.
[break][break]
The trainer and Pokemon take a single step in unison, hopping away from the ground just as a wave of vibrating air crashes into the ground where they once were and tearing up the earth with uncontrolled fury. The battle begins with Antimony rushing the Flygon and its trainer as a dark energy coats its body, leaving a trail of shadow in its wake as it leaps up and crashes directly into the bug type. Knock Off, a technique specialized in disarming a Pokemon of its valuables and anything that could enhance itself. The result is rather clear as Shalin finds herself tumbling through the air and landing on the ground, Xenon wouldn't be tolerating this kind of "special bond" being flaunted so flagrantly.
[break][break]
"Show me the strength of your bonds, show me you can supplant my future with your own! If you can't then I'll throw you into the fires of my ambition and let you act as just another piece of fuel to suffocate the world!" Xenon screams as she charges headfirst at Shalin, letting Antimony distract Sandy while she engaged in a straight fist fight with the Ranger. If bonds were what gave this girl strength, then she would deny that bond and show off the strength she valued, the will to Deny the Past and Supplant the Future.
[break][break]

+ - Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]