Luxray would work well on the partial-Water types that they’d be going up against. Grigori released his own first choice for a combatant, a Scizor with violence on the mind and a love for clicking its pincers together. The gentle taps filled the small cave, like someone with ADHD who held a pen.

“Scizor has been performing very well, my last few run-ins. I’m confident we’ll be able to perform adequately,” the grunt said. The odds of them directly competing with the likes of Cillian were not high, but this wasn’t a competition. They just needed to thin the herd, so to speak. Prevent these dangerous creatures from causing more problems.

They could only pray and hope it worked.

And they’d soon find out, too. As they went further into the cave, a particular noise got louder. The whine of machinery and splashes of water filled the space, and Scizor finally stopped its incessant clacks. At the very end was an entrance, and Grigori peeked inside.

Dozens upon dozens of red-white-and-blue Pokémon filled the space, doing various things. Some fought with one another, others sat in the corner with unlit eyes. A few ran around the open space, or from entrance to entrance. It was like a nest, except the creatures that inhabited it were soulless, lifeless hell spawn hellbent on the death of anything that wasn’t them.

The weight of his Rocket Insignia, tucked inside his suit pocket, felt twice as heavy. “The sources were correct. All that's left is to eliminate the threat. How do you wish to proceed?”

---

Cillian Quinn
TOTAL: 75
95ql8mKd

It was worth a shot. Grigori quickly rose out of his chair and released his main Pokémon. A bright red Scizor, which stood out perfectly in the green and grey landscape, clacked its claws eagerly. “Scizor, please, eliminate the threat.”

The red bug laughed; how could it not? Such a tiny, pathetic creature would stand no chance against its vicious attacks. He did not even waste the energy to meet the creature halfway, allowing it to get ever so closer. Its tiny pitter-patter footsteps grew louder.

A lot louder. “Mr. Bee, is that creature particularly heavy? It sounds like there are is a small horde concentrated in one single Iron Bundle.”

Grigori cautiously watched the creature. So too did the Scizor, who finally was in range of the potent threat. As it charged up a Hydro Pump, the insect was one step faster. It couldn’t finish its water-laser attack before it was crushed to smithereens, a single Trailblaze enough to put it six feet under. He grinned maliciously at the scrap heap.

Then why did the grunt look like he had seen a ghost? With his wide eyes and curled lip. Like he was on the verge of despair. “Oh Arceus… look.”

His finger pointed back into the distance, towards the sudden sound of noise. His initial assumption had not been wrong– it did indeed sound like an entire pack of Iron Bundle. Except it was an entire pack. One, three, six– there was a small army amassed in the treeline. And they all ran straight for the research base.

Grigori’s skin became snow-white, the same hue as the moon that peeked over the crater’s lip.

---

BARNABY FINCH
TOTAL: 69
o1hrLPIs

Grigori did not follow the admin into direct combat. He was only human, unblessed by the powers of a mythical Pokemon. He couldn’t conjure very sharp icicles from his hands, but he could watch the other one do it with the aforementioned mythical. Even if his hands itched in its presence, he held strong.

Scizor, though, was perfect for the job. It followed right behind the other two with vicious strikes and devastating blows. Bullet Punch after Bullet Punch, he dismantled several Iron Bundles on his own before they even had a chance to fire back. Yet they couldn’t, torn apart by Jayden and the Chien-Pao.

The three made quick work of the initial horde. The grunt didn’t keep track of the time, yet it couldn’t have been longer than ninety seconds. In their wake was crystalline grass that crunched underfoot, a few ice pebbles, and the guts of all the previously active Paradox Pokémon. Grigori whistled. Sugar and Cream came back behind him, their bodies both hiding behind and clutching his legs.

“Good work, you three,” he said. He looked towards Jayden and Scizor, yet pointedly ignored the ruinous beast and how it toyed with his emotions passively. Clenched fists hung by his side. The Skitty did the same. “Once again, I must reiterate my gratitude for the help.”

“They came out of nowhere,” he motioned to the numerous corpses. “A whole horde of them… but I pray that there aren’t more on the way.”

---

jayden cross  
TOTAL: 255
   EJjHE4fM

BOUQUETS:

Send a special someone a bouquet delivered by Leavanny, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A single purple orchid, potted in moist soil. Attached is a card describing the details of an Anger Management meeting.[break][break] TO:Elisabeth Fiorelli [break][break] CARD: "I find that being all by one’s lonesome is hard at times. And your orchid looked lonely.
Grigori"

BOUQUETS:

Send a special someone a bouquet delivered by Leavanny, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A dozen red roses, each one still with thorns.[break][break] TO: Preston Fugu [break][break] CARD: "May we never meet again.”

BOUQUETS:

Send a special someone a bouquet delivered by Leavanny, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A singular Calla Lily, pre-potted in moist soil.[break][break] TO:Cillian Quinn [break][break] CARD: "May your problems be few and company merry.
Grigori.”

BOUQUETS:

Send a special someone a bouquet delivered by Leavanny, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A rose, sunflower, and bluebell bundled together.[break][break] TO:BARNABY FINCH [break][break] CARD: "I hope your search is going well. If you need help, you know where to find me.
Grigori.”

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A inconspicuous large box of chocolates with a pack of cigarettes hidden between the plastic and the box.[break][break] TO: Shred [break][break] CARD: “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Hopefully this reaches you without much trouble. I care about you.
Grigori.”[break][break]

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: Smuggled tea bags of Ten year Gyokuro, four in total. A complementary tea cup comes included[break][break] TO: Kouji Matsubara[break][break] CARD: "I still believe a cake would’ve been better, but… I see where you come from. Apologies for taking one.
Grigori.”[break][break]

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A weathered book titled ‘Catch-22’ and small package of sugar cookies. Home-baked. [break][break] TO: jayden cross [break][break] CARD: “You would do well to read this book. If you want to discuss its contents, you know where to find me. Let me know what cookies you like for the future.
Grigori.”[break][break]

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A dozen sticks of rock candy, colored in the greens and browns of the earth. An Aerodactyl and Talonflame sticker are side-by-side on the card[break][break] TO:howard slayte [break][break] CARD: “A little goes a long way, Mr. Howard. We should have a chat over coffee, whenever you’re free. I’d appreciate it.
Grigori.”[break][break]

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A dozen chocolate-chip cookies and an expensive bottle of wine.[break][break] TO: Lulu Flint [break][break] CARD: "I enjoyed our conversation the other night. If you’re willing, I’d like to have another one eventually. A brighter, happier one.
Grigori.”[break][break]

TEAS & DESSERTS:

Send a special someone a bespoke box of sweets delivered by Stufful, signed or anonymous!

[break][break]
ORDER DETAILS: A dozen sugar cookies and a cracked CD case. Inside is an album from a particular rock band, dressed in black and white. [break][break] TO:Steven Campbell [break][break] CARD: “I’ve enjoyed this album thoroughly– perhaps you might the same. Take good care of it for me.
Grigori.”[break][break]

“I will eliminate the threat,” the grunt said firmly. Not a lie– far from it. The threat would be eliminated. If Cillian thought he meant June, then let him. Grigori meant the concept of the threat against Rocket. It would be all too easy to do it as well, from a physical sense.

Best not to think about the moral of conscious consequences, though. That did a foul number on his heart.

“But,” Grigori let his eyes fall away, “I apologize if this is out of line, Mr. Quinn: we are getting off track. It was not necessarily the actions of my friend that caused this. It was the fact that I brought the problem to Mr. Harcourt at all, and in such a terrible way.”

At the end of the day, Cillian was right: he could not control June. Impossible, even. He could do all he wanted, but at the end of the day, it was up to her to stay out of the line of fire. It was something they couldn’t guarantee control of, and Cillian was right to bring attention to it.

Yet it was him that made it an ‘everyone’ problem. Silence would’ve avoided this problem altogether, and it was his outburst that caused this all in the first place. “I stepped out of line because of my temper. Ms. Fiorelli has placed me in the Anger Management Program. Rightly so. That will work to prevent it in the future.”

Evidence that the problem on his end was actively being fixed. 

---

Cillian Quinn

“Thank you, Mr. Laurence,” Grigori nodded at the meager light. It left a lot to be desired, yet it beat what they had previously– nothing. Freddy agreed with a rough groan and rumble in its limbs. They could see further inside the ‘narrow’ passage, but it was more a revelation of how out of place they were.

There was still plenty of ambiguity if they looked far enough in any direction. The narrow beams of light that danced across the ground made some rocks look ethereal with their shine. Wherever there wasn’t an opening in the ground or the side of a wall, anyway. “If only we’d been informed on a general idea of where to go.”

“Perhaps we must get a little creative,” Grigori suddenly pointed to a larger hole in the cavern they entered. It glistened underneath the strange light and looked safe because of the Shinx’s revealing light. “I don’t think we shall find much if we stick to the normal path.”

A terrible prospect, but they were not here to feel comfort or safe. Almost impossible, in such an alien location– further emphasized by a sudden shudder of the very walls. Like a heart beat somewhere very far, yet its reverb traveled as fast as light, evidenced by rippling rock. He held his hands out for balance and looked around.

“... I’m not sure what that his, but I hope it’s not dangerous,” the grunt said idly. He didn’t wait for Laurence to agree or disagree with his idea, and instead walked straight toward and inside the hole. He pulled out a bright piece of neon chalk and marked the side of the wall with a straight line and an arrow. It replicated the path as well, since it looked to continue on for quite some distance.

“Mr. Freddy in the back, me in the lead,” he said.

PROMPT COMPLETE: Involve the realm's heartbeat-like sound and/or the discovery of large organ-like structures.

---

Laurence Whateley

Grigori glared the man down as the elevator approached its final destination. It’d been sent back up, so they only had a few moments left before they’d be exposed to the public for what they were. They’d have to drop the matter and leave it be for now.

He wondered if Howard set that up on purpose. People would grow suspicious if they were stuck inside this thing for much longer.

“Fine then, Mr. Fox,” he sighed. It felt like he was now the servant of a Thievul, and they worked for a glorious woodland mafia. “But don’t think I’ll let this go so easily. We will discuss this in the future.”

“You have my word on it.”

Ding! The tacky music stopped, and the doors slowly slid open. Back on the top floor, where he’d wanted to be the entire time. Without worry of Howard’s actions, and without fear of what was yet to come. Now, the future never seemed so uncertain as it did now. How potentially tumultuous.

How awful it felt. Like iron shackles that kept him from hiding. From staying away from those that might tread on him without so much as a backwards glance.

“Thank you for the leave, sir,” he said. With one final look, Grigori stepped off the elevator and quickly down the hall. He might as well make the best of this awful situation. Get things figured out, before the storm hit.

---

howard slayte

This was, by far, the strangest time to be a part of Team Rocket. Not only did other Rockets have problems with the scourge of Iron Bundles, but they were a problem for everyone. Evidenced by the reports of scouts never coming back– frozen solid or submerged in water with several holes in their chests. Red and Yellow.

So, Grigori decided to (and was told to) deal with the problem once and for all. Down in the depths of the tunnel system was their home. But he’d been allied with a rather peculiar partner. The air between them couldn’t be thicker with tension as they traversed the caves of Area Zero.

None other than Cillian Quinn led the way, careful not to touch any Tera crystals that sprouted from the walls like flowers. Their last meeting was still fresh in the grunt’s mind. How contentious it was. How awful he felt afterward. He hadn’t forgotten the moment, and he had a suspicion that the Underboss hadn’t either.

“If reports are correct, Mr. Quinn,” Grigori cleared his throat and stepped around a bright blue crystal, “then we should be close to the source of the creatures.”

Now wasn’t the time to let petty squabbles and personal vendettas get in the way of their mission. They needed to be on the same page. Work together. Otherwise, they’d be washed away by the tide. “Perhaps we should strategize a little. Create a game plan. What do you think would work best against the large amount of mechanical machines?”

Scizor was a rather violent and efficient one. Perfect for the massive amount of slaughter they’d need to perform. He knew that Cillian controlled had a rather significant Pokémon in his possession, but he also didn’t know their relationship. How often he liked to utilize it.

“Area attacks might work best, but speed could cover any holes in a single-target assault.”

---

Cillian Quinn
I4AAekeY

“Depends on how you view it, Mr. Bee,” Grigori replied. He had no problems with keeping his gaze on the landscape outside their window. If anything, he was unable to tear his eyes away. The darkened sky painted the lands in a way that perfectly complemented the chasm. Soon enough, it would be gone. Consumed by the encroaching night.

“But, perhaps, this is the calm before the storm.”

Dangers lurked in every shadow as well, and beauty could very well be a distraction from the intent behind it. He learned that the hard way earlier, with his little solo adventure. How he’d been saved by jayden cross from a pack of vicious Iron Bundle.

“Time tells all, I’m afraid,” he said as he stretched his legs. They’d been sitting there for hours now, on guard for anything that looked at them wrong. So far, nothing had, and not for long enough to gather reinforcements. He sniffed. Grass, pollen, and fresh air. “Hopefully, it tells us nothing.”

The thought of danger got his hairs to stand on end. The admin’s words rang inside his chest– it had indeed been very peaceful so far. Logic told them that they were due for a little trouble. Even if he wanted anything but.

Something changed. Grigori suddenly leaned forward in his chair, his attention grabbed by movement in the distance. A blot on the path, a red and white thing. Rather far away, yet it approached them at a rapid pace and slowly grew larger. The grunt pointed to it and looked at Bee, “Activity. Just… one, I think.”

Arceus, did they follow him from earlier?! He just wanted to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Instead, he was forced to crush it underfoot. “Mr. Bee, whose turn is it?”

---

BARNABY FINCH
iMGj8afL 

Grigori could only watch as the ground behind him erupted into an icy death trap. Several mechanical constructs simply perished, while the rest were temporarily halted by the appearance of a thick wall. He could hear them behind the temporary roadblock. However, there was at least a moment’s reprieve.

Enough for him to take several deep breaths and turn back to his savior. “You have my eternal gratit–”

Fuck. Admin Jayden Cross stood in front of him, a person who had come from seemingly nowhere. Either he had snuck up on the man as he ran for his life, or he had descended from the sky. His eyes glowed a frosty blue, a gaze that quite literally pierced his own. The two Skitty clambered in his arms to huddle together, shivering from the sudden cold wind.

“Mr. Cross! Unexpected to see you here,” he said. “I appreciate the save. Relentless things-they've been on my tail for quite some time.”

This was the last time he ventured out here on his own. To think he wanted to explore the scenery in a way that the rest of the grunts couldn't understand or didn't care about. Instead, he got ran around the chasm and dodged wave after wave of frigid ice and watery beams powerful enough to cut through stone.

Unfortunately, he heard the creatures start to figure out the concept of ‘going around’. The rumble of frigid machinery grew louder as the stragglers prepared themselves to continue their assault. He groaned, and turned back to Jayden.

“Looks like we’re still in danger,” Grigori let the two fur balls jump from his arms and scamper further away. They wouldn’t go too far, and he needed the ability to properly move. The cavalry had arrived.

“Let’s deal with this problem, and we can talk afterword,” Grigori released a third ball from his belt, and a bright red insect emerged from the ball. Scizor, and he looked ready to clean house based on the eager clicks of his claws. Jayden's gift from the awful feline was coming in handy. A phrase he never thought of until now.

---

jayden cross
J7Y2FrfF

He didn’t think there existed such a curveball that would get him off the original topic altogether. Yet as Howard offered– forced, rather, a rank up onto the grunt, Grigori did a double take. “Wh-what do you mean promotion?”

He’d spent the last thirty years out of the limelight. As he’d grown into Rocket, and they offered him promotion after promotion, he turned them down or literally did not do the job, if they forced it on him. Soon enough, they got the memo and stopped. He was just one man, and there were always those more willing.

Yet all it took was a step into his personal life for that work to be dashed against the rocks. By a man who knew little about his past, and probably cared even less.

“Invaluable? The situation has changed? None of this makes any sense, Mr. Howard. Not one bit,” he crossed his arms and bit his lip. How did he go from panic to worry to frustration to disbelief? The emotional whiplash hurt his figurative neck. “And it sounds like you’re pulling the rank card.”

It was only a matter of time. At least it wasn’t done out of malice or hatred. “... I’m in no position to decline, Mr. Slayte.”

Nothing personal; he called all the higher-ups by their last name. If Howard wanted to act the part, he’d be addressed as it too.

---

howard slayte

Grigori ran faster than he’d done in the last ten years of his life. Thank goodness for his rigorous workout routine, as he clambered over fallen trees effortlessly and around the wild Pokémon that hadn’t noticed him. All without breaking a sweat. That and the environment was drop-dead gorgeous, with its abundant greens meshed with the grey rocks and clear streams.

But maybe that was a trap. A mirage to bait him into certain danger. It felt so, as he looked back towards the creatures that chased him. Vicious, cold, heartless– the Iron Bundles chased after him with a ruthless efficiency never seen before. They put some grunts to shame, the way they only attacked without thought. Cream and Sugar, his two precious Skitty, hissed at them to no effect on his shoulders.

One stopped momentarily and opened its beak. White light built up in its body, and Grigori quickly dodged around a rather large bolder. Something cold struck the opposite side of it with powerful force, and crystals raced across its surface. He looked at them wildly before stepping away from the rock.

Just in time, as the final surge of the Ice Beam finished piercing the rock. Death had been mere decimeters away.

He pulled the two cream-cats into his arms and kept running. It felt like he’d ran a marathon, yet it had only been once around the upper part of the chasm. These creatures could surely run all night– he’d only last an hour, tops. “I REQUIRE ASSISTANCE! PLEASE, ANYONE OUT THERE!”

He’d gladly reveal his identity as a member of Team Rocket if it meant he didn’t perish to a pack of angry robot birds. Or, if his demise was certain, that they'd protect the two fur balls that dug their nervous claws into his arms. 

---

jayden cross
  jS1ZQEk0

EXCURSION SIGN-UP

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

WHICH EXCURSION?: GC Excursion A: Explore
PARTICIPATING CHARACTERS: jayden cross , Grigori Sokolov

EXCURSION SIGN-UP

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

WHICH EXCURSION?: AZ Excursion C: Cull the Horde
PARTICIPATING CHARACTERS: Grigori Sokolov Cillian Quinn