mika says nothing at first, content to let alia's confident tone make the first greeting towards these grunts. when it's clear that the rocket members have no intention of going peacefully, mika prepares herself for a battle. [break][break]

looks like we'll have to stop them by force, after all. she'd been in numerous battles beforehand, but there's something different about fighting team rocket grunts, rather than another normal trainer. their bad reputation and history precedes them, yet mika doesn't think in absolutes. rather, they recognize the similarities between the league and team rocket, and how from afar, alia and mika seem no different from the two grunts in front of them. both sides fight for something bigger than themselves, both sides are pieces in the greater game that the entire region of hoenn is playing. [break][break]

if this fight is a reflection, mika endeavors to become something different than the desperation she sees in the mirror. as alia and luka take on the excadrill, mika and komainu double down on the houndoom. (they say it's a dog-eat-dog world, after all. there's an extra layer of animosity between the lycanroc and houndoom as a result.) [break][break]

their teeth gritted, mika calls out the next move: "lycanroc, stone edge!" and the wolf strikes out, the fur on its body hardening into razor-sharp edges, tough as rocks and twice as sturdy. komainu is a blue blur as he darts forward, slashing at the sides of houndoom with its lethal mane. houndoom yelps painfully, and mika bites back a grunt of displeasure. it brings her no joy to hurt other pokemon like this, and she supposes that even if the team rocket members wouldn't think twice about killing, the ranger has no plans to follow those tactics, themself. knock them out and be done with it — maybe it'll teach them a lesson, at the end of the day. [break][break]

"shit. forget about the lycanroc! houndoom, use flamethrower on the riolu!" the grunt orders his dark canine pokemon, who glances at the aura pokemon and nods in agreement. it opens its mouth and a roar of fire builds in the back of his throat, a stream of fire aimed for luka the riolu. [break][break]

"not so fast!" mika sneers. "lycanroc, protect!" without warning, the lycanroc jumps in the way of the houndoom's fire, and a forcefield of protective energy emanates from it, dispelling the flamethrower attack before it can reach alia or her pokemon. maybe they won't fight an honorable fight, but mika certainly will. the grunt curses beneath his breath, forced to keep houndoom and lycanroc as mika refuses to let alia be double-teamed on. [break][break]

+ @saturn [break]

+ 10 MP per IC post in a RT Battle/Mission. [break]

+ 10 MP for assisting another character and/or their Pokemon. [break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]