It's a very well-groomed Togepi. It's almost absurd how impeccable of a specimen this one is. Its shell shines brightly against the dull, crackling lights of Sea Mauville's dying generators. Its soft body is luscious and well-maintained. This Togepi is within the top percentage of Togepi.

Hell, it even has a small ribbon attached to its spiky head.

"I'm helping..." Rex sounded on the verge of tears as he pilfered another hard drive. "I'm going to hell when I die..."

Yet when compared to this Togepi, Rex's struggles seem like a distant memory.

'Toge...' The Togepi looks at Annalise with bright eyes, before waggling its fingers. 'pi!'

A Metronome builds...

"Hm?" Rex looked up from his computer of crimes to peer at Annalise and Togepi. "Uh oh."

---

annalise henderson

"Guh..." The inflection of his voice makes it clear that she's won, but it's the equivalent of arguing morals with a toddler. There's no work involved. No great debate. "Guhhhhh..."

If Rex was a machine, smoke would be pouring from every orifice as his brain started to spark and smolder. The ethical contradiction is too much for Rex to comprehend. The man was a boy scout to the core, the perfect ranger. Unfortunately he was neither a boy scout nor a ranger. He was just some guy from Littleroot.

Until he conquered the Pokemon League and became a champion, at least.

"But..." That was a long way, though. Rex sulked to pilfer through the computers. One warned against removing hard drives without proper guidance. "Ugh... I don't wanna go to jail."

Meanwhile, Annalise would feel something nudging her foot.

'toge toge?'

A Togepi looked up at her.

---

annalise henderson
45. Retrieve important hard drives from Sea Mauville computers.

He does not follow. Eris Halla is alone. Probably for the best, given Rex's boy scout behavior. Knowing him, if she was drowning, he wouldn't save her due to not being able to run around the pool. It was for the best that he was out of her hair.

However, something follows behind her. The door flutters slightly as something waddles on remarkably tiny lines, its egg shell rattling slightly as it continues its incessant march after the small lady. Its little feet make a pitter patter on the ground as it nudges Eris's foot.

'Toge toge?'

A Togepi looks up at her with curious eyes. It waves its arms up at her, demanding uppies.

---

Eris Halla
04. Direct a pokemon to scout ahead for reconnaissance.

"See, one time Munchlax ate this really disgusting macron made from molten plastic, Weedle poison, and moldy apples." Rex began as Munchlax waddled forward, seemingly immune to the toxic fumes. The snack the younger man described seemed revolting, but he continued on, as if this was somehow going to impress the woman standing next to him. "Really nasty stuff."

While Roze worked to rejuvenate their collapsed captain, Rex continued to blab as Munchlax encroached upon the pipe that was causing the gas leak.

"I thought he was gonna die, but the nice lady at the Pokemon Center said he'd be fine. Munchlax are just built different, I guess." Rex shrugged again. "I figured if he can eat that, what danger can a gas leak do to him?"

The logic was utterly insane and devoid of reason. Munchlax continued to march forward, kicking large swaths of rubble away with great strength hidden within the little monster's small frame.

He didn't elaborate on the 'great plan'.

---

Roze Falkner
32. Clear debris or other obstacles to create safe pathways.

"Yeah, that sign." He stared at her, hand on his hip. With the way she regarded the sign, she may as well have been defiling a corpse by searching for its wallet. When Annalise removed her hand, the younger trainer took a deep sigh of relief, content that the rules were being followed. "Thank goodne-"

The door is slashed apart before the words can leave his mouth. By the time he finishes them, the door is nothing but cut scraps.

-ss" Rex gagged as Annalise walked through the now defiled door. "You're gonna get us in trouble! It was there for a reason!"

As he attempts to reprimand her for her great crime, the reserve continues to shift as the Tera Crystals below feast on the hull. Rex looked around, panicked, before turning back to Annalise.

"Trespassing is wrong!"

---

annalise henderson
14. Ensure the area is safe from remaining threats.

This felt... wrong somehow. Robbing the ocean of its natural treasures in exchange for profit seemed like a morally bankrupt thing to do.

Still, who was Rex to judge. If everyone else was doing it, then he was allowed to as well, right? He toed the water balefully for a moment, before taking a deep breath. His Pokeballs were left vacant on the surf as he jumped beneath the waves.

On the beach, his Pokeball twitched as the Togepi within began to stir.

---

8/2
g2dPoSp_

The region is unstable.

No shit. The region had been ablaze for almost six years now. Six years since the first members of Team Rocket had sailed from Kanto and set the world up in smoke. Four since Littleroot had been pushed to the brink, where gods had dictated their world irrelevant. When Dialga had soared over Littleroot, all Rex could think was one thing:

I'm gonna beat that thing in a fight. Watch!

Then his neighbors had died and that dream had vanished into mist.

"Gotcha. Well, we gotta help these people then. If they need our help, then we should give it to them. Nobody should suffer alone. It's not fair." And when he got strong enough to beat every trainer and seize every badge, he would climb the steps of Ever Grande and become Champion. "C'mon!"

As Razz heals the engineers, Rex guides them towards the exit. They'll have to leave orderly, lest the wires do them in. He directs them, but it is up to Razz to clear the way back up to the surface.

The wires are threatening.

"That all of them, Razz?"

---

Raziel Beckett

A silly comparison. Eternatus wouldn't get stuck in a room because Rex didn't know what an Eternatus even was. That's why she was ten and he was a mature adult who could drink two craft beers before getting trashed.

"Yeah, the Sealeos and Woopers need our help! They're supposed to be stuck in the cafeteria if I recall. Apparently a few ate too much when the workers left and got stuck." The fact that Rex stared at Eris with absolute faith in this absurd wreck of a tale proved that he wasn't joking. "We gotta save them. Who else will?"

A certified tool, through and through. He looked around to ensure that they didn't get jumped.

"It should be through that... door." He turned to point towards the cafeteria's double doors. His blood ran cold. "Damn."

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

---

Eris Halla
41. Secure corners and blind spots to ensure the area is safe to act in.

As the ranger spoke, the trainer relaxed. Maybe it was Razz's calming voice, his experience, or the fact that Salem was a cute little fellow. Maybe it was the fact that Razz respected the truth. It was hard to tell, but it didn't really matter.

They would work together and save innocent lives. Just as Littleroot had deserved all those years ago, before Dialga had appeared and twisted the world asunder.

"I see 'em. Don't worry." Rex bobbed and weaved around the wires like a Grimer avoiding a shower. "We'll need to be careful on our way up, though."

Water and exposed wiring didn't mix. Rex wasn't a scientist, but he suspected that there wasn't enough liquid to diffuse the electricity if it touched the rapidly increasing supply of water. Razz and Rex would become Razzed and Erexicuted if they weren't careful.

After descending, the duo reached the blocked room. Much of the ceiling had collapsed, blocking most of the way forward. With a murmur, Rex's Munchlax emerged and began lifting large chunks of concrete and rebar out of the way with minimal hassle. While the little demon worked, Rex skirted closer to Razz.

"So... erm..." Rex shuffled nervously. "Why's the place sinking? Did you guys forget to pay rent, or...?"

---

Raziel Beckett
32. Clear debris or other obstacles to create safe pathways.

The princess's words were a sign of endearment and respect for Galar's Once and Future King, but all Rex could do was nod. When he spoke, his wisdom came in spades.

"I like the way his bulb-head wobbles when he dances." He beamed at her before looking at the glowing head of Calyrex. The way the king's head glowed and danced to and fro made Rex jealous of the silly fellow. "It's like jello."

Althus Rex was a wise man. At least he recognized that Charles was an adorable and important Pokémon, even if his reasons were delegated to the bounciness of the head.

Meanwhile, Rex's Munchlax yawned and fell asleep in front of a door. The little monster was a fiendish creatures, but his lazy nature made for prudent barricades in times of crisis. If anything, he ensured that they wouldn't be jumped while freeing people from the depths of the sinking preserve.

"Come now, we gotta go down the hall. I think the blocked room is up ahead!"

---

Elise Calcifet
44. Use a pokemon to place temporary barricades.

Oh, to be a Salem without a care in the world. What a lucky cat.

"Sir, I have a Kirlia that is good at communicating. He's very calming! Very levelheaded, too. He'll work well with Cyan! I promise. No, I double promise. I have a Munchlax that can lift things out of the way, if need be. I also..." He bit his lip. He shuffled awkwardly for a few moments, before silently groaning. He couldn't lie, not to Razz. "I've got a Togepi, but she's just a baby! I feel obligated to mention her because omitting facts is as bad as lying, but she's too important to bring out!"

He bowed his head awkwardly, burning with shame.

"I apologize!"

Still, he produced his Kirlia from a belted Pokeball. The petite Psychic-type regarded Salem and Cyan for a few moments, before allowing the Noibat and himself to share minds for the sake of Telepathy. The power of Psychic-types was not to be underestimated.

Closing his eyes, Rex's Kirlia sends out a psychic pulse, feeling the brush of consciousness two floors down. He nudges Salem, chattering in the language that only Pokémon knew, before pointing downward.

---

Raziel Beckett
10. Use tracking skills to locate victims or threats.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! It was Razz Kingsman! The Razz Kingsman! The guy with the cool kitty cat that could move things with its mind!

He had also flown on a white dragon, way back when. That was cool, but the Meowstic was the real prize.

"Woah..." Rex stared at the scarred ranger with a mix of envy and hero worship. This guy was super strong, competent, and also adept. He was everything that Rex aspired to be, besides the whole 'civil servant to the government' thing. The perks were probably pretty nice, but if Rex had wanted good perks, he would've trained a bunch of Delibirds to work in the delivery service. "Mr. Razz!"

They were supposed to be saving people and that took top priority, but Razz would make it super easy. He could stop New Mauville from sinking in one hand while solving cancer with his other.

They were totally in the clear.

"I'll do my best to help save the engineers trapped in one of the generator rooms, sir!"

---

Raziel Beckett

The flooded grate between the two men demanded their attention, like a gate that led directly into the bowels of hell. Many thought it was a hot place, full of demons and monsters and eternal punishment. That wasn't the case at all.

Hell was a tight squeeze with water up to your neck.

"Alright, Sylvio." Rex had started calling the Paldean that instead of using his proper name. Maybe the younger man thought that it'd make them closer. Maybe he was saving himself a few syllables. Maybe he wasn't all there, and this was a conscious decision to use his last utterances on nicknames before drowning. "I ain't gonna lie to you, this is gonna suck. I've never done this before."

Inspiring words. Rex shimmied in his wetsuit as he spoke, before stacking up another oxygen cannister.

"There's a safe down there, full of cool stuff. We hook a chain to it and the lovely rangers over there..." Rex waved at the two rangers chatting through the doorway. "Pull it up. Lots of fun, and they offer lunch. Sound good?"

---

silverio delfino
12. Ensure sufficient supplies are available for the operation.