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A smile sprawled behind the mask at the voice that wavered into her ears from the communications, the voice of Elisabeth Fiorelli, a voice that she had always made an effort to recognize. "When you told me you saw promise in me," she said softly, quite frankly forgetting that she was speaking into the ear of plenty, ".. well, it made me want to make you proud, dear." It would have been all the more wild to refute; respect needed to flow from the kettle to the teacup to let it be filled once more. She wanted to keep it filled with someone she considered to have an old, wise soul- a fellow poisoner, a talented one at that.[break][break]

Whisked into the wretched trees within the palm of the tree spirit, a clack on the side of the pokemon's bark quickly led it to release her from its loving shackles. There seemed to have been a remnant of a mechanical beast, of which had to have been thrown by force due to the sheer existence of the mountainous dragon. And cut by vicious slashes, those which she did not know the origin of. When she looked at its lifeless body, shattered into fragments of steel, a part of her associated it with the same way she regarded youth.[break][break]

She had grown a distaste for the younger generations, but old, forcibly shelved matronly instincts flowed into her dilapidated veins. The creature was something never before seen, that was as much as she could know from locking eyes with it- disregarding technology, disregarding the thoughts of whether it truly had a soul or not. "Help me bury this thing," she said to the specter, ".. it's too far from the rest of its kind, where their souls may dance."[break][break]

And so they did- and curiously enough, once the last of its remnants had been encased in the rock and snow, another of its kind appeared. One that also happened to have fallen victim to the scuff. Smoke vaporizing from its IRON CROWN, it seemed to stare at the granny and her spirit with emotionless eyes. Had she been willing to take a risk, she would have waited to see what it would have done. But that was too dangerous with the LIGHT STONE in pocket; flinging a pokeball at the modern beast, she wondered if the two happened to have had a relationship like her and those she considered her found family. Or if it had been simply drawn by the power that rested within the pack.[break][break]

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IRON CROWN IS CAUGHT.

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Scooping the cold, icicle-imbued orb that had retained the mechanical beast up into her palms with ample, cricked efforts, a turn of the cheek had brought her to acquaint with THEO BECKETT's cutting voice. With his ample efforts of PROTECTION while she had wandered into the fray, any fear that another would make their approach within the treeline had been shed. As she listened to his words, she could not help but let the praise imbue her heart and soul, sticking the bottom of her cane into the snow with a sinister grin sprawled from wrinkle to wrinkle.[break][break]

"Oh, dear me," she smiled in response, inching closer to him while pushing her mask to sit above her frayed hair, ".. if that is what the fates have in store for me, I will accept all of it with open arms. Thank you, dear." Holding a shaky hand out, she attempted to give him a hug of gratitude and effervescent joy, imbued with accomplishment. And a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek. It was habitual.[break][break]

To CONQUER, to shine light upon the souls that the world wished to cast out due to their eccentric, irredeemable lifestyles; it was a tea leaf that must grow into a bush. One that would grow with thorns in its wake, bigger than any other, digging into any that were to oppose it. The war needed to be won, and she couldn't have chosen a better side- with them, with all of those she had grown to love and respect, the possibilities were endless. Life had meaning now above all else. Above all the years wasted in the cells, shackled for the mistakes she had made.[break][break]

"To home we go-go. I already know the rest I'll be getting tonight is going to be impeccable."[break][break]

She would never make mistakes like those again, for those were things she could never afford.

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Eyes stared into the abyss of the cataclysmic bodies and mechanicals through the mask slits, the souls that were unfortunate enough to be deemed one of the lucky ones; those who would never be able to live to see what would come in the future, where the fates were said to unravel piece by piece. Marilyn felt bad for a few, though she felt neutral toward most. In a world where men could use their self-righteousness as a tool to justify their lashings, much to the likeness of Remiel Calcifet, she figured most had fallen into the cycle of committing the same acts. Fate acted as an exactor of retribution, a karmic destiny, that which they deserved if they were truly sanctimonious.[break][break]

She figured it would not be long until Remiel Calcifet met his, if not by the hands of Rocket, by the maw of another beast the size of a mountain. "Team Rocket does have a place, as will Reshiram, I'm sure," she gargled and coughed phlegm, swinging her cane shotgun back and forth as they continued their flight, ".. but you're right. This isn't over." Preservation of the LIGHT STONE was ultimately needed, much more than any darkened, vicious wishes she wished to exact on a pious royal. It would be satisfying to let fear lurk in his mind rather than pluck if he were to be susceptible. But with such a complex of power, alongside such rich histories, would he be?[break][break]

"I never leave empty-handed, Remiel Calcifet..! We will meet again," she giggled and turgled, firing a few rounds into the ground as the Golurk attempted to pick up its spectral pace, ".. and I will never forget your name..!"[break][break]

Unless the memory loss started to hit, but she never really had problems with that other than when she got drunker than a boiled owl. The ROCK SLIDE manifested, creating a barrier between those who pursued ZEKROM and its keeper. Quite the paradox, as he seemed to have rebuked cowardice- but she could hardly focus on that, as her instinct for survival kicked in. She did not wish to be buried in stone until her old age had failed her, sitting comfortably in an exquisite casket.[break][break]

Ludwig and Marilyn held on during the push, feeling the grinding of jagged protrusions piercing the backside of the automaton up until they finally reached the lifeless treeline. Delicate, pained chirps of the mechanical innards of the specter signaled to the elder that her flight would need to come to an end. Using the last of its energy, it lowered a hand to release her from the bounds to its stomach into the snow below; and a reverberating HEAT CRASH behind her, melding rock with hardened, dead trees to create a wall. A safety net, that which she could flee into.[break][break]

Calling the Golurk back into its orb and slowly trudging with her cane into the lifeless forest, now accompanied by a Trevenant that scooped her into its wooden palm, she let out deep, guttural breaths as her heartbeat slowed to an ordinary pace. "Find me in the trees," she said into the comms, ".. we can exact the fates upon the royal another day, Neon. We will be safe in the ruined bends."

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Listening to jayden cross's message and congratulations for catching the orb brought a warm, fuzzy feeling of self-pride into her worn, dilapidated heart; to feel as if she was of use after all the time spent in prison.. it was a feeling beyond compare. At least, other than the feeling that had emanated in her hands before she slipped the orb into the slot of her fanny pack! With the orders of retreat, she envisioned heading home to be like a spiritual, ghostly pilgrimage of legends. Her imagination and delight ran wild with such accomplishment, along with the self-righteousness that she had previously stated to detest. Was that the secret of the world, that self-righteousness came with holding such divine power inside of one's hands?[break][break]

Maybe that was just the royal and his steroid-imbued Corviknight, who knew? "A feast for the gods is what all of my grandbabies deserve, all of you," she said with an aged turgle into the comms, ".. to home we go-go!" With the proximity of mint frost and THEO BECKETT, she figured that retreat would be quite an easy feat- until the tea was spilled from mint frost's lips regarding the dirt rocket had on the one known as Remiel Calcifet. But in the end, why would anyone wish to spill precious tea, especially the expensive and flavorful ones? Marilyn did not understand such terminology, but she tried to get around regardless.[break][break]

But her wish to return to Sootopolis with the LIGHT STONE secured, that of which she planned to protect with her life until it fell into the hands of a rocket executive, was threatened. Had it not been for mint frost's hand signal that she was quick to pick up on, she would have certainly been crushed by the spiky shadow that rapidly hurdled downward. "Bah!" she exclaimed, rapidly clacking her cane against the belly of the Golurk to shoot backward in flight. Lucky for her, Ludwig was all the more in tune with her reaction, giving mere seconds between certain life and certain death.[break][break]

"Remiel Calcifet. A name of a royal.. one that cannot comprehend the fates brought by the dragon's tongue have led the chrysalis of the dragon into our hands," she called out to the keeper of Zekrom, feeling the whisps of grudges manifest upon the automaton pokemon's shell, ".. if you're going to try to pry it from my grasp.. you're gonna have to fucking.. KILL ME!"[break][break]

Hovering backward at a decent speed enough, Ludwig attempted to bestow a parting gift to the royal's black dragon as it readied for an attempted retreat- a CURSE, which maniacally drained some of the life force of the spectral machine in channeling. It did not react, as it had a job to do.. and just like all the others that the granny held dear to her heart, it knew that she would do everything in her power not to fail it. The lining of barren, snow and ice-imbued trees awaited them. And she giggled with each second that passed due to the irony, as in the end, all it took was her existence for the man to wish harm upon her.[break][break]

It reinforced her ideals. And though she was tempted to try to take home a clavicle of his to stir a cup of tea with, after a proper polish, of course, she needed to live to complete the final step of the mission. She hoped the Golurk would be fast enough.

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Her eyes gazed upward as the ethereal lights shone brightly from the maw and beyond, snow-ridden fractals leading her curiosity to distract from her prior earthquake that had consumed mechanical constructs. A spectacle that was difficult to refute getting caught up within; divine interventions were said to be once in a lifetime for the lucky souls when her mother would read her bedtime stories those seventy years ago. Not like she ever believed they could be true- she needed to see something like this to believe it, outside the rift that separated the ordinary from the spectral. And she saw it indeed, all the way until Kyurem was torn and eluded such immense pressure.[break][break]

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Bracing herself upon the straps of the Golurk's belly as it tried to resist the vociferation, something that looked almost like a shooting star caught her eye. It was rapidly falling.. was this perhaps the soul of the dragon that was said to be on the inside, the source of the truths it wished to convey? ".. Ludwig..!" She spouted from the crackling maw of her own, flinging upward to allow her to snag it. Squealing merriments, her fingers wrapped around the beacon and snatched it out of the rain of white. And for just a moment, she stared into it, shocked at the feeling that resonated within the cracking walls of her elderly soul.[break][break]

It brought her back to the feeling of holding the tampered chalice and the bottle, the sensation that came with holding something so lethal, so imbued with power. The youth that she was forced to sign away. The cause of it. This time, she wished to use bearing such a task as a way to foster meaningful connections rather than cast them all away- allow all the others in the organization who made her feel truly respected, truly loved, to give into their desires. Not to take them away, to allow them to flourish. She had Rocket to profusely thank for giving her life meaning, a new place in the world with all the respect in the world.[break][break]

Each member deserved it one way or another, one wicked whim to another curious complex. "On it, dearie!" She shouted back to mint frost, ultimately full of love at his willingness to return such fortification. Clenching the stone with all of her might as she shakily lowered it into an antique fanny pack on her waist, she zipped the zipper and tightened upon her body like a tourniquet. From its sides, she pulled out a set of twin kunai that glimmered with their elongated blades. If a soul other than Rocket were to try to pull off a sudden heist, they would have to pry it from her cold, lifeless mortal shell.[break][break]

"Eliisabeth.. Theooo..," she giggled into the comms, ".. the embodiment of the dragon belongs to us, now.. the mission is fulfilled, ah, yes..!"[break][break]

Team Rocket was her home now more than ever. The gateway to endless possibilities and infinite curiosity.

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The BREAKING SWIPE, partially absorbed and partially nullified, manifested a puff of smoke and an echoing cry within the Golurk's perpetual motion machine. It naturally faltered in the skies, but the clacking of Marilyn's cane on its side brought to a slow yet steady stabilization; but the elder's eyes became quite disoriented with the whip, despite all the painkillers she had taken while she was out in the trees. That, with Remiel Calcifet's directive, made her giggle in a quite rancid fashion due to the adrenaline of it all. Spawned with a grudge, as this only reinforced the damage she sought upon people like him in the younger generations.[break][break]

"Self-righteousness leaves a bitter taste in my mouth," she called back to royal, ".. you chose to commit with striking my dearest, Ludwig.. why should I leave empty handed in a casket that you opened?" Just like all those rotten prison guards that pushed while guarded against retaliation with their pretty guns. Grudges ran deep, those built within fifty years of resentment. It was all the more appealing to take such a wonderful opportunity and run with it. She wanted to take a clavicle to mail to the Goldenrod Max Facility.[break][break]

A punch and the appearance of another halted the automaton spirit in its wretched channelings. Cackling now, she couldn't believe the scene that was weaved before her very eyes in the name of judgment; it was so shocking, so satisfying, so sudden. Quite deserved for such benevolent force he had wished to use against Neon- and something that opened a door to the task at hand, fueled by the comms that gave her a name to the one Rocket wished to acquire. The beast inside the other, that which she manifested to make dinner of the man who insisted it was distasteful to call it a mountain chicken.[break][break]

"Let me know if the Calcifet decides to not quit!" She squealed into the comms, embarking through the skies a bit closer to KYUREM with the push of the Golurk's hand rockets. jayden cross, of which she did not recognize due to the mask he had donned, looked to have it handled with such brute force displayed for her to see. She wouldn't be too far if she would be needed to exact further revenge if Remiel Calcifet tried to be lethal. Near the foot, a slam into another pile of mechanical beasts summoned an EARTHQUAKE with mild tectonic force. Perhaps big enough to pour some of the hostile iron swords into the depths of the chasm, and if she were lucky, enough to bring pain to the dragon eater somehow.[break][break]

Motivation could only do so much with a lack of experience in facing off against moving mountains.

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The shards of snow and ice that pattered against her mask of aphrodite brought the chill to manifest inward through the eye holes, which she rapidly scrunched to preserve her already faltering eyesight. Marilyn subconsciously pleaded with the universe to let those she considered her honorary children and grandchildren to be safe- she was unable to see them now, all but Elisabeth Fiorelli and her badass snail that ultimately fit the vibes of the tea house in aesthetic. They needed to be okay- and she needed to secure that, as those who bore masks and criminal records were all the more susceptible to league interference. League pain. Gross bootlickers.[break][break]

Her rapid gaze of scanning the terrain for those that had left a friendly, familial mark upon her heart led her to spot those whom she had not yet been blessed with their presence. An individual that seemed to wear a neon mask, which she presumed to be the beast that operated under the name 'Neon' and the one that pursued them and their pretty bird. She was unaware of Remiel Calcifet and his prior attachments to the organization just as she was his bond with that large, legendary black draconic creature; she simply dismissed it as yet another member of the league that wished to bring harm to those on her side, riding on the back of a Corviknight that had been injected with steroids for years and years prior.[break][break]

One that needed to be dealt with one way or another. Kicking up snow and discarded mechanical parts with an order of flight to Ludwig, the Golurk, she braced herself within her harness confines and joined mint frost at his side in the air, wavering up and down. "How about you LEAVE our poor Neon alone, dear? The mountain chicken is an irrefutable asset." She called out from the belly of the iron ghost, coughing as the snow filled her lungs with inevitable inhalation. Hopefully, her assumption of the rocket's codename was true, but then again, it could prove fruitful otherwise.[break][break]

Curses manifested around the Golurk's body, spectral clouds that ultimately were prepared to wreak havoc at full force. However, with the size of its body and the wish to protect the pastel cerulean, it fluttered back and forth to create a wavering wall of IRON DEFENSE instead. As she was not in the position to do otherwise, she waited for permission to attempt throwing him off the back of the dragon.

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Marilyn had a habit of showing up late to the fray, despite her presence that lurked in the darkened corners of the ethereal snowstorm for hours that felt like days. She had existed as a mere grunt, recommended to exist on the sidelines serving as support and reconnaissance for the grand scheme due to her old, rotting age- something that had left a bitter taste in her mouth, even if most would consider it the wisest option. But she needed to build respect with the younger generations, the same respect she ultimately craved. If that's what she needed to die having said she was one with camaraderie, devoid of loneliness, so be it.[break][break]

The ground shook plentiful times as she remained in her previous safe haven, a nook in the frozen trees about half of a mile away or so. She spent it churning at a warm stew, giggling, sneezing, yawning, letting her ghosts dance to pass the time. Hell, she even shared her brews with nameless rockets that made an early retreat through the trees, their bodies all torn up. It was starting to feel comfortable, listening to the comms and being able to say she did something, even if it was small. But it soon changed when she heard a familiar voice upon the speaker, THEO BECKETT, order a retreat. Go time.[break][break]

A hefty strapping onto the belly of the Golurk, Ludwig, and spectral flight led her to where the tongue of the dragon had yet to unfold its final fate of the future. Despite how dark it had seemed, she figured she would be dead sooner than any of its previous claims could come to truly exist- if she was unlucky or her body was to fail her, that is. As the two descended from the skies, she got a look at all the mythological beasts that shone plentiful shadows throughout the gale. So that's what legends looked like, huh? The one that looked like a mountain pissed her off a tad, that had to be none other than the big guy, Kyurem. But what were all the other things, the mechanical constructs that trampled over the lifeless bodies of so many?[break][break]

She was the tiniest bit scared, yet her ventures into The Border and facing off against its vestigial fire spirit made her quite desensitized. And she had faith in Ludwig, just as she did all the other masked-up souls that she had the pleasure of being on the same side of; it was a companion of hers since her adolescence, and she knew it better than any other soul that was granted the ability to survive. "Is this thing working?" She said into her communication system, gargled, partially muffled by the snow and elderly heaving. "Help is on the way, dears! Matcha."[break][break]

Bracing the best she could as the Golurk slammed its steel legs into the snow rapidly, her face was brought to a grimace at the sound of crunching, veiled by her mask resembling a statue. Some of those mechanical beasts were brought to electronic rubble, maybe a person or two. "Oopsie." She smiled, satisfied in thinking of all the bones she'd be able to collect when this was all said and done. Catching a glimpse of Elisabeth Fiorelli with her instruction, she made sure to steer clear. But she seemed tied up.. at least she was safe, as she adored her. Saying hi or helping could wait until she needed it.[break][break]

Hopefully, the same could be said about the dog, Hitoshi Inoue. She worried for him, ultimately much more than she worried for herself; she was able to stay on that mechanical bull ride at the fair that came to the prison grounds for over five minutes when she was fifty-nine, she figured this wouldn't be nearly as difficult to prosper through.

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Walking into the tunnel with a lit soothsayer lamp swinging from its chain, Marilyn examined the darkened scenery while taking a large denture-wobbling bite of her favorite fruit; a plump and juicy tangerine, which led the acidic juices to drench her shaky palms. It had been decades since she had last passed through the rocky passage. More than five, to be exact- and she forgot just how extensive it had become, or perhaps it was just her legs being unable to traverse long distances. The last time her feet crushed the rocks below she was a mere child, traveling with her immediate family to attend an antique harvest festival. If only she was not the last left of the bunch, her bloodline preserved only through her severed marital tie.[break][break]

It would have made the moment much less lonely, though the Flutter Mane that seethed beside her on a leash did a good job of providing acquaintance in times like these. "They said the tunnel is filled with draconic bats which can crack boulders with their soundwaves, isn't that just so crazy, chum chum?" She giggled, locking eyes with those that appeared to glow, waiting for prey to wander further inside. "There they are now. Take the rest of my tangerine and offer it to them, perhaps they will let you dance with them! Not like you'd ever take no for an answer, little chum chum. Go."[break][break]

Citrus in its mouth, the paradox pokemon thrashed about once the offer was complete, taking on as many of the cavern dwellers that it could sense with its feelers after being released from the leash. It was the one way granny could get such a terrific beast to remain docile while wandering the lands of the new world- allowing it to mald and scorch all that stood in its path, one SHADOW BALL at a time. "Get em' while they're hot!" She smiled, leaning on the rocky wall.[break][break]

She loaded a pokeball into the end of her cane shotgun and blasted it into the fray just to see what would happen. Hell, she wouldn't complain if one of the Noivern or their young ended up inside. They could make a good means of transporting cargo, or a shatterer of ear drums if she ever needed to do so in the future. Dirty hands could only stay clean for so long.[break][break]

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The last name of Calcifet did indeed hold quite the weight to it, just as the gift of the Flutter Mane; a last name and a pokemon of a promise held similarities in that they both held responsibility. It was debatable which one held more, though- being a member of Team Rocket through and through, or taking on the due processes of being related to a crown jewel. Marilyn nodded at the sincerities, biting her tongue that wished to ramble of how much she adored the one that had gifted it to her, Elisabeth Fiorelli. She had no clue if the usurpers of Sootopolis had or had not made their way into the cracks of the royal palace and its embassies.[break][break]

"The pleasure is mine in meeting a royal, a sweet one at that," she smiled, tapping her long, discolored fingernails on her cane, ".. oh my! Their names are Mana and Dimple, how precious!" Holding her free hand out to greet the ghosts, they both were just as unique as they were beautiful; she wished to call a Mismagius her own, specifically, as it seemed to be related to the Flutter Mane in one way or another. Ample evolution tactics. The taming of vestigial spirits was something she was quite fond of as she was close to the aspect of death, fascinated by it. After all, so many people had told her that she would die before being granted the ability to traverse the world once more, unshackled. If only they knew what genes she had been blessed with.[break][break]

The ribbon pterosaur paradox released a MYSTICAL FIRE once it had spotted the Trevenant, enough to char some of its ghostly leaves- and then it gnawed on its branches, pulling it closer and closer for granny to throw a pokeball at it. "That they do, they always are there for those in need of a friend," she smiled, reaching in her purse for a few more pokeballs, ".. shall I release more of my spirits so ours can have a wee play date?" It was tempting, but a crowd of ghosts could scare off others- or maybe invite them in, who knew. Better to wait for permission, even if she typically would do whatever she pleased.[break][break]

"Oh, and I'm so curious.. what is a Galarian royal like you doing in Hoenn, dear? It's quite dangerous in these parts now, or so I've learned."

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