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Even backing away, Rex couldn't help but to follow up on his insult, she was even asking for it! "You bitch." He barked out a laugh, "You probably heard that plenty though, am I right?" It's like he believes as long as he's talking, he's ok. Gotta hope for something, anybody needs to! [break][break]

Two only had a moment to hiss at the Taunt before a heavy weight falls down on her back. Her rocky armor was capable of warding off most blows, but the hard rock pierces through and cuts into her flesh, forcing a long screech from the beast. Rex bounced closer to the fight with his nervous energy, worridly glancing between his hurt Pokemon and the woman. He could almost ask her to try a Brine, but it was too soon, the wolf needed more wounds for that to do its job. "Crush it, hurt it bad, you hear me!?" He called and, seeing Two's thin pupils staring him down, put on his smile and closed his hand into a fist. Two lunged upwards, eyes wide as she lost a chunk of bloody armor to the ground, and lunged again at the one responsible for her pain. Her first attack didn't take a metallic sheen, instead her claws nearly wrapped around itself, aiming to break through defenses with a Crush Claw before she reared back and slashed with another bout of Metal Claw. [break][break]

He couldn't keep an eye on the fight forever and, keeping his fists closed, spat his answer, "Not afraid, but your guy there attacked without a word." Already breaking most unwritten words about fights, as stupid as those were, "So excuse me for thinking I might get the hell beaten out of me next. I mean, only fair. Two would be pretty mad at me if I didn't get blood on my hands as well." His hands are raised in an amateur stance, but he holds the seriousness of an actual fight. He might not be skilled, but he'd been in quite a few fights, he knew how to hit, how to hurt and how to be hurt. Everyone had to hope for something, and right now he only had hope that this woman wasn't some ultra skilled fighter.

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"I carry them because they're good at what we do, fighting. Who cares who revived them if they can't use them? Or keep them?" Earned them. What a joke. If they were left out for a punk to find, then they didn't deserve these Pokemon. "They're mine, they're-" Loyal. The word died on his lips. It wasn't true, he didn't think, it couldn't be. A lying guy he was not, at least not with this woman, who he was certain would have some way to insult him more. Rather, he just didn't continue the thought, switching to something he was certain of. "I'm their master, it's only right my Pokemon are mine." [break][break]

"Oh, I'll impress you, you-" His snarl cut off as Two abruptly moved. Already on edge, the insectoid fossil had heard an unknown sound, the whoosh of a projectile, and correctly deduced it was a threat. Shielding Rex with her body, a shimmering Protect covered her body, the rocky projectiles putting a strain on the shield, but ultimately leaving her unharmed. Rex leapt back, allowing his Pokemon room as he cried out, "Two, break it!" Released to battle and claws already out, Two's claws took on a metallic sheen, scraping into each other briefly before she charged as well, trying to plunge her Metal Claws into the wolf's chest as they neared each other. Perhaps she would have found a long-range battle difficult, but an up close and personal tearing at each other, that she could do! [break][break]

Suddenly aware that Two left his side, Rex started shuffling backwards, trying to put distance between himself and his tester. Seemed he was already aware of the concept of himself being in danger, having taken advantage of the human side of the battle before. He hated the feeling of being vulnerable, that he might face pain again if he didn't defend himself personally. "Two, hurry up!" He barked, already wanting one of his reliable Pokemon near him.

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He growls at the insult, both very expected yet enraging either way, but stays near Two, practically clinging to her. He didn't know people that weren't at least tense when a dangerous Pokemon was near them, unless you had one of your own out. What if she had something tricky, like a Pokemon underground, and he lost Two? She wasn't number one, but she was pretty damn reliable, and he didn't want to risk her. [break][break]

Are you worth my time? Finally, an easy question. [break][break]

"Well, I don't know. If you're talking 'bout those smart guys that dig up fossils or evolve these weird guys, I'm worth less than a freaking Magikarp that won't evolve." He rocked back on his heels, allowing Two freedom which she promptly used to extend her claws, her armor clicking as she stretched out her body, mouth parted intimidatingly. Still, she didn't move. Rex didn't allow her the hunt until he asked or was in trouble, he was angry, but wanted her near...were they in danger? "But if ya want a stealing guy, a fighting guy, clean up...I'm damn good at it. I'd be a pretty big loser if I didn't take pride in the things I'm good at, yeah?" His grimace had evolved into a mean frown, defiant among much fear that built up in his throat, "I guess my words aren't enough though? I get it. I could very well be one of those lying guys."

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Watching Gavin lock their prize up securely, Rex could sense Three's quickly rising restlessness now that it had nothing to do, and hastily returned it before it did anything stupid, like try to ram Steelix or God forbid, the containment of the Fire Stone. [break][break]

"Aww, our fun day is over?" Rex smirked, though there was true disappointment in the fact that a fossil search came up with nothing. Was it too much to ask to find more of these reliable guys? "Another One would have been a great reward for all this bull." [break][break]

Understanding enough to know they would soon be leaving, One looked up at Steelix and umcertainly opened his wings in a cautious shield, "Hey, look at that. Initiative." Rex backed up into one of the shielding wings, "One can walk us back, easy. The sand doesn't bother him."

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Two relaxed as the woman appeared with nothing around her, claws retracting and tilting her head. Just a normal human. What was her master even afraid of? With her looking back at him in confusion, Rex only felt forced to keep his smile on. [break][break]

"Well, gee, now you're just making me feel stupid." He grumbled, leaning conversationally on Two, who tolerated the pressure with a low chattering. "Far as I know, no...but what do I know? I'm not exactly the boss-man." He couldn't hold it, his smile fell right off into a grimace, eyes flickering at the woman before wandering back past her. He didn't like the random call, to be uncertain what was going to happen. Had enough of that before Rocket, thank you very much! [break][break]

"...Don't really wanna rush ya but can I just know what's going on here? Mission? Fight?" An energy bubbled up in his voice when he spoke of a "fight", his smile returning with with a gleeful vengeance.

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Let it be known that Rex didn't disobey a direct order, not for Rocket. But let it also be known...being called out like this shot his imagination through the roof, and not in the good way. The only Pokemon that could defend him with Protect, Two, hovered by his side, chirping and looking up at the flying Pokemon. He could laugh, here he was, freaking out over what this could possibly be, and Two was dreaming of hunting down some prey! [break][break]

He thought he was justified in fear, usually if someone higher than you called you out, you were either getting something important or you were in deep shit...he wasn't even sure if he did anything to warrant either! [break][break]

Her chirps suddenly deepened into a hiss as something approached, the aquatic predator stepping ahead of Rex so that he may remain protected. "What's up?" He called from safety, putting on his crawling smile, "Am I gonna be doing anything special, brought my Pokemon...better not be too hard, you know?" What was supposed to happen here? He didn't know, but sincerely hoped he could avoid any pain today.

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Unlike Gavin, Rex's team didn't change much at all, except for the new addition clinging to his back. By his side, about as stoic as a bodyguard, Two waddled by his side, more inconspicuous than One, she was the only fossil he had that wouldn't scare off all the wild Pokemon. One was too big, and Three would chase them all off regardless what Rex said. [break][break]

Rex arrived just in time to see the vastly amusing scene before him, a wide grin stretching across his features. "Aw, I don't know, they're being pretty cute to me. Didn't think guy like you would even tolerate babies, other than maybe fodder, I guess." He couldn't help but to drawl out a jab, sidestepping to avoid the wide mouthed charge of the baby T-rex, "Hey, I like this one, it's like me!" Two glared down at the little threats, had they been grown up, she'd be a little more peeved, but for now, they were simple annoyances. [break][break]

"Ah, wait, wait!" Rex suddenly snapped into an abrupt change, pride swelling in his tone, "I got a new buddy, heard these buggy types can weaken other Pokemon real well, check it out!" He turned around, revealing a large Venomoth clinging comfortably to his back, smiling as if it weren't a equally undignified sight like Gavin's, "She's Eleven! Two there will be our bodyguard, she's mean so keep those babies away from her!"

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Their prize was unearthed, and One sat back on his tail, self-satisfied and uninterested in picking up a stupid rock. The only excitement that happened among Rex's Pokemon was One hurriedly shoving Three away as Gavin claimed the Fire Stone, the little dino still not understanding the mission was a cooperative mission and started to stomp forward when Rex didn't take the prize. [break][break]

"Ya think?" Rex asked, carefully moving so that he could avoid touching the scorching sand threatning to enter his shoes., and thoroughly squashing any desire to take the Fire Stone and examine it for himself. He had enough pain for today, burning was always the worst. Over his shoulder, One hovered over him as if to participate in the discussion, like master like beast. [break][break]

"It's not, like, gonna burn through a bag or something, right?" He worried, "Cause I got someone who can cool it down...or, or One can handle the heat." One's jaws snapped open in a predatory grin, as if assuring the little humans that, indeed, the heat meant little to him. Rex continued to shift restlessly, staring at the prize with an overt trepidation. While hard to get into a job like this, Rex wasn't one to want to mess up. He knew the monetary value of such a stone, but next to nothing about what type of value Rocket placed upon it...he barely knew which Pokemon even evolved by these things!

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The next blow shut him up for a moment, a cautionary glance at his own HP bar telling him one thing. It was close to the end. [break][break]

Somehow, the juvenile insult seemed to hit him the hardest, his face suddenly dropping into a furious frown as he snorted like an actual animal. The good news was, he finally stopped talking. The bad news was, he saw it fit to drop his guard and rush at his opponent, eyes flashing with a fury that didn't exactly seemed related to the person, simply the words. [break][break]

Nobody gets to talk like that to me anymore! [break][break]

It was like he forgot this was a game where victory depended on the health bar. With that condition, it would be better to hold back and try to whittle his opponent down the rest of the way...but that was unacceptable for Rex, wasn't it? No, his determination was that he was going to somehow show what a great fighter he was, by knocking out a game avatar? [break][break]

M6e82ht6

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Won't get in trouble, huh? Well, that was a confidence that he didn't think would somehow trump over his own. [break][break]

The irritating sand was in his shoes, his shirt, and the oppressive heat pressed down on his back. Even so, it hadn't really settled in his mind that the employers would seriously consider that it would affect their work. Just seemed stupid, asking for something, and then being fine with less...he wouldn't do that, he'd be angry with it if it were him. [break][break]

"...You never know...Hey, One, help a dog out, will ya?" He mumbled, sharply raising his voice to One, who responded quickly with its own claws. The heat couldn't harm it easily, and with their combined strength, whatever was there would be out soon. "I think we got it...don't break it, One!"

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A chuckle shook his shoulders as the woman's avatar shook its hand, clearly pained by the impact of fists, "Aww, ya new to this?" He sneered, "Everyone can't be like me...you punch enough times, everything stops hurting, you can't just fight as a newbie." A mixture of glee and mockery swam in his voice, and he advanced threatningly. It was just a fool's errand, this fight. Fun, but he sure wished to meet this kind of fighter again, when it would actually hurt. [break][break]

Either way, something seemed to be happening. What he didn't know is that his attack started to rise as the fight continued, and his attacks hit. It fit him well enough, especially as a burst of pain that hit him across the face feed his appetite for the violence, even if he wouldn t bruise, the fake blood on his lip was good enough. [break][break]

"I'm gonna, I'm gonna put you down!" He chattered, waiting for another chance to strike again.

g6ty9GKv (+1 to dice roll, Brawler ability!)

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