route_1065 | Prepare for trouble

Entry tags:

Prepare for trouble

Who: Clive Dove (

vengefulyears) and Malik Ishtar (

best_laid_plans)
Where: Goldenrod City, Team Rocket HQ
When: March 3rd, morning
Summary: Two Rockets meet and scheme together.
Rating: PG
Log:

It was Saturday, which meant it was time for Clive to pop by the HQ and give his weekly report to his superiors. He hated having to wake up early to do it, but he had to get it done while Little Luke was still asleep, or else he'd ask him where he was going and maybe even try to come along. That definitely could not happen. So there he was, walking through the many hallways of the HQ. Since he'd been there for quite some time, Clive finally knew exactly where the fuck he was going. It took him long enough to memorize the layout of this place. He walked at a rather brisk pace, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible so he could go back to bed.

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Malik was reporting in as well, and none too thrilled about it. Oh, he'd made his quota - Bakura and Yuugi had fortunately been off doing something (he'd heard mention of a forest on the PokéGear?), giving him ample time to prepare something for his "superiors", but he was still missing something. No one was falling for his traps quite like they should, even after the observations he'd made of what Pokémon trainers most valued. How was he supposed to rise to the top of this organization ("rocket", if you would, pun intended) without first knowing how best to attract his prey?

To say nothing of the training. It was going all right, but not fast enough. The Millennium Rod had spoiled him. Malik had to either find an equivalent, or adapt faster. Even a moment of stagnation wouldn't do. Not in the same house as Mutou--

He'd been taking in his surroundings only distantly as he walked, confident he knew the right direction, but began to idly suspect he'd turned himself around. Attempting to recall the building's layout, he bumped shoulders with someone heading the other direction.

"It's wide enough for two," Malik snapped, despite the encounter being his fault. He had places to go and plans to rethink. He couldn't afford useless interruptions!

Clive wasn't really paying attention either, as he was focused on getting to the office as quickly as possible, so he was taken a little by surprise when he suddenly felt someone's shoulder bumping against his. He stopped immediately, and before he could even say anything the other guy was giving him an attitude. Wow, rude... But he wasn't really in the mood for an argument, so he just smiled and dealt with it.

"My apologies," he replied calmly, looking over the other man for a moment. Clive was pretty sure he'd seen just about everyone in Team Rocket at least once, but he had never seen this one before, so he was a little curious. Was he a new recruit? The man did have that lost look on his face. Clive knew that look all too well, since it was an expression he wore himself not too long ago.

"Do you need help finding something?" It wouldn't hurt to help the guy out... maybe...

Politeness wasn't exactly what Malik had been expecting in the headquarters of Team Rocket, of all places, but it snapped him back to the present. As a new recruit of this Team, he couldn't afford to antagonize his supposed allies. Not when they'd be his ticket further to the top - if he wasn't prepared to move things along himself, then he just had to find the right men for the job.

"Just taking a stroll," he replied smoothly - in part for the irony, in part because even in this situation, Malik Ishtar didn't say things like I'm lost. "Eventually it'll lead to reporting in."

He held up the PokéBalls of the Pokémon he'd managed to - liberate of their former owners. "This isn't as difficult as I'd thought..."

In most ways it was more. But that was a challenge in its own right. He had to remember that, lest opportunities slip by.

Well, the change in attitude was nice to see. But since it seemed the man wasn't going to outright ask for help, Clive just decided to forget about it and address the other thing that he said.

"Ah, you mean stealing Pokémon? It really is terribly easy, especially if you have the right Pokémon to help you." It helped that Clive had two Dark types and a Ghost in his party, especially since one of them was capable of changing its appearance.

Interesting. The other man didn't sound like he was bluffing - no, instead Malik suspected them of playing the same game the same way. (It seemed to be par for the course in Team Rocket, which was only to be expected.)

He considered his options. Any fellow Rocket could be either an ally or a rival. Malik had quite enough of the latter already.

Replacing the PokéBalls, he smirked. "I'm finding that out, yes," he replied, his tone still light and confident but acknowledging his newness. "Though I suppose your personal choices would remain a trade secret?"

"Oh, no, I don't mind sharing them with you," Clive said, taking off three Poké Balls from his belt. Unlike the other man, Clive had no interest in trying to move up in the ranks or anything like that; he didn't really have any particular attachment to Team Rocket whatsoever. He only stuck around because he thought it was interesting. So he didn't really mind sharing his strategies with other Rockets.

He released the three Pokémon from their balls, and out came an Absol, a Dusknoir, and a Nidoking. Clive gave the Nidoking a look, and it instantly disappeared and was replaced with a Zorua. He had commanded the Pokémon to revert back to its original form so many times now that he didn't even need to say it anymore.

"Absol, Dusknoir, and Zorua are my partners in crime. They're very stealthy Pokémon, especially my Zorua, since she can manipulate her appearance into anything she wants, whether it be another Pokémon, an object, or even a human." He spoke about his Zorua with pride; after all, it was quite an amazing Pokémon to have, especially for Team Rocket members.

Only three? Malik's tastes tended towards having as wide a variety of options as possible - though that Zorua's ability certainly provided flexibility. He actually looked surprised when the creature transformed from a Nidoking back into its true form.

"So you - liberate - your targets on the sly," Malik assumed, nodding. "Intelligent."

Not to mention far superior to anything he'd been able to think up himself, given his limited knowledge of the Pokémon available and his time in Johto. Someone like this man could be useful, indeed.

"I've been focusing on manipulation, myself," he added idly. "Though your Zorua is likely already an expert...You've never experimented with trapping?"

The compliment certainly boosted Clive's ego a bit, but he didn't let it show. He returned his Pokémon back to their balls, now that he was done showing them off, and a curious expression formed on his face when the other man mentioned trapping.

"No, I've never even thought about it..." Stealth was his strong suit, and it worked out very well for him, so he never bothered to try anything different.

"To each their own," Malik presumed, but he liked the look on the other Rocket's face. "Though if you're curious - it seems like two people with our differing styles would work well together. Stealth is needed to set the perfect trap, after all. And those who only take on the sly miss out on so much!"

He grinned. Half the fun of his line of work, both here and back where he belonged, was watching the other person realize how completely they'd been defeated. He'd do without when he had to, but unless his victim acknowledged defeat, Malik's aesthetics weren't fully satisfied.

"You wouldn't happen to ever have really wanted to crush someone, would you?" he offered casually. Long shot, since the other man'd given no indications, but he'd run into his fair share of Rockets with personal vendettas. "Help me steal, and I'll show you how."

It was the closest his pride could come to admitting he needed a veteran mentor.

Clive thought about it for a moment. It wasn't like he didn't know how to set traps, but he had never really thought it was necessary for the mere task of stealing Pokémon. Plus, the only man that he had a major grudge against was not in this world, and hopefully he would never come here. However, traps could prove to be an asset for tougher assignments, and he had yet to really experiment with ways he could set traps using Pokémon. It wouldn't hurt to have someone to brainstorm ideas with.

Once he made up his mind, a devious smirk formed on his face. "Alright, it's a deal." Clive extended a hand toward his fellow Rocket, smirk not fading from his features. "My name is Luke Triton, by the way. And you are?"

Malik matched Clive smirk for smirk, accepting the handshake firmly. "Malik," he replied simply - he was reserving his last name to reveal to one man, and that one man only. "I think this'll work out very well.

"Do you usually operate around here?" he asked, with a nod to the wall to indicate Goldenrod beyond. That was one issue with this arrangement - his current cover had him tied to a set location.

Clive didn't really mind not getting a last name; after all, the name that he had told Malik wasn't even his real name.

"Yes, I don't really leave the area much. I've left a couple times, but I always end up coming back here. It's more convenient to be near the base." Not to mention Goldenrod was the most populated city in Johto, which meant there were an abundance of Pokémon to steal, and it also made it easier for his Pokémon to blend in the crowds for that purpose. But not only that, his room in the Rocket base was a great place to go to when he wanted to be alone, since no one could bother him there. Well, except for his Rocket friends, but Clive was typically left undisturbed when he was in his room. It was also where he stashed his alcohol, since keeping it in a hotel room with a fourteen-year-old boy was not really a good idea.

Malik nodded. "Same for me. Besides, there's a few friends around who expect me to stay." He lay enough emphasis on "friends", he hoped, that "Luke" would pick up on the situation.

Glancing about, he tilted his head back down the hallway. "If we're to plan further today, let's not take up room here," he proposed. "Everyone's on the same team - but we're also all rivals. You understand."

He didn't move to relocate anywhere himself, however. For that, he'd have to rely on his new ally's guidance.

Clive could guess what he meant by "friends," and he chuckled.

"Good point. However, before we get started on that, I believe we both have reports to deliver to our superiors?" He remembered the other man mentioning something about reporting in earlier. "We might as well get that out of the way first."

...the other man was right. He should have been the one to think of that, to propose it. Malik'd gotten so wrapped up in the future he'd ignored the present. Unforgivable, he berated himself. But at least it wouldn't happen again.

He smirked at Clive and gestured down the hall. "Of course. Lead the way."

"Gladly," Clive said, continuing on his way to the superiors' office. Once they made it to the door, he turned to Malik and said, "I'll go first." He then entered the office, shutting the door behind him and heading in further to give his report and turn in his stolen Pokémon. It was just the usual stuff, really, so it only took about five minutes for Clive to finish up and head back out, holding the door open for his comrade.

Malik nodded almost formally as he strode on past, face already set for the business at hand. He delivered his report with professionalism and humility, knowing his private fantasies of one day rising over these men and women would have to remain exactly that - for now. Malik Ishtar couldn't stand out yet. It wasn't his time.

But that time was coming. And Malik'd had years to perfect pretending to serve unworthy superiors.

He smirked at Clive as he returned. "I trust we'll soon have quite a bit more to report," he remarked, and seemed very entertained by the prospect. Just because he knew patience paid off didn't mean he had to like it.

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Prepare for trouble

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/technically hiatusing, sorry for slow