route_1065 | This city looks so pretty; do you want to burn it with me?

[He had to admit that he had been pleased with her choice of location.

Oh, it hadn't surprised him any - it was human nature to recreate their failings, again and again, until the failure was moved past; either it changed the association by turning it into a success, or it cemented the association and became something to be avoided. He'd see how tonight turned out.

There weren't many around in the square at the center of Goldenrod City, especially not on a Monday night toward the middle of the month; those who relied on spending their paychecks on the bare necessities with one hand while the other tightened their belts were reaching those lean weeks toward the middle of the month where money was scarce and squirreled away for those last few days, and those who had extra money to burn surely would be doing so at the Game Corner or the more expensive quarters of town rather than buying training supplies. There were a few people here and there, and Kimblee was aware that they would likely be causing enough of a spectacle to be noticed by people on the street - large Pokémon attacks tended to do that, after all - but battling was commonplace in this world; it would likely go unreported. For the time being, he wasn't in much danger of being spotted; dark clothes against the dark skyline tended to have that sort of effect, and the black hooded mask concealing the entirety of his face was more than enough to ensure that he wouldn't be recognized.

He had foregone the common Rocket grunt uniform for something a bit different - a sharply tailored black suit, the only color standing out in the form of a bloodred tie and a smaller version of the Rocket insignia emblazoned just to the left of the lapels. Unlike last time, he doesn't have the Gardevoir out with him; however, unlike last time, he doesn't need him out just yet - there's another Pokémon there, invisible for the time being but still very present. He's taken up Archer's offer of using Alekhine; he trusts he'll be notified when his opponent for the evening arrives. For the time being, he's standing on the edge of that rooftop, hands clasped lightly behind his back, watching the few people still out and about in the square.

The scattered showers from earlier in the day have passed; it's looking to be an interesting night.]

[Circling high in sky above her battlefield of choice, Emmy shifts slightly on Tina the Dragonite as she peers down at the man standing on the edge of the building. Many of the people she knows have been warning her to be more cautious in her everyday activities, and since the last time she went up on that building to confront Seth ended....not too well for her, she's taken the time to do a bit of a scout of the area. Just in case.

From this high up he looks rather small; almost...normal. But he's anything but and Emmy doesn't want to take the chance of falling into some hidden trap. To his credit, however, he appears to have kept his word; there doesn't appear to be any traps or hidden things that would cause issue. Beside her, her Alakazams Abbie and AJ are likewise investigating the area, nodding when they can't sense any danger. Abbie almost appears to be smiling slightly. Hmm.

Regardless, she returns AJ to her Pokeball and nods to the older Alakazam, adrenaline rising as she watches her disappear into the air to take up her position as escape route, should things not go too well. It's time.

Coasting gently down, Tina spreads her wings and hovers above the roof for a moment, before lightly touching down and leaning forward to allow her trainer to gracefully dismount, on the opposite side to her enigmatic opponent.]

I do hope I haven't kept you waiting.

[Kimblee is made aware of her presence well before he sees her; it's less of a direct signal from Alekhine as it is a shift, a change in the emotional atmosphere that he's made aware of. Really, the Alakazam seems a bit too eager for things to get underway; Kimblee can't say he knows why, but he shakes it off. This is his first battle this week; perhaps it's just anticipation.

Regardless, he steps away from the edge of the building as Emmy dismounts; he remains clearly focused on the Dragonite for a long moment before he returns his attention to her.]

«You haven't.»

[His communication with her is as it was the last time they met here - telepathically-broadcasted, the thought pressed into her mind, devoid of tone or any sort of genuine "voice" but present just the same.]

«Anything to say before we begin...?»

[Once she's safely on the ground Emmy returns Tina to her Pokeball, peering over at her opponent and crossing her arms defensively. She's noticed his change of uniform and she can't say she's too impressed. The sleek, suited look doesn't suit her image of him as a callous, wild maniac - it makes him look refined, classy; things she never wants to associate with this monster.]

What happens if I lose?

[She's itching to grab her first Pokeball and throw it onto the field, but a voice in her head stops her.

Well, not so much stops as 'pauses for a moment', but it's still something.]

[He tips his head a bit at that; there's something of an amused undercurrent lacing through his thoughts as he replies.]

«Then you lose.

I'm not here to kill you, kidnap you, or otherwise do something heinous before absconding into the night, cackling all the while. It is as I claimed it was from the beginning - a battle, nothing more.»

[As he replies, Emmy rolls her first Pokeball around in her hand, glaring at him suspiciously all the while.]

I don't trust you - but since I made the effort to come all the way here I might as well get my battle. Should I happen to lose, and you try something creepy, you will be sorry.

[And with that, she hurls her Pokeball high into the air, where it explodes with a flash of light. The Pokemon that takes the field may be somewhat familiar, even if he has grown a little from the last time Kimblee saw him. The Gallade is tall, healthy-looking, and as he stands in a ready position the blades in his arms extend, glowing all the while.

Ralto is insanely proud of both his new evolution and his trainer - it's time to prove to her that he's worthy of protecting her.]

Ladies first, if you don't mind. Do humour me and pretend to be a gentleman.

«Whether I'm a gentleman or not has nothing to do with this - such formalities have no place on the battlefield.»

[And with that, one of his Pokéballs is cast into the air, releasing the creature inside in a burst of flame - Kimblee's Volcorona has only been used in a high-pressure battle once, during the tournament, but that had been almost forty levels ago. Now at level 100, he has no doubt that Coronis is fully prepared; without another word, he's quick to order an Aerial Ace to open with.]

Protect, Ralto!

[One glowing blade rises to anticipate said Aerial Ace, the Gallade blocking it with ease, eyes cold. He's never had a real chance to prove himself on the battlefield, and fought hard for the opportunity to lead Emmy's Pokemon into battle - he isn't going to ruin his chance to show her what he can do.]

Now attack with Psycho Cut!

[He doesn't have to be told twice; rushing forward, Ralto leaps into the air, swords shining, preparing to slam the attack right down on Coronis' head.]

[Coronis doesn't seem too off-put by that Protect - Kimblee is used to training against Archer, who is pretty much the king of spamming that damned move - but the Psycho Cut may prove to be a bit of an issue at such close proximity; however, as the Gallade approaches, the firemoth responds with cloaking himself in flame and streaking forward to counter the hit rather than attempting to defend. Flame Charge isn't the most destructive attack he has in his arsenal, but the increased speed it brings with it will certainly be useful as the battle wears on.

Kimblee himself remains silent and motionless, doing nothing outwardly to signal what attacks should be used; more telepathic commands, clearly. However, while he certainly does seem aware of what's happening during the battle, his attention is still primarily fixed on Emmy. Studying her.]

[Oblivious to Kimblee's attentions, Emmy is furiously focused on watching the battle, fists clenched and eyes following Ralto's every move. He's doing quite well; back-flipping agilely away after being struck by the Flame Charge, he lands on his feet and grimaces, obviously in pain. The damage is nothing too serious, but Fire attacks are never much fun.]

Heal Pulse.

[Soft rings of psychic energy flow out of Ralto's body as the damage from the Flame Charge melts away, his back straightening as his health returns. Nodding, Emmy returns her main focus to the field.

Her Emboar loves to use Flame Charge so she's very familiar with it; Coronis will now be faster. Damn. The two Pokemon have no advantages over one another which makes the battle somewhat on the difficult side, but at the same time....it's perfect. Just how she wanted it.

Smirking slightly (in a very quaint manner, of course), Emmy raises an arm and the battle rages on.]

Confuse Ray!

[All that speed will be useless if the Volcarona can't think straight, after all.]

[Kimblee usually refrains from using Protect very much himself - not unless it's absolutely necessary, at any rate - though Confuse Ray is one of the few things that will warrant it; he's never been terribly interested in watching his Pokémon smack themselves repeatedly, and he's aware that losing time to that in a battle like this is likely a very, very bad idea.

If he's going to be blunt, Heal Pulse tends to annoy the living hell out of him, though he can certainly see where it's useful; his own Gardevoir tends to be fond of it (and...fond of trying to aim it at him once in a while for some reason that he will likely never be able to comprehend). So it's a matter of inflicting more damage than can be healed, then; one might as well attempt more stat-raising.

The flames exuded from Coronis' wings burn brightly as the creature starts with the signature move of its species. Outside of the possibility for stat-boosting and the fact that it inflicts a good amount of damage, Fiery Dance has always been something Kimblee enjoys on an aesthetic level; he isn't remaining still, taking to pacing a ways on his side of the field, his hands tight at his sides, forming fists for a brief moment before releasing and then starting the process over again. It's a way to burn some of the tension off, to keep himself under control for the time being; the battle is energizing him, that much is clear, and he's going to want to keep a hold on himself for as long as possible. He can't afford mistakes right now.]

[Tch. Well, she supposed she deserved that.

Ralto crosses his arms protectively in front of his face as the flames lick at his body, gritting his teeth as he rides out the force of the attack. It hurts, rather badly - but not enough to get him down. Not yet, anyway.

Emmy already has a strategy ready for when Coronis' attack is done, and she practically leaps into the air as she yells:]

Swords Dance then Psycho Cut, Ralto! Full power!

[The swords extending from his arms glow for a brief moment, before Ralto charges up Psycho Cut once more, again choosing to attack at close quarters rather than the usual ranged assault.

Meanwhile, Emmy briefly spares a glance for her opponent, and what she sees is mildly unsettling. Why is he pacing like that? Well, he can be as weird as he wants - she isn't losing this!]

[That's more than enough to instill a sense of "Well, that's going to suck" - Volcaronas are not exactly known for their physical defense, and Kimblee's obviously isn't either. He stops in his pacing, and though he doesn't speak, he does gesture quite vehemently, drawing one of his hands toward his chest before striking downward abruptly, clearly agitated; his Pokémon doesn't hesitate, however, and Coronis is quick to level an Aerial Ace at that incoming attack.

If it's going to be a matter of playing rough, Emmy, clearly both of them are going to be in hurting status by the time those attacks connect.]

[Ralto swings his attack upwards to connect with the oncoming Aerial Ace, and they collide with a great deal of force, the Gallade dropping to one knee and gasping, before collapsing onto hands and knees, torso trembling.

Emmy doesn't hesitate.]

Heal Pulse again, Ralto.

[Once more, the softly glowing rings surround his body and Ralto rises, but the Heal Pulse hasn't returned him to full strength like last time; he's panting, obviously in pain, but his eyes are burning. He feels he's doing well, and Emmy is quick to confirm, pumping a fist into the air.]

You're doing so well! Show this creep that we're not to be messed with!

[Even though she's obviously excited, Emmy knows that Ralto will not be able to last much longer; another hit like that and he'll go down. But she's not too concerned. Coronis has Aerical Ace, a super effective move, and Ralto has nothing with an advantage over the Volcarona, and he's still holding his ground very well.

Besides, they have a strategy, and when Ralto meets her eyes and nods, she knows she's good to try it. Here goes!]

Destiny Bond!

[He did not have nearly enough caffeine in his system for this battle.

Some would say that was likely a good thing - namely, those who were familiar with his manic periods, with the state he tended to work himself into while battling; caffeine would likely have just exacerbated the problem, leading to massive lapses in judgment (not that there was much about this situation that couldn't be described as "a massive lapse in judgment," but that was neither here nor there at this point) and all sorts of other problems that could easily be solved with something like a bit of self-control. So in some ways, the fact that there was not nearly enough coffee in the base for this was a good thing; pure adrenaline would likely be more than enough to see him through this morning, anyway.

Crow's assumption that there wouldn't be too many people out and about this early had been more or less correct; after all, those who needed to work were most likely either in already or currently in the process of punching their alarm clocks and demanding five more minutes before going about their routines for the day, and those that didn't wouldn't be out quite this early. There would be a few early risers, surely, but nowhere near the crowd that would have been present had this been occurring later in the day; the height of the building and the breaking daylight would also ensure that any of the larger attacks would likely go less-noticed than they would have against a darker sky.

It was a good setup, really.

At any rate, Kimblee is at least doing Crow the courtesy of being out in the open, though obviously still not identifiable; the black hooded mask covering his face is doing more than a good enough job of ensuring that. The sharply tailored black suit and bloodred tie were far different from the usual grunt uniform that Seth was commonly seen wearing, though the Rocket insignia emblazoned to the left of the lapels stands out against the dark fabric. Easily removed so that he could pass in public if he had to; visible enough to make his affiliation clear. He appears to be alone for the time being; that isn't the case.

As it stands, Kimblee doesn't know Crow well enough to have a full assessment of his battling style; he knows there's a strong preference for birds there - he's really not surprised at that - and he had seen enough of the battling at the tournament to prepare himself somewhat, but he'd be lying if he said he knew exactly what to expect.

More interesting that way, really; he can't say he's displeased. Even if it was still entirely too early for this shit.]

[It's only early if you slept on the night before in the first place. Admittedly, Crow had some trouble with that, having spent most of the night thinking over possible scenarios, strategies, outcomes and -- perhaps most importantly -- actions to be taken afterwards. Of course, the latter couldn't really be determined at the time, so he gave up on it pretty fast. No point in dwelling on something so unpredictable until it happens, after all.

Although he was kind of displeased with the place "Seth" had chosen at first, upon closer inspection the duelist came to appreciate it. The time he requested seems to have served its purpose, so he wouldn't have to worry about civilian's safety too much. ... Granted, it would probably help if he worried about his own safety first, but that's one minor detail Crow hardly ever concerns himself with. Also, they're meeting in the open air, which means his birds should be able to move around without obstacles, which is something he can certainly use to his advantage -- without forgetting that so can his opponent.

Overall, Crow feels optimistic about the whole thing, even if he doesn't show it at the moment, too busy watching the man closely. He's not exactly sure what he expected the first impression in their face-to-face meeting to be, but it's a bit hard to tell anything about the guy, other than he seems to have a terrible sense of fashion (in Crow's opinion, anyway).]

Fancy seeing you here.

[He's not... exactly happy about it, no, but the fact remains he's been waiting for this for quite a while.]

[Classy, Crow. Not all of us can have your...unique outlook on fashion, all right.

He doesn't respond verbally, though that isn't to say that he doesn't respond at all; the reply makes itself plain in thoughts, unnaturally formed and as such likely unsettling, but not physically unpleasant or painful. The result of telepathy, lacking in tone or any sort of genuine "voice", but present all the same.]

«Did you think I wouldn't show up?»

[The words are cold; there's no emotional read behind them.]

«That would serve no purpose other than wasting time for both of us. Not exactly something I'm interested in.»

[Fucking hell.

Not having been prepared to hear the answer in his thoughts alone, Crow instinctively stumbles back a bit in confusion. His own Psychic-type Pokémon have never actually spoken to him like that, and even though he's heard of it, he definitely didn't expect to experience it in this time and place. Frankly, he doesn't like it; there are so many things that are wrong with someone talking in his head he wouldn't even know where to start, but it all gets a lot worse when it's coming from this guy.

Long story short, that is Not Okay.]

Shit, can't you at least talk like a normal person?!

[The duelist shoots "Seth" an angry glare, not really expecting him to do him the courtesy of ditching the telepathy shit. Looks like he'll just have to deal with it for now.]

... Look, I don't trust you one a bit. So no, I didn't really believe you'd come until I saw it with my own eyes.

[Can't really blame him for that, now can you?]

[Ugh, no, seriously, what is with the early risers.

At the very least this battle isn't taking place at...quite the same sort of repulsive time as the previous day's, but it's still entirely too early; at the same time, he's somewhat grateful for it simply because it won't give him time to overthink. Out of all of the battles he's arranged, this is the one he's most concerned about; if he slips up here, he has no doubt that Armstrong will make short work of blowing literally all cover he's had up to this point.

As such, he'd spent more time than he normally would have with Alekhine the previous day; he's aware that Armstrong is not opposed to physically joining confrontations himself, and this has led to far too many instructions being issued on exactly what to do if he's grabbed, how to respond if it looks like the operation is going to be blown entirely, and various other things that he hates having to plan for in the first place - it feels cowardly to him, it disgusts him really, but at the same time, he, Archer and Cobra are entirely too close to actually pulling off what they've been planning more or less since they arrived. Blowing everything now is completely and utterly out of the question.

He's about as prepared as one can be to deal with Armstrong, however, and if nothing else, he's punctual; his clothing hasn't changed from the previous encounters, the black suit and bloodred tie standing out against the starkness of the beginning of Route 35, the black hooded mask having been slipped on moments before he materializes seemingly out of nowhere, courtesy of Alekhine. Clearly Teleport, for anyone familiar with it; just the same, Alekhine doesn't seem inclined to stick around, and Kimblee doesn't order him to.

He hadn't expected Armstrong to respond to the invitation to battle; he isn't entirely sure that he's prepared. Either way, the sky is darkly overcast, and for the time being, they'll be alone.

Let's see how this goes.]

[It's a beautiful day for a battle, Armstrong thinks, as he looks out over the scenery of Goldenrod's northmost route. Granted, to Armstrong every day is a beautiful day for a fight, but this day is different. He's standing with his arms crossed, fully clothed - it's unlikely he'll remove his shirt for this battle. At his feet, one of his Arcanines is seated sphinx-like, keeping very sharp watch over the area and ready to pounce the second she feels her trainer is in danger. A soft cackle rings through the air, the wind rising for a moment; Armstrong's second Pokemon is also keeping close watch on the proceedings, albeit from a far less visible position.

He can sense the arrival of the man behind him, Steph releasing a deep rumble in her throat to signal to her trainer that his opponent has arrived. She moves to stand, but Armstrong places a hand softly on her head to discourage the movement, turning to face Seth and returning his arms to their original position.

He has to admit; he's rather excited.]

I must admit, I was curious as to if you were going to keep your word - but you're right on time. Perhaps you are less cowardly than I first assumed.

[He's watched Seth's movements for a while, analysed his actions, and the fact that the man has turned up for the fight is invigorating. Armstrong has been looking forward to this for quite a while.]

I trust you won't waste my time. I can assure you that I won't waste yours.

[Kimblee tips his head a bit in acknowledgement of that assertion, folding his arms low across his abdomen in a casual manner before he answers.

He doesn't speak, at least not out loud; just the same, the response makes itself clear in thoughts, clearly foreign and unnatural but not altogether unpleasantly-formed; telepathically-induced as they are, there's no tone or "voice" associated with it, but there is a fairly cold feeling behind them.]

«You're more than welcome to assume what you like, but I stand to gain nothing from failing to show up. Outside of damaging my reputation, of course. And I can't have that.

I've heard many things about you, Major. I've no reason to doubt you're a man of your word.»

[He's reasonably sure that he shouldn't be as amused as he is by the fact that Isaac had insisted on pushing the date back like this; he supposes it's endearing. Just the same, there's something cold coursing through his body as he prepares that evening; harassing Isaac over the network is one thing. Setting Cobra on him hadn't been difficult in the least, either; he can easily discuss backstabbing him all day, if he were so inclined. However, there's something about facing him in person that's going to require detachment from the situation; he's been keeping to himself all day as a result, remaining distant even from Archer.

Mentally, he runs through all of the Pokémon he knows Isaac to use; he doesn't know if he's aware of all of them, however, and he doesn't know if Isaac managed to catch others in Kanto. Furthermore, using certain Pokémon of his own is out of the question - even the less-known ones like Bristol would be too recognizable. There's also the temperament of the creatures themselves to take into account - if they refuse to attack Isaac or Isaac's team due to familiarity, that isn't going to be anything that ends well.

As much as he hates to admit it, Archer had a point on the familiarity issue. Dammit.

That doesn't mean he's going to back out, however, and by the time the evening falls, he's settled into that cold place between his personal life and his work; he's defeated Isaac in battle once before, and he can certainly do it again.

The place he meets him is a good distance from the city, devoid of onlookers or distractions; the black hooded mask and dark suit ensure that he doesn't stand out against the darkness of the route. If the light falls properly, one can see the bloodred tie and the Rocket insignia at his chest, just to the left of his lapels; it's a far cry from the Rocket grunt uniform, but it's more than recognizable as someone from the organization.

He appears to be alone; as usual, he isn't really, Alekhine stationed nearby. Let's do this thing, Isaac.]

[Isaac didn't feel right about telling Kimblee about this battle. Kimblee wouldn't try to stop him - he was certain about that - but if Seth is Archer, wouldn't Kimblee know? He doesn't want to risk giving Archer any information through Kimblee.

He shows up at the time and place specified, wearing the Amestrian uniform as usual. He studies "Seth" carefully. The change in attire doesn't surprise him any - but what it reveals does. "Seth" isn't the right height or build; he's thinner and taller than Archer is. There's no way to hide that or alter it any, and in an outfit like that, Archer's shoulder span would be obvious. So it's not Archer fighting him. That means he has no reason to worry about Psychic-type attacks (at least, he hopes he has no reason to worry about that).]

Good to see you didn't bail.

[He wonders if "Seth" will talk, but he somehow doubts it. It's possible Seth will use hand signals like Archer does. No reason to use his voice and have people recognize it, right?]

You ready for this?

[None of his behavior indicates unease with this; to the contrary, he seems rather relaxed, clasping his hands lightly behind his back. He tips his head a little in acknowledgement of Isaac's words; while Isaac is right in his assumption that he won't speak, that doesn't mean he isn't going to answer.]

«Of course I am.»

[The "words" are silent, making themselves known in the form of thoughts suddenly present in Isaac's mind; telepathically-induced, they're devoid of tone or any sort of proper "voice", but as thoughts go they're clearly invasive rather than natural.]

«Did you think I would change my mind? I challenged everyone, after all; there was no reason for me to not show up.»

[Isaac can't control the initial flinch when Seth's thoughts enter his mind. He only has one Psychic-type Pokémon and she doesn't invade his thoughts like this. It feels wrong.]

I didn't know what to expect from you.

[He still speaks out loud though, hoping that Seth isn't using that Pokémon to read his thoughts. The last thing he needs is for this man to let Archer know that he's figured it out.]

So, am I to assume you'll only be using five Pokémon? Or are you going to use this one to fight too?

[He notices the flinch, but he doesn't respond physically outside of shifting his weight slightly; hopefully you'll get used to it, Isaac, as those thoughts aren't stopping.]

«Don't concern yourself with what I'll end up doing.

Of course, if you're that concerned for my ability to battle, we could always render it three-on-three instead of a full six. Increase the stakes a little; make you do more with less. I'm confident that I can defeat you either way.»

[Three-on-three? That actually works to his advantage; if he loses to Seth, he'll have three in reserve just to be safe.]

How do I know you'll stop at three? You expect me to trust you?

[His answer to that is rather prompt; if he's offended in the least, it's not showing through his thoughts.]

«It's worked out well enough so far, hasn't it?»

[Isaac is silent for a moment, just studying Seth.]

...Fine. Three-on-three it is.

[He pulls out a Pokéball and releases his first Pokémon, Solaris, the Volcarona. She studies her enemy closely for a moment before settling in to a battle stance.]

[He studies Solaris for a moment before throwing his own Pokéball high, releasing the creature inside in a burst of energy; the Flygon darts in a tight, circular pattern for a moment as though getting accustomed to being let out of the ball before settling into an easy but still somewhat twitchy hover over the field.

Kimblee can't risk having Isaac identify his Pokémon by behavior patterns; as such, he's been restricted to those he wouldn't have used around him. Using Taylor is a bit of a liability, as she still hasn't forgiven Kimblee for...whatever it is he did before she evolved that made her hate him so much (and he still isn't entirely sure what he did, but that is neither here nor there); just the same, if she's a bit disobedient, that won't be too at odds with the notion that he's a Rocket member and prone to abusing his Pokémon.

It works out either way.

However, he doesn't speak once the creature is out there; he also doesn't seem inclined to continue broadcasting, as the next move that Flygon makes is an Aerial Ace in Solaris' direction.]

[Solaris, like all of Isaac's Pokémon, has been trained to recognize which attacks she's weak against. Between all their Pokémon, she can recognize most attacks she's weak against and knows ways to both block attacks and heal herself afterwards. She moves to dodge the attack, but it clips her wings and nearly knocks her over. She recovers quickly enough, all while Isaac considers what to do.]

Quiver Dance, now.

[She complies, dancing around to raise her stats. She's obviously at a type disadvantage, and Isaac's next order should help a bit with that.]

Magnet Rise!

[She floats further off the ground, effectively rendering her immune to Ground-type attacks.]

[...of course. Of course you've ninja-trained your bug of course you have -

Again, however, he manages to keep himself from responding outwardly; he simply issues another of those silent commands. It should become rather clear exactly what his intentions are when the move that starts up is Earth Power, but in case it isn't immediately, here's a bit of a hint, Isaac:

It isn't aimed at the Pokémon.]

[Earth Power? But that's a Ground-type, what are you--

And then Isaac's paranoia kicks in, and he realizes that he needs to dodge. He's quick enough to avoid the attack, but he lands hard on one knee and winces as he gets back up. Dammit, he should have expected that.]

Bug Buzz.

[He can't waste any more time having Solaris boost her stats. He has accidentally train his Pokémon to attack trainers, but Solaris keeps her attack focused on the Flygon instead. She'll change her target if Isaac tells her to, but she doubts that will be necessary.]

[Oh, Isaac. To be cliché, it's not paranoia if they're actually trying to get you, is it?

But four days of consecutive battles have done a number on your boyfriend's sanity, there; it doesn't take long for the adrenaline to kick in, for those strange tremors to start coursing through his body - and really, while he knows that noise should probably be godawful to him, he can't help but find it beautiful.

It's going to do neutral damage, but he isn't too concerned about that for the time being; he gestures roughly as he issues the next command, drawing his hand up before striking downward harshly, though he's still not vocalizing everything - have another Aerial Ace for now, Solaris, dear lord.]

«You're doing well.»

[The thoughts are sudden, pushed into Isaac's head immediately after the command to Taylor is given; there's a strange, detached sense of coldness behind his words.]

«Perhaps this will be worth my while after all.»

[Isaac scarcely notices Seth, he's busy studying the Pokémon and making sure the next attack isn't aimed at him. It isn't, but Solaris is too slow to dodge the Aerial Ace again. It hits her fully this time and knocks out a good chunk of her health. Thankfully, she has a move to combat that.]

Roost!

[She rests on the ground, recovering her HP quickly. Isaac tries to ignore the thoughts pushed into his head. He doesn't care about praise from Seth.]

Bug Buzz again!

[Solaris returns to the air and launches the attack.]

[In some ways, he was grateful for Kayneth apparently taking the general stance of a mage never being late nor early, but rather arriving precisely when he means to; if nothing else, it gave him some time to breathe. The last week had been stressful, though he couldn't say it was a bad sort of stress in the least; as much as he'd enjoyed the rush, however, the fact was that at this point he was running less on anything that humans required to function and was more or less still standing thanks to the holy trinity of caffeine, adrenaline and an odd manic high that wasn't quitting.

This, at the very least, gave him time to calm himself, to ensure that he wouldn't be shaking and kind of half-laughing and generally appearing to lose his mind when Kayneth arrived; sustaining this sort of energy for so long was taking a lot out of him. At the very least he was alone; the routes tended to be secluded, and he'd found a place to settle himself in a clearing nearby once it became clear that his opponent was going to show up whenever he damn well pleased. He had no doubt Alekhine would notify him in the event of someone's arrival; when that notification finally came, the final preparations were easy, sliding that black hooded mask over his head, obscuring his appearance entirely before making his own presence known.

As per usual for these battles, he had foregone the usual Rocket grunt uniform in favor of something decidedly classier, in the form of a sleek black suit and bloodred tie; however, the Rocket insignia emblazoned just to the left of the lapels more than made his affiliation clear.

The weather wasn't exactly optimal, as Kimblee went; he would be able to deal, but doing this in fog where he wouldn't be able to see his opponent as clearly as he liked wasn't his idea of a good time. Just the same, however, he wasn't going to back down; he'd see where this went, and whether Kayneth's utter confidence in addressing him was warranted or not.

At least it was fairly obvious that he wasn't a teenaged girl; at any rate, let's see how the Lord of the House of Repression does in a battle that's less than formal.]

[Kayneth had, of course, done his best to prepare for the battle, though he had to admit that his preparations... weren't exactly optimal. Of course, he probably would not have considered them optimal unless he had been able to buy out the entire TM section of the Goldenrod Department Store and immediately pinpoint every Move Tutor in Johto, but he had been somewhat hard up for cash and had only been able to buy two TMs... ah, if only this were Unova, land of the reusable TMs!

But this was not, and Kayneth didn't know anything about reusable TMs anyway so he was just going to be somewhat grumpy as he arrived at the arranged place and... well... within an hour of the arranged time, because as far as he was concerned people could simply just wait for him. He was admittedly a bit unsure about his current team, as three of them had been participants in the ill-fated tournament and he hadn't been able to make as many adjustments as he would like... but he really couldn't risk using anything below level 100, and if he could arrange for this to be a three-on-three...

Well. He had his Xatu, Velazquez, out with him in order to sense where his opponent was; unfortunately, that wasn't something he could do himself, and the fog made it difficult to detect anyone in via sight alone. When Velazquez noticed the other trainer's presence, he gave his trainer a brief nod turned in Seth's direction.

It was time for something of a rematch, then.]

So you're here, as expected. I trust you haven't been worn down too much by the other challengers?

[...while Kayneth was extremely arrogant, he was not quite arrogant enough to assume that Seth hadn't accepted any challenges but his.]

[Kimblee's response is prompt, though it isn't verbal; it's similar to the last time they encountered each other in person, the response flowing easily into Kayneth's mind, the thoughts clearly foreign and invasive but not altogether forced or physically unpleasant. They're devoid of tone or any sort of proper voice, but the intent carries across well enough.]

«While I won't insult my previous challengers by claiming the battles were easy, I also wouldn't disrespect the field of battle by showing up unable to fight. That would be doing a disservice to both of us, wouldn't you agree?»

[Well, that's familiar-and still somewhat jarring. He probably shouldn't have expected Seth to verbally communicate with him, given how committed he was to hiding his identity, but... well, at least he didn't look shaken, so there was nothing to worry about.]

Hah, of course. I would have been sorely disappointed if you hadn't shown up for that reason-though I suppose in that situation it would at least let me know it would have been a waste of my time.

This city looks so pretty; do you want to burn it with me?

EMMY ALTAVA - 03/11/13; AFTER DARK, ROOFTOPS OF THE CITY

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CROW HOGAN - 03/12/13; 6AM, DEPARTMENT STORE ROOFTOP

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MAJOR ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG - 03/13/13; 9AM, NORTHERN OUTSKIRTS

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ISAAC MCDOUGAL - 03/14/13; AFTER DARK, ROUTE 35

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KAYNETH EL-MELLOI ARCHIBALD - 03/15/2013; NOON, ROUTE 35, EASTERN SIDE

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