&& FLARE INVASION | ADONI

Fancy donning the hooded black cloak and the white half-mask that were both so often attributed to the Flare admin 'Adonis' when he was needed to be in public, with the intentions of heading out and sneaking past the elders that guarded the Bell Tower, only to find a large group of people piled up in an alleyway. Suspicious, and amused at the idea of people being trapped in a small place with a bunch of other people, 'Adonis' - real name Artemis - decided to scale the side of a building to get a better idea of what was going on.

Though, he should probably report this, and ask for some backup to be sent to his position just in case the group was not a random group of civilians playing hide and seek with another person, and for whatever reason had decided to hide together. So, pulling out his phone and dialling headquarters here in Ecruteak, he asked for a patrol of grunts and officers, maybe an elite if one was spare, to go and wander around his area and intervene if necessary.

But then he saw a familiar face, and a large, cheshire cat-esque grin took over his face. Finding the stairs to the building - why didn't he think to come up those first - he quickly made his descent and swung himself over the railing once close enough to not break an ankle. Seeing his target head toward the alleyway, Artemis quickened his pace, the grin on his face wide as he took down his hood and he called out - "Elliot, darling, fancy seeing you here!"

The Rocket admin's Absol started growling at him, and Artemis focused his blue eyes on the white Pokémon, frowning at it before making a face and poking his tongue out. Though, the full effect of his stupid face was lost behind the half-mask that kept his face hidden from the other members of Elliot's team. Though Elliot himself knew Artemis's face, and some of Team Rocket's members probably knew the face, Artemis had no intentions of letting a link be formed between "Arys" - the name he used when undercover in Team Rocket - and "Adonis" - his Team Flare admin name - and Artemis - his real name.

He had a real thing for names that began with an A, it seemd.

"Too long, Elli." Artemis grinned, sweeping down into a mock bow as the other turned to face him. He straightened up again a moment after, grinning widely once again as he rested a hand on his hip. The other hand was held loosely by his side, though he was ready to grab one of the Pokéballs on his belt if need be. "I'd love a rematch." Was that a Team Flare grunt waaay down the street? Sure seemed it. Backup was here, thank Arceus. "But let's make a deal, yeah?"

Artemis pressed a finger to his lips, holding his elbow with his other hand, a thinking expression on his face as he half bounced on his feet from side to side. "Let's see hereee... If I win..." He glanced back at Elliot, and his team mates. "If I win, you, Elliot, become my prisoner." He could've sweetened it for himself by adding in the whole team here right now, but they didn't have enough space for sixteen or so more people. He frowned, wondering how to get the Rocket..eer to agree. "And if you win, you can take me as a prisoner~!" That would definitely make his life a bit more interesting.

All the while Elliot's grunts were talking amongst themselves, Artemis kept on grinning, one hand returning to rest on his hip as he waited for a response. He noticed a couple of grunts glance over at him, and Artemis simply gave them the brightest grin he could before returning to watching Elliot. He couldn't hear what the man said to Elliot, but whatever it was, it made the brunet narrow his eyes at Artemis before turning to face the other guy. Damn, Elliot got mad. "Oooh." Artemis mocked in the background, doing his best to hold back a small laugh but, well, failed to do so.

Meanwhile, Artemis had taken note of the rest of the backup he had called for, in case he needed it. They were here now, and he felt - slightly - more at ease. "I am a good prisoner." He cut in, just before Elliot went on to say that he would cause grief for them. No he wouldn't! Just kidding, he totally would. He'd be singing all night long and he'd try and make conversation with everyone that went in to give him his food.

Negotiations were, honestly, among the things he had expected Ellito to ask for. While Artemis wasn't too happy with the idea of getting nothing out of Elliot and his team, he supposed it was probably for the best - for now. Taking a Team Rocket admin prisoner would only result in Ecruteak being attacked and quite possibly losing it. While Artemis didn't care much for Team Flare, he couldn't have that. He liked Ecruteak. Groaning, Artemis crossed his arms. "Fine, fiiine. You're no fun at all, Elli." He raised his arms above his head and stretched them upwards.

"So, the deal is, if I win, you become my prisoner. You win, you and your pet idiots get to go free, unharmed by us." And by us, he meant the people here right now. He was making no promises at all for any other Flare members that found them.

The biggest reason why he had offered himself up as a prisoner for Team Rocket was because he really wanted a change of- was atmosphere a good word? He wanted more danger in his life, and being a prissy little admin was kind of boring. Not enough fieldwork, but at the same time, it had its privileges. He didn't get ordered around by idiots. Regardless, Artemis wanted to get captured. If he was honest, Elliot was making a mistake with not taking his offer, since Artemis would actually consider switching teams if Team Rocket's pay was a little sweeter than Team Flare's, but...

He doubted that would happen. Team Flare had a lot of money.

Blinking slowly at the sudden change in language as Elliot directed a command to his Absol, Artemis took a moment to realise place it as French. A language he knew, but didn't care much for, despite Team Flare's origins and where he spent the later part of his childhood. Some of the words went over Artemis's head completely, though he grasped a couple of the words and their meanings. Maybe he needed to brush up on his French - or maybe, just maybe it was a completely different language that French got its roots from. Either way, Artemis wasn't bothered by it.

While a momentary thoughtful expression had appeared on his face, a bright grin replaced it when Elliot directed his next words at him. He moved a hand to one of the Pokéballs at his belt, pulling it off and holding it slack by his side. "I've got a lot of talents. My tongue isn't good for just lies." Forgetful of the mask covering the upper part of his face, Artemis winked, before sending out Clio, his Trapinch. Clio was a recent addition to his team, and as such, one that Elliot wouldn't have seen before. "You know who my others are." Both still hadn't evolved since the last time he and Elliot fought, but they had still grown stronger, and that's what counted.

If he had to pick a type to specialise in, it would probably be fire types, though psychic, dark and ghost types were something he wanted to experiment with. He had never had either of those types, having rarely found the opportunity to capture one, but then he had never really went off to go look for one of those types. In fact, Artemis rarely went off looking for Pokemon, being content with the ones he had right now. Clio was actually an accident, but Artemis had grown to adore her along with Hestia and Hermes.

Listening to Elliot give orders to what Artemis presumed to be his second in command for this operation, Artemis gestured for one of the Flare officers that arrived near him to come over to him. Leaning in to them, he quietly gave them orders. "Follow them with the others. Make sure they leave. Stay at the border for a while and make sure they don't come back later." Elliot had it right when he blew up on his second - the Team Flare grunts were going to follow them. Not that Artemis could hear what he was saying, but he could guess from the body language of the members of the other team.

"Hi again." Artemis quickly chipped in as Elliot turned back to the Absol and the Trapinch, half waving his hand at the other admin with a grin on his face. "Shouldn't that be left to the choice of a third party? Whoever wins might not actually be the better trainer. It doesnt matter who wins. It's who treats their Pokemon better," Artemis tilted his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Isn't that it?" He may as well be talking to himself - though, in a way, he kind of was. He just wanted to talk.

That foreign language was being used again. Artemis frowned, once again trying to figure out what was being said. It really did sound like French, but he would have thought he would be able to get at least the gist of what Elliot was saying... He only knew one word - futurum - but only because it was very close to the English word of future. "That's cheaaating, Elliot!" Artemis had no idea of what move could have been used. Whatever it was, the Absol... hadn't attacked Clio. He frowned.

"Well," Artemis dropped down into a crouch, clicking his tongue and clapping his hands together. Clio looked between Artemis and the Absol, before ambling over to her trainer. "I guess two can play at that game." Looking up, Artemis grinned over at Elliot, before focusing his eyes back on Clio. In a way, he was apprehensive with using his first language with her, since she had never really experienced it before, but... He had to try, right?

"I guess you'll figure it out." He patted the Trapinch's head, before sending her back over to what would be the battlefield and standing up. "Άμμος επίθεση." Sand attack. He waited, his eyebrows creasing in a v-shape behind the mask and almost, almost not breathing, but thankfully, Clio was able to understand the move she was commanded to use, and she moved to start kicking clouds of dirt at the Absol. Thankfully, the street they were fighting on was one of Ecruteak's back roads, and thus a dirt road.

The situation they were in, it was actually quite funny, though it exciting too. Though both Elliot and Artemis could both speak the same language, they were commanding their Pokémon in different languages. Artemis had to wonder if this actually happened in different countries. Did tourists actually go and fight trainers of that country despite not knowing what the commands meant? He supposed it was a good way to practice different languages.

Feeling prideful about Clio's ability to understand what Artemis wanted her to do, and even more so when she immediately started to back off and get into a defensive position, he soon began to feel caution when Elliot ran up some steps in order to look down upon their makeshift battlefield, and then started throwing commands at his Absol. Then he felt worry when he caught the word 'flammeum'. There was only one thing that could be - flame. It was extremely similar to the French word for it.

"Clio! προσποίηση αριστερά." Feint left. Though Clio did as she was told - feinting left then quickly leaping to the right when the ball of fire was let off, she still got singed on the side, and Artemis found himself automatically reaching for Clio's Pokéball - but then he stopped. "Έλα σε μένα." Come to me. He made sure to say it calmly, in hopes that Clio would understand it not as a battle command. Luckily enough, Clio did, and she turned and headed off to Artemis as quickly as she could - after pausing to think about the command - and stood behind him. As Clio came towards him, Artemis reached for another Pokéball - Hestia's.

If Elliot's Absol knew fire type attacks, then Hestia would be the best Pokémon to use against it. Her ability, Flash Fire, would prove useful. So, Artemis sent out his Vulpix, who landed with grace on the ground and immediately put herself in a fighting stance, ready for orders. At the sight of her, Artemis felt more confident than he had with Clio. He had had Hestia since he was a child, and she knew Greek as well as he did. "Χρησιμοποιήστε υπεραισθητική, στη συνέχεια απεργία γρήγορα." Use extrasensory, then strike quickly. And sure enough, Hestia straightened up, her eyes turning gold before she opened her mouth and fired off a multicoloured beam at Nebula. Almost immediately after, she started to run at her, disappearing momentarily and appearing almost suddenly as she got close enough to the Absol to leap at her and barrel into her.

clio - feint attack (to dodge, but not to attack).
clio switch out. hestia switch in.
hestia - extrasensory, followed up with quick attack.

When the Absol only huffed in response to the multicoloured beam fired from Hestia's mouth, Artemis blinked. Why hadn't that affected the Absol? Did it have some major tolerance to psychic type attacks, or...

He got the typing wrong. Absol was a dark type, though it looked nothing like it. Artemis's expression changed from one of confidence to, well, sheer amazement at his stupidity. "Oops," was the only comment he made at it, but to be honest, he wasn't too bothered about it. Even if the attack did nothing to harm the Absol, it would, in fact, serve as a distraction. Maybe, next time, he could have Hestia angle it so that it momentarily blinded the dark type... He would have to try that out.

Hestia's quick attack hit, but she was quickly swatted away by the Absol. Artemis wasn't too worried, though. Hestia landed with what could only be described as grace, the front of her body lowered, one paw more forward than the other, the back of her body raised up in the air. But then, the low tone sounded.

Which quickly became something high pitched, something that made Artemis twinge, almost jerking his head out of irritation. Hestia was more affected. Her stance dropped, and her body quivered with discomfort as the ringing only got louder in her ears. A moment's respite was all she was given before the ringing stopped and a barrier appeared around her, collapsing. Future Sight. That had to be the move that had baffled Artemis earlier. He would have to watch out for that, in case it was used again.

Speaking of things to watch out for...

"Φωτιά γύρισμα." Fire spin. Words spoken calmly, despite the irritating noise he had only a few seconds before heard. Artemis kept his eyes fixed on Hestia as she shook her head, resumed her previous stance, and then shot a stream of spiraling flames out of her mouth. "Συνεχίστε να χρησιμοποιείτε μέχρι να χτυπήσει." Keep using it until it hits. Unfortunately, fire spin wasn't that much of an accurate move, but Artemis had a plan. "Χρησιμοποιήστε το για να προστατεύσει τον εαυτό σας αν χρειαστεί." Use it to protect yourself if needed. That would only be if a physical attack was used, but by the looks of it, this Absol looked to be more of a special attacker.

hestia - fire spin (repeatedly).