RP

[loafingdragon]

"I'm sorry..." The boy mumbled again.

Dr. Cherri made a slight 'hmph' noise. "You can't understand it? This maps out its energy during the battle." She pointed to a portion. "Physical exertion-" Her hand slid across the screen. "Psychic... dark." She tapped a button at the corner of the screen, making portions of the map change to a color- some parts associate with Pokémon types and other areas with different aspects. "I would enjoy seeing the other one preform as well." She said thoughtfully.

As Sherman turned the corner, he stopped.

Alex turned and looked him over. "Sherman. I'm assuming you've check had the wounds checked..."

"The nurse says I may or may not regain feeling, but my hands are still completely dexterous." He said in a completely formal fashion.

"As long as you can still use them..." Her eyes dropped to Vivian. "Why is it out of the lab?" She glared at him. "What are you doing?"

"I didn't take it out of the lab- I was returning it." He quickly rattled off, insincerity in his voice. "This isn't the same one, Ms. Caesar."

She looked at him suspiciously. "I'll take it to the lab. Go back and have you hands checked again."

"I don't think-"

"That's an order." She reached out for Vivi's scruff, causing the Pokémon to shy away slightly- years of handling by groomers and contest judges had made completely unlikely for her to bite or run.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note looked at the map again, seeing it for what it was.

Donetello, on the other hand, was not about to let that happen. He bared his teeth at the woman, leaping in front of Vivian and snapping at her hand to get her to go away. He knew better than to bite a human, but he would not let their journey end here to simply.

[loafingdragon]

Cherri tapped her foot, "When we get the other we can compare, but for now there's not much more we can do with this one." There was a gleam in her eye. "Unless..." She walked down the counter a ways, and pulled out a drawer a wrapped tool. The drawer itself smelled strongly of surgical equiptment and it was obvious what she was suggesting.

Joey tried to put on a determined face. "Maybe if we find this Pokémon, it will help us!"

Vivi, startled by the Houndoom, scrambled backwards.

Alex had nearly the same reaction. "Control your houndoom!"

"It's not-"

She pulled out her own Pokéball, releasing her houndoom. It was the one who had guarded EV before. It snorted rudely at Don. "Let's be civil now."

"Wait." Vivian whined. "Let's not fight! I'll go." She looked Donetello. "That guym I think he was going to my trainer. Can you go with him and help her? Please?"

[subtleAssiduities]

Note's eyes widened as he saw the tool. "No. No!" he said, rushing to the machine and standing protectively over his Pokémon. "No! Don't touch her with that!"

Don glared at the other Houndoom before looking at Vivi. "I don't trust this. These people are bad, Vivian."

[loafingdragon]

She laughed a bit. "Okay, okay then. It just a suggestion."

He glared back, challenging Don to make a move.

Vivi looked desperate. "I... I know, but that one-" Sherman. "Doesn't look so bad. He was going to help! If you think he'll do anything- ah!" Alex snatched the babbling Pokémon by the scruff, pulling Vivi across the dusty floor before lifting her with some effort.

"Get on with it, now." Alex said, turning to carry the mutant away. Her houndoom didn't take his eyes off of Don.

[subtleAssiduities]

"A bad one," Note said wearily. "Can you take her off of this now?"

"Vivian!" Don gasped. He turned to the Houndoom and charged at him, knocking him backwards.

[loafingdragon]

She sighed. "...Fine." Dr, Cherri walked around him and took of the remaining cords from EV, another thought comming to mind. "Are you aware of this creature's shoulder? Some old wound is causing it trouble."

As the houndoom fell back, it wrapped its tail around Donetello's foot. "Oh no you don't!" He whipped his tail back, trying to unbalance the other houndoom. At the same time, he rolled to his stomach, preparing to stand.

Vivian squirmed. "Stopit!" she barked, but she was already being carried around a corner.

Joey looked down at the device suddenly when it started beeping rapidly. The dot indicating that the electric Pokémon was near was moving quickly towards them.

[subtleAssiduities]

Note again fidgeted nervously. "Yeah. She's been shot. Twice. It's an old injury."

Don let out a startled yelp as he nearly fell, and in a burst of anger he spun around and sank his teeth into the other Houndoom's long narrow tail.

Tunes jumped in surprise as the device went off. "Is it coming toward us?" she asked anxiously, looking at the device and then around.

[loafingdragon]

"Hm. You don't seem like the type." She murmured softly. There was a ringing at the door, and she redirected her attention to answering it. It was Alex, holding Vivi. "You might want to make yourself scarce." Cherri said to Note quietly.

The houndoom howled, rolling into the back of Sherman's leg and knocking him onto the ground. The houndoom scrambled to his feet and away from the techie, snapping at Don't face.

The lights flickered slightly. Joey fiddled with the device anxiously.

[subtleAssiduities]

Not stiffened indignantly at the comment. "I didn't-" was all he managed to get out before the doorbell rang. He took a step toward Vivian, pulled out her Pokéball, and quickly drew her into it before turning and starting for the door. He had to find his sister, Joey, and Donetello.

Don jumped back just in time to avoid the bite. He threw himself at the Houndoom, pinning him to the ground, and bit his neck, not hard enough to draw blood but hard enough to keep him there, and if need be the bite could hurt if he needed it to.

Tunes started as the lights flickered and she took a step closer to Joey. She looked down at the device nervously. "How are we supposed to use this thing if we can't even figure out what it's saying?" she whispered, flustered.

[loafingdragon]

Alex entered the room with Vivi and dropped her onto the table. "Will you keep better track of your damn Pokémon?" she growled. She looked around the lab, a bit suspicously. "Did that stupid techie of yours take anything else out of here?"

Cherri shook her head. "Sherman didn't take it out of here. He was simply retrieving it." It was a convincing lie. "I thought you knew we were trustworthy. In fact..." She gestured for Alex to lean in closer and whispered something in her ear.

Alex nodded and put her hands on her hips. "I have someone procurring a power source as we speak, so as long as what is needed to be done gets done I will allow that." And with that, she turned and left the room.

The houndoom stuggled for only a second before stopping and panting. He glared hatefully at Don

Sherman was unsure of what to do as he wriggle away and struggled to his feet.

A yellow streak bounded down the hallway at Tunes and Joey blindly.

Without hesitation, Samuel shot out from behing Joey and slammed into his teammate, throwing her into a wall. He was obviously prepared to do more, but Margot was down for the count.

Joey looked stunned. "Well, I guess we know now."

[subtleAssiduities]

As soon as he was out of the room Note started running down the hall, trying to find anyone he was looking for: his Emily, Joey, anyone. He had to find someone.

He hadn't seen Alex enter the room with Vivi.

Don's bite remained set. He kept where he was until he realized Vivi was gone. He growled a curse before turning and dashing off in search of the mutant.

Tunes gasped in terror as she saw the Jolteon, but as Samuel jumped in front of them she simply stiffened. Lemondrop poked her head out of her pocket, ears perked, eyes wide.

[loafingdragon]

Note ran headlong into Sherman, who had finally escaped the dogfight. The techie looked startled and extremely overworked now. "Hey! That isn't... You shouldn't be..." The disoriented techie looked about ready to give up on the situation. "Weren't you the one who owned that houndoom?"

The other houndoom was slow to get up, not willing to give chase after being bested. It crept away in the other direction.

"That's the Jolteon from the contest." Joey said, suprised. He approached her slowly. Margot seemed startled when he gently pet her head, waking her, but she made no attempt to move. Samuel was glaring her down. "Um... Can you help me move her. We can't bring her to Alex, but if we can get out of her. Get help..."

[subtleAssiduities]

Note stared back at Sherman in surprised, nearly as disoriented as he was. "You... You know where Donetello is?" he asked hopefully.

Tunes ran to Joey's side and nodded. Despite the fact that Margot had been trying to attack them, she still felt bad for the Jolteon... She had hit the wall pretty hard. "None of my Pokémon are big enough to carry her," she said with a frown, shaking her head.

[loafingdragon]

"Donetello? The houndoom?" Sherman said rather slowly. He had been through alot today... "With the mutant?" He took out Ruffle Jay's Pokéball and showed her to him through its transparent top. "Is this Pokémon yours, too?"

Joey pulled out his charmeleon's Pokéball. "I think Rodney can do it if he'll... er... listen." He released the lizard. "Please do this. You know we've gotta get out of here..."

Margot growled quietly at the charmeleon, who completely ignored the aggressive gesture. He eyed his trainer sideways and then scooped up Margot, cautios not to get poked. "'Sup, babe?"

Samuel's tail twitched. "Shut your mouth, you braindead pocket lighter!"

"Well, geez. Sorry pops-"

"Silence!"

Rodney snapped his mouth shut with an audible clack. What a snob. And he was helping his teammate! But the snake was obviously much older and more experienced that he was and one losing fight was enough for today.