[C]ONTROL -- event, solo

[NELL STARK]

she's close enough to the river that she can smell the moisture, and hear the rush of the water crashing against the rocks. she doesn't envy anyone who would have the misfortune of falling in-- even the strongest of human swimmers wouldn't be able to fight its current. it's a good location to hunker down and wait for someone to happen upon her and her small team of elite soldiers.

"robin, do NOT move," nell mutters to the dartrix at her side. he pauses where he was previously running his beak through his feathers, freezing on the spot. "you stupid, flashy idiot. you stick out like a sore thumb. stop that."

somehow, someway, he manages to put a pouty expression on his face. nell responds by grabbing and pushing him further down, so they can't be seen above the undergrowth that surrounds the river. their orders are to wait and confront any plasma agents who wander by, and to help any pokemon who seem to be suffering. that suits her just fine. one wrong move, and she'll throw any damn plasma agent in the river, where they'll either drown or be dashed against the rocks, leaving their bodies broken.

she kind of regrets choosing robin hood to help her with this initial look-out mission, but the bird has good eyes and good range when it comes to attacls. he could definitely use some extra training, too, given his behavior just now.

---

+1 level to robin hood.
level 30 granbull, level 20 arcanine, level 19 glameow, level 18 dartrix, level 21 cyndaquil, level 23 scyther.
level average is 21.8

[NELL STARK]

this place, nell thinks, is the perfect location to sit and wait. they're hidden from view in an area that's had many plasma patrols in the past. nell knows this, because she was once the person patrolling this area. it had been one of her favorite places, because few people came here. aside from the noise of the river, it was peaceful... quiet. most of the interference she'd run into in those days happened because wild pokemon encountered her and felt they needed to defend their territory.

now, as usual, this place is quiet. she keeps expecting to see somebody go walking past where she and robin hood are stationed in the underbrush, but nothing happens. maybe they're all... busy? or maybe there's something happening on the east end, or somewhere else nearby, that's drawn all the attention away.

after a few moments, her head starts to lull. she's horribly bored, waiting here. for all she criticizes robin hood's professionalism, she can't help but start to lose interest herself. she's always on such high alert that it leaves her exhausted. it won't hurt to close her eyes for just a few moments, right?

when nell opens them again, it's because robin hood is hooting very softly in her ear, nudging her with a wing. he's pointing out beyond where they're stationed. she rouses herself, and squints. someone-- or something-- is coming, finally.

[NELL STARK]

it isn't long before nell can hear it too. there's the roaring of a motor, and as it gets closer, she recognizes the noise; someone is driving a motorcycle, or maybe some sort of all-terrain vehicle, up the bank. it's an incredibly stupid choice, as it announces their presence before they're even seen. maybe that's their intention, though, hoping to scare off anything that will pounce on them.

the man draws nearer. nell can make out his features. he likely fancies himself some kind of tough biker guy, with the way he's dressed, and the disgusting stubble on his chin. she's not impressed, and she's about to make that known.

"use razor leaf on his tires," she mutters to robin hood. the bird nods, and lifts a wing. it sends out several razor-sharp leaves, which fly out from the bushes they're hiding behind. once they reach the man's bike, his tires are shredded almost instantly, and he goes flying, face-planting into the dirt in front of him. it takes him a moment to collect his bearings, and then he sits up again. she can see that he's all scraped up from the crash, but since he landed in the soft grass, he hasn't broken anything. damn.

"what," he grunts, "the FUCK?"

nell pulls her cloth mask up to cover the bottom half of her face. her hair is knotted into a quick, messy bun and hidden inside a cap, so she can better protect her identity.

she stands up, revealing herself. "your pokemon or your life," she says coolly, as if she's done this a hundred times before. she feels no guilt in liberating pokemon from plasma grunts. they're given a choice, at least; if they don't want anything to do with the humans' war, she simply lets them go, advising them to get far, far away.

"i don't think so," the biker growls. he's already reaching for a pokeball, thinking he can defend himself that way. nell isn't quick enough to stop him.

so it'll be a battle, then. before she can say anything, robin hood is stepping out in front of her, hooting in a triumphant way that lets her know he fully intends to show off.

[NELL STARK]

"that's a pretty pokemon ya got there, lil' lady," the man sneers. robin actually puffs himself up at this remark, thankful that his preening has been paying off. "i think i'll take it with me after i'm done with you." robin opens his beak as if to retort, but no sound comes out. he's at a loss. nell doesn't say anything either, but the rage in her glittering sapphire eyes says enough.

the biker releases his pokemon. it's a zangoose, taking its position right in front of its trainer. it's riddled with scars, and she can't tell if they're from battles, or from abuse.

"keep your distance," nell advises robin. "use energy ball."

the bird at her side is fast enough to react first. he spreads his wings wide, and a glowing green ball of energy forms in front of him. it goes shooting off in the direction of the zangoose. "stand yer ground," nell's opponent advises. the zangoose nods, and it takes the blow right in the belly. it barely even flinches, looking robin right in the eye. the bird's feathers ruffle with anxiety.

that's enough to let the man know his intimidation tactics are working. "quick attack." the zangoose's muscles ripple as it tenses itself, and then it's dashing forward so fast, robin barely even has time to blink. it's closed the distance between them effortlessly, slamming into the bird with its full body weight. he lets out a cry as he's thrown back.

nell grimaces. if that thing is this fast, they might have a hard time winning this one.

---

66%

lv. 18

tackle, leafage, razor leaf

peck, ominous wind

energy ball, shadow claw
USED ENERGY BALL! HIT!

VS

68%
lv. 22

quick attack, fury cutter, pursuit

hone claws, slash, revenge
USED QUICK ATTACK! HIT!

[NELL STARK]

they're gonna have to get a little fancy if they want to win this. nell doesn't know if robin can pull through, but he needs the experience. rather than pulling him out of the battle, she eyes up the situation. within a flash, she's assessed the damage-- they seem to be evenly matched for now, but things could end badly if robin continually tries to pull away from the fight. instead, they'll have to play in the zangoose's court, staying right in the thick of things.

"nevermind what i said," nell states quickly, calmly. "use energy ball again, now. and get ready to dodge."

robin has an advantage the zangoose doesn't; flight. the owl pokemon lets loose another ball of energy, quickly enough that the zangoose can't step out of the way. it hits the normal type point-blank in the gut, driving it back a few steps. at the same time, robin hood spreads his wings.

"slash!" the biker roars, seeing his pokemon drop to one knee. the zangoose comes back from its recoil faster and more ferocious than before, but robin hood is already up in the air, out of its reach. its claws swipe air, and it stumbles, once again falling to kneel in the dirt. the biker takes a few menacing steps forward. "you piece of shit... move faster!"

it can't move faster, nell replies silently, shooting the man an icy glare, you didn't train it well enough for that, asshole.

the frustration emanating off her opponent is almost palpable. nell knows better than most how rage can cause you to make mistakes, and so she plays into it, putting up a single middle finger in his direction, a knowing smirk on her face.

---

66%

lv. 18

tackle, leafage, razor leaf

peck, ominous wind

energy ball, shadow claw
USED ENERGY BALL! HIT!

VS

32%
lv. 22

quick attack, fury cutter, pursuit

hone claws, slash, revenge
USED SLASH! MISS!

[NELL STARK]

the battle could continue forever with robin hovering in the air, provided the man doesn't have any pokemon that can fly. but nell doesn't have the patience for waiting it out like that, and she doubts the man across from her does, either. once he sees her flip him off, his face turns almost comically red. she thinks he's about to come straight for her, but he pauses, realizing the battling pokemon are in the way. he doesn't want to get in the middle of that, no matter how pissed off he is.

nell decides to fan the flames a little more. "aww, are you losing?" she mocks, her eyes going big and wide, a childish pout forming on her lips. the man tenses up even further, a snarl escaping his mouth. he doesn't seem to realize that she's deliberately provoking him. "use peck," nell commands. it's a weak move, but useful for taunting him.

the bird dives down, and raps his beak sharply against the zangoose's head. the normal type stumbles backward. "revenge!" the biker shouts furiously. he sees what he thinks is an easy attack, now that robin is within the zangoose's reach, and he forgets that flying types resist fighting type attacks. that's exactly what nell was going for; her plan worked. he's too angry to make good decisions now.

still, the blow lands, and it's nothing to be sneezed at. she can see from the way the dartrix's head turns that his ears are ringing as the zangoose slams into him, his attack fueled by the damage he'd taken previously. if that had been slash, he might have been out of the fight entirely.

but now, once again, he's within range for another point-blank attack, and the zangoose has lost its cool enough that it won't even see it coming.

---

30%

lv. 18

tackle, leafage, razor leaf

peck, ominous wind

energy ball, shadow claw
USED PECK! HIT!

VS

19%
lv. 22

quick attack, fury cutter, pursuit

hone claws, slash, revenge
USED REVENGE! HIT!

[NELL STARK]

nell doesn't waste a second. the moment the zangoose's attack hits, the corners of her mouth curl up into a smirk, and she tells robin: "razor leaf." one final blow, and the zangoose should be finished. at this close range, and with razor leaf's higher probability of landing a critical, the more experienced pokemon should fall.

robin spreads his wings wide. a flurry of razor-sharp leaves come flying towards the zangoose, from such close proximity that it doesn't even have time to react. it's still reeling from its own blow, realizing that it didn't do nearly as much damage as it expected. it blinks, and looks up-- and then the leaves hit it, whistling with the wind as they make contact. nell can't tell if it's a critical, but either way, it's enough. for just a brief moment, the zangoose remains standing, though it staggers.

then, finally, it collapses in a heap of white and violet-red fur, and doesn't stir again.

the man swears repeatedly, and returns it to its ball. "you bitch," he breathes out. "if you want to play dirty, i can play dirty too."

nell doesn't waste time in seeing what he calls out next; she can tell robin hood is exhausted, so before the next fight can start, she returns robin to his ball. "good job, kid," she tells him as he's retrieved. "didn't think you had it in ya."

the next pokemon is thrown out. and she can't really believe her eyes at first...

---

30%

lv. 18

tackle, leafage, razor leaf

peck, ominous wind

energy ball, shadow claw
USED ENERGY BALL! HIT!
VICTORY!

VS

0%
lv. 22

quick attack, fury cutter, pursuit

hone claws, slash, revenge
FAINTED!

[NELL STARK]

the pokemon he sends out is almost identical to the one she has. its green carapace shines as its small wings flare out behind its back, beating rapidly. predator-like eyes are lifted along with its head as it turns to observe her, the glint in them threatening as it assesses the situation. it's almost like a carbon copy of her own scyther, right down to the bloodlust emanating from it. perhaps they're littermates, if such a thing exists for this pokemon?

there's only one thing for it. cars would never forgive her if she didn't give her this chance, so nell reaches down to grasp the scyther's ball, and she throws it out, releasing the beast within.

once cars is revealed, the man across from her takes a few steps back. "what the hell?" he grunts. "this some kind of joke?"

nell doesn't say anything. or rather, she doesn't have time to. as soon as the two scyther lock eyes, the battle is on. cars immediately launches herself at the other bug type, her scythes stretched as wide as they can go. she doesn't attack right away; instead she dances around it, making a display of aggression while simultaneously raising her own attack power.

the other scyther's wings beat menacingly, and it flies at her in a rage, striking her with them. nell's opponent tries to regain control of the situation, while nell merely watches. "hey!" he barks. "what the fuck do you think you're doing!?" his pokemon's attacks hit, and cars stumbles back, digging her feet into the soft, muddy ground beneath her. she's shaken, and it's clear she can't take another hit like that.

but she funnels her rage into a blow of her own, while the other scyther is near. suddenly she's launching herself into the airs, her wings buzzing rapidly. she rains blow upon blow down upon the other scyther, sometimes with her wings, sometimes with her scythes. and when the attack is over, the other scyther is lying there on the ground, having fainted from the super effective attack that had been bolstered by cars's swords dance earlier.

the man's hands tighten into fists. "fuck," he breathes out.

---

33%
lv. 23
silver wind, wing attack, quick attack
pursuit, acrobatics, brick break
x-scissor, swords dance
USED SWORDS DANCE!
HIT BY WING ATTACK!
USED ACROBATICS! 

VS


0%
lv. 23
leer, fury cutter, false swipe
wing attack, double team, double hit
USED WING ATTACK! HIT!
HIT BY ACROBATICS! FAINTED!

[NELL STARK]

the man seems stressed; perhaps he's on the ropes. he's down two pokemon, and nell's down... none. she's not sure how many pokemon has even has, but she has the clear advantage in this situation. the biker's beady eyes stare nell down as he returns his fallen scyther to its ball, and without calling out a new pokemon, he suddenly darts forward.

it's only cars's quick reaction that saves nell from a swift punch to the gut. the scyther darts forward, bowling him to the ground. she plants her knees (if they can even be called that) on his stomach and stares him down, her scythes to his neck. he freezes, and nell can see the terror in his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. for a few breaths, both of them are incredibly, painfully still. cars seems o be debating whether she should dissect him or not.

nell stops that thought right in its tracks. "let him up," she tells the scyther. "i can at least give his other pokemon a beating, so we can get some experience out of it."

the scyther doesn't budge. in fact, she draws her scythes so close to his skin that a bead of blood appears, trickling down his neck. nell rolls her eyes, and pulls cars's pokeball out. she returns the scyther. damn thing, she grumbles silently, try listening to me for once.

the man gets back up, shaking. he eyes nell up and down.

she heaves a sigh. "don't think that was mercy," she tells him. "and don't think you can take me in a one-on-one fight." she holds his gaze. "if you even try, i will kill you." she has no qualms with murder, under the right circumstances. this guy probably isn't going to make the world any better with his presence. but she's been wrong before, and she could be wrong again. so rather than killing him outright, she'll give him a chance.

just one. if he throws it away, he'll be throwing his life away.

[NELL STARK]

the man stills his shaking. nell can't deny there's some sort of sick pleasure in causing this much fear in a man larger than her. it's not the reason she's doing this, but it's certainly a sweet bonus. "i only got one left," the man mutters under his breath, as if already admitting defeat. he tosses the ball up and down for a few seconds, contemplating, and then releases the pokemon.

a slithery shadow immediately launches itself into the rushing river. nell turns, and sees whiskers poking up over the tides. it's a strong enough swimmer to keep up with the current, so she can only assume it's a water type. that leaves her with one choice, and it's someone who's already fought hard today.

no helping it, though. she tosses robin hood back out. when he lands, he's quivering, exhausted. nell takes a hyper potion out of her bag and quickly applies it to him, spraying it over his injuries. within seconds, he's back in fighting shape. she takes a few steps back, ready to issue a command, but before she can do anything, a burst of water comes shooting out of the river. it hits robin hood dead on, soaking him to the bone. it doesn't do much, but it's enough to frazzle him.

---

30% -> 70% -> 54%
lv. 18
tackle, leafage, razor leaf
peck, ominous wind
energy ball, shadow claw
USED HYPER POTION!


100%
lv. 24
oblivious - anticipation
water gun, rest, snore
water pulse, amnesia, aqua tail
USED WATER PULSE! HIT!