[FIN] What was lost...

[BlackFireKitsune]

When Aulus took off with Red, Claire did as well with Odette. She really hoped the competition would still be on by the time they got to Camphoreon, but she wasn't at all sure. She had no way of knowing what time it had started and what time it would end - not from the air, at any rate - so she just had to hope.

It seemed to take longer than usual to get to Camphoreon, but once they hit the edges of the city she waved to Aulus and called, "D'you know where it is?"  

[TawnyAngel]

The flight went on for a bone-chilling eternity; he spent most of it playing scores of different scenarios over in his mind, none of them pleasant ones with happy endings.

Claire's question as they entered the city was a welcome distraction. "Yes, it's in then Warren Stadium, near the port!" he replied, gesturing in the direction he meant in case his voice hadn't carried well. They were close now, so close! He couldn't see any crowds on the streets that might indicate the event had finished. They might yet be in time to find him and trace him back to wherever he was staying.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Claire didn't quite catch the name of the stadium, but she caught the gesture and guided Odette near there. No crowds on the streets... and crowds around the stadium that quickly came into view through the various tall buildings that made up the city. She was considerably more calm about the situation, more than likely due to the fact she had zero history with the perpetrator and it wasn't her pokemon that was stolen.

After guiding her down, Claire dismounted Odette and returned her, and in her place she loosed Zeus, who immediately clambered up onto her shoulder. "Alright," the agent said as she turned to Aulus and gave him a pointed look, "we are not going to do anything rash. Let's find where he is first and plan from there." Maybe lead him off somewhere, or if they were lucky he'd wander off alone of his own accord. That would be best.

With that said, Claire turned and headed inside the stadium. It'd been a long time since she'd been in one of these..  

[TawnyAngel]

As he dismounted from Red and recalled her, all Aulus could manage was a stiff nod. Head whirling he followed Claire inside, trying to keep himself calm. Attacking the b*****d in front of a crowd of people was a bad, bad, terrible stupid idea. Remember that.

When they stepped inside he heard the noise of the crowd cheering, at least one match was still in progress. Looking at the time it might well be the last one of the night, conveying no title to the winner but giving a nice little prize pot and entry into a higher level tournament.

There were currently guards by the entrances into the stadium proper - at least the doors he could see from here, there would be more - but there were screens showing the action. Aulus came to a halt, trying to watch casually. This was a lot easier said than done given who was in the battle. At least it saved them the worry that he might have lost and departed already.

The man's Galvantula fainted and was recalled to be replaced with a gleaming lime green Scizor. Aulus shoved his hands deep into his pockets to stop himself from balling them into fists; he'd evolved it, then. Pokemon lover or no given half a chance he would roast that thing alive over the course of several hours.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Claire scanned the area and immediately started to formulate a plan. It wasn't likely they'd get in, thanks to the numerous guards at each entrance, but it looked like they wouldn't need to; this match, the announcer conveniently stated, was the final one in the competition. Everyone would be leaving soon. "Did they mention anything at all about where the competitors were staying?" Claire asked Aulus, her eyes still focused on the screen and their target's final battle. They could find out where he was staying and tail him, maybe pull him off into the park or somewhere secluded depending on which direction he'd be going... Or even at the edge of town, if need be. They'd get him before the night was done, certainly.  

[TawnyAngel]

Aulus tore his gaze away from the screen to look at Claire and gave a slight shake of his head. "So far as I know they all made their own arrangements... but the winner gets the penthouse suite of the Grand Suicune for the night as part of their prize." Whoever would have thought he would be hoping the b*****d managed to win? Looked like he wasn't doing a bad job, the Scizor was currently tearing into the opposing Golem with remarkable efficiency.

However good the man had got - the hated man whose name he still didn't know - he knew that he and Claire were better. They had to be better, they were Team Rocket! With the two of them against one there was no question, especially as his pokemon would be tired out from the competition regardless of who won.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The mention of the hotel name made her eyes narrow a little only briefly as she tried to remember where in the city that was, and when she did her expression cleared and she nodded. "Alright. I guess we just have to hope he wins then, hm? Make it easier for us." Granted, it wouldn't be terrible if he didn't win, but it would make it easier on them if he did. "If he wins, and if he goes directly there, he'll pass right by the park. Should be pretty empty this time of night," Claire said meaningfully as her purple gaze slid back to Aulus. "Does he only like bugs, or d'you think he'd go after anything that looked pretty enough?"

A sudden sound of applause made her focus on the screen again to see that their target had won, and since it was the last match, winners were about to be announced and prizes awarded. Almost show time, then.  

[TawnyAngel]

"I-!" Aulus pushed his fingers through his hair and shook his head rapidly. "I don't know! I can't say I had time to quiz him on his preferences when he was cutting me open!" He sounded angry and snappish even to himself; Claire was here helping him, she didn't deserve that. Exhaling slowly he shook his head again, more slowly this time. "Sorry," he murmured, "I just... this is all...." A vague hand motion had to do for the end of that sentence, and there would be more time to apologize later.

"He kept Phaethon," Aulus continued after a moment, "I don't know if that's because he wanted him, or because he was a trophy.... Mind you I doubt I was exactly trophy-keeping worthy in his book. I think it might be a good bet, or the best we have anyway. Good idea." He had none of his own beyond tear, rip, kill.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Claire looked to him with raised brows at his outburst, and refrained from commenting either on it or the apology Both were duly noted, but she was in full mission mode at the moment, and the only thing she had room for in her head was planning and plotting a way to achieve her objective.

Before she could even think to reply though, the winners were announced and prizes awarded - and lucky for them, their target won the suite. Claire narrowed her eyes as she looked at the large screen and the close-up of said target, and she pulled a ball from her belt to release a striped Glaceon. "Alexina." The named peered up at her owner, who knelt down and pointed at the screen that conveniently was still focused on the winner, "That man is our target. Understand?" The agent said in low tones, and the ice-type twisted her head up to regard the screen, her bright gold eyes narrowing a bit to see it a little better.

After a few moments, she turned back up to Claire. "Glaaas."

"Good," she said as she pulled out another ball and released Odette again, and mounted up with Alexina nestled in front of her. "To get to that hotel, he'll have to go past the park, which should be deserted at this hour. We'll lure him in there. Sound good?" She asked, turning to Aulus.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yeah," Aulus pushed his fingers through his already disorderly hair and nodded. "I mean, yes, that sounds... sounds like a good plan. We should move then, find ourselves a good spot to hide in there.... Fire takes care of most of his squad, and flying." And what about Phaethon? Would the b*****d actually try to use his own pokemon against him? If he did what would Phaeth do? It had been years now, and Gods knew what had been done to him in that time.

"Let's go then," Aulus muttered, turning to head back outside and reaching for Red's pokeball again. The sooner they were prepared the better.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Alright," she said with a nod and a small smirk. Between the two of them they had enough fire power to take down the entire park. "And alright, let's go then."

The flight was short and sweet, and spent making sure the target was indeed going to pass the park. He was, and Claire instructed Alexina to wait just outside the entrance, and the Glaceon hurried off to do so after their luring position was found and noted. The agent recalled Odette for now, and leaned against a tree with her purple gaze focused on the park entrance. "If we keep all our pokemon in their balls for now, we'll have an easy time of hiding here until he's drawn in. By the time he's realized we're here," she added in quiet tones, "it'll be much too late, and we can let out whoever we please to take down his pokemon. Shouldn't be too hard, if he hasn't healed them first."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Either way," Aulus replied in an undertone and cracked his neck, "we'll get him." And they would get him good. It would be simply wonderful to leave him broken and bleeding alone in the dark without his precious pokemon. What goes around really did come back at you sometimes, and it was really nice to have that working in his favour.

The wait felt as though it went on forever, but in reality it couldn't have been more than half an hour later when a large bug flew ponderously into view. It started off over the park but then stopped abruptly, hovering in place for some moments before turning and flying back to the entrance.

The Yanmega landed and its rider dismounted to approach the Glaceon, a little smile quirking up his lips.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Alexina twisted her head to look up at the stranger with large, golden eyes. "Glaaaac?" Her ears flicked back a bit, and she bounded off towards the treeline previously indicated, but she stopped and 'hid' in the bushes to watch him and see what he did, acting for all the world as if she was hiding from him and watching to see if her attempts worked.

Claire, meanwhile, readied several pokeballs and remained perfectly still and silent, unseen behind the trees as she awaited their target.  

[TawnyAngel]

"You all alone little- Hey, come on back here!" The man's voice had a pleasant lyrical lilt to it, a warm quality that was like audible summer sunshine.

It made Aulus' teeth clench, and would have made his fists knot if he didn't have pokeballs in one hand and his staff in the other.

The lithe green-haired man approached the bushes completely unaware of the trap that was waiting for him, drawing a dusk ball from his belt as he drew near. "You know, you're not really my type usually but you are so lovely, aren't you? And I feel like tonight is... auspicious. I'm moving on in the world pretty, want to come with me?"

Aulus shot Claire a sharp glance and nodded; no more waiting, they could get the b*****d from here. He pressed the button on the grip of his staff, causing it to telescope out to its full length with a hiss and a snap. A sweep of his other hand released Tortie, Char, Red and Discord and with his weapon and partners readied Aulus sprang out from behind the tree with a snarl.

The bug trainer reacted quickly despite his obvious shock, grabbing his open pokeballs and holding them ready. "If you think you're taking my winnings think aga- You!"

Aulus bared his teeth. "Hello, Sweetheart. It's been a while."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Claire had attempted a shake of her head, a silent hint that no, they should wait--

But it was too late.

With an inaudible sigh, the agent followed suit, releasing Odette, Zeus, Luc and Artemis while Alexina took her place near her teammates. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" She said smoothly, pulling another ball - Aulus would recognize it as the dark ball that held her unruly Charizard, Ares - off her belt and tossing it up in the air a bit. The fire-type would have no qualms about literally ripping this man to shreds, but then, that was his nature. "You have something we want, and I'm pretty sure you know exactly what it is. Give it up and maybe we won't beat you into the dirt like the worthless little worm you are."