Enjoying her alone time in the lower level of the ship, Laeticia was resting on one of the booth seats against the walls and near a window when she felt a vibration from her PokeNav Plus. Coldly glancing around at the room, she ensured that the coast was clear before pressing a pair of black wireless ear pods into her ears, leaning back against the cushioned seating and kicking a foot up as a  bright red 'R' emerged on the screen, followed by the sound of a woman's voice.

[color=silver][i]"This message is approved in delivered by Team Rocket Executive: Geoffrey Wilder. Please standby for further instruction. Thank you."[/i][/color]

Shifting up in her seat, Laeticia paid more close attention, dark eyes occasionally glancing up to see if anyone had entered the room. She hadn't been a Team Rocket Grunt for too long, but she always admired their work. Glancing at the upper right hand corner of the screen, she noticed that there thousands of people piling in to the live feed that made her even more inspired in that moment. The Team Rocket network had flourished in the Underground despite the troubling beginnings with the fall of Giovanni and even the second rendition of the syndicate in Johto. Being a native of the Sevii, Laeticia was able to witness the firsthand effects of Team Rocket, but she wanted more.

Nearly lost in her thoughts about the prospective future of Team Rocket, her eyes were fixated on the screen once the idle crimson 'R' disappeared from the screen and instead displayed a dark silhouette of a man seated in a large chair and was flanked by two Houndooms. The man reached over his right hand and scratched one of the hellhounds behind the horns before he began his announcement.

[color=CA0F0F][i]"Greetings to my fellow Team Rocket members. Today... today is a good day. As you know, the Underground has boomed into a flourishing business for our brand. We have been able not only create a variety of different Pokemon drugs, stones and the like, but our team of scientists have been successful in conducting unique experiments on these Pokemon that will increase our selling power even more. Likewise, revenue has quintupled, if you can believe that's word, since my time taking the throne of Team Rocket. As your leader, I can honestly say that I am proud of the work each of you have done. Now, we must move into the next phase of our plan... Listen closely..."[/i][/color]

If she was there in person, Laeticia would have leaned forward to learn more, but instead, she was so focused on her boss's soliloquy that she didn't recognize Attica's presence in the room now.

[color=CA0F0F][i]"We are in the beginning stages of something groundbreaking in terms of Pokemon evolution. Something that far exceeds the power of Rare Candy or Elemental Stones... If our scientist team is able to accomplish this goal, the financial income that Team Rocket will see will be out of this world. I can guarantee you that. With that being said... we won't be able to sell these Pokemon without proper testing. That is where the Grunts come in. Grunts: do your part, do what you are asked to do in your specific role and you will reap the benefits. This is an amazing time... to be a member of Team Rocket."[/i][/color]

[hr]

[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/201208/f3d9c0d7f6c5adcd1a94796be8df0213.png[/img]

[b]Active Pokemon:[/b] [img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/icon/132.png[/img][img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/icon/439.png[/img]
[b]Location:[/b] [i]S.S. Peiwinkle[/i][/center]

Like many of the other students at the front of the ship, Max was in complete and utter awe at the island coming into the horizon. Many of the students had the fortune of paying a visit to the island for a guided tour, but the way that Max and his mother's finances were setup, that was pretty much an impossible task for Mask. Instead, the virtual tour sufficed for him, but the pictures couldn't possibly do the landscape justice.

[color=DC143C][i]"This is pretty cool, huh Dizzy?"[/i][/color]

Max asked, glancing down at the bright pink Ditto that was resting along the railing of the ship. Oozing its body towards Max, Dizzy perched itself against its Trainer's back, taking a brief moment to glance out into the viewpoint as well. It wasn't just about the landscape either though: there were Pokemon in clear sight along the body of water and into the air. Max's hazel eyes ventured upward to the flock of Wingull being led by a Pelipper and then to the ocean deep where they were able to spot the outline of a massive Wailord swimming right below the ship.

[color=gold][i]"Bruh, I ain't never seen a Wailord that big!"[/i][/color]

A [url=https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w235_and_h235_face/8lSjFECJflwHJJGt5e7CqyItXW2.jpg]voice[/url] from beside Max said, causing the boy to turn and look at him. It wasn't long before other students were looking off the side of the railing as well. For the time being, each of the First Year students were comfortably situated in their particular positions until the same [url=https://media.wonderlandmagazine.com/uploads/2019/10/Wonderland_Nat_Wolff18325.jpg]boy[/url] that gave Attica trouble decided to arrive to the party late. Forcefully.

[color=CD853F][i]"Make way."[/i][/color]

Max and Dizzy were the victim of this particular displacement, which caused the shorter boy's brows to furrow. Who the hell did this guy think he was and why was he suddenly entitled to this position if he got here first. Dizzy apparently wasn't vibing with this situation either, its beady eyes filled with raging anger.

[color=DC143C][i]"Hey, you can't just move people out the way like that. No manners at all... seriously?"[/i][/color]

[right][color=CD853F][i]"Oh? You gonna do something about that then?"[/i][/color][/right]

[color=gold][i]"Come on, Elliott. Chill, bruh. You really ain't have to do all of that. Look, we can't even see it anymore."[/i][/color]

[right][color=CD853F][i]"Nah, Marquis. I think tough guy here wants to have a go."[/i][/color][/right]

Elliott smirked down at Max, snapping his fingers as one of the students poofed into a cloud of smoke, minimizing and taking on the form of a Zorua, one of Elliott's Pokemon. The fox Pokemon let out a snarl at Max but was soon met face to face with Dizzy, whose body immediately transformed into Zorua's similarly as the two Trainers stood across from one another.

[color=f6989d][i]"Uhh... y'all do know we're not supposed to be battling on this boat right?"[/i][/color]

Max's glanced over at the [url=https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5b9bc81062cae03216d5d447/1:1/w_1582,h_1582,c_limit/StFelix-Noname.jpg]girl[/url] who spoke and immediately gritted his teeth. He actually wanted to be at Periwinkle and not get kicked out the school before even arriving on the island. If battling on the boat was against the rules, then he would be getting off to the wrong start. However, whoever this Elliott guy thought he was... was not cool at all.

[color=DC143C][i]"Relax, Dizzy..."[/i][/color]

It took a moment, but Dizzy's body returned to its fluid, pink state before sliding back towards Max's legs.

[color=CD853F][i]"Hmph,"[/i][/color] Elliott replied as Zorua backflipped onto his shoulder. [color=CD853F][i]"Yeah, that's what I thought. In case you didn't know, my family is a booster for Periwinkle. And if we wanted? We could get your ass out here in no time possible. Watch your back and watch you talk to, shorty."[/i][/color]

The crowd of students made way for Elliott to walk off to wherever it was he headed before disappearing back into the lower levels of the ship. Instead, now, it was just a handful of students out on bow including Max, Marquis, the girl that had informed them about the rules of battling on the ship as well as some other girl who Max didn't realize was even there this entire time. There was silence for a moment until Marquis released a sigh that he didn't know he was holding in.

[color=DC143C][i]"Who the hell does that guy think he is?"[/i][/color] Max finally said, staring off in the direction of where most of the students had walked off to.