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Her hair was a mess, and her eyes held dark circles underneath them. She was losing sleep, and she was showing it. While her job was the only reason she even joined Team Rocket, and it was this that now tied to the continuation of her life, she had no idea that the work would be this hard. Analyzing and concluding and asking question upon question upon question... It was making her want to see a psychologist.

Isadora tried to down her sleep in strong herbal teas, and it seemed to be working for a time, but after every high was a low, and she was feeling the effects right now. After stumbling and tripping over everything in her office, the doctor finally made it to her desk, where she still had files to look over. She groaned and ran a hand through her sea-foam green hair. This... would be hell.

However, as soon as she tried to hunker down and get her work done, like a chorus of angels descended from heaven on high, there came a knocking on Isadora's office door. Isadora was so relieved that she started laughing and she stumbled her way over to answer the door. [Anyone who would have seen her at this moment would instantly consider her drunk.]

The doctor opened the door and was more than surprised to see the young trainee Aila standing outside of her office. Her mood instantly brightened and she stood to the side, gesturing her arm to let Aila know to walk in. "Ailah! Wehlcome, wehlcome! Please cohme in!" This would be a good change of pace for her, she reasoned. It: a) gave her a reason to procrastinate on doing her file work and b) allowed her to pry more into the mind of the young trainee. She fascinated Isadora, and the doctor knew that she was hiding something... Some dark secret. Everybody did. She placed it upon herself to find out exactly what it was for Aila. Of course, just talking to the young girl was fun for Isadora. She seemed to remind the doctor of herself.

With a new bounce in her step, Isadora made her way to the tea kettle on her desk to retrieve another quick cup of energy-inducing tea. She took a large swig from her newly filled mug and smiled at Aila. "Nohw... wha' can I do fohr you, Ailah?"

Isadora glanced over her shoulder at Aila, rather intrigued. She then smiled once more. Fascination in young people for learning about the world was always something to be praised and supported. Of all things, though, she chose psychology, which was Isadora's profession. Why would Aila choose to study that which was the doctor's own passion, when it was rather obvious that Aila was not fond of her? Isadora was no fool.

Even so, if it was psychology books she wanted, it was books she would get. Isadora had more than enough to spare. She walked over to one of the large bookcases that clung to her office walls and decided to choose three of the most informative books she could find. As she did, she spoke to Aila. "Curious 'bout th' mind, are ya? It's fahscinatin', true, buht complicahted. Why, it's almohst mahde me as insahne as my clients!" She chuckled at her own joke, then retrieved her choices which she considered to be the cream of the crop.

Isadora handed over the books to Aila, feeling rather reluctant to let go of them. She reassured herself that they would return to her in one piece. After all, Aila seemed like a responsible young lady. "Th' top 'un is a basic ovahview of th' stuhdy, th' secohnd goes int' the emohtional part ohf it, an' the last detaihls sehveral diseases o' the braihn. Ih'm curious, though: wha's wit' th' suhdden inclihnahtion fer it?"

Isadora blinked at the young trainee's response. It was obvious that she was surprised. She had heard of the hard-headed Elite Agent - she was infamous, one could say. That the Elite had taken an interest in the young girl was... somewhat distressing for Isadora. While she might or might now have known what was waiting for her when she joined Team Rocket, Isadora did not want to see the young girl getting hurt.

"Infihltrahtion, y' say? Ih'm pleahsed t' see you applyin' youhrself in sohmethin'... Though i's prohbahbly no' my plahce t' sahy so." The smallest glimpse of a suspicious look in Isadora's eyes was visible for perhaps a split second, only to be just as quickly replaced with a smile. She dared not show it, but Isadora was suspicious of the young girl. She did not know why herself, but there a devious aura about Aila - one that troubled Isadora greatly. She wanted to find out what it was, and what the girl was hiding.

Her thoughts of such things were temporarily pushed aside at Aila's next remark. To better herself...? What could that mean, besides the literal definition? In either case, Isadora was still curious, and so her smile grew. "Betteh youhrself... Tha' is youhr choice t' mahke, Ailah, whehthah or noht t' chahnge youhrself, f' bettah or worhse."

Isadora was taken aback by Aila's response. She did not expect such.. blatant speech from her. It was irksome, and Isadora raised an eyebrow in her disapproval. Aila made up for it a small bit by her apology, but Isadora was still slightly cross. She chuckled. "Yes... Y' could sahy I ahm." She turned and walked over to her table and took a sip of her tea. It calmed her nerves and made her more awake, which was the desired effect. Her head was hung in her state of thinking for a second, then she spoke, not turning to look at the girl.

"Ih'm awahre tha' y' dohn't like me vehry much, Ailah. Ih'm no fool." She now faced the girl, eyes now stern. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. "Ih'll tehll ya direhctleh: Ih'm worried 'bout ya, an' Ih'm worried 'bout wha' might hahppen to ya. What th' hell d' you hope t' gain here in Team Rohcket? Y' shouldn't be 'ere in a crihme syndicahte, where th' onleh way out is in a bohdy bag!" She was losing her temper, but she didn't care. She hoped Aila knew what she was she was screwing with.

Isadora's brow furrowed. How troublesome children could be... "I didn't sahy tha' you wehre a fool, an' I dohn't think so, eithah." Her anger was rising... It a similar anger to what she felt when she was a child, enduring years of taunting and teasing from her peers, all because of her past.

"You're a chihld, f'r Arceus' sake! You shouhldn't be thinkin' about death so easileh! Ih'm sorreh tha' I give a dahmn about ya!" Aila mentioned a Leon... Isadora did not care about that now. All that mattered at the moment was trying to knock some sense into this hardheaded little girl. She turned on her heel and shook her head.

"Excuuuuse me, princess," she remarked, her tone filled with anger and sarcasm.

Isadora drew a heavy sigh. Her rage had begun to ebb. "You ahre correhct... I 'ave no clue ahs to wha' you've seen an' wha' you've had t' go through. Tha's not t' say tha' Ih've not 'ad my hahrdships." She chuckled, eyes filled with emotion. "Indeed... I 'ave had my pain an' suhfferin'. Perhaps not ahs much as you've had, but Ih've still 'ad it."

The doctor slowly walked to her couch and sat herself on it, chin in hand. "Y' sahy tha' your dyin' would effehct no one... I disahgree." A kind smile played on the edges of Isadora's lips. "Wha' 'bout your Pokehmon? Ih'm sure they'd miss ya. Anhd..." Isadora's eyes closed.

"...I know one pehrson who'd be vehry sahd if you wehre t' die."

Isadora's sad smile still remained on her face. She considered what Aila said and thought that it might be true: some Pokemon would be able to move on, especially if they had not been particularly attached to their trainer. She knew for a fact, though, that Basil would not be able to go on if she had bitten the dust.

"...Accehptin' death is vehry admihrable, as is your strehngth." She stood, looking into the distance for a moment, then towards Aila.

"Ih'm sorreh, by th' wahy. F'r snahppin' at you, I meahn." Her eyes turned downcast. "I reahlly ahm." The sadness in her eyes was replaced with a small sparkle of joking kindness. "Heh... Ih'm suhrprised tha' you've noht stohrmed out o' 'ere in a rage aft'r wha' Ih've said t' you. Not tha' Ih'm sahying ya should..." she added quickly. "Buht stihll."