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At first, Isadora had no earthly clue that Team Rocket Headquarters even had a pool. It certainly was a pleasant surprise when she passed it on one of her wandering strolls. And now here she was, ready to enjoy a relaxing dip. It was quite convenient, in her honest opinion. She was never against a nice swim once in a while. It often can be calming; therapeutic, even. The problem with having a headquarters in the middle of the desert, even with the protection and anonymity of it, was that it was a terrible hassle to go into the city and stop by the local pool there. Thank goodness she found this one.

She assumed that the pool, while being available for the general enjoyment of Team Rocket, could also be used for the training of Pokemon, and so she hoped as she walked from her room there that she wouldn't be in anyone's way. As she made her way, though, an amusing thought popped into her head. When most people thought of Team Rocket, she assumed, they thought of heartless, cruel thieves who were strict and orderly and precise. Who would think that that same Team Rocket would just... have a pool? Not just for training, but for relaxing as well! It brought a smile to the woman's face.

Since she had arrived at the pool already changed into her one-piece swimming suit [she wore a dress over it as she traversed the halls for modesty], it would take little time for her to plunge in. She placed the towel she had brought herself on a nearby chair, slipped off her shoes and covering dress, removed her glasses, and gingerly stepped in on the shallower end. It was chilly, but not freezing, and Isadora dunked her entire head under to get more accustomed to the temperature. She gasped as she resurfaced, wiping the now wet hair from her eyes. Smiling to herself, she began to wade deeper into the water and, once she got to deep-enough water, she started swimming a few freestyle laps across the length of the pool.

...Yes, swimming was indeed therapeutic.

Isadora's mind was perfectly clear as she constantly swam and swam and swam. It was relaxing to simply focus on one thing at a time, and currently that one thing was just swimming. Just swimming. It had been quite some time since Isadora last took some time to swim. She assumed that the latest time would have been before she had moved to Kodo and joined Team Rocket... Back with her parents. Now, that thought made Isadora a little sad. She hadn't seen her fathers in so long. She was positive that they missed her, and she knew for a fact that they missed her as well.

As she continued her laps, she couldn't help thinking about what they would say if they knew where she was now. As far as they knew, she was just a full-time therapist in Camphoreon or something like that. She felt terrible about lying to them after all of the kindness that they had shown her over the years, but she had to face facts. It wasn't like she could just go back to them now. She was a part of Team Rocket, and she would be until... who knew when. She wished she could at least call them, and let them know that she was all right. Nothing more than that.

Suddenly, Isadora's train of thought was derailed as she heard a familiar voice call at her from across the pool. She stopped, turned around, and was pleasantly surprised to see the figure of her acquaintance Claire. A friendly smile replaced Isadora's sad frown. "Ah, Claire! How nice to see you again! And no, I certainly don't mind at all!" Now, here was something to lift Isadora's spirits. While it seemed that whenever the two women talked it was on the serious subject of Lucas, that didn't mean that the doctor did not enjoy Claire's company. Quite the opposite, actually. Isadora waded over closer to Claire. "How have you been? I haven't talked with you for quite some time now."

Isadora chuckled at the small joke before Claire cannon-balled into the pool. "Hahah... Yes, yes, it seems like that's all we ever talk about!" She raised her hands slightly to shield herself from the splashes and returned the smile as Claire waded closer to her. Claire seemed to be doing well: that was very good. While she wasn't exactly a patient of Isadora's, per se, she was a good friend, and so it was nice to keep tabs once in a while.

"I've been very well, thank you," she said in reply to her friend's query. When Claire mentioned that she'd never seen the doctor in the pool before, Isadora shrugged her shoulders, somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, well... See, I've only recently realized that it existed, heh. I suppose it makes sense now that I know it's here, but for some reason it never crossed my mind before now." She pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, which had changed colors from bright seafoam to a dull green. "But anyway! What about you? How have you been?"

Isadora was not without her Pokemon, as a matter of fact. They had reached the pool a few minutes after their trainer due to Basil being asleep. Now, all three of the Pokemon were present and accounted for. Basil himself had ventured into the shallow end of the pool and was splashing and wading about like a child in a kiddie-pool. Iditarod sat sternly at the deeper end, occasionally sticking a large white paw into the water. Layleeta, whose coat was slowly turning a golden shade of brown, sat on a chair near Isadora's things, a deep and hateful glare seen upon his face.

A smile lit up Isadora's face as Claire explained her recent happenings. "Oh, you were promoted? My goodness, that's wonderful! Congratulations!" Isadora's happiness for her friend was genuine, but she could not help but feel a small pang of jealousy. How long ago had it been since she had joined Team Rocket? Certainly more than half a year, she reckoned. And she has been a Grunt all that time. It was a tad frustrating. But, she had to be honest with herself: it wasn't as if she was very ambitious. The entire reason she joined Team Rocket was to help the people in it, not to rise to power or anything like that. Though, she'd be lying if she said she had not considered becoming an Agent or an Elite once or twice.

"Ah, and a baby Cyndaquil! How adorable. It seems like you've been very busy, then!" At the sudden mention of Layleeta, a frown replaced Isadora's smile as she glanced over to the Deerling. As she did, she saw that he was staring daggers directly at her. She jumped a little, then sighed heavily. "...Honestly, I have no earthly clue. Ever since I received him, he's just been so angry with me. He shows no friendliness to Basil or Iditarod, but he just... hates me." It was rather sad, to tell the truth. She had hoped that by now he would at least have warmed up to her a little, but no dice. It was disheartening.

When she turned back to face Claire, she noticed something rather strange. Claire's eyes were hazel. ...But she was positive that they were purple when they last saw each other. Unless... Isadora's own eyes lit up in surprise. "You wear contacts!" She blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "I-I mean, you wore contacts. Wait, I mean - Your eyes are hazel." Isadora rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed over stumbling over her words. "They're very pretty."

A small chuckle escaped Isadora's lips as she regarded Claire with a smile. "I rather like them as their normal color. It suits you. Why do wear your contacts all the time? ...Unless it's just for sight correction and just happen to be colored?" It was kind of a shame that Claire didn't just show her normal color more often. They were very lovely and much more genuine than the purple, in Isadora's opinion. Although, perhaps she wasn't one to talk, seeing as her own eyes were naturally a light periwinkle. Heredity was a strange thing.

Iditarod paid no heed to any of the goings-on about her. Right now, she was focused on keeping one eye on Isadora and one eye on Basil, who continued to splash and flail about in the water. The Meganium seemed to be thoroughly contented and was staying safely in the shallower end of the pool, but Iditarod didn't want to take any chances. If Basil got hurt, Isadora would never forgive her, and the last thing the Arcanine wanted to do was disappoint her charge. Because she was concentrating so greatly, the bark from the bright orange Growlithe made her jump in alarm. The large Pokemon looked sternly down at her pre-evolutionary kin. ["Do not startle me like that again, young one. I have no time to play."]

On the other side of the pool, Layleeta continued to stare daggers at his trainer. Unlike Iditarod, though, he was well aware of one of Claire's Pokemon approaching him, and he regarded the chubby Pikachu with the same heated stare. At the Electric Pokemon's jibe, Layleeta's grey eyes lowered to livid slits and he spoke in a quiet voice. ["Don't you dare to speak to me, human's slave. You are a mere pawn to their wicked ways, so don't talk to me about killing."]

A slight tilt of the head indicated Isadora's confusion and disbelief at Claire's statement about her contacts. She could practically hear the lie dripping from her friend's words. It was obvious that her reason was a different one entirely, but Isadora stopped and reminded herself that she was not a therapist at the moment. She was just a friend, just talking. That was all. If Claire was not comfortable with talking about the true reason, then that was her burden to bear.

"...Well, anyway. You are an Agent, now, correct? My, but how exciting that must be! What is it like? Have you gotten a partner yet?" With any luck, Isadora's new questions would be enough to propel the conversation into a much less awkward field. As she spoke, she slowly leaned backwards and floated on the surface on her back. As she glanced over to the side, she noticed her Meganium slowly and happily doggy-paddling towards her. She smiled and patted his head when he was within arms-reach.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pool, Iditarod watched as the Growlithe by her flopped dramatically onto the floor and stared pitifully at her human. The Growlithe's obvious disappointment made Iditarod feel... slightly guilty. Curse her motherly attitude! She was always so soft with the younger ones. The Arcanine sighed heavily through her nose and looked back to Artemis. ["...Now, don't look so sad. You could play with the Meganium, once he comes out of the water. He is very friendly."]

Layleeta watched the Pikachu with nothing less than bitter contempt. What laziness... What cheek! This fool would not last three days in the wild. It was almost pitiful. Almost. Layleeta did not feel pity. ["I would love to see you try, you fat slob,"] the Deerling hissed back. ["And furthermore, I am by no means a hypocrite. I was kidnapped from my beautiful home after my only family was brutally murdered by the vile creatures that you call 'masters.' I do not serve that bright-haired human. She is merely..."] The Pokemon glanced over to Isadora. ["...Merely a means to an end."] He looked back to the Pikachu lying on the tile. ["I am simply biding my time until the opportune moment when I can make my escape from this prison. This is not where I belong. This is not where any Pokemon belongs, trapped within these cold, unfeeling human walls."] ...Heavy words for a creature barely two feet off of the ground.

Isadora listened smilingly to Claire as she described her current work. Paperwork and all that? The doctor was used to that already, heh. Her smile widened when her friend revealed her partner to be Lucas. "Oh, so Lucas is an Agent as well? How perfect! You two are so very close, so it must be very good for both of you. I'm glad you're both in such good places right now." Silently, though Isadora would never dare admit, she had occasionally hoped that Lucas would have been her partner one day. But of course, that was ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. She wasn't interested in going up in rank. She would have only held him down. And besides that, Claire and Lucas were like brother and sister - inseparable. There was no way Isadora could come between them.

Iditarod could not help but smile at the younger Pokemon's obvious enthusiasm and energy. ["Yes, yes, playing is all very well and good. You must not forget to train as much as you play, though. Both will make you stronger."] As Iditarod spoke, she was vaguely reminded of her time as a wild Pokemon, still living with her clan. She used to say the same things to the young Growlithes even then... Out of the corner of her eye, however, the Arcanine caught a glimpse of the chubby Pikachu of Claire's lunge towards Layleeta. Immediately, Iditarod was on her feet, hackles raised and teeth bared as she growled.

Layleeta listened closely to the Pikachu's words as he spoke. He bristled at the insults towards himself, yet the other Pokemon's words began to strike him somehow. His brow furrowed in confusion. 'Black and white...?' 'Close-minded...?' Was this Pikachu legitimately telling him that humans could be good? But how could that be? That was impossible! Humans were the ones that killed his family! Humans were the ones that captured and enslaved him! How could there be any good in them? ...Unless...

Before the Deerling could form another coherent thought, Zeus had grabbed firm hold of him and flung him across the entire pool.

Iditarod barked and, quick as a flash, she sprinted towards where the little Deerling was hurtling towards. She, as carefully and as firmly as she could, caught Layleeta in her jaws and set him on the ground. The Deerling staggered on the ground, dazed and confused and frightened for a moment, then all thought rushed back to him in an instant, and his livid grey eyes locked on the Pikachu across the room. Furious and without thinking, Layleeta dashed around the perimeter of the pool to attack Zeus head-on.

The first clue Isadora received to the impending chaos was the growl from Iditarod. She looked over to her Arcanine, confused as to what she was so defensive of, then saw she was looking over to where Layleeta was. Isadora turned to face her Deerling and caught sight of him being launched by Claire's Pikachu. Her hands covered her mouth as she gasped in horror, eyes wide. Her shock did not end when Iditarod, thankfully, caught the tiny Grass Pokemon and the then furious Deerling ran... right towards Zeus. He was going to attack him.

"Layleeta. Not another step."

The Deerling heard these words and he skidded to a halt. Those words were so... infuriated. Surely they didn't come from her? He glanced over to the seafoam-green haired woman in the pool and saw her, eyes lowered dangerously, standing up straight in the water. The Pokemon's ears flicked backwards.

"If you take one more step towards that Pikachu, I swear to bloody Arceus, I will break your skinny-a** legs. Do. You. Understand. Me." Isadora's entire posture screamed her fury. Her body was stiff and rigid, and her eyes were locked onto Layleeta.

Layleeta's eyes widened. He had never seen this side of the human before. She was... serious. Slowly, silently, he sat down where he stood.

Layleeta said nothing. He felt nothing. He heard nothing. His entire small body was like it was completely numb with shock and fear. Only a few bunches of words from the Pikachu's reprimanding speech reached his ears. '...asked for it...' '...not all humans...' '...your human...' '...torn you in half...' The Deerling's vision was fuzzy and spotted, and he could not see straight. Perhaps it was the shock of the near-death experience he just had or the mortal threat made by the supposed gentle human. Whichever it was - or it might have been both - it was taking a heavy toll on the small Pokemon. His body shuddered violently.

Finally, during a moment of peace, Isadora took a deep breath and relaxed her posture. Her head hurt slightly. Ah... This was what happened when she got angry. She had to remember that. "...Please, Claire. I must be the one to apologize. I should have trained him better. I had no idea that he was this much of an utter idiot. Excuse me..." With that, Isadora silently swam to the edge of the pool, retrieved a spare towel, and walked over to her out-of-his-mind Pokemon. Once reaching him, she stood over him for a moment, watching as he shivered and shuddered. ...How pitiful. Without a word, Isadora wrapped the towel around Layleeta, gingerly picked him up, and set him down on a nearby chair. Once she placed him down, she sighed. "...I care about you, you little fool. Remember that."

Walking over to the deeper end of the pool, Isadora dived in, staying underwater for a few seconds. Once she resurfaced, she swam back over to Claire. Basil was treading water nearby, a sad expression on his face. Isadora patted her Meganium's head as she neared, then looked back to Claire. "...Do you think that I'm a bad trainer? I mean... I can't stop my Pokemon from being dumb occasionally, and I certainly don't want to change who they are personally, but..." She wasn't sure quite how to end that statement. She felt... embarrassed... disappointed... like she was the one who was thrown across the pool herself.