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Acacia gawked at the man beside her and chuckled brightly once again. “How can you still like Bobby Flay after what he did in the battle with Iron Chef Morimoto, he totally jumped up onto the cutting board after the rock crab battle because he assumed he was the winner,” sitting back up she slightly moved closer to Alex as she continued her friendly debate. “That right there was the moment that I stopped liking him because he totally disrespected the art of cooking! But I will hand it to the man, he can grill with the best of them. I might even have a few barbecue recipes memorized, oh my now I completely want to make slow cooked baby-back ribs. Drat!” The woman laughed and shielded her mouth behind her hand.

Glancing over his shoulder just for a brief moment Ampule caught sight of the quickly approaching eevee, dropping his tail and screaming with a new burst of excitement the totodile flailed his arms into the air as beads of sweat gathered on his scales and began to drip down his barreled shaped body.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!! Dile! Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile! Gleefully yammered Ampule as he tried to quicken his pace, for such a short legged little fellow he was really quick. Maybe even more quick than most totodile his age were, Acacia couldn't be sure of that and neither could Ampule but the pair worked on his physical training everyday including his stamina and speed. Rushing faster he turned quickly knocking a chair over and sped towards the two trainers on the couch.

Staring up at Alexander with her piercing red hues Acacia nodded and gave the man an 'O.K.' hand sign as he explained their game plan in case anyone asked any sort of questions. “Got it, Xander! Darn good fib too, even I almost believe it!” She retorted with a cheeky smirk. The blonde haired grunt sitting beside her was certainly a friendly enough character, it would be a shame for Ampule to not get to play with his new friend just because she was slightly uncomfortable around men, that wasn't fair to him and she wouldn't punish him for her own insecurities.

Snapping her attention back towards the two playing monsters when a sudden loud pang rang out in the decent sized recreation room, her smile instantly brightened as Ampule bolted towards the couch his eyes locked on her's as if he had a mission that he needed to complete. “Incoming! Torpedo-dile!”

The moment for her retort was temporarily cut short as she braced herself for whatever plan her charismatic totodile had in mind. Springing forward Ampule leaped, arms fully outstretched, it was however the appareled expression strewn across his face that made the moment all the more priceless.

Conrad connected soundly with the rear quarters of stubby blue limbs catching the fleeing totodile completely off guard, he had fully expected to make the leap of faith to his trainer, however crashing to the floor with a small thud Ampule whimpered pitifully. Shaking his head as he pushed himself back up he turned to look at the eevee and snorted before letting out a hearty laugh and zipping at fully speed towards Conrad. It was his turn to give chase!

“Phew close call on that one,” Acacia breathed with a mock sigh. “Where were we? Oh yeah! You asked if I am a 'good' cook---” at the question the slender framed wisp of a woman broadened her pearly white smile, inherently the smirk just came across as cocky even though it was her true way of grinning. “Oh yeah, I am. It is one of the few courses that I was forced to attend that I actually liked. I might not be a chef but I know my way around the kitchen far better than the average person does. French, Italian, Japanese, and Mediterranean dishes are ones that I have been professionally taught to make. Anything else I am still learning on my own. But if you are ever hungry you really can't go wrong with getting me to make something for you.” Boastfully declared the gaunt-faced medic in a firm self-assured manner. It wasn't a lie, not in the slightest, however it was a prideful claim that her skill was superior than most. She wouldn't however state that she was comparable to a first-year commis by any means, though she wouldn't have minded too terribly if she had been allowed to become a chef. Acacia found herself in thought for a moment reveling in the daydream of being allowed to follow her own career path. A chef was something that she certainly would have enjoyed as a profession far more than being a sorry attempt of a doctor.

”So many years for nothing---” She whispered underneath her breath sorrowfully.

Alexander pulled her focus back to the present as he talked to her in a cheerful manner, blinking a few times the woman jarred her thoughts to the back of her mind as his words finally sank into her mind; eliciting a giggle to escape from her barely parted lips. “That would be amazing, I didn't expect you to actually enjoy cooking, I figured you were one of those men that like to watch it being made and eating it, but ya know not actually doing a woman's job,” uncouthly stated the medic, the comment wasn't bitter in the sense that it was directed at the singular man sitting on the couch but rather as a statement geared towards all men in general. “You know, if you could teach me some American I would love to teach you Italian or Mediterranean in exchange. Iron Chef Rockets, that is just amusing. Ya know if we do that we are sooooo going to need a panel of judges and a secret ingredient to work with. Ha! You made me get all excited thing about it! Iron Chef: Rocket Edition!” Acacia laughed mirthfully and tossed some of her unruly white and purple locks away from her eyes.

Ampule was well on the heels of Conrad as he gave chase, he was getting tired and wanted a nap, he wanted to listen to Acacia's music player in her bedroom, and he wanted to eat. But at the same time he didn't want to stop playing with his new found friend. Panting heavily the Big Jaw pokemon rushed after the eevee, his little legs pumping with wan energy that he was borrowing from some unknown source within his own being. “Dile! Diiiiiiiiileeee!TODI!!!” Ampule shouted in his attempt to gain more speed and catch the furry blur.

Acacia's face drained of what little color it held, and her eyes seemed to widen in fear for just a moment as Alexander stated so plainly that a woman's role beside her lover, whether it be a man or a woman, the statement burned almost painfully causing the slender woman to pull herself as far away from the man on the couch. “How can you say something like that!? Homosexuality is a disease! Gays are sick, sexual deviants---they all deserve---deserve---what's coming to them---” heatedly snarled the petite framed woman, the bitterness and pain in her voice betrayed the words she was speaking. Her sharp facial features contorted even more darkly as she fought back hot streams of tears that were gathering at the corners of her eyes, she was weak, just like one of them. “My father could have your head for saying something so stupid like that, everyone knows gays aren't even real people! They are fake! No one can love someone of the same gender! They choose to live their lives in sin! They---they---” her voice cracked as a loud sob claimed her ability to speak. Trembling violently the small built woman closed her eyes as she began to weep and openly cry, squeezing her hands into tightly clinched fist Acacia fought as hard as she could with herself to cease her tears only to have her well-polished nails dig into the palms of her hands drawling blood. “It isn't my fault! It isn't my fault, he made me like this, he made me like this and I will never be normal! I will never be a real person, I will always just be his fake little princess! It isn't my fault I like women! It isn't my fault! He did this to me! He did it and I will never be a real person! I can't help it, he made me this way, he turned me gay, he did it, it wasn't my fault I was just a little girl, he shouldn't have done those things, I would have never have been like this if he hadn't done it! It isn't my fault! It isn't my fault!”

Standing up from the couch the thin woman didn't make eye contact with the man, she never wanted to see him again, she didn't want to think about what she really was or the reason behind it. Pulling out Ampule's ball she held it out and returned the pokemon without so much as a word spoken, slowly her red glassy eyes focused on Alexander, tears blurring her vision.

“This never happened, okay? None of this ever happened. I am a Rocket now, I am stronger than what I was, and I am trying to leave the past behind me. I know what I am. I am a coward. I hide behind a fake smile and when I can't muster the strength to do so, this is what happens. Just---forget I was here. This never happened. None of this ever happened.”

Briskly Acacia strode to the door, her boots forgotten as she left the room. Her movements uneven and off-balance as she tried to keep her quivering frame from collapsing, reaching out she pressed her right hand to the wall as she emotionally crumbled and could feel herself slipping into a spinning darkness. She had overworked herself emotionally and was near fainting as she staggered down the hallway.

Everything buzzed around her as a figure slowly crept into the focus of her vision, it was him. She wanted to throw a punch at the man's face but could barely even maintain standing, which she had yet to realize she was no longer doing, rather the slender medic was already on her knees obliviously unaware of just how shaken up she was by the emotional floodgates opening so suddenly.

'Acacia, please calm down and come back to sit down.'

Her mouth seemed all too dry to manage speech, licking her lips in a vain effort to regain some moisture Acacia found herself looking at the man named Alexander, pain still clear in her crimson hued eyes as she focused on his face. He had came after her. That was more than anyone had ever done for her before.

“I'm---” her words came out heavily labored and strained, breathy from the aching sobs that were coming and going on their own accord. “torn.” She finished her statement rather enigmatically. The the point was there, at least to her it was. She was torn, she didn't know what to do. With the situation or herself.

“Why---” she started with a treble rising in her voice as if she were about to burst into tears yet again. “would you---come after me---I'm a freak---don't tell---anyone---please.” She begged. Begging was below her, and yet she was on her knees begging the man that she barely knew to keep her secret. To spare her from the shame of the reality of whom she really was.

Trembling Acacia found it in herself to stumble to her feet once again, placing both hands firmly against the wall, slowly she paced herself to edge towards the recreation room at a creeping rate. As she moved she paused for a moment and stared towards the wall and the small ruddy smears that she left.

“I made the wall dirty---I'm going to get in trouble.” Expressionlessly stated the white-haired grunt, the flat tone denoted that she wasn't completely in the right state of mind as she spoke.

The thin framed medic felt a wave of nausea twist the pit of her gut, with each word Alex spoke the more aware of her surroundings she was becoming. He was being so tender in his words, his actions, reaching out Acacia threw her arm over his shoulder and balanced herself as best she could with his sturdy frame. The faint scent of coconut and soft undertones of wild flowers delicately danced around the dainty framed grunt, the process was slow yet Acacia regained her senses and with it her mobility as the pair moved back towards the room that they had been in only moments ago. Keeping her body close to the blonde haired coworker she unconsciously trembled due to the close proximity of the man that she was clinging to for aid.

“Thank you, Alex. I am sorry---” her voice was a low almost hoarse whisper. “I just---I lose it sometimes. It's like,” trailing off she tried to grasp the right words from the air. “the littlest thing just, echoes in my head and I just snap---and freak out. I go from being okay and myself to someone completely different.”

Easing her overly-thin frame into the comfortable cushions of the couch Acacia reclined fully back and draped a bony hand across her eyes, her head at the current moment was dully aching, a slightly welcomed sensation which was reassuring that the emotional outburst was ebbing to a cease. “Thank you, Xander. I really mean that. I was really overdue for a cry like that---” pinching the bridge of her small pointed nose Acacia attempted a friendly smile however faltered at the action regardless of the effort that she was putting into it. “You really don't think I am a freak then? I mean honestly? I have never told anyone about my disease before. Normally I can bottle up my outburst better, but I guess with work, training, and this stupid little crush I have going on right now I guess it just got to me more than it normally does.”

Again the woman sighed, removing her hand from her face the medical grunt tilted her head as she made eye contact with the man beside her; a faint touch of her natural cocky smirk gradually began to show through the gloom etched on her sharp face yet a glimmer of pain still clearly burned in her crimson hued eyes.

“You know, through mandated order you and I are now best friends, regardless if you want to or not,” jokingly attempted the disheveled light-haired grunt in a dry tenor. “Otherwise, you know too much.” Chuckling despite how she felt, Acacia pulled the ace out of her hat with the finish of her statement even managing a full upturned smile that shaved off the solemn dull glaze transfixed in her expression and eyes.

Acacia laughed, a strained sweet sound that cut in and out through the hoarse dryness of her throat. At the name 'Cia' she couldn't help but laugh slightly harder. Never once had she ever been called anything remotely close to the new nickname that the blonde man bestowed upon her, it didn't have the same flair as 'Ace' but then again she didn't really want anyone but Tambrey to call her that, it was something special, a term that she wore with great pride and fondness. Listening intently to Alexander's comments she found herself relaxing even further especially since the man was similar to herself, someone that truly understood a deep part of her being.

“Evalyn Acacia Cretchfield,” she stated firmly. Professionally. “Never call me Eva, it is the one thing that I ask. And it is nice to meet you Mister Cole. I have to admit I have never felt this relaxed around a man before, but it really is pleasant to have someone that I can relate to. Um, since I guess we are baring our souls to each other. Um--” she paused for a moment and sucked in a wavering breath through her teeth before continuing. “I guess I am---a le-le--le---les--lesbian. Never dated. I never had a pokemon as a child, though I did have a dratini plushy named Mister Snuffles, I still sleep with it to this day. Ampule is my first pokemon that I got after my training here at the base. I joined Team Rocket after I dropped out of med-school, I couldn't handle the pressure anymore and I just sort of ran away from everything that my daddy expected out of me. I willingly sought out the organization because I needed the change, I needed to feel in control of my own life but at the same time---” looking down at her hands the light-haired medic found herself trembling yet again. “at the same time I never wanted to be alone again. I am part of a team now and I will be for the rest of my life, however long that will be, no matter what, I am never going to really ever be alone again.”