It had only been two months since Team Aqua had been officially created, so few people knew of their existence. That's why its leader, Aogiri, and his only followers were able to carouse at a pub at the docks without fear that the police might come in and arrest them. Compared to other teams such as Team Rocket, Team Aqua's crimes were paltry at best - some stealing here, a little public disorderly conduct there - nothing to truly put their name on the map.

Currently, the worst that they could be accused of was having a very good time at 'The Soggy Sea-Dog' pub.

Music blared as laughter filled the air, mingling with the heavy scent of alcohol, smoke, and sea water. While no more rowdy than the rest of the patrons, Team Aqua stood out quite visibly among the crowd. Having shoved several tables together just to fit everyone, a crowd of blue and white filled the center of the pub.

Or perhaps what drew the most attention was the massive white Feraligatr with cyan neck ridges and underbelly leaning against the large man that led the group. She had a large black halter around her powerful chest, sporting the mostly unknown symbol of Team Aqua – a vertical alpha symbol with a sharp tip and boney stubs to make it look more appropriate for a pirate. While it was white on the humans' clothing, hers was bright blue.

Aogiri waved down a saucy looking waitress. He was a rather handsome man with a bronze tan, bright blue eyes, and wild brown hair hidden under a blue bandanna that proudly displayed his team's logo. His short beard around his face was the same color as his hair, as were the twin crescent mustache around his mouth. He wore a pure black leisure suit with no shirt to hide his bare chest, where his chain necklace could be seen as a golden charm of the Team Aqua logo attached to an achor dangled from it. "Bring us another round over here!"

Ushio slammed his mug down on the table with a hearty sigh, then reached up to wipe at his mouth with the back of his hand. He was a behemoth of a man with deep bronze skin, considerably larger than the rest of his human companions. His outfit looked as though it had once been a dark blue wetsuit with lighter blue trim that burst when squeezed upon his muscled frame, tearing it so that only the gloves and lower pants remained. A rope belt wrapped around his waist, holding up his pants, as well as another one around his neck like a necklace. He had a short beard much like Aogiri's, though the black hair on his head was also trimmed quite low. It allowed his blue triangular markings to be visible as they framed his face along his forehead, chin, and cheeks. On his chest was the symbol of Team Aqua branded on his skin, formed by a lighter tone that stood out against the darker skin. "Whoooo... and another one bites the dust!"

Shelly belched and let out a laugh. A redhead with curves as abundant as the ones on her body, she wore blue bell-bottom pants and a matching vest, a black tank top around her chest, and a blue bandanna with the team's logo. "Damn, I love the imported stuff. It's got a great kick to it!"

Izumi giggled as she idly ran her finger around the rim of her own drink, a fruity little number with a bright red umbrella in it. She had dark skin similar to Aogiri and Ushio, though her black hair was long and unruly with a blue streak in her bangs. Her two-piece wetsuit hugged her body, dark blue with white trim and light blue highlights on her feet and ankles. She wore a belt made out of a gold chain and flashes of skin could be seen at the openings along her thighs and shoulders while the wetsuit covered her arms like long gloves with only the thumb open. Like the others, she also sported the team symbol - it was on her chest, white with a light blue center. Finishing off the outfit was a pair of yellow swimming goggles that rested on her head. "I wonder, is it the booze or is it the person~?"

Shelly grinned widely. "Do I have to choose?"

"Not - at - all~!" Izumi said, her grin widening to match her comrade's.

Matt sipped his root beer as he watched Ushio started to chug another mug. His outfit was similar to Shelly's, with the blue vest, bell-bottom pants, and bandanna. While he was quite tall, his frame was more heavy than Ushio - built like a brick house rather than the other man's bulldozer. Peeking out from under his bandanna, his long blonde hair was tied in a ponytail that trailed down to his shoulder blades. "Okay, designated not-drunk-off-his-ass-guy is saying that's the last one for you tonight, pal. You've hit your 10 pint limit with that one."

Ushio paused at that before he let out a plaintive whine. "What? Already? But I can still see straight!"

Matt shrugged. "You shouldn't have gotten into a drinking contest with those college kids. You know they're wimps and can't handle anything that isn't watered down."

Aogiri laughed and elbowed Ushio's side. "The looks on their faces was worth it though, don't you think?"

Ushio let out a deep, bellowing laugh that caused the table to shake. "You don't challenge me and get away with just a spankin'!"

Matt snatched Aogiri's mug before the waitress could refill it. "Glad you think so, boss, since you've already hit your 10 pint limit."

Aogiri stared at the empty air where his glass used to be and frowned. "Okay, starting to reassess whether it was worth it now."

"That's why I stick to my, what did you call them?" Izumi turned to eye Ushio, her expression smug. "'Fancy-Pansy-Fruity-Ass drinks'? I can drink as much as I want and take my dear sweet time getting wasted."

Shelly giggled, grinning widely. "And my import drinks have a lot higher proof so I spend less money getting myself blitzed and I don't have to keep going to the bathroom like a busted fire hydrant."

"See~? Be smart about it," Izumi said, with a sly giggle. "Not everyone can drink like Levi, you know." She cast a meaningful glance to the Feraligatr before she glanced down at her own Pokéball, where her Pokémon had retreated to after she had passed out from her own imbibing. "She's the only one left."

Leviathan rumbled as she shifted her chin, rubbing the top of Aogiri's head with it before she let out another low rumble.

Aogiri looked up at his partner and patted her nose. "Right, right, probably time to wrap it up anyway, right, Levi?"

Leviathan snapped her jaws together, making an audible clicking noise before she stopped and turned her head, going still. She let out a low growl that trembled in her chest and against Aogiri's back.

Aogiri's jovial mood evaporated as he noticed Leviathans reaction. He looked in the direction his Feraligatr was staring and saw the source - a rather unruly man who had one too many drinks was pawing at the waitress who was trying unsuccessfully to escape unmolested.

"Hey," the drunk said. "When a guy says nice things about you, you say thank you!"

The waitress was doing her best to keep her smile, even when her face was furious. "If you need another drink, I can help you, hun. But if you slap my ass again, I'm closing the tap."

The drunk snorted. "Hah! That's gratitude! See if I tell you you've got killer tits then!"

Aogiri tapped the drunk on the shoulder, and when that failed to get the other man's attention, he spun the drunk around on the stool. "Pardon me, but I couldn't help but notice you're harassing one of the employees of my favorite establishment. Kindly pay your bill and get the hell out before I throw you in the drink."

The drunken man glared at Aogiri. "What?! No! I'm a paying customer! She's got to pay attention to me so long as I shove bills down her tits!"

Aogiri's smile turned sinister as he cracked his knuckles. "Oh goodie, I was hoping you'd say that."

The man suddenly took in Aogiri's height and muscular physique. He scrambled back, fumbling for his belt. "Y-you wanna fight? F-fine! My Pokémon'll beat yours down any day!"

Aogiri chuckled. "You wanna settle this with Pokémon?" At those words, a low growl came from behind Aogiri before suddenly the massive Feraligatr's head appeared, rising slowly until she stood her full ten feet. She towered over not only Aogiri but the drunk as well, glaring down at him with eyes that seemed to glow in the faint bar light. Aogiri watched as the man's eyes bugged out at the sight of the reptile Pokémon. The Feraligatr flashed a smile filled with razor sharp teeth. "Fine with me. Levi loves to play."

The drunk fell over backwards off the stool then scrambled for the door, only to be caught by the back of the shirt by Aogiri.

"The check, remember?" Aogiri said sweetly before swiping the drunk's wallet and tossing it to the waitress. "Plus a generous tip to your very patient waitress."

"H-hey!" the drunk sputtered as he struggled in Aogiri's grasp. "You can't do this! I'll sue!"

A bark of laughter came from the table, originating from Ushio. "You hear that? He's gonna sue! I wonder how he's gonna do that from the bottom of the harbor?"

"Or Levi's stomach," Izumi said as she sipped her drink.

"Actually it'd be both after Levi goes to the bathroom," Matt said slyly.

Shelly snorted and wiped her nose with a napkin. "Damn it, don't make me laugh while I'm drinking! Now I've got booze burning my nose."

Aogiri leaned in close enough to smell the drunk's feted breath. "What you're gonna do is run home and not even think about coming back here unless it's to apologize to everyone for being an asshole. Got it?"

The drunk jerked back as Aogiri let him go. He swiped his wallet back from the waitress when she held it out for him and scuttled quickly to the door without another word.

"Bwaaaha!" Ushio burst out as he pointed after the fleeing drunk. "He runs away about as well as he runs his mouth, don't he?!"

The waitress giggled before she moved to kiss Aogiri on the cheek. "Thanks a lot, hun. The next round's on the house," Her eyes then sparkled with amusement. "Next time you visit, anyway. I hear you're already at your 10 pint limit."

Aogiri stared at the waitress before he began to sulk, exaggerating the expression until the rest of the admins burst out laughing. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that, Paula."

Paula giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Even if I hadn't, I'm sure Matt would've told me."

Matt raised his glass of root beer high. "I had a snarky comment all prepped and ready to fire, Cap'n."

Aogiri snapped his fingers. "Damn!"

Izumi giggled before she grabbed her drink and downed the rest, then gently set the glass back down on the table. "Well, then! I guess that's our cue to pack it in."

Shelly wiped her mouth after finishing her own drink. "Sounds fine to me. My wallet is starting to feel a little light anyway."

"Don't got a choice, do I?" Ushio asked with an exaggerated sigh. "Not since 'pparently I gotta be able to leave on my own feet instead of gettin' dragged out like a sensible person."

"Of course," Izumi said as she lightly smacked the massive man's arm. "You think we could drag you back to the boat, even if we all took a limb?"

"And Typhoon is too drunk to drag you out," Matt said before finishing off his drink. "So you're stuck walking on your own."

"I'm sure Levi could manage it!" Ushio said as he flashed the Feraligatr a thumbs up, who responded with a toothy grin and a wag of her tail.

"You sure you want to trust her?" Izumi asked, with an arch of her eyebrow and a grin. "After she tossed you in the bay last time?"

Ushio paused at that, then huffed. "Yeah, I sobered up real quick after that, huh?"

Leviathan snapped her mouth open and shut repeatedly, making a clicking noise.

"Nah, go ahead!" Aogiri chuckled. "Let Levi carry you. I'm curious to see what happens."

Ushio raised his hands in defeat. "Naw, man. I'm good."

Aogiri tilted his head, his smile wide. "You sure? I think Levi really wants to give you that ride."

Leviathan grinned widely as her tail continued to wag behind her, lashing about.

Matt pulled out a camera from his pocket. "Go on, Ushio! Let's add some more photos for the album!"

"Yeah, I'm sure she does," Ushio said as he eyed the Feraligatr. He then turned to the other male admin. "It sounds like Matt's volunteerin', though!"

Matt shook his head. "Nope! I'm designated not-drunk-dude because I'm the one with the camera."

Shelly quirked an eyebrow at Matt. "You mean you just want to be sober so you can catch us acting like drunken idiots."

Matt feigned innocence even as he held his camera close. "I think of it as my duty to give you all reminders why we have drinking limits in the first place."

"While laughing and pointing," Shelly said.

"The best lessons involve humor," Matt said cheerfully.

Leviathan moved closer to Ushio, her grin still quite wide. She leaned forward to rest her head on the table, her tail wiggling about behind her. Her smile grew as she watched the admin quickly back away, keeping his distance.

"Oya, oya, time to head back! I'm leavin' ya all behind if you don't move yer asses!" Ushio said as he made his way to the entrance of the bar.

Aogiri burst out laughing and gave Leviathan a pat on the head. "Sorry, Levi. Better luck next time we go out for drinks."

"Coooowaaard!" Izumi called out after Ushio, smirking.

"Ain't no coward, I-!" Ushio snapped as he stopped outside the bar door, whirling to shake his fist at Izumi. He paused as he was immediately greeted by the scent of smoke, faint but still enough to overpower the other scents in the air. His eyebrows arched upwards before he turned his head and froze. "...Uh."

Aogiri lost his cheerful demeanor as he saw the expression on Ushio's face. "What's up?"

Ushio blinked slowly as he stared off in to the distance, though the people inside the bar couldn't see exactly what. "...The dock's on fire. You think the boat's okay?"

In an instant, Aogiri was moving, dashing past Ushio with Leviathan right behind him. "Don't just stand there! We've got to check on our ride!"

Thankfully, it didn't appear that the whole dock was on fire, leaving Team Aqua's boat as well as many of the others untouched. Instead, it raged on towards the warehouses and the commercial boats docked in the area. The whole area was in a complete blaze, from the massive ships to the storage facilities. The smoke rose skyward, thick and black.

Aogiri let out a low whistle as he took in the devastation. "Now this is a lot of destruction. Gotta be someone behind it."

"Yeah, but who?" Izumi asked as she crossed her arms. "With how much it's spread, it couldn't have been an accident."

"Think it was those guys? The ones in uniforms?" Ushio asked as he pointed deep in to the heart of the fire. As the others turned to follow his finger, they were able to spot people rushing about the inferno, in strange outfits. It consisted of a large red hood with triple horns - two larger ones at the sides and one out front barely more than a bump attached to a shawl that mostly covered a black top before flowing out the back like a cape. Red wristbands and leggings completed the outfit, along with black skirts on the women and pants on the men. Dead center on their chests was a symbol, something reminiscent of a stylized volcano with three peaks and an oval indent at the base, forming the letter M.

Shelly's expression deadpanned. "Considering they're using flamethrowers, I'd say so, Captain Obvious!"

"You mean we're seeing arson right here in front of us?" Matt asked, his voice full of wonder, before he started snapping some pictures. "Awesome!"

Aogiri smiled crookedly. "All those in favor of getting a closer gander?"

The answer came in unison, a loud "Aye!" as all the assembled crew raised their fists in the air.

"That's what I thought," Aogiri said, his voice booming with cheer as he strode towards danger with a wide smile on his face.

The fire consumed everything it touched, being egged on by the flamethrowers carried about by the men and women in uniform. Sucking out fuel from the large backpacks strapped to the arsonists' back, the gun-like metal device spewed forth a constant and consistent stream of flickering destruction. Wood turned to ash as metal became hot enough to glow under the assault, with boxes of goods completely destroyed.

Aogiri approached one of the arsonists from behind and tapped them on the shoulder. When the man looked back, Aogiri took the distraction as an opportunity to take the flamethrower right out of the arsonist's hands, shutting it off in the process. "Now isn't this a beauty?"

"What-!?" the man sputtered, startled as he jerked back. "What are you-!?"

The man's raised voice drew the attention of the other arsonists, who immediately froze and whirled to stare in confusion at Aogiri as the rest of his crew approached.

"Isn't that something you'd expect the friggin' military to have?" Ushio asked.

Aogiri relieved the man of the flamethrower completely before the arsonist could react. He hefted the device and let out a low whistle. "Surprisingly light too. Top notch stuff here."

Matt took a look at the nozzle of the gun, careful not to touch it as it was still very hot. "I don't recognize the model, so it's probably custom made."

Shelly snickered. "Like anyone who runs an operation to this scale would've been dumb enough to use guns with serial numbers still on them."

One of the women in red outright gawked at Team Aqua. "Are you all stupid or suicidal?! Get out of here!"

"I'd love to take it apart," Izumi murmured as she pursed her lips. "It's a serious piece of hardware."

Aogiri grinned at the arsonists. "So is this a private party, or can anyone join in on the mayhem?"

The disarmed arsonist looked to his comrades, still dumbfounded. "I think someone should get the boss..."

A blur of motion streaked past the arsonists and snatched up the flamethrower out of Aogiri's hands with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Leviathan was there at his side in an instant, pushing herself between him and the attacker. The giant Feraligatr stared down at her opponent, a Houndoom with a coat as dark as night with an underside as red the flames that danced around them. The Houndoom regarded Leviathan with sharp eyes as he stood a distance away, the barrel of the flamethrower clutched in his mouth, both Pokémon waiting to see if the other would attack. The sound of a whistle made the dog Pokémon's ears perk up and he immediately returned to his master with the recovered weapon.

Footsteps drew the group's attention over as two individuals approached. They appeared to be men, one taller than the other. The taller man moved first, as if leading the way. He wore the same uniform as the men and women around him, though his face was obscured by a black jester's mask with red eyes and a frown. Behind him, the shorter man also wore a mask - red with black eyes and a smile reminiscent of a smirk, as well as the team's logo on its forehead. Slick red hair ran down the back of his head before coming to a stop at his shoulders, not hidden by a hood like those around him. His outfit, however, was much different. He wore a red changshan that reached his knees, with the left sleeve black and his chest area similarly colored with a jagged edge like a mountain range. At the center of the black was the same emblem on his forehead and the rest of the grunts, the mark of their organization.

Wordlessly, the shorter man stopped as the Houndoom came to him. The masked man reached a black-gloved hand over to touch the canine's brow in greeting. While his face couldn't be seen, his eyes could be felt as it drifted across the Team Aqua admins before settling on their leader.

Aogiri let out a low whistle of his own as he looked over the masked man. "So you're the boss, I presume? Damn impressive Houndoom you've got there. It caught me completely off-guard!"

Shelly smirked. "Nice masks. So does that make this a costume party?"

The man in the changshan remained silent for a moment before he let out a low, barely perceivable snort.

The other masked man was far less silent, crossing his arms. "It's just a bunch of drunks." His voice was muffled by the mask, but his tone was undeniably condescending.

"Hey!" Matt said, shifting from mock anger to a grin in the span of a second. "Not all of us are drunk. Pay attention."

"This isn't Happy Hour," the man in the black mask continued. "Isn't there a puddle of urine somewhere that you're supposed to be face down in?"

Aogiri chuckled. "Ooh, I think we've got a clever one here." He looked at the other masked man. "So how about you? You any wittier than your chum here?"

The arsonists without masks shifted nervously. "Sir?" one asked.

The smaller man remained silent for several moments before he made a great show of turning on his heels, completely ignoring Aogiri as he raised his hand and waved it dismissively towards the grunt. "We've sent a loud enough message."

The other man nodded before he reached in to his pocket and pulled out an electronic flare. Flicking it on, he raised the device skyward so that bright lights of all colors flashed, sharp and visible against the flames.

Aogiri's interest was piqued. "Oh yeah? And what kind of message is that - I like fire?"

The smaller man continued to ignore Aogiri as he walked away, towards the open center of the dock. He crossed his arms behind his back, waiting as his Houndoom dropped the weapon so that the disarmed grunt could reclaim it before moving to stand attentively by the man's side.

Aogiri snapped his fingers. "Yo, you deaf or just ignoring me?"

The man stood with his back to Aogiri, unresponsive. Instead, he looked upwards and watched as a helicopter appeared from among the clouds, slowly coming closer. The fire whipped about violently due to the wind generated by the blades, as did the man's changshan, fluttering wildly about around him.

The hooded man pocked his device and turned his attention back to the other man, placing a gloved hand over his chest. "Leader."

The man in the changshan wordlessly lifted his hand and gave it a flick, a small and vague gesture.

The hooded man nodded before he turned, with a mighty sweep of his arm. "Move out!"

A flurry of activity followed the command as men and women scattered about immediately, rushing with their heavy machinery towards vans - big, black vans that Aogiri and his crew hadn't immediately noticed among the wreckage. As the men and women boarded, the helicopter finally came down in front of the two masked men, the blades not stopping as it hovered in front of them.

Ushio glanced about as people scurried about, disappearing in to the vans quickly. He frowned before he whirled to glare at the masked men, shaking a fist at them as he stepped forward. "Oi! He asked you a question, ya pompous-"

The large man didn't have a chance to finish his words as a sudden burst appeared beside him. Ushio yelped as something flew past him at amazing speeds, the shockwave alone knocking him flat on his behind.

Leviathan let out a low growl as she crouched protectively in front of Aogiri, her head turning past the Aqua admins, prompting their gazes to follow hers.

A flaming fireball darted over the docks at lightning speeds before it dissipated, revealing a Talonflame. Its feathers were red with black markings, and a white underside that flickered against the water. It beat its massive wings as it surged upwards, then darted back towards the team. The bird Pokémon flew past Aogiri and its crew before it came to a stop behind the hooded man, its massive wings flapping as it hovered.

The hooded man let out a snort as he stood with his hands on his hips. "Children shouldn't play with fire. Go home before you get yourselves hurt."

As he spoke, the man in the changshan finished boarding the helicopter and finally turned about, directing his attention to the hooded man. "Stop wasting my time."

The hooded man paused, then gave a quick salute before he too moved towards the helicopter.

Aogiri scowled at the man in the changshan. "So you're going to ignore me, huh? Ignore this." He nodded to Leviathan, conveying all he needed to with just a look.

Leviathan lunged forward as she let out a snarl, whipping her tail about as she snapped her powerful jaws together in an obvious threat.

A plume of flame appeared in front of Leviathan's face as the Houndoom charged to get between her and his master. The canine Pokémon growled, keenly ready for a fight.

Aogiri smirked at the Houndoom. "Let's battle!"

A sharp whistle came from the masked man, prompting the Houndoom to stop and flick his ears back in acknowledgement of his trainer's call. "Don't waste your time rolling in the mud. There's no one here worth acknowledging, let alone battling like an equal."

Aogiri's jaw tightened his smile. "Worried about mud, huh? Well good thing Levi's here to clean it off!"

Leviathan took a deep breath before she sent a powerful burst of water in the direction of the Houndoom. The canine easily dodged the attack, leaping backwards as the water struck the ground and shattered the concrete. Without even so much as glancing back at the Feraligatr, the Houndoom rushed towards the helicopter before leaping up in to the opening, coming to a stop between his trainer and the other masked man with the Talonflame.

The masked redhead said nothing, save to let out another derisive snort, before the helicopter began to take off once more, rising above the ground. At that moment, the black vans shot past the Aqua admins, their tires squealing. One of the vans even moved dangerously close to Aogiri, driving past and narrowly dodging Leviathan's snapping jaws as she threatened the vehicle from getting any closer.

None had a chance to respond before the helicopter disappeared in to the clouds, leaving Aogiri and his crew standing among the flames entirely by themselves.

"Looks like the party's over," Shelly said dryly as she watched the vans speed off. "We better split before the cops think we did this."

Izumi tilted her head, listening to the faint sound of sirens in the distance. She glanced over to Shelly and nodded before she turned to Ushio. "You okay?"

Ushio growled as he fumbled to his feet, his movements shaky. The alcohol made his balance a bit rough, but it wasn't enough to keep him on his backside. "That sneaky sonnova bitch..."

Matt snatched Ushio before the other man could teeter over. "Whoa, easy there. I think you're a bit more blasted than you thought."

"He's blasted alright," Izumi growled as she glanced at Aogiri. "That Talonflame blasted right by him. It could've taken his head off, and only Levi saw it coming."

"I think we underestimated those guys," Matt muttered.

Aogiri's eyes were still on the helicopter as it slowly retreated, shrinking into a dark dot in the sky. He similarly noticed the sounds of sirens as firefighters undoubtedly were on their way to quench the flames of the dock, with the police hot on their heels as well. His hands slowly curled into fists as his eyes narrowed. "Oh, it is on now."