Beginner RP: Graham Ford (Loot)

A Ranger named Tella strode amongst the foothills of Mount Deckbi, choosing her path carefully through small ravines and valleys to take shelter from the scorching hot winds that swept across the mountain. Alongside her, a smaller-than-average Poliwrath that only stood at half its Trainer's five feet ten inches showered a steady mist of water into the air, the Water Sport serving to keep the area around the Water-type cool and damp amidst the hot dryness of the surroundings. Occasionally, the Pokémon would glance over to see if Tella was pleased with its efforts, but the young woman remained focused on keeping her footing amidst the treacherous stone crags, giving no indication that she had even noticed.

Perhaps twenty years of age, the young Kanto native had almond-shaped, dull blue eyes, and stood with an easy grace that would tell a dancer that here was a dancer... Or a warrior that here was a dangerous foe in her own right, regardless of the Poké Balls at her waist. There were six Poké Balls: one full-sized and awaiting the Poliwrath, while the other five were reduced to cherry-sized capsules and clasped securely into an understated but high-tech black belt that would eject them all at once in an emergency.

Tella's clothing was as understated and hyper-practical— almost combat-ready— as the belt that held her Pokémon partners. She wore a long-sleeved black jacket over a white shirt with what looked like a bulletproof vest in between. A pair of heavy-duty black polyester pants with perfectly fitted patches of Kevlar sewn onto them matched her black Tauros-leather boots, which were also strengthened with circular heavy-plastic reinforcements.

Towering above everything for miles around, Mount Deckbi rose more than five kilometres into the sky: an active volcano that occasionally belched a cloud of smoke into the air. Despite the cloud of ashes drifting over everything, it was not cold here: the sun seemed to burn angrily through the smoke and ash, and long thin gashes in the earth occasionally sent jets of lava flying into the air from the mountain's sides. The harsh winds then shredded the forming rock to the point where it sometimes became a sandstorm by the time it reached the mountainside.

Tella scanned the ash-choked skies, and was rewarded with the sight of a small vehicle flying past high overhead and descending to make a safe landing about half a kilometre ahead of her. That was one of the flying capsules that transported Pokémon Trainers from the Sky Platform to the various regions of the huge National Park; they were fast, efficient, and safe, but they didn't allow Trainers to do the quintessential Trainer thing: capture Pokémon. So they were used to deliver the Trainers to locations where Rangers would monitor them, guide them, and make sure nothing altogether terrible happened (to the Park or to the Trainer.)

The Trainer she was meeting here was named Graham, and this was to be a Beginner run: that meant they wouldn't be going very far up the mountain, which suited Tella just fine. Fiery, sandy places like this were... less than her favourite.

Best to get this over with as soon as possible.


~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 5
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x3
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokemon:
  None yet!

 

(Link to last chapter)

Chapter 3 – Something to Prove​

- What the hell were you thinking?!

Graham’s voice was a furious roar, but Nathan had become fully accustomed to it by now. Knowing his place, the private refrained from smiling, but he knew exactly where that tirade was going, and it amused him to think he’d grown to know the fearsome Colonel so thoroughly.

- I told you to get me a drink, not another goddamn Pokemon! Ruger’s quite enough. What could I possibly do with another one?!

- You could stop moping around and actually try clearing your name. Sir.

- Wh… what did you just say?

The nerve of this brat!

Graham instinctively clutched his right fist; he’d never taken kindly to being insulted. The only thing that prevented him from throwing a punch was the lingering doubt that maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t an insult to begin with. Because Private Nathan Hawke knew better.

- I said exactly what you just heard. You can report me for insubordination if you want… but that’s not who you are. Colonel, with all due respect: you know exactly what I meant.

Maybe I do.

He hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep in weeks. Although he couldn’t remember anything that had happened, that insidious feeling of guilt always crept up at night to haunt his dreams…

He’d briefly entertained the hopeful idea that the rest of Squad Six would make it back to camp eventually, but nobody had heard anything from the missing team since Graham had returned by himself. That in itself did him no favors with the upper brass, but if any formal interrogation – or even charges- were to come, they were no more than whispers behind closed doors that had yet to reach his ears. Then again, Colonel Ford had been around long enough to know that it was only a matter of time until they came searching for him.

And nobody is going to buy “amnesia” as an explanation. Damnit it all, Hawke’s right…

He couldn’t stay idle much longer. If on one hand, staying around the Headquarters made him look less suspicious than running away, on the other hand he had to put his own demons to rest. And what if there was still someone out there he could help? Neither the answers nor the missing members of Squad Six were going to be found in his room, much less inside a bottle of vodka. He had to get back out there… alone, this time around.

- Keh… blast it all. Someone oughtta whip that smug look of yours into place. And don’t you dare crack a smile! Fine, I’ll go. I’ll take Ruger and that Froakie of yours.

- Not mine sir. The coin was yours, so...

- I know, I know! A frog bought with beer money… hope it’s at least useful.

- The Heiml Army isn’t known to breed weaklings. I’m sure you’ll find Froakie to be a worthy addition to your personal squad.

Nathan would humor his superior officer and remain as serious as he could, but he was ecstatic on the inside. Convincing Graham, he thought, would be the hardest part – but now that the Colonel was set to make a move, it was only a matter of time before he clarified everything and cleared his own name! Because, in his mind, the East Division had never met a finer soldier.

- I’ll stay behind and cover for you. Divert attentions as best I can. But I won’t be able to buy you time forever… what do you want me to say when they find out you left sir?

- Tell them I deserted. Be that as it may, my head’s already on the chopping block – “fair” trial or not. One more offense won’t change that.

He picked up Ruger’s and the new Froakie’s Pokeballs from his desk and placed them on his belt. He briefly considered heading down to the Armory for provisions, or having Nathan fetch him some, but the less he drew attention to himself, the better. Besides, he excelled in the wilderness – finding provisions on the path should prove no trouble. It never had.

- No side-arm sir?

- I’m packing a flamethrower and a water pump. I’d say I’m good.

Graham Ford despised guns, proficient as he was in handling them. And while some crimes could be disproven, taking a life could never be undone. In his current state of clouded judgment, he could do a lot of unnecessary harm with a firearm, so the best thing to do was to not test his luck. Ruger would have his back as always, and that was all the protection he’d need.

- I hope you find them sir. Bring back as many of them as you can, please!

A forced, tired smile crossed Graham’s lips. What he felt like saying, he couldn’t bring himself to. Instead, he headed for the door, patting Nathan’s shoulder on the way out.

- Private Hawke… you’re a good kid. Watch yourself.

---------------​

The massive precinct spread before his eyes, the megalomaniac dream of a madman given form by the local Government. Joseph Farnsworth’s brainchild in all its glory…

The National Park.

Graham could never properly hold back his look of disgust when the Park was mentioned, though he’d never been here in person. Aspiring Trainers, tourists, self-professed “environmentalists”; those were the ones for whom this insanity was erected.

A colossal waste of public money! Money that could be used to fund the goddamn Army… What the hell were they thinking?!

Still, despite his outward disdain for the place, Graham was now forced to swallow his pride – because the National Park could provide him exactly what he needed.

Field experience to wipe the rust away, combat experience for my squad and the chance to recruit new allies, away from the Division’s prying eyes. Hell… looks like I have to do this.

He had accrued enough money to purchase more battle-ready Pokemon from the HQ’s Armory, but now was the worst possible time to do so. No… he’d have to find new allies out in wild, sub-optimal combatants as they could turn out to be. Oh well; he was a survivalist as much as he was a soldier… he’d just have to make the most of this situation.

Ruger and their new companion followed the Colonel closely, although the two Pokemon did not share a word the entire time. Nathan had hoped Froakie could be a good partner for Graham’s Monferno, but the fact was they couldn’t be more different from one another! Although the frog’s usefulness manifested itself early on – its Camouflage skills aiding Graham exit the HQ way past curfew undetected -, he had a fundamentally different personality from his boisterous Monferno, and Graham heavily doubted they would ever be on the same page when it came time to command his troops.

- You need to learn how to compromise, both of you. You’ll be fighting as a two-man army from now on, so let go of your quirks as soon as possible! Ruger, you’re way too Bold for your own good – I lost track of how many times I told you this before. Get too reckless and you might just get us all killed one day. And you…

The Froakie stopped in his tracks and stood at attention.

- I can tell you’re obedient, but don’t be so stuck-up. Tanegashima, you shouldn’t always be so Serious – believe me, I speak from experience. It sucks the damn joy out of life.

Losing his squad had made him bitter, he realized it now. Nathan Hawke never complained explicitly, but looking back at those last few weeks, how big a hole had he been digging himself into?

I sent the kid to fetch me vodka. Goddamn vodka! I haven’t taken the stuff in years. And I can’t go back to those days, no matter the reason. Hell, I’ll find someone from Squad Six, anyone, even if it kills me! I’ll get to the bottom of it all and clear my goddamn name!

He always said “hell” and “goddamn” way too much. The rest of the Squad used to poke fun at him, even his supposedly-superior officer… one his closest friends, Brigadier General Garrett Wolfe. Another soldier from Squad Six gone MIA in that accursed mission Graham couldn’t remember.

He was the best one of us all. If anyone’s still alive out there, it’s definitely that guy.

But for now, it was time to train. He wouldn’t get anything done if he didn’t bring himself back into fighting shape, and fast.

---------------​

Ugh, will this damn thing never land?

It’d been a while since he’d boarded the aerial transportation at the National Park reception after getting his application papers in order. He’d chosen Mt. Deckbi as his destination, the arid region reminding him of his early assignments in the heyday of Blitz Unit, many of which had taken place in the unforgiven Surt Desert in the southern region of Heiml. But the plane was taking forever to reach its destination, at least from Graham’s perspective, who strongly disliked both heights and tight spaces.

All in all, this is a goddamn-perfect means of transportation for a guy like me.

After what felt like a decade, the thing finally began to descend, until it landed – admittedly smoothly – on the dry surface of the mountain soil. The Colonel jumped off the airship as soon as he was allowed, then scanned the area for his contact. An old habit… but sure enough, there she was.

That’s… her?

Graham Ford was an old-fashioned man, but that didn’t mean he had a problem receiving instructions from women; some of the best officers in the East Division happened to be female. The issue was a different one altogether…

She must be less than half my age.

Where he came from, age and rank went mostly hand-in-hand. It was unthinkable for a twenty-year-old Private to issue orders to a forty-year-old Colonel… and therein laid the problem. But like he kept telling himself as of late, he was no longer in the Army, and the outside world wasn’t governed by the same rules as the Division.

And maybe that’s for the best. Ah, screw it!

Swallowing his pride, the Colonel approached Tella and extended a hand. The other, he kept on his belt, to which two small Pokeballs were pinned. After all, the woman was accompanied by a Poliwrath, and it wouldn’t be the first time he was ambushed. Incredibly slim as those odds were, the girl could be a new recruit of the East Division sent to track him down and take him back to the HQ for questioning.

- My name’s Graham Ford. I trust you’ll be my guide? Go on then lady, lead the way… I’m itching to get some action.

 

"Hello Trainer Ford, I am Tella Marr," the young woman said, arriving at the landed aircraft and coming to a halt a short distance away. Her odd pale blue eyes— eyes whose irises were almost grey and bore an unnerving spark of nothing most people would recognize— sized the man up in an instant, and she started moving again, striding forward across the cracked earth to stand in front of the Colonel and almost forgetting to even respond to his outstretched hand.

"You're military," she assessed with a guarded expression on her face, giving Ford's hand a firm and very brief shake almost as an afterthought. "The plain clothes couldn't hide it. I haven't met anyone as ready as you are for a life-or-death fight at a moment's notice in... I guess it's been years, now."

Ford, as long as he was paying attention to the twenty-something-year-old woman's body language and effortlessly efficient movements, would note a certain irony to her statement, an irony completely lost on Tella: only a veteran of war, and few others, would have the ability to detect the fact that Tella herself was someone who fit that description: everything about her screamed combat-readiness, and not just for a Pokémon battle.

"Welcome to the National Park. Choose a Pokémon and release it from its Poké Ball, please, for safety reasons; the wild Pokémon here aren't afraid of humans and enjoy a scrap. We'll get started right away, so follow me." She backed up a few steps before turning away, in a way that bordered on outright rudeness— it clearly implied that, for one reason or another, she wasn't about to turn her back on him while within arm's reach.

Ash-strewn barrens stretched out in all directions, the earth cracked and dry. Tella began to lead Colonel Ford directly toward the mountain that loomed above everything: beyond a few kilometres of foothills, Mt. Deckbi's rose up, its imposing mass reduced to a vast silhouette almost completely obscured by the whirling grey-and-brown of huge sandstorms and by drifting clouds of pitch-black ashes.

"Do you carry a firearm?" Tella asked after a short while's uneventful walking, with a poor attempt at offhandedness; her conversational tone was belied by that look of poorly hidden— or perhaps intentionally unhidden— mistrust in her demeanour towards the Colonel. As an added indication of that mistrust, despite Tella not having spoken to her Pokémon, her Poliwrath was hanging back and off to one side of Ford himself in just the right tactical location: it was giving no indication of hostility, but it wouldn't be lost on Ford that, if he himself were to make an overtly hostile move, the Pokémon just happened to be in the right position to step in with a Water-type attack of some sort.

Just what on earth was going on with this odd, paranoid Ranger?

Off in the distance, a Pokémon emerged from a burrow amidst the scorched landscape. The small grey bunny— a Bunnelby— absently tossed clods of dehydrated dirt from one to the other of its brown-tipped prehensile ears as it watched the humans and the Poliwrath go by, its eyes tracking them with curiosity.

Possible Encounter: Bunnelby

(As part of next post: Ignore/Flee? Or initiate battle? Either will count as completing the encounter.)


~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 4
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer: 10,025
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x3
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokemon:
  None yet!

 

Graham could sense the youngster’s distrust. She and her Poliwrath kept a safe distance, yet just enough to fight back should the need arise. She refused to be caught off-guard, ostensibly regarding the Colonel as a potential threat.

If she’d been sent by the Division, she wouldn’t be playing this defensive. She’s as uncomfortable around me as I am around her; if anything, it gives me less reason to doubt her intentions. Regardless, she knows what she’s doing – it’s more than likely that she’s undergone some specialized training of her own.

They walked in silence for a while, Graham allowing Tella to guide him through the arid paths of Mt. Deckbi, until the young Ranger broached a sensitive topic for the Army veteran.

“Do you carry a firearm?”

That was always an audible concern among civilians, that the man in uniform nearby would go berserk and shoot everyone down in a storm of bullets. But it was rare for someone with that obvious degree of preparation to openly manifest the same morbid curiosity, even if it amounted simply to a healthy sense of self-preservation. This girl cut right to the chase, with a question that in no way forced him to be honest; if she wanted to know the truth, she should have searched him beforehand rather than pop a question.

Wolfe would have laughed. He always carried two handguns at minimum, even just to go take a leak. I’ve never cared for them, though I do miss my old sword from the Unit days… I pack a different set of weapons nowadays.

- Firearms? I’ll tell you the same thing I told a Private of mine just recently…

He unclipped not one, but both Pokeballs from his belt at the same time and tossed them, releasing his Monferno and Froakie.

- I’m packing a flamethrower and a water pump; I’d say I’m good. But if you meant a more conventional type of guns, they’re not my time.

Before tensions got any higher, Graham spotted a Bunnelby nearby. And so did Tella, who said nothing, implying he had a choice to make.

Inconspicuous, competent underground and, more importantly, light on its feet – not like some of the lumbering Rock-Types I’m also likely to find in this climate. Bunnelby might make for a decent soldier in my ranks.

He decided to engage the wild Pokémon, and his first thought went to Tanegashima. But on second thought, the Froakie was still green – learning was as much doing as it was watching, and the frog had seen nothing yet. No, he’d give this one to his older companion, and have Tanegashima observe how they worked before throwing him in the line of fire.

- Line up your shot… Ruger!

The Monferno grinned and stepped forward, ready to play.

- Strike first with a Mach Punch to measure its strength. Stay on your toes!

As Ruger charged up his fist, Graham peered at Tella over the shoulder.

- How ‘bout you miss? Any heat I need to worry about besides your partner’s Water Gun?


------


((If I get to pick a gender for Bunnelby, I’d like to go with Male. Thanks!))

 

Tella merely shook her head in response to Colonel Ford's question; then, after a moment, she spoke up as if she were only then realizing that she should speak as well as gesture. "No, I... I'm not a fan of the things," she said with quiet finality, refusing to meet the soldier's eye. "Personal experience. I apologize for my assumption, but I am required to ask; arms are not permitted in the Park."

As if to change the subject, she shifted her attention to Ruger the Monferno as he finished preparing for the battle. At that very second, the fiery monkey Pokémon decided he was ready, and unleashed the high-speed Mach Punch.

The Mach Punch move was a misnomer— it would be difficult, dangerous, and reckless to actually accelerate to the speed of sound!— but Ruger almost seemed to give the lie to that fact with the incredible speed with which he blurred forwards! With wild abandon and an incredible burst of zeal, the Fighting- and Fire-type Pokémon sped across the fifty or so yards between him and the Bunnelby, far too quickly for the wild Pokémon to react...

And then, moments before Ruger reached his target, the ground seemed to drop out from under him, and he fell straight down into a cleverly hidden pit! He'd have had a chance to jump it at the last second if he hadn't been so focused on his target, but his tunnel vision had cost him the opportunity; and he'd even managed to slightly bruise his knee when he landed at the bottom!

The Bunnelby— a male of the species— snickered to himself at the amusing howls of rage coming from the bottom of the four-yard-deep pit, covering his mouth mischievously with its huge ears as he did so. The brave, reckless monkey had fallen right into his trap!

The wild Pokémon began to do a silly little victory dance, which went faster and faster as he started pumping himself up for a good, amusing fight.

Did he think this whole thing was a game??

Current Encounter: Bunnelby


~~Battle Statistics~~

Bunnelby: 100% [Spe +2] [Used Agility]
Ruger: 99% [Stuck at bottom of pit][Used Mach Punch]

~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 4
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer: 12,900
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  HP: 99%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x3
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokemon:
  None yet!

((You can indeed pick gender for wild Pokémon! However, you don't get to pick their Natures.))

 

- Funny. Don’t like’em either. Now, if you’ll excuse me…

This Tella girl had clearly more to her than she was letting on, but on the other hand, were he in the guide’s shoes, he’d hate being probed to satisfy someone else’s curiosity. If anything, they seemed to be pretty much alike in terms of personality, and for that very reason the Colonel wasn’t going to press her any further.

As it turned out, the Bunnelby wasn’t quite as oblivious as he might’ve seemed at first. Much like his old teammate from Squad Six, Jackson Brody, the little critter knew how to dig a proper hole.

Damn it Ruger, you’re not an automaton, we’re a team! Pay attention to your damn surroundings…

It was hard not to feel irritated; from where he stood, there was no way Graham could’ve seen or anticipated a field trap – much less from a wild Pokémon rather than a trained one – but Ruger, up close and personal, could have spotted the shifty terrain on approach, if only he hadn’t been so reckless. Ruger only had two speeds to him – fast and faster -, so there was no excuse for that blunder. But be that as it may, as his troops’ commander, responsibility for his soldiers’ missteps fell on Graham as well.

Through the corner of his eye, the Colonel noticed Tanegashima growing somewhat agitated – uncharacteristic of the usually-aloof Water Type. The Froakie stepped forward, eyes locked on the deceivingly absent-minded Bunnelby, prepared to take his fallen comrade’s place…

- Stand your ground. This isn’t your fight.

Graham’s tone was harsh, but he always sounded that way when the team was in action. He had ordered Tanegashima to stay out of the battle for a number of reasons: not only because he was still a relatively inexperienced battler, but also because Ruger thought himself too much of an expert. And Colonel Ford had known his partner for long enough to feel his frustration and anger piling up, all the way from the bottom of that hole.

You dug yourself into that mess, it’s your job to get out. Climbing back up should prove no trouble for a monkey as agile as you… but that’s not how you wanna settle this is it?

He could have issued instructions to help Ruger out, most of all because it was his previous instruction of Mach Punch that put the Monferno in that mess to begin with. But he was a firm believer that any soldier should be able to contest orders they disagreed with, and it was Ruger’s responsibility as the unit on the field to assess the viability of any battle plan. And Graham knew, much to his annoyance, that his Fire-Type partner would’ve been much more careful against a stronger opponent. Because this was “just” a wild Bunnelby, Ruger had been careless and overconfident.

Tanegashima’s eyes widened as he saw a bright orange light emanate from the pit. Graham, in turn, knew exactly what Ruger was thinking… or rather, feeling. Because his current actions did not have an ounce of strategy to them – no, the Monferno was boiling with rage and embarrassment, overflowing with anger at the humiliation Bunnelby just put him through. That fury was about to erupt; Ruger wasn’t looking to climb back up, he was gonna blast away the ground Bunnelby stood on from below with a berserk Flare Blitz…

- Take notes from this, Tanegashima. Ruger is a powerful Pokémon, but he’s fighting with his heart rather than his head. Watch what happens as a result.

The Froakie nodded in silence, finally realizing what Graham was doing: his focus was to teach him and Ruger how to fight properly, even if it meant allowing them to screw up – which was why, despite clearly disagreeing with the Monferno’s approach, Graham was going to let him do it regardless. And that was the kind of Trainer Tanegashima had always wanted.


---


((I'm gonna go with RP flavor over tactics for a while here, in the interest of character development. If it seems like I'm screwing up my orders, I probably meant to ))

 

Bunnelby, no fool, squeaked and scrambled for cover, diving straight into the ground beneath him like a fish into water, as the heat and brightness from Ruger's fires began to pulse hotter and hotter, brighter and brighter.

Within a few brief moments, the light and heat from the bottom of the pit mirrored the heat from the sun above... and then exceeded them, as the choked glow of the sun in the ash-filled sky paled in comparison to the blaze below.

Powerful, all-consuming pulses of fire flashed outwards from Ruger as he threw himself at the walls of the hole into which he had fallen; the earth blew away in explosion after explosion of the Monferno's rage, the brutal flares sending parched dirt flying far into the distance.

The object of his ire didn't escape unscathed. Thinking himself safe dug deep into the earth, and busy plotting exactly where to pop up to best spook the silly monkey, Bunnelby was taken by surprise when fire blasted through his tunnel, collapsing it and turning the air inside into an oven! The dirt protected him, but only slightly, absorbing perhaps a third of the incredible attack's force. Tunnelling back up and away from the flames in fright, the surprised Bunnelby found that he hadn't nearly as much space for digging upwards as he'd expected: he broke the surface at full digging speed, and looked around in astonishment. In the span of less than twenty seconds, Ruger had blasted the pit's walls away and turned the trap, and everything around it for almost ten yards, into a scorched crater.

Breathing heavily and nursing bruises from his reckless collissions with the walls, Ruger faced off against the wild Pokémon. His rage had been expended in the extreme exertion of the Flare Blitz; he was still determined to win, but now he was also ready to take this battle a little more seriously.

Current Encounter: Bunnelby


~~Battle Statistics~~

Bunnelby: 51.43% [Spe +2] [Used Dig, but was unearthed, losing benefit of Dig]
Ruger: 71.98% [Used Flare Blitz]

~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 4
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer: 16,642
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  HP: 71.98%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x3
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokemon:
  None yet!

((I like the cut of your jib!! Due to the unsubtle approach, Bunnelby received 2/3 damage, and Ruger took 2x recoil, but the high-quality post and successful play to Ruger's nature earned you two boons: the pit is gone, obliterated; and Dig failed entirely.))

 

Tanegashima’s eyes widened in disbelief at the massive crater formed in the wake of Ruger’s burst of anger. If that was the ape’s true power, then no matter how hard he trained, he’d never be able to match the Fire-Type’s strength…

“Each of us has his own specialty. Ruger’s raw power is one of his greatest assets, but his lack of control is a serious flaw” growled Graham, as if reading Tanegashima’s mind. “He’s excessively injured at this point considering the enemy’s lack of preparation. If anything, this battle will serve to humble him a bit; actually, I think it already has.”

It was true. Ruger was no longer fuming; either by sheer exhaustion or the sudden realization that he’d been embarrassed by a Pokémon with no formal training, the monkey seemed more focused and cautious as he fought to regain his breath. Tanegashima understood now, that was what Graham had meant – there were other aspects of combat where he could excel and surpass Ruger. What he lacked in strength, he could make up for in speed and strategic thought… The Froakie found himself wishing Ruger would hurry it up so he could finally get in on the action too.

“Well Ruger? Ready to tackle this issue like a real soldier now?” Graham suddenly barked.

The Colonel’s voice was a roar echoing throughout Mt. Deckbi. Despite the heavy dose of sarcasm, Ruger couldn’t really fault his Trainer for being upset; he was right, he’d been reckless and overconfident. His power and skillset were more than enough to overpower this kind of opponent, so all he had to do was concentrate – he was still the best damn Pokémon in the entire East Division, and he was going to prove it!!

Sensing Ruger’s mood change, Graham grinned slightly. The Fire-Type could be absolutely formidable when he decided to finally put in the effort – the only opponent he’d never managed to defeat was his pal Garrett Wolfe’s Elekid. Which was why they had to get stronger, both of them – because Graham needed to find his best friend, and Ruger was yet to have a proper rematch with Wesson!

However, this was the first time in years Graham was operating solo. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d grown very comfortable in Squad Six, thanks to the team’s unparalleled success and chemistry during operations – requiring almost no supervision even in the tightest situations. Now, if he wanted to find his missing teammates and get to the truth of the matter, he’d have to rebuild himself a unit. Maybe this Bunnelby could serve as one of his soldiers… Graham went to pick up one of empty Park Balls in his belt, but found himself stopping mid-motion.

You won’t settle for just weakening this one, right? You won’t forgive me if I end this battle abruptly with a capture. Damn it Ruger, if only you’d paid attention to what you were doing! Ugh, fine…

Tanegashima, too, understood Ruger. It would be a terrible dishonour to cut the battle short at this juncture, even if he and the Monferno regarded the very concept of “honour” quite differently to begin with. Ruger was proud of his ability, absolutely confident in his supremacy and eager to show it, whereas the Froakie was completely devoted to his discipline and methodical approach to any problem; he would also feel extremely flustered if he found himself being outsmarted by a wild Bunnelby, even if for reasons totally different from Ruger’s.

“Alright then. Ruger!” Graham’s imperial tone of voice was no different from the times he instructed his Squad Six companions. “While you were out of commission, your opponent doubled his speed. Act accordingly and keep him guessing with an Acrobatics assault from every angle!”

Ruger smiled; Graham had never been fond of shouting direct instructions when he thought his soldiers had the obligation to manage on their own. This was the Colonel’s way of “punishing” him for his excessive confidence, since Ruger hated receiving orders just as much as Graham disliked issuing them. But if it meant putting the giggling nuisance away and moving on with this little side trip, so be it!

 

Beginner RP — Graham Ford — Battle Post #3

The Bunnelby, seeing that his prepared traps— all of them— had been blown away, decided that— as much as he hated it— it was time to use brute force.

The little rabbit Pokémon blurred toward Ruger to strike with lightning speed; one prehensile ear, toned with muscle from digging, landed a stinging slap across Ruger's face in the instant before the Monferno could react. Bunnelby's head whipped around to strike again, but the second blow of the Double Slap attack caught only air as Ruger launched himself up and over his opponent.

Landing upside-down standing on his hands, Ruger lashed out with his foot, buffetting Bunnelby from behind and sending the wild Pokémon stumbling forward a step. With an equally swift and nimble feat of acrobatics, Ruger hooked his prehensile tail around his opponent, and used it to pull the rabbit Pokémon even further off balance, pressing the flaming tip of the tail into Bunnelby's chest as he did.

Then, taking advantage of Bunnelby's reflexive flinch away from the fire, Ruger used that grip to pull himself off to one side of the staggering bunny with his tail, almost offhandedly landing another blow to the side of Bunnelby's head with one powerful fist and flipping himself right-way-up as he did so in a continuation of the Acrobatics maneuver. He landed on his feet right next to the wild Pokémon, ready to continue...

His opponent, however, looked to be almost down for the count. Bunnelby teetered unsteadily, both tiny paws held up to cover the painful-looking burn mark marring the fur on his chest; it looked like Ruger could knock the wild Pokémon over with a feather if he so chose.


Current Encounter: Bunnelby

((Bonus effects from post quality and good use of Ruger's nature: Maximum damage dealt by move despite Ruger's injuries; Burn))

~~Battle Statistics~~

Bunnelby: 0.71% [Spe + 2] [Burned] [Used Double Slap]
Ruger: 67.17% [Used Acrobatics]

~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 4
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer: 20,688
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 67.17%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x3
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokemon:
  None yet!

 

Graham watched on, his arms crossed and his head tilted slightly, evaluating his partner’s performance now that he’d decided to actually put in the effort. And there was no denying it – a motivated Ruger was something special to behold. The Monferno’s movements were over-the-top, sure, but each flip and handstand was a means to a resounding end – re-establishing his dominance on the battlefield.

Even on his best day though, he never fought quite like this.

During their time together in the Division, Graham and his superior officer and closest friend, Garrett Wolfe, had battled plenty of times. The Brigadier General’s partner, an Elekid named Wesson, had won every single fight – but Ruger had been a Chimchar the whole time, unlike the powerful Monferno he’d become just recently. If only they were fortunate enough to find them, perhaps the next bout could turn out differently…

Ruger’s Acrobatics caught the crafty Bunnelby off-guard, like Graham had expected, but the amount of power put into the move by his partner surprised him. The Monferno pummelled his opponent mercilessly, and once the onslaught ceased, Bunnelby wound up battered and burned, on the brink of passing out from his multiple injuries.

Is that how far you’ll go to prove a point? Just how big is that chip on your shoulder, Ruger?...

Tanegashima looked on in silence, gauging his rival’s skill. Well, “rival” was an exaggeration on his part – the Froakie seemed to be little more than an afterthought to Ruger’s eyes. But the Water-Type knew his full potential was still entirely dormant, and once he awakened to his true power, he might finally be a match for Graham’s first partner. He took great pride in his analytical skills, his patience being his greatest virtue. Tanegashima was studious, introspective and self-critical – everything that the Fire-Type was not, which was precisely why clashing with Ruger was so appealing to him. Yes, the Monferno’s power was unbelievable, but somehow, Tanegashima would find a way to measure up!

Graham looked over to the wobbling Bunnelby, its fur charred like the flesh beneath. The burn had come as an unexpected bonus, further tilting the scales in Ruger’s favour at this critical point in the bout, but something about that particular outcome was making the Colonel uncomfortable. He knew all it took for them to win the battle and move on was barely more than a sneeze, and he wouldn’t deny Ruger the pleasure of putting his foe away decisively but…

“Miss Tella, was it? What happens to wild Pokémon that Trainers defeat around here?”, he found himself asking, in his usually rough tone.

He finally got it – the reason for his uneasiness. Bunnelby, despite its apparent air-headedness and carefree demeanour, had fought expertly and with great intelligence even with its absolute lack of formal training. Leaving the Normal-Type behind, passed out on the ground and with such a severe burn, would likely mean Bunnelby’s demise if nobody took care of its grievous injuries. Moving on without knowing the brave soldier’s fate was what had been eating him up.

For the second time, his hand hovered over the empty Park Ball attached to his belt. The Colonel stared at the ravaged battlefield, little more than a single, huge crater on the dry surface of the road; Bunnelby’s eyes were glazed over, but somehow the little warrior found the strength to keep standing on its own. At any moment, Ruger’s final strike should come, and then they’d be clear to move on… but then, much to Graham’s surprise, the Monferno scoffed and turned around, then nonchalantly walked over to his Trainer without throwing Bunnelby another glance.

“The hell are you doing? This battle ain’t over yet!” the Army veteran barked, astonished by Ruger’s decision to turn his back on a still-conscious opponent.

But Ruger’s grin confirmed Graham’s suspicions – the Fire-Type knew there was nothing left in the tank for his enemy and, subsequently, nothing left to prove in this clash. If nothing else, the burn would finish what Ruger had started, and there was no glory to be had in a mercy kill. Instead, content with the display he’d put on, the Monferno pointed at Graham’s belt, then tilted his back cockily in Bunnelby’s direction. As far as Ruger was concerned, the fight was over, and he knew how his Trainer felt about leaving valiant soldiers behind, even enemy ones.

“You’re telling me to take it to safety, right? Well, well… looks like you’re more than just a hothead after all”, Graham teased. Inside, he was genuinely surprised by Ruger’s decision, but there was only one possible explanation for his partner to let the knockout slip by: he, too, had grown to respect his opponent throughout the clash.

Finally having come to terms with his choice, Graham amplified the Park Ball and tossed it at the injured rabbit, looking to at least stabilize it inside the device long enough for it to receive proper medical care. Hopefully his guide would be able to help with that, if she was as capable as the Colonel imagined the youngster to be…

 

Beginner RP — Graham Ford — Non-Battle Post #3

Tella opened her mouth to respond to Colonel Ford's question, but paused when Ruger crossed in front of her, as though deliberately allowing herself to be cut off by the Pokémon's body language. Few Trainers were so sensitive to the fact that another Trainer's Pokémon was, effectively, "speaking..." But Tella had a wealth of personal experience in living with Pokémon, and seemed to recognize that Ruger had something important to say to Ford even if she couldn't quite identify it.

As the Colonel pulled out the Park Ball and tossed it at the injured Pokémon, Tella's strange pale grey eyes seemed to take on an ice-blue gleam for a second; in that moment she could tell from the look on his face alone that the Colonel was motivated by both compassion and respect for a strong opponent.

"I, personally, choose to treat wild Pokémon injured in battles with first-aid," she said quietly. "This is better, though. There are more advanced, swifter medical treatments available at the Sky Platform."

The Park Ball struck Bunnelby in one of the rabbit Pokémon's tough digging ears, bouncing off and splitting open to pull the nearly-unconscious Pokémon inside as a swirl of red light. The ball twitched once as the Pokémon within struggled weakly to break out... Then a second time, more gently...

A long moment passed, then one last twitch and a loud click! signaled the ball's locking mechanism sealing. Bunnelby had been caught!

Captured: Bunnelby


Further upwards, in the foothills of the mountain, a distant roar and a visible disturbance in the air showed the beginnings of a nascent sandstorm, gale-force winds picking up tiny particles and whirling them about at dangerous speeds; continuing ahead would take Tella and Colonel Ford directly into the teeth of the weather.

"...Best if you bundle up and return your Pokémon to safety, if you don't already have what you came for," Tella murmured, reaching back and unzipping a side pocket of her compact backpack to withdraw a pair of ski goggles and a heavy scarf which she began to wrap around her head. "That storm will be on us soon enough."


~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 4
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer: 25,755 --> 0
  
  
• Active Effects: Incoming Sandstorm
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 67.17%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x2
  Energy Powder x1
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokémon:
  Bunnelby (Male, Impish nature)

 

“… if you don’t already have what you came for”, said Tella.

Those words got him thinking. Graham twirled the Park Ball in his fingers, pensively, now that he was confronted with something he hadn’t really thought about in detail. What had he come here for, really?

I’ve always handled myself just fine with Ruger as my only Pokémon. We’ve tackled all sorts of life-threatening missions, especially since the outbreak of this damned war. But I’ve always had a squad by my side, whether it was the Blitz Unit in my early years, or Squad Six as of late… I’ve never been alone, but now that I lost my soldiers, I feel like I lost a bit of myself along with them. Is that why I’m here – to catch Pokémon and make up for that loneliness? I keep telling myself I need a new squad, a new unit to find my old one. But I don’t even know where to start, what kind of soldiers I need! Did I… lose sight of my true goal by coming here?

Never in his life had he recruited someone he didn’t have faith on, or at least some amount of data on their skills and achievements. This Park run was a blind endeavour, a desperate attempt at hurriedly gathering a decent task force. He was acting carelessly, rashly, uncharacteristically. These wild Pokémon had no credentials, weren’t bred to be perfect like the ones provided by the Division’s armoury. And that meant… maybe it was a mistake coming here.

Suddenly, he felt someone push him on the back harshly, forcing him to stumble forward clumsily. Looking behind him, Graham saw Ruger with his usual cheeky grin, urging him to get a move on before he changed his mind.

“You really want me to just keep going?” growled the Colonel.

Looking at his companion though, he could tell the monkey was in bad shape. And that beating came as a result of carelessness, no doubt, but also Bunnelby’s skill. A wild, unremarkable specimen of a decidedly unremarkable species… who had whittled the combat specialist’s health down to almost half of its peak condition. That encounter alone had taught Graham, and especially Ruger, much more than any amount of previous Army assignments – and in doing so, thoroughly justified their presence in this Park.

If I take nothing else from this detour, I’ll take experience. I needed to go back to the basics, like I did when I first joined the East Division – because a Colonel that loses sight of what it was like being a Private is nothing more than a hypocrite. Damn it, when did I lose my humility? I have to see this through to the end; Ruger needs it, Tanegashima needs it, and so do I. I need to know if I can make it to the end without an elite unit backing me up! Because if I can’t… how am I gonna find the rest of my Squad in the middle of a war?!

His mind made up, Graham opened the pouch of provisions that had been given to him upon registering for the run. He pulled out a small bag containing some Energy Powder, and tossed it at Ruger.

“Take it. It’s bitter as all hell – your punishment for being an idiot. Bottoms-up, you damn show-off.” Graham meant no harm with his bluntness, and Ruger knew it. They’d been together for years, and the Monferno had seen Graham in incomparably worse mood than this. If only to make up for his overconfidence, the Fire-Type grinned, and swallowed the contents of the bag in one go, cursing the gut-wrenching flavour of the remedy but accepting it as atonement for letting Graham down.

The guide, ever-so-mysteriously reserved, had quietly announced the coming of a sandstorm in the distance. The Colonel would have reached the same conclusion eventually, his countless early assignments as a Private braving the deserts of Hoenn still fresh in his mind. Back then, he was sent to scavenge the sands for viable Baltoy – once the higher-ups had finally acknowledged the usefulness of Teleport transportation in stealth missions – and over there, sandstorms were commonplace; however, he was always provided adequate gear to make it through the desert unharmed, namely goggles and proper clothing, none of which he now possessed.

Should’ve raided the Laundry before fleeing the Division. Damn it Ford, you knucklehead!

As it was, all he had on him were an old tank-top, a pair of dusty camo pants and no headgear whatsoever. When he saw Tella gear up for the impending storm, he briefly considered asking the guide for some equipment… but refrained from doing so for three perfectly valid reasons: he would never depend on a kid, he would never put on women’s clothing, and they would never fit him anyway.

Yeah, go ahead and keep being a proud S.O.B. That’s taken you real far in life.

He was perfectly aware that he would never had achieved half of what he did if it weren’t for the competent people he’d always surrounded himself with. But he had to know his own limits, how far he could go on his own, now that everyone else depended on him. So no, he would not ask Tella for help unless it was absolutely essential. Besides, he fondly remembered “Big Time” Jackson Brody, the Demolition expert of Squad Six, boasting about running a marathon across the Hoenn Desert with nothing on but his pants and boots.

Brody couldn’t even beat me in a game of checkers. If he could survive a sandstorm naked, so can I!

Aware of the storm’s hazardous effects on Pokémon of Ruger and Tanegashima’s Types, he recalled both soldiers into their Balls for the time being. They shouldn’t have to suffer because of his own stubbornness. Then, turning to Tella, the Colonel nodded.

“Let’s get going” he grunted, genuinely wishing to sound friendly but failing spectacularly. “Storm or no storm, getting to the end of this is something I gotta do.”

 

Beginner RP - Graham Ford - Non-Battle Post #4

Tella didn't question her charge's decision to keep going despite his lack of protective gear; he was a grown man, and military to boot, so no doubt he could decide for himself whether he was hardy enough to weather the incoming sandstorm. She just hoped he wasn't underestimating nature's fury.

The two pressed on, and within less than a minute of walking the storm hit. Dark brown particles began to fly through the air at gale speeds, reducing the sun to a dim circle in the sky and tearing at every exposed bit of skin. For almost five more minutes, the two walked through a hell of roaring wind loaded with scourging sand. Anyone without goggles would need to turn their head aside and squint to avoid having the surface of their eyeballs scored permanently by the harsh wind-carried grains; flesh not covered by clothing would quickly grow raw and reddened as more and more layers of skin were flayed off.

Tella, her clothing designed to cover every last bit of skin, was fine; despite herself, she was impressed that Ford had managed to come this far with such scant protective gear, but there was a limit to what she was permitted to allow. She could see beads of blood beginning to well up in the most exposed parts of his bare shoulders and cheeks as his skin was worn away.

"Enough!" she yelled over the wind's howl. "We're taking cover! Into that ditch!"

With a wide gesture, exaggerated to be discernible in the poor visibility of the storm, Tella indicated one of the many jagged trenches that broke the surface of the mountain's foothills. The trench didn't lead anywhere, and was only four metres-- thirteen feet-- deep; it was merely a shelter from the raging elements, just deep enough that Graham himself could still stand up in it and be protected from the wind racing overhead.

Tella made haste toward the sheltering gash in the earth, keeping an eye out to make sure Ford was able to follow. She gave an almost imperceptible sigh of relief when he reached the first few steps of the slope down at one end of the trench, but Ford wasn't in the clear quite yet.

One of the Colonel's feet landed on a patch of rock jutting out of the path, and as his other foot came up to take the next stride, the rock launched itself out of the ground with an angry grunt, sending itself and Ford flying two metres-- six and a half feet-- into the air!

"Geo!" The Geodude landed upside-down with a heavy thump, completely unharmed by the fall, and rolled upright, two rocky arms unfolding from a spherical body.

Current Encounter: Geodude

Recommended minimum characters to capture: 4,000

~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 3
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer (since end of last encounter): 5,658
  
  
• Active Effects: Sandstorm
  
  
• Pokemon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x2
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokémon:
  Bunnelby (Male, Impish nature)

 

Stoically, Graham tried his best to endure the slow torture that was crossing the foothills of Mt. Deckbi smack in the middle of a sandstorm. To be fair, calling it a “sandstorm” was putting it mildly – each pebble hurled against his skin by the raging winds felt like a boulder, and cuts and bruises were already starting to appear on his tanned, unprotected skin. He wouldn’t die from this kind of wound, but Arceus be damned if they didn’t hurt like hell.

Maybe I underestimated this place.

In his typical Heimlan pride, he’d told himself nothing could be as bad as the full-blown snowstorms of Borg’s Peak, the highest mountain in the northernmost region of the world; he’d been through one and survived, just as he’d crossed the Hoenn deserts and came out unharmed – as such, he never thought the whirling sands of Mt. Deckbi could prove so hard to endure. But they were.

Mercifully, his guide was no newcomer to these grounds, and it didn’t take her long to find shelter nearby. Tella’s intervention couldn’t have come at a better moment, since Graham was on the verge of breaking and asking her for whatever protective gear she could spare. Luckily, this way, his ego could remain intact. He was forced to squint once Tella steered away from the beaten path; losing his guide meant he’d be stranded in the mountain during a sandstorm, with no visibility and no leads to go on – and as sharp as his survival skills may be, there was little to nothing anyone could do in a similar situation.

He saw the guide take a turn to a nearby downwards slope, an indentation on the mountain rock that provided some much needed natural cover from the angry elements. Reserved as she was, there was no denying the girl was exceedingly qualified for her job.

Not only that. She’s seen a lot, despite her youth; that much is obvious. There’s a maturity to her that widely outweighs her age… It’s not an uncommon trait for soldiers in times of war, that loss of innocence and sense of wonder. They’re forced to see the world for what it really is – cruel, uncaring, transient. It takes an exceptional amount of fortitude to remain cheerful and optimistic when you’re out there surrounded by death. That’s why kids like Nathan Hawke and Hanson Reed are special… What have you gone through, Tella?

He prepared to run after the younger woman, but as he reached the slope, the soil beneath his feet seemed to give away. Or rather… rise?! An otherwise unremarkable stone underfoot suddenly jumped from the ground, propelling the Colonel upwards in the air! Graham, unprepared and stunned, landed badly on his side, bruising his right arm and leg, but luckily didn’t seem to break or twist anything. What on earth had just happened?...

The mysterious boulder landed just as inelegantly as Graham, but once it unfolded a pair of arms, everything made sense to the flustered Colonel, who was only now beginning to regain his footing.

A goddamn Geodude.

He should’ve been more careful; an overabundance of these critters was to be expected in such an environment, but the sandstorm had made it impossible for Graham to spot the Geodude before stepping on it. In hindsight, maybe scolding Ruger so hard for falling into Bunnelby’s trap had been slightly unfair; luckily for the Colonel, the Monferno was resting in his Ball and didn’t get to see his sorry spectacle, or he’d never hear the end of it.

The sandstorm continue to rage overhead, winds howling above their heads but fortunately no longer pelting away at their skins. Geodude thrived in this kind of weather condition, whereas neither humans nor most other Pokémon did. And yet there it was – the opportunity to capture a second ally in this Park run.

Keh, Geodude… Jackson Brody loved the blasted things, that Demolition knucklehead… Said there was no better way to bring down a bunker than a well-placed Golem Explosion. Come to think of it, that idiot held the Division record for most Geodude purchased in the Armoury.

That, in itself, got him thinking. This was one of the species available for pickup back at HQ, Geodude bred to be perfect specimens, unlike their naturally-occurring kin. Graham and Ruger had fought at least nine different ones during their morning practices at the drill field, all of which against good ol’ “Big Time” Brody.

“Big Time” and “Buster” are the kind of men who know how to use a Golem. Me, I’m an old Blitz Unit guy… I’ve never been good at handling big, lumbering Pokémon. And with only two Park Balls left, I should save them.

Tanegashima should be able to handle a Geodude with ease, even with his relative lack of experience. But the terrain’s conditions heavily favoured the native Pokémon, and Graham wouldn’t know what to do with the Rock-Type afterwards anyway. All in all, he wasn’t about to get into a fight he didn’t intend to finish.

“Sorry I stepped on you, little guy” he muttered, quickly reminding himself how much he sucked at apologizing. “We were just trying to get away from this storm; once it wears down, we’ll be on our way. No hard feelings, right?”

He hoped Tella would get the message – he wanted to keep moving as soon as it was safe to do so, and avoid confrontation with this Geodude if at all possible. After all, learning to pick one’s battles was the first thing he was taught as a Private, thirty years ago.

 

Beginner RP - Graham Ford - Non-Battle Post #5

"Geo! Geo! Dude!" the Geodude chanted, working itself up before launching itself at Graham in a blind rage!

"Wraaaaaath!" A flash of motion was all the warning anyone present got as Tella's Poliwrath launched himself out of the sandstorm and took the Stone Edge attack directly to the chest, sending the Geodude bouncing backward. Wrath landed in a kneeling posture and then straightened to face the wild Pokémon resolutely, appearing only minimally injured.

Geodude's eyes narrowed as its anger calmed, and it sized up the three lumbering creatures— strange two-legged Pokémon of a kind it had never seen before— and, after a long pause, eventually judged that all three were too big and dangerous-looking (possibly evolved?) to start anything with.

"Geo..." the Pokémon grumbled, then curled up into a protective ball and rolled away into the sandstorm, ceding its territory to these outsiders.

"Release one of your Pokémon from its ball," Tella instructed Ford, instinctively assuming the tone of an order without thinking about anything other than efficiency. Then she stiffened as she noticed the tone of voice she'd used, realizing that it would likely have come across as presumptuous.

"...My apologies. What I meant is that I should have asked you to have one out despite the sandstorm if you intended to continue, as Park regulations state visitors must have a partner able to defend them from wild Pokémon at all times. I intended no disrespect, Mr. Ford."

Out of the sandstorm flitted a small, bedraggled bird, its feathers caked with dust that almost obscured the red plumage of its head. The Fletchling flashed between Tella and Ford as the little creature fled the storm for one of the many crevices set into the walls of the trench, but missed and crashed into the ditch's wall instead, falling to the ground stunned and potentially ripe for battling.

Possible Encounter: Fletchling

(Ignore/Flee? Or Battle?)
Recommended minimum characters to capture: 4,000

~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 2
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer (since end of last encounter): 5,335
  
  
• Active Effects: Sandstorm
  
  
• Pokémon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x2
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokémon:
  Bunnelby (Male, Impish nature)

 

Graham was about to mumble something under his breath about the lack of clarity of Tella’s instructions, but stopped himself. Rules, after all, were rules, and he’d always been taught to follow them. Besides, it was hard to argue with the logic behind this one – the Geodude could have seriously harmed him, had the guide’s Poliwrath not intervened. He’d intended to keep his Pokémon from harm by recalling them, and in doing so had neglected his own safety. Leadership by example had its limits, and so did Graham himself – as the wounds on his exposed skin reminded him.

Be that as it may, that Poliwrath is powerful. If I wasn’t in a hurry, I might ask the girl for a battle, just to let off some steam…

The thought saddened him, he realized. “Letting off steam” was something his best friend asked him on several occasions, the burden of authority often too much for the man of action that was Brigadier General Garrett Wolfe. Graham missed those days, when Ruger and Wesson clashed with reckless abandon on the front yard of the HQ, or the empty drill field past curfew… Now, he didn’t even know if Garrett and his Elekid were still alive.

I’ve been running against the clock under the baseless assumption that they’re alright, just lost out there, or maybe held hostage. But I can’t remember anything from that damn mission… who’s to say Squad Six even exists anymore?

He’d never been a man of faith. As a veteran soldier, he’d seen a lot of death, delivered his share too. And in the process, any belief that might once have existed in a higher power was now buried under fifteen layers of bitterness and cynicism – because Graham saw the world as it really was, and he didn’t have Hanson Reed’s ability to just keep smiling. No, he had no way of knowing if his comrades were alright, no matter how skilled they were at their job; he had no guarantees that he’d be able to rescue them or even clear his name – but despite his lack of faith, and despite the odds of success, he had to know. Even if it meant running into the corpses of every Squad Six man along the way and burying them himself.

With Geodude out of the way, Graham and Tella would be clear to move on as soon as the sandstorm weathered down. But it didn’t show signs of doing so – in fact, as it continued to rage, Graham was reminded of how fortunate he was to be relatively unharmed in these conditions, when a small Fletchling was helplessly tossed around by the gale-force winds and wound up at his feet, stunned and possibly injured.

Why on earth would you choose to live in a place like this, little guy?...

Graham dropped to one knee, contemplating the small bird as it dizzily tried to regain its bearings. There was no way knowing if it was injured until it tried to take flight again, but in its dazed state, that might take a while… The strategist in him chimed in, reasoning that a fully-grown Talonflame was a Pokémon he should be able to handle with ease and make the most of, the species being the absolute fastest avian among known Pokémon. It should fit right in among his other speedy partners, and would grant Graham the aerial coverage he currently lacked. But…

I can’t hit a fallen soldier.

For all he knew, the Fletchling could be an absolute coward, the farthest thing from a potential ally. But the bird chose to live in, or at least pass though, Mt. Deckbi with its terrible sandstorms – it no doubt said something about the bird’s valour. If only for that, he wouldn’t discard it like he had Geodude.

“Line up your shot… Tanegashima!”

The Poké Ball was tossed to the ground, snapped open and released the Froakie within. Dutifully, the Water-Type stood in front of Graham, prepared to tackle whatever foe he’d been called to engage… until he laid eyes on the grounded Fletchling. Without waiting for instructions, Tanegashima walked over to the tiny bird, carefully inspecting it for any signs of obvious injury. The code of honour by which he functioned forbade him from doing anything else until the Pokémon’s condition was properly evaluated.

“What do you think? Any serious damage?” asked the Colonel, who understood Tanegashima’s concern perfectly. “Give it some time to recover, then let’s see if it wants to dance.”

Geodude would’ve been a better match-up for him, but a Fletchling shouldn’t prove too much trouble. Either way, we won’t engage if it’s wounded; hopefully Tella will be able to help it out if it’s something serious.

But in case the avian was healthy enough to duke it out, this would be Tanegashima’s chance to show what he’d learned. The Water-Type was the polar opposite of Ruger in every aspect, right down to his very Nature, and he’d had the privilege of watching the Monferno in action – for better and for worse. Despite not being a man of easy praise, Graham had high expectations of Tanegashima, valuing the frog’s maturity and level-headedness as precious assets that made him extremely reliable – even if, in terms of raw power, he would never be able to match Ruger.

“Stay sharp,” he growled. “I’m not sure how much fighting spirit it has, but be prepared to Smack it back Down if it turns hostile.”

Tanegashima, never once taking its eyes off Fletchling, still looking to see if he could help it somehow, nodded silently in acknowledgment. Ruger’s mistake against Bunnelby was still fresh in his mind, and if only to prove himself better, he refused to be caught off-guard in similar fashion.

 

Beginner RP - Graham Ford - Non-Battle Post #6

After a short while stunned— perhaps forty seconds— the Fletchling gathered itself enough to hop to its feet and drag itself a short distance away from Ford and Tanegashima, repeatedly swivelling its head to regard them both mistrustfully.

Every so often, though, the Colonel and his Pokémon would pick out movements of the bird's head that indicated it was looking somewhere else as well; the Fletchling was glancing from the intruders (Ford and Tanegashima) to the sheltering crevice it had been headed for, and back again.

However, Tanegashima's sharp eyes and analytical talent would give some further insight: the bird wasn't calculating its odds of escape through the opening; if that were the case, the bird would be looking around at a much larger variety of escape routes. Instead, it would seem to the Water-type that the Fletchling was weighing some other decision that Tanegashima couldn't determine; all he was certain of is that that particular crevice in the wall of the gully was important to the bird Pokémon for some reason.

Off to one side, Tella watched carefully. Her initial relief that Ford hadn't chosen to make a fight out of her indiscretion was replaced by cautious respect when he and his Froakie waited until the Fletchling was able to fight back, rather than attacking while the wild Pokémon was stunned.

The bird's behaviour, however, seemed odd to Tella. Most wild Pokémon were motivated by either hunger, fear, or territoriality, but a young creature like this— not even grown enough to evolve once— should have long since fled in this situation, faced by larger, stronger foes who could neither be prey nor be out-competed for territory.

Yet the little bird was holding its ground, clearly unwilling to attack but still standing in the way of Colonel Ford and Tanegashima. It wasn't often that Tella was mystified by a Pokémon's behaviour— normally she was quite in touch with the creatures, more so than she ever was with people. Its behaviour was enigmatic, but...

As Tella watched Fletchling stand there ready to fight, glancing back and forth between the potential threats of Ford and Tanegashima and one particular location in the wall behind it, a memory flitted through her mind: a memory of a small, resolute figure standing between her and danger, glancing back at Tella just once before beginning a fight against unbeatable odds to defend her. That Pokémon, a wild Machop, had gone on to become one of Tella's trusted, invaluable teammates.

So, this was the second time she'd seen behaviour like this from a wild Pokémon; perhaps it did make sense that the Fletchling was refusing to simply fly to safety. Was the little bird... defending something?


Possible Encounter: Fletchling

(Ignore/Flee? Or Battle?)
Recommended minimum characters to capture: 4,000


~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 2
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer (since end of last encounter): 10,778
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokémon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie — Currently out of Poké Ball
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x2
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokémon:
  Bunnelby (Male, Impish nature)

 

Tanegashima picked it up first. The Fletchling’s movement was… abnormal. It was neither openly confrontational nor outwardly scared enough to fly away. “Fight or flee” instincts were as basic as they came, especially in wild Pokémon, but the bird displayed an extra layer of complexity to its behaviour that it took Graham’s partner a while to decipher… but once he did, he realized it was of critical importance to relay the information to his Trainer.

Graham, meanwhile, kept watching. He, too, noticed something off with Fletchling’s stance – neither battling nor running the hell away, like it should! – but his senses weren’t as sharp as the Froakie’s or Tella’s. It just looked like a whole lot of nonsense on the part of something with wings to remain grounded if it wasn’t injured… It wasn’t until he saw Tanegashima turn his head around slightly to peek over his shoulder that Graham realized his partner was trying to tell him something.

He figured something out. There’s more to this encounter than just the units on the field after all, right little friend?

He followed Tanegashima’s slight movements with the utmost attention. The frog’s head seemed to tilt discreetly toward the stone wall behind Fletchling, indicating there was something of interest on the mountain’s surface. A second glance at the visibly nervous Fletchling completed the mental puzzle – the tiny bird alternated between staring at its foes and a crevice on the rock… How could he have missed something so obvious?!

On-sight interrogations always wound up like this. That nervous glance towards something that absolutely could not be found by the enemy… No matter how good a soldier was at keeping his mouth shut, it was always the eyes that betrayed him in the end. The Fletchling is guarding something, and it thinks we’re here to steal it. A brave one, standing its ground against us despite the odds.

If there was one kind of mission he missed from back in the old days, it was breaking and entering. Retrieving intel or critical packages from right under the enemy’s nose was classic Blitz Unit routine, and he was getting a nostalgic itch he just couldn’t ignore. He had to know what could be so important for a wild Fletchling that would drive it to risk its own safety, override its basic instincts. But that didn’t mean he had to steal whatever it was… he just needed to sate his curiosity – all he required was for Tanegashima to tell him what it was, even if he didn’t nab it. Hopefully the bird would understand.

Graham motioned for Tanegashima to draw closer, then dropped to one knee and whispered into the Froakie’s ear.

“Target is in that crevice. Camouflage yourself and get a good look at it, while I try to reason with the Fletchling.”

The frog nodded in understanding, thankful Graham understood his message and was equally curious to solve this mystery. He could never be sure with the Colonel; he was a man of action, and not always in the best of moods to draw things out rather than end them quickly. Fortunately, age and experience had taught the soldier to be mindful of outside factors at all times, and engaging Fletchling mindlessly (like Ruger had done with Bunnelby) might not be the optimal course of action. Perhaps, if they could show the bird that they meant no harm to whatever it was protecting, they could avoid hurting it entirely... but to do that, they needed to figure out what exactly meant so much to Fletchling in the first place.

Graham spread his arms and dropped to one knee, hoping to show Fletchling he had nothing to hide, and no intention of drawing first blood.

“We don’t wanna harm you, and we don’t mean to steal from you. But one thing I know,” he said, with surprising honesty, “it’s a heck of a lot harder protecting something we care about completely on our own, especially in a place like this. Maybe we could help you, if we stuck together?”

Graham mentally chastised himself for talking so much to a wild Pokémon – who was to say it even understood half of it? -, but he was adamant about his course of action. Earning an ally’s respect was always more effective than beating it into him.


-----


((Fletchling's gender: Male))

 

Beginner RP - Graham Ford - Non-Battle Post #7

The little bird tilted his head quizzically, first one way and then the other. He didn't understand Ford's words— that much was clear— but the Colonel's demeanour wasn't confrontational, so no hostilities were necessary. Instead, Fletchling trilled quietly for a second and remained where he was, maintaining a stalemate. He seemed to be waiting for Ford to leave; until the man did so, Fletchling would be staying right here!

However, the wild Pokémon was focusing too much on Graham Ford; he failed to realize that he had lost sight of Tanegashima. Ford's Froakie, his skin fading from bright blue to a dull bluish-grey that almost matched the dark igneous rock of the surroundings, sidled out of the little bird's field of vision and then, quietly, leapt from the ground to the edge of the crevice that he had noticed Fletchling glancing at.

There Tanegashima found the answer to his and Ford's curiosity. Inside the crevice rested a bird's nest; and in that nest, alongside three cold eggs destined never to hatch, huddled a very ill-looking little bird. This must be a brother or sister to the Fletchling outside; the fact that the nest had neither parent tending it meant that the two Fletchlings were likely orphans.

Tanegashima could tell instinctually that this sick Pokémon wouldn't be around for long without food, warmth, and specialized medicine that could avoid shocking a young Pokémon's system. Its brother couldn't possibly provide all three on his own, regardless of how selfless he was.

Emerging from the crevice, Tanegashima maintained his camoflauge and headed to report back to the Colonel, who was still facing the brave little bird.


Possible Encounter: Fletchling

(Ignore/Flee? Battle? Or take a third option?)
Recommended minimum characters to capture: 4,000


~~Park Run Statistics~~

• Trainer Name: Graham Ford
  
  
• Location: Mt. Deckbi
  
  
• Remaining Encounters: 2
  
  
• Characters Written by Trainer (since end of last encounter): 14,924
  
  
• Active Effects: None
  
  
• Pokémon Stats:
  Ruger the Monferno
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Blaze
  Nature: Bold
  Level-Up Moves: Acrobatics, Close Combat, Ember, Facade, Feint, Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fury Swipes, Leer, Mach Punch, Nasty Plot, Scratch, Slack Off, Taunt, Torment
  Egg Moves: -
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  Tanegashima the Froakie — Currently out of Poké Ball
  
• HP: 100%
  Gender: Male
  Ability: Torrent
  Nature: Serious
  Level-Up Moves: Bounce, Bubble, Double Team, Fling, Growl, Hydro Pump, Lick, Pound, Quick Attack, Round, Smack Down, Smokescreen, Substitute, Water Pulse
  Egg Moves: Camouflage
  Tutor Moves: -
  Special Moves: -
  TM Moves: -
  HM Moves: -
  
  
• Total Items:
  Park Ball x2
  Lava Cookie x1
  Poké Doll x1
  
  
• Total Captured Pokémon:
  Bunnelby (Male, Impish nature)

 

The sight before him cleared everything up: precariously hidden inside the crevice was a second Fletchling, one appearing considerably less healthy than its counterpart outside. Tanegashima had no trouble concluding that the bird wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer in its current state, and that despite its brother’s obvious concern, he simply would not be able to provide what this one needed. If only for that, he absolutely had to get Graham to intervene!

The General, meanwhile, attempted to reason with the Fletchling outside, but his patience – already lacking by default – was running thin. The Flying-Type would neither budge nor allow itself to listen, simply standing there as if it made a difference; points for bravery, sure, but inconsequential stubbornness was a rookie mistake.

Guts can only take you so far, buddy. Truth is, life will chew you up and spit you out all the same. There’s more to it than just putting on a game face; you gotta have game.

In a way, Graham could sense the Fletchling was entirely aware of its shortcomings. There was no way it could stand up to the Colonel or his Pokémon, especially after colliding against that wall. Graham knew all too well the virtues, as well as the downfalls, of refusing to bend over for anyone – he also didn’t know how to pick his fights when he was a kid. Neither did the Fletchling, but that maturity would come with time.

Time I just don’t have at the moment, as it happens. Sorry little guy, but we gotta get somewhere with this. If you’re protecting something, I’m gonna find out what it is, because you sure as hell don’t look like you can handle this all on your own, much as you’d like to think otherwise.

He found himself peering over to Tella, as if checking how much time he had “left” – a strange thing to do, all in all, since he was yet to be told that there was a time limit on this journey, but the guide seemed to be every bit as practical and to-the-point as Graham himself; only, this time, he sincerely hoped she understood the necessity to handle this matter tactfully.

It matters to me, dammit. I want to get to the bottom of this – for the bird’s sake.

Just then, through the corner of his eye, he spotted something moving; almost imperceptible, indeed, but visible to an army man’s trained eye. Tanegashima, donning his still-imperfect Camouflage, emerged from the crevice and joined his Trainer’s side, removing his cover upon reaching Graham. The Colonel couldn’t help but wonder if the Fletchling felt betrayed in any way, but it was a necessary evil; he stared intently at his Froakie, looking to understand its sign language, all the while hoping the more… attuned Tella could also decipher it.

Tanegashima might not be able to communicate verbally with Graham, but he tried his absolute best to get his point across with gestures. Most importantly, he conveyed the sense of urgency perfectly, leading the Colonel to glance at Tella one more time, hoping she, too, had understood.

“Someone in there needs help, right?” he concluded, albeit with some hesitation. “In that case, it must be family. That’s why Fletchling won’t budge, even this badly outnumbered. Damn it…”

Muttering to himself, obviously upset at having to make this kind of call (and considering he was already in a foul mood after the run-in with that earlier Geodude), Graham dropped to one knee, rummaged through his belongings and finally tossed his only Lava Cookie at the bird’s feet.

“Judging by my partner’s behaviour, this probably won’t be enough, but it’ll buy time,” he said, trying to be as brutally honest as possible to finally force the Fletchling into making some sort of decision. “Whoever it is you’re protecting probably needs much more help than a biscuit. If you let us, we can make sure it gets some proper, and timely, medical attention. Ain’t that right, Miss Tella?”

It remained to be scientifically proven that wild Pokémon could understand human speech, but there was no doubt they could talk between themselves, even different species. As such, Graham hoped Tanegashima could relay the message to Fletchling, in case he’d failed to make it painfully obvious. Either way, the bird had better make a goddamn decision, and fast… the Colonel’s patience for indecisiveness, already paper-thin under normal circumstances, was growing even more fragile by the minute.