you are not alone (happiness quest) [fin]

[BEAR]

It was a huge breath of relief when she found herself in the small city once more, her journey back thankfully void of any more feral Pokemon. Grace tried her hardest to remember her way back to any landmarks that was familiar and found herself at the doorstep of the looming Pokemon Center. Fatigued physically and mentally, she pushed herself through the threshold. The whirling winds outside were replaced with the more gentle drafts of air conditioning. The girl slumped onto the squishy cushions again and was just getting comfortable when the receptionist behind the counter asked if she wanted to put her Pokemon in for care. Grace deposited her Pokeballs in the hands on the nurse and reclaimed her seat.

Grace allowed her mind to lull as she rested. She could’ve nodded off, but before she could, a foggy thought reminded her of something. ”Oh, dang. Totally forgot about this,” the girl mumbled as she dug through the backpack. A wave of panic washed over her when it took her half a minute too long to find what she was looking for, but eventually, a relieved expression settled over her face. She emerged from her search with a phone and held it out victoriously, her little panic subsiding. Having been on a rollercoaster of a trip, Grace seemed to have completely forgotten about the device that used to often occupy her mind. She powered it on, and her grin widened with childish excitement at the bright light that flashed from the screen.

This was normal.

Thin fingers nimbly poked and swiped at the colorful screen. Grace looked like quite the mad scientist as she stared down and jabbed at her cellular device. She opened her Messages and scanned down the list of new texts, her brown eyes lingering over some names contemplatively. Grace eventually got around to going through the list, shooting off cordial texts here, answering ‘how are you’s there, and making small talk.

This was comforting.

Obligations satisfied, she opened the Phone app, flicked her finger at her Favorites, and swung the cellphone up to her ear. The buzzing trill of a phone reaching out for another cell brought a warm smile to her lips.

”Hello?... Hi, mom… Yeah, I’m doing pretty good! School’s good! How are you?”

---

( "WHAT! But… WHY?" )

Grace smiled sadly down at the distraught Squirtle. She had left the Center after a night’s rest and had ducked into the streets early in the morning. The sky was snowing all assortments of floral thanks to the buffeting wind, but Grace was undeterred. Terry eventually joined her lonesome journey. She wanted to spend some time with him. As abrasive as he was, Grace had grown fond of his company and antics. But once the Squirtle realized what was going on, why they were back in town, why they were taking a different route through the streets, why his trainer’s face was so strange, his heart plummeted to his toes. She had asked for directions back to New Bark Town.

The girl shushed him gently, not wanting another Terry-sized fit. ”Ter, it’s okay. Please don’t be sad… or mad.” She kneeled down and regarded the Pokemon imploringly. ”I’m really sorry. But, hopefully, you’ll find someone who has a heart as big as yours.” She rubbed his head affectionately.

Terry wailed with a mixture of outrage and dismay. Pointing an accusatory finger at his trainer, he ran with his rant. ( "You can’t do that! After all we’ve been through?! I thought we had something!" ) the Squirtle shouted as he kicked and stomped angrily. ( "Now you’re gonna dump me… for your momma?!" )

Grace had hoped it wouldn’t be received so poorly, but she wasn’t sure why she was expecting a more peaceful response from the fiery turtle. Ignoring any curious spectators, Grace tried to quiet all the screaming. The scene was uncanny to that of a mother trying to calm a child in a tantrum. ”Terry, shh. I’m sorry. C’mon, I feel really bad already…” The girl bent down and scooped up her charge, cradling him against her chest. Her lips smiled when Terry hugged back.

---

She hadn’t made it out of town before she was approached by an older man. His hair was graying where it hadn’t already balded, and when he talked, his neat mustache wiggled like a worm. Though he was dressed nicely with a gray suit, the gentleman seemed slightly distressed. He had noticed the Squirtle in Grace’s arms and had sharply veered to approach her. He introduced himself as some Oliver Humphrey Jr., and he had a special proposition for her. The man revealed a single Pokeball, nothing out of the ordinary that Grace could see, and informed her that the Pokemon in there was in need of a trainer.

”Oh, I’m no trainer, sir,” Grace said politely, hoping Mr. Humphrey would lose interest. Alas, he was persistent, complimenting her on her bond with Terry, of which he said he had visual proof. A crafty businessman and a charismatic speaker, and Grace a gullible doormat, the gentleman eventually wore her reservations down. The girl begrudgingly agreed to keep the Pokemon, whatever it was. Not that it mattered, for she planned on simply leaving it with the rest of her Pokemon at the lab on her way out. All she knew was that Mr. Humphrey had horses and raced them. Who knows why he was out on the streets right now.

The older man went on his way without a backwards glance, and Grace shrugged, and after placing the sphere into her pack, continued on her way out of town. She passed the sign that indicated Route 29, lingering only briefly before picking up her usual pace. Terry was still pouting in her arms but said nothing. The late morning was peaceful and still. A little more quiet than what she was used to, even around here. Probably because Terry wasn’t completely himself at the moment, Grace thought humorously. Her thoughts were quickly dampened by the reminder that this was the beginning of the end of her time here.

This was a little sad, Grace thought. Even though this entire experience felt unreal and crazy, she had to admit that it was not without its happy moments. It’d be a story to tell at parties, that’s for sure. Not wanting to rush back so soon, Grace slowed to smell the roses. This Johto place was really pretty. Even Terry was able to pull his spirits from the mud and hopped out of his trainer’s embrace to walk on his own.

The duo continued down the route at a steady pace, Grace careful not to step a foot off the path, and they were undisturbed for a short while until they were not to be left alone any longer. A shout was carried through the trees and underbrush, and had it been any noisier, Grace could’ve completely missed it. Terry perked up instantly, scanning the forest line warily. He exchanged confused looks with his trainer. Neither was sure of what to do.

”Uh, that was kinda spooky,” Grace murmured. She couldn’t be sure if it was a person’s or Pokemon’s cry. For all she knew, weird, terrifying creatures probably lived in there, but she had a sinking feeling that it was human. Terry took no more time to decide. Resolutely, he hopped toward the trees, calling for his trainer. ( "C’mon! Put some skip to that step!" ) Grace glanced dejectedly at the path they were on, but she, too, made up her mind. They had to take action. Shedding any and all worry for her safety and state of mind, she plunged into the thicket after her Squirtle.

The dense forest scratched and smacked at her defenseless self as Grace ran. ”Hey! Hey! Who’s out there?! Where are you? Gimme another yell!” she shouted between strides. She had absolutely no idea where she was at any given moment, nor did she know where she was running to, but Grace made certain to keep her blue-colored turtle in sight. His movements looked purposeful, which was a relief. At least one of them was on top of things. They charged on, her shoes pounding against dirt and leaves, and she continued her shouting. Her breath hitched when she realized Terry had suddenly disappeared. ”What the… Terry?” Then before she could stop herself, the girl crashed into the bramble. Spiky things poked into her arms and branches lashed at her shins. With an undignified yelp, Grace stumbled, barely catching herself with her hands on the other side of the underbrush.

She was in a clearing. She could tell because it was tons brighter and nothing was trying to stab her in the eye. Grace clumsily picked herself up and brushed off the remnants of the forest floor on her person, gathering her bearings. What she saw had to be a lot worse than getting a beating from nature.

Terry was standing defensively, his lips growling, as he faced the other characters in this new landscape. One of them was a boy - hallelujah! - who, with three tiny creatures that Grace had never seen, was surrounded by the other three figures who looked much bigger. She gulped. It was a trio of hound dogs, their fangs bared and eyes on fire. Even though they were far enough away, Grace still found herself scared stiff. Forget dream, this was a nightmare.

Squirtle’s snappish yell brought her back. ( "C’mon lady, don’t just stand there shiverin’ in your socks! We’ve gotta take these dingos DOWN!" ) Terry suddenly rushed up a few paces and stopped, clearly trying to agitate the canines. Grace nodded, albeit nervously. Of course, they had to drive these things away. The poor, cornered boy depended on them.

”Hey, don’t you worry! We got this!” she said in encouragement, perhaps mostly for herself. Grace took a deep breath. Terry was all too enthusiastic, but it was three against one at this point. Better even the odds. Grabbing two Pokeballs from her pack, she released them into the air.

The first that materialized was a black and white bear on two legs. A twig settled in between his teeth, the Pokemon stood with his fists at the ready. The next Pokemon to explode from its ball was on four, powerful legs. A head rose from a black and white-striped body. Grace gasped in surprise and looked down at the Pokeballs. This was probably the Pokemon given to her by that Mr. Humphrey. Any excitement of obtaining this cool new friend was dashed when the zebra creature went completely beserk. Whinnying furiously and head swinging, the Blitzle charged at Grace’s Pokemon. The Squirtle responded by jumping off to the side and snarling at the Pokemon gone mad. ( "Just what the heck! Get outta here! Or I’m’a beat you!" )

Grace had to act quickly. She clumsily held up the stranger Pokemon’s ball and returned it in a hurry. Both Terry and Pancham breathed a sigh of relief. Grace offered a sheepish chuckle and mumbled apology. Wrong Pokeball. The correct comrade was sent out not a moment too soon. A caramel-colored pup appeared in the flash of white. Had it not been for running into Billy earlier and trading Pokemon, it would’ve been Chio.

”Alright guys, teamwork is key,” Grace adopted an authoritative tone. ”Uh, Terry, you give ‘em a good washing. Opais - Opais, right? - Tackle any one of them. And… Baylor, I guess, use those knuckles!”

ooc//
1) really sorry this is mega wordy.
2) I had left an ooc note in my last thread about switching Skiddo from team with Pancham from pc, but as it hasn’t been updated yet, I hope I'm not overstepping if I put Pancham into battle.

Squirtle uses Bubble @ Helena
Pancham uses Arm Thrust @ Havoc
First put in Blitzle, then switch Blitzle with Lillipup
Lillipup uses Tackle @ Helena

[latani]

Vs. Houndour Pack
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jimmy was almost out of his mind with panic, clutching at his terrified Pokémon and gulping down air in hasty breaths. He wanted to call out again, even with his throat growing steadily more sore with each cry for help, but the snarling pack had grown irritated and were moving in. Budew, Chingling and Azurill were all sniffling as they snuggled into their trainer for protection, too young to fight on their own to protect Jimmy. He had only come out for some reading and was suddenly accosted by the Houndour trio, their anger as bewildering as it was frightening. Unless, somehow, he wound up inadvertently entering their territory and his subsequent inability to understand this transgression only fueled their ire.

"P-Please! I'll go away and leave you be! Just don't hurt me or my friends!" the youngster wailed, wincing when the center Houndour spat out a lick of flame following a savage growl. They were beyond reasoning, and as Havoc readied himself to pounce, Terry's timely arrival made him halt in his tracks. Turning his attention to the Squirtle, Havoc barked loudly, Helena and Abyss adding their voices to create a truly impressive cacophony that forced Jimmy to slap his hands over his ears with a trembling sob. But they quieted down as they realized Terry and his trainer weren't about to leave, resigning themselves to a fight, leaving Jimmy free to cradle his Pokémon and scramble out of harm's way.

He was panting hard as he hustled over to stand a short distance from Grace, eyes bright with unshed tears. "T-thank you, thank you so very much miss! I don't know why they're so angry at me..." Jimmy trailed off, looking down at his friends and making sure they were alright. But when Grace's new Blitzle entered the fray, his violent reaction made the poor boy jump nearly a foot in the air, though he offered no comment on the display. No, he was just too grateful someone was stopping to help him. While Grace's Pokémon assembled themselves to face the pack, the three Houndour made their respective moves, starting off with Helena.

The malevolent glare she threw at Opais was imitated by Abyss, though his gaze was settled firmly on Baylor, as if sensing a fellow Dark-type and was not pleased about it. Havoc snorted disdainfully at his packmates, purple smoke drifting from parted jaws as he spewed a cloud of it in Baylor's direction. Gagging at the toxic gas that enveloped him, Baylor was left unaware of the poison entering his body, too distracted in swatting away the Smog to realize. Terry, meanwhile, turned towards Helena with a determined glare and wasted little time in spraying a liberal amount of bubbles at her.

Helena let out a loud snarl as they surrounded her, popping in a chain reaction to buffet her all over and soaking her pristine fur. Baylor recovered enough to race in low on Havoc, savagely uppercutting the Houndour four times in quick succession and sending him keening to the dirt, where he simply succumbed to unconsciousness. And while Opais was the last to go, she made her attack count, dodging a toxic Smog sent her way by Helena and delivering a strong Tackle to the other canine's legs, nearly sending her toppling.

Wild Pokémon Battle

---

Helena | ♀ | Level 10 | Health: 18% (6/32 HP) Status: Impudent little mongrel!; Normal Helena used a successful Leer on Opais! Helena used Smog on Opais! But it missed...

Havoc | ♂ | Level 10 | Health: 0% (0/32 HP) Status: ...; Fainted! Havoc used a successful Smog on Baylor! Havoc fainted!

Abyss | ♂ | Level 10 | 100% (32/32 HP) Status: I will chew on you, teddy bear; Normal Abyss used a successful Leer on Baylor!

VS

Opais | Level 6 | Health: 100% (23/23 HP) Status: You're a disgrace to canine kind; Def -1 Opais was switched in for Barco! Opais used a successful Tackle!

Terry | Level 13 | Health: 100% (38/38 HP) Status: I'm no bubble buddy; Normal Terry used a successful Bubble!

Baylor: | Level 8 | Health: 70% (22/31 HP) Status: This bear got some punch; Def -1, Poisoned Baylor used a successful Arm Thrust! Hit 4 times! Baylor was hurt by poison.

((I have no idea of how your Pokémon were oriented, so I went with this layout.))

[BEAR]

Regardless of the sticky situation she suddenly found herself in, sensing the utter fright on the younger boy reassured her that this was a good move that she had made. Grace didn’t really want to guess what would’ve happened had the pack of dogs went uninterrupted. But luckily, they don’t have to think about hypotheticals too much at the moment. Her face relaxed with relief when she noticed that the kid was able to grab his Pokemon friends and get out of harm’s vicinity. Grace’s attention was caught for a second by the three critters the boy had with him. Surely they were Pokemon. Her eyes flicked to Terry briefly. The girl was curious as to why they weren’t out to battle. Good grief, the dogs must’ve done something terrible for those three little ones to be scared stiff. Having a squad of rather blood-thirsty, battle-hungry Pokemon, Grace was unfamiliar with Pokemon that didn’t want to battle.

She shot the kid a confident, semi-cheerful smile, hopefully big enough to hide all the nervousness she was feeling inside. ”Hey, don’t mention it. Just glad we got here before any more action happened!” Grace chuckled, not too sure if she was being humorous or not when she continued, ”I don’t know why either, dude. They’re not the only ones in the grouchy pants club, I can tell you that.” She offhandedly thought about the Mareep, and her Fennekin, even Terry, and then that crazy Blitzle thing. A quick use of her Pokedex told her that next on the list were these Houndours.

Grace had to drop the conversation for a bit to focus on the battle. It was just wild. Things were happening left and right and so quick that her eyes weren’t sure what and where to direct her attention to. All she managed to gather from the first round of scrimmage was that Terry was still able to burp bubbles, Baylor the Pancham could punch the consciousness out of you, and the feral dogs had bad breath. Oh, and that her Lillipup was the cutest thing! Nimbly jumping out of the rolling cloud of purple smoke, she rushed at the bigger canine and hit her mark. Opais trotted brazenly back to her companions, swishing her tail with attitude.

( "C’mon, girl. You’re giving me a catfight! You're no cat, are you?" ) she barked cheekily to other she-dog. Opais crouched down, rump in the air, and looked as if she was about to play, though her eyes regarded Helena with smiling determination.

”Aww, Opais! You’re so cute! I want to give you a big hug after you do your adorable little thing!” Grace’s loving croon prompted her to look over her shoulder and grin at her smitten trainer. She then turned to her two Pokemon friends. Opais yipped softly to get their attention. When the Squirtle and Pancham looked to her, she wiggled her nose and batted her eyes, grinning widely. Terry looked very disturbed, and Baylor averted his eyes back to the battle and remained silent. The Lillipup laughed.

( "Oh, y’all are no fun!" ) she whined in a false pout.

( "Girls..." ) ( "Hmph. Right?" )

The fighting Pokemon seemed to be at a standstill for the time being, so Grace thought this was a good time to get back into the game. ”Opais, Tackle like you did last time; you were perfect! Terry, more bubbles! That one...” Grace motioned to the one Houndour standing off to the side. ”... could use a bit more water. And Baylor, another round of punches please!”

The trio jumped into action. Terry could feel his throat bubbling with moisture, and Baylor tightly balled his fists. Opais faced Helena and grinned mockingly. However, all knew that these wild canines were quick enough to lay down the hurt first and accordingly braced themselves for any more dangerous things that came out of the Houndours’ mouths.

Grace observed from the sidelines, her nerves still shaken but definitely healing. Terry, Baylor, and Opais seemed to be doing swimmingly. Baylor even managed to single-handedly knock down one of the three Houndours. As soon as Havoc fell, the girl could feel herself getting more confident. This was good; she wouldn’t have to fake it till she made it. Remembering the boy, Grace looked over at him and smiled again. What was his name again?

”My name’s Grace,” she called out, holding her arm straight out and moving it up and down in the motion of a handshake. Grace beamed her pearly whites as she gave him this ‘air handshake’. ”What’s your’s?”

Lillipup uses Tackle @ Helena
Squirtle uses Bubble @ Abyss
Pancham uses Arm Thrust @ Abyss

[Morrigan]

With only two Houndour remaining, the fiery hounds exchanged glances before glaring across to Jimmy, Grace and their Pokemon. Vastly outnumbered, the Houndour appeared to back off ever so slightly in a defensive manner but after a good howl, they certainly weren't running away. Craning her head upward, Helena let out a wild howl, louder than their previous cries, as if trying to boost morale. Her own confidence sky rocketing, she lowered her snarling snout, taking particular care to cast a threatening glare at the Lillipup. Meanwhile, Abyss was following a similar suit, only his eyes were focused on Terry. Not wanting any more water what so ever, the dark furred Pokemon sent him a threatening glare, in attempt to force him to back off. But at this point, such attempts were useless. Grace and everyone around her had seen how weak the link between the Houndour was, after witnessing Havoc fall so easily. They stood no chance.

"My name is Jimmy!" The schoolboy exclaimed, feeling much more comfortable now that someone had stepped in to help him. "I just... I wish I knew why they attacked me. I didn't do anything wrong, I was just minding my own business with my Pokemon." Huddled around him were a trio of baby Pokemon but each one of them were able to be freed from the fearsome glares of the Houndour as it was now Grace's turn. Jumping forward, Terry was the first one to unleash a powerful flurry of bubbles, which pushed Abyss back and blurred his vision, eyes squinting at the sodden texture of his body. Following after, Baylor lifted his paws and with a series of punches, managed to land the final blow which tossed Abyss out of the park. His body hitting the ground, Helena couldn't help but looked around with a nervous glint to her eye, ears drooping sadly. Becoming face to face with Opais, the Lillipup smirked before heading forward with a tackle attack, the collision being enough to finish the already weakened fiery pup off.

Wild Pokémon Battle

---

Helena | ♀ | Level 10 | Health: 0% (0/32 HP) Status: Normal Helena used Howl and fainted shortly after!

Havoc | ♂ | Level 10 | Health: 0% (0/32 HP) Status: Fainted ...

Abyss | ♂ | Level 10 | 0% (0/32 HP) Status: Normal Abyss used a Leer on Terry!

VS

Opais | Level 6 | Health: 100% (23/23 HP) Status: Def -1 Opais used a Tackle!

Terry | Level 13 | Health: 100% (38/38 HP) Status: -1 Def Terry used Bubble!

Baylor: | Level 8 | Health: 60% (17/31 HP) Status: Poisoned Baylor used Arm Thrust! Hit 5 times! Baylor was hurt by poison.

---

Congratulations!
The Houndour Pack has been defeated!


Opais gained 3 levels and grew to Level 9!
Opais learnt the attack Bite!
+1 Happiness


Terry gained 2 levels and grew to Level 15!
+1 Happiness


Baylor gained 3 levels and grew to Level 11!
Baylor learnt the attack Work Up!
+1 Happiness


Barco gained 1 level for participating and grew to Level 2!

The battle well and truly over, Grace had successfully stepped into a dangerous situation and rescued a young boy, all from the kindness of her heart. Looking up at her with a twinkle of awe in his eye, the boy had certainly become impressed. "You really saved me!... T-Thank you! I was so scared when those Houndour appeared, so were my other Pokemon." Looking down to the youngster trio around him, Jimmy turned his attention back to Grace. "But wow! You and your team are so strong! It was no wonder that the Houndour were beat so easy, I hope I can become a great trainer someday too!" Thinking hard, the boy paused as he tried to think of a way to repay her for her kindness. A thought soon hitting him, he beamed a smile to the girl. "It isn't much but would you like to take one of my Pokemon with you? I'm sure with your help, they would become great Pokemon and I trust you, so I know for sure they'll be safe!" Thinking highly of Grace, he added something else to the mix, "I can also give you this Soothe Bell! It helps raise Happiness, my Pokemon love it!"

Schoolboy Jimmy is offering you a Soothe Bell and one of his friends!
Please choose one:

[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/hgsssprites/298azurill.png[/img]
[b]Azurill[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 10
OT: School Boy Jimmy
Attacks: Bubble, Charm, Tail Whip, Splash
Ability: [choose]
Nature/Personality: [choose]
Happiness: 0

[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/hgsssprites/433chingling.png[/img]
[b]Chingling[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 10
OT: School Boy Jimmy
Attacks: Astonish, Wrap, Growl
Ability: Levitate
Nature/Personality: [choose]
Happiness: 0

[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/hgsssprites/406budew.png[/img]
[b]Budew[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 10
OT: School Boy Jimmy
Attacks: Absorb, Stun Spore, Growth, Water Sport
Ability: [choose]
Nature/Personality: [choose]
Happiness: 0

But that wasn't all. As Jimmy gave his thanks, it gave the Houndour more than enough time to regain their senses and wearily lifted themselves back up onto their four paws. As if this had happened before, the Houndour split in a timely fashion, each heading in their own direction to escape to safety. "O-Oh no! The Houndour are running away!" ...Or rather, one would've thought as much. Each of the Houndour had their own separate worries and trails, would Grace investigate into the angered hounds by following them? After offering his gifts, Jimmy gave Grace a look of intrigue, wondering what her plan was going to be.

The Houndour pack have bolted their separate ways!
Would Grace like to follow the left, centre or right path or finish her adventure here?

[BEAR]

The battle ended sooner rather than later, thank goodness. After quick successions of tackling, punching, and bubble blowing, the trio of hounds were down and out. The Pokemon victors allowed their happiness to show. Terry whooped and and jeered at the fallen opponents. Baylor smirked winningly and swiveled around to Terry to exchange fist bumps, to which Terry let out a bark of complaint when his knuckles collided with the Pancham’s tough fist. Opais woofed cheerfully and pranced around, tail wagging with spirit.

Grace couldn’t help but join in on the fun and sprinted up to her Pokemon. Only Opais seemed to want to receive her, for the pup ran up and cuddled fondly into her trainer’s embrace. Terry and Baylor didn’t make any move to close the distance and stood away, the Squirtle snickering loudly. That caught Grace’s attention and she cooed adoringly, eyes shining with her sinister motives, ”What’s that, Ter? You want hugs too? One big hug for Terry!” The Squirtle cried out in playful fear and ran away as his trainer started to chase him. She eventually got close enough to scoop him up and hug him tight. Terry fought back only half-heartedly.

The trainer set down her Pokemon and turned to the young boy, Jimmy. His relieved expression was an immense relief to her. After first seeing such a terrified youngster at the mercy of a trio of fire-breathing hounds, it helped her fragile mental state that Jimmy was looking much more comfortable. And she helped! Grace was way too overjoyed by the fact that she did something to help this young kid from trouble. She was so proud of her superstars. The girl smiled gaily, warmed by Jimmy’s compliments. ”Oh, don’t mention it! Glad to help! Don’t worry, I was kinda scared too, but they should leave you alone now.” She cast a brown-eyed glance at the unmoving Houndour.

”Aww, thanks! I mean, it’s all them,” she winked at her ragtag gang of Pokemon. ”They’re little warriors, and they were happy to help.” Grace motioned to Jimmy’s three Pokemon, all baby-looking and adorable. ”Hey, I’m thinking yours will turn out to be little fighters too, so don’t you worry!” Retrieving the right Pokeballs, Grace began to call back her Pokemon, first Baylor and then Opais. As much as she’d love to stay and talk to Jimmy, she had an important task to do before she left this fair land. However, what the young boy said next made her stop. Wait, what? Did he just want to give her one of his little Pokemon? She looked on his smiling face.

”Uh, you really want that? I mean, I’m really flattered… I dunno…” Wow, she couldn’t believe that little Jimmy trusted her this much. He trusted her enough to hand over one of his Pokemon to get better under her care. She thought guiltily about the fact that she was planning to drop them all off at Professor Elm’s before her leave. Maybe it would be best to refuse his kind offer... ”Thank you, Jimmy. That means a lot to me. If you’re for sure, I promise to take care of one of your lovely friends.” She wasn’t sure what made her decide on it. No going back now. ”Oh, that’s more than enough, thanks,” the girl quickly added when Jimmy threw in a Soothe Bell, but she took it with a grateful smile.

A soft growling and rustling distracted Grace’s attention. Head snapping to the sound, she gave a small gasp. The three Houndour had gotten up. Not again. However, the canine didn’t seem keen on battling again. Instead, they turned tail and scattered off in different directions.

( "Yeah, you better run," ) Terry piped up snidely, shooting his trainer a smug grin.

Grace looked confused for a moment, unsure of what to do next. She could feel Jimmy watching her expectantly. Did she really want to go after them? Deeper into the forest? Mistaking Terry’s boasting comment as something akin to interest, the trainer decided to just throw caution to the wind. Just one more adventure before they parted ways. This was actually pretty exciting, she had to admit. ”Okay then. Why not? C’mon, Ter,” she said as enthusiastically as she could. Grace turned back to her human companion and gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder.

”Hey, it was really nice meeting you Jimmy. And thanks for everything! Wishing you the best of luck, especially with not running into anymore of those hound things. But really, hope to see you around!” After saying a quick goodbye as to not completely lose their target, Grace beckoned for her Squirtle and they both followed after one of the dogs, delving deeper into the forest.

Grace goes after Helena

[img]http://media.pldh.net/pokemon/gen5/blackwhite/406.png[/img]
[b]Budew[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 10
OT: School Boy Jimmy
Attacks: Absorb, Stun Spore, Growth, Water Sport
Ability: [choose]
Nature/Personality: [choose]
Happiness: 0

[Tiki]

Smiling at Grace's response, Jimmy was glad to see that and hear that the savior liked his gifts. Parting his Budew with the trainer, he said goodbye to his grass type Pokemon, before handing it over to her and its Pokeball. Seeing how the trainer had decided to pursuit one of the Houndours, Jimmy quickly packed up his bag, thanked Grace again, and head home. Hopefully for the best and safety of course, it would be dire if he found himself in another hostile situation with another Pokemon out here.

After what seemed like two minutes of catching up the speedy dog, Grace and her Squirtle found themselves looking at a path where many Pokemon had stumbled across, leaving various footprints in the wet ground. Well, this might be an issue if you're trying to follow a moving target. Stumbling at this surprise situation, Grace had something between several seconds to a minute or two before the Houndour could wander too far, or fleeing to a place where she could not track down the footprints. So, which footprint would it be?

---

There are many footprints on the road! Which path should Grace follow?

	A	B	C	D	E
1
2
3

OOC: IDK if the pics load, if it isn't let me know in pm.

[BEAR]

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jimmy turn around and head for home, she assumed. Grace dearly hoped that he would have a safe trip home. At least one of them would, she thought with grim humor. After all, she was headed right into the direction of possible danger. Who knows what other things aside from those Houndour lurk in the forest. Grace felt a bubbling, anxious anticipation in the pit of her stomach. Her flight or fight instinct was pulling her in both directions.

Branches and foliage whipping at their faces, Grace and Terry sprinted through the underbrush, ears peeled for the rustling of footsteps ahead. The Squirtle was already hooked on the thought of another adventure, and he sprang eagerly after their target, a determined grin plastered on his round face. It seemed like forever before they decided to stop their running. Chest heaving painfully, Grace took a moment to gather her bearings. Terry was on all fours, sniffing at the damp ground. The girl eyed the dirt curiously. On the soft earth, a medley of footprints smattered the ground. Unfortunately, the footprints were all very different, and they were all going in all different directions. This could be a problem.

Having gone this far already, Grace was not about to let this setback deter her. ”C’mon Terry, let’s figure out which one belongs to that Houndour,” she encouraged her companion, ”Then we can just follow it wherever it goes.” Terry nodded in agreement and began examining the footprints carefully, one eye comically opened wide. The girl started to decipher the many imprints in the ground, but let out a frustrated puff when that wasn’t getting her anywhere. Grace reached into her pack and retrieved the shiny red device. Luckily, it had taken a picture of the Houndour earlier.

She showed Terry the image. ”Here, this might help.” The Squirtle peered at the screen closely and turned back to the ground. Terry whooped triumphantly not a few seconds later. Beckoning his trainer over, he pointed excitedly to a set of tracks that look fresh now that they were focused on it. Grace smiled victoriously; those looked like legitimate Houndour footprints! Offering a ”Good job, Ter!” to her Pokemon, Grace followed what they believed to be the Houndour’s foot imprints, her Squirtle springing right after her.

Grace follows B3

[Rane]

Down the slightly beaten path, the steady footprints of the female Houndour seemed to converge among a mass of tinier footprints, but all distinctly belonging to multiple Houndours. Suddenly a sharp crack sounded through the air and there was a crescendo of howls and whimpers. Up ahead, a large net had trapped a writhing form. Upon closer inspection, it was the female= Houndour earlier, and bunched up against her were four tiny Houndour pups, whining and whimpering against their mother's leg while she struggled to free herself from the net. Unfortunately, the heavy metal net was sturdy against the dog's teeth as her efforts to gnaw through the bindings were futile.

There was a hearty laugh and a large rustle of bushes as a man stepped out. The scruffy-looking poacher had a large sneer across his face, as he brandished the whip and lashed it straight at the female Houndour.
"Don't waste your time you dumb mutt. Now try your best not to ruin that fur coat. I'm sure someone will pay a hefty price for it,"Hunter Travis growled, his whip cracking menacingly through the air, which caused all the Houndours to huddle close to the ground, shaking with fear.

"Better bag up you lot before some Officer comes by then,"Travis muttered, about to walk back to his truck when he spotted Grace.

"Oi, you! Got some nerve just standing there. You gonna try to report me?"Travis snarled, trying to hide the fear in his tone.

"Guess I'm gonna have to shut you up then. Sneasel!"

Travis chucked a Pokeball straight into the air. The capsule burst open and the Sneasel lept out. The Ice-Pokemon flexed its claws menacingly, as if itching to get into a fight.

Hunter Travis is ready to fight you!
He sends out his Sneasel (Lvl 10)

[BEAR]

The pair continued to follow the tracks deeper into the forest. Actually, Grace wasn’t entirely sure where they were going now. Her sense of direction was muddled with every step that she took. Her Squirtle only seemed engrossed in the footprints, his nose practically pressed against the dirt ground. He paused in curious surprise when he started to notice more tracks similar to the first. His interest peaked, Terry pressed on.

A loud crack made them both jump. The two stopped dead in their tracks and exchanged looks of puzzlement, senses alert. A chorus of cries followed the cracking noise promptly. It sounded like it wasn’t too far away. Goosebumps prickling her skin, Grace peered through the foliage up ahead. She gasped in confusion at the sight. A ball of fur, where the whimpering was coming from, was jerking to and fro in a net that lay on the dirt. Terry noticed it first. The ball of fur was actually the Houndour that they were tracking, and to their surprise, she wasn’t alone. Entangled within the net are a couple of Houndour pups, all emitting those whining sounds.

Grace hesitated. Those canine creatures not only frightened Jimmy, but they also gave her quite a scare as well. Seeing the Houndour’s bared fangs and angry eyes gave the girl no motivation to get any closer. Terry was also very conflicted. He wasn’t too happy to see the Houndour again, but he could tell that something was definitely wrong. They started to move forward when a low laugh rang in the air. A man with a long whip in his hands stepped out into view. He flayed his weapon at his catch, and the Houndours weren’t the only ones who flinched. Grace’s fear seemed to be solely caused by the scary man at this point.

Panic completely seized her when the man finally noticed her. She basically cowered under his threatening growl. Oh, shoot. What was she gonna do now. There was no way she would be able to overpower this man. Oh, heck, he’d probably have her knocked out within seconds. Grace didn’t even start thinking until the man brought out a Pokemon. Completely forgetting that fighting happened between Pokemon now, she couldn’t help but feel relieved. The man’s little buddy, a two-legged creature with some of the sharpest claws she’s ever seen, looked scary, but not as scary and big as its owner. Grace grabbed for her own Pokeball, a trickle of confidence slipping back into her system.

She cleared her throat as covertly as she could. ”Um. You know, I think I remember seeing an officer on the way here. I’m thinking I might want to report you now.” she bluffed boldly, knowing that she’ll definitely go find an officer after this but not knowing how or where she’d do it, ”I’d say they wouldn’t like how you’re treating those dogs!” Grace took a second to observe the strange Pokemon. She knew the best opponent for this vicious-looking creature. A Pokeball spun in the air, and Kenna the Fennekin appeared. The haughty eyes stared down the Sneasel.

”Alright Kenna, they’re up for a fight. Let’s give ‘em a good one. Fire away!” Grace said to her Pokemon, subconsciously taking a step back. Kenna’s ears pricked, and she smiled a devilish smile as her jaws opened and fire sparked between her teeth. All it took was a puff of air to send the embers flying through the air.

ooc//Fennekin used Ember

[Tarlar]

Helena the houndour had been too busy worried for her pups and their situation to think much about who else was arriving, but as the poacher's attention turned away from her to someone else, she did take a quick look to see what was going on.
She started to whine fearfully, not those again, had they pursuit her all this way? She tried move on top of her pups to protect them from the new threat that had arrived, not thinking that Grace and Terry was trying to stop the poacher and maybe even help her, now they had just beaten her in a fair fight.

The poacher made a weird grimace before he too managed to hide his fear. A officer this close? That didn't sound promising.
He looked down his nose at Grace and narrowed his eyes, doing his best to act tough and without fear.
"You're bluffing!" He accused her, "There are no'ne around in this part of the forest, and you are too skittish to run very far," He mocked her keeping up his bluff.
He scratched his neck at he stole a quick glance around, he didn't like the thought of someone with authority maybe was running around and risk being discovered. He decided to try end it quickly.
Sneasel grinned wickedly and excited when the little firefox appeared and it rubbed its claws together, making an awefully screeching sound, which even the poacher had to cover an ear for.
"I'll finish you up quickly, and then you won't be able to run anywhere," the poacher said threateningly before he too grinned, "You are going to regret standing up to me."

Kenna had to cover her ears as the terrible sound tormentet her ears, and it didn't stop before she managed to spew embers after the ice type, which it was slashed through by the long claws. It didn't do anything to stop the embers, but the sneasel looked really cool doing it, and it licked its lips like it was hungry for more.

---

Pokemon battle.
Weather: None in effect

Poacher's Sneasel |Lvl 10|
Health: 24/34 (31)
Status: Normal
Used: Screech

Grace's Kenna |Lvl 8|
Health: 26/26 (17)
Status: Normal (-2def)
Used: Ember

[BEAR]

Her heart was racing a million miles a minute. He was calling her bluff. Was he calling her bluff? Could he see right through her? He was seeing right through her, wasn’t he? She wished she was a better liar, especially in times like these. Grace did her best to also hide her fear behind a confident glare, though it was faltering by the second. She swallowed, hoping that her voice wouldn’t shake when she opened to speak.

”Fine, you can think whatever you want, whatever helps you sleep at night. But don’t say I didn’t tell you so when they find you.” Confidence was slipping into her tone gradually, and Grace tried not to think about what would happen if any of this were to go wrong. ”I mean, you won’t exactly be hard to track down, what with all that loud whipping you’ve been doing! I’d be surprised if they didn’t show up within the next few minutes!”

She was getting an adrenaline rush from this. This was outright lying! Before she could continue though, she was forced to clap her hands against her ear. A horrible, horrible noise rent the air, and she was sure her brain was thinking of ways to explode. The girl had to crouch down to her knees, palms pressed firmly against her auricle as the sound succeeded in piercing her eardrums. ( "Arghhh, make it stop! Pleeease!" ) Terry was on the ground, ducking his head into the ground, his feet kicking madly. Even Kenna cringed as she held her ears down.

Everyone was able to regain their senses when the Sneasel stopped the heinous noise and instead used its claws to jab at Kenna’s attack. The Fennekin looked immensely irritated at the Sneasel’s show. ( "Want some more? Then just say so!" ) she shrieked as she pounced forward, fire dancing in her mouth. She lifted her chin back and launched a cluster at the weasel creature once more.

Grace's head was still ringing. ”Yeah, Kenna! Ember again!”

ooc//used Ember

[Tarlar]

The Poahcer couldn't help but take a slight step backwards and look around nervously when Grace mentioned They could arrive within a few minutes. She was a bit too confident for his taste, perhaps she really did know something.
His Sneasel was unmoved though, getting discovered only meant more battles and all its focus was on Kenna. At the moment it wanted nothing more than to beat her, it wanted extinguish her flame and see her lying defeated for its feet.
As she raced towards it, shrieking with anger, it smiled maliously and leaped forward to meet her. Her fury would make her less wary and easier for it to get to her soft spots. It was sure it would be really easy to teach this fire type, that they were no match for a sneasel, not even with a type advantage, and it wanted this pretty faced pokemon to understand, she had nothing to do out battling. She should stay home and snooze in front of a fireplace, that was the only thing she would be good at.

The sneasel easily dodged Kenna's first attempted embers by spinning to the left. It brought it to the fennekin's side and it sent her to the ground with a few deep slashed at her shoulder and back.
Her survival instinct kicked in and with a quick turn of her head she covered her opponent in flames that more looked like a flamethrower than an Ember.
Sneasel staggered backwards, fighting to stay on its feet while it stared shocked at Kenna. Slowly its shock turned to fury and it placed its long claws against the ground, while it fought to catch its breath again. It would make her pay for doing something like that against it.

The Poacher's first triumf quickly turned into badly hidden worry, when Kenna showed unepected strength, but as his sneasel stayed on its feet, and he knew how quickly it was, he got some of his confidence again.
"Why should you warn me about people running around looking for me, instead of just getting them and sawing your own pretty face?" He asked mockingly, "even though your little fire friend has some well hidden strenghts, it won't be any match for my sneasel, look at them," he said threateningly and pointed at the pokemon, "which one looks like they are ready to strike first?"

"Anyway, that chance is long gone now, and I will hope for you that you really have heard someone out here, since I'm going to give you her net," He said threateningly as he pointed at the whining houndour.
He was about to step forward when something dropped from the sky and he spun around running a few steps away, before he realized it wasn't someone out to get him, that had arrived.
It was a delibird, a lightpurpled delibird, who had landed right in front of Grace, completely oblivious to the battle going on behind it.
It cheerfully waved a wing and a little snow started to sprinkle down on only Grace, then it pulled a nicely wrapped present out of its sack-like tail and handed it to the girl. If she didn't take it, it would leave it at her feet.
It would then pull out a snower-figured cookie, which it would happily munch on, as it took to the sky again.
The present would contain three Rare Candies.

The Poacher had been stared at the strange looking pokemon, when it started to take off, he woke up to action.
"A delibird, a PINK DELIBIRD?! Sneasel wuickly, get it! Don't let it get away!" He shouted urgently to his pokemon while he found out another pokeball, ready to call out his second partner.
Sneasel turned its head but the delibrid was already far out of reach and disappeared before the poacher could do anything about it.
Instead he turned to glare at Grace.
"You are going to pay for this! First you are interrupting my capture of the houndours and now you have been robbing me chance of getting pink delibird, do you have any idea how much money I could have got for it?!" He shouted furiously, blaming her of everything.

---

Pokemon battle.
Weather: None in effect

Poacher's Sneasel |Lvl 10|
Health: 7/34 (31)
Status: Normal
Used: Scratch

Grace's Kenna |Lvl 8|
Health: 6/26 (17)
Status: Normal (-2def)
Used: Ember (Blaze activated)

~~~

The Holiday Delibird has arrived to give you a gift!

x3

(ooc: updated the rare candies)

[BEAR]

”Oh, crap,” Grace uttered softly under her breath. Sure enough, this battle was more difficult than she could imagine. She eyed the Sneasel warily. That thing creeped the heck out of her. Its sharp claws, deadly smile, and vicious eyes, everything. Even more malicious than its trainer, she would say. And it was really strong too, if Kenna’s current state was any indication. Her Fennekin looked visibly shaken, even though she tried her hardest to not show it. The gashes on her flanks and back were an angry red. Kenna was barely able to stand on her own, wincing in pain at every slightest move. She clenched her jaw together lividly, eyes burning into her opponent. She had managed to channel all her anger and energy into that last attack, surprising even her trainer, and she was happy to see that Sneasel took quite a hit from it. Now for just one more… She must power through.

At this point, Grace was beyond caring if this nasty man called her bluff. She almost wanted him to, just so that when he was defeated, he’d know that it was at the hands of a puny girl and her pipsqueak Pokemon. His regained confidence only spurred her to speak. Grace was admittedly surprised by the fire in her voice. ”I’m not very interested in saving my own pretty face,” she changed her voice the last few words to mock the man, ”but I’m here to help out those Houndour that you captured. That looks pretty illegal to me.” She pointedly looked at the hounds encased in the net.

Grace mocked her fear when the man threatened to stuff her in the net instead. ”First Pokemon, now humans too? Man... What kind of business are you running?” Fired up and eager to exchange more blows, Grace was more than ready to call out Kenna’s next move. She almost did too, until her eyes swept over the Fennekin, and her heart seized. The fox Pokemon was limped over, fur matted with sweat and ears slightly drooping. The cuts had seemed to get brighter. Her eyes were still very angry, however. ( “I will… kill… you," ) she quietly seethed to herself. Her trainer stared at her helplessly. This was bad.

( "I’m no doctor, but I don’t think the little lady would be able to handle much more," ) commented Terry from the sidelines. He too was concerned for his teammate’s well-being, and Terry shot Sneasel a furious glare. He buffed up and took a step forward threatening, ready to jump in if it made any move towards Kenna. He wasn’t liking this man trainer from the start, and his Pokemon was just as malicious.

All action halted when another visitor arrived on the scene. Like the poacher, Grace thought her made-up help was actually for real and had actually come. Her hope turned into puzzlement when she realized what it was. A strange bird fluttered from the sky and landed right in front of her. Kenna even turned around to see what was going on. The avian waved at her, and Grace could only wave back, very stunned. Her eyes widened when she noticed white particles floating down on her from the sky. Too confused by the sudden change in weather, she didn’t notice the bird fetching her present until it held it out to her. ”Uh… thanks,” she mumbled in bewilderment, observing her small package like a strange-looking food she’d never seen before. Just as the feathered creature arrived, it disappeared. Grace shook her head slightly. What is with this place?!

She snapped back to reality when the poacher man started shouting at her, accusing her of meddling into every aspect of his pathetic life. She was about to think that this man was way too obsessed with Pokemon until he mentioned money, and that’s when she straightened up. ”Oh, so, this is all for your commission, huh? Now that definitely doesn’t sound legal.” Grace had all the more reason to stop this creep of a guy. She just has to find a way past his Pokemon. Looking at Kenna worryingly, Grace knew she had to make her smartest moves from here on out.

”Let’s get you away from here, sweetie.” She inflated her Fennekin’s Pokeball. The fiery fox only managed to look over her shoulder, her face red with rage, before the light engulfed her and took her in. Grace grabbed another spherical contraption. ”Opais, get ready for some action.”

Her caramel-colored pup appeared in a flash, tail wagging happily. She observed her new opponent curiously, seemingly unfazed by its ferocious demeanor. ( "Geez, who lit a fire under its butt?" ) The puppy Pokemon jumped around, warming herself up cheerfully. When she noticed Terry, she send him a cheeky wink, to which the Squirtle groaned, crossed his arms, and looked away. ( "This one? Really? We don't have any other able-bodied Pokemon?" )

”Alright Opais, this is a tough one, but I think we can do it. Tackle!” Grace yelled. The Lillipup barked brightly and dropping her head slightly, made a dash into the open space between her and the Sneasel.

ooc//switched in Lillipup, used Tackle

[Thirdie]

Fuming at his missed chance with the Delibird, Hunter Travis decided the meddling girl really was bluffing. Not only was she delaying him, she had prevented him from getting the special price. He gathered all his confidence to order his Sneasel into a final attack. It helped a great deal that the so-called officer had yet to show their face. His reasoning and anger combined, the girl's own boost of confidence or determination did little to deter him. "Sneasel, slice them up." He ordered coldly, having calmed down enough not to shout, and instead put all his focus in getting rid of the girl, and get the Houndours away from here, before the police actually decided to arrive.

Sneasel watched Grace take the Fennekin to safety, and grimaced with fury. He had wanted to finish the fox off, so she would never again dare to face an ice type like himself. Instead Sneasel faced another dog, whom immediately started spouting nonsense, and Sneasel stared it down with just as much fury as the fox had deserved. He raised his claws enough from the ground to run them against each other to produce the horrible screech once more.
The sound went to the bones and probably made it ring for Opais sensitive ears. Opais ran for her Tackle anyway, and at the same time Sneasel set in motion too. Though exhausted from Kenna's Ember attacks, he still managed to seem just as agile, flitting across the forest floor like an arrow. Just when they were to collide, Sneasel turned in the air and sliced out with his claws, scratching Opais' side, so golden hair fluttered up. Opais was quick to follow up, and turned on a plate, when Sneasel evaded the head on collision. Somehow Sneasel hadn't expected that, and Opais ran straight into his stomach, sending him flying and tumpling along the ground. When Sneasel finally stilled, his claws clicked together once, but nothing else happened.

Hunter Travis watched all this with clenched teeth. He had been so sure, the girl's weak Pokemon was no match for his Sneasel, and now it just lay there unmoving. Colour drained off his face, but he went on with his plan. He still had one Pokemon left to save his hide, and though not his powerhouse like Sneasel, he had it for a reason. "Don't you dare think you have me beaten, just because Sneasel is done." He threatened, while letting out his second choice. A Zubat showed up above his head, and he pointed to Grace and her Pokemon. "Distract" was the only word he said to it, before he chanced a look to his net with the Houndours. He was still angry, but the downed Sneasel had been like a bucket of cold water on his head. He better just cut his losses, and get away.

---

Trainer Battle
Weather: None in effect

Hunter Travis' Sneasel♂ |Lvl 10|
HP: 0/34 (spd 31)
Status: Faintedl
Used Screech, then Scratch

Grace' Opais♀ |Lvl 9|
HP: 9/29 (spd 17)
Status: Normal (-2 def)
Changed in. Used Tackle

Opais won against Sneasel, gained 3 levels, and is now level 12! She got +1 happiness, now on 2.
She can learn Baby-Doll Eyes and Helping Hand, if she forgets something else


Kenna helped with Sneasel, gained 1 level, and is now level 9! She got +1 happiness, now on 1.


Hunter Travis sent out Zubat (level 10)!
Do you wish to change Pokemon?

[BEAR]

( "Hehehe, how do you like that, you brute!" ) Opais barked loudly at Sneasel in triumph. She tried to peek over her shoulder at the cut on her flank and growled in frustration before turning back to the downed Sneasel. She smirked smugly. ( "Those nasty things aren’t doing any more work today!" ) She was relieved that Sneasel was down for the count. It didn’t take an expert to see that it was a powerful creature. Opais was now looking at the other trainer, and she crooked her head curiously. With her keen awareness, this Lillipup could sense this man Travis’ emotions, though she wasn’t too sure what to make of it, except that it amused her. She cracked a winning smile at the older human, raised her rump in the air, and wiggled it eagerly.

Grace watched another figure materialize from a Pokeball, groaning inwardly about having to continue this confrontation. She was ecstatic when the Sneasel finally went down from Opais’ Tackle. But she supposed this man wasn’t completely finished yet. Oh, boy. She lifted an eyebrow apprehensively. A blue bat was frantically flapping in the air, its wings making a purple blur. The Lillipup on the ground raised her head to look at the newcomer. ( "What a strange-looking bird!" ) The young adult retrieved her Pokedex, aiming the sensor toward the avian Pokemon. What’s with this man and creepy-looking Pokemon?

”Okay girl, this shouldn’t be any harder than that other one, so leggo!” Grace encouraged her canine companion. She observed the situation closely. Well, the biggest problem is that this Zubat was airborne… and Opais was not. She couldn’t guess how high Opais would be able to launch herself into the air. Well, worth a shot. ”Let’s see that lower body strength. Tackle, please!”

The puppy Pokemon barked excitedly and readied herself to pounce when she noticed the human male did something peculiar. Her attention diverted, she followed the man’s eyes. Ah ha! She knew there was something fishy about this one. She finally spotted the huddle of Houndour off to the side. Lillipup tilted her head in surprise when she noticed that one of them was the Houndour in the clearing. The one that she took jabs at, actually. What were they doing here? Why were they hiding in a net? That seemed awfully suspicious… She let out a couple of soft whimpers, as if trying to communicate to her fellow canine. It didn’t take her long to realize that the other Houndours were not adults but puppies. Opais’ senses went on full alert, and she turned to Hunter Travis furiously. This guy was definitely bad news!

She started barking. ( "Why are they in there? There are babies! I have a feeling you got something to do with it, don’tcha? Let them go, you nasty human!" ) Opais completely veered away from anything to do with the Zubat and honed in on the trapped Pokemon and their poacher. Regardless of the fact that she and the other canine were duking it out earlier, in the end, they all had a bond and should have each others’ backs. And Opais wasn’t going down without a fight. She promptly padded off of the battlefield and towards the Houndour, stopping a little ways away and growling softly, body in an offensive stance.

”Uh, wait Opais, we’re not done yet,” Grace called hesitantly to her now AWOL Pokemon. ”That meanie isn’t going anywhere. Just gotta take care of his bodyguards.” The pup only tilted her head in response and barked once. Her trainer wasn’t quite sure of how to continue, but she did glance nervously at the bat Pokemon. Opais basically had her back turned to it, uninterested in picking a fight with it at this time. Okay then. Thinking quickly, Grace pulled out another Pokeball. ”It’s okay, girl. You can keep an eye on him, and we’ll take care of this Pokemon.” She chucked the sphere forward, whereupon it burst open, revealing her Blitzle. The black and white creature whinnied loudly and stomped. Grace almost regretted her decision but brushed it off to the best of her ability. This day was already going off the charts in terms of crazy; what’s another fun incident.

”Aight Barco, let’s show ‘em what you can do!” Grace paused to frantically go through the Pokedex for her available options, as she had no idea what this creature was capable of. She hesitated. Well, this happened sooner rather than later. This thing was an Electric type, like that Mareep, and she knew what that meant. The girl steeled herself. They could start off easy, with a weak electric charge. Yeah, that was a good idea. ”Okay, Thunder Wave?”

In the time that it took Grace to call a command, Barco was restlessly pawing the earth. He swung his head back to glare at his so-called trainer defiantly. Grace couldn’t help but shrink back, hands coming up almost instinctively. The Blitzle snorted, but decided to humor the girl for now. He faced his airborne opponent and lifted his head, the spiky white of his mane glowing.

ooc//
gonna clear stuff up in case anything got lost in the text:
taking Lillipup out of battle, just wanted to do something different, if that was okay haha.
She won’t attack or anything dealing with Travis or the Houndour unless mod starts something.
putting in Blitzle and using Thunder Wave.
and on Lillipup, only forgetting Odor Sleuth for Baby-Doll Eyes