Tarlar
Cap Queen
Posts: 28,300
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Post by Tarlar on Sept 23, 2019 7:59:03 GMT 11
Scenario: A suspicious looking red-haired passerby boy is lurking around the lab... She ran through the dark forest which was both unknown and confusing but she trusted her nose and ran straight ahead. The scent was like a colorful string that was easy for her to follow and she was determined not to let this one get away. She barked to let her partners know where she was and that she was on the trail. The scent got mingled with something else and very strong that made her sneeze, an attempt to make her lose her target! It was not going to happen, she made her way around and found the scent again as she came to the rocks, she sprinted after it having lost too much time already.
She eyed a small creek ahead and got ready to jump when the forest darkened around her and began to feel threatening. Fear gripped her, she knew that something bad was going to happen but she had to do the jump, she had to… A looming shadow came rushing towards her from the corner of her eye…With a yelp she jerked awake and looked fearfully around while her heart threatened to beat its way out of her chest. "Oh Themis, did you sleep badly? Did your leg bother you again?" A gentle voice said and Themis wagged her tail to reassure the kind woman who was one of her caretakers. The woman said down and let her hands run over Themis’ injured leg and the growlithe laid down and tried to relax. The town was drowsy in the afternoon sun and only a few pidgeys were chirping in the trees around, it was peaceful but Themis wondered how long she had to stay here, and feared she would never get back into action. Themis couldn’t remember much of what had happened to be honest. She had been tracking down a criminal and followed their scent through the wilderness with her partner and the rest of his pokemon following as fast as they could. Then a pokemon of the criminal had attacked her and she had fought back hard but had been left unconscious and injured behind. She didn’t even know if the criminal had been caught afterwards as everybody just told her she should relax and concentrate on getting healthy. She expected they hadn’t. Themis winced as the caretaker found a sore spot, and the woman apologized and massaged more gently. It was nice here but it wasn’t what Themis wanted, especially since no-one told her anything and just said she should relax and enjoy her time off. She would, if she had known it was just time off and she would get back in duty again at some point, and if they told her how it was with her leg instead of brushing it off like she wouldn't understand. It was frustrating, she was not a puppy! She wondered when she was going to see her human partner, she missed him and the rest of the team dearly but she understood that they were needed to continue working while she recovered. She had to admit she probably wouldn’t have been able to bear it had she lived at home with them and watching them go on patrols everyday without her. They also visited her fairly often, but they acted like they expected that she was not going to join them ever again, although they denied such thing. "Better now Themis?" The caretaker said gently and themis answered by wagging her tail a few times. The woman chuckled and gave her a few pats. "Just relax and enjoy the sun. I’ll be back with some snack soon!" The woman promised and went back inside. Themis sighed again. At least she didn’t need to get that awfully tasting medicine she had gotten in the beginning, although she had happily accepted it back then since she was just relieved to be out of the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy had been sweet an all but there had been too much pain, too much horrible medicine and too much worrying. It had been a relief to be transferred here to New Bark Town and the caretakers when she was well enough, she just got a bit impatient when they tried to protect her from what was going on. Themis’ ear flicked and her eyes focused on a red-haired boy that was walking towards the house where the Pokemon Professor lived. She frowned and lifted her head to look closer at the boy, he almost crept along the wall while glancing around nervously. Themis looked suspiciously at him, she could sense when someone was up to no good and this boy clearly had something planned, he didn’t want others to see. She looked back at the house but the caretaker was not in sight, so no one she could warn about him. She looked at the boy again as he sneaked around the corner, well she might not be on duty but she couldn’t just sit and do nothing. -------------- Pokemon info: GrowlitheName: Themis Gender: Female Level: 1 OT: Astrid Lindgaard Attacks: Bite, Roar, Close Combat EMAbility: Intimidate Nature/Personality: Serious. Themis is a trained police dog who has gotten a leg injury and after her rehabilitation got partnered with Astrid to give her a chance to continue to work but at a slower pace. She has a lot of knowledge of the work and is strict about the rules and very, very dutiful. She lives and breathes for the life of a police dog.
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Tarlar
Cap Queen
Posts: 28,300
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Post by Tarlar on Oct 6, 2019 7:17:40 GMT 11
The boy was easy to follow and Themis padded after him calmly while making sure she got a good sniff of his scent. She might need to track him down later and that would be much easier if she knew what to go for. The Professor’s house was quite big and with a fenced park connected to it, from her understanding it was because a lot of trainer sent the pokemon they didn’t use there. Themis sighed wearily, technically that was the case with her as well at the moment, she hoped she wouldn’t have to stay here forever. She had heard the stories and had always felt lucky not to be on a normal trainer team but one for a police officer.
The growlithe lifted her nose and sniffed as she passed an open window, she could smell unknow humans and what had at least to be part water types but not hint of the boy. She trotted on following his scent around the building and paused as she smelled it strongly against the wall, he must have placed a hand there or something to do so, perhaps by peeking around the corner? She took a step forward and spotted him. He moved towards the door which was there, she waited, perhaps she had been wrong and he had just been nervous or felt ashamed of coming here, who knows? He paused at the door and Themis watched him patiently, she pretended to sniff at something on the ground as he shot a glance around. He leaned towards the door and placed an ear against it to listen, then quietly withdrew and silently continued along the wall. Themis’s expression darkened. She waited until he had turned the next corner and then swiftly padded after him, she could hear happy voices from adult humans as she passed the door. Had the boy come here to meet the professor he would certainly had knocked on the door. She peaked around the corner to see if he was there, he was and was very suspiciously looking through a window. She stepped forward with a low growl as he began to try pry it open. He froze. He slowly looked backwards with a haunted look in his eyes which changed to one of confusion when he spotted her. He looked around as if he was looking for a trainer to her and of course found none, he looked suspiciously at her and kept glancing around. She sent him her best stern glare to discourage him from what he was doing, but he didn’t seem intimidated at all. "Shoo! Get lost," he told her but she didn’t move. Themis wasn’t going to lose this standoff and instead sat down to stare him down. He looked rather frustrated.
"Themis? Where are you?" A worried voice called, Themis flicked an ear but didn’t move. The boy looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Over here!" He then called out which was find with Themis. "Themis! Good Cresselia you are alright," the caretaker exclaimed, "but what are you doing?" She continued and Themis lowered her head to stare down the boy, she couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. "You should keep your dog under control," the boy said calmly. "I’m so sorry, she usually doesn’t do things like this. I hope she hasn’t been of any trouble?" she said apologizing and Themis blinked confused. "She growled a bit but that is all," he said and the caretaker gasped. "Themis! How could you!" The caretaker gasped and grabbed her by the gruff. Themis whelped surprised and struggled as she was dragged away. "I’m so sorry, it will not happen again!" she called to the boy and then continued to scold Themis who whined confused. The boy watched her coldly until she was out of sight.
Themis paced back and forth in the garden while the caretaker’s pidgeotto watched her. ”You need to relax, that is best for your leg,” he pointed out calmly and she growled quietly to which he did not react. ”I can’t! Who knows what he is up to? If my partner had been here, he’d understand! He would have warned him instead of scolding me and giving him free reins!” She complained frustrated and stopped at the fence to try scent him and get any information that way. ”It’s not your responsibility, you are here to relax,” the pidgeotto continued and she turned to glare at him. ”I am a police dog! It is my job!” She snarled. ”Perhaps, but you are not on duty, and if you don’t take care of your leg you might not get back to being active again,” he said seriously and she sent him a torn look. His gazed gently back. ”Look, I must admit I don’t really understand you and why you find it so important, but there are plenty of trainers around to deal with things, it will be alright even if that boy are planning on making troubles. Our goal is to get you fully back to health so that you can go back to doing what you do, but you have to let others take over in the meantime and focus on yourself, alright?” He asked and jumped down from the fence to join her. Themis sat down defeated and with a last longing glance through the fence she nodded and followed the bird to the shade under a tree.
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Tarlar
Cap Queen
Posts: 28,300
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Post by Tarlar on Oct 6, 2019 7:18:05 GMT 11
Themis sat with her ears laid back as she listened to the commotion going on. ”What did I tell you?” She asked the pidgeotto who was sitting beside her. ”You have no evidence he is the culprit, besides they will find the clues and solve this. Remember..” he said and Themis interrupted him. ”..That I’m not on duty, I know! But he showed all the signs!” Themis growled frustrated and cursed the day she got injured. ”It is a shame you don’t trust others to be able to do the job,” the pidgeotto said quietly and Themis bristled. ”As I see it, you have two options. You can either let others handle this, or do it yourself with the risk of it being your last task,” he said brutally honest and Themis glanced at her leg. It had been a bit stiff after she had returned and had relaxed a bit, but nothing more. She guessed that if she had pushed on it would have hurt more. She laid down with a sigh and the pidgeotto smiled kindly to her. ”I don’t even know if they plan on getting my back on duty again or not,” she mumbled sadly.
Themis did her best to relax throughout the day but it was hard as she had first parquet to the investigation and it didn’t sound like it went well. Their talk revealed a starter pokemon was missing from the lab and that a window had been pried open, they disagreed whether the pokemon had done so itself or someone had taken it. They had no clues and from what Themis could hear, they knew little about how to solve the mystery. They sent out search parties in random directions which all returned with no answers. She found it hard to lay still, she felt restless and torn. She knew how to do this! If she got the scent of the pokemon she could track it down and give them the answers they wanted! But they didn’t want her to, and she would jeopardize her own future if she strained her leg. Themis felt more and more sure it had been the boy that had taken the pokemon, it all fitted too well. The window and the way he had sneaked around, but of course she knew not to accuse someone before she had any proof.
A few moments later Themis sneaked out of a hole in the fence, she glanced back to make sure she wasn’t spotted and then hurried to where she had seen the boy last. She didn’t want to do much, just try see if she could get some answers from the scents. If he had left the building or his scent mingled with someone else showing that he had indeed taken contact with the people living there, she had been wrong and she could go back to relaxing. If not, she wasn’t sure what she’d do then.
Themis made her way to where she had seen the boy last and sniffed around, his scent was strong around the window even though it was mingled with a lot of others. She could instantly rule out the idea that the pokemon had gotten out by itself, the only pokemon scent here, besides her own, was stale and from something wearing feathers. The door was open but without the boy’s scent, she trotted inside and smelled the inside of the window. His scent was there and stronger that the others, so he at least had gone through it, while everyone else had used the door. She followed his scent to a table at the opposite wall, which smelled of pokeballs and then searched the room to make sure he hadn’t moved anywhere else, but his scent only lead to and from the window. He must have gone out the same way as he got in.
The trail took her to the woods and her fur bristled as it reminded her of her last tracking, the further she went the more she felt watched. She paused and shook her fur in an attempt to get rid of the uneasy feeling, she was surprised how much it affected her. When she found her target near a small path she was shaking, she stepped forward and while both the red-haired boy and the Chikorita had been prepared for something coming, neither had expected to see her. The boy’s face darkened and his eyes darted around as he tried to figure out if she was on her own or not. ”Are you okay?” Chikorita asked worried and almost took a step forward but thought better of it. Themis gave her a short nod and asked, ”are you from the Lab?” Chikorita looked surprised and nodded, Themis bared her teeth at the boy and the grass type looked really nervous. ”He has stolen you, don’t worry I’ll get you back safely,” she promised. ”What?! No! Wait! Don’t do that!” Chikorita exclaimed and Themis looked startled at her. The grass type looked down uncomfortably and smiled tentatively. ”I know what he did but please, don’t take me back,” Chikorita said quietly and glanced back at her trainer. "Chikorita, get rid of that pest!" The boy ordered coldly but Chikorita hesitated even though he looked like a thunderstorm for not being obeyed instantly. ”Why not?” Themis said not understanding and Chikorita took a deep breath. ”I have waited so long to get chosen by a trainer and had almost given up, but now someone has finally chosen me, perhaps not in a very good way but he seems pleased with me at least and I have already learned a lot” she explained hopefully and looked beggingly at Themis who was still doubtful. Chikorita’s expression turned more rebellious. ”Isn’t it my decision to make though? I am the one he took but if I want to stay there is no harm done, right? I was going to be giving away to a trainer in the end after all,” she argued and then added more softly, ”I can keep him from doing things like that again, I promise you that. Beside I feel that he needs someone he can trust and rely on, I can help him!” Themis studied the young grass pokemon for a long time, then she lowered her head in begrudgingly acceptance. ”I cannot promise you that others aren’t tracking you down to solve the crime,” she warned and Chikorita looked relieved and nodded to show she was aware that it was out of Themis’ hands.
Later Themis lay in the grass at the caretaker’s house, she had gotten back without being discovered surprisingly. Her leg was sore after all the exercise but she was more bothered by the decision of letting the thief go with the chikorita, had it been the right thing to do? Had it been a choice for them to make? The boy hadn’t exactly seemed kind and Chikorita would have a hard time getting out of his grasps again if she regretted her decision later on. It was too late to do anything about it now though but Themis found it hard to let it go.
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Tarlar
Cap Queen
Posts: 28,300
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Post by Tarlar on Oct 6, 2019 7:18:25 GMT 11
Epilogue
Themis watched excitedly as her human partner came up the street, unlike the other times he had come to visit her, she stayed put and did not run up to greet him and the rest of the team. They were all in full uniform as they were here to work, she therefore restrained herself and only her tail showed how happy she was to see them. They went straight up to greet her though and she almost felt like she was a part of the team again, almost. A herdier was with them and she greeted her kindly although a little knot appeared in her belly, she understood that they needed someone with a good nose to do their job, but she feared it meant she might not go back to them.
Just as Themis had expected the police had been called to deal with the stolen pokemon and Themis followed to listen as he talked with the people working in the lab. ”Alright, and what has Themis figured out?” The police officer asked when he had finished some questions about what they had seen, the people in the lab coats looked confused and he gestured to her sitting nearby. ”Oh, but she is here because she is sick so of course we haven’t forced her to do any work,” one of the assistance explained and the officer waved dismissive at her. ”Her leg might be injured but her head and nose works just fine. I’d wish you had used her to get just a bit of information about this as the scent marks are getting old and harder to follow, I hope we can still solve this even after all this time,” he said a bit worried. Themis’ chest was filled with pride that he still had confidence in her abilities, although she felt unsure if she should share her knowledge. If the chikorita wished to stay with the boy it felt like she was betraying her if she helped others find her and probably take her away from her thief.
Themis couldn’t help but to follow as her team was showed to the crime scene and she watched as the herdier went to work. She did have all the right technique but she lacked the advantage Themis had had, knowing what to look for from the start. The herdier was on a complete blank slate and though she could find a lot of smells it was hard to find something when you didn’t really know what you were searching for. The growlithe fidgeted for a while but then got to her feet and patted to the herdier, who paused to look hesitantly at her. ”You are doing great,” Themis said with a little smile and patted past her to the window and turned to look back at the other dog, who narrowed her eyes at her. Then she trotted over and sniffed around, when she found the scent that lead through the window, the only one that did that, her eyes widened, and she hurried inside to follow it there. Themis avoided the looks of her team who had been watching the exchange curiously. Soon after the herdier marked that she had found a clue and they went to see what she could tell them. Themis watched them sadly as the herdier lead them towards the forest on their chase, with a drooping tail she turned and slowly walked back to the caretakers.
A couple of hours later Themis tensed as she spotted her former partners coming back from the forest, she was not surprised when she saw their disappointed faces. The drooped ears and tail of the herdier made her feel guilty though. Themis knew very well the feeling of having failed to track something down, you let down the whole team then, and this time it was actually her fault by holding back information. She got up and guiltily padded over to them. She was met by questioning looks and she found it hard to look at them while she explained what she knew and her encounter with the chikorita and the thief.
”She wanted to stay with him?” Mars the Jumpluff said surprised when Themis has finished her story. ”Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I wasn’t sure what to do,” Themis apologized. ”That isn’t like you at all,” Artemis the crustle joked while winking. Themis glanced at her with a little smile, relieved they didn’t hold any grudges. ”It wouldn’t have make much difference while tracking down unless we had found them, it will be a help now we know what to look for. We’ll make sure to get the information shared and then I’m certain we will capture him in no time,” Mars said reassuringly.
A shadow fell over Themis and she looked up at her human partner. He looked concerned as he crouched in front of her, and Themis’ heartrate became rapid while her breath got caught in her throat. He sighed wearily and Themis knew the answer before he spoke. ”I’m afraid you won’t be joining us again,” he said quietly and quickly continued as sorrow clouded Themis’ eyes. ”But there is a chance you can get back to duty! A big one in fact, if you want to that is.” He paused to stop his rambling and had more control of his voice has he continued. ”Your injury will make it too much of a risk to be at the frontline as usual, neither of us are willing to take it,” he told her and the rest of the team nodded solemnly, even the herdier. ”What happens next is up to you. If you want to stay with us you can get retired and come live with us,” he said and caressed the side of her head with a hand. ”But I get a feeling that is not what you wish for,” he added softly. ”The other option is for you to get a new partner whose work is more slowed down, but where you can continue to make a difference and use that great head of yours, sharing all of your experience,” he told her smiling knowingly with tears glinting in his eyes, Themis pushed her head at his hand, feeling like her heart was being pulled apart. There weren’t really any choices to be made though.
Later in the day Themis sat in the caretaker’s garden and watched as her former team left the town, setting out on the hunt for the pokemon thief once more. She was devastated that they parted ways, that the years of teamwork was over, but on the other hand she was immensely relieved she was going to be on active duty again, proud that they saw her as an asset. Themis had to admit to herself she was anxious for what the future would bring, she had been with this team since she had graduated, what kind of job she would get would be determined by how her rehabilitation went and she was determined to get as well as possible.
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Post by Lamont on Dec 19, 2019 6:58:31 GMT 11
Oh dear, a story to pull on the heartstrings for sure. What an interesting way to work in the police element, I really liked that it wasn't centered around a typical thief chase. Coming from a position of injury certainly allowed for a different perspective. I just hope most care centers aren't really as inattentive as that *chuckle* I do feel it was a bit rushed though. There was so much there to unpack and there wasn't much focus on the prompt, but that just gave more room for the emotional impact of Themis' story. A great example of how to turn an escapade around into a character driven tale. I give it... There wasn't any Team work in this one so there's no stars to award there, but it was a great story. With a bit more pacing and taking time to build up before the central points this could have been taken up even further. But I still think it's deserving of a bonus star for the direction it took and for the insight into Chikorita. Shining Example That's all now dear, I look forward to your next one.
Themis grew to LV 5!
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