The Visit [Finished]

[Caramell 🍬]

Babadook squeaked and pulled away from her trainer as soon as they snapped at her. She stared at the ground and curled up into a tight ball in the tall wild grasses. “I’m sorry I worried.” Their small black eyes stared off down the pathway towards Violet and possibly towards her own freedom. Babadook twitched her ears, eyes widened with anticipation, and thought about the possibility. She had a reverie where she was running as fast as she could through the wild grasses. Running far away from Caribes, as bright pink wildflowers tickled her toes and bright yellow flowers clung to her fur. She could envision Caribes fading into the background, like a nightmare that she could finally shake off.

However, Caribes had other plans. They immediately pulled a Pokeball free from their side and clicked a button on the center, recalling Babadook in the blink of an eye. “I don’t know what you’re squeaking about.” The elderly gent stated with a shrug of their shoulders. “But you’re being a bit too chatty for my tastes.” They stated. Caribes pushed themselves back up onto their feet after gently rubbing their knees with their wrinkled hands, and stretched their back out to prepare for the long journey ahead. Was Violet truly this far away from Cherrygrove? Or was their legs giving them trouble making it harder for Caribes to make it through the dense forest?

The bright pink cottonweed would stop the elderly ex-Rocket member in their tracks. It was squawking too and babbling on about…what, exactly? The way the tiny little weed seemed to carry on and wave its arms everywhere made Caribes assume that it must want a battle. Reflexively, Caribes pulled another Pokeball loose from their belt and tossed it up into the air with the click of a button. “Annabelle, come out!” If this wild Pokemon wanted to battle them, then Caribes would give it a battle! The more the Pokemon seemed to reach out to them, the quicker Caribes would slowly back away from the strange plant Pokemon. This was exactly why they needed to liberate Pokemon from humankind and ensure that evolved Pokemon could no longer hurt humans! Look at this little cottonweed trying to attack them!

The brightly colored Bruxish appeared from a beam of bright red light. She landed in a nearby puddle and flopped a bit before managing to right herself. A strange and delightful smirk crawled across the scaly fish’s mouth as her wide purple eyes searched around her environment. It was foggy and difficult to see in! Even though she was flopping about inside of a dingy, dirty puddle, she was within her own element. “You’ve lost your way? You poor thing!” Annabelle placed her fins against the sides of her face and exclaimed with a shocked face. “You must be so scared and so lonely!” Though the Bruxish wasn’t quite sure of Hoppip’s last question, so she chose to ignore it all together. “I’d be happy to help you find your family! If you can help me, first? Is there a lake or river nearby?”

Caribes flared their nostrils and shook their head. How did they go from a chatty rat to an extra chatty fish? “Annabelle use Confusion! Do I have to do everything myself?” Caribes grumbled angrily underneath their voice and folded their arms across their chest. Annabelle shot her trainer a dirty glance and instead focused on the wild cottonweed in front of her. “Humans…they really don’t understand…ya know? But I’ll help you. I promise.” She tried to use her psychic powers to try to pick Hoppip up and hopefully pull it closer to her. If her trainer didn’t learn to shut it soon, they would compromise her own mission with this plant Pokemon!

OOC: Sending out Bruxish & using Confusion.

^{Words: 637 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Vetril - Annabelle}

[Tiki]

Hoppip had to blink a few times to make sure what it was seeing. A strange pink fish with some blue and yellow appeared. The grass type almost stuttered before clearing its throat to speak. "Yes, I am scared. I don't like being away from my group." It was glad to have the help of the fish, but suddenly, it lost control of its body when the strange fish seemingly grab it telekinetically, albeit weakly. Its eyes began to swell when it thought of the group it got separated away from, "I missed Poppip, Pippo, Hoppi, Hoppa, Hoppu, Pippa, Pippu, Pippi, Pippie, Hoppie, Hoppei, Hoppus, Hoppun, Hoppay, and Hoppae."

"Woah, waah, wooahh?" The floating cute pink weed flailed in the air as it tried to move its body, it shouted a quick "help me!" before the Bruxish's mind ended her control.

"That got my dizzy." The duo type panted in the air, as it recollected itself. "There should be a small lake on the way to that big city with more birds." It replied, not knowing what cities are called. Silly Bruxish, humans come up with those names.

"I am hungry too..." The Hoppip cried as it opened its mouth in an eating motion. Suddenly, strange red beam of light appeared from its head-leaves, and it hit the strange fish. Bruxish's body glowed red, as she felt some energy were drained from her. "I just want to be with my group! Waahh!" The Hoppip began shedding tears from its cute face.


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: FOG

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Hoppip LV 9
HP 61% [17/28]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Annabelle LV 12
HP 81% [34/42]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Hoppip [Ability]: Status
Annabelle : Status

SP30 Annabelle used Confusion!
SP16 Hoppip used Absorb!

[Caramell 🍬]

Annabelle nodded her head softly as she listened to the small pink cottonweed admit to its fear. It fed the impish fish with delight. Though she kept a neutral expression on her lips, neither smiling nor frowning but pursed instead as though she were thinking to herself, the brightly colored Bruxish would nod softly towards the scared little plant. “I can’t imagine how hard this all must be for you.” She admitted softly, splashing about in the open puddle and hopping a bit closer towards the pink puffball. “Are Poppip, Pippo, Hoppa, Hoppu, Pippu, Pippie, Hoppie, Pippa, Hoppus, Hoppun, Hoppei, Hoppay, and Hoppee all your siblings? Or just the colony you live with?” Annabelle continues, feigning interest in this strange Pokemon’s life.

Caribes frowned while furrowing their brows together in a tight fashion that caused their wrinkled head to become more noticeably wrinkled. Why did their Pokemon insist on communicating with the wild Pokemon around them? Perhaps, they were letting these Pokemon know what kind of jeopardy their lives were in. That could be the only suitable explanation that would soothe the old gent’s heart. “Annabelle don’t lose yourself in the chitchat. It’ll see soon enough what kind of help we provide!” Caribes smirked with a sharp, harsh laugh. They would help this little puffball learn why accidentally floating into their path was a bad idea. Maybe even help it find a way to where it would never have the opportunity to evolve in its lifetime. “Use Bite while you’re at it. Got it?”

Annabelle rolled her eyes and kept her focus on the small pink cottonweed instead. Hoppip was scared. It’s words of a small lake in an area where humans gathered and birds soared freely sounded like a decent plan. “My trainer is pretty grumpy, don’t mind him…” Annabelle tried to insist to her friend. She spun around in her small puddle and hopped to the next puddle nearby. Though some puddles were large enough for her to just fit on top of and splash around, others were way too small for her to continue trying to skate across. How could she make it to this supposed lake if she were trapped in this one section for the foreseeable future? “Could you…help me find my way there?” Annabelle turned back to the pink cottonweed and batted her eyes cutely. She needed its help, and in exchange would deceivingly offer the Hoppip her help.

“See…if I can get in the lake or a strong river, I can swim around and search for your friends better. I’m a decent jumper, when there’s enough water for me to jump in.” Annabelle continued to paint the picture for her newfound ‘friend’. She would reach out with her large jaws and attempt to ‘accidentally’ nip it on its leg. If successful, Annabelle would pull back in shock and immediately feign fake tears of sadness, while adding “Oh dear, I’m so sorry! Are you alright, little friend?” If not, she would carry on with her words of wisdom and attempt the accidental bite again when Hoppip was least expecting it.

“Those birds can fly for miles. The ones you speak of, at least. Perhaps they can help us, if only we could make it to the promise lake-land!” Annabelle winked. The birds, the other fish, even this little Hoppip! They could all make it to a promised land with Annabelle around. Whether it was the one they wanted or not, that didn’t matter. As long as they listened to her sweet, kind words and believed in her, she would slowly lure them in for her utmost devious, most diabolical plans ever! She could almost taste the Hoppip’s disappointment on her tongue when they would make it to this supposed lake, only for her to unveil her master plan! Muahahahaha!

OOC: Annabelle uses Bite.

^{Words: 637 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Vetril - Annabelle}

[Avalon]

"Oh, they're my family! We all came from the same litter!" the Hoppip explained excitedly, bobbing in the air. It was just so pleased to find someone both able to help them and interested in learning more about their flock. Maybe this fish and the grumpy old guy would be the ones who helped them back to their home? "I could tell you all about them if you have the time! Maybe your Trainer will be less grumpy if they hear about them! Pippa's so cute, I'm sure she could cheer him up!"

Even through its tears, the Hoppip was just happy to have someone that would be able to help it find its family. All they had to do was help this bright fishy get back to a lake and then they could start looking with its big leaps. Maybe this Trainer would even be nice enough to take the whole flock with them, so they could all go see the world together! Wouldn't that be such fun for all of them, especially this sourpuss Trainer.

Hoppip thought nothing of letting the Bruxish approach it, assuming it to be a friend and on its side. It continued to think nothing of it even as Annabelle's sharp fangs clamped down around one of its stubby little legs. For a brief moment, red hot pain seared throughout the cottonball's entire body, before it went limp in the fish's jaws. The strength of Annabelle's bite was enough to render the puffball unconscious, it seemed. Even so, the wind would no doubt carry the Hoppip away with the next stiff breeze. If Caribes wanted to abduct this ditzy little weed, then they would have to do so quickly.

Annabelle gaslit a cottonball to not-death and gained +2 levels!
Annabelle is now Level 14

Caribes can imprison this young Hoppip due to New Trainer Protection if they want:
[img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/bw/hoppip.png"]
[b]Hoppip[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 9
OT: Caribes Inmortui
Moves: Absorb, Synthesis, Tail Whip, Tackle
Ability: Chlorophyll or Leaf Guard
Nature/Personality: [choose]

[Caramell 🍬]

Annabelle tried to envision Caribes with a shred of care or concern. It was an odd sight, where instead of considering a tasty gumbo they might place the pink puffball inside of a withered tree in the middle of a volcano so that the wind wouldn’t push it into the burning lava. She knew that their trainer wasn’t the type for sentiments or feelings. Whatever happened to the child she could only hoped Caribes used to be – full of love, care, and wonder – was long gone. While her other teammates seemed to almost fear Caribes, Annabelle remained indifferent. It was largely easy to ignore their screams and tantrums, full of idle threats that Caribes would never make good on, so long as she performed at a certain level.

When the Hoppip clamored about its littermates, Annabelle only smiled and nodded. She batted her eyes a few times if only to make herself seem less threatening and more charming. “Do you think I could meet Pippa one day? She sounds like me when I was just a wee hatchling, from the way you tell it!” Annabelle piped up, interest piqued slightly at the thought of mowing down a field of freshly hatched Hoppip with her strong jaws that she was confident could crush their way through steel. “There’s an old game I used to play with my littermates called ‘hide and seek’.” Of course, what she didn’t mention was the fact that all her littermates would hide from her. Whenever she found them, she would simply rid herself of her own competition in her small school.

So when Hoppip’s guard completely fell like a tumbling tower of Dominoes, Annabelle’s teeth would sink in with sinister delight. Oh, how it felt so good to be bad! Caribes praised her, clapping their hands together and nodding their head in approval. “Good work, girl! You’ve done me proud and have earned…” She tuned most of it out, letting a gentle breeze splash the tiny bit of water she flopped around in against her scales. She didn’t need her puppet of a trainer congratulating her. They would do as was their predictable nature, always slamming threats to quickly retreat into praises whenever you outperformed their expectations. Typical. Methodical. And way too predictable. But at least Annabelle could use Caribes for her own sick and twisted needs.

“Your friends take much longer to get any sort of worth out of them…but you know what?” Caribes’ face twisted into a dark smile. A devious thought crossed their mind as they walked along, watching their fish awkwardly jump and splash between the quickly dissipating puddles along their path. “I’m thinking we need someone to replace Vetril. He’s just not…living up to snuff.” Caribes nodded firmly, turning away from the beaten path towards a long driveway who lacked any cars parked within its yard. Pink cows stretched across the grass lazily guarded by large brown steers in one pasture. Large white puffballs of sheep bleated dreamily while bright blue ones wandered in odd directions. This was the place, for sure.

“We’ll just liberate us a friend, shall we?” Caribes called out everyone but Vetril and ordered them to their posts. Scissorhands would create a large distraction so that the steers would chase them loudly off across their pastures towards the back of the yard. Then Babadook would herd the other electric Pokemon away while Kayako used her vines to keep any stray mother cows from ruining Caribes’ plans. Chuckie was sent up towards the large two-story house that sat on the property, meant to be a distraction for anyone who might have been left behind inside while whoever lived here presumably drove off to the stores in the nearby town.

This accomplished one thing for Caribes – a partner which they named ‘Orla’. It also made them scramble in a heartbeat, forsaking their Pokemon temporarily when they heard the motor of an unknown vehicle driving down the road that led up to the lonesome, long, and winding driveway. When they reunited with everyone, Caribes would simply laugh and spin a small red-and-white Pokeball triumphantly in front of their team. “We got her, gang! She’s a baby, but I’ve heard great things about this species.” They were domesticated and so Caribes expected this one would be better behaved whenever he it specific commands. Thankfully, the heist was pulled off successfully, though whether the farmer ever realized one missing baby out of the twenty or so he had, Caribes never stuck around to find out.

OOC: Switching out Vetril for Orla & looking for another encounter.

^{Words: 760 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Avalon]

With the bovine burglary settled and done with, Caribes was able to continue on with their journey to reclaim their lost infamy. With at least one successful bit of larceny under their belt, this would indeed be a good start. But Caribes' crime did not go completely unnoticed, it seemed. As they and their retinue of criminal Pokemon wandered through the fog, they would perhaps eventually notice something following them. Something trailing behind slowly and timidly.

By the time Caribes had both noticed this and put some distance between themself and the farmer's ranch, the fog would have still been coming in thick. While the dense layer of fog had aided in the Rocket's escape and gave them some cover as they ran away, it now presented a more tedious problem for their continued progress. And it was giving their follower a bit of extra wiggle room when their stealth began to fail them. The creature following them was no stealth expert, nor was it anything big or fearsome. The Pokemon, whatever it was, was clearly young and struggled to move its awkwardly short limbs.

Caribes would eventually find something of a clearing, a place where multiple roads converged away from the dairy farm and towards either the path to Violet or the road back to Cherrygrove. It was here that stealth finally failed the creature, and from the fog it stumbled over a rock on the ground. Lying on the ground, struggling to right itself, was a little Ralts, its horn glowing faintly red. It had sensed such great distress from the Miltanks' as they saw their sibling being taken away, that it had had to follow and find the source of their disturbance. What would it do now, though, that it was face to face with a human? And a rather rough-looking one, at that!

A Ralts (Level 6) sensed your emotions and would like to raise some concerns.
What will Caribes do?
Weather Conditions: Fog (-10% ACC)

Shiny?HyW9lVUP1-421-42

[Caramell 🍬]

The life of a criminal was a wonderful thing! Caribes didn’t have to worry about where their next meal would come from when they weren’t as picky about how they got it or what it was made of. They always had the best attire for whatever event they needed. And whenever a Pokemon presented itself to them ripe for the taking, all they needed to do was pluck the flower from its bush and carry it off with them. Even as the dense fog made it difficult for the elderly gent to navigate their way through the terrain, with small rocks and large roots nearly tripping them with each step, they sung a soft tune from the tip of their tongue and carried their head high.

The new Pokemon’s Poke Ball rested firmly in Caribes’ right hand, displayed before their orange hues as they studied it and wondered quietly how they could best beef their little baby up. Was it already tamed and knowing the ways of human and beast interaction? Would Caribes need to work closely with this small bovine to ensure that she understood that they were her new owner? Or would trouble brew through the thinly veiled hope that disguised itself with ambition burning bright in their eyes? Caribes’ teammates glanced around to each other with dumbfounded, questioning looks as they followed their trainer quietly along the long, winding pathways to a spot where they all seemed to converge together.

What caused Caribes to stop wasn’t the different pathways that seemed to lead off into opposite directions. One would carry them back in the direction not too unfamiliar from whence they came. The other would presumably help them find their way a bit closer to Violet than before. While this was a conundrum of its own, Caribes’ gaze was fixated on the small childlike Pokemon that had tripped on the ground before them. A devious smile etched its way across Caribes’ lips. They would click on the center of the Poke Ball where the button popped out, prominent and a perfect way to call or recall whoever they liked whenever they liked. It caused their new calf to pop out center stage in the spotlight, though her stumbling about on the tips of her hooves was evident of just how fresh a hatchling she was. “This target shouldn’t be too difficult for you, Orla.” Caribes hummed, smiling, and thinking to themselves how well they liked that name.

The small pink mammal turned her head up dumbfounded to her new trainer and mooed softly. It was a tiny sound, almost like a whisper, that seemed to ask so many things inside of itself even though the words were complete incoherence. Kayako rushed towards her with two long vines like expanded arms as she attempted to scoop the baby up and rescue it, though Caribes simply slapped at them and shook their head firmly to their plant. If this baby wanted to remain a permanent fixture on their team, then even it would have to pull its own weight. “Give her a chance, Kayako. Don’t disappoint me.” The grumpy elderly snapped firmly, narrowing their eyes suspiciously on the carnivorous plant. Kayako immediately withdrew her vines and hung her head low, shamed that she had disobeyed without meaning to.

“Ok, Orla. Let’s see what you’ve got. Tackle that beast, and if you survive, I’ll help you out with a bigger reward.” Caribes smirked. They slipped one hand behind their back and fumbled with the zipper on their bag. It took several tries, but eventually Caribes would pull out a familiar red-and-white ball and hold it in the palm of their hand as they waited to see what the baby could do on its own. Orla batted her eyes, stumbled about, and ran after her opponent in a strange, gangly form. What was a Tackle?! Like a full bodied hug or something? That would be the gist of what Orla attempted on her strange, gangly feet. After her attempt to Tackle, Caribes would toss the ball at the strange Ralts in hopes of bringing another prisoner aboard their ‘ship’.

OOC: Sending out Orla & using Tackle. Then using 1 Poke Ball.

^{Words: 691 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Rexman]

The wild Ralts continued to look on with a mix of pity and confusion at the strange human before it. The human seemed.....off, but it also seemed like talking was not going to get very far. 
This human would choose violence? What a pity. 

The wild Pokemon wasn't exactly shocked, though, considering the way the previous escapades of the trainer and their Pokemon just went. While the Ralts has not had that many interactions with people, this definitely seemed like an extreme example. 

Speaking of the heist, the young calf that was just stolen was now brought forth, in some kind of barbaric tryout for her new master.  Ralts looked on with pity and concern for the young one, who wasn't even walking all that great yet.  With an attack called out, the newborn Pokemon moved ahead, on weak legs. If the Miltank was a bit older, she would have easily covered the distance before the Ralts would be able to do anything, but alas she was just a few steps too slow. 

The eyes of the wild Ralts started to glow a blue color before Orla's body was lifted slightly into the air, the same blue energy now surrounding her body. With a quick motion, the Miltank was slammed into the ground, the poor Pokemon grunting from the impact. If fact, she was slammed so hard, her breath hiccupped, before she was able to breath normally. Following her order, she ran forward but there was just enough fog surrounding the battlefield to disorient the young Pokemon and she missed her tackle, the fog partially obscuring her target. 


Before anything else could happen, the poke ball flew through the air and slammed into the back of the Ralts, sucking it up into the capsule. 

Wild Encounter

---

Weather: Fog

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]

Ralts LV 06
HP 100% [21/21]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]

Orla LV 1
HP 7% [1/13]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Ralts [Ability]: -1 ACC (Fog)
Orla [Scrappy]: -1 ACC (Fog

SP11 Ralts used Confusion
SP7 Orla used Tackle  It missed!
 



Congratulations, you caught a Ralts!
-1 poke ball from Inventory
[img src="https://www.serebii.net/sunmoon/pokemon/280.png"]
[b]Ralts[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 06
OT: Caribes Inmortui
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team
Ability: [Synchronise] or [Trace]
Nature/Personality: [choose]



Orla gains +3 Levels for the Victory, grows to Level 4!

[Caramell 🍬]

Caribes was pleased but not impressed with Orla’s performance. She was gangly, moving much like a baby learning how to properly crawl for the first time. Due to her lack of mobility, Orla would miss her target completely. Was it that because she was so young and freshly hatched the wild Pokemon had the time to easily avoid her attacks? No doubt. If she wanted to be a permanent fixture on their team, then Caribes would need to work tediously with her to help her learn how to master the basic functions of life so that she could be self-sufficient. Though they’d gone nearly fifty-odd years living without creating any offspring on their own and the thought of being a parent to a Pokemon sounded even less appealing than being a parent to a human child.

The Pokeball, however, sucked Orla’s combatant up with a single click and teleported it off no doubt to a lab or such place somewhere far away. They didn’t need to know where it went. Maybe Team Rocket still had their laboratory holding cells and never removed Caribes’ access to their own personal PC within the organization? Maybe they somehow lucked out and had access to the Professor’s despite not really wanting to work with them and often just stealing a Pokemon from any lab they stepped into? Whatever sort of anime logic existed it was beyond Caribes’ true understanding. They were just glad it worked and housed all their captured prisoners whenever the time called for it. They had no use for a Ralts, who not only evolved but had two entirely separate branch evolutions. Caribes grimaced with disgust just thinking about it!

“You didn’t do good, Orla.” The gent’s voice was firm and stern. They marched over to the baby calf, who shook her head and mooed softly. Large eyes widened with who knows what kind of look, though the strange babyish smile that covered her maw made it hard to tell if she understood what Caribes was telling her. “But you’re a scrappy little thing. I’ll give ya that. In due time, I think I can sort you out just fine.” They smirked. They would then check the pink bovine over, tending to her scars carefully and gently, as they planned to chuck her at more opponents along their way to Violet City to hopefully toughen her up for their brighter criminal future. After all, Caribes had big plans and big hopes for her!

Then, after they finished tending to the young calf’s injuries, Caribes would scoop her up in their arms. At first, Kayako’s eyes widened. Whether it was with hope, fear, or confusion, who knows. Though it did seem to be a mixture of all three. She couldn’t understand how her owner could be so gentle and loving out of nowhere?! Was it something special and unique about Orla or was Caribes just caring enough to understand that young babies needed specialized care? When they walked over and subsequently dumped the baby off in front of Kayako, her face dropped instantly. Of course! “I’ll need you to tend to her. Babadook…probably can’t. Chuckie’s not suitable. I wouldn’t trust Annabelle. So it’s you and Scissorhands. Mess it up and you’ll both become the special of the day. Got it?”

Kayako hung her head and shrugged. “Why not?” She mumbled dejectedly off the tip of her tongue as she shot out long vines from her body to swoop in and scoop the small thing up. Scissorhands blushed as he walked over and placed one hand on Kayako’s shoulder. He only halfway glanced at her, his gaze faltering whenever she would return the stare. “Aw shucks!” He hiccupped while kicking at the ground idly with one foot. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me, Kayako.” To which she replied, “I don’t.” Though Scissorhands continued, shyly. “I’m not sure I’m ready to be a father…and how can I be sure it’s mine?” Oh jeez, this guy needed some serious help. Stat! “It’s not.” Kayako stated softly while rolling her eyes.

They would walk side-by-side following Caribes down the pathway that (hopefully) led to Violet City. Whenever Kayako tried to put a little space and distance between her and Scissorhands, though, the strange little bug would come running up to her ride, trying to brush up against her. Oh, please, no! There was absolutely 0% interest she had in this guy with a 0% APR rate. Absolutely nothing to be gained from this unholy union forced upon her by her trainer!

OOC: Looking for a new encounter. Will be sending Ralts over to Zaiden.

^{Words: 767 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Avalon]

Caribes would be able to continue onwards well enough, thoughts of what would become of their latest prisoner able to be pushed from their mind. That was two new captures under the elderly criminal's belt, even if they only planned on actually using one of them. But with the newfound family unit of Kayako, Scissorhands, and Orla formed, things were starting to look up for the renegade Rocket. The fog was no doubt annoying to all stuck in it, but they would get through it well enough on their own.

However, not all would go exactly as Caribes might have wanted. They continued down the path that would, hopefully, lead them all to Violet City well enough, but before long it was clear that there was something going on. There was no sound of battle, or even of Pokemon stirring in the wilderness as one might expect. Something had come through and disturbed the wildlife, it seemed. In the distance, one would be able to see the vague outline of some sort of mountainous range or cavern. Several figures in red uniforms were darting into the cave system; Pokemon Rangers, one might recognize. Not quite cops, but also not a group likely to be too sympathetic to Caribes and his world view.

One Ranger hung back from the cave, a young woman who stood with her arms crossed as she watched her teammates dive into the cavern. She seemed to spot Caribes before they could see her, and she jogged over to meet the suited man halfway. "Excuse me, stop! Sorry, there's been an issue with some lost Trainers in Dark Cave, so the Pokemon Rangers have had to block this area off. Besides, there's been some Pokemon thefts in the area, so you should probably find a place to rest and wait out all this trouble."

Whether the theft she was referring to was Caribes' great bovine burglary or something unrelated, it was unclear. If this was about the Miltank, then it seemed she hadn't put two and two together with Caribes just yet. But still, she was unlikely to just let the man walk past her unimpeded. Judging from the two Poke Balls on her waist, however, she was a Trainer, so maybe a battle could be used to get her to let the ex-Rocket through. "You look a little old to be traveling through all this fog and trouble, if you don't mind me saying so. You might get hurt unless you have some strong Pokemon with you to watch your back." she said, a vague hint of condescension creeping into her voice.

PKMN Ranger Nikki is blocking the path! Maybe a battle could get her to stand aside?
She will send out her Nidoran ♀ (Level 6)

[Caramell 🍬]

Caribes stopped as soon as they heard the telltale shuffle of feet. Who was wandering about in a gang during this foggy day and what would they want? Their mind immediately considered the notion of other Rocket members such as lowly grunts simply traveling about, trying their best to spook random new trainers and forcing them to give up their Pokemon for the glory of the criminal organization. Something about the very thorough and surefootedness of the group seemed to suggest otherwise. Another notion was a pretty mundane if not boring field trip with a teacher herding several tiny tots through the area for ‘hands on’ learning. The perfect formation of the steps, as though they were almost synchronized with each other, seemed too opposite for that. Kids were chaotic.

A lurking thought sunk into the pit of Caribes’ chest and caused them to grit their teeth. He sneered, standing still and waving their hands towards their Pokemon to still themselves. Although undercover cops would carry themselves with the stealth and craft of ninjas themselves, regular cops and other ‘do-gooder’ groups might work with such poise and precision. While it could have been anything or anyone at all, Caribes couldn’t help but shake the feeling that they would run into someone – or several someones – that they absolutely did not want to meet. Someone that might ruin their otherwise joyous mood and perfect day.

Sure enough, a strange looking girl donning a bright orange uniform with a matching orange hat placed firmly upon her head popped up in front of Caribes’ path with her hand held out firmly to flag him down. Rangers! Of course! Some of the worst low lives that society had to offer. Absolute dregs that worked to help wild Pokemon, often trying to tame them or calm them down…or whatever it was that they did. Caribes rolled their eyes for a second and sighed deeply in annoyance. They needed to find their inner peace and hold their tongue firmly if they wanted to make this out without making it more difficult on themselves than it needed to be. “You’re in my way.”

Caribes gestured to the pathway just past her. “I need to get to Violet. I’m not interested in a cave.” They tried to plead with her, hoping that would be enough to let the old gent just scoot around her and continue along their path. “Thefts?!” Feigned shock and surprise. A perfect performance, they were sure, as they pressed their hands against their cheeks and let their mouth drop slightly agape. “But why would someone want to do that? Are you sure it’s not a really strong evolved Pokemon going rogue??” When she took a jab at Caribes’ age, they snorted and laughed. Of course! Younglings always thought they knew everything and that every elderly person was some piece of fragile China. “How about this? Let me show you I’m more than capable and you let me go to Violet?”

He would call his young calf with the click of a button. Though initially gangly and unsuited for her feet, Orla eventually managed to stumble about and walk at a decent pace. She sat down on her rear end and tilted her head curiously at the ranger, though it would be short lived. “Orla lets try a Tackle and show them what you’ve got.” Save the best for last and test this ranger’s skills as well. Maybe they would need to liberate her Pokemon from her…though the team she worked with that wandered through the cave just behind her warned Caribes against such ideas.

OOC: Sending out Orla and using Tackle!

^{Words: 606 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Avalon]

Pokemon battles were sort of the law of the land in these parts, for better or for worse. Pokemon Rangers were expected to be competent battlers, after all; just in case someone came along unwilling to listen or acting as if they had something to prove. Nikki had been put on crowd control and manning the perimeter, but it was a dull job, and one that didn't require much focus when you were surrounded by rookie Trainers and hobbyists. She wished she had been one of the ones allowed to go into the Dark Cave, but she was the rookie after all.

"Sorry, headquarters said we had to block off this whole chunk of the Route, just to play it safe. I know, seems a bit extreme when you're probably just trying to stop at the Pokemon Center and rest, but it is what it is," Nikki sighed, shrugging her shoulders. It did seem a bit extreme, but orders were orders. She was too new to just let this slide without putting up some kind of resistance.

"A battle would help liven things up a bit. Plus I'd feel better knowing you aren't weak like the other Trainers that have been trying to pass through. Can you believe some kid really tried to come through here with just a Rattata?" Nikki said, releasing a Poke Ball from her belt and sending out what was within it. A spiny blue rabbit creature emerged, cooing cutely as it stepped up. It seemed to realize what it was here for, and what was expected of it.

"Alright, Queenie, let's hit them with a Poison Sting!" Nikki called out, watching the Nidoran charge forward and prepare to jab at the Miltank with its horn. Orla, for her part, was able to rather simply charge rabbit down and slam into it with her body weight. Somehow, Orla managed to avoid all of the poisonous pins on the rabbit's back; the Nidoran slid back in the dirt, unable to land a clear blow on the beefy Normal-type. Queenie the Nidoran could only shake off the dirt and take a defensive stance, preparing for the next round of combat to begin.

Trainer Battle: Ranger Nikki

---

Weather: Fog (-10% ACC)

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Queenie LV 6
HP 100% [20/24]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Orla LV 4
HP 100% [22/22]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Nikki's Queenie [Rivalry]: Healthy
Caribes' Orla [Scrappy]: Healthy

SP14 Orla used Tackle!
SP11 Queenie used Poison Sting! It missed!

[Caramell 🍬]

Caribes watched their newly joined teammate in action. The emotions that welled up in the pit of their stomach was hard to describe. The elderly gent didn’t have much faith in the small cattle that they’d manage to acquire through some technically ‘help yourself’ means, considering the brevity of its life and newness she seemed to have with the simplest of tasks. But Orla was scrappy and a fighter. She hung in through the worst of these moments, taking her licks where she needed, and somehow managing to give some back in the process. The grey haired gent pulled at the edges of their suit and smiled quietly with a soft nod of approval.

“Orla was a gift from my daughter.” It made sense to strike up a friendly conversation, right? And what a better way to build the narrative? They could set a background that had strength and positivity behind it, something that would make sense given the calf’s newness at life and Caribes’ ownership so that wondering minds didn’t need to spectate for long how the two became acquainted with themselves. “She was just an egg when my sweet Mirabelle gave her to me. Turns out I’m going to be a grandparent soon, isn’t that exciting? And Mirabelle just can’t raise a baby human and a baby Pokemon by herself. The father’s tied up at work…long hours rescuing sick and injured Pokemon, I believe is what she told me?”

Now that the bait was cast out to sea on the end of their hook, Caribes only needed to wait patiently and see if they could reel anything in. Orla stumbled about, bleating softly. The prickle spins along Queenie’s back looked sharp and caused her to fumble across the ground on her four legs in a desperate attempt to avoid them. When she slipped and tumbled face first into the ground, Caribes simply walked over and knelt down beside her to examine her closely. “Are you ok, Orla?” The calf mooed quietly. First a second, it looked as though the sweet baby wanted to back out of the fight, then she raised herself up onto her feet once more and turned bravely towards Queenie while nodding her head.

“If you’re sure?” Caribes mumbled, pushing themselves back up and dusting their knees off carefully. A ranger was a lot different than the kids they tried to trick before. One wrong move and their game of chess could end with a one way ticket back to the gated community they’d left not too long ago. “Orla insists she can withstand another round, so I hope you don’t mind? I just want to help her grow strong you know. Orla use Tackle again.” The pink calf bleated loudly with a cute, sweet cry that nearly cracked her voice from the effort. Then she charged towards Queenie, hoping to knock the other Pokemon down with her attack.

“I’m guessing the Rattata wasn’t strong enough for the task?” Caribes carried on the charade. “I had a cousin named Barnie that was bit by a Raticate once. One nasty bite, I’ll tell ya. All he had was a Butterfree to protect him, but his Beauty wasn’t strong enough to do that, I’m afraid. That’s why I’m careful in new areas. But I do want to get to Violet so I can test myself against the GYM Leader…oh, forgive my old age…isn’t he a Grass Type who own Bellsprount? Leader Sage or something?” Of course Falkner didn’t own grass type and Sage wasn’t even a title he held. But it might be a way to get this ranger’s guard to drop further and get her lost in conversation with Caribes’ nearly nonsensical and random babble.

OOC: Sending out Orla and using Tackle!

^{Words: 626 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Avalon]

Nikki didn't think to question any of what Caribes was saying. They seemed like a pretty defenseless old guy, so it wasn't too out of the realm of possibility for their little story to be true. Nikki did wonder why someone so far in their life was off on a journey, though she supposed it could be some empty nester situation. Either way, it would be rude to ask, and while she was prone to putting her foot promptly in her mouth, she did have some level of common sense.

"Oh, congratulations! You must be so excited!" Nikki said, eyes lighting up at the news. She was happy for the older gentlemen; expanding one's family was a great thing to experience. Or so she heard. Nikki was still a rookie, a bit young for thoughts such as that. Maybe one day when she wasn't as focused on establishing her career. Surely she wouldn't end up like all those other Rangers or Officers who let their careers consume their entire lives at the expense of forming their own family or creating a proper work-life balance, right?

That ominous thought aside, Nikki looked to the former Rocket with lights in her eyes. She was enraptured by this story, wanting to hear more. Just because she was a young woman with a career didn't mean she didn't love hearing about stories like this. "Oh is he a Ranger too, or just a worker with a shelter or something? Those guys are always pretty busy, I hear."

Nikki bought into the little act put on by Caribes, buying into their worry for the cow's condition. She wanted to see this grandpa succeed, but she also knew that it was her job to keep them from getting themselves hurt. But if they could handle Queenie and Kingsley, then maybe Caribes would be fine on their own. "Alright Queenie, that baby cow is a lot stronger than it looks! Give it another go, Poison Sting!"[/font]

Orla the baby cow charged forward, once again slamming its body into the spiny rabbit. However this time, as the two made contact the Nidoran was able to jab her horn into the hide of the Miltank. Orla recoiled, though she was able to break contact before the poison was properly injected into her system. Instead, she just had a new scratch and bruise to show for her efforts. But Queenie was breathing pretty heavily, the wind knocked out of her from the force of Miltank's full-body blow.

Trainer Battle: Ranger Nikki

---

Weather: Fog (-10% ACC)

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Queenie LV 6
HP 46% [11/24]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Orla LV 4
HP 86% [19/22]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Nikki's Queenie [Rivalry]: Healthy
Caribes' Orla [Scrappy]: Healthy

SP14 Orla used Tackle! Critical hit!
SP11 Queenie used Poison Sting!

[Caramell 🍬]

The foggy weather swelled around them creating silhouettes out of Caribes’ opponents, though with their rough proximity they could make out most of the important details. It seemed to fit the mood that the elderly gent cast over their opponents, seeing how they were carefully guiling them into their web of deceit. “I’m a little nervous to tell the truth…” Caribes knitted their eyebrows together tightly and bit their lip. Though they played with a smile that seemed to sing praises and sweet hope, their eyes conveyed the anxiety that welled up inside of the pit of their stomach. “I guess that’s to be expected? But…I am also very excited to meet the new addition. We’re thinking it’s gonna be a boy.” Caribes chuckled with a friendly smile.

Ranger Nikki stayed true to her career and focused on the heat of the match even in the midst of their conversation. Though Orla managed to keep on her toes with the poisonous spiky haired rabbit, Caribes knew that they couldn’t underestimate their foe. The usually milder Nidoran that could typically be scared away with enough effort could eventually grow up and evolve into mighty and quite dangerous Nidoqueen and Nidoking. Even Giovanni was known for his pair, to which Caribes strongly recommended against at every turn where they could properly and politely give their personal opinions. But something about their old leader seemed steadfast and determined to trust in the brute force and power behind some of the strongest Pokemon that he could get his grimy hands on.

“Barnie?” Caribes blinked, making sure that was who she was asking about. They simply shook their silver haired head and chuckled. In their story, none of their family members seemed very competent with evolved Pokemon only because all evolved Pokemon would eventually betray you. That’s just facts, no matter how you try to spin it. “No…Barnie was just running through the woods behind our house back home. I grew up on a pretty forested island, you see.” Caribes added a bit of truth into the mix, though their island home had been a sanctuary and habitat of ancient, prehistoric Pokemon that most modern trainers had never seen in the flesh. “Maybe he disturbed its nest? Aunt Marjorie, his mom, had to rush him to see the doctor. He was in a cast for weeks.” He concluded with a small frown.

Orla jumped up and down in her spot impatiently and shook herself. Though she stumbled about, the excitement of the battle seemed to fuel her spirits. Caribes’ smile spread from ear to ear as this pleased them to see their baby cattle take to fight and withstand such strong punches as easily as she did. “Orla, again. Use Tackle once more.” Caribes nodded, watching the small calf charged through the foggy air after the spiky blue hare. Besides, Pokemon that didn’t evolve weren’t just easier to tame in the grand scheme of things. They were usually bulky enough to take as many hits as they could dish back out.

“I wyk payin!” The baby cow mooed as she tumbled this way and that on her spindly legs. Listening to the two humans speak and babbling strings of syllables together, Orla began to work on her own pronunciation in her Pokemon speech. “Yu hurt!” She accused Queenie, still feeling the sting from where the spiky rabbit’s quills managed to stick her. Like a small child in the heat of a fun game of wrestling, she would charge blindly not connecting the dots just, yet that Queenie’s quills were a source of pain to be avoided. In fact, she was only focused on her goal of tackling her opponent as hard as she could, and hopefully as playfully fun as she could as well!

OOC: Orla's using Tackle x2!

^{Words: 637 | Caribes - Babadook - Kayako - Scissorhands - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}