The Guilty [Chimchar Poke-napping]

[Caramell 🍬]

The organization was a ruthless beast that would disembowel you and feast on your entrails. Many of the members moved around each other with this kind of annoyance that Caribes couldn’t readily explain. Cheerful. Happy to see each other, bullies who laughed at the same kid getting beat up on the playground. They weren’t much different. As Caribes pulled their cup out of the instant cup of coffee maker, turned to the refrigerator to fish out a jug of liquid creamer, and fixed their cup to their like, even they knew this fact. They were just of the many bullies who would use and abuse their ‘so-called’ friends however they needed to.

“Caribes, my main squeeze! We were just talking about you!” The Admin before them was a young and spry fellow, somewhere around his mid-thirties or barely pushing forty one. He had a head full of rich red hair, springy and coily from one end to the other, that made you think of a warm summer’s day for some strange, odd reason. His eyes were a deep purple, so deep they were often mistaken as purely black eyes. The admin liked it that way. Turning to his companion and pressing the lit end of the cigarette against soft flesh to extinguish it, he nodded cheerfully to Caribes.

Caribes sighed with a raise an eyebrow. “I just finished one mission for you. What’s next?” The Admin reached one hand around Caribes’ neck and pulled them into a tight hug. As friendly and warm as it felt, the way that the admin squeezed against Caribes’ neck told them enough that it really wasn’t a request. Were the new grunts and recruits lazy? Did they slack so much that now there was a surplus of low-level work Caribes was nearly sure was beneath them by now? “Ah, right you are, you did! And what an amazing job you did! So amazing, in fact, that this one should be a piece of cake!” The Admin spoke with a hiss, handing the details of the mission over to Caribes, then taking his leave.

They sighed, pushing their way back out the two large doors to the hidden hideout and ducked into a large ditch, where they pulled out a small outfit so that they could look like your average, everyday gardener. When they arrived at the edge of New Bark Town, Caribes immediately went to work de-weeding some of the flower beds and cutting the old branches off. The note suggested that the young girl was a new trainer whose father was an important figure. It seemed clear to Caribes that they wanted a show of force, though first he needed to determine his target’s whereabouts in the area. Surely, she couldn’t be too difficult to spot in a crowd. Maybe she was cocky and full of herself, knowing who her father was? Or maybe she just needed to prove herself, to cause herself to stick out like a sore thumb?

OOC: Switching Graboid, Octalus, & Gizmo for Teddy, Scissorhands, Steven. ONLY 3 THREE IN THIS THREAD! PLEASE!

^{Words: 500 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

Thea Kensington was a fresh-faced young trainer, recently graduated from trainer school. She was 14 and eager to attend the academy so that she could become an officer just like her dad! However, she was still a little too young for that. Which was her greatest disappointment in life so far. How UNFAIR! But to pacify his daughter, her father allowed her to trail after a young officer while she did her patrol. It was a generally sleepy, quiet lap, given it was meant to keep the people reassured that the police were there, rather than actually handle any crime. So he felt safe letting her follow Officer Victoria around town.

The pair got along like combee and honey, too. So win-win for everyone!

This would be how Caribes found his target. The girl matching the picture was in a rookie uniform that was a bit too big and missing all the badges or official marking. She walked in step beside an actual officer, both smiling. They waved to people in the crowd and even stopped to help a kid get his glameow out of a tree. After a while of watching, he would realize he might need a way of getting these two away from the crowd unless he wanted to confront them in a busy street. Perhaps he could lure them onto the nearby route...away from too many prying eyes.

---

[Target] Thea Kensington and Officer Victoria are on patrol!
(Using cyclist because no female officer sprites?!)

[Caramell 🍬]

The elderly gent stared at their target with a quiet hum underneath their voice. It was a packed display, with people out and about with their Pokemon. Some couples stretched out across beach towels, repurposed so that they could picnic together easily. They glared quietly from their simple seat, nodding their head along to the commentary that passed by them with a feigned smile when necessary. “It is a hot day out today!” Caribes agreed to an forty-year old man in passing. “Gotta stay hydrated!” They joked to a young twenty year old woman with wild hair that spilled all around her face that jogged by.

Then their target presented itself like a small gift just dancing down the paved routes, waving her hand enthusiastically to the crowd. Was it some sort of event? Caribes pulled out the makeshift job description and reread it several times with a roll of their eyes. Why? It wouldn’t surprise the elderly recruit, who was actively doing their best to dig their way from the bottom of this dog-eat-dog pit to the top of the organization. Send the newly minted team rocket agents into the field on semi-difficult situations but well-lit to see how well they could evade the cops. Or you know…lose them early on so that they don’t drag your company down.

Well….two COULD play at that game. What would a cop want to do the most? Caribes hopped up on their feet and raced down paved path towards the nearby route. They pressed the palms of their pale hands against their whitened cheeks, eyes widened as their job nearly dropped off their face entirely. “HOLD UP! WAIT!” Caribes shouted, one hand thrust into the air ahead of them. Sure, it would get some attention. “Where’s a police officer when you need one?! My poor Pikachu! That burglar just stole it! Did you see them?” Caribes turned to an impressionable teenager whose eyes were glue the entire time to her screen.

“No…why? There’s a burglar?” She turned nervously to her parents, who turned their attention to Caribes and hummed. The father…not buying it. Ok, well mister sharp eyes what would you know? The mother, however, frantically grabbed her daughter’s hand and tugged it to lead her away from the perceived danger. “We can’t stay here if it’s unsafe!” The husband rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest “It’s not unsafe.” The wife wasn’t buying it. No dice. “I’m telling you Henry, I swear I saw someone sketchy by that bush an hour ago! What if it was the burglar?!” Another roll of his eyes. Clearly Caribes started something back up that the husband had hoped he’d squashed before. “I promise you it was nothing! Just a….uhh….Sentret or something, I’m sure!”

Either way, the family would dismiss themselves along with a few others, though some stayed and stared in alarm. Would the International Police Force let their relatively quiet and safe city turn into something like the back alleys of Goldenrod? Already, some of the groups of people whispered between each other and shook their heads in disbelief. Yes…yes…distrust your pigs with badges. They’re just bullies who found a legal way to be one. Caribes humored quietly in their head, while outwardly they bent over with their hands clasped on their knees, heaving large buckets of air whilst trying to catch their breath.

“Hold on, Pikapiii! I promise I’ll find you and rescue you!” They cried sorrowfully. When Thea and Victoria passed close enough, Caribes would turn to them instead. “I’m terribly sorry to ask this but…could you call some officers who aren’t too busy to help me save my beloved friend?” A bat of their eyes, and pleading look. Come on. You know you want to be the hero you’re not quite ready to be yet. Think about it, young Thea. How else will your dad truly believe in you, if you don’t take risks to show him why he should? Right?!

OOC: Seeing it Thea - at least - can be convinced to chase an invisible thief down the secluded parts of the nearby Route.

^{Words: 670 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Orla - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

Thea heard the cry go out and the crowd respond. Her eyes went wide. "A theft?" she whipped around to look up at Officer Victoria who was already on alert, one hand on her belt. It was impossible to peg who the thief might be in this crowd. "We have to do something!"

"Easy, Thea. We don't know if that is someone playing a prank or not." Victoria said slowly.

"A prank? Who would joke about such a serious thing!?"

"Usually young men who want to see a crowd panic," Victoria said. "A dreadful game, honestly." But fortunately the crowd didn't riot. Instead a majority spread out, thinning the denser cluster that had formed on the street. It was then that an older gent approached, begging for help. Victoria was wary, her instincts tingling, but Thea was young and impulsive. She jumped up between them and took their hands into her own. 

"Of course we will help you sir! We will find your Pikipii. Can you describe the person who you think took them? Did they like...bump into you or did they grab your bag? How did the theft happen? Or do you not know? Sometimes thieves are tricky like that." She got a thoughtful look as she added, "Like those Rocket scoundrels. Oh! But don't worry! I'm sure it's not those crooks. And even if it is, we're on the case!"

Victoria wheeled her bike closer and laid a hand on Thea's shoulder, "Stand down. You are not an officer, Thea. Just my shadow."

"B-but..."

"Do you want me to tell your father about insubordination?"

"Nooooo. But ma'am, we can't NOT help!"

[Caramell 🍬]

A sick, twisted smile curled around the edges of Caribes’ lips as soon as Thea approached them and clasped their hands in hers. Caribes’ hands were old and wrinkled, with a dragon-like feel from years of rugged work. Most assumed they were a farmer or warehouse worker in their younger years of life. Given the greyish-whitish hair that laid in a shaggy heap on their head and the wrinkles that littered the rest of their expression, it was easy to peg Caribes as the elderly gent just trying to enjoy their retirement type. “Would you really?” Genuine concern trinkled from their words, laced with a hint of paused relief. “I’d really appreciate it! I’ve had Pikapii since I was fifteen.”

Thea’s hands were much different, with a softer tough not yet eaten away by the sands of time or a demanding workforce. They cared little if Thea assumed Caribes to be just an old person in the park or even possibly a grandparent with grandchildren who might be toddling about the area somewhere. The fact that the crowd was slowly stretching itself further out proved advantageous, as well. They could try to overthrow the two here. Some hotheaded recruits would do just that, spouting the same generic nonsense of how nothing could take such a powerful and strong organization down.

This required a bit more…intellect. A careful dance to get the pieces into place. “I’m sorry, miss?” Those rich honey-drop hues turned to Thea’s handler with a concerned look. Scorn would have been more appropriate and had this been upon their fresh release out of their cell, Caribes wouldn’t have faulted her for feel apprehensive around them. Truthfully, they didn’t fault them entirely as it were. “I don’t mean to be a burden…truly…” Caribes’ face dropped. They’d done nothing wrong yet, with no discernible proof that the story was convoluted. It helped that the paranoid wife from the couple corroborated Caribes’ claims so readily and so easily, honestly.

“Well….if you don’t mind helping…” Caribes turned his attention back to Thea. Those eyes were practically watering around the edges. Clearly, Caribes was just an elderly soul down on their luck thanks to a rascally thief who managed to pilfer their beloved companion right behind their back. She clearly felt for Caribes and that small crack in the door would be all they needed to try and pry it open further. Something cracked through the undergrowth in the distance – a stirring that rushed through the tangle of winding branches and rustling leaves. “PIKAAA PIIIIII! CHHUUUU!” Steven mimicked from the distance in the trees.

“It was hard for me to tell. He had a large bag over his back and wore mostly dark clothes, with a cloth over his face. Or hers…maybe? Maybe about average height if I were to guess. I was just letting Pikapii walk around because of the nice weather we’re having when he seemingly came out of nowhere, swiped her, and ran!” They turned as soon as their trustworthy bird released his call through the trees. A perfect mimicry of the Pokemon they needed Steven to repeat, hoping to lure the police further along the route. While Caribes originally hadn’t planned on relying on Steven so much, they proved themselves in the last trek and could surely prove themselves here. “That’s my baby! Excuse…uh, please. My name’s Brian by the way, but I really have to go save my baby now!” He shouted urgently, turning away to jog a short distance down the route. Come on…take the bait… They huffed quietly to themselves.

OOC: Steven is just fluff (not part of the party for battles, etc) to move plot along. ^^

^{Words: 603 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

"Of course sir. I, Junior Cadet Thea Kensington, will help you..." She flinched at Victoria's stare and wilted a bit, laughing a little. "Um. With my superior's permission of course. And guidance. Because she is so very, very smart and c'mon pleaaaaaase. We haven't seen anything exciting all day. And if we don't hurry, this man's childhood best friend will be gone forever and I couldn't live with myself if we just stood by and let that happen!"

"Breathe."

Thea gasped in a breath, "I can hear it! And look. Listen. That lady there can confirm his story. This isn't a prank." She gave her babysitter a puppy dog stare, practically wriggling in excitement. 

Officer Victoria groaned and pinched her brow, "Fine. Fine. We can go investigate this."

Thea cheered to herself, do a little happy dance, "We're on the case!" And just like that, Caribes had them hook, line and sinker. Thea whipped out a notepad and started scribbling down what they knew. The clothes. The crime. And the last known sighting of the suspicious individual. "Okay, so we should go this way!" And she bolted. Officer Victoria was startled by her impulse running off, clearly over excited about getting to 'be in the field'. She swore and tried to follow, but the crowd was still dense enough that, with her bike, she struggled to keep up with the teenager.

[Caramell 🍬]

The spring on the cage snapped, slamming the metallic door closed and locking the bolt in place. The two little mice slowly crawled into Caribes’ trap, though one remained on edge for discernably good reasons. Thea – the main victim in their latest plans – rushed off through the thick overgrowth of the forest. Her charge tried in vain to keep up with them on a bicycle, though the wilderness before them would most likely prove how useless that was long term. Now, all Caribes needed to do was divide and conquer. A simple concept that required delicate consideration for each move on their makeshift chess board.

“Well, Miss Kensington, I really appreciate the help.” Caribes promised. As soon as Thea folded in leeway of her superior’s presence as though feigning an attempt to cover up that she couldn’t really make the promise by herself, Caribes turned his attention to Victoria. Thea begged, and while Caribes immediately considered how unbecoming that was of the force, they strictly chose to keep such thought to themselves. Grovel, beg, whatever would get you both out into the woods. “I would…forever be grateful.” Caribes bowed towards her with an anxious smile befitting the serious situation they seemed to have caught themselves in with their missing Pokemon.

“I might have something I can offer as a reward? A berry maybe…I don’t know…” They hummed. Caribes stuffed their hands inside of their pockets and patted themselves down whilst hunting for some ‘trinket’ of an item that they could offer. A grand gesture made ever so simply, to help highlight the pathetic situation Caribes was in. Clearly they were nothing more than some elderly person completely down on their luck when they Pokemon was stolen right from underneath their noses. Then Victoria groaned…and relented. Perfect.

Caribes spun on the tips of their heels and sprinted in the direction of Steven’s voice. They might not be as young or spry as the other trainers around the area, but they wouldn’t let it slow them down. And clearly, they weren’t the slowest, by far! “I think I hear Pikapii over here!” Caribes called out after jumping over a fallen tree and pushing his way past two briar bushes to a small thicket of wild, thorny vines sprouting out of the ground. Many of them wrapped around surrounding trees and climbed their way up woody barks towards the heavens beyond, though most just created a difficult force to traverse through.

Still, Steven called from a distance. “Piikkkaaccchhhuuu!” A twinge of pain bled into the sounds. Caribes was impressed how well their Pokemon could pull off the sounds, creating a working lure whose melodies would keep the two officers (one cadet and one full) on their toes through the densely populated forest. “Hang on, buddy, I’m almost there!” Caribes called out, grumbling underneath their breath as they fought through the briar patches. Caribes stopped as soon as they noticed a small break, barely big enough to fit a human through, that they would use by plucking away the vines that led deeper into the forested stretches of the nearby route.

OOC: Trying to lure Thea deeper in the woods where Victoria might not be able to follow [on bike]? Let's see.

^{Words: 603 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

Thea followed at speed. Wow this old gent was fast! She was almost struggling to keep up here. But she kept her balance and bounded after the poor man and the cry of that distressed pikachu. "Hang in there!" she called out. "Help is coming!" 

Officer Victoria eventually pulled to a stop, unable to catch up and threw a pokeball. 

"Chase, follow them. Don't let Thea out of your sight and help her if there is a battle, okay?" she told the lillipup. The small little pup yipped and wove through the legs of the crowd, bursting out the other side and quickly catching up to Thea and the gent. He would follow Thea through the wall of greenery that she squeezed through. 

"Huh? Oh. Hi Chase. Shhhh, you gotta be quiet. We're on a rescue mission." Woops. She didn't mean to leave Victoria behind, but it wasn't her fault that the officer was hindered by the crowd...and the trees...and everything about the situation.

---

Officer Victoria sent out her [LV 5] "Chase" to assist in the search!

Ability: Vital Spirit | Moves: Tackle, Leer, Work Up, Yawn^EM

[Caramell 🍬]

Caribes didn’t fault the foolish officer for sending out her puppy to give chase. She was trying her best to keep up in an area she foolishly thought to bring her bike through. Wasn’t there an old man that mysteriously popped out of nowhere shouting at you that, ‘now wasn’t the time to use that’ like some sort of video game? Since that clearly didn’t exist in the waking world, and only seemed to be a function that could be edited inside of the power of gaming itself, Victoria was left to vainly fight her way through the tangle of wild vines and prickly bushes blocking the way for her bike. Perfect!

“Thank you for sending your puppy!” The elderly gent shouted behind themselves as the fuzzy canine rushed past them in a blur. It was as though they didn’t expect Caribes to be prepared for the moment. The ground shook underfoot as something hidden and not quite seen dug its way through the earthen ground. A devious smile slowly slipped on Caribes’ lips while they remained alone in the moment, carefully controlling their breathing to keep their pace up. Once they managed to calm their heart and lungs back to normal, Caribes would pluck themselves back up off the stump they’d found to lean against and raced through the thicket once more.

“Pikkkkaa piiiii! Chuuuu!” Steven screamed, darting down a different pathway in a ruse to keep Thea on her toes. It would be quite the wild goose chase. When once it soared and called out from a northern direction, it immediately switched up causing the shouts to now sound as though they were to Thea’s leftmost side in the western pathways of the forested stretched of Route 29. Would she manage to pluck herself between the trees and around the bushes through the small pathways that allowed a person to carefully traverse in her need to track him down? He could only hope.

The earth split apart, causing a large red earthworm with metallic parts of his body to crawl out of the ground before Chase with a wide grin. “What’s the hurry little one?” Graboid asked, sweeping the lower half of his body in a wide circle underneath himself. He needed to keep the puppy distracted, even if it meant knocking it completely out. Though, truthfully, Graboid preferred it if Chase would just run back to its trainer with its tail tucked between its legs. “Why don’t you just give up this chase, huh? It’s kinda…a lot of work, really. Isn’t it? And what do you gain from it, anyways?” He asked with a wink, tossing a bunch of mud in Chase’s direction whilst attempting to wrap his body around the small puppy.

OOC: Graboid appeared before Chase as a 'wild Orthworm'. He uses Mud-Slap followed by Wrap!

^{Words: 603 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

"Thea!" Victoria called out. But she ended up with her wheels tangled in the underbrush and swearing, pushing the cycle to the side and losing valuable time as she sorted herself. "...Chase... keep an eye on her..." She had lost track of the older man and the girl, but something in her gut twisted, making her feel painfully high alert. She didn't think this was a situation to call back up on, after all, it was just a girl being too enthusiastic and slipping from under Victoria's observation. But the look in that man's eyes. It left her unsettled. She had to catch up! But as she finally pushed through the gap in the trees, she realized that she couldn't see anyone, not even her own pokemon.

Speaking of Thea, the girl was indeed wildly chasing the proverbial goose (whatever a goose was). 

The screeching call for help had her valiantly chasing after it deeper and deeper into the Rocket's trap, oblivious to his schemes. She ran further and further from help. She didn't realize that Chase had not just fallen behind, but had been intercepted! He yipped as the earth broke open beneath him and dirt got in his eyes. He shook his head to clear them and found himself facing the orthworm. His tail wagged a little. <I don't wanna battle either, buddy> The lillipup assured the orthworm. He made a show of yaaaawning. Look how lazy he was. No need to be violent. <Can't we be f—!> He yipped again in alarm as he was wrapped up and squeeze. <Okay, not friends! I will show you what it means to mess with me!> Grrrrrr. He got himself allll worked up.

Trainer Battle

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Chase  LV 5
HP 52% [11/21]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Graboid  LV 8
HP 100% [31/31]

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

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

Chase [Vital Spirit]: Wrapped -3HP (1/5); -1 ACC, +1 ATK, +1 SP ATK
Graboid [Earth Eater]: Asleep (0/1)

SP17 Orthworm used Mudslap
SP12 Lillipup used Yawn on Orthworm (85% acc) ZBMznSvtp_1-100
Orthworm us drowsy...
SP17 Orthworm used Wrap! (90% acc) p_proll=1-100p_4-5
SP12 Lillipup used Work Up! Lillipup's ATK and SP ATK raised.
Lillipup suffered from the wrap!


Orthworm fell asleep! (Rounds) p_1-31-100·proll=1-100·4-5·1-3

[Caramell 🍬]

Orthworm pulled back a little in shock. He looked around and stared through the tangle of long grass and thick, thorny bushes. Why, whatever could the little hound mean?! Graboid yawned back, shaking his head a bit as he began to feel drowsy. “I simply don’t understand what you mean?! I’m not trying to battle you…on the contrary!” He shrugged, his body shivering from the thought. What a silly notion, indeed! He only meant to stop Chase in his tracks to keep the little canine from being able to catch up and spoil their ruse. Totally different than battling!

“I can’t just let you run off and get yourself hurt. What kind of friend would that make me? Ya understand, don’t ya, sport?” He tried to reason with the furry hound while staring at the Lillipup intensely. While successfully wrapped, even as he began to slump a little in his sleep, his muscles would hopefully remain coiled on their target. What a lovely moment to sleep it would be, if he could keep his prey firmly locked in place. Zzzz….zzz… No, no, wait! He had to fight through it and tried to slam the thick end of his tail against the pup before drifting off into his slumber. It just…felt so hard…to swing….zzzz….. No, no, now! His trainer was counting on him in this moment! So he would….zzzz…

Caribes chugged along after Thea, crawling over logs and darting between trees. Their line of work required some level of exercise, though most of that was erased during their past sentence to the once true capacity they had in their heyday. Thea was impressive on some level in her speed and commitment for her age, but it was well expected. “Oh no, Pikapii! Hold on, I’m almost there!” Then skirted to a break when they noticed the puppy in distress. “Oh no, let go! Hang on, I’ll try to help you…somehow…but my Pikapiii!” Caribes huffed with worry and jumped back when Graboid thumped his tail end.

OOC: Graboid uses Tackle [well since next round is sleep...I guess he dreams of Tackle. >>]!

^{Words: 338 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

<Stop me from getting hurt? That is part of my duty! I am an officer of the law> Chase replied. <And you are interfering with my work by grabbing me like this!> The pup squirmed and yipped, trying fruitlessly to escape. Even with his bolstered strength, all he managed to do was tucker himself out. That orthworm was going nowhere, all big and heavy and snoozing. <Lemme goooo!> The howl escaped him and Victoria frowned from outside of the brush. 

"Chase? Are you okay? Thea? What is going on?" she started to pull at the entrance, but her clothes kept getting snagged. How did they both squeeze through this gap?! Victoria felt her heart race. "Chase?"

As the officer called out to her pup, Thea kept chasing that cry. She was boundlessly energetic, as Caribes observed, and determined. She wanted to make a good impression. Her father would have to acknowledge that she was ready for the academy after this! Though that dastardly crook was super fast. She hadn't seen a hint of him yet! That was when the old man stopped to grab at an Orthworm. She stumbled to a stop as well, whirling, "Hey...isn't that Officer Victoria's Lillipup?"

Trainer Battle

---

Weather: Clear

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

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Chase  LV 5
HP 38% [8/21]

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

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

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Graboid  LV 8
HP 97% [30/31]

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

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

Chase [Vital Spirit]: Wrapped -3HP (1/5); -1 ACC, +1 ATK, +1 SP ATK
Graboid [Earth Eater]: Asleep (1/1)

SP17 Orthworm used sleep!
SP12 Lillipup used tackle on Orthworm (85% acc) e_d3n1P6p_1-100 Crit? p_1-16 Strength? p_1-16
Chase is hurt by wrap!


1-100·1-16·1-16

[Caramell 🍬]

A strange wind stirred through the trees as a quiet whisper. It was young and boisterous, and so it toyed with the long branches that spiraled in erratic directions from thick limbs attached to tall trees throughout the forested region. It laughed in merriment at the trouble it caused, managing to cause rustling leaves to sputter and break away from their home in the canopies above, only to float towards the forest floor and collect in a ruffage of leaf litter. Though the wind whipped through the tall grasses and dense trees careless and free, it also brought with it the much-needed relief from the heat of the day.

Graboid shook his head as he began to stir once more, most of the drowsy effects of his previous sleep slowly loosening its grip on his body. He shrugged for a second, a quick jerk with eyes that searched about casually whilst his mind churned with thoughts of previous moments before slumber overtook his form. Was he particularly tired? “Did you say you were an officer of the law, little pup?” The long red earthworm asked, tilting his head to the side so that his smile curved with an odd, sidewards effect. “Or was that my fever dream? I don’t really understand what’s going on?” He shrugged for a moment, trying to recollect his thoughts.

Caribes huffed, wrinkled hands pressed against the sides of their face, and stared in horror. Though it was feigned for the moment, a temporary act donned in perfect position so that their position might not be discovered too readily, they carried with it the weight of true conviction. “I believe it must be Officer Victoria’s pup! I thought I heard her tell something to help us. The poor thing, it’s trapped!” Caribes whined. The inner workings of their brain spun with pure pride that swelled in an instance. Their menace managed to keep a powerful grip despite the disadvantage of the previous round. Too perfect!

“How can we help her Lillipup? If we try to pry the worm off, it might squeeze tighter and risk cutting what little air Lillipup has off completely!” Caribes fretted, those same frail hands gripping the sides of their face as they searched about the area. Graboid didn’t quite understand but didn’t dare release his hold on his prey. Was his trainer going senile already in their old age? It was a product of design for these frailer species, a deterioration of the mind and body that set in their bones when they refused to go the way of natural selection at a reasonable age.

“I think you’re too worked up, honestly.” Graboid snickered. He turned his head to the side so that he could peer into Chase’s eyes with just one of his bright blue eyes. Indeed, it would remain a strange stare that could have unnerved most other creatures, though Graboid doubted the effects or charm would be shared upon this peer, since his wasn’t particularly gifted with such abilities to begin with. Instead, he used it to convey a message far beyond words as his smile carved into something deadly and devious. “I’m getting awfully hungry. Do you know what my kind eat?”

Graboid’s meal was baked into the name of his ability, alleviating the scare of possibly pooch flambe, though it remained a teased sort of hint that he’d dangle over Chase’s head, instead. The large Orthworm reared back for a second and braced himself as he whirled the full weight of his upper body at Chase. He hoped to slam his head against the pooch and temporarily stun it if it were possible. “The thing it trying to knock the pup out! These worms don’t eat other Pokémon though, do they? I thought they ate dirt or something…?” Caribes asked frantically.

OOC: Graboid uses Tackle.

^{Words: 642 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}

[Pixel]

<I...will take you...down...> Chase gasped out, but he was unable to keep fighting. A few more weak struggles and the pup went limp, his last vision that of the orthworm threatening to devour him, mouth agape, looming ominously above. Thea, upon seeing the horrible sight, gasped and clapped her hands to her cheeks in an almost cartoonish display of shock. 

"Chase! Oh nono, that is def Officer Victoria's pup! We have to rescue him. Chase, we're coming for you," she called out, her voice thick with panic and emotion. This was all her fault. Chase wouldn't have been hurt if she hadn't run off... But... "We...can't pull the worm off? I...I don't even know what kind of pokemon this is! It... it looks shiny. Maybe... Oh. Maybe it's a steel type. Hold on, I think I can help free Chase. Stand back, sir, I will handle this!"

She breathed in and stepped back, cocking her arm and then throwing a ball to reveal her recent gifted starter: Chimchar.

"Fideo! You got this! We'll make this too hot and uncomfy for this big steel worm!"

---

Thea sent out [LV 7] Fideo out to battle!
Moves: Fake Out^EM, Leer, Ember, Double Kick^EM

---

Orthworm gained +2 LVs for defeating Chase!

Grew to LV 10

[Caramell 🍬]

It was nearly laughable how gullible the future like father, like daughter police officer in the making remained. Officers were never the brightest workers employed by the local governments at large, so seeing how readily she plucked a ball free from her belt and called the small fire starter out with the click of a button only delighted them further. The wrinkles that lined Caribes’ face, especially around their lips and eyes, deepened as their face lit up with excitement. Graboid did his part, no need to keep the beast out to suffer more unfair hardships against Thea’s weak ragtag partner, she hoped would have been enough to free Chase from the coils that bound him.

“You know, you really have a heart of gold.” They chuckled, hands fishing around inside of the pockets of their slacks. Caribes pulled a small spherical orb out of one pocket and recalled the large worm with the click of a button, before turning their attention squarely on the meal ticket as it presented itself so perfectly ripe for the pickings. “Since you just can’t help yourself but to help those in need….I’m in need of that little primate of yours. Why don’t you be a good little girl and hand it over, hmm?” Caribes asked nicely, pulling back a corner of their suit to reveal the all-too-familiar emblem of a large red ‘R’ stitched to the inside of their suit.

All rockets generally carried the emblem, or eventually faced the wrath of a higher up who would immediately suspect them of being a spy within the business. Caribes just wasn’t dumb and didn’t flash theirs out and in the open all willy-nilly. “You know your father’s been….a thorn in my organization’s side….for a while now, right? And since you want to be just like him, I’ve been sent to show you why that’s a bad idea.” Caribes fished another ball out and called a strange looking pink coral Pokémon out with the click of a button. Octalus hopped up and down on the tips of his nimble seafoam blue feet and turned eagerly to stare his opponent down.

“Octalus sweetie. Won’t you be a dear and show our friend why they picked the wrong organization to harass? Hmm?” A curt nod. Octalus understood perfectly what was expected of him. When Caribes added, “Tackle Fideo,” he didn’t even need his trainer to tell him outright. He rushed across the ground with all of his might, preparing his thick skull in hopes of knocking the other Pokémon across the ground with ease. He’d prove his trainer right! He had too! There was simply no way Octalus could be a disappointment and risk what that meant when you were one of Caribes’ Pokémon, after all! “I hope you’ve had a nice, long life and have done everything you wanted.” Octalus snapped firmly. “I refuse to lose.” He added with a determined smile.

OOC: Octalus uses Tackle!

^{Words: 493 | Caribes - Graboid - Octalus - Gizmo - Chuckie - Steven - Annabelle}