[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Cass yawns as she steps outside, having sneaked out of the house because Dermot has, uncharacteristically, started to act up. "Hey, darling dear, sweet poison boy, where are you leading me, my starstruck child?" she murmurs, following him as she wraps her coat closer around herself. She's still in her pajamas, too, and the chilly night air is not super helpful.

However, soon, she'd figure out the situation. She spots Grafaiai in the distance, but first, she'd see the fluorescent graffiti and marks they've painted on the trees. "NO!" she shouts, suddenly, shocked as she hastily steps forward, just when Dermot is about to start to run. "Don't go there," she says, grabbing him and pulling him close. Normally, she'd be happy to let him socialise with others of his kin, but the recent outbreaks have her concerned, and ... there's one with a shimmering, glittering crown on its head.

A gang ...

But huh. She whips around, grabbing a stick from nearby while she's at it, at the sudden voice, before she realises. "Knight? What are you doing here?" Immediately, she relaxes.

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Cass frowns upon Knight's non-telling answer, and his lack of memory of how he got here, to Petalburg Woods, in the middle of the night. "That's very concerning," she hisses, urging him to come closer. She shushes him also a bit harshly, gesturing for him to step closer to her and away from the Grafaiai. "I think that means trouble - see, they're also trapping those bugs," Cass points out, which, generally, just normal things. However, the fact that they're grouped, and ...

"A Terastallised one. A poison crown," she explains. "It'll make poison attacks even stronger, and it'll also get a boost anyway, so we shouldn't get its attention." She frowns then, grabbing Knight by the shoulder, looking him into the eyes. "Are you okay?"

Once he answers, she'd then also run back to the other question he asks, and points to Dermot. Dermot who has started salivating a bit, and smears it away with his hand. "That's Grafaiai Saliva. It's got some fluorescent properties, and its colour depends on what they eat. Each Grafaiai has a symbol they paint for their entire lifetime."

She looks at the gathered Grafaiai and the glowing signs in the dark. And swallows. So many ...

"I don't think Dermot has actually found his yet."

He seems hypnotised in her arms, struggling a bit to get free - however, still carefully holding away the hand with his saliva away, which instead waves a bit like a lightstick. "Dermot ..."

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

"Yeah ... we should get going, I think there's gonna be other people coming to help," Cass says, gesturing for Knight to come closer. But indeed, Dermot's struggle don't go unnoticed, and if he'd continue, then he'd actually run over to the gang of Grafaiai, and then ... she doesn't want to lose him like this.

The scary faces, doubled up, gladly seem to work, and Dermot snaps out of it with a startle. He backs away from Chani and Gideon, but upon realising it's Gideon, he seems more relaxed. Still, his chirping seems to ask what that's been about - he might feel a bit hurt about the sudden startle by his friend Gideon in particular.

"I think he's back to normal, good thinking," Cass says with relief. And then she notices that Grafaiai are coming closer to them, too- gladly, not the leader one. "Come Knight, quick - can't avoid the fight, but let's get farther away for it!" she says, before starting to back off slowly, then a bit faster. She really doesn't want the fight where reinforcements could come in any second.

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Upon hearing the explanation, Dermot's hurt quickly turned into embarrassment, as he also slowly remembers what has happened just a few moments ago - he doesn't know what possessed him! He thanks Gideon and Chani, offering a long finger each (his other hand is still dripping in his venom), and hope they could be good friends still.

Now, however, the situation is threatening to get dire. Cass quickly takes the lead to get them out of here, since it's familiar terrain for her - she's been playing in these woods (and especially this area close to the town) for years, so she could figure it out even in the unfamiliar dark. However, it's nothing against pokémon that could actually see in the dark. "I hope so, too..."

She almost runs into the Grafaiai, only warned by their glowing eyes, and skitters to a halt. "Fu-" she says, and throws in another curse as Dermot leaps out of her arms for real. However, this time, he doesn't join them - instead, he seems ready to fight, much to Cass' relief. "Scratch! Leer!" she shouts out, "We'll have to focus on getting past them - I hope they don't follow us all the way..."

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

"Graa!" Dermot chirps happily, glad that he and Gideon remain good friends and maybe he's gotten a bit closer to Chani ...?! !! However, peace never lasts long, especially not when there's a bunch of Grafaiai on the loose.

Dermot hits them with his Scratch, using both hands to do so - and, would you have it, the poison-coated claw leaves glowing marks on the other Grafaiai. It's not his pattern, he knows, however, and goes to finish the job, get them down enough so they could escape. With their combined group effort, the Grafaiai disperse for a moment, and Cass nods. "I think they're out for the bugs here ... if they wanted something from the city, they would've gone," she says, hurrying directly after Knight with Dermot now back in her arms.

The familiar streets are illuminated by dim streetslights and filled with an almost peaceful quiet. The noise of the Grafaiai could be heard in the distance, but ... they made it out. "Now ... let's get you to a pokémon center ... sorry, I think it's a bad idea to go to my house..." She's never asked, but she just can't imagine she could actually take that confrontation with her mother right now - best to just stealth back into her room on her own. "I'll come by first thing in the morning."

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Cass nods, "Yes, I hope so ..." But this is definitely out of their reach, and for her, especially right now when she only has one pokémon with her. She also starts feeling a bit uneasy without Jon by her side, even if he's not always the most helpful. He's her emotional support garbage bag, after all.

She's relieved that Knight doesn't take any offense at being put into a Pokémon Center and starts leading the way towards it. Gladly, it's never closed. "That's a good idea - and ... you still don't remember how you got here?" she asks. Now that the Grafaiai aren't their problem anymore, there's something else that's starting to surface.

"But I'm okay, and Dermot is, too. I think ... You'll sleep in my arms tonight, little guy, I don't want you to go running another time," she tells her pokémon who agrees with a chirp. He still isn't entirely sure himself what has happened to him, honestly. "I'm really more worried about you, but." She yawns. "For now, you guys also good? Anything you need?" she asks while rubbing her eyes.

Knight Naito

[attr="class","emapokemonteam"][newclass=".emapokemonteam"]height:40px;width:40px;background:#2b2b2b;border-radius:100%;margin:0 5px;[/newclass]

Knight's words do little to disperse Cass' worries, but she decides to play along and smiles faintly, "Yeah, we will see in the morning!" The pokémon gave their goodbyes to each other, with Dermot waving Gideon goodbye and agreeing they would meet again soon, and also waving Chani goodbye. Maybe she should start bringing Dermot with her more often ... at least to meetings with Knight, since it's quite likely Gideon's going to be around.

Cass' smile is still faint, but she tries to turn it into more of a grin as she nods, resting her hand on Knight's hand on her shoulder and squeezing. She feels the tiredness coming to her now, too, after all the action that they've been through before. "Yeah, it's been crazy ... but I'm glad we met up, yes! I'll try to come by in the morning as soon as possible," she says, watching Knight enter the Pokémon Center. She and Dermot linger for another while, before she can't stifle her yawn anymore.

"Alright, time for the stealth mission back into the house ..."

Knight Naito