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alec foster

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She flashes him an easy smile, quick to put her notebook and pen away for later use. He's here and now, it's time to get this show on the road![break][break]

"No need to apologize," she chirps. "It happens!" He ushers out a compliment next, attention turning to the Ninetales by her side and she glances at her faithful partner, a light giggle escaping her lips as the fox preens. Some things never change and Flammae's appreciation of compliments is no exception. "Thank you," she replies, smile growing a little wider. "She's been with me forever." The handshake is light and ends a moment later as the woman retracts her hand from his grip. "I understand," she laughs a little, gazing at Flammae as she continues. "Truthfully, she's the only fire type I own. I suppose that makes her extra special!" The Ninetales coos at her, pressing closer for an affectionate pat atop the head.[break][break]

He calls out his own Pokemon in the blink of an eye, his point of needing some light earning a bob of her head. It's a solid idea, one she sheepishly admits had escaped her mind until he brings it to her attention. This must be one of his fire types... A Charmander. Aw, it's so cute! The woman grins at the little lizard, crouching to get a closer look. "What a cutie!" She coos, grin growing wider as the Charmander quickly turns his attention toward the peach tree. He must be hungry, what with the way he tries to scamper up the tree, little arms grabbing for peaches. Perhaps when this is over, she'll surprise him with a peach... A reward for being such an adorable little guy.[break][break]

Alec is quick to stop him and part of her knows that it was the right decision. After all, they're supposed to protect this tree... It isn't exactly good form to burn down the tree in the process, right? In the back of her mind, she makes a mental note to keep Flammae from getting too invested in her endeavor of protecting the sacred tree. The Ninetales means well, sure, but her flames can be a bit unruly and unpredictable as fire always is.[break][break]

Illeana watches the two go back in forth in a cute exchange, a light giggle bubbling up from her throat with ease. It's an adorable sight, a parent teaching his child perhaps. She remembers being like that when she was younger, still a budding trainer learning how to communicate with her Pokemon in terms they'd understand. Of course, it was a lot like this current display, tons of gestures and baby talk. Perhaps that's why a fond smile rises to overtake her grin, content with watching the two interact. It is, however, her turn to join the conversation as Alec introduces both herself and her Ninetales, the Charmander barely able to contain his excitement. "Hi there," she coos. "It's a pleasure to meet you, little one!" Beside her, Flammae sniffs at the fire type before offering her own coo, tails swishing with mild excitement.[break][break]

Before they can converse any further, an eerie feeling overtakes the area, night beginning to creep in with bony fingers and a chilly breeze. The woman shivers, arms drawing in around herself in an attempt to stop goosebumps from forming along her arms. "Oh," she murmurs, glancing at Alec with anxious eyes. "It wasn't this cold before... Such an odd feeling, too." Her words get drowned out immediately, the creaking of wood filling the area as the tree lurches. It almost seems to shiver with the woman, coming to life with the ominous air. Shadows dance just inside the far reaches of her vision and she whips her head around, barely missing the materializing form of ghosts as they begin to make their presence known.[break][break]

The ground quakes beneath some force and a thunderous impact elicts a shrill shriek from the woman as she stumbles, hands immediately flying toward the tree trunk to steady herself. "What is that?!" Her voice sounds different, filled to the brim with terror. A Golurk rises to its full stature, imposing and menacing against the dark of the night. Odd... The color of it is off, as if its from another world entirely... Perhaps it might be. She stares, hands beginning to tremble as the behemoth begins to move, hands crackling against one another. "Flammae," she cries, head whipping toward the Ninetales. "Try trapping it with Inferno. It can't reach the tree!"[break][break]

The fire fox is quick to move, flames beginning to pour from her mouth as she moves closer. Her steps are careful, fire beginning to take form as she drifts away from the tree. They build and burn, rising with intense heat to barricade against the behemoth. As Flammae works, Illeana begins to reach for another pokeball, the creature inside being ushering into the fray with a bright light. Nix stares at his trainer, confused at first. Why is he being summoned? Is it playtime? A playful swish of curled white tails follows and she is quick to give him a look, effectively quelling his need for playtime. Later, her eyes seem to convey. It is then that the Alolan Ninetales glances toward Flammae, lowering himself toward the ground with a growl. Ah, it seems her younger Ninetales hasn't lost his protectiveness toward the older one. Adorable! "Nix, if that thing breaks through the flames, you're on!" She earns a yip in reply and with a sigh, the woman turns to Alec with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, probably should have come up with a plan first before things started popping up, huh?" No time to regret the actions, however... There's only time to act, to protect the tree with all their might.[break][break]

notes | ninetales used INFERNO in an attempt to trap the Golurk in with a wall of flames. illie's alolan ninetales is on standby should the Golurk get through the fire!!

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alec foster

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Well, it had seemed like a good plan at first...[break][break]

Trap the behemoth in flames and hope it'll be enough. Unfortunately, it wasn't and now, the menacing beast is crawling toward them on all fours... God, that's a thing of nightmares. Her eyes go wide, a soft gasp escaping her out of surprise. The sight of it brings back unwanted memories, filtering into her mind in waves of flashes. Her Pokemon burning, zombies groaning with bloody hands outstretched, people and Pokemon being cut in half by hoops. Sometimes these memories come at the most inopportune times, this being one of them.[break][break]

The fear she feels is merely heightened by the peculiar sensation of the air. Eerie and unsettling, as if it's crawling with awful energy. Flammae draws closer to her, Nix following suit. The two foxes will protect her, this much she knows, but at what cost?[break][break]

She attempts to flash Alec a reassuring smile, struggling to keep herself composed in the face of this monster. "No, you're not the only one," she murmurs to him. "It seems we're under attack." Great observation, Illie. You're totally a genius. God, she should offer more than just the reaffirmation of what's unfolding before their very eyes.[break][break]

"Flames didn't work," she mumbles to herself, dark eyes never leaving the golem's body as it clamors toward them with heavy hands and feet. A hellish thing, wrapped in the fires of failure as it moves. Really, she should be paralyzed with fear, unable to even think of a simple solution... Instead, it feels as though this is child's play compared to the trials of that god awful Hoopa. And so, without giving herself any time to dwell on it further, she steps forward to take the lead, confidence bubbling within her body. She can do this. She can protect this peach tree.[break][break]

Her attention is snagged when Alec begins talking beside her, the ground work of a plan being ushered from his mouth. It sounds simple to understand, easy to follow. A ground type makes sense but... Can a regular ground type produce such an eerie crawling sensation? Something tells her it's not just a normal ground type. Even so, water or ice should help with the ground aspect, right? "Good thinking!" She praises, lips curling into a small smile. He's a smart kid, perhaps someone she would enjoy bouncing research ideas off of once in a while. Hm... Perhaps a thought to entertain after this is over. For now, they need to focus on defending this tree from this behemoth and fast. Behind her, the tree creaks and groans louder, wood crackling almost in an attempt to shy away from the forces that are approaching.[break][break]

"Nix," she calls and the Alolan Ninetales stands at attention, curled tails gently brushing against her legs. "Ice Beam! Try to freeze it in place!" Nix steps forward with narrowed eyes, mouth already opening as the temperature surrounding her and the two foxes begins to drop. "That thing can't get near the tree!" As if sensing the urgency in her voice, Nix unleashes a bright beam from his open mouth, frost escaping the beam of ice as it rushes toward the Golurk.[break][break]

Glancing toward Alec, she motions toward his nervous Piplup with a grin. "Try adding some water," she suggests. "It might produce more ice and keep that thing in place!" Hopefully that's a good enough plan for now... Well, if all else fails, she might as well just chuck a Pokeball at the thing and see what happens. Maybe they'll get lucky but... If a wall of fire and ice can't stop it, why would a Pokeball be able to?[break][break]

notes | her alolan ninetales used ICE BEAM in an attempt to freeze to Golurk in place or at least weaken it. Asks Alec to have his Piplup use a water move to see if that'll make more ice when combined with ice beam. if all else fails, she's yeetin' a pokeball srry

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alec foster

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Her chest heaves as a sigh escapes her lips, heartbeat slowly returning to its normal pace once the behemoth falls. It was a terrifying thing, really... The way the stone golem just scrambled against the floor, an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Somehow, whether it was luck or fate, they managed to stop the beast. It falls with a loud thud, the ground quaking beneath the pressure. And yet, despite seeing the behemoth fall with her own two eyes, she isn't certain if it will stay down...[break][break]

Perhaps that's why she unclips a pokeball from her belt, gently tossing the small metal object in her hand for a moment. Her eyes drift from the Golurk's body to her partner and with a smile, she calls to him. "Thank you! That was amazing," she murmurs, appreciation flashing in her eyes. They managed to defeat this golem together, using quick thinking and a thrown together strategy. She's starting to think that maybe, just maybe, they'll survive the night... The tree will stand.[break][break]

With a quick glance toward the Golurk, she simply tosses the pokeball, hearing a soft thump as it connects with its target. If it captures or not, she doesn't notice. Instead, both Illeana and her Pokemon turn their attention to the shadows around the edges of the tree. Attackers still linger, ghosts with creepy smiles and eager snickers. They want the tree, want to run sharp claws down the bark and relish in the sound.[break][break]

"Keep your guard up," she mumbles, eyes drifting toward the two Ninetales at her sides. "I have a feeling that was just the beginning..."[break][break]

Once her duo of ice and fire are on high alert, she turns toward Alec with a slightly wobbly smile. "This is going to be a long night, huh?" An awkward laugh escapes her as she waves a hand nonchalantly in the air. "I think we're gonna be fine! Just gotta keep doing what we're doing." Her smile brightens and with a thumbs up, she fully grins. "We're a great team!"[break][break]

notes | all of her pokemon are on standby, waiting for the next attack. she's a lil paranoid that the golurk will get back up so she just yeets a pokeball at it anyway yolo

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alec foster

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The woman doesn't begin to relax until the Golurk is safely within the pokeball, out of commission and unable to do any more harm to the tree. Her shoulders slacken slightly, no longer tense under the pressure of protecting this precious tree. A soft sigh escapes her and she feels as though they could finally rest a little easy. Perhaps the rest of the night won't be so bad now that the behemoth is taken care of... With a smile, she fully turns toward Alec, appreciation dripping from her lips. "Thank you, that's very kind to say!" She laughs for a moment before raising a hand to rustle the curly fur atop Nix's head. "Between the two of us and our brilliant Pokemon, this could be a breeze." If they could handle that Golurk, they could handle anything.[break][break]

His question causes the scientist to pause for a moment, eyes drifting toward her feet out of concentration. He was right in the sense that it was a ground type but... Ghost types are around them right now, lurking in the shadows, observing their every move. It's only safe to assume that the behemoth was also similar to these ghouls. And so, with uncertainty, she pipes up. "I'm not positive but I think it might have been part ghost type?" She should really familiarize herself with more Pokemon than just the ones she has already researched... She's a scientist, after all. It's supposed to be her thing to have vast knowledge of the different types of Pokemon, right? "If I'm being honest, though, I haven't seen a Pokemon like that before either... Perhaps we could study it together and see what we can find out? I'd love some help in studying it if you're willing," she finishes with a wink. Research is usually an isolating thing but he seems so curious... It would be fun to include another in her quest for knowledge![break][break]

The rest of the night seems to go rather well if she stops to think about it. Most of the ghosts were harmless, each of them merely making a half-assed pass at the tree only to fall short. Between Alec and herself, the peach tree was well-guarded throughout the night. Their Pokemon were nothing short of incredible, too... The woman is even considering making this a normal partnership now with how well everything seems to have gone. He's a nice guy, reliable, and curious. Another mission with him definitely wouldn't be bad at all...[break][break]

"We made it!" Illeana chirps, raising her arms to stretch. The last few hours had dragged a bit as the threats were practically nonexistent. Now, a new day begins to break through the darkness of the night, stars disappearing and giving way to fluffy orange clouds. Ah, sunrises sure can be masterpieces. "No harm to the tree or us, too," she grins. "I'd say we were pretty successful, partner!"[break][break]

notes | lil timeskip to morning~ <3 sorry for the wait n the awful post ;u;

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