"Wait, please," Michael pleaded, scooting closer to the Seadra as it quenched its thirst.

The blue, jagged seahorse hoisted themself upright to balance on their strong tail. Though having eyes in a near-meprmanent glare, Michael could almost see a gratitude behind their pupils as though their features softened. The Ranger Cadet retrieved a spare Pokeball and offered it to the large creature.

"How would you like to join me?" he asked, smiling. "I'll take good care of you. And we could always use a Water Pokemon on our journey."

---

Shalin Nariya
[PC: 5]
Notes: Attempting to rectuit Seadra

Another location in Hoenn, another outbreak of afflicted Pokemon. Michael remembered watching the news about the peculiar developments. He witnessed some of these events first-hand, too. First, there was the Ariados infestation of Cycling Road. The last encounter involved Spidops with their many tripwires and traps. Now reports led the Cadet to investigate at the behest of the Pokemon Rangers. Rather, Michael was among the first to volunteer an investigation into these strange happenings.

The usual gentle incandescence of the moonlight and stars hid behind dark clouds above the Petalburg Woods. Thankfully, Michael could rely on the warm, gentle glow from Eimyrja's tail as it painted hues of yellow and orange to help light the way; a beacon of hope and hearth to fight the biting chill of the air and ward off potential predators lurking beyond the shadows. To aid their sight further, Michael held his issued flashlight above his shoulder, casting it into the dark beyond the Fire-Type's influence.

The Ranger's mind was not entirely focused tonight. Steady steps experienced the occasional trip. With his right hand clenching his stomach, the Ranger attempted to quell the aches of his nauseated stomach. His skin was cold and clammy despite the small fever that worked tirelessly to fend off the ailment he endured.

Soon, the duo stopped. Michael's beam of light shone brightly on the base of a large oak before them. He instantly recognized the shimmering pattern from the reports he studied. They were now in Grafaiai territory.

A cold sweat and a surge of unease sent chills through the Ranger's spine while hair on his neck stood on end. Eimyrja, sensing danger, rumbled a low, threatening growl. She may have been a Charmander, but she would do her damndest to seem intimidating.

A large pair of eyes soon revealed itself in the tree canopy above. The large, pupilless orbs glowed like sickly emeralds. Slowly, Michael and his Partner backed away, while the Pokemon above them made their way down the tree's trunk. It was a Grafaiai, alright, but not like any Grafaiai Michael knew about. Its body appeared to be surrounded by some crystalline set of armor. A skull that fashioned amethyst eyes in its sockets adorned the Pokemon's head.

Now on the ground, both parties stood in a standoff. Both refused to back down or bend the knee. Eimyrja bravely stood between the Terastallized Grafaiai and her human. Though feeling under the weather, Michael remained steadfast in his mission; take down the Grafaiai and help restore balance to nature.

"Eimyrja! Give us some cover with Smokescreen!"

"Char, Char!"

After inhaling, the Charmander spewed black, billowing smoke from her gaping maw! The astonished Grafaiai instinctively tried to cover their eyes with their poison-dripping hands. Somewhat blinded, it could only feel cornered. And once cornered, they grew desperate.

Before the pair could blink, the Grafaiai lunged forward with canines brandished, using Poison Fang! Michael could simply watch in horror as he saw those very fangs embedded in Eimyrja's arm.

"NO!"

The man's legs sprung him forward before his synapses could fire. There was no thought, only instinct. Michael was upon the venomous lemur and slammed his right fist as hard as he could into its jaw. Though the fangs nicked Michael's exposed fingers, all that mattered was getting the Grafaiai off of his companion! Though he could already feel the burn.

The bewildered Grafaiai's vice hold broke, and it staggered back. It shook its head while it saw stars.

"Eimyrja, Dragon Breath!"

The Charmander could already feel the effects of the poison. Pain wracked her body with every waking second, with every beat of her heart that spread the toxins further through her systems. Still, she refused to go down like this. Inhaling sharply. The unleashed power of Eimyrja manifested as a breathtaking display of energy, resembling a vibrant nebula in shades of violet and blue, adorned with captivating rings of crackling blue lightning!

The dust cleared and the Grafaiai was nowhere to be found. All that remained was a single Mochi on the forest floor. Michael picked it up to inspect it as he did his best to hold the contents of his stomach.

"Another one?" he murmured. "Better take this back to the Ranger Station and have it studied...But first, we need to get medical care."

The Cadet shifted through his backpack. A single Poison Heal could be found. He did not hesitate to administer the medicine to his companion, much to Eimyrja's dismay. Though, she did appreciate the human's priority of keeping her wellbeing in order.

"Come on. Let's head to town, recoup, and come back to finish our work."

---

Prompts:
-Attack/Defend against the GRAFAIAI
-If your character has participated in AT LEAST 3 POISON PATROLS, they may feel slightly unwell during this patrol.
-have your character/pokemon be inflicted by the POISONED STATUS CONDITION.

A frigid sensation of embarrassment encased the Cadet. His head turned. Seeing Laurence just standing there, smelling of vanilla and cool as a cucumber, caused the color to evacuate Michael’s face.

‘Oh gods, he was there this whole time?!’

A chitter of nervous notes escaped the man’s lips in a short laugh. Grinning sheepishly, he did his best to wave his worries away.

“Good! That’s good. Punctuality’s important to me, is all. Dad always said, if you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re fifteen minutes early, you’re on time.”

The Ranger was already feeling calmer by the second as his anxieties melted away like the last snow of Spring. Smiling still, he offered a firm handshake.

“I’m Michael. Michael Davis. And this here is Eimyrja,” he said while gesturing to the Charmander. “It’s great to meet you both! Lucario's one of my favorites! I hope to recruit one some day soon.”

Eimyrja gave a joyful wave with her right claw to greet Laurence and Alpha.

---

Laurence Anderson
[PC: 2]

---

=SO YOU WANNA BE A RANGER?=
COMMITTMENT: ACT I

---

A gentle breeze pushed along the shipless sails across the sky and caused the emerald blades to dance. Excitement permeated the air while Michael trekked with Eimyrja to their destination. Michael was not a fully fledged Pokemon Ranger just yet. As such, the Ranger Station asked him to accompany one of his seniors for some field training.

The 32-year-old pulled up the map app on his Pokedex. Furrowing his brow and peeking over its brim, he hummed.

“This should be the right spot,” Michael mused. “They should be in the immediate area. I hope I'm not late.”

That would be the last thing Michael could ever want. Already his mind began to race; creeping vines of worry and doubts were ready to stick to his psyche. If he was late to his assignment, what would that tell his superiors? How would that reflect on the Rangers as a whole?

"Gah, stop it!" Michael growled as he smacked his forehead. "It's fine. You're not late. Maybe they had to take care of something quick."

"Char?" Eimyrja cooed, tugging on Michael's leg.

"Sorry, girl," he sighed. "You're right. No use worrying. There's no changing the past. Only what we do moving forward counts."

---

Laurence Anderson
[PC: 1]

Michael bolted across the white sand as rapidly as his legs could carry him. Eimyrja rushed on all fours right alongside the Cadet. Plumes of the coast kicked up behind them in their rush to get to the injured Pokemon. The pair skidded to a stop but remained careful to not let any of the sand launch toward the ones they wished to aid.

Great minds think alike, of course, as Michael’s Captain took the initiative in cutting the net. The Cadet ensued to do the same with the help of his Charmander partner. He snatched the survival knife from his belt while issuing a command.

“Eimyrja, let’s cut them free with Slash!”

“Char-mander!” the fire salamander barked!

A white energy coated Eimyrja’s claws! She committed to making quick, precise strikes as her human worked on his own section of net!

“Don’t worry guys, you’re gonna be fine! We’re here to help!”

Though the eyes of the trapped Pokemon showed an initial haze of fear, they soon realized that they were indeed being rescued. Weakened groans of gratitude emitted from their tired bodies.

Slice after slice, cut after cut, more and more of the netting frayed and snapped. It was a tough material to be sure! Though, thanks to the efforts of all, the poor Pokemon were soon freed from their confines!

Michael would help his superior in rolling up the abandoned fishing net to prevent it from harming anymore of the wildlife. Exhausted and sweating from the laborious venture, the Ranger fell hard against the dampened sand. He panted while trying to wipe the salted perspiration from his brow. After reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his 32 oz stainless steel water bottle to offer the rescued Pokemon a revitalizing drink.

---

Shalin Nariya
[PC: 4]

"Nice to meet you, Captain!" Michael chimed. "And you as well, Queen Zing and Sandy!"

The Sygna Suit came back to the forefront of the Cadet's mind.

"Sygna Suit, huh? I've heard of those. They're suits that increase the bond between yourself and your Pokemon, right?"

The Ranger Cadet idly scratched his chin. The beginnings of stubble brushed along the skin of his exposed fingers. A distracted thought brought attention to how he would need to shave soon.

Michael had an interest in making a conversation of the philosophical variety. Genuine curiosity filled his mind, and he wished to potentially learn more about Sygna Suits. Maybe he'd even have his theories proven wrong!

"They're interesting, I'll give you that. Although, I'm not sure how I feel about them. More than anything, I wish to share an incredible bond with my Pokemon. I know Sygna Suits are supposed to help you do that, but it just feels...Manufactured? The concept relies on manmade technology. Is there a more natural way of achieving that?"

Distressed cries of Pokemon brought the conversation to a screeching halt. Michael and Eimyrja both locked their eyes toward the trouble. In an instant, their cheerful demeanor shattered. Now, both the Ranger and the Charmander experienced remorse and sorrow. Michael brought a hand to his mouth in disgust and disbelief. His stomach turned the color drained from his face.

"Arceus, no..."

Down the beach, just barely moistened by the damp sand and caressing sea foam, laid two Pokemon caught in a discarded fishing net; The Seahorse Pokemon, Kingdra, and the tusked Pokemon, Walrein. Both laid motionless besides the occasional struggle to free themselves from the netting that dug into their bodies. But, from Michael's observation, he could see that they almost had no fight left in them.

"Captain, we need to free those Pokemon, now!"

---

Shalin Nariya
[PC: 3]

"Lovely to meet you, Mana," Michael greeted with a light bow of his head.

Hearing of the Princess's mother pulled at the Cadet's heartstrings. His empathy poured forth like an endless wellspring.

“I’m...I’m sorry,” he managed to say, his voice choked with remorse. "I couldn't bear to think of losing either of my parents. She must have been an incredible, rare gem to have a daughter like you."

Michael drew a slow breath through his nostrils to recenter his thoughts. Putting on a smile, he looked toward Eimyrja, who was now at the outpost’s water container.

The bond between the Charmander and the Ranger had made significant progress, even though they had only been acquainted for a short period. And as intelligent as she was, she didn’t need to await specific commands. Eimyrja felt a fiery warmth building up in her core as she took a deep breath. Then, she loosed a stream of flames directed at the base of the metal container!

“Good job using Flamethrower, Eimyrja!” Michael cheered on! “I’m proud of you!”

---

Elise Calcifet
[PC: 4]

Michael's head twisted in Absaolom's direction before his body pivoted as well. A big smile was the first thing to greet the fellow Ranger.

"Hello! No, I haven't waited long," the Cadet explained. "Maybe I'm a minute or two early, but that's about it."

Michael soon felt the Butterfrees in his stomach tickling his core with nervous energy. He groaned internally and wished that the stupid emotion would just go away.

Michael held some importance with making a good impression. Especially when younger colleagues were involved. The sliver of anxiety wasn't enough to send Michael's mind into panic mode, thankfully. At least, for now, the man's enthusiasm could drown the residual feeling out. Michael was just happy that the anxiety wasn't an everyday occurrence.

Maintaining a cheerful demeanor, the man eagerly grasped Absalom's extended hand for the handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Axel! I'm Michael. Close friends call me Mike, so maybe you'll get to do that some day!"

The older Ranger Cadet took a moment to admire the Hisuian Zoroark. His eyes shimmered like a kid's in a candy store.

"Well, well! That's an interesting Zoroark if I've ever seen one!" he enthused. "So hey, I actually have a plan on how we can show off what we do as Rangers to the youngsters. I'm thinking we can act out a scene where one of us pretends to be a Poacher. This way we explain what our job is, and we throw in a Pokemon Battle to give that extra flair. If you have ideas, though, I'm all ears!"

---

absalom steel
[PC: 1]

Reports of Bug Pokemon terrorizing the local fauna and new Trainers at Route 101 resulted in the Cadet and his Charmander coming to pay a visit. First Ariados. And now Spidops. The man was on the brink of noticing a theme. He thought that, perhaps, arachnids were more prone to dangerous behavior when influenced by outside sources.

Michael and Eimyrja were careful to traverse the Route with the different trip wires and strings laid about. The man carried the salamander on his shoulders as an extra precaution. As a Ranger he wanted to ensure not to disturb the local wildlife /too/ much. His goal was to maintain safety for the new Trainers going on their journeys' first steps. The inexperienced were prone to being hurt before they could even step outside of Littleroot.

The day mainly comprised a battle here, and a coercion of spiders there. Now, there was a moment of respite that the two would take full advantage of. Michael, sighing, slid his back along the hard bark of a tree while he slumped onto the grass to rest. Eimyrja joined him, flopping onto her belly alongside his legs.

"Whew, what a day," Michael groaned. "No one ever said being a Ranger was easy."

"Charrr," Eimyrja huffed, nuzzling against her human's right leg while plopping her chin onto it in a nuzzle.

Just above the pair, a purple-hued Spidops with a gem on their forehead surveyed their next targets. Surely, they thought, they were more than a match for a measly Charmander! The Spidops recognized it as a Pokemon that attended some humans who were just beginning their adventures.

With quick movements, the arachnid created a silk line and attached it to their wooden support. Then, they leaped off, using their web line to encroach on the unsuspecting Cadet! Slowly, carefully, the Spidops grew closer and closer, just waiting to strike!

Huffing again, Eimyrja opened her eyes to look up at her human. A gentle smile quickly shifted into a look of shock as she spotted the incoming threat!

"Charmander, Char!" she yelled, swiftly getting to her feet!

"Huh?" Michael murmured, opening his left eye.

Both eyes were now opened as Eimyrja's body language worried him. IT didn't take him long to put two and two together. He saw the Charmander's gaze remained locked on the treetop. Michael craned his neck to look up as well.

"Ah!" he yelped, taken by surprise by the large Bug-type Pokemon!

Michael instinctively grabbed a spare Pokeball on his belt. With a quick toss, he aimed to capture the purple Spidops then and there!

---

4yUu4CBV

The Cadet of the Pokemon Rangers stared in horror at the twisted scene laid out before him. Once a vibrant path leading into Mauville City's embrace, the Seaside Cycling Road now laid strewn with chaos at every turn. Rescue personnel, panicked pedestrians, and crazed Ariados covered the road. Bicycles, humans, and pokemon alike remained trapped in the maze of webs. If Michael didn't know better, he would believe he was trapped in an arachnophobe's nightmare.

The Ranger was at least thankful to not be the only responder at the wicked webbing disaster. He held concern for everyone involved, including the swarming Ariados. This wasn't normal behavior for them. Fighting them and pushing them back was one option that some on the scene took upon themselves. Others focused efforts on freeing the frightened victims.

"Here's the plan, Eimyrja," Michael began, his eyes affixing on the intricate webs before them. "Using fire is too risky. Webbing can be flammable, and we don't want to hurt those who are trapped! Let's free as many as we can with Slash!"

"Char Char!" the Charmander called, baring her claws before charging at the nearest entanglement!

With a quick movement, her claws sliced through the webbing. All the while, Michael kept an eye out in case any encroaching Ariados thought to make them into their next prey.

---

Notes: Eimyrja used Slash to cut down the webbing!

---

=CAREER DAY=
Pokemon Pedogagy

---

Hoenn was no stranger to the world of Pokemon and all of which it encapsulated. The school of Odale Town, along with many others, called on help from the professionals who worked with Pokemon in their daily lives. And so the school announced a Career Day the week prior! As expected, the children excitedly murmured among themselves while awaiting the grand event. Some did their best to not watch the clocks as the seconds passed by during important lessons!

Michael arrived at the Rangers' Booth in the Schoolyard. The first thing he sought to do was introduce himself to his fellow volunteer before children attended the big event. Since waking up, he imagined how he would make the work of a Ranger seem glamorous to the minds of the youth!

Michael realized he had arrived a bit early as he noticed he was the only one at the booth so far. So, while waiting, Michael idly rolled the miniaturized Pokeball in his right hand.

"Just a bit longer, Eimyrja," he spoke to it with a gentle smile. "We want to put on a good show for the kids. I'll let you out when it's time. I promise."

---

absalom steel
[PC: 1]