It took Zac a while to catch up.

"Right'ere, dude!" He said cheerily, his voice echoing inside the shack, for it could not be called a home. He too could feel the many eyes on him- but he was used to such stares by now. "Oh, neat turtle. Nice to meet'cha! ... Oh, right. Here's our options."

"We can either burn this place to the ground, forcing them to leave... Oh, and don't worry, this place is already set to demolished, so as long as we keep the flame to this shack alone, we are peachy."

He seemed mighty confident in his skill for controlled Arson. That... hopefully inspired confidence?

"Or we could try to find the Queen." He said, humming as he cupped his chin. "Bug type pokemon are just like any other pokemon- they've predators, they've prey. A whole lot of species wouldn't come together in a single coven. Chances are, there's only a few closely tied species here- and they'll all be under the control of one Queen."

He grinned up at Zac.

"If we net the Queen and leg it, they'll be running behind us for weeks until they get their Queen back." Or die- but he wasn't super into that.

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TAG: Zac Ramsay

"Usually depends on the species, but..." He said as he glanced up, tilting a brow. Most of the roof on the second floor was caved in, and it just looked like it would collapse in general. "Definitely the basement."

The Queen's protection was paramount for the hive. A caved in roof was just begging for a dangerous flying pokemon to swoop in, and the collapsing second level wouldn't last long once the queen began laying eggs.

With Zappa brightening up their path, Doug lead the way into the basement, the steps creaking the whole way down. Many bugs skittered about on the walls, somewhat big but cowardly, zooming away from them before the light could completely illuminate them.

He didn't need to see them completely to know what they were, just from how swiftly they were to run away.

"Yeah, that makes sense." He said to himself. Slateport was a seaside city, after all.

They could smell it before they reached the bottom; a dank, stale air. Maybe they could even see it before they arrived.

How the basement was flooded with water that probably reached up to Zac's own neck. And... It was sea water. How had they even gotten this here?

"Yep." He said, now certain. He didn't need to see it. "Definitely a Golisopod."

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TAG: Zac Ramsay

"Smoking 'em out is a good idea. Though..." He said as he cupped his chin, brows furrowing slightly.

He only had slight doubts due to the sea water. He had no idea how they could have gotten the sea water here without anyone noticing anything.

Unless it had flooded in from somewhere...

Well, he supposed that if it had, they would accomplish their purpose all the same.

Or well, they would have- if the Queen had chose to run. However, as the water surface rose and then broke, washing over the armored silhouette of a large, imposing bug, he couldn't help but breathe in sharply at the sight, suitably wow'd, bug maniac that he was.

"Damn, she a beaut awright... as you would say." He said after a moment of silence and being glared at by the Golisopod, who's gaze had been analyzing them and their pokemon for a good moment...

Before she unleashed a deafening screech that felt as if it had made the entire structure quake.

Her furious gaze snapped to Zac's wheezing as she suddenly began charging through the water like a jet.

"Holy shit!" Said Doug as he scrambled on the steps, tripping more often than not as her looming form grew nearer. "String shot, STRING SHOT!"

He said while holding Larvesta in that general direction, the little larva squealing in terror much like her trainer as she unleashed a mass of webbing intended to slow down the advancing, furious Queen.

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TAG: Zac Ramsay

"Waaay ahead of you!" He said as he grabbed and tried to pull at Zac's arm, His little Larvesta held under his pit like a soccer ball in the other, facing backwards.

She kept screaming, getting louder with every crash and bang made by the Queen chasing behind them, throwing string shot after desperate string shot to slow down the screeching Golisopod.

They stumbled back onto the first floor to rattling, trembling foundation, the very house seeming to come alive with the Queen's roars, the previously timid bugs squirming along the walls now seemingly incensed by their mistress' fury, a mass of them moving to stand in their path, if not outright attack them.

Doug gripped Larvesta more firmly before rearing back, shouting.

"Yer up! FLAME WHEEL!" He said before chucking at her like a basketball, the little bug squealing the entire way even as she became a fall of rolling flames, getting some of the previously incensed bugs out of the way out of terror.

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TAG: Zac Ramsay

"Thanks! Been practicing!" He said as ducked and swooped up Mothra while running, grasping her firmly under his pit once again before they managed to break out of the dilapidated home, a rush of cold, fresh air greeting their faces as they emerged from it.

Realizing the confused, paralyzed queen was being slow to chase, the panting bug catcher glanced down at the bug under his arm, grinning.

"Good girl." He said, and she huffed, bumping her head against his side in protest. "Ack! Okay, okay! Last time, promise."

CRACK!

A booming crack thundered in the night as the Golisopod tore through the house's doorway with a furious roar, her body trembling erratically as she panted hard, staring at them down furiously before she began to clang and grind her claws together, glaring furiously at Zac's Zappa specifically.

"Let's put a pin on that." He said, patting Mothra placatingly while staring hard at the Queen. He leaned closer to Zac, muttering hard.

"We can't touch her anymore." He said, not looking too thrilled about it. "One more scratch and she's back in her nest."

He pretty sure there was some sort of hole or opening into the sewer that would let her escape them indefinitely in there. Little things were faster than a Golisopod making an emergency exit.

"What to do now..." he wondered, brows furrowed.

The Queen decided for them- by roaring as she charged, claws flashing as rushing water seemed to gether around them.

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TAG: Zac Ramsay

"Yup." He said, coming to stand near the arena trap made for the Queen. The harder she struggled, the deeper she sank- it certainly seemed like she wasn't going anywhere. "That's a trapped Queen awright."

About that.

"Guess we are doing this the hard way after all." He said dryly as he turned his attention back to the home, which was now rattling and crackling as if it were alive.

The youth tipped his hat and clicked his tongue, fetching another pokeball before throwing it forward, bringing his Scyther out for a rumble.

She glanced around curiously, her eyes finding the struggling Golisopod inside the trap, and her ears picking up the rattling ahead. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Sorry 'bout that, Kama. Mind helping us out?" He said with an apologetic smile, to which she shot him a dirty look. Doug winked in response, before underhand throwing Mothra forward, who landed right next to the Scyther with a look of abject horror in her face. "Don't worry guys, we have the best of the best on our side! Zac here is gonna help us out!"

He clapped Zac's back with a smile. Then remembered he hadn't explained himself.

"Oh, right. 'Member what I said about netting the Queen and leggin' it? I was hoping we would get a bit further away. Maybe the park or the beach? But this place works, too."

...

"For the battle with every other member of the colony, I mean."

Kama harrumphed, grinding her scythes against one another. Mothra whimpered.

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TAG: Zac Ramsay