It's called right place, right time, baby.

If you look like a duck and talk like a duck, no one will know that you aren't a duck. She's picked up a thing or two from her scientist friends, and from plenty of years spent hassling Pokemon and learning the ins and outs. So naturally, she's capable of spouting about a little bit of nonsense about a little bit of everything. Just enough to get by, y'know? Just enough to not raise a brow.

Now, naturally, the woman wasn't really here for archeological means. The pretty stones and the uncovered fossils aren't really what she's interested in. It's the wild Pokemon and the potential opportunity to smuggle rare beauties out of the area that really interested her. But sure, fancy stones and priceless fossils were nice too.

"..and there's more hired guard on the way--" there's her cue. She looks the part, too. Rugged, gruff, a little intimidating. Though she isn't exactly built like a truck, she wears an eyepatch and covers up with dark clothing and rough leather. Oh, and she has a huge, hulking Pangoro at her side. A body guard for a body guard. Cool, right?

"Yo-- we can get started whenever, science-lady."

Though as soon as she opens her mouth, the archaeologist is already gone and working. One-track mind, probably. Whatever, that made it all the easier if the woman was so buried in her work that she doesn't notice anything else.

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

"Oh thank goodness!" Matilda exhales as she sees the eyepatched woman approach. "Hi, hi I'm Matilda!" Relief flooding her body, she extends her hand for a handshake and flashes a smile at her fellow guard. "I'm so glad someone experienced is here - I brought my Pokemon that can handle ground types pretty easily, but I have never worked a bodyguard gig before." [break][break]

Vega stands and stretches, then pads over to the large Pangoro to introduce herself to her partner guard. The humans liked to pretend they were the ones working, but the two of them knew who the actual bodyguards were on this job.



[break][break]

Remi Cassel

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

A handshake.

Remi glances down at her extended hand, and she takes it if only to pose as polite. But what surprises her more isn't the fact she's shaking hands with a stranger, but that the woman is talking about her tiny Bulbasaur as if it might stand any sort of chance against the wilderness.

Though, upon watching it trot up to Bane and introduce itself so boldly, maybe she's being a bit harsh. Not a lot of Pokemon just strode up to the Pangoro without fear.

"It's all in the way you square your feet."

She's being sarcastic, but something tells her this girl might take her seriously.

Pangoro glances down at the tiny turnip staring up at him. He grunts, rolls the stick around to the other side of his mouth, and offers an awkward, stiff wave. But they exchange a knowing glance that not even Remi can interpret.

"Cool. Alright. Let's get moving, then."

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

Shaking her hand gently but a bit too enthusiastically, Matilda releases the woman's hand and clears her throat before smiling nervously up at her. She listens intently to the professional's advice, looking down at her own feet and squaring them, bending her knees and adjusting her stance a few times to find a good center of balance.[break][break]

Her focus entirely on her footwork, Matilda completely misses the interaction between the two Pokemon. She looks up just as the bodyguard and her Pangoro turn on their heels and head into the abandoned (but recently cleared and re-supported) mineshaft. Mattie runs a few steps to catch up, then checks to make sure Vega's with her.[break][break]

Grabbing one of the lanterns hanging on the wall, Mattie holds it out in front of them. The archaeologist isn't that far in, already distracted by rocks of one sort or another. As they walk, she looks at the woman with a friendly smile and asks, "So, what's your name?"



[break][break]

Remi Cassel

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Remi's entire body shakes with the enthusiasm of this woman's handshake. She somehow manages to be simultaneously gentle and aggressive. Her knuckles aren't crushed together, but she is almost dizzy by the time Matilda lets go of her hand.

Remi manages to finish her speech, however, with only a slight change in gusto given the handshake. She's rattled, surely, but she manages to keep it together while they walk away to follow after the headstrong archaeologist. Even from here, she could hear the woman prattling on about types of rocks and fossils and how to properly extract objects without damaging the specimens.

Boring.

"Hm?"

Oh, right, she hadn't introduced herself. She was bad for that.

"Remi. This here's Bane."

Bane grunts, nods to Matilda, and then turns back to get back into 'work-mode'. He rocks the stone-cold serious face. It was seriously enough to scare away even the most intimidating Garchomp.

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

Remi's standoffish behavior didn't faze Matilda in the slightest. She'd expected nothing less from someone who was routinely paid for protection, and that eyepatch spoke volumes. Mattie would never ask about something like that, and honestly it didn't matter how Remi had received it - anyone who could take an injury like that and stay in the bodyguarding field was clearly a tough son of a bitch.[break][break]

The choice of Bane as a partner also spoke volumes. Anyone who was capable of earning the respect of a Pangoro was not someone to be messed with, but also couldn't be an inherently bad person in Matilda's eyes - Pangoro were incredibly strong and loved to fight, but they weren't known for senseless violence. They were protectors of those smaller and less capable than them.[break][break]

Matilda stood for a few minutes in silence, occasionally nodding to the archaeologist when she'd ask for a tool or for her bag. Once she seemed set and content with simply spouting off random nonsense that likely made a lot of sense to her, but Matilda could only pick out one word in three, Mattie found a nearby boulder with a mostly flat surface and sat down, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.[break][break]

Catching sight of Bane's expression, Mattie smiled. "I bet no one messes with you," she says to the Pangoro with a small smile, emotionally undeterred but definitely not making any movements towards the hulking figure. Shifting her attention to Remi, she asks, "How did you two meet?" [break][break]

While the archaeologist worked, the sounds of shifting earth and rocks being dropped into the bag mixed with the background sound of her chattering away, mostly to herself or to Vega who sat next to her and watched her dig.


[break][break]

Remi Cassel

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Talk about an easy job. The combination of resting bitch face with an incessantly chatty Cathy worked wonders. That and Remi and Matilda's Pokemon, obviously. They were clearly a big part of the cold front preventing wild Pokemon from invading.

Okay, or maybe the repel diffuser the archaeologist had set up was working overtime. Even Bane seemed mildly uncomfortable with the smell. He kept it together, of course, because he had an image to uphold and a Bulbasaur to impress. No way was he gonna let that little pipsqueak show him up.

He glances at the girl, however, when she addresses him. He appears almost.. bashful and embarrassed, grunting and turning his chin away to avoid looking directly at her. Remi scoffs and shakes her head, letting slide an amused smirk. Her attention shifts to Matilda when the question turns to her next. The smirk is wiped off of her face immediately and replaced with something akin to shock and dislike.

"My.. brother gave him to me, as a Pancham."

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

Immediately sensing Remi's unease, Matilda avoids the subject of her brother. "Oh man, that's the only way I've ever met a Pangoro with a Trainer is when they've been together since their Pancham days. I've heard rumors and stories of Trainers wrestling Pangoro into submission, but I've never actually seen it." She leans back a bit, raking her eyes up and down Remi's figure. "Hm, I bet you could do it though," she says confidently. "If there's a Trainer out there that could, it'd be you." Matilda states it like a fact rather than an opinion.[break][break]

Vega looks Remi up and down simultaneously with Mattie, and nods in agreement before turning back to watch the archaeologist dig. She notices the Pangoro's slight discomfort, but takes it as a sign that he's not used to compliments so she doesn't draw attention to it. She does, however, hide a smile behind the archaeologist's silhouette. [break][break]

"What made you decide to get into bodyguarding as a job?" Mattie asks, changing the topic for Remi's sake. "Do you have a different full time job and this is a side gig, or do you two do stuff like this all the time?"


[break][break]

Remi Cassel

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

"I could take 'im."

She winks at Bane, who appears disgruntled and surprised by his trainers playfulness. But there is a cheekiness to her tone and even to his response that suggests their bond is incredibly strong. Together since the beginning, an unbreakable friendship.

"It's all in the way you stance your feet, love. If you tilt your chin up and master your scowl, you could scare the biggest Pangoro into submission."

Remi glances down at the inquisitive little Bulbasaur and chuckles at it when it sizes her up and nods its agreement. What a confident but tiny creature.

"That's a lotta questions, miss."

But she squints and tilts her head at Matilda and decides to humor her with an answer.

"I pick up a lot of side gigs. I like the experience and the adventure. Change of scenery is good for the soul, y'know."

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

Matilda nods at Remi's advice, paying close attention and taking mental notes. Stance, chin up, scowl... Matilda is too busy running through the steps in her head to be bothered to look around. She isn't a trained bodyguard, and she felt very safe with Remi and Bane here.[break][break]

Remi's comment about her curiosity pulled her out of her mental drilling. She blushes and rubs the back of her neck, smiling bashfully. Her companion's mention of multiple side gigs made her curious about what her day-to-day job looked like, but she knew better than to pry too hard into things like that.[break][break]

"Ah, sorry about the questions. I'm a 'naturally curious soul', as my Aunt Fawna would say." Mattie chuckles nervously. "I like learning about...well everything really! I typically study Pokemon, both their biology and psychology, but being new to Hoenn I'm doing my best to learn about the people and their lifestyles. Find somewhere I fit, ya know?" A soft pink blush of embarrassment floods her cheeks again. She hated bringing up how awkward she was; typically it would drive people away or make them pity her, and neither was what she wanted. After clearing her throat, she adds, "If I uh, ever ask too much, just let me know - I don't wanna make you uncomfortable." Matilda smiles as reassuringly as she can to Remi, but she's sure it just comes across as awkward.


[break][break]

Remi Cassel[break]
Mission: Digging Yourself Into A Hole

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Trying to hold her own stoic composure proves harder than she thinks. This girl is really attentive and serious. She can almost see the mental notes she's taking. Remi is absolutely not a bodyguard, not a professional one at least, by any means. She picks up odd jobs, does her best to keep her name out of the negative spotlight, and maintains a reputation across all boards.

Never know when work required bodyguarding as a prerequisite, y'know?

"Pokemon, huh? That's a good mind to have, then. Ever consider going into a career in science? It's a hell of a lot safer than being out here, bodyguarding."

Matilda's awkwardness goes ignored altogether. All she sees now is potential. The girl was curious, smart, smarter than her, arguably. Remi knew only a handful of a lot of things to do with Pokemon. Smuggling them was one thing, poaching them was another. Her time spent with the rangers had lent a hand in that area too-- but Matilda?

She could be the key.

"Tell me more about what sort of Pokemon you study."

mission: digging yourself into a hole

Matilda Greenlaw

☉

Matilda's face lights up when Remi asks her about Pokemon. "Oh I'd love to go into science! If I had a lab I would live in there." [break][break]

"I study all kinds of Pokemon - whatever I come across, really! They're all so fascinating in their own ways, ya know? I like learning about how they've evolved to fit into their environments, what attracts and repels them, how they do what they do. The ability to manipulate elements and forces of nature, secrete poisons, create fire instantaneously with their breath!?" Matilda hops up from her seat on the rock, growing more and more animated as she goes on. "If these things are possible for these small creatures," she gestures to Vega, "why can't people do things like that too? What if we could find out what it is that lets this lil lady grow plants in half the amount of time they normally do - we could manufacture that and put it in fertilizer, effectively ending world hunger! What's stopping us from figuring out how fairies can heal others and recreating it, turning that into a spray or a portable machine that anyone can carry with them? Not every family can take care of a horde of Pokemon to provide for all their needs, but any of them could have a gauze or bandage that, when applied to their children's scraped knees, heals it in minutes or even seconds!"[break][break]

Mattie pulls a Pokeball from her belt and with a flash of light, a small blue amorphous mass appears on the ground. "This, though, is by far the most amazing thing I've ever seen. They can change their cells into anything. Anything, Remi!" she repeats excitedly, bouncing up on her toes. She was careful to give Remi and Bane their space throughout her speech, not wanting to agitate the Pangoro. "They can make themselves look like anything they see - but they can also perform every task the originator can." As she say this, the Ditto turns into a mirror image of Vega and lets loose a line of razor sharp leaves away from any particular entity in the group and they dig into the wall like shuriken. The Bulbasaur doppelganger then puffs a spray of sleep powder onto Vega herself before disappearing. A small blue crystal, much like the one the archaeologist was currently freeing from the earth, is all that's left in its place. "They can change sizes and even turn into inanimate objects," Mattie says as she picks up the little crystal, holding it out to show Remi. "And they make for great party tricks," she adds, the blue crystal melding into a puddle and molding rapidly around Matilda's arm. A thin layer of blue putty quickly ascends to her shoulder then up her neck, lightening to a fleshy tone and completely encasing Matilda's entire head. Within seconds, Mattie is unrecognizable - because from the shoulders up, she's a picture perfect copy of Remi, eyepatch and all.[break][break]

Matilda-Remi gives her counterpart a moment to process, then waggles her eyebrows in a very un-Remi like way. "Pretty neat, huh?" she says, and the Ditto re-molds itself into a blue blob on the ground. "They can fly, they can heal, they can become borderline indestructible like an Aggron." She pauses, a new thought bubbling up. "Imagine the bulletproof armor and cars we could make if we could manufacture Steelix steel!" Matilda looks up at Remi, elated. Her face drops quickly though as she realizes how long she's been babbling. Clearing her throat, she boops away her Ditto with a flash of light and sits back down on the rock, slightly out of breath from her not-so-brief presentation. "Heh, I uh, don't have the resources myself to really study that kind of stuff in depth though," she tacks on as an addendum. "But it's wild, right? The mind boggles." She glances over at Remi to see how the other woman had received her passionate exhibition.[break][break]

Throughout Matilda's address the archaeologist had stopped her digging, entertained by the Ditto's display, and she clapped politely when they were through. Tossing the last of her tools into her bag, the scientist adjusted her glasses and looped her bag over her shoulder. "Well, I've gotten about everything I came here for ladies," she says with a smile. "For now, at least." The archaeologist gestures towards the entrance of the mine and with one last wistful look into the darkness, she heads back out. Matilda follows, making sure Remi and Bane are right behind.


[break][break]

Remi Cassel[break]
Mission: Digging Yourself Into A Hole

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky