The NINETALES surrounding him collectively lifted their heads, curious of the approaching stranger. Although their body language gave no signs of aggression, just the pure size and presence of the foxes was intimidating to most. It kept the riffraff at bay when all Barnaby wanted to do was enjoy much-need alone time.

Except this man. He had the gall to walk over, close enough to block out the speckled sunbeams overhead. With a sigh, the journalist righted himself and positioned his body so that it leaned against the trunk of the nearby tree.

"Barnaby Finch." He greeted evenly, his cobalt blue eyes looking up to meet Pace's golden gaze. Hmm. He did have a handsome physique, a cute face. Maybe this wasn't such an unwanted disruption after all.

"What can I help you with, Ranger Mahmoud?"

Pace Mahmoud
mission: PESKY PESCATARIAN

☉

"I do, actually." A dual answer in response to how often he visited the park and if he kept tabs on the MAGIKARP pond just a little ways away from them. Speaking of which, Barnaby realized that he hadn't walked by the water just yet to check on the koi Pokémon.

"Eaten? I haven't see anything, but..." Barnaby leaned his body to the side, attempting to look around the ranger and view the pond from his current vantage point (although this was difficult given Pace's wide shoulders and broad chest).

"... actually, wait, what's that?" He questioned with an outstretched hand, pointing, while his eyebrows began to furrow in concern. There was something glinting in the sunlight on the sandy bank of the pond.

With an inward sigh, Barnaby resigned himself to help; his respite was over, for now. Standing upright, he brushed his pants of any wayward leaves and dirt, folded his blanket and returned it to his satchel, and then began striding forward toward the mystery object. Whether Pace followed or not was of no consequence to the journalist.

Pace Mahmoud
mission: PESKY PESCATARIAN

☉

“Evidence that you weren’t just making something up to talk to this ‘gorgeous’ assistant.” A whisper of a smirk pulled at Barnaby's lips as he spoke over his shoulder at Pace Mahmoud. He watched as the man settled against a low retaining wall, the quartet of NINETALES sitting just a few feet behind, before gesturing to the item on the ground. Well, not really an item, but a carcass.

“A shame, though. This one was quite an exquisite Magikarp.” Although it seemed a recent kill, all that was left of the corpse was the head and part of the upper body. Everything below the pectoral fin was ominously missing. Still, from what still remained it was evident that the fish had had elegantly intricate patterns. Marbled oranges and reds and black swirled in white.

“Oh, look there. Some tracks.” Barnaby pointed to what he thought might be pawprints in the sand along the shore of the pond. His smirk widened as he remarked, “Show me your skills, Ranger Mahmoud. What Pokémon leaves these sorts of tracks?”

Pace Mahmoud
mission: PESKY PESCATARIAN

☉

Barnaby had become so preoccupied with the chase that he didn't even realize he'd left the Ranger behind by the pond. The tiny footprints enthralled him - as well as his group of foxes. They trailed behind him, snouts to the ground, ears pinned forward, eyes alert.

Whatever had massacred the MAGIKARP, they would find it.

It didn't take long for the tracks to lead to a more secluded side of the park, where the trees had been allowed to grow together. The undergrowth was thicker here, pervaded in shadow and an innumerable amount of hiding spaces for a sneaky pescatarian.

"Go." Barnaby ordered, pointing to the grove ahead.

The four NINETALES leapt forward and, after only a moment or two, flushed out a howling creature. He couldn't make out exactly what it was until - WOOSH!

A LINOONE bolted out.

It barely cleared the periphery of the wood, however, before Barnaby's foxes were on it. They didn't kill the thing, only weakened it enough to be captured.

Pace Mahmoud
mission: PESKY PESCATARIAN

☉