Today's assignment was sure to be interesting, to say the least. Barnaby had been paired with an acquaintance of his, although they'd met under serendipitous circumstances while he'd been doing his public work.

It was unlikely Klaus would recognize him today. While doing ROCKET business Barnaby spoke in a slightly deeper voice, acted less flamboyantly, and dressed in a more subdued manner. Although the latter wouldn't stick out to Klaus, as he was already wearing a wetsuit when the man bumped into him.

"No worries." Barnaby assured in a casual tone, smiling softly.

"You're Klaus, right?" He asked, extending a hand in greeting.

"I go by Bee. I've been assigned to work with you on the Luvdisc job." A job which Barnaby had reservations about.

Klaus was new to Barnaby, although not new to the organization. He was untested and potentially unfit for the work (in Barnaby's eyes), simply based on how he'd reacted in their previous encounter...

But Barnaby was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. ROCKET didn't tend to hire incompetent imbeciles, after all.

Something in the water nearby caught his attention. Glancing over the railing, he observed the Pokémon playing in the sea below. "Are these yours? Cute."

Given that they were about to begin their dive, Barnaby also released the Pokémon he'd chosen to take out today. From three Luxury Balls emerged an unusually-colored STARMIE, a DEWGONG, and a WALREIN.

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Clearly having expected a different response for his clumsiness, Klaus flinches in expectation of much harsher words than the ones which spill from Barnaby's lips. Yet pale, if a touch bewildered now, a shaky smile is offered with uncertainty that his superior already knows his name, a wavering, "It's nice to meet you, Bee," sounds from the shorter man.
[break][break]
His attention shifts gratefully as his pokemon are complimented, his mouth hitching up further on one side. "Hansel and Gretel," he introduces the Dhelmise and Skrelp with a strangled laugh, a blush finally rising to his cheeks supply some colour once more. His age at the time of acquiring the pair sadly did not lend itself to a whimsical explanation - Klaus simply liked reading fairy tales, and often still did while up in the lighthouse as a way to pass the time.
[break][break]
The sight of the Starmie now in the water, however, gives him pause with curiosity. "Breeder or wild-caught," Klaus suddenly asks with a pique of curiosity, his hand motioning to the Starmie as he clarifies, "The Starmie."
[break][break]
As he awaits the reply he moves to hoist on his air tanks, staggering briefly under the weight before he corrects for it. With a deep pull of air into his lungs that he slowly releases, Klaus then offers, "Ready when you are."




[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Nice to meet you too." He replied in kind, watching the Pokémon down below in the water. As the grunt introduced Hansel and Gretel, Barnaby couldn't help but smile at their names. Yep, definitely cute.

His Pokémon swam towards Klaus' own, introducing themselves in several different ways: the STARMIE with a twist of it's periwinkle arms, the DEWGONG with a playful bark and a little jump into the air, and the WALREIN with an indignant snort.

"Breeder." Barnaby had greatly admired Martín del Mar' own shiny STARMIE during their first fateful meeting in Mauville Hills' garden - enough that he'd wanted one of his own. Evangeline had proven his investment many times over in their short time together.

Pulling away from the railing, Barnaby began the last of his pre-dive safety checks. After a quick once-over, he mirrored Klaus in securing his air tanks to his body, although with noticeably more ease of motion and a lack of staggering. Valves were inspected for a secure connection, hoses examined for any leaks.

After a few minutes Barnaby gave his partner the all-clear.

"Let's head out. Oh, wait, make sure to grab those bags." He gestured toward a few mesh bags hanging on a hook nearby. "We'll need them to collect the heart scales."

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Silently grateful at not being teased for the names of his pokemon, Klaus watches with a vague half-smile as Bee's pokemon become acquainted with his own - he only hoped the others held more mild personalities than his Skrelp, who tended towards a vindictive malice when challenged.
[break][break]
Klaus gives a little nod at the news of a breeder instead of a wild-harvested Starmie, approval touching his expression. Better to breed for odd colours than collapse the wild mutations by his own estimation. Brow furrowing minutely all of a sudden, he directs his Skrelp with an assertive, "Do not," when the little sea dragon draws a deep breath that seems it may be aimed towards the Starmie. Deflating instantly, a nasty look of her own is spared for her trainer before Gretel dives below the water to sulk.
[break][break]
He gives a nod at the all-clear, though pauses when Bee speaks again. Flushing with momentary embarrassment, he reaches out to grab several of the bags which are then knotted to his belt for ease of carrying. "Alright," he mumbles to himself, his goggles pulled down and respirator popped into his mouth.
[break][break]
With another nod spared to Bee, Klaus tips backwards into the sea, his vision whiting out from the churn of bubbles whirling around him. Weightless, wrapped up in the still chilled ocean, he floats limply as he orients himself, warm sunlight snaking between darker slivers of water. Slow, purposeful movement draws his attention as his Dhelmise drifts over, ghostly kelp momentarily wrapping around Klaus's waist and neck - a touch of reassurance? Lightly tapping the tendrils, Hansel's grip tugs Klaus downwards. A get to work then, touch.
[break][break]
Klaus would laugh if he could.
[break][break]
<< Go, I am coming >> signs Klaus fluidly, his Skrelp skirting past him to dart away with Dhelmise in tow.
[break][break]
Spinning briefly to locate Bee in the water, he points to sea cave and then descends to the entrance. Holding there, Klaus peers into opening cavern, his hand moving to flick on a flash light while waiting for his partner.



[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The more he observed Klaus in action, the more Barnaby appreciated the grunt's focus and professional demeanor. It was at a stark contrast with the man he'd met at Lilycove’s beach, who'd broken down at the thought of his misfortune being recorded for the world to see. This Klaus was cool and collected, even in the face of a dangerous ocean and an uncertain mission.

Barnaby hoped the guy could keep this up. He was halfway to being impressed.

Moments after Klaus' descent, he followed suit and fell back into the awaiting water. Almost immediately the presence of his Pokémon were sensed surrounding him and, once the bubbles cleared, their proximity was confirmed. Straightening out, Barnaby dove after Klaus, who was already making good time in reaching the cavern below.

An adept swimmer. Barnaby mused, admiring the view from his higher vantage point. He wears that wetsuit well, too.

As they descended, their group took on an interesting formation: DEWGONG swam playful circles around his trainer, WALREIN staunchly took up the rear, and Evangeline lit the way forward with their gleaming gem.

Soon enough they had caught up with Klaus and his Pokémon, just outside the cavern entrance. Barnaby watched as the grunt pulled out a small flashlight and shone it into the darkness ahead. It didn't penetrate very far, so he gestured for Evangeline to help.

The STARMIE's gem flashed brightly, illuminating about fifteen feet into the cavern. Barnaby peered inside but, from here, there were no LUVDISC in sight.

With a wave, he motioned for Klaus to enter first. The LUVDISC had to be somewhere in there.

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Casting a grateful look over his shoulder as Evangeline takes the front, Klaus peers into the darkness thoughtfully, the young man wholly oblivious to his associates admiration of his swimming form. He gives an absent nod as Barnaby motions him onwards and he easily kicks his legs to propel himself into the cave; not relinquishing his flashlight from his hands, he moves beside the Starmie and lightly taps the Pokémon while pointing towards the east in hopes of sending her illumination that way.
[break][break]
Klaus receives his wish, the beam of light revealing a crack in the cave wide enough for two men to pass through without complaint. Leaving Barnaby to follow him, Klaus navigates through the tunnel, its short distance opening up into a larger cavern in which myriad Luvdisc swirl in a dizzying shoal. Pleased, if amused, when he finally finds his own pokemon, Klaus watches as the Dhelmise and Skrelp work in tandem to squeeze the fish into a tightly packed spherical formation. As the Luvdisc circle for dear life their scales glitter like pieces of rainbow cast from the sky to litter the ground haphazardly.
[break][break]
Klaus nonetheless points towards the ground when Barnaby appears, his hands then moving to place away his flashlight and instead pull off one of the nets tied at his hip. It seemed like this would be a pleasantly easy job after all. Descending to the cavern's floor, he begins to carefully pick up scale after scale to slip into the net.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Evangeline was the product of careful breeding, pristine rearing conditions, and copious amounts of money - they had the disposition and quality genetics to prove it, too. They were fiercely loyal yet competent enough to think on the fly. A companion at rest, but a beast on the battlefield. Exactly the type of Pokémon Barnaby enjoyed having at his side.

So, when Klaus tapped one of the STARMIE's arms, Evangeline did not hesitate to help. Their gem blinked once in recognition before they turned to the east, illuminating the way forward. This section of the cave was fairly mundane; surrounding them were walls made of a dark rock, interrupted only by the hurried retreat of small ocean creatures. Soon enough, however, a scar in the rock gave way to another section of the cave.

Klaus pressed through the large crack and Barnaby followed, scanning this new tunnel for signs of LUVDISC. His efforts were in vain until, wondrously, the cavern opened up into a cathedral-like space.

It was a beautiful sight, with faint rays of sunlight streaming in through cracks in the ceiling. Fish of many kinds swam in circles around the round room, a certain pink variety in particular catching Barnaby's eye. He watched as Klaus' Pokémon herded the LUVDISC along and gestured for his own DEWGONG and WALREIN to join in. Evangeline floated at the periphery, standing guard.

Barnaby himself swam after Klaus, descending to the bottom of the space where shimmering scales awaited. Quickly realizing that he didn't have a mesh bag to collect these scales, though, he casually detached one from his partner's hip, accidentally grazing the side of his buttocks as he did so. Ocean currents making him unsteady and whatnot. Yeah. We'll go with that.

Just as Barnaby began to pluck the Heart Scales from the floor, a flash of bright lights alerted him to some sort of disturbance above. This was his STARMIE's warning signal - something was amiss higher in the cavern. Looking up, Barnaby could just make out the shape of several large, cylindrical bodies skulking in the waters above...

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Focused on his task of plucking up bejewelled scales from the cavern's floor, Klaus's head jerks in Barnaby's direction as he feels a tugging at his waist. His gaze travelling downwards to the bag, brow momentarily furrowed in confusion, Klaus seems to quickly realize what has happened.
[break][break]
Mirth evident in his gaze, his hands move to question <<Forget something?>> His attention diverting to the ground, Klaus looks up with unmasked curiosity at Evangeline's flashing. From the gloomy shadows emerge a battery of Barraskewda, the sleek fish circling with predatory intent.
[break][break]
Catching notice of their appearance, the Dhelmise and Skrelp abandon their herding of the Luvdisc, Hansel's ghostly tendrils spreading wide while Gretel looks pointedly at Klaus. <<H. Rapid Spin, you Water Pulse,>> his hands direct fluidly, the message seemingly relayed from one pokemon to the other; Dhelmise cuts through the water into the nearest Barraskewda, the ghost's body soon out of the way as the Skrelp's Water Pulse follows to send it off kilter.
[break][break]
As Klaus looks around the cave, his hand reaches out to tug at Barnaby's arm. <<This is dangerous. We should leave,>> he signs rapidly, his magenta-pink gaze searching his superior's face for confirmation.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

As the battle ensued, Evangeline hurried down to the bottom of the space, urgent in its attempt to get to BARNABY FINCH. While its compatriots began their assaults, the STARMIE knew its task as bodyguard and protector in moments like these.

Just as Evangeline made it to her trainer's side, a well-timed Crunch left one of the BARRASKEWDA skewered on WALREIN's elongated tusks. Blood began to permeate the water, dispersing like smoke as it filled the space around the fighting Pokémon.

DEWGONG went for a less hands-on approach, preferring to keep his distance and attack long-range. The water around his mouth began to harden into a solid and, just as another BARRASKEWDA came into range, he fired a volley of Icicle Spears at their attackers. A few of them managed to hit, but not kill, the fish; instead, it became spooked enough to withdraw from the cavern altogether.

The onslaught was distraction enough for the two humans to make their escape. Klaus tugged at the fabric of his wetsuit, spurring Barnaby forward toward the crevice from which they'd come. To his sign the ROCKET had stared blankly for a second and simply nodded, feeling lucky that there were enough context clues for the meaning to come across. Still, it seemed like a remarkably handy thing to know when one's voice was unusable. He tucked away the thought for another time.

By this point the BARRASKEWDA threat had all but been neutralized. Bags in-hand, with enough heart scales to have made the job worthwhile, Barnaby squeezed through the crack in the cavern and made his way back to the surface.

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Wincing subtly as the glances up to the fighting pokemon, Klaus appears annoyed for a half of a second when it seems Barnaby does not sign. Nonetheless, he quickly grabs the heart-scale filled bags and ties them to his waist before manoeuvring back towards the cavern's exit, relieved to be released from the confined space after the flurry of activity.
[break][break]
Klaus easily ascends back to the surface. Spitting out his respirator once his head breaches the ocean, Klaus inhales a deep lungful of air and then glances around until he finally spies his Skrelp and Dhelmise lurking just a few feet away. With an audible exhale, Klaus smiles as he murmurs to his pokemon, "Good job."
[break][break]
He paddles lazily over to the boat ladder, and with effort, hauls himself back onto the deck. Gratefully shrugging out of his oxygen tank, Klaus strips off his mask, his hand haphazardly ruffling through his hair to shake out the water therein.
[break][break]
Finally, Klaus looks over to Barnaby, his head cocking to the side as he asks, "Did we get enough?" With that spoken he peers down at his own waist and unties the bags there to gauge their haul.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

By the time Klaus was ascending the boat's ladder, Barnaby had already begun unfastening his diving gear on deck. His regulator and mask were discarded against the wall of the cabin as he heaved the tanks from his back, setting them down in the same spot. Flippers kicked off. A hand run through damp, wild hair.

Just then, a head popped over the railing, prompting Barnaby to throw his ROCKET partner an appreciative smile.

"You did great back there, Klaus." He complimented as the other man settled back onto solid ground. Upon hearing his question, Barnaby's gaze shifted to the wall of the cabin - on the very hook where his partner had retrieved them hung several bags of heart scales. "I'd say we have plenty."

He could have left it there, but a pestering thought kept Barnaby's attention on Klaus for a little while longer. "Was that sign language, by the way?" Duh, of course it was. "I'm impressed. It seems like an extremely convenient skill to have underwater."

A moment passed, then their inevitable conclusion. "Anyway, thanks for your work today. I'll take the heart scales and process them; you go ahead and get some rest."

klaus anchoret
mission: LUVDISC DIVE

☉

Klaus looks up as he's spoken to, a half-smile hitching on his lips at the praise. "Thanks," he mumbles quietly. He then gives a nod of acknowledgement as to their haul, the bags at his waist untied and hung back where the nets were previously collected from.
[break][break]
"Hm," Klaus murmurs in distraction before the question actually seems to register in his mind. "Oh. Uh, yeah," he answers after a moment. His expression uncertain as to whether he should speak, he eventually admits after a slight pause, "My dad's deaf. Wish more people knew it."
[break][break]
With a little shrug, then gives a nod and mumbles another quiet, "Thanks." Klaus then unzips the neck of his wetsuit down to his lower chest as he walks over to the side of the boat, his pokemon recalled and tucked away. Flopping onto the bench, his head tipping back against the side of the boat, Klaus's magenta-pink eyes soon flutter closed, and soft snorts signal he's asleep.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH

[attr="class","pokeclass"]