[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD LEAVANNY APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD FARFETCH'D APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

At first, CJ thought it was sweat drifting down their neck and across the skin of their shoulder; they were hot-blooded, after all, having grown up in Snowpoint and not adapted well to handle the heat. But then something wet brushed against their ear and they jumped with a start, swatting wildly at the offending touch and crouching away from the sensation. “Arceus hotsauce christmascake!”

Their fingers swept harmlessly through the Gas Pokemon’s intangible outer orbit, hand going briefly numb. They swept at the lingering tacky skin, trying to scrub it from their neck, when an exhausted individual rushed up to try and capture the Gastly; alas, to no avail.

“N-no, it’s fine,” CJ said, honest relief spreading through their tone. “I thought it was a wasp. I’d rather have it be a Ghastly than a wasp.” It was 100% the truth, uninvited licking included.

“Do you need any help?” CJ asked, head tilting.

There was a loud squawk and a Farfetch’d came bursting through the undergrowth with a yellow and white feline on its heels. The bird swung its leek at Kinnick angrily, who dodged the irritated avian and chomped down hard on its neck with a mouthful of electricity. Kinnick dropped the still-sizzling bird at CJ’s feet and sat next to it with pride.

“You’re a menace,” CJ said affectionately, zapping Farfetch’d up in a Pokeball.

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD SHROOMISH APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD RIBOMBEE APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

It looked like the stranger’s Gastly problem was solved when the rogue Leavanny struck the little gas cloud down in a storm of leaves. CJ was about to point this out when an angry Ribombee also tumbled down from the trees in the Leavanny’s fall of leaves, aiming an angry fairy wind in their direction.

CJ yelped and dodged aside; Kinnick yowled and jumped head first into the thing, using agility to dodge the Ribombee’s attack, and snapping the fly-like creature out of the air with a vicious thunder fang. It spat the still-twitching insect out near CJ, who was picking themselves up off the ground from where they’d hit the dirt.

“Sorry about your Gastly,” CJ said, collecting the downed Ribombee and flicking dirt off their elbow in the same motion.

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD SHIINOTIC APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD LEAVANNY APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

It wasn’t so much as they were quick to react-- CJ would’ve been done and dusted by that fairy wind, but Kinnick was terrifying and ruthless and never afraid to exact a blood price. Their Jolteon had saved their ass more times than they could count, honestly.

CJ ran a hand through their hair, collecting themselves, as the stranger dealt with a Shroomish; it looked a bit pained to them, like a toddler taking their first steps, but they managed, in the end.

“Nice!” CJ said, flashing them a thumbs up. “Hypnosis is really great for catching wild Pokemon.” There was an angry yowling-- in the thirty second break, Kinnick had wandered off, and stumbled over a Shiinotic. Her teeth were lodged in the Illuminating Pokemon’s cap, pumping it full of volts, to less than a desired effect.

“Wait, Kinnick, no they--”

Thump. Kinnick’s eyes drooped closed and they fell over into a drowsing heap. “--put you to sleep. Ah, shit. ‘Legs, help her out.”

CJ’s Glaceon burst onto the scene, took one cool look at the punctured Shiinotic, and blasted it with a freeze dry that caused it to turn frost-bitten blue around the edges. CJ collected the shivering mushroom in a Pokeball shortly after.

Deadlegs walked over to Kinnick’s prone body and smacked the sleeping Jolteon in the face, claws out, with an angry yowl; Kinnick sat bolt upright, blinking the sleep from her eyes, then pinned her ears at Deadlegs and yowled back.

“Sisters, am I right?” CJ laughed nervously, stepping between the stranger and the squabbling cats, as the noise of their quarrel began to increase.