[nospaces]

Prance had quite the step in her this late afternoon! She seemed particularly excited to meet Kiara - perhaps more so than her trainers! Shalin, on the other hand, was in no condition to ride at full gallop; she was still tired and drenched in sweat. This would be one of these evenings where she would read and play with her smaller Pokémon before the tendrils of sleep claimed her. She didn't want to go to bed too early, though; she didn't want to mess up her sleep schedule and wake up before sunrise!

The rider's eyes caught a glimpse of a Sableye hiding behind a large signpost advertising for Devon Corporation. She only noticed from its glimmering, gemstone-like eyes that stood out in low-light conditions. A reflection of moonlight from them would be blinding! She paid the hiding ghost-type no heed, other than wondering what one of them would be doing out and about while the sun was still shining.

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Flit          Yanmega        Good
Kiara         Litleo         Good
Jugan         Snivy          Good
Prance        Stantler       Good

{WC: 161}
{PC: 2}

[nospaces]

While it was still late afternoon and the landscape was bright in places such as Rustboro City, the mountain range containing the volcanic peak of Mount Coronet blocked almost all the late afternoon sunlight, making nightfall effectively come hours earlier than it otherwise would. This explained the high activity of Dark-type Pokémon such as the Sableye she passed before. Mountain shadows threw her sense of time, given her home in Johto was nowhere close to one!

Rapidly running out of daylight, Shalin had Prance pick up the pace. The clopping of hooves became louder and more rapid, moving closer to the center of the road to pass slower traffic. As she passed a sign indicating Verdanturf Town was 15 miles away, an indicator she was getting close to the Daycare, a Weavile leaped from behind the sign and slashed toward Prance without provocation! She and her rider slid across the road, Shalin able to let go and avoid being pinned under her Stantler.

She had to act fast, and did not have time to look for hear earplugs. Shalin instinctively withdrew Prance and flung Flit's Poké Ball toward the wily ice-type, covered her ears, and immediately commanded a Bug Buzz attack from the Yanmega. With supernatural reaction time, the wild charged Flit the moment Shalin started speaking, claws covered in sharp Ice Shards that pelted his tough exoskeleton.

The resulting wounds were grievous, driving the normally calm insect into a fierce rage. He gripped the dirt road as hard as his remaining strength would allow him, then started vibrating his wings with so much power that it felt like a small tremor was coursing through the battleground. While none of the harm Flit's signature attack did was apparent, Shalin knew the horrible things the sonic burst could do to a creature's insides.

Even if the Weavile wasn't dead or even unconscious, it would not have the strength to pursue them. Shalin took up the opportunity to patch Flit's wounds up with some Super Potion before resuming her westward journey, this time from Flit's back. She popped her earplugs back in and headed westward, still shaken from being forcefully dismounted but feeling well enough to control the strong insect.

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Flit          Yanmega        Fair
Kiara         Litleo         Good
Jugan         Snivy          Good
Prance        Stantler       Fair

{WC: 369}
{PC: 3}

[nospaces]

Shalin and Flit were closing in on the Daycare as the sun disappeared behind the mountain range, her insect picking up the pace once they had crossed into the peak's shadow. She knew better than to push her ride to full speed, both on account of the tremendous wind and noise, and on her body being able to handle the resulting rattling of its exoskeleton. He was more than capable of uprooting small trees with his wings if he went all-out, after all!

Around a half mile away from the Daycare's primary field, Shalin suddenly lurched forward in Flit's saddle. He found himself ensnared in a giant web that was dripping beads of water! That only meant one thing - an Araquanid was near!

Flit instinctively loosed a Bug Buzz to try to blow the web away, or even dissolve it through intense vibration. The web was starting to fall apart, but not without consequence. The force behind keeping the wings buzzing reverberated through his entire exoskeleton, rattling his rider about harshly. Shalin enjoyed the adrenaline rush at first, paying no heed that she was losing her sense of touch in her extremities. When that sense was replaced by moderate pain, she knew she had to let go, and did as such.

The wild's insect Infestation did not stop Flit, either; if anything, it motivated him to loose a full speed burst of vibration. That was the final catalyst in shattering the web and grounding the aquatic insect, who was also reeling from the sonic blasts. Not even Shalin's earplugs fully protected her; all she could hear was a ringing sound from either ear, and she had no sense of touch in her arms or legs. Dumping the entire contents of her bag on the ground, she located a spare Poké Ball by visual only and tossed it toward the reeling Araquanid.

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Flit          Yanmega        Poor
Kiara         Litleo         Good
Jugan         Snivy          Good
Prance        Stantler       Fair

{WC: 311}
{PC: 1}