Penelope was a far cry from an actual trainer. Birthed by the books, grown by the world, battling had never fitted her life style. It's what made hoenn all the more dangerous for someone like her, hence her assigned bodyguard, Greyson Connors, and hence her near-death experience in that hellish whirlpool last week.
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So, when she heard of macro cosmos' little burglary issue, her initial reaction was an immediate hell no. But...after mulling it over a slice of avocado toast, she changed her mind, hoping the little event might lead to something newsworthy.
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Probably not. But maybe?
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A pair of dragons accompanied the amber headed woman as she approached the gym leader; one feral and rapid, the other whimsical and joival.
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"Hey! Didn't think I'd see you here."
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Thank Arceus.
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A sigh of relief slipped through her lips. At least she'll have the solace of working alongside a gym leader.
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[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"...Me neither." But it was good publicity, at least in the event Derek stopped somebody. Although it could just as easily be bad publicity if he failed to. That's why he had a few other pokeballs just to make sure he didn't get caught with his pants down for bringing a dragon type...as requested.

Regardless, Penelope's sigh of blatant relief comes to attention more than the mannerisms of her pokemon. "What's that all about?"

In the meantime, Dredgen simply looks between the two of it's dragonkin before returning a watchful eye to the on-goings around them. They don't interest him much since it's not them he'll be fighting. As such, as they converse, Derek's Garchomp gradually drifts towards an individual it would describe as suspicious. They wore a hat and sunglasses into the bank, making it hard to identify them by anything more than their outfit...

PENELOPE LIVY | MISSION 2 of 5

☉

Lips settling into a smile, the woman waved off her drooling Garchomp, whose fangs begged for action. Cloud's protection should suffice, she thought. And so, the draconic beast scampered off towards the other, golden eyes instantly caught onto the same figure he was staring daggers at.
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"Nothing, nothing," She shook her head, her hand instinctively reaching for a third ball. In a flash of crimson, a magnetite broke out from the red and white shell, bleeping excitedly, its hands occupied by a camcorder. It levitated upwards in search of a better angle. "I'm just glad to have such a capable partner with me." A soft chuckle drew out from her chest, hearty and full of life. "if you haven't noticed, I'm not much of a trainer."
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[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN [break]

"Oh, I get it now." Judging by the Magnemite, which she used like a camcorder of sorts, Penny was just trying to get the hot scoop on a live bank robbery. With the sudden commotion taking place not far from the two, it seemed she'd be getting what she wanted.

The obvious presence of security encroaching on their personal space caused the individual to instigate their little operation. Whipping out a HONEDGE, their dominant arm gripped the pokemon by the hilt and let loose a BRUTAL SWING, clipping Derek's Garchomp and sending it reeling back in pain.

Another two individuals sprung into action, releasing a HYPNO and SNORLAX respectively. After the psychic type used HYPNOSIS on the worker to get them to cooperate with their little heist, the burglar with the Snorlax was able to use STOCKPILE to store it all in the pokemon's massive gut.

"Dredgen!" Sprinting towards the ruckus, Derek is able to assess most of what's going on, only the robber and their Snorlax are out of sight as they've now entered the deposit box vault. "Break it's line of sight!" Kicking up a SAND ATTACK, the psychic hypnosis wouldn't be able to ensnare the minds of Derek, Penelope or their pokemon.

Releasing another pokeball, this time it's something more suited for the situation. "Get'em, Crota!" The Grimmsnarl that comes out quickly delivers a SUCKER PUNCH, blind-siding the Hypno and knocking it to the ground. After being motionless for a time, it was safe to assume the psychic type would remain unconscious...

PENELOPE LIVY | MISSION 3 of 5

☉

Garlic, who loomed over the other's shoulder, was quick to react to the incoming attack. When the BRUTAL SWING took place, he managed to meet it with his own kickback. Claws bathing in purple energy, the Garchomp pushed forward, striking the honedge with a toughen DRAGON CLAW.
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From there, he would continue to offer support to the other garchomp.
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Penelope, on the other hand, had her mind wrapped more around the story than it's action. Gesturing for Dr Drakken (dragonite) to stay close to her side, she moved close behind wherever Derek went.
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"Make sure to get his good side," she would occasionally call out to her Magnemite through cupped hands around her mouth. The bank situation was....important, but what mattered most was the material it would generate.
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[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]

Derek was just about to tell Penny to follow when he heard her say something about his good side.

"Is that seriously what you're doing right now?" She was supposed to be helping. Well, maybe she was, but this was an unnecessary distraction. One Derek wasn't accustomed to.

The last time he remembered seeing himself mentioned on the news, it wasn't for a good thing. That's why he didn't really watch the news anymore. Not unless it was serious.

"Cuff 'em, will you?" Derek asks while he and his pokemon continue inward.

Venturing towards the area one of the bank tellers were pointing, Derek and his pokemon rounded a corner to see an open vault door. Inside was the Snorlax and it's trainer.

"You two better do as I say or Crota's coming in!" The robber would come to find that his friends no longer had his back. But that didn't dissuade him from ordering the Snorlax to attack. A sudden HYPER BEAM launched from it's eyes, throwing the Grimmsnarl back into the wall.

"Alright, well, you wanted it this way..." Sliding up his cuff, a mega stone would begin to radiate with infinite(?) energy. The one fashioned into the Grimmsnarl's tongue as a piercing followed soon after, causing the pokemon to mega-evolve.

Now that it stood over the Snorlax, Crota stepped into the vault and gave it's ASSURANCE that they wouldn't be getting out of the bank as free men. The only one Derek felt kinda bad for the Snorlax though. Either Crota was going to have to punch it in the stomach to make it SPIT UP the contents it swallowed, or they would have to wait for nature to take it's course. But that one was up to the bank to decide.

Turning back, Derek squinted at Penny and the camera with a look that said you're supposed to be helping!

PENELOPE LIVY | MISSION 4 of 5

☉

"It's my job remember," She smirked, a soft chuckle lifting off from her chest. As silly as it may be, these action-style videos were the perfect mini shorts to include in between articles. Especially when they help generate a bit of morale within the region.

With a huff, she waved off Derek's commands with another laugh and snarky, "I'm going, I'm going," before gesturing her Magnemite to follow him inside. Can't waste precious tape time!

The cuffing took no more than a minute, though, dragonite's fat ass accidently knocking them over more than once, made the process a little more difficult than it needed to be. BUT, ALAS, it was done, and Penelope was able to run back to the bank with a clear conscious.

"Done," She gave Derek a cheesy thumbs up as she jogged through the doors, Garlic and Dr Dakken close behind. "Oh, it looks like you got them. Nice work, partner."

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[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN[break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-garchomp"]

"Augh, whatever." Penelope was obviously living her dreams, a fantasy behind the camera. Some people just liked to live vicariously through others, it seemed. To get views and popularity out of their efforts. Just for being there to witness it with a lens in-hand.

Cuffing every last one and guarding them until the actual officers arrived, they were eventually relieved of their duty. Free to go, Derek retrieved all of his pokemon and began walking out of the bank. Only Penny was still following, filming...

"Even if it's your job, doesn't this ever get old?" The camera held more of a presence than Penny herself. At least in an interview she may have talked, communicating a little with the person of substance. This just felt like an invasion of privacy. Not that he had any real right to that out in public. "I'm not that interesting. And neither was what happened back there." The second part was definitely just his personal opinion.

"What'll it cost for you to stop putting the camera first?"

PENELOPE LIVY | MISSION 5 of 5

☉

By the time she arrived, the scene had already begun to slip into a slow close, ending with Derek heroically capturing the criminals and cuffing them up together. The perfect ending for such a thrilling adventure. Or, at least, that was how she planned to frame it.
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Magnemite continued to hover around the gym leader as he approached Penelope's side.
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"Mr Hoffman," the name rolled off her tongue with a tinge of disdain -- the way the league's leaders were so far removed from the public always trudged up a reaction from her, "just because you dont find it interesting, doesn't mean the public will feel the same."
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A soft flick of her finger gestured the Magnremite to finish off its shot. They'll need to take some B-Rolls before leaving, and it was clear that they had enough footage of the man already.
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"Creating a connection with the people is a real and important thing. It's what builds morale, trust."
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Two things the league currently lacked.
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"When I post this, make sure to read the comments. You might learn a thing or two."

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[attr="class","ooc"] DEREK HOFFMAN [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]