What a terrible, probably preventable loss of life. Mireille was still a bit saddened by the very premise of this mission. Multiple people dead, one still in peril – that was a bad outcome one way or another. As a knight, she always wanted to prevent such things from happening to begin with. Granted, she knew that she could not be everywhere and that not everything could be prevent. Accidents just happened. There was no way around that. It was saddening still, yes, but it was a reality to accept and to handle. Which was where rangers came in. Or anyone decent should, really. But most could not. Or would not. She could and would, so she had set out right away when she got notice.

Hence, she had come out here. Being closer by chance than the one sent to supervise her, she would be waiting near the coordinates specified on top of her Mudbray, she had been going up and down the road where the guardrail had been broken, just in case there was anything important to see there. However, there really was not, so she was on her return journey when someone arrived on top of a Jolteon. Which really felt weird, since she had always thought those too small to carry a person. “Good day, are you ranger Devilin?” Mirri was quite sure he was, but she figured asking first would be a good start anyway.


Josh Devlin

It seemed Josh's trainee had arrived on the scene not long after he did, calling him by name. "That's me!" the blue-uniformed Mauville Elite replied, Blinky letting out a crackling bark to greet Mirri. "Elite Ranger Devlin or Gym Leader Devlin, but you can call me Josh. No need to be formal with me. You must be Mirielle. Great to have you aboard for this one, as it's not as serious as it could have been. Everything seems to be stable. It's just a matter of finding the poor guy and his Quaxly. I can't imagine the trauma he's going through, especially if he lost his entire family."

Josh peered into the woods beneath the plateau, unable to find signs of smoke. That would have been a big giveaway as to where the minivans ultimately ended up. "Honestly, it's a miracle that any of them survived at all. That's a huge drop," he pointed, getting as close to the road's edge as he and his Jolteon felt comfortable. "I think aerial recon might be needed." The Master of Faster withdrew his Jolteon, letting gravity carry him to his feet. "If you don't have any flying Pokémon, I've got three of my fastest EXTREME SPEEDers with me. We'll be able to cover all kinds of ground in no time at all." With that, Josh released Resheph, Tiamat, and Mastema: a Dragonair, Dragonite, and Togekiss, all geared to carry a rider as safely as possible. Tiamat stretched and fluttered her wings, ready for takeoff, whether it be with Mirielle or Josh.

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 260}
{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

What lofty titles. Granted, they were ones granted by merit, not birth, so she did not at all mind them. But Mirri was still a bit miffed, in the back of her mind, that she was considered a trainer when it came to ranging, despite her experience as a knight. It didn’t shine through to often, since she had manners, but it was still often there to her own dismay. Regardless, in that moment she only briefly thought about those titles, but dismissed that all too quickly.

The situation kind of called for being serious about all this. “I am. And while I agree that it is stable, I am a bit worried. A traumatized person in an area that might contain wild Pokemon might be a recipe for disaster. Those who already lost a lot are often prone to feeling they have nothing to lose. Or feel like they need to alleviate their powerlessness.” Naturally, the last two sentences were here paraphrasing a book, rather than something she had come up herself. Still though, she deemed that to be a reasonable thing to worry about in this situation.

Regarding his question, she released her own Corviknight. “I have my own,” she simply stated, returning to making short statements once more. Really, it was probably for the best. She could have talked about preferring riding Pokemon that were hers, but that would be pointless. So, she did not. Not talking was sometimes a decent choice, in her estimation.


PART OF
TAG WITH Josh Devlin

Mirri was absolutely right; while the immediate threat was over, the threat of a wild Pokémon ambush was still quite real. "You're absolutely right," Josh replied, nodding in agreement. He studied the tire tracks left by the vehicles, getting an idea of what trajectory they were on as they went hurtling over the cliff. "I think this line is where we'll need to concentrate our search."

The Corviknight Mirri sent out was quite impressive. While Josh was trying to be accommodating, if the Ranger had her own Pokémon to hop on, all the better. "Your Corviknight's perfect for the job. More eyes in the skies isn't a bad thing in operations like these." With that, he scurried aboard Mastema, the Togekiss ready to make a speedy first pass over the ravine below. Resheph and Tiamat scattered about, checking to the north and south of the accident line just in case his trainer's calculations were off.

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 157}
{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

It was impressive indeed. Though granted, having more of them about would have been useful in this situation. She didn’t have, though. Most of her Pokeballs were filled with the Honedge line. Those could float, but not fly. Which was decent in most regards. Just not in this one.

But, alas, it probably was not necessary to begin with. The other ranger seemed to have it covered. Hence, she nodded to this, as she had nodded to his previous comments. Mirri was not a woman of many words in dangerous situations. Hence, she remained rather quiet as she boarded her own ride.
Before too long, she and Corviknight rose to the skies. It was chillier up there, especially in this weather. But that was something she had been prepared for, at least. Once they had reached a proper altitude thus, Corviknight flapped in place to allow her to scan the area without too much trouble. The dense foliage below made it hard to see much, especially after strong rainfall. But she did see something. “There is a toppled-over tree to my five o’ clock. Should not be lightning, maybe a Pokemon battle or something like that happened there?” Mirri did have to raise her voice quite a bit here, in order to be heard over the flap of wings and such.

Josh Devlin

Indeed, there was a hole in the canopy at Mirri's five. "Everyone! We may have a lead!" Josh shouted toward his other Pokémon after sounding a shrill whistle. The aerial Pokémon all flew toward where their trainer pointed, Mastema closely following Mirri and her Corviknight. "Good eye!" Josh called back. "I didn't even see that at first through all this mist. It's pretty foggy down there!" He wished he had brought a Pokémon with Defog, but no such luck. It wasn't extraordinarily thick fog, but it was thick enough to make searching a little more difficult.

After descending to the canopy level, the smell of gasoline floated into Josh's nostrils, followed by sight of the totaled vehicle. The fog made it difficult to see long distances, but he was able to see human tracks alongside those of a small Pokémon he had never seen before. "Do these look like Quaxly tracks to you? I'm not familiar with a lot of the new species from Galar and Paldea yet."

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 172}
{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

It truly was foggy. Mirri did not exactly think that she had done that good a job at noticing this, she had just been in the right place at the right time with her eyes, really. Hence, she did not take the compliment too seriously as she neared alongside the other, trying to glance more of the ground below. It certainly smelled like traffic accident there, but it would be bad to allow that to simply cloud her judgement right away. Until they found the target, the peculiars did not really matter anyway. Not like it would get them closer to finding the man otherwise.

“At least no corpses. I don’t see a lot of blood, either.” Her focus was evidently not distributed as her partner’s was. She only took a second look at the tracks after he asked her the question. “They look too big. But that doesn’t mean too much. Life-or-death situation. Might have ended up triggering an evolution. Especially since a Quaxly would be too small to carry an unconscious man. That’s just conjecture, though.”


Josh Devlin

Mirri's suspicions were correct: the Quaxly had evolved into a Quaxwell protecting its trainer from a pair of Gible looking for easy prey. "Gottem!" Josh shouted as he swooped in on his Togekiss' back. "Mastema, use AURA SPHERE!" With a quick vertical loop that made his rider's muscles tense, the fairy-type fired at the Gible, sending one flying over the wrecked vehicle. The other one, seeing it was completely outmatched, back down, burrowing away in search of easier prey.

With the physical conflict resolved, Josh recalled his flying Pokémon and sent out his Jolteon and Arcanine again. "Elite Ranger Josh Devlin," he introduced himself to the young, devastated-looking man. "I'm so sorry for your loss," the Ranger gasped as he found out three of his family members were in the minivan with him. "I'm a Pokémon Ranger of Mauville City, and I'm here to make sure you get home safely. Your Quaxwell evolved to save you just now, didn't it?" he observed.

Once the man was done venting his frustration over his losses, Josh gave him a gentle pat. "Braver and Blinky will make sure we get back to Rustboro safely." Nodding, the dejected man approached the Jolteon, who was quick to crouch and let the guest sit in the electric-type's saddle. The hulking Braver crouched down to let Josh do likewise. "Alright, Mirri, let's make sure they get back safely!"

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 233}
{PC: 5}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

Sadly, the battle was resolved swiftly. Sadly only because that was the part where she would have felt comfortable making a difference. As she, too, descended to the ground and watched the conversation take place, she only watched somewhat awkwardly. At the end of the day, Mireille did know about her shortcomings. In most conversations, she could save herself by pulling platitudes and phrases that sounded good and or deep from the novels she had devoured over the years.

However, that just felt completely out of place in a situation like this. She had no idea how it must have felt just mere hours after losing multiple people you loved dearly. And she was not trained to deal with it. Offering empty words would have simply felt wrong, so she did not even try. Instea, she shuffled about a bit in the distance, deciding to act as a lookout and securing the area instead of actively participating.

Fortunately, the other ranger had it covered. About as well as anyone could, probably. At the end of the day, there was nothing either of them could do to truly help with grief. But at least they got the man to comply.
Mirri mounted her Corviknight again. “I will go overhead, keeping an eye out for potential threats and roadblocks,” she replied, keeping it short and to the point. Seemed like the best idea while those two rode out.


Josh Devlin

"Thanks, Mirri," Josh replied. "Your eyes in the skies are greatly appreciated. Radio me if you see anything. We'll be heading straight south to Rustboro." With that, the Gym Leader turned his attention toward the distraught man. "Go at the pace you're comfortable. Braver and I will match it." The marooned trainer recalled his Quaxwell before climbing on Blinky's back. The fire and electric Pokémon cantered south, the Ranger relaxing for the first time on the job. It seemed Blinky's guest was a natural rider, though a bit hesitant with speed. It was understandable, as Jolteon were known for their incredible speed.

The canter let Josh admire Route 115's dynamic environments and wild Pokémon. Even in such a difficult moment, the opportunistic Gym Leader kept an eye out for possible new recruits to his Gym. It had been a while since he had been able to travel at a relaxed pace like this. As much as hoped for the trip back to be uneventful, the wild Pokémon known to inhabit the area could very well keep the Ranger busy...

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 182}
{PC: 6}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

Fortunately, it was raining still, at least a little. That did make traversing the woods on foot a bit more difficult, she presumed, but the other’s ride Pokemon were probably trained to handle that. On the other hand though, while it was annoying to have droplets being blown into her face, that was a small price to pay. She had to squint a bit, but most of the wild Pokemon were keeping themselves dry, rather than going out to meet the new human arrivals. Which was good.

But that also meant that those Pokemon still out had reason to. There were those that required more hydration, of course, but also predators. Mirri kept an eye out for those. So far, she did not see any of them, though. Just natural and less natural occurrences. “You are coming up on a mudslide. Can cross it a bit further north, she noted, figuring he did not want to jump the muddy fields with a civilian in tow. However, as these two would come closer to it, she did notice something. “Mud is moving. Something is inside it, I reckon.” Hopefully nothing hostile.


Josh Devlin

Mirri's note of a suspected burrowing predator nearby was excellent intelligence. "Great observation, Mirri!" Josh answered via radio, perhaps a little hard to understand. "We'll divert now to avoid it, over." He tilted his head toward Blinky. "My eyes in the skies have caught wind of a dangerous predator within the mudslide ahead. We're gonna give it a wide berth. Come on, Blinky." Without a command from the Jolteon's rider, the electric-type followed alongside the hulking Arcanine Josh was seated on.

Unfortunately for them, their slower pace meant their predator, an Armaldo, was able to take advantage of the wet conditions, SWIFTLY SWIMMING through the mud. At the crossing point, the wild, ancient Pokémon surfaced and splashed BRINY water in the duo's direction. "Go, Blinky!" Josh commanded, the rider letting out a panicked shout from going way faster than he was used to. While they were able to get out of the way, the Gym Leader was not so lucky. The rain-amped water-type attack left a film of mud in its wake, half-blinding Braver. "TELEPORT, Braver!" In a flash of light, the Arcanine warped next to Blinky, leaving the wild bewildered as to where its prey went.

---

Mireille Wynter

{WC: 198}
{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Blinky        Jolteon        Good
Braver        Arcanine       Fair
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Tiamat        Dragonite      Good
Mastema       Togekiss       Good

Praise was always nice. But she knew better than be distracted by it. In some kind of social setting, she probably would have had a bit of trouble dealing with that in and of itself. But up here, flying in the sky, in the rain? The thought did not cross her mind. Though that, in turn, saw her sigh ever so softly to herself. If only she actually could just be like this, all the time. Life would be so much easier that way.

But, alas, it was not meant to be. At least she was able to do reasonably well now, as she helped along the others on the ground get out of danger. From her vantage point, it was relatively easy to follow their movements as they dodged the potentially dangerous Pokemon, if only barely. There was a brief moment of worry and annoyance, for she could not intervene in time even if she tried. Yet, the other seemingly made it out okay. “It went back into the mud. As long as you stay clear from that you should be in the clear. I would say a good few hundred meters bad terrain, then you should reach a road.” Not the proper, paved one, but a path that was easy to make out even in this weather. It had to be more than just some hunting trail.


Josh Devlin