Murder mysteries weren't really Andrea's thing, but searching for a potentially dangerous Pokémon certainly was. The young PokéManiac arrived at the isolated fishing shop donning her usual dragon onesie, which almost made it look like she herself was the monster terrorizing the lake.

"It wasn't a problem at all! I asked some locals and they were happy to help me find it." The strangely-dressed woman replied to Madeline's inquiry, smiling widely. "I'm Andrea, and this is my son Jalapeño. We hope we can be helpful!" She introduced herself as well as the little Fuecoco she held in her arms.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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When Madd first saw the costumed crusader, she almost swallowed her tongue. What the heck was she wearing? And why was she wearing it here? The water and sand would get all over it. Acting as if she’d somehow missed it, Yakuza made a show of elbowing her and pointing to it. Big red eyes kept looking at her for confirmation. A muscular hand wrapped around the badger’s fluffy mitts, trying to stop the dark type from making a show of it. [break][break]


She pinched him. Then, scolded the overgrown weasel in a harsh whisper. “Stop pointing at her. It’s just an outfit Chill.”
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Luckily, the redhead didn’t take too long to collect herself. If this girl felt more comfortable dressing like a—uh—whatever that was meant to be, she wouldn’t judge her for it. Hell, maybe her normal job was a mascot at a fast food chain or something. Before landing this gig, Madd had done way more embarrassing stuff. When Andrew drew within a few feet, Madeline offered her a hand to shake.
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“They’re pretty cool out here.” Except for that lady who insisted she’d seen Madd on a wanted poster before. Which wasn’t true. Most of her crimes hadn’t been committed anywhere near this place. “And they love the pond Pokemon. A lot of the fish are older than I am.” And, well, she only let nice people take them. If anyone wanted Magikarp filets, they’d have to go elsewhere.
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The introduction of the funky little crocodile was met with another surprised blink. Again, Yakuza elbowed in her ribs, trying to point out the cute little guy. Where he got the idea that she was blind, the redhead had zero idea. After they finished shaking hands—if they did—she’d offer a similar gesture to the Fuecoco. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” A pause followed. “Yakuza loves the outfit.”
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Knowing a cue when he heard it, the badger nodded enthusiastically. “I’m Madd. This is Yakky. He’s my live-in slapstick show.” A big mitten waved as she moved to lead the little group to the leg. Once they got to the site of the nearest attack, she gestured to a few indents in the dirt.
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“These tracks are all I got..” And, unfortunately, they weren’t much. “You want a drink or something?” The old man wouldn’t notice a coke or two going off the books.
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Andrea Vaneau

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

That Obstagoon sure liked to laugh and poke its trainer a lot. "My my, how lively!" The strangely-dressed girl jovially mused, not realizing that she was the one being laughed at. "I'm glad he likes my Pokémon disguise. I made it myself, you know. RAWR~!" Andrea gnarled one of her hands like a claw and pretended to roar like a fearsome dragon, although her cry sounded more adorable than intimidating.

Once introductions and handshakes were done, the group moved to the site of the most nearest attack, the scent of bloodshed still lingering in the air. When asked if she wanted a drink, the eccentric cosplayer shook her dragon-hooded head. "No thanks. We're here to solve a mystery, after all." She looked down at the tracks, humming in deep thought. "Hmmm, couldn't Yakky try to track them down? I've heard that the Zigzagoon family have a really keen sense of smell." She suggested.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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Hydration WAS pretty important. After giving it a quick once over, Andrea accepted the bottle of fake spring water, taking a long sip from it. “Haaah… You were right. This is pretty essential.” The dragon-hooded girl nodded in gratitude.

When it turned out that the big tough badger was scared of water, it was Andrea’s turn to let out a giggle. “Heehee~ You won’t have to go IN the water, silly!” Of course, she wasn’t being mean-spirited, just poking a bit of fun is all. Everyone had their weird phobias, after all.

Granted, they were no closer to solving the elusive mystery. “How about we camp out here and wait for the lake monster to show up again?” The young cosplayer proposed.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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Madeline's explanation of what the cowardly badger was saying caused the other girl visible confusion. "Why would a lake monster eat Pokéballs? And why would he keep the Pokéballs between his legs?" Andrea asked, ever the innocent bean.

With a course of action finally settled on, the two trainers went into the shop in search of supplies for tonight's stakeout. While Madeline presumably went looking for smores, Andrea took her job as a monster hunter to heart, searching for the perfect equipment to match.

The eccentric cosplayer settled for an Old Rod, some baits, a bunch of Net Balls, and a "Women Want Me, Fish Fear Me" hat, which she wore over her draconic hood. "Alright, I'm ready! Let's go camping!"

Madeline McKenna //mission

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“Testicles? Oh, I see, I see!” The eccentric trainer nodded her head in understanding. Her parents were Pokémon Breeders, so she had a pretty firm grasp on how genitals worked. “I’ve never heard of a testicle-eating Pokémon… If I ever turned into a Pokémon, I wouldn’t want it to be the testicle-eating kind. That’s just weird. What do testicles even taste like?”

Asking the real questions, Andrea.

Now all geared up, the girls were ready to embark on their little monster hunt. Andrea spared a curious glance at the shut drawer. Were they not gonna pay for all this stuff? The owner must have been so nice, they just let visitors take anything they wanted for free. Surely.

“It’s getting dark already?!” The young cosplayer exclaimed in shock, which quickly gave way to radiant optimism. “That’s a good thing! The monster always appears at nighttime, doesn’t it? That means we might not even have to wait that long for it to show up. And when it does, I swear to protect Yakuza’s balls!” She proclaimed resolutely.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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Andrea furrowed her brow ever so slightly at Madd’s guffawing. Was the redhead making fun of her expert sleuthing skills or her promise to protect Yakuza’s unborn descendants? Thankfully, the young PokéManiac was nearly impossible to offend. She was used to being perceived as the weird one.

Never mind that, though. Evil was afoot. A foot in the mud, to be precise. The girl’s amethyst eyes widened. “It’s here! Come out, Gigi, it’s hunting time!” She hurled a ball into the air, releasing a smiling Gengar whose umbral purple form blended in with the night.

The Ghost-type deftly moved between the shadows cast by the trees, using its impeccable night vision to try and locate whatever it was that had emerged from the pond. Should its search be successful, the grinning specter would cast a Mean Look on its target in order to prevent them from escaping.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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Watching their target slip out of their grasp, the Gengar's toothy smile turned upside down. Well, at least now they knew that the so-called lake monster was just a cuddly, albeit kinda creepy Vaporeon with an appetite for Yakuza's ankles.

Andrea finally caught up with them, panting in exertion. "Where... did it go?" Her Gengar pointed at the lake. "It's OK, Gigi, you tried your best." The eccentric trainer tried to cheer the sad ghost up. She then hummed in deep thought. "Hmmmm, we need to lure it back out somehow."

A proverbial lightbulb lit up above her head. Pulling a crystallized, Pokéball-shaped object out of her pocket, she threw it towards her Fuecoco. "Jalapeño, Terastallize!" A crystal hat shaped like a chandelier manifested atop the little crocodile's head.



"Now use your Flamethrower to heat up the lake!" Andrea exclaimed.

With a high-pitched roar, Jalapeño exhaled a steady stream of intensely hot fire from his mouth, targeting the water's surface, which soon began to bubble. That would hopefully force the Vaporeon out... or cook it into a nice stew. Nobody said the plan was perfect.

Madeline McKenna //mission

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