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6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Jul 3, 2023 3:04:23 GMT

TO: Josh Devlin (josh.devlin@hoennleague.gov)
CC: Julia Davis (julia.davis@hoennrangers.gov)
MISSION: "A License to Kill"
PROTOCOL: Bounty Hunt
DANGER: ★★★★★

BRIEFING:

Several weeks ago, Mossdeep City's northeast side was hit by an unseasonal blizzard. While residents there are used to the cold in the wintertime, a summer cold snap has wreaked havoc on the lives of not just those in the affected area, but the entire city. Dozens of people have frozen to death in their homes from the combination of unearthly winds and subzero temperatures. The source of the storms is a giant Hisuian Avalugg that Rangers have named Deep Freeze. Its extreme levels of destruction and intelligence makes it a Priority One target for the Mossdeep Rangers. An Elite Ranger leading a team of seasoned Rangers has already lost his life trying to hunt down the dangerous Pokémon. Reports indicate that the Avalugg has a special defense against Fighting-type and Steel-type attacks; use extreme caution.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

A) Rescue missing Ranger personnel
B) Eliminate Deep Freeze

Per your restitution with the League, this is the tenth of ten assignments you will complete without compensation.

Good luck! We're all counting on you.

They couldn't pay Josh enough to take on the assignment he had been given. When he had reviewed his restitution, he had failed to notice that one of the assignments to be completed was required to have a Danger rating of five stars: the highest possible rating. This rating was reserved for life-threatening operations. His first, to become an Elite Ranger in the first place, was to direct the relief effort for Hurricane Yellen and assist when able. His second cost his Doublade's life, a memory that came to the forefront of his mind as Ulysses pulled up to the cold, cold beaches surrounding Shoal Cave.

Wearing his Manectric SYGNA SUIT rather than his blue Elite Ranger uniform, Josh was sparing no subtleties. He was bringing his best team of six, including his Absol, who had at last recovered from her horrible injuries following a Gym Battle with Michael Navidson . Withdrawing his Dewgong for his Manectric, it did not take long for Josh to take a seat astride the Pokémon he was best known for. Normally, moving from the back of a water-type to an electric-type would be asking for trouble, though not with his suit on! The squeaky sound of electrolysis surrounded him as the familiar field of static surrounded the yellow and blue wolf.

"I'm nervous," Josh sheepishly admitted to Julia Davis . "I swear if I wind up losing another Pokémon to one of these bounty hunts, I'm not taking any more of them. I'm only doing this because the League's restitution requires me to." With a deep sigh, he reined the Manectric into action, leading the way into the tundra-covered cave.

Julia Davis

{WC: 470}
{PC: 1}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Ulysses Dewgong Good
Mystic Ninetales Good
Jiujiu Xurkitree Good

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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POSTED ON Jul 9, 2023 23:32:40 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

This would be the most dangerous mission that Julia had ever taken on.

[break][break]And it was in a cave.

[break][break]Julia was bundled up for this unseasonably cold mission as she rode on Lazuli's back toward Shoal Cave's shore. She was unusually quiet as she recalled the mission brief... including the part about Josh's restitution. She had no idea if she'd been meant to read that, but it had been CC'd to her with the rest of the mission info. Doing such a dangerous mission without compensation... Normally, Julia would have protested, but after what Josh had done...

[break][break]Sheepishly, Josh admitted that he was nervous and afraid of losing another Pokémon.

[break][break]"You won't," Julia said, voice firm. "I've got your back. We're doing this together."

[break][break]Pushing back the thought of one of her precious partners losing their life here, she dismounted and recalled Lazuli. She hadn't wanted to bring Chester to an ice cave on a mission against a gigantic Ice-type, so she didn't have a land mount of her own. She'd have to borrow one of Josh's.

[attr="class","juliatag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","julianotes"]

notes.

Move sets will be updated once my shop post is processed!

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
LAZULI ♀ shell armor / life dew, heal bell, sing, confuse ray, water pulse, freeze-dry / mega capable

MOMO ♂︎ blaze / yawn, will-o-wisp, flamethrower, rock tomb, grass knot, hidden power

SNUFFLES ♀ oblivious / mist, ice shard, icy wind, icicle crash, mud-slap, bulldoze

MOONY ○ levitate / hypnosis, harden, confusion, psywave

SNAILY ♀ gooey / protect, tearful look, dragon pulse, iron head, hydro pump, stomping tantrum

CRIS ○ quark drive / fake out, belly drum, charge, thunder punch, force palm, heavy slam

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[newclass=.juliapokes img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jul 11, 2023 4:17:44 GMT

As the two were about to enter the cave, Josh noticed Julia was on foot. His first instinct was to let her borrow Aslan, but if they ever needed to use HYPER VOICE, or Arceus forbid, a Z-Move, he figured she wouldn't like the vibration at all. Instead, the young man reached for the opposite side of his belt and undid the latch locking his Kantonian Ninetales' Poké Ball in. Out of it came Mystic, the golden, saddled fire-type's long tails blowing about in the cold sea breeze. "You'll be safer with Mystic." If Julia were to mount up, she would feel the Ninetales strap her on with a psychic harness similar to what Janus, his Espeon, used. While not a psychic-type, the fox did have limited psychic capabilities. "Ready when you are," the Elite Ranger sighed. "Remember, our mission is twofold. We gotta get Abel's team out of here, too. Can't let his death be in vain."

While his Sygna Suit was not of a fire-type, Josh's experience in the Ultra Wilds led him to believe the suit would offer him some protection from the elements, and it did. It turned the wintry chills of Shoal Cave into the blustery chill of a late fall day. It certainly wasn't comfortable, but it was far from unbearable. Reining his Manectric to the back of the cave, Josh pointed toward a frozen waterfall in that direction and took a look through it. "Holy..." the Gym Leader gasped.

Beneath them, on the other side of the waterfall, was a buried ice castle that was significantly below sea level, yet not covered in water or ice. It was something truly fantastic. Had Julia played more than one of a certain famous explorer's routes in the RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV game, this would have looked eerily familiar.

Julia Davis

{WC: 302}
{PC: 2}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Ulysses Dewgong Good
Mystic Ninetales Good
Jiujiu Xurkitree Good

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

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TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jul 13, 2023 17:19:48 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Thanks," Julia said when Josh sent out Mystic for her to ride. She stroked the Ninetales' fur before mounting up. Though Mystic wasn't a Psychic-type, Julia still felt a psychic harness strap her in. Her smile at this was brief before she was reminded of just how grim this mission was.

[break][break]"Yeah. We should hurry and get to them." She hoped—no, she willed them to be safe.

[break][break]She followed Josh into the frozen cavern, her grip on Mystic's reins tightening. Josh seemed to be doing okay temperature-wise; his Sygna Suit must have been keeping him warm. The frozen waterfall was a sight to behold, but beyond it...

[break][break]"No way... Is that the Crystal Trench?" Though she'd never seen it for herself, it was one of the options in Shalin Nariya's Rondez-View adventure. "The mission brief didn't say anything about this."

[attr="class","juliatag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
LAZULI ♀ shell armor / life dew, heal bell, sing, confuse ray, water pulse, freeze-dry / mega capable

SNUFFLES ♀ oblivious / stealth rock, icicle crash, ice shard, bulldoze, rock tomb, rock smash

MOONY ○ levitate / hypnosis, rock polish, psychic, power gem, moonblast, charge beam

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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6,119 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jul 14, 2023 18:26:25 GMT

While Josh didn't immediately recognize the dangerous, frozen space, it clicked when Julia mentioned the Crystal Trench. "Whatever was so dangerous down there must have been dealt with, because there was not a No-Rescue Zone sign outside. When I first joined the force, we weren't even allowed to set foot in here on operations. I wonder if Laurence Anderson reclassified the place..." While Articuno would not be a danger, what with the two knowing each other on a first-name basis, there were plenty of other vicious ice-types down there. Furthermore, the farther under the sea they got, the colder it would get.

The view beyond the waterfall was striking; even the Elite couldn't help but gasp in awe at the ice castle they would likely be scouring. "Well, let's head in." He turned his Manectric toward a long, sloping pipe of ice that led them quite a way below the sea into what appeared to be a guard tower. It was nothing short of beautiful to see, the entire castle apparently composed of NEVER MELT ICE of varying densities and textures. The sight of water Pokémon swimming outside the tower's "windows" made the reality sink in.

This indeed was the Crystal Trench his friend had talked about on several occasions when they went out for a meal.

"From that phone game, right?" Josh brought up, rolling his eyes. "So it wasn't just me they stole information from. Now because of that damn game, every soul in Hoenn knows I want to be Raikou's Avatar. I don't get what's taking so long; the case against Macro Cosmos feels pretty cut and dry to me. The whole thing reeks of anti-privacy laws."

Julia Davis

{WC: 280}
{PC: 3}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Ulysses Dewgong Good
Mystic Ninetales Good
Jiujiu Xurkitree Good

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Jul 29, 2023 22:41:26 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Oh, yeah. There was something like that at the Mirage Palace, too. But it wasn't just the Pokémon that were dangerous. There were all kinds of weird traps and stuff." She thought back to when she'd played this part of Shalin's route. "I don't think there's anything like that here, but isn't this near where Articuno rests?" She recalled the news that Laurence Anderson had lost contact with his patron.

[break][break]The castle was really pretty, though, like something from a fairy tale. The whole thing seemed to be made of Never-Melt Ice, just like half of the Mirage Palace. It would have been exciting to explore if not for the grim mission they were on. Still on Mystic, she followed Josh and Saber down the pipe of ice into the guard tower.

[break][break]"Oh, wow," she whispered when she saw the Pokémon swimming outside. It was a beautiful sight... but also kind of a scary one. If anything happened to the Never Melt Ice that made up the castle's walls...

[break][break]"Yeah," Julia replied, grateful for the distraction. "I always thought it was something hidden in one of those really long user agreements that nobody ever reads. Like, 'By using this software, you agree to let us turn you into a dating game' or something."

[break][break]Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a sec, I think this is the part where—"

[break][break]"Grr...!"

[break][break]Julia whipped her head toward the dual growls and saw a pair of Beartic in one of the entryways. Their fur looked more bristled than usual, and they glared at the two trainers, as if daring them to make a move. Surprisingly, neither of them moved to attack... yet.

[break][break]"Hey, Josh?" Julia whispered over to him. "What moves does Mystic know?"

[attr="class","juliatag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
LAZULI ♀ shell armor / life dew, heal bell, sing, confuse ray, water pulse, freeze-dry / mega capable

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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6,119 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Aug 1, 2023 17:32:00 GMT

"Oh Arceus, don't remind me of that place," Josh sighed. He had been there, too, as part of his test to advance up the Ranger ranks. It was a miserable place. Way too many tricks and traps, and falling for one could easily have put his life in jeopardy. "I went there one time, and that was more than enough. The Rangers really need to close that place off period."

The topic of discussion briefly drifted toward the Composed and his Patron. "I think so. And those two are... not on the best of terms right now. He challenged Mauville Gym with Articuno. I smoked him with Raikiri. It wasn't even close. I beat him by something like... six or seven seconds. It felt horrible withholding my Badge from him, but he needs to figure out what's wrong and right it. Then he can re-challenge and I'm sure he'll win. Articuno is ridiculously fast. There was just something going on between them that was preventing them from focusing."

Julia brought Josh's attention to the on-edge Beartic. "Yuck, these are a really territorial species. I doubt they'll let us through without a fight," he replied in a soft tone not far above a whisper. "If you want to be direct about it, Inferno is the way to go. Otherwise, Extrasensory. I really should have taught him Confuse Ray..."

Seated on Saber's back, Josh ordered the Manectric to use THUNDER WAVE if the ice-types charged at him. He hoped the crackling electricity would be enough to get them past the wary Pokémon without a fight. They didn't need more victims than there already were. Plus, they needed to conserve their energy for the real foe: the Hisuian Avalugg they were charged to eliminate. Hit missions were rare for Rangers to take on, which was another indicator of just how much of a threat this Pokémon was to Mossdeep residents.

Julia Davis

{WC: 319}
{PC: 4}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar** Good
Twilight Absol Good
Ulysses Dewgong Good
Mystic Ninetales Good
Jiujiu Xurkitree Good

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played by

Alicia Jewel

she/her

July 5

Fortree City

pansexual

Ranger

Elite Ranger

135 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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612 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @julia

POSTED ON Aug 6, 2023 20:30:28 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","julia"]

[attr="class","juliaw"]

"Maybe," Julia said. "It's really cool, but it can also be really dangerous." She shivered as she remembered the invisible floor she had guided Shalin across.

[break][break]"Hmm... I wonder what it could be," Julia mused about the Head Ranger and Articuno.

[break][break]The Beartic were a more pressing issue, though. Like Josh, Julia didn't want this to turn into a full-on fight. She wished Mystic had Confuse Ray, but she'd just have to work with what she had.

[break][break]For several tense moments, both parties stared each other down. When Saber's fur crackled with electricity, one of the Beartic backed off, but the other just looked even angrier. It took a deep breath, then exhaled freezing wind that began to form an Icicle Crash above Josh and Saber.

[break][break]"Look out!" Julia shouted. "Mystic, Extrasensory!" She wanted to avoid using the big Fire-type attack in a room made of ice, even if it was Never-Melt Ice. Her borrowed steed concentrated her psychic power, then unleashed it in a psychedelic pink-and-purple swirl around the Beartic that distorted the space around it. The attack didn't hit as hard as Inferno would have, but between it and Thunder Wave's paralysis, the Beartic struggled to stand. It turned to growl something at its partner, who took off down the corridor.

[break][break]"Quick, let's go while it's down!"

[attr="class","juliatag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","juliapokes"]
LAZULI ♀ shell armor / life dew, heal bell, sing, confuse ray, water pulse, freeze-dry / mega capable

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,119 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin