[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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The night had started off pretty normal, with him being unable to sleep. To be honest, he was purposefully avoiding sleep. He hated sleeping and avoided it whenever he could, as it was better than facing the nightmares that plagued him whenever he did sleep.
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Usually, he wouldn’t leave at night, but he had realized he was out of coffee and had decided to get some at a cafe that was open all day and night. That would tide him over until he could get more coffee beans in the morning, and that way he could prevent himself from falling asleep by accident.
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Thinking back, he feels he should have just stayed inside. He blamed straying from his routine for Rook’s disappearance, as silly as that was. Though to be fair, the Corviknight would have safely been talked into his pokeball if he hadn’t ventured outside at night. He hated putting the bird Pokémon in a pokeball, but his house wasn’t big enough for him to be out. So basically, the only time he could let Rook out was if they were outside.
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And that was when he had last seen Rook. He had left him for a few minutes to get the coffee he desired and had come back out to find him gone. Now, Rook wasn’t the type to just take off, and he wasn’t gone long enough for a person to be the cause behind his disappearance. So that only left the presence behind the rumors he had been hearing.
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As someone who was training to be a ranger, he had more details on the situation than most people. So he had already been tipped off about where people had noticed some suspicious activity. And that was how he found himself where he was now, wandering the outskirts of Slatesport.
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Celestia was with him. While he had known Volt longer than most of his other Pokémon, with Rook being the exception, he needed a different kind of comfort. Like Rook, Celestia had ties to Galar; she was the Galar form of Rapidash, so having her close made him feel close with Rook when he wasn’t around.
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Even so, he wanted to find Rook. Rook was the one he had the closest bond with. He had been with him through so much. He just couldn’t lose the Corviknight. He just had to find him.
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Celestia suddenly halted, making him realize that she had heard something he hadn’t. Though with her hearing being sharper, that wasn’t too surprising. Though considering she wasn’t acting negatively, it meant that whatever it was wasn’t bad. Probably not a wild Pokémon then. A person, maybe.
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When he realized Celestia was content just to stay there until the person stumbled across them, he sighed. “Who’s there?” he called out.[break] riley maddox

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[attr="class","pokeclass"]

A sudden shout in the night caused Riley to freeze.

[break]Umbreon stopped too, looking up to his trainer with narrowed eyes. The voice sounded intense, but not outright hostile. "Hello?" Riley called out, his voice calm but wary. Moving a little quicker, he rounded the corner and found himself staring down another man, accompanied by a galarian rapidash. The man looked to be about his age, well-built and standing a bit taller than him. Riley gave him a quick nod, raising a hand to show that he was both unarmed and meant no harm. Beside him, Umbreon affixed him with narrowed eyes, but did not seem outright hostile.

[break]"Sorry," Riley said, his voice gruff. He wasn't outright posturing, but he still didn't know the intentions of this guy, and he didn't want to appear weak in case he saw him as some kind of mark. "I'm looking for an Espeon. Have you seen him?" It was a long shot, but Riley was getting a bit desperate at this point. At the mention of his partner, Umbreon's eyes softened. "He disappeared sometime this morning. I think it has something to do with the recent disappearances."

[break]As they talked, Umbreon's ears twitched, and he stared off into the distance. Was he hearing something? Umbreon stood up and took off, causing Riley to stare down at him in shock. "Wait! Umbreon!" He shouted, taking off after his pokémon. Had Umbreon somehow picked up on Espeon's trail? He couldn't afford to neglect the possibility.

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+ MISSION: Pied Pipers [DD]

[break][break]ever blackwell

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

[attr="class","setting"]

Whoever it was called out before finally making their presence known. Though a bit irritated that his question hadn't really been answered, he didn't show it. His expression gave nothing away. Despite the fact that he had called the person out, he remained tense, not loosening his guard a bit.
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It seemed the other male was just as guarded as he was. In fact, the only one who seemed unbothered was Celestia. Even the Umbreon at the older male's side seemed guarded, which was a bit surprising to him. Not because he thought Pokémon couldn't be, but because he had always thought Umbreon to be pretty reserved.
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Upon hearing his question, he would look away from the Umbreon and look the other guy in the eye. "No, I'm actually out here looking for my own Pokémon. A Corviknight. He disappeared a few hours ago when I stopped by a coffee shop to get some coffee. I wasn't in there long enough for a person to have taken him, so I'm thinking another Pokémon was responsible."
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Of course, as a ranger in training, he knew all about Pokémon disappearing, all disappearing when they were asleep. Which meant Rook must have dozed off while waiting for him. He had known all this and still hadn't taken the proper precautions. It was his fault Rook had been taken, but he wasn't about to let it stay that way.
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As he was trying to stay aware of his surroundings, he noticed the way Umbreon acted from his peripheral vision, like she had heard something. Before he could remark on it, the Umbreon suddenly took off, the older male taking off after him, probably to prevent losing another Pokémon.
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He stared after them for a few seconds before turning his attention to Celestia and noticed she seemed pretty alert. "You hear something too, don't you?" he asked quietly before swinging himself onto the Pokémon's back. "Well, let's go after them then."
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Not needing to be told twice, Celestia took off after the pair with her trainer on her back.[break] riley maddox

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[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Huh. Someone else in a similar boat.[break][break]

Riley nodded slowly as the other man explained that he too was looking for a missing pokémon. Specifically, his corviknight, which had disappeared a few hours prior when the man had gone into a coffee shop. He had a theory: that another pokémon was responsible, not a person.[break][break]

"Another pokémon, huh?" Riley muttered, scratching his chin. It was as good an idea as any, but Riley had no way to support or disprove the theory. He'd never heard of a pokémon who could steal away other pokémon so easily, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. "Well. My name is Riley. If we're both looking for the same culprit, then maybe we should work together to—"[break][break]

Before he could finish, Riley's umbreon had alerted to something in the distance, and taken off without warning. Fixated on the possibility of finding Espeon, Riley took off after him, the other man temporarily forgotten. He followed Umbreon down the street for a few blocks, only for the dark-type to take a sharp left, leading them down a decrepit-looking alley.

Soon, the two of them found themselves outside what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse of some kind. Umbreon sniffed at the bottom of the sealed door, seemingly convinced that he'd found the correct place. But now... how did they get inside? Just then, Riley heard the sound of galloping, and turned to see the stranger had followed behind them.[break][break]

"Good, you came," Riley said, nodding to the warehouse. "I think this is the place... but we aren't sure how to get inside. Any ideas?"

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+ MISSION: Pied Pipers [DD]

[break][break]ever blackwell

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