Eddie, having been so preoccupied in his own fuming, almost didn't notice Yuina until she spoke, [break][break]

“Oh, hi!” he managed, a little more surprised than he would have liked to admit. C'mon Eddie, get your head out of your ass; the brooding can wait 'til later, “I'm Eddie, nice to meet ya.” [break][break]

He extended a hand towards the younger woman, and noted the blue armband and uniform as he did so, [break][break]

“Just tryin' to do my part. Figured me and the boys could lend some muscle, if nothing else.”[break][break]

Eddie inclined his head to the side, motioning towards an Aggron and a Coalossal lingering nearby. The Steel-type watched with a careful vigilance, his sharp blue eyes scanning the cliffs that surrounded them, on the alert for any signs of movement. The Fire-type was decidedly less vigilant; he sat on the grass, stout legs kicked out to the sides, staring up at the clouds passing overhead. It would've been kinda cute if not for the very real peril they could find themselves in at a moment's notice. [break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

'Study, not engage.' [break][break]

Eddie was of two minds; part of him was actually sympathetic to the Elite Ranger's goal. These were still Pokemon, probably, most likely displaced by the cataclysmic events that formed the Giant Chasm in the first place. They were undoubtedly scared, angry, and confused, lashing out at the strange humans encroaching on their lands. But there was another part of him that was far less sympathetic. It was the part of him that was still trapped back the half-built research station, half-dead among a sea of fallen innocents. [break][break]

He shook his head like a dog Pokemon trying to dry itself off. No, he couldn't let his mind wander. Eddie needed to focus on the task at hand; besides, his job out here wasn't to think, it was to follow his marching orders and do whatever the folks running this show needed him to. And in this moment, when he caught the tiniest glimmer of hesitation in Yuina's eye, Eddie decided that involved boosting morale, [break][break]

“Fair enough, boss,” Eddie started with a practiced smile, “But hey, if we do run into trouble, you don't gotta worry about a thing. Those critters are gonna get front row seats to the gun show!”[break][break]

Eddie flexed an arm, slapping the muscular bicep with his other hand, waggling his eyebrows in a full-blown gesture of exaggerated comedy. His smile broke out into a toothy grin; he always had been good at playing the dumb jock. [break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Yuina was sweet, thoughtful. Eddie let his arms slowly fall back to his sides as he thought for a moment about anything he might need. He looked back to the kaiju-esque Pokemon lingering nearby, and back to the young woman, [break][break]

“All good here!” [break][break]

But the burden of leadership was a terrible weight to bear alone. [break][break]

“Lemme know if ya need anythin' from me, too. Want to do what I can to help. And I'm good to head out whenever we're ready.” [break][break]

It was an earnest offer of support, in whatever way he can provide it. Sure, the Chasm will likely offer ample opportunity for him to lend a hand, but being a little proactive couldn't hurt, either. [break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“C'mon, that means you, too.” [break][break]

It took a moment for the Coalossal to acknowledge his trainer (and another for the Aggron to help the bulky Fire-type to his feet), but before long, Eddie and his Pokemon were able to move further with the group into the depths of the Giant Chasm. [break][break]

His dark eyes darted back and forth, from the group to the expanse around them, tense as he watched and listened for anything out of place. Eddie's heart raced in spite of himself; this was a fool's errand, wasn't it? Why should they be willfully walking into the heart of enemy territory to study one of those things, those monsters? He forced his feet forward, but each step felt harder, somehow, like his legs were turning to lead. He couldn't slow down, not when other peoples' lives could be at stake, but the primordial fear was washing over him in waves, it's currents threatening to pull him under. [break][break]

Before he knew it, Eddie found himself straggling behind, with Antony marching ahead with the rest of the group while Caligula lingered at his side. He reached out a hand, pressing the palm flat against the cool steel of the Aggron's arm. He just needed something to ground himself, to keep him here instead of in the spiraling whirlpool of fear he was finding himself quickly being sucked into. Eddie just needed a second to catch his breath before he caught back up with the pack.[break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The dragon's descent tore Eddie from his fearful daydreaming. He felt a little bashful, like a child being scolded by a parent based on the way the Charizard leered at him and urged him forward. He was more than ready to comply, when he felt a shiver run down his spine. The Charizard must have felt it too, he thought, when he noticed the dragon hissing at some unseen threat. Just as he was about to catch up with the group, something lunged at them, descending from a rocky outcropping above. [break][break]

It was a creature like Entei, but not like Entei, a half-realized, prehistoric mockery of the Pokemon. The creature landed in the middle of the path between his small group and the rest of the party; Eddie was a cornered animal, a straggler easily picked off by an apex predator. The Gouging Fire swiped at them with a DRAGON CLAW, ready to close the distance and descend on it's prey, [break][break]

“Cali, DRAGON RUSH!” Eddie barked; it was a miracle that he was able to keep a level enough head to issue such a command. [break][break]

The Aggron surged forward, throwing itself into a full-body attack to meet the Gouging Flame head-on. Eddie hoped it would buy them enough time for the rest of the group to spring into action.[break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]

A rush of energy whirled past Eddie's head as the Charizard loosed a DRAGON PULSE at the Gouging Fire. Caligula side-stepped it just in time to provide an opening for the attack to land, sending the paradox Pokemon reeling. [break][break]

'Eddie, hang on.' [break][break]

The words barely registered as the Gouging Fire loosed a fierce roar at a new threat that charged through the treeline, and the familiar sight of azure scales and gnashing teeth made Eddie's blood run cold. A Walking Wake lowed back, sizing the Gouging Fire up, and the rest of the group had the displeasure of being caught in between. [break][break]

“Tony, help get those people outta there!” Eddie bellowed at the Coalossal as he watched the Lycanroc start to guide people to safety.[break][break]

Antony, for his part, was quick to follow Lobo's lead, taking whatever opening was available to try and help with the evacuation efforts, though he paused for a moment when he caught the glint of something shiny on the ground. Eddie grumbled with exasperation; he was definitely leaving Antony on the bench the next time he decided to make his way out to these parts. [break][break]

The prehistoric Pokemon appeared to be too busy glowering at each other to notice or care, but the air between them was thick with predatory tension. Eddie could see powerful muscles coiling beneath the Gouging Fire's hide, the creature ready to charge the Walking Wake. He swallowed hard; what could he do, with Yuina still trapped between the two ancient adversaries? [break][break]

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[attr="class","ooc"] Yuina Higashi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","milkycredit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cookie-bite"]