Sliding down from the Frosmoth mount she used to travel to the cabin in the woods, Shalin gave the ice-type a gentle pat. "Thanks, Michiko," she said to her saddle-wearing Pokémon before withdrawing her, still feeling quite refreshed from the giant insect's body having kept her cool. It was beginning to get sticky in Hoenn's northern jungle; after all, summer was coming!

Shalin peeked in front of the broken window, its punctures small and sharp. Those types of impacts could have only been made by one bug-type. "We're dealing with Venipede and friends, it seems," the Rustboro Captain nodded. "Wasn't quite sure what Pokémon was causing the issue, so I ended up bringing a variety of bugs on my own. Thankfully, Tari is one of them. She's my own Scolipede."

"Captain Shalin Nariya of Rustboro," she introduced herself, jingling the keys in her right hand. "And what about you? Mind introducing yourself and your Pokémon?"

Scout gives Captain Shalin a nod. He thinks he's maybe met her already, at least in some cadet handbook or ranger promotional material somewhere. He gives the Scolipede a similarly respectful nod. Then, despite a lack of introduction to the Frosmoth, it feels awkward to ignore it, so Scout bows deeply to the ice pokemon in turn as well.

When he bobs back up, he attempts to offer up a weak facsimile of a friendly grin. Though maybe it comes off as more of a grimace. He isn't in the habit of keeping his Pokemon out of their balls, so he says, "Scout," and declines to elaborate.

Shalin Nariya

"Great to work with you, Scout," Shalin replied, the only one of her Pokémon out of its Poké Ball now Tari. Inserting the key into the keyhole, she turned it, then turned the knob to get the door jamb loose. "Venipede carapaces are toxic to the touch," the Captain explained. "Be really careful not to touch anything inside with your bare hands. Our job is to chase the bugs out. A hazmat team will need to do the actual cleanup." Scout may have noticed how careful Shalin was being getting on the Scolipede, making sure none of her exposed skin touched anywhere except the saddle strapped to her.

Once she confirmed Scout was ready to get the work, Tari crawled toward the door and wedged one of her horns between the door and the door jamb, and swung it open. Venipede and Whirlipede were crawling around almost everywhere inside. To many trainers, the sight would have been unbearably disgusting. Not to Shalin; having been around and even ridden on the backs of almost every mountable bug Pokémon, she was quite used to the creepy crawlies.

Scout mumbles out something that could maybe be taken as a you too, although it ends up sounding more like yeweoh. He thinks maybe he should correct himself, but then Shalin is turning the doorknob, and he's shuffling inside after her.

Back in Fortree, it wasn't an uncommon sight to encounter bug Pokemon chewing up the wooden structures and woven roofs of the treehouses that made up the city's skyline. You kind of just learned to live with them. Most of them were harmless, anyway. This cottage, however, seemed to have been abandoned for months, if not years — so the resulting infestation has only grown. Scout has to steel himself with an assenting, "Mm."

He unclips two Pokeballs from his belt, and a Shroomish and Nickit appear in a flash that causes the swarm of Venipede and Scolipedes to skitter away, disoriented. "Gonna need your help here," Scout tells his Pokemon.


Shalin Nariya

The number of trained Pokémon appearing inside the villa was multiplying; not only was there an intimidating Scolipede, but a Nickit and Shroomish had joined the insect. "Careful, Tari -- don't knock down those lights!" she cautioned, pointing to a dust-covered chandelier above an equally disgusting-looking table. As she explored the bug-infested house, heading toward the kitchen, a horrible stench made Shalin cough and hack. Most of the worst of the damage was around cupboards. While only scraps remained, it was clear what had happened.

The bug-types wanted food, and had broken their way in somehow while the family that once lived in the cabin was gone. Shalin turned away from the worst of the swarm. "Arceus, me... we're definitely going to need a hazmat team to clean this place up. Poison-type Pokémon are about all that could eat food like that and survive." She began checking the Poké Balls on her belt, brainstorming for a way to at least dilute the awful smell.

The cabin wasn't large; it was likely two stories at most, with only a single level visible aboveground. Homes like these tended to have cellars or bunkers dug out. A lovely, welcoming shelter for bug Pokémon. Scout almost feels bad for shooing them out.

As he follows Shalin's lead through the first few rooms, he wonders how long the family had been gone for the house to have fallen into such a state. In some regions the bugs might have squatter's rights by now. When they get to the kitchen, Nickit bolts back to cleaner air; Shroomish at least seems comfortable, happily puffing out poison spores of its own. Scout huffs a breath before zipping the high neck of his jacket over his mouth. His suggestions come out muffled. "Gotta 'mon with Gust 'r Sweet Scent?"


Shalin Nariya

There were plenty of people in Hoenn that wouldn't have taken the cabin for free due to how awful its condition was. Even after a hazmat team cleaned out all the bug droppings and rotten food, it would take a lot of work to get the abode livable again. Anyone willing to put that kind of work into the cleanup effort deserved the title deed.

Shalin frowned when she heard Scout's suggestion. It wasn't a bad suggestion; she just didn't own a single Pokémon with either of those moves. "I... don't," she slowly answered. "We might need to return to HQ and come back with a team more suited for the job. I don't feel good about it, but unless you have any other bright ideas... I came prepared for Beedrill and other aggressive bugs, not scavengers like these."

This might be a time where having a larger party on-hand would be useful. Though Scout isn't really the type to store lots of Pokémon in his PC, anyway — he feels bad for keeping them confined. As far as he's concerned, if your Pokémon aren't with you at all times, then you might as well just let them go free. So it didn't seem like he had any reason to go back to HQ.

He thinks on it. "I have a Horsea with Smokescreen and Rainy Day."

Smoke the pests out first, then clear the air with Rainy Day?

Shalin Nariya

The use of SMOKESCREEN would be crude, and it would necessitate more work from the cleanup crew before the cabin could be livable again. This was way bigger of a project than Shalin ever expected it to be. "Rainy Day?" Shalin asked. "Do you mean Rain Dance? I'm uncertain how effective Rain Dance will be, given it won't penetrate indoors. But it's better than what I've got," she shrugged.

The girl would be impressed, and frankly, embarrassed with herself, if this rookie's suggestion worked. "If this works, I'll vouch for your promotion when we get back to HQ."

Shalin's hesitance to okay the Smokescreen doesn't go unnoticed. He knows it isn't ideal to try indoors, but considering the state of the cabin already... Lips pursed to the side, Scout tries to press a bit further on the idea.

"Sure, scratch the Rain Dance. I still think the Smokescreen will be effective. Our mission is to clear out the pests," he says. "So we might as well make sure this place is uninhabitable for Pokémon, at least until cleanup comes. Even if we chased them out with Gust, there's nothing stopping them from coming right back."

Scout points out the rotten wooden ceilings beams and dark spots in the corners that are looking suspiciously like mold with a few jerks of his chin. "And I don't think it matters at this point if we get a little messy."


Shalin Nariya

Shalin admitted to herself that perhaps she was being a bit too cautious; with how decrepit the cabin was, they would need a separate cleanup crew to begin with. "You have a fair point," the Captain answered. "Great thinking! It's why the Rangers don't authorize too many solo operations. Having someone to cover your back is important. Now, let's step outside and smoke 'em out!"

Tari would crawl out the front door and watch the Pokémon flee the inside of the cabin once SCOUT WILDER ordered his Horsea to use SMOKESCREEN. Provided he did, the wilds would behave as expected, following the light out of the smoke to get to safety. "Couldn't have done it without you. Now, let's report to HQ so we can get the follow-up team here."

The bugs are, at the end of the day, wild Pokémon following their base instincts. There had been no malevolence in their actions despite the trouble they had caused to the original homeowners. Scout feels a little bad for smoking them out.

He's sure they'll find another home, though. Bug types are hardy, tending to proliferate even under the harshest of conditions, and Scout thinks he's gained a new appreciation of them for it after seeing their tenacity first-hand on this mission.

It doesn't take long for them to clear out. When the job is done Scout returns his Horsea to its Pokéball, and turns to follow Shalin on their long trek back to the Ranger headquarters.

Shalin Nariya