[attr="class","orion"]


Orion grimaces.

"That's what I was worried about," he admits.

It hadn't seemed right. He didn't know too much about Budew but a knot so high up in the tree had seemed an improbable place for such little Pokemon to make their nest. He's not sure if they can climb, has encountered them only on a surface level.

Evan requests that he keep a lookout, and Orion is quick to agree with a nod. That, he can do.

Shivering with the chill of a cool breeze, he clicks his tongue softly to get the attention of his Absol and gestures for him to stand guard. They've worked together a long time and such nonverbal communications are their specialty.

Orion releases a second Pokemon, a bright green Zubat who emerges in silence. It lacks the eyes to see the ranger place a finger to his lips, but gathers the gesture through its echolocation and follows the point of Orion's finger.

"Scout," he whispers, softly.

On whispering wings, the bat departs, and Orion settles against the trunk of a nearby tree with sharp eyes scanning the shadows for threat. Sweat beads at the back of his neck. Something feels off.

---

notes:
should we mod request or invent the danger?

[attr="class","missionBG"]

[attr="class","evantalk"]

The whimsicott makes it to the knot in the tree, finding the pair of little budew huddling against the wood of the tree. Neither seems willing to budge and Evan can tell by the look on his pokemon's face that he won't be getting anywhere anytime soon. His liligant would be much better suited but he doesn't have time to decide how.

His eyes snap in the direction of the screech, the thumping on the forest floor matches the rise in his heartbeat and Evan moves without needing to think. The beast rampaging towards them barrels though the growth and trees at an alarming rate. "Suzy, dance girl." he looks up into the tree, calling to his pokemon above them. "Bumble, cotton spore." the whimsicott has already begun, knowing the moment the rampaging sound rang out that the only thing he could do was fill the hiding spot in the tree with as many of the fluffy spores as he could to keep them safe. "Meg, circle round and pin it."

The dancing steps and growing flurry of petals serves to distract and repposition her, the lilligant seeking to take attention off the tree with their quarry in it. The flurry of petals is relentless, a hopeful distraction to allow the other pokemon time to make their moves.

The mimikyu scurries into the underbrush, out of sight out of might. Quiet as she moves around the path of the beast looking for an opening to intercept it. She knows her place in this tactic well: Should the opening come her sneaking shadow will reach out in a pair of hands to grab for the beast feet and attempt to pull it back.

Evan trusts that the other will play the part he needs him to without needing to ask. The rangers rarely fail him when he's worked with them in the past, and Orion certainly hasn't yet.

Orion Lykos
>>i guess i got us what I asked for oops

[attr="class","orion"]


Zubat's screech comes half-drowned by the larger, louder creature. Chaos dawns as Orion and his Pokemon react as one. Absol leaps between his trainer and the charging creature, detecting where the grasping roots of drum beating will emerge and slashing at them with his claws to keep them away from the trainers. Zubat dives toward the charging creature with an air slash.

And Orion throws a pokeball, from which his Chandelure emerges.

"We need your fire, buddy!"

Phantom's wail resonates through the forest, a haunting sound to send chills down the spine. His appendages flicker with light and blazing heat, and he sends a will-o-wisp toward their foe.

Orion cringes at the shrill shriek of pain, the boomburst seeming to affect Orion's Zubat worst of all.

Phantom is completely undeterred, however, and another wail hexes the Rillaboom and hopefully provides the opening that Evan's Mimikyu will need to halt the beast's approach entirely.

---

notes:
he big boy. we can wrap up within a couple posts to make sure we turn it in by the lucky letter deadline!

[attr="class","evantalk"]

The opportunity arises, given by Orion's pokemon and ghostly hands reach from the depths of the under brush and grasp at the pokemon's ankles and yank. The thunderous thud as the pokemon is yanked to the ground is single enough for the next step while the pokemon is writhing and screeching, the resounding boombursts seeking to find the pokemon responsible in the vegetation.

"Sleep powder, leaf storm." Suzy knows without needing to be told, the sparkling powder bursts from the flower on her head into the air above her, falling in a slow daze as the leaves of her next attack manifest around her. Needle sharp with the slightest hint of a curve they soar through the powder picking it up and caking it onto the leaves as the soar through the air to their foe.

Meg holds tights, her rag disguise rattling at the first of the sound waves to be sent in her direction, keeping her safe as the frantic attacks bounce around her and giving her time to hold on while the sleep powder is brought to the rillaboom.

The disguise breaks and she screeches back at the beast for daring to do such a thing, as it begins to feel the effects of needle sharp leaves and powder in its fur and sinking into its skin.

Evan watches the scene for a moment, not willing to bank on it not making one last ditch attempt at attacking them again.

Orion Lykos
>>agreed

[attr="class","orion"]


As the barrage of boombursts rip through the forest, Orion scrunches his nose and covers his ears to ward off the horrific sounds.

Phantom seems entirely unaffected, and Katas detects the oncoming assault in time to leap clear, but Alkos' sensitive ears take the full brunt of the attack. The bat drops out of the air, and Orion rushes to his side.

The ground shakes as the massive creature collapses, brought down by its exhaustion.

Orion's heartbeat is loud in the relative silence that follows, and he administers basic aid to his Zubat before returning the unconscious Pokemon to its ball. He'll head to a Center as soon as they're out of here — soon hopefully being the key word.

"The tree," he says, pocketing Alkos' ball. "Did your Pokemon find anything?"

---

notes:
~

[attr="class","evantalk"]

The silence that settles over the forest is deafening in its own right. Evan and his pokemon are still in a state of high alert and every little thing is enough to snap their attention away, as if it might be another attacker. That was something all together new compared to what he'd encountered in the forest previously and even with it fallen he can't help but succumb to the adrenaline rush.

"Bumble." He snaps to attention when Orion speaks, eyes looking upwards to the cotton ball lamb for some sort of confirmation of what he's found and as the pokemon waddles out onto the branch a pair of budew follow him, coated in cotton. It's the laugh Evan needs to mellow his breathing.

"Definite yes, we'll get them down and back to town, take care of your pokemon."

He calls for meg to return tot he tree, her shadow being something they could use to catch the pokemon already cushioned by the clinging cotton from his other pokemon. It won't be long before they have them on the ground with a little coaxing and reassurance.

Orion Lykos
>>feel free steer towards a wrap up

[attr="class","orion"]


Evan's laughter upon seeing the Budew toddle along the branch is contagious. Orion's answering chuckle is the wild sound of a man coming down from an adrenaline spike.

"Ah, thank Arceus."

The ranger in him won't allow his leaving without checking on the wild Pokemon, and Orion approaches the dozing Rillaboom with great care. It's still burned from his Chandelure's fire; Orion leaves a couple of Rawst berries nearby for when it wakes, a silent apology for the assault. After ensuring that its breathing and heart rate seem acceptable — not familiar enough with the Galarian primate to know what's normal — he gets to his feet and gives Evan a grateful nod.

"The rangers are lucky to have you in our reserves. Couldn't have had a better mission partner. Let's head home."

---

notes:
this can be the final post if need be!