[attr="class","merkI"]

"Do we really have to be back here again?" Ruby said quietly, holding Darling the Indeedee's hand as they walked. Ruby definitely didn't like this area, nervously glancing around. Ghost pokemon often liked to startle here in this route. Perhaps they just knew she'd be a good scare, or perhaps they just knew something that she didn't. Honestly, Ruby had no idea, but it still gave her goosebumps.

"Indeedee," was Darling's only response, nodding and smiling over at her trainer as they led the way.

"... You know, there are better places to look for some other psychic pokemon too. Like, Route 116. It just has some like, bird and rodent pokemon. No... G-ghosts." Despite her best efforts, Ruby just couldn't calm down. Her quest to collect all the Psychic-type pokemon was getting more complicated by the day, it was true. Finding ones she hadn't seen before means that she needed to go to new places, even ones she didn't like.

Gulping softly as she accepted her fate, Ruby noticed someone else walking the route. Almost immediately, Ruby relaxed. Safety in numbers would always make things a bit easier. "H-hey!" She shouted out, quickly hurrying up to catch up from behind them, Darling suddenly being the one dragged behind. "Do you um, think we can walk together? This route just... gives me the heebie-jeebies!"

notes: Route 121 - psychic/ghost

[attr="class","sbody"]

[attr="class","sbody"]

He almost acted.

The call of the voice in an area where he knew ghost types were about? He couldn't help it. They had startled him and his hand immediately moved to his belt where alongside his Pokeballs was the not-yet extended baton. A point on one end, the other meant for shocking. Past experiences had necessitated a weapon, though years back he had traded his rusty old survival knife in for something a bit more... Practical. And with a bit less blood on it, if he was being honest. But it seemed that there was no need for violence, as when he turned, the voice calling to him had turned out to be coming from an actual person, and a kid at that. His hand unclasped from the weapon as his arms fell to their sides. Lightning had been on edge all the same, though had yet to drop his guard like his Trainer had.

When the young lady requested company through the spooky trail, the blonde let out a breath as he relaxed, smiling warmly.

"Of course. What's your name, miss?" He inquired, holding out a hand to shake. "I'm-"

But Lightning hadn't been on edge because of her. "Rai... CHUUUUU!" Lightning cried out as he sent a Thunderbolt rocketing toward a Dusclops that had appeared and had aimed a Shadow Punch toward the two humans. The Thunderbolt stopped the Dusclops' attack before it could connect and Josh immediately whirled around to meet the challenge.

"We have this" He promised calmly to the girl as he took another breath to steady himself and focus. "Lightning, ready yourself" He spoke toward the Raichu, who nodded its head as Josh relaxed himself, hoping to be able to tell where it would attack from next. The Dusclops had disappeared for now, but he doubted it would remain that way...

As he predicted the Dusclops would re-appear and launch another Shadow Punch, but Josh had spotted it from the corner of his eye. "Dodge it!" Josh called to Lightning who didn't need to look where the thing was coming from to know to leap backwards to avoid it. Lightning trusted its Trainer to know when it was coming and when it would have hit. "Thunderbolt, once more!" Josh called to Lightning as the Raichu's cheeks began to spark, not hesitating as they launched the Thunderbolt at the Dusclops, hitting it dead on. Josh acted quickly, tossing a Pokeball toward it.

[attr="class","merkI"]

Ruby instinctively let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as he spoke to her and reached out to shake her hand. She quickly reached out in kind, only to be surprised entirely by the Raichu that sent lightning flying into the distance to strike a ghost type pokemon that had been sneaking up on them. Instinctively Ruby began to sweat a bit nervously as she stared at the Dusclops. She bit her lip almost right away, stepping back a little bit. She was scared, certainly, but luckily this kind stranger had it handled.

Slowly looking around trying to check their surroundings, only to realize that another ghost type pokemon had snuck up around them. A haunter suddenly pulled itself up out of the ground and she let out an almost pathetic whimper, stepping back and stumbling, falling to the ground. Darling immediately stood in front of her trainer, the babysitter completely unafraid of the Haunter despite its cry that sounded almost like laughter in Ruby's already frightened ears.

It reeled back and suddenly sent a shadow ball their way, only for it to completely fizzle up the very second it touched Darling. The ghostly energy seemed to simply fade away the moment it impacted her. Confused, the Haunter quickly closed the distance and slammed a shadow punch directly at Darling, for it to also have absolutely no effect. It took a few seconds for Ruby to realize what was going on. Darling was immune to ghost attacks.

It started out incredibly softly, but a nervous chuckle slowly spilled out of her mouth. He couldn't hurt them, there was no reason to be scared. Why at this point, the wild Haunter looked more confused than it did intimidating. "D-darling? Let's do some unsettling of our own." Her pokemon grinned softly, letting out a charming cry that inflicted emotional damage straight at the Haunter. It's confused and emotionally distraught look was the last Ruby saw of it before she tossed a Pokeball straight at it.

notes: Route 121 - psychic/ghost. Capture attempt on Haunter!

[attr="class","sbody"]

[attr="class","sbody"]

The Pokeball clicked, then disappeared. Josh let out a sigh in relief as he looked toward the girl that he had been accompanying. It seemed that she had managed to quell the other Pokemon that had attacked. But it seemed that they weren't done here just yet. Lightning's ears would perk up and Josh took that as a sign that another was approaching.

If there was another, he hoped that the girl would be able to handle it. For now, Josh would fulfill his end of things as he decided to give Lightning a break. "Inferno, you're up" He called as he would bring out his Typhlosion. "Lava Plume" Josh would command as Inferno would launch a Lava Plume to intercept the Sableye that had been sneaking through the shadows and attempting to hit them from behind with a Zen Headbutt. Seeing the opportunity, Josh would make his next command quickly while it was stunned in surprise. "Flare Blitz!" He called to Inferno, hoping to finish this quickly. Inferno let out a noise in affirmative as flames cloaked its body before it slammed into the Sableye. Josh would pull out another Pokeball and toss it as he recalled Inferno.

"Let's pick up our pace" Josh would recommend calmly toward his companion. "Odds are we've kicked up quite the Beedril's nest."

[attr="class","merkI"]

With the scary Pokemon contained, Ruby let out a breath of fresh air as she picked up the Pokeball. However, it seemed they weren't quite out of the woods yet, metaphorically speaking. A Sableye and a Yamask appeared, startling Ruby once again. As her new friends Pokemon took on the Sableye, Ruby was caught unaware by the sudden blast of a Will-O-Wisp in her direction. Instinctively protecting her face with her hands... the flames never came.

Opening up her eyes revealed that Whisper had popped out of her ball the very second something had intended to hurt Ruby herself. The Hatterene's Magic Bounce ability reflecting the burning attack towards the Yamask, lighting it on fire. In fact, it seemed Whisper wasn't quite done burning the ghost pokemon, as Whisper followed up with Mystical Flame and practically grilled the thing.

"W-whisper, it's not going to hurt me anymore!" Ruby called out as Whisper pulled back their tentacle. The Yamask was barely floating as Ruby tossed a Pokeball towards it, capturing the weakened Pokemon after a few seconds. Darling waddled over to grab the Pokeball, the half-normal type Pokemon completely unafraid of these ghosts.

As Josh spoke about leaving, Ruby immediately nodded her head. "Y-yeah, let's get out of here! I hate this part of the woods!" Returning Whisper to her Pokeball, and just picking up Darling into her arms and placing the babysitter onto her shoulders, Ruby would quickly walk out of the woods with him. Hopefully, the two of them together would keep any more Pokemon from picking a fight with them.

notes: Route 121 - psychic/ghost. Capture attempt on Yamask!