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[attr="class,"memoryDarkbody"]She’s squatting a ways from him, staring at some tracks, trying to concentrate and failing. Her minds attempts to fit pieces into a puzzle that need not to be solved. She knows who he is, has heard of him before she met him in person. She’d done some work for the company after all, before the League took her back.[break][break]

The tracks are fresh. A few months ago she would have complained about the assignment; she was a scientist, not a ranger, but the League had few dependable hands and a funny way of reminding the lackeys how little competence meant in the face of nepotism and wealth. Nowadays, she was just glad they didn’t have her shoving gloved hands into Tyrantrum feces in the name of science. Maybe the promotion had something to do with it. [break][break]

The job was akin to janitorial duty: maintain Route 104 by noting the commonly-found species, making an estimate on the growth of the wild population, and ensuring that stupid rookie trainers with level five Rattata didn’t end up being mauled to death by the hordes—cadet-level simple. The average assignment has changed somewhat; arguably became more complicated with added task of investigating the ferals’ increased aggression theorized to connect with the Ruins, but it would be manageable. So why the hell was the heir of Silph being saddled with it? [break][break]

She stands and dusts dirt from her clothes. They’re still the same work clothes from when she was at the labs that morning; she hadn’t found it important to change for a task that shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours at best.[break] [break]

He warns her of an approaching encounter with a sudden and peculiar question about her beliefs. “I believe in getting shit done,” she responds dryly, finding it slightly irksome. Who asks that to a stranger? It goes unsaid, but she does believe in some kind of deity, even an afterlife, perhaps, but only for the sake of her loved ones. They deserve the chance at paradise, even if it’s just a blissfully ignorant thought. [break][break]

It’s coming from the bushes. She’s alert, but her body is lax, supported by practice and experience. A pokeball is retrieved from her pockets. The first press maximizes the ball to fit comfortably in her hand, but she waits before releasing her teammate. She’s curious to see Silph’s golden boy in action.[break][break]

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[attr="class,"memoryDarkbody"]The brief exchange ends with the entry of an unusual encounter. Vera raises a brow at the wild Dewgong, watching as it wiggles itself out from the shrubbery. Its large beady eyes would have been endearing had its mere presence not been suspicious. “Damn buddy, how’d you get out here?” Wild Dewgong belonged in the north, with the expansive ocean and ice-ridden habitats such as Shoal Cave, not here in Route 104 where only thick forests and heated sands could be found. [break] [break]

A pokeball is released, cutting off her steps as a Glaceon enters the field. The emergence of another pokemon had roused the Dewgong’s fight instincts, causing it to retaliate almost immediately. It doesn’t take much to send the wild pokemon diving for cover into the water, and Vera whips to face Fernando, her brows high as he asks her if she wants the Dewgong. “What? You do know that Dewgong is going to be terrified out of its wits if you just shove it into a ball and–” Too long. The battle continues, and Vera watches in horror as Fernando wastes no time unleashing his second pokemon to rain electricity down on the entire body of water. [break] [break]

An Alomomola rises to the surface, flat on its side and unresponsive—faint, not dead, but close. The Dewgong’s snout momentarily emerged from the water, poking the Alomomola. Seeing as it hadn’t chomped down on the potential prey, it was likely concerned. Vera has a hand on her forehead and looks on aghast, progressing into exasperation. [break] [break]

”As if the overfishing isn’t screwing it up enough, you just had to go and fry the ecosystem, huh?” Vera sighs. There was nothing to be done for the Alomomola now; Silph was intent on nabbing something and she had to make quick work of the Dewgong before it became the next fried dish. Plus, there wasn’t a healer on her team anymore. She clicks the ball in her hand and releases her Mismagius, Jude. [break] [break]

The ghost cackles at the sight of her, a mixture of delight and mocking affection. She gives it a flat look and, with some curiosity, attempts a normal command: “MAGICAL LEAF.” [break] [break]

Another laugh, no dice—Jude proceeds to float around her in circles, chanting in an infuriating melody. She labels it a picky child and corrects herself: ”Fine, Christ, err… Venire ventus venire.” Some choppy Latin she'd ripped from some crummy article. [break] [break]

The ghost bows, smiling crookedly as it takes to the battle, leaving the grass and bushes rustling in its wake. Leaves are plucked from the trees, glowing as they danced a halo around the ghost before being sent forth in a flurry towards the water. The leaves are relentless, forcing the Dewgong to emerge flailing as its AQUA RING is breached by sharp, energy-infused foliage. It shoots another ICE BEAM to stop the onslaught, but panic and blindness caused by the flurry had reduced its accuracy. Jude vanished into the air to avoid the beam and re-emerged behind the Dewgong, blasting it with POWER GEM at the command, ”Voco lucem.” The wild pokemon is engulfed in a blinding light of energy. [break] [break]

Weakened, the Dewgong gives its final cry before slumping over the grass, an unconscious pile of blubber. Jude grins with pride, bowing once more to its audience, the trainers, and requiring Vera to reward it with brief applause before returning to its pokeball. [break] [break]

”Quack wizard,” Vera says before her attention turns to the fallen opponent. Her mouth is twisted into a frown as she views the myriad of injuries littering the Dewgong’s body. She plucks an empty pokeball from her pockets, maximizes it, and tosses. [break] [break]

”The Dewgong’s coming to the lab. Maybe when it’s healthier it could go to a better home.” Up north, or with a trainer situated there. It could stay with her, if she could figure out befriending it. Maybe with therapy.[break] [break]