Matt let Nico go talk to the bird person. As he was off in his own world, reading through text messages and his emails for work. Mostly... ignoring them. If they were anything to do with certain rangers, he flat out ignored. Though he jolted as Nico came running up to him and dragging him away.

Rapidly blinking, he looked at the person and their sick pokemon. "Uhh... well, okay. Sure, if that's what you wanna do, babe." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "Oto's plenty big enough. I don't mind." To help out made him feel a lot better about things recently.

nicodemus unken

Matt found this hilarious. Not even two seconds into meeting Tekka and Ace was smitten by her. "This poor guy, he's in for a world of hurt." Teasing obviously, he went to lean into Nico. "Reminds me of me." Now that was funny, when he first tried to date Nico.

"Wonder if she'll warm up?"

Ace looked so dismayed as Tekka walked away, but he slowly crawled after her. Trying to invite her to play! She knew play, right?

nicodemus unken

Matt kept his eyes focused on the battle. It was interesting to see Matt's whole body language and self change as he focused on the battle. Realizing real quick with his mistake of choosing Dagger- he was a fighting type. So that peck hurt a lot more than it should.

The canine slid back as the peck landed, making it grunt. In a sheer power of will, it grabbed a hold of the bird as it got close. Red eyes glaring as it used Reversal- with the addition of it's health being low to the first attack, it slammed the bird into the ground. Snarling at it with bared fangs.

"Down." Matt warned, not wanting to hurt the pokemon, obviously, even if Dagger wanted to... glare daggers at it.

nicodemus unken

Matt stole another kiss, before looking at Juvon. "You did a good job too, buddy." He mused, before stepping back. "How about we go get cleaned up and some dinner? We could kind of just camp just outside town tonight at the bridge, be real nice out."

Also he just liked the idea of a cute picnic with Nico out there. "Have a nice big meal before we head out tomorrow to start being gym bums." Of course he was teasing.

nicodemus unken

Matt made a face, he really did look green around the gills. Leaning his head into the back of Nico, he huffed into his ear, biting it playfully. "You're a jerk, we're soaked, and- huh." He blinked as Nico and the milotic started acting weird.

"Oh no, you better not you overgrown snake!"

He did not want to be dragged under! No way! She better not!

nicodemus unken

A face was made. Honestly, it wasn't the answer he wanted. Productive? That miffed him a little more. "Oh yeah, throw a pie, then get productive." Came the mutter under his breath. A brow cocked at the mention of gear. Okay, he'd go get that or ask Josh to pick it up so he didn't have to see them people. "Not gonna lie, you mind grabbing it for me? I've been chewed out enough already."

Really his whole view for the rangers was in the mud. The only good ones he saw was Josh and Alicia. Maybe Isaac Merlo was right...

"Oh, no, I don't got a water-type. Nico does, but he's off training for gyms. So we can ride, yeah."

Easy to let that go, and move away from the rangers, he then stared at Josh like he was crazy as he went on about that. Blinking rapidly at the mention, trying to think... why that was important. It didn't click to him, it was just a legendary. Shaking his head, people had their goals, and this was Josh, he would follow it through till the end, he knew it.

"Well, I can't say I... understand why you want to do that, however, if you think you can; go for it dude. Full support from me."

Josh Devlin

Oh man, he wished he brought Nico with him. He might have enjoyed all of this. Now he really did feel kind of off just being here with Josh. Eh, whatever. Hell even Isaac Merlo being here. Okay, okay, he really needed to stop. He was just being so off lately, he really needed this pick-me-up. The bar was so calling him..

"It's Lycanroc, one of the evolutions of Rockruff." He finally answered, looking around the club with interest. "So we gonna order the fish then?" Not that he was gonna tell Josh, but he was so looking at the vodka on the wall for later.

"Shoulda invited some friends" he joked.

Josh Devlin

Matt followed after the ranger. He knew what this tunnel was famous for. He had lived in the town over for quite a while with his boyfriend. A click of his tongue, grumbling. "Mmmm.." Walking forward, he would head directly for the whismur. Seeing the little hoard there was, he glanced around, spotting another tunnel he could usher them off into. That made sense...

Letting out a pokeball, out came a scraggy. "Gauntlet, round them up further down that tunnel." The scraggy gave a salute then scurried off, stumbling as he tried to keep his pants up. Once he was at the little herd, he flailed his arms at them, trying to get them to shoo on off down the other tunnel so that Matt and Norma could ge tby.

While that went on, he grabbed his phone, texting Josh. 'You're a loser, lol'

Josh Devlin

The monitoring him... it didn't sit well with him. It poked some nerve, a nerve he could not quite place. Regardless, he sucked it up, kept his head down, and followed the orders. Just get through this, he told himself. It would get better. It had to get better... right? It didn't feel like it.

Then he saw Josh was in trouble. That made him frown.. but he rushed off. Eagerly to assist his friend who was trapped. Even if he had his own problems with the league and rangers right now, he wasn't about to abandoned one of his best mates over something personal that was with him.

Right as the message had been went, a gust of wind would blow against the woman as Matt landed just above the cave entrance on a Pidgeot. Climbing off the bird, he jumped down and landed on his feet. Returning the bird to it's ball, he walked over and looked at her. "Matt Vice reporting." The tone was even, almost bland.

"Lead me to the cave in, so we can retrieve ranger Devlin."

Josh Devlin

This was supposed to be a fun time with his friend. Time to let go and relax. Though Matt was having a hard time relaxing at anything lately. Not with being monitored every mission, honestly it just pissed him off. Not that he said anything about it. Kept his head down, did his work, and stayed silent.

It was some costume party. At least that was something he could get down with. He had fixed his hair to hang in front of his face, much how a Midnight Lycanroc's hair was. Over his hands were gloves that had claws on them and paw-pads on the inside. A furred jacket lined like a lycanrocs fur, with the ribs on the side.

Obviously a tail was included too, and finishing the look was some punk-styled white boots, along with some glowing eye-ware to give the glowing eye-effect.

Matt didn't come riding up on any of his pokemon though, he simply walked up to the gym with his hands stuffed into the red and white mix-matched pants. Seeing Josh... he lifted a brow. Huh. Guess he was a Raikou fan.

"Nice threads."

Josh Devlin

It was time to talk to Nico. He had already texted his boyfriend, explaining he needed to see him right now and talk. Right after seeing Isaac. Even if the other blonde had managed to calm his nerves, they riled right back up thinking about it again. How he had to tell Nico this story all over again. It made him feel so sick to his stomach. All these emotions, all this, was not something he was used too.

Stress did not look good on Matt. His hair was a mess, his eyes looked redder than normal, his face looked almost sick. This whole thing, he hated it, hated it so much. Luckily they were in Fortree right now, staying at his parents. Nico had gone off to probably see his family for a little before Matt texted him the string of blurred text messages. It was dark night as he walked into the house.

He was greeted by the few kids that were still up, cheering as their brother was home. Smiling at them, he gave them a quick hug. "You should be in bed," came the gentle scolding, they pouted, but soon scurried off to their rooms. Matt took a deep breath. Running a hand through his hair, he stared off to the ceiling. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he went to his bedroom- where he assumed his partner was.

Seeing Nico, Matt just walked right too him. Face planting his face right into his chest. A long exhale left him, and a choked noise- wait was he crying? Fighting back tears?

"I feel so fuckin' useless."

nicodemus unken

Josh Devlin

The thought honestly didn't cross Matt's mind. In some, odd way, he trusted Blackjack. Ever from their first meeting, where the man didn't down right beat the hell out of him, or left him abandoned in that ring. He helped. Nico even liked him. It was weird... Opposites, yet not, the same coin, but different sides, perhaps?

Though he snorted at that last part. "Make sure to give him so much hell. Punch him in his stupid face." He made some fake jabs in the air. But the fire left as quick as it came, he was tired. Hurt. Tired. He wanted his boyfriend, which was exactly where he was going next. To go crawl into Nico's arms and mope like a grown ass man he was.

"Smell ya later, jackass." He winked at him, giving him a fake salute off.

But he paused..

"...Be careful, too. They're going to start gathering in places of those stones, don't want you caught." The only bit of information he'd provide for Isaac.

Isaac Merlo