Blood poured out like a waterfall. Spilling from her two arms, the young woman did her best to contain it all.

Juggling its flailing legs and whimpering snout, she barely managed to elbow her hip, cracking open the one of two pokeballs she'd decided to take along with her.

A salamance roared to life. and with gravely grunts, she heaved the houndoom onto his back. 

"fuck, that hurt."

It was then another pair of eyes would emerge from the road ahead. A young look guy, no older than herself.

Her expression froze over, turning icy instead of warm. 

"Hey you. Is there a poke center nearby?"

This wasn't her first time wrangling with the nearby precinct. Which was why, when today's assignment first entered her sphere, it came with the imagery of several potential faces.

Wilbur, the old cop she'd spent last mission with. His round face was cute, but his personality was always horrendous. 

Jennifer, the young recruit who didn't do squat shit.

And there was even Eddie, the command, who'd sometime like to bid his time with her, all in the name of converting an old cop back to 'the correct side.'

But, with all those options, the old veteran still didn't expect to see an old ghost show up at her side. 

"..."

Should she lie? Say she's actually some random bitch named Janet? Or, maybe, if she begged enough, her Captain could let her off early. Consider it a bonus for good behavior. 

No, none of those would work. Leaving only one option.

"...Long time no see."

Did it pay well? No.

Did she like it? Sure. Laziness has its benefits. 

Still, she eyed the man curiously. Memories whispered back into her ears, urging her to listen. To give life another chance.

Her acceptance came with caution, however.

"Why? Because I can take down a Grimmsnarl?" she shot back, eyebrow raising to the brim of her hairline. "I'd say a lot of people fit that description."

• player/ooc name: Captain
• character tags: Rory Faust n Sol Edelman
• dropped characters' tags (if applicable):
• ic posts for characters: Rory Sol
• are characters in directories?: Y
• any notes/comments: Space is jailed in Unova, pass it on.

Since her return to Hoenn, there weren't many times Sol held the displeasure of feeling her own pulse beat into her ears. Life as a ranger in Oldale was one characterized by its serene, laid back nature. There were no massive tussles with rockets to fret over, gangs were kept at to a minimum, and even battles between wildlife were never as fierce as those within the rooted jaws of petalburg woods.

Which made it the perfect escape for someone like her: desperately tired and needing a break. Of course, her new title came with more than just a way to sustain herself through this lazy transition back to reality. It came with responsibilities. Annoying ones, at that.

Today's particularly annoying set of obligations came in the form of a temporary week-long reassignment to Petalburg. The least interesting city in the entire region.

She tried to seek tranquility in the wildlife - if not for her own sanity, then for the slew of lost hikers who would commonly take the wrong path mid-trek. Today, however, it was no lost hiker to be found. Only a wounded, half-alive houndoom sprawled out on the floor.

So what else was there to do? Sol picked the poor pokemon up, and now she was here, running through the forest's intricate pathing like a mad man, deep in search of that one makeshift pokemon center she knew rested between the entrance of the woods and the city's surrounding routes.

A chill ran down the ranger's lower back.



It had been another low effort and easy day in paradise. Pokémon were chirping along the treetops, the sky kept to a brilliant blue, and it wasn't until the last hour that clouds began to roll overhead.



Sol had just finished her daily patrol around the town's outskirts, so with her quiet Lycanroc stationed beside her, the duo was preparing to set off back toward their small townhouse. But, just as she took a moment's rest, a sudden bump into her shoulder had forced her back to reality. The same reality that was ill, twisted, and always begging to tear the ranger back down.



"Watch where you're going," she growled, rolling her eyes, "I literally wasn't even moving."

Blue and red lights flood the scene as the clamor of Rangers and PD rang throughout the outskirts of the forestry. Reports indicated the Mayor's granddaughter had yet to return home after a typical game of hide and seek outside the town's picket fences, and it was up to them to retrieve her before 48 hour period.

Sol, the newest recruit to the newbie station, was situated near the back of the hurdle of people, awaiting her captain for assignments. Apparently, to keep things even, PD was being paired off with different rangers to help cover more ground.

"Who do you think we'll get?"

She looked down at her Lycanroc, as if he'd bark out an answer. He doesn't.

"I've got a job."

She didn't. Truth be told, despite her grand reasons for crossing the grand spanning seas, Sol had spent the better part of her time within the region just lazying away in the tranquility of Oldale. 

Between the long walks and comforting naps beneath the old cypress tree she had found, there was always little motivation to carry her further than a few steps outside the town's pickett fence. 

"So thanks but no thanks."

The ranger was met with no warmth, only the icy exterior of her suspicious gaze. Holding her ground, she gave him a general look over, taking time to search for any protruding weapons or signs of warning. 

But there was nothing.

Still, she kept her distance. 

"Don't worry about it."

It had cost her nothing, not even a drip of sweat. Her Lycanroc mirrored her answer with a short bark as he returned back to his trainer's side. 

Instead of a name, she offered a nod and slow step away. 

"Just consider me a good Samaritan."

There was no stopping the abrupt shattering of her precious peace. It first announced itself with a howl, followed by an obnxious crash of rustling trees. By the time Sol held enough sense to follow the direction of it's sound, the grimmsnarl had already erupted from the tree lines. 

Sol let out a low whistle, eyes narrowing down at the beast. 

Should she even bother helping?

On one hand, the man looked desperate. On the other, she was just trying to get some steps in, not play Ms superwoman. 

She clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth. 

"Kryp, accelerock. Aim for the ankles."

The hound needn't any further explanations. With a solemn nod, it sprung into a flurry of steps, starting out small and paced out before developing into a blur of fur and limb. 

Near the end of his run, white light enveloped him. He hit the target, sending it toppling forward.

It had been a busy day. Between fulfilling her training and dealing with a few audacious recruits, there was little time for rest. Which, of course, left the poor woman unapologetically tired by the time the sun had dipped down into its bed.

"Killer," Sol gave a side-ways glance at him. A wide wolfish grin clawed its way up the side of her face. "How about you? Heard you were stuck on patrol."

Ember crackled in the sprawling fire. Its intensity licked up the sides of their faces, providing warmth for the price of their shadows.

A spring tide rolls in. Its sweetness turns bitter when it reaches her tongue, just like it did yesterday and the day before. But, unlike yesterday, Sol didn't take it as an excuse to turn away.

"What do you think?"

She looked down at Lycarock and he barked out a smile.

"Yeah, me too."

Together they continued to trek down the road emptied of any other person, pokemon, or soul. It was tranquil in a way Unovia always lacked.

At least, for now.