'Behind you!' [break][break]

The Gengar reacted faster than Jason ever could have hoped to. He knew taking his eyes off of the Gardevoir in front of him was a bad idea, but to ignore the one actively trying to assault him wasn't any wiser of a decision as he glanced frantically over his shoulder. As the pink and purple beam cut a wide arc away from him, Jason turned back only to be met by a glow like blinding moonlight. [break][break]

In the scuffle, the Kirlia had slipped from his arms, fleeing to the safety of it's cohorts. The Gardevoir he had been trying to negotiate with had taken the opportunity to reel back for a powerful Moonblast. Well, if this was how it ended, so be it, Jason thought in those few miserable seconds as he stared down his doom. Trying to reason with one of these lesser creatures was bound to fail from the start. [break][break]

There was the sound of rushing water and a crack like a bull whip as the Gardevoir suddenly hurtled forward, landing face-first into the dirt at Jason's feet. Yonah loomed overhead, having used her Aqua Tail like a cudgel to beat the fae over the head. Behind him, the bellicose cry of Xigbar rang out as she clamped her vice-like maw onto one of the other Gardevoir's arms. Perhaps the tides were turning back in the poacher's favor.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Zev Harcourt [break]
mission

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Dark eyes briefly flicked towards the direction of Zev's voice and back towards the Gardevoir. Jason leered, [break][break]

“Doin' just fine, boss!” he called back as he tossed his final Poke ball up into the air. [break][break]

The Gardevoir staring him down didn't know how to react to the little seahorse Pokemon that emerged in a beam of red light, nor to Jason catching it in a gloved hand before it fell to the ground. The element of surprise was a valuable tool on a hunt such as this. [break][break]

Jason brandished the Skrelp like a gun, squeezing the Pokemon clenched in his hand to command it to lob Sludge Bombs into the pack of Ralts and Kirlia that ran about in their panic. The Embrace Pokemon cried in anguish as it watched some of it's younger brethren succumb to the poison's quick work. It was exactly what Jason wanted to see. [break][break]

As a Kirlia tried to run past, Jason grabbed the ballerina-esque Pokemon and held the Skrelp's muzzle to it's head, like a gunman taking a hapless civilian hostage. Psychic Pokemon often possessed near-human levels of intelligence; it made them tricky to poach, at times, but also made them weak to the same pitiful downfalls that so often plagued humanity, [break][break]

“Alright, princess,” Jason hissed at the Gardevoir with agitation as the Kirlia ineffectively thrashed in his grasp, “Unless you want your friend here to take one of those attacks straight to the head, I suggest you stop fighting and start cooperating. Come with us, and I'll make sure the rest of your friends aren't eating poison before the day's done.” [break][break]

Yonah lurked just outside of the Gardevoir's periphery, still injured but no longer dazed by the strike that had sent her reeling. The Gardevoir's eyes flicked from Jason, to the Kirlia in his grasp, and back again. Jason grinned at the horror and panic held in that red gaze; it was only a matter of time before the Pokemon made the correct decision.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Zev Harcourt [break]
mission

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Pocketing his new prize, Jason continued to follow after the young girl. Who knows, maybe she was some kind of good luck charm; he hoped that they'd have the good fortune of running into more rare Pokemon on this trip. [break][break]

He hung back while Lucia skulked about the Maschiff. Her form could probably use some work, he thought idly; the young pup was probably too dense or too preoccupied to notice, but the Maschiff was down-wind of the girl. A more observant creature would have picked up her scent and bolted by now, but maybe this was just one of the reasons that this Pokemon made for a common companion for new trainers overseas, [break][break]

“You got this,” he called encouragingly as Lucia tossed the Pokeball at the pup, smiling when he heard the capsule 'click' close. [break][break]

A Gloom tottered around by the side of the road nearby; with a nod towards it, Jason wordlessly commanded Jaina to shoo it away with a gust of Icy Wind, [break][break]

“'Used to have one', huh? Makes sense; I bet it's probably evolved by now, right? A Mabostiff is a good Pokemon to have.” [break][break]

And one known to be very protective of children. It'd be nice to know that a Pokemon like that would be accompanying Lucia on her journey, and surely would act as a more vigilant warden than her conspicuously absent parents. Where the hell were those deadbeats, anyway? Jason briefly checked over his shoulder, half-expecting to see one or more Lucia-esque adults watching from some safe distance, but nope. He clicked his tongue with mild agitation; negligent bastards, the both of them.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Lucia Aldrete [break]
skipping!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

As he worked his way down the hill to take his own position, Jason couldn't help but grin smugly to himself. Good idea indeed; now all he had to do was follow through. [break][break]

Which, at first, proved to be pretty easy. As the Seviper surged into the fray, so too did Yonah, slipping through the pack quick as a blink to bind the other Gardevoir with her serpentine body. While the Gengar burst onto the scene to send some of the more tenderhearted Ralts and Kirlia running, Xigbar rushed forward with a shriek, chasing more of the smaller Pokemon away with all the malicious delight of a schoolyard bully. It was all going rather well, until the bright flare of a Dazzling Gleam briefly blinded Jason. [break][break]

He cursed angrily, for his glasses did little to stave off the overwhelming glare of the brilliant rush of pink-ish light, but when his vision returned, anger quickly gave way to panic. Yonah had taken a fierce blow from the Gardevoir she had tried to imprison, and her grip around the creature's body had slackened enough for the thing to try and escape. [break][break]

No, no no no no- Jason's fingers went to the remaining Poke Ball at his waist. He couldn't fuck this up now; it was time for a back-up plan.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Zev Harcourt [break]
mission

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ooo, a Galarian accent. It was music to Jason's ears; there was a rough quality to it that was undoubtedly appealing, but it was also a little funny how something so small could give away something so specific about a person. Dark eyes slunk from the man eyeing him to his Aegislash and back again; Jason had the pleasure of gaining a tiny crumb of insight into the stranger, and it wouldn't do to leave such a transaction one-sided, [break][break]

“Name's Jason,” he replied easily, “Not sure what else you'd call staring off into the distance like that, but hey, I don't judge.” [break][break]

Jason paused, considering something for a moment, [break][break]

“And yours? Your name, I mean.” [break][break]

The Dragonair at Jason's side slunk away, having noticed the other of the two Pokemon lurking at the boundaries of her trainer's awareness. He recognized the violent crack of a Dragon Tail, but only bothered looking over long enough to toss a Poke Ball of his own in the direction of the sound. Yonah was a capable girl, and Jason had no doubt that she could handle whatever was transpiring just out of his line of sight.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Cain Toman [break]
catching jellicent!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Jason studied the fae carefully as they congregated in the glen below, peering at them through the binoculars handed to him by the Beast. He clicked his tongue as he considered the logistics of what this operation would entail; Jason was, admittedly, inexperienced in hunting this particular sort of game. Gardevoir were an uncommon species in Alola, and his primary exposure to them was when he had sat in on meetings with his father as the patriarch coordinated deals and exchanges to import them into the region. There was one thing he had learned though, when he remembered first seeing those creatures huddled in a cargo container just off of the Hau'oli city docks; a Psychic blast from one of those things was almost strong enough to liquefy your brain in it's skull, [break][break]

“No sir,” Jason replied, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile. [break][break]

He followed Zev's lead, releasing two of his own Pokemon to join their ensemble. The Deino's tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth with oblivious glee, while the Dragonair eyed the strange party that had formed with wide-eyed suspicion. Jason was careful to leave the third Poke ball at his waist untouched as he slipped on a pair of leather gloves, [break][break]

“Other than, is there any sort of way you wanna do this? I was thinking a pincer maneuver; I can take the left, if you want to take the right.” [break][break]

It was impudent, perhaps, to offer his own opinion to the man running the show, but Jason waited with curiosity to see how Zev might react to his unsolicited advice.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Zev Harcourt [break]
mission

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The ocean air wasn't quite the same here as it was back home, but it was still a small comfort to Jason as he wandered down the coastal path. [break][break]

The damp mist clung to the layers draped across his body and hung low in the air above the grass. It wasn't eerie, exactly, even as the graveyard of Mt. Pyre watched him in the distance. It was serene, and quiet, and something about that just didn't sit right with Jason. If he had too much space to think about his present circumstances, being so far away from home and having lost damn near everything in the process, the melancholy would swallow him whole. Jason was not a mopey bitch, he decided adamantly, so his eyes desperately scanned the route for some kind of distraction as the Dragonair next to him slithered through the grass. [break][break]

As luck would have it, a distraction presented itself not long after, and Jason's lips curled into a smile as the back of a distant figure came into view. The guy practically exuded the same ennui that was so perilously close to seizing Jason, and something about that was a little comforting, too. Maybe something about the atmosphere of this place just drew that out of people. Maybe the poor guy had his own baggage he was sorting through. Either way, Jason hoped that he'd find his company agreeable as he approached. [break][break]

He made no effort to muffle the sound of his boots stomping through the dew-slick grass; even at this distance, he could tell that the stranger was tantalizingly tall and muscled. It wouldn't do to sneak up on a guy that had almost a foot on him, especially if he was mired in his own miasma of troubling thoughts,[break][break]

“Sulking all by yourself, handsome?” [break][break]

The statement was deliberate and thoughtfully constructed. Jason was careful to keep his tone light and playful so that the greeting could be easily played off as a joke if the stranger took offense to a little flirtation. And if not... well, maybe this would be a more interesting outing than Jason had originally anticipated.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Cain Toman

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Jason had heard stories of strange, anachronistic creatures wandering around in the newly formed Chasm, but he mostly just thought the surly old sailor back in Sootopolis was exaggerating. But now, as he clung to the shimmering scales of the Dragonair he rode upon, Jason realized that the guy had probably left some important details out, if anything. Chief among them that some of these creatures included giant killer robot moths. [break][break]

“Yonah, to the left!” [break][break]

Jason held on for dear life as the Dragonair undulated to the side, narrowly dodging an acid spray that had been lobbed in their direction. Maybe it was just the speeds they reached as they hurtled through the air, or the sharp, twisting movements of his draconic steed, but Jason was beginning to feel a pervasive sickness blossom deep in his gut. [break][break]

The Iron Moth seemed to be gaining on them no matter how fast they went as they surged through the skies above the Giant Chasm. Jason muttered a bitter curse as he steered Yonah into a dive, winding down and to the right to ride parallel to one of the craggy walls of the canyon. She navigated through the rocky outcroppings with ease, slipping and ducking through narrow openings while Jason held on with an iron grip. [break][break]

He only vaguely registered the metallic clanging and snapping behind him, the scent of gasoline and frayed wires and sparks as they slipped through a narrow pass between two jagged columns of rock. There was an explosion, a splash of something corrosive and foul on his second favorite jacket, but Jason didn't bother to look back to determine whether the creature had actually been bested. They just needed to keep running, like they always did, and things would find a way to work themselves out in the end.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]prompt: involve PARADOX POKEMON FLUID that spills out of killed or injured IRON MOTHS + if your character has participated in AT LEAST 3 POISON PATROLS, they may feel slightly unwell during this patrol

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He hadn't meant to come across as a brown-noser, but Jason had to admit that he was probably a little too eager to pitch in when he'd heard that a Pokeball shipment had been compromised, [break][break]

“Find anything yet, Xiggy?” [break][break]

Jason's eyes scanned the darkness of the shipping container, trying to assess which crate to crack open next. He tapped the crowbar in his hand gently against the side of his leg as he thought it over; maybe the Great ball cargo on the left? Or the Ultra ball shipment in the back? [break][break]

The decision was made for him when the Deino snuffing about a different box nearby cried enthusiastically. Jason grinned; the little dragon couldn't see for shit, but she had a hell of a nose. As he approached, he gave her a gentle tap on the head to get her attention as he slotted the edge of the crowbar beneath the lip of the crate's top, [break][break]

“Alright, on my signal,” he cautioned, ready to bust open the box that no doubt was probably crawling with mushroom Pokemon. [break][break]

“Three, [break][break]
two, [break][break]
one.”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]prompt: reference a pokeball type like a great ball. [break]
does not yet have 20 mochi

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Jason didn't consider himself particularly squeamish or fearful, but this whole setup was like something out of a horror movie. [break][break]

He shuddered as he watched a group of young women in fervent prayer, bowing and tearing at themselves in front of some kind of stone effigy. What the hell was it even supposed to be, some kind of misshapen Eiscue? Jason practically gagged as one woman ripped at her scalp, producing a clump of hair and gore that she clumsily affixed to the roughly carved figure. With a click of a button, a Gyarados emerged to take his place at Jason's side. The man grimaced and gestured towards the women and their horrific god of stone, [break][break]

“Can you get rid of them for me? They're really freaking me out.” [break][break]

Perhaps he should have been more specific in his command, because Jason found himself shielding his eyes as Ichi kicked up a Hurricane in the narrow space of the tunnel. Tiny rocks plinked off of the sleeves of his leather jacket, and by the time the isolated storm had subsided, their god was little more than a pile of rubble. It's worshipers had been flung aside into a heap of writhing bodies, each person groaning with pain as they slowly came to their senses. [break][break]

That was fine by Jason, though. The path was clear now, and he hoped he could make his way to Rustboro without further interruption.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]prompt: destroy the stone effigies/statues; doing so will free the trainers and their pokemon from their toxic chains.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

One of Jason's new favorite things about Hoenn was how rare Pokemon just seemed to crawl out of the woodwork. [break][break]

His catlike grin widened as he watched a pair of Sneaslers fight over a particularly large hunk of mochi, long claws slashing at each other as they dodged and ducked away from the other's blows. He idly considered them for a moment and glanced back down at his own nails, black with an iridescent glitter that sparkled just so when it caught the right angle of light. Their nails were fierce, sure, but he liked his own manicure better. [break][break]

One of them caught the other across the face with a vicious slash. While it's foe was dazed, the victor stooped down to snatch up the mochi and bolt. Jason himself seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, [break][break]

“Xigbar, honey, it's your time to shine.” [break][break]

The little Deino at his side cried with bellicose glee as she lunged forward with a Dragon Rush, mouth open wide as though she were charging towards a delicious snack. Jason couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her; she was so dumb, but it made her kinda cute. He slipped a Poke Ball out from his pocket, waiting in the wings for his moment to strike.
[break][break]

5EU5sIxn

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]swarm

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

The Dunsparce was either tougher than he gave it credit for, or the Dragalge had seriously underestimated it's opponent as Lucia captured it. The latter was more likely, he figured, because that specific sort of draconic hubris was what made dragons so much more like people than one might realize. Jason considered warning her of the perils of such pride, but his response was halted by something new and shiny taking stage. [break][break]

He grinned, cat-like, as he watched the Koffing drift idly by. Jason wasn't a biggest fan of the things for their terrible smell and their propensity for exploding, but his covetous nature won out when he spied it's uncharacteristically gray-green skin, [break][break]

“Hmm, I dunno,” he replied with a shrug, careful to keep the excitement out of his voice, “I better take it to a Pokemon Center, just to be on the safe side.” [break][break]

Jason nodded to the Popplio waddling nearby, and the little seal began to sing a soothing melody to lull the beast to sleep. He tossed a Poke Ball the moment the sentient ball of gas began to drift down towards the ground like a deflating balloon. Maybe he was snagging a particularly rare prize out from under the nose of this kid, but hey, it was better than the thing exploding in her face, right? It sounded like she was having a rough enough time with wild Pokemon as it was anyway.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Lucia Aldrete [break]
catching koffing!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Well done!” [break][break]

Jason smiled and gave a few short claps in congratulations. The gesture might have come across as sarcastic to some, but he genuinely meant it; a kid ought to enjoy themselves while catching some new Pokemon for their team. There was something a little bitter there too, though, when he considered how different his own experience capturing the creatures had become. But there was no time to get mopey; Lucia was already on the move again. [break][break]

He knew the patch of algae floating in an abandoned tank was probably bad news, but he didn't get the chance to warn the girl before the Dragalge hauled itself out from the murky water to strike at her. Jason cursed his inaction as the Dunsparce lurched forward to it's trainer's defense, but at least Lucia didn't seem to be particularly troubled by the encounter. Jason jogged up as the Dragon was struck by a rather fierce-looking DRILL RUN, and opted to wait in the wings in case things went south.
[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]Lucia Aldrete [break]
skipping!

[attr="class","pokeclass"]