Josh Devlin / commitment: act i

Faolan was visibly mesmerized by the transition of the Pokemon from the digital realm into the physical, manifesting as balls neatly aligned on Josh's belt. It was no surprise that the gym leader had such an array of powerful Pokemon, and the young ranger could only fantasize about the day that his own Pokemon would be of such impressive standing. So caught up in his own thoughts he was that he barely noticed when Josh suddenly took off on his Greninja, and with a partially stifled gasp, Faolan clambered back into the saddle of his Stoutland, who also seemed a bit stunned by the speed at which the frog was moving. Together, they struggled to keep pace with Josh as they returned to the shoreline.

As they once more arrived at the rescue site, poor Whiskey's flanks were heaving from the exertion -- even for a Pokemon bred as a mount, she'd never been made to run so fast in her life. As Faolan hopped off her back, he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Stoutlands weren't particularly fast Pokemon, but they were known for their limitless stamina -- perhaps one day, she'd be able to rival Josh's lineup.

But now was hardly the time for thoughts of friendly competition -- there was a Wishiwashi in dire need of rescue. Faolan looked over at his mentor. "I...can't say I'm in any position for diving at the moment," he admitted, glancing down at his dry uniform, "Maybe you can have your Pokemon look for the gleam of the Wishiwashi's eyes, and once it's out, we can take care of any wounds it has together?"

Josh Devlin / commitment: act i

ever blackwell / ashen anomaly

Josh Devlin / commitment: act i

Whatever was emanating from the Sylveon's feelers seemed to damper Faolan's flaring nerves, though only briefly. As Josh promptly reminded him of the existence of the RangerNet app, hot embarrassment shot through him like an electric current -- far too many thoughts were cramped into his mind at this moment, and he'd already forgotten the root of the basic training. "N-No, I remember, I just-" Faolan's excuse died off as he frantically fumbled with his phone, nearly dropping it as he struggled to get the app open through shaking fingers. He could feel not only the expectant stare of Whiskey burning into him, but approximately nine others in his immediate surroundings. Why had Josh brought so many Pokemon?! It was as if an audience had been curated specifically to watch him make a fool of himself on day one.

Trying to dismiss the thoughts of pessimism, Faolan tightly clenched his jaw as he navigated his way through the app, eventually coming across the information he'd been looking for. Squinting through the sunlight to see the text, he began to read: "Okay...so, there have been multiple reports of a lone Wishiwashi that had apparently been separated from it's school in what was likely a predator attack. It seems to have extensive injuries that have left it unable to swim, and it has instead taken shelter in the plants beneath the water in the river's mouth." He glanced upward, eyes darting across the surface of the water. "I-I know a bit about Wishiwashi. My neighbor back home had a few of them that he kept in a big pond behind his house. Whenever there was trouble, their eyes would light up real bright to attract the others of it's kind." He looked over at Josh. "I'll bet this Wishiwashi is doing the same thing. If we look below the surface, we should be able to find it that way. Only..." Faolan sheepishly looked down at Whiskey, who tilted her head inquisitively. "Whiskey here probably isn't the best for swimming. Or diving."

Josh Devlin / commitment: act i

Tempest Quinn / the lawless sea

Even prior to his arrival in Hoenn, Faolan rarely had the pleasure of any off time. It felt wrong to just rest when a world of opportunities, once completely closed off to him, sprawled out ahead of him like the vast ocean. With no missions currently assigned to his name, the young ranger figured he would take this chance to patrol some of the areas he had yet to visit, taking time to really immerse himself in his new environment. He really wasn't one for city life, and so he had been quick to escape the rather suffocating confines of Lilycove City after arriving there. Route 124 was a seemingly immeasurable mass of saltwater and jutting crags, and it simply called to Faolan despite his lack of a surfing Pokemon. In one's place, he'd borrowed a rather shoddy rowboat from Lilycove -- he had no intentions of going out too far, but just enough to satisfy his cravings for a little ocean outing.

With him were Bourbon and Brandy, who were small and light enough to not make much of a difference on the boat. Though Brandy was exceptionally well-behaved and calm in the face of such adventure, plopped down at Faolan's side while sweeping the ocean with a brilliantly curious and awe-struck gaze, Bourbon was unable to keep himself still. The little Yamper raced from one end of the boat to the next, bright bouts of electricity sparking from the end of his tail. Half of Faolan's time was occupied with restraining the little dog by the scruff to keep him from leaping into the water and quite possibly killing them all with the electric current he would surely send jolting through the boat.

So hyper-focused was Faolan on Bourbon that he failed to notice the dark shadow forming beneath the water -- and it was dangerously close. The one who did notice, however, was Brandy, whose little body began to puff up with obvious fear and the dreadful sight. A pitiful whimper escaped the young Fidough, and she shrunk closer to her trainer, who had finally wrangled the happily panting and completely oblivious Bourbon into his arms. Faolan, huffing from the effort, glanced down at Brandy with mild concern, but before he could even open his mouth to question her, something emerged from the water.

Faolan barely got a glimpse of it. To say it was massive was a horrible understatement, it's gigantic bulk casting a dark shadow over the group as it arced through the air. Brilliantly glowing rings adorned its broad fins and underbelly, making it obvious that it wasn't just some oddly energetic Wailord. Before Faolan could process the sight enough to start making guesses on what exactly it was, the incredible splash resulting from the creature re-entering the water sent the boat rocketing backward. The way it endured blasting wave after wave, it was a miracle that it stayed upright. However, the ranger and his two Pokemon were now absolutely drenched to the bone, though in the aftermath of what they'd just seen, it went almost completely unnoticed.

Bourbon stood at the edge of the boat, barking incessantly as his eyes followed the slow-moving shadow beneath the waves. Faolan, rattled both physically and emotionally, knew he was clearly in no position to battle the creature. Swallowing a lump in his throat, the ranger promptly began to row his boat to one of the nearby rocky outcroppings, hoping that getting his feet onto land would give him a better perspective of the situation.

Tempest Quinn / the lawless sea

Faolan was unsure why he was being dispatched to the most bitterly hot corners of Hoenn for his earliest missions, but as someone who much rather preferred the tropical climate of the regions lower altitudes, he wasn't exactly in his comfort zone. Though, he was quickly learning that comfort wasn't exactly a priority for the Pokemon rangers -- in order to properly protect Hoenn's various populations, one needed to be willing to take any measures necessary.

Lavaridge Town, with earth drier than bone and air thick with moisture from the nearby hot springs, reminded him somewhat of his hometown. Though he was used to the occasional bouts of ash spitting from the peak of Akala Volcano, the way that this town was absolutely caked in inches of soot was on an entirely different level. Faolan had heard that this settlement was not often without at least a thin layer of ash, though it had considerably worsened with the recent wind and climate shifts, and those residents who hadn't evacuated were not faring too well.

The young ranger carried a rather hefty sack of medical supplies -- he looked a little ridiculous trying to lug it around, but he was pretty eager to prove what existed of his physical strength to his partner for this mission. They had been tasked with providing medical treatment to the Pokemon living in and around the town, as those who weren't built for breathing in such high levels of ash were in dire need of it. Faolan glanced over at Ever, sweat dripping from his temples in the blistering heat. "Ugh...where do you think we should start?"

ever blackwell / ashen anomaly

Elise Calcifet / pokemon home