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Keeping you safe. Kjoll lowered his head to Kaida's side, filling her with pride as the grinding of rocks in his throat sounded more like a growl. Yes, that wouldn't be a problem, would it? [break][break]

"Huh...really?" As far as she always knew, a Pokemon battle always involved danger to the trainer...she must have become a Ranger just in time for the mentality to stick. [break][break]

As he specified most of the League was still against using Pokemon against humans, a disbelieving scoff escaped Kaida. Her eyes were hard, and possessed no understanding for such ideas, "All the Pokemon are already risking their lives, all of us, why not them?" Anger only rose in her voice, one hand feeling at her side, "They killed me, and I still feel it. They had no mercy, and I believe in repaying everything." While her Pokemon had recovered, she'd never forget the team she had brought looking at her like a ghost, unnatural as she was. [break][break]

"...I suppose you disagree?" Her voice wound back down, expecting disappointment. Her opinion wasn't one she thought most humans had, she supposed attachment did that to people.

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And the jump rope game did not go well...Kaida yelped as her ankle was caught in one of the vines, sending her barreling into the ground. Her own fall tripped up Bragi, the young Toxicitry and her quickly flushing before stalking away. Well, she at least made sure to wave at illeana reyes, hoping she'd follow as she stewed in her own embarrassment. [break][break]

At least she was quickly distracted by a herd of poisonous party-crashers. "Uhhh, Bragi?" She warned quickly, already knowing Silk would know what to do, her other Pokemon need not get involved. A Brutal Swing turned part of the group right around to greener pastures, and Bragi quickly caught on, blasting a weaker Overdrive into the crowd. [break][break]

Hopefully Illeana didn't get caught up, this was a job for Rangers like her. [break][break]

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Freya darted in even before Kaida did, only hearing another cry of hers as the sound of Pokemon moves being used became obvious, "Stop them, Freya!" Thus, when she came across the clashing Marowak, she focused on the attacker and focused a Disable on the enraged ghost. [break][break]

The Shadow Bone faded, leaving it to back away from its more capable opponent, and Kaida finally pushed through. "You!" She snapped at the rogue Pokemon, "Calm down or we will calm you down!" Her two Pokemon darted forward, adding to the threat level as they helped surround the dancer. [break][break]

"Are you ok?" She directed at the other man and his Meowstic, hoping he hadn't suffered any injury. The dancer may have been interrupted, but that would never let her allow civilians to be attacked.

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Kaida had arrived in the typical Ranger gear, the only difference being that this outfit was more meant to avoid disturbing Pokemon...which meant it happened to double as a stealth outfit, blending among most environments easily. She had also brought many Pokemon, most meant for a similarly careful mission, and one particular dragon just in case they needed to show off some power. [break][break]

"Yes. Good idea." Kaida murmured, Ormr wrapping tighter around her as if to "stay close". "Stay slow, even if they hear us, if we're slow, we'll know they're coming." She advised, rushing would so them no good at this point. "I'm ready." Her voice was pinched and angry, pirates weren't exactly her favorite people in the world.

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Fafnir lived up to most Salamance's reputation. She was scary, she was strong. She was the epitome of a dragon in not just appearance. She gathered treasures, you see, and woe be it to the person that touched it, even when she was gone from home. [break][break]

Home was somewhere in the distance behind her, a necessary sacrifice. Kaida expected the Pokemon to find their own food and catch it too. Still, she gave them permission to wander as long as they weren't more than a day's journey away...a necessity for the Salamance, who needed to wander but Kaida would appreciate having her Pokemon near enough to use. If Fafnir ate within the forest, she would overhunt every single species within it, then what would the treasures eat? [break][break]

Her shadow scattered most Pokemon, ignored by the dragon, who simply snarled in glee in the terror she inspired. She only got serious as she spotted a field, a field full of Bouffalant! Yes, there was easier prey, but she was a dragon! The Salamance rose in the air, so far as to disappear from sight and hide her shadow among the clouds. She didn't plan on catching one, but as many as she could manage. So, when she came down, it was with a Dragonbreath, the purple flames clinging to the grass but not spreading, perfect for preventing a fire. One, two, three, snorted and faced the flame, trapped as the others fled. A shriek of triumph was the only warning before she slammed down on the largest. That particular hunt was done in a moment. [break][break]

And within those draconic flames, she hunted. She didn't dare ruin her prey with a Flamethrower, so she was left with her own strength. She grappled and clawed with one, finally managing a Crunch and bringing it down. Her last prey was the most defiant of its fate, dancing around her to try and drag out the situation the most. It wasn't until it slammed painfully into her flank that she finally grew irritated and unloaded a blast of Dragonbreath into the prey, lucky paralysis allowing her to finally land her killing Crunch. [break][break]

As the purple flames died, she fed furiously, two corpses gone in an instant. She only changed her behaviour with the last, rolling it until she could hold it comfortably to her chest. She cast a careful gaze upwards, a bird or another dragon might just attack her in midair if she wasn't careful, she'd have to fly fast. [break][break]

For her treasures living in the forest, the pack, she couldn't lose this prey. What kind of dragon didn't take good care of its treasure?

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Kaida knelt next to Silk briefly, patting the serpent's head before returning it. Very good job. She nodded as he explained some Pokemon get strange moves, understanding that he didn't quite have experience with them. It was fine, he was so helpful already today. [break][break]

"Actually, yes, I brought him today." A gentle giant of hers, sometimes simply too big to participate in most things, but there was room here. "Careful." She felt more like she was warning herself as she made certain of the room around her and where Alexander was before tossing up the Pokeball. The light expanded out into a huge shape, the Onix Kjoll looking around before he looked over to the humans, rumbling a greeting. [break][break]

"Protect. Curse. Rock Polish." She listed off various moves as the Onix stretched out his rocky body, "He's pretty good at keeping himself strong and not hurt." Even now, she was certain Kjoll had survived his underground expedition a few months ago because of his capabilities.

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Kaida didn't dare release Lae near the rest of her pack, especially not the more fragile sort like the bug-types. At least, not until Lae got over her attacks. [break][break]

Specifically, the type she was having right now. [break][break]

She had been fed, watered, and, in a moment of naivety, Kaida took this as an opportunity to further their bonding and take a walk through the forest. Rhyhorn were very simplistic creatures, even more so than Kaida herself, and Lae had obediently waddled by her side with seemingly no issues. Kaida had captured the beast as a rescue from a cavern and, despite herself, grew fond, fond enough to keep her, and fond enough to try and pat the beast on the back as they started making their way back. A less simple creature might just bite her, headbutt her away, it would be understandable. This was a Rhyhorn though, a Rhyhorn that thought she was trying to touch the still scar-heavy mark on her back, and Rhyhorns did what Rhyhorns did...charge. [break][break]

The suddenly thrashing Pokemon shrugged Kaida aside, whirling towards her with a terribly focused air. "Lae..." There was no talking her down, nothing to stop the Rhyhorn except returning her...and Kaida didn't want to do that. Lae charged blindly, flying past her as she threw herself aside, hearing a tree shatter as the Rhyhorn blew through it...shit...there went her idea of climbing a tree. [break][break]

But Kaida hadn't survived this long for nothing. Rhyhorn were very simple, and charged in a straight, blind line, she learned very quickly. Even when it switched to snapping Ice Fangs, it was always straightforward. She'd have to remember that for battle. Her own movements were swift and winding, switching directions swift like a snake's strike. Lae would not catch her. [break][break]

The charges started to wind down, slowly, slowly, and Lae finally collapsed downwards, panting heavily. Kaida's legs burned and sweat coated her body, if Lae had hit her...and yet she settled beside the Rhyhorn, pointingly only touching it on the head, and she was allowed the contact. "That wasn't fun for me or you, right Lae?" She wasn't sure whether the grunt was a response, but nonetheless, she continued, "Didn't mean to freak you out...it'll get better." No scar lasted forever, and even her phantom burns started to fade into normality, surely the Rhyhorn would be the same. Lae was family, though her armor wasn't exactly scales. They had to protect her too. "Next time we'll go for a run, does that sound better?" [break][break]

She thought the grinding noise, struggling through a rocky and tired throat, sounded excited.

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Silk, now a regular size and shape, settled next to Kaida's feet. The two Pokemon were clearly exhausted from the transformation. Even Silk, who had taken no attack, had a lot taken out of him. [break][break]

"Together..." Realization shined in Kaida's eyes and she nodded, "Ah. Love. That's really good." She smiled, though she had no experience nor an idea of it, being in love seemed to make most people happy. Knowing two allies of hers had a hopeful happiness was oddly comforting. [break][break]

"He's the only one." Thinking to all her Pokemon, it was all rather exciting to know a bond could make them more powerful, "Even with one accessory, will others just...happen?" She raised up Ormr, "Do some instead take the form as attacks? Special ones?" A sound attack that took multiple enemies out? That didn't sound like a move Ekans, or really any Pokemon, could just magically learn.

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"Hmph, I hate them too." Kaida growled, a similar shadow crossing her face, "They just like to destroy." What an utterly pointless existence, there had to be easier ways to live...but she supposed it wouldn't be satisfying to them. Violence, not even survival, seemed to be the point of their existence. [break][break]

And then the food arrived, and conversation grinded to a halt. Spicy and meaty, perfect given the work they had just needed to do. As if starving, Kaida dug in, mirroring the rapidly disappearing bowls of Pokefood and only looking up when Skyler talked. [break][break]

"I'm sent to many potentially dangerous ones, I'm...good at fighting Pokemon and protecting things." She looked down at her Pokemon, poisonous and dangerous Pokemon, "We're just good at those types of missions, you understand. It keeps them from hurting humans, themselves, and I can bring back any heavily injured Pokemon I find." She shrugged, "It's what we're good at."

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The heavy feeling that fell on Kaida's back was predictable, even she knew it was coming, but that didn't mean she liked it. "It did suck, even more when I and everybody else, found out." She wished it was possible for nobody to have found out..if she never learned she died, would the heavy feeling still feel as uncomfortable? She needed to get back to work. [break][break]

"And it's every month I'll be here now." She assured confidently, patting Ormr as he rested his head on her shoulders, "Me and my whole family, we'll protect it, even if it k-...no matter what it takes." She had to, she had that as the purpose, protect everything that was hers. Her family. Her home. Her life? Maybe? [break][break]

"Have it always been like this, even with you?" Only a few months ago had she truly gotten involved, and the constant terror was certainly the defining moments of her life. It simply seemed cruel to imagine that kind people also had their lives constantly plagued. While they were hiding, it only seemed appropriate to talk.

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"Mm-hmm." A gift. Fine then. While she stayed silent on that end, Kaida didn't plan on keeping the exchange one-sided. A payback just came as natural. When somebody did something good to you, you did something good back, and vice versa. [break][break]

Silk's speed in nearly impossible for Kaida to follow, and as such she can't believe her eyes as his strike is defended against, the living tornado that is Silk drawing back in a worm-like motion and hissing. Sand clouds his silhouette, alongside his enemy, but she can tell his strike had not passed through the Wide Guard...anybody could have this power on hand? Disturbing, and all the mire reason for her to stay weary. She was aware there was a limit, though, and started awaiting Silk's inevitable change back into his regular body. [break][break]

At least until Alexander brought up a familiar connection of hers, "Illeana...she does?" Surprise warbled across her tone, quickly smothered by a faint fondness, "We're friendly," That was the best way to describe their relationship, right? "And she helped me quite a few times." She looked upon Alexander, curiosity driving her next words, "She knows you too?" She knew the two of them were important, Gym Leader and Head Scientist, but it still struck her that they seemed to know each other. Perhaps it was like her relationships, allies.

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