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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 20, 2011 13:55:01 GMT -5
(Basically a point where Jasper is taking a "day off" and exploring, but she's always got her eyes open for valuable catches, and where she meets a Pokémon researcher. Just for sake of going with the disguise, I'll be referring to Jasper as a boy even though she really is a girl. Haha.)
Jasper sighed as he wiped an arm across his forehead, glaring through his sunglasses through the trees at the sun. "Who knew hiking could be such hard work..." He mumbled before cracking a wide smirk and looking back at the Blaziken lingering close by. "You keeping up okay? Your back giving you trouble, old man?" The Blaziken growled lightly in annoyance, crossing his arms. Jasper laughed. "Just kidding, Rowan, geez...Don't get all huffy."
The young man grinned as he looked ahead again, crouching down as he spotted a small family of Houdoom with their Houndour pups. "Aren't those a beaut...What do you think, Rowan?"
The Blaziken mimicked his trainer's stance and nodded. Then he made a slightly worried sound.
"Don't worry. It's my day off, remember? A day for just me and you to be able to spend time together." Jasper flashed his old friend a smile and the Blaziken returned the gesture. It was a perfect day for the disguised poacher to have a little fun.
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 21, 2011 8:44:29 GMT -5
((Sorry about the delay, university is a biatch))
Lorna crouched down onto one knee, studying the barely visible Houndoom and Houndour tracks in the dirt. Years in the field had honed her tracking skills to an art and Brooke had once jokingly remarked that the biologist could probably track a flying pokemon over bare rock if she wanted to. Up ahead through the trees she caught a glimpse of black and red fur, confirming her suspicions. Dropping low to the ground she stealthily crept forward, making virtually no noise as she drew up next to a massive oak tree and pressed herself flat against the trunk, keeping downwind and into the shadows as she took a tally of the number of pups in the pack.
Without warning the wind shifted and one of the Houndoom - the larger adult female in the group - suddenly turned her head towards the other side of the clearing, ears perked as she scented the air. Her hackles raised slightly and the other adults soon turned in the same direction. Clearly they'd scented something or someone in the trees on the other side of the clearing when the wind changed. The former Champion's hand strayed towards her belt, hovering over her pokeballs, ready to unleash her pokemon at a moment's notice.
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 21, 2011 17:53:40 GMT -5
(Oh, it's all right. No need to apologize.)
Jasper continued to observe, but then noticed the slight wind change and the Pokémon's reactions. He cursed under his breath, crouching lower and slowly, carefully moving back. "This might not be so good..." He murmured. He shrank back a little more but then Rowan shifted silently to crouch in front of him protectively. "You okay, Rowan? They may not attack...Maybe. If we're lucky..." But he knew how Pokémon adults were around their offspring; much more ready to attack without mercy to protect the younglings. And he would be ready if it came down to it.
Rowan stood as still as stone, his eyes trained on the pack, debating on whether to use Protect or Brave Bird if a charge attack did come.
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 22, 2011 14:52:01 GMT -5
Lorna's eyes narrowed as she stood up a little taller, looking in the direction the Houndoom were now focused on - there, a little movement in the trees, a flash of red and white plumage, a Blaziken perhaps? Either way she was willing to hedge a bet that it was a trainer out there in the trees, otherwise the pack wouldn't be so cautious.
"Oh well, better to be safe than sorry," Lorna muttered to herself as she unclipped a pokeball from her belt and tossed it skyward. Dragonite appeared with a flash of light and a trumpeting roar that echoed through the trees. At the sight of such a strong dragon the Houndoom yowled, quickly snatching up their pups before darting into the trees. The large yellow dragon gently touched down in the clearing as his trainer stepped out of her hiding spot, patting his scaly snout. "Oi, you in the trees - you can come out, I don't bite."
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 23, 2011 11:28:46 GMT -5
Jasper jumped slightly at the sudden roar, Rowan instantly tensing. But when the Houndoom fled and the sound of a person's voice reached they're ears, both relaxed, Jasper standing before Rowan and walking out into the open. "Hey," he called with a small wave. "Thanks for the help; we were trying to figure out what to do." He smiled softly and chuckled.
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 23, 2011 20:17:51 GMT -5
Lorna carefully watched as a trainer, a boy, and his tall Blaziken came out into the open. She shrugged off his thanks. "Don't mention it, I doubt they would've done you harm but they're a bit unpredictable at this time of the year what with the new pups and all." the biologist said with a crooked grin. Dragonite narrowed his eye at the pair, the normally jolly dragon looking uncharacteristically serious. Ever since the incident in Corkwood with the poacher he'd been very wary of strangers, not only because of his own capture but because of the horrendous scars Arcanine, one of his companions, now bore. Lorna's sensed her pokemon's anxiety and patted his side comfortingly. "Easy there big fella."
The Johto veteran turned and faced the boy again. "The name's Lorna McKinley, what's yours?"
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 24, 2011 10:50:43 GMT -5
Jasper nodded a bit. "That's very true. But either way, the help's appreciated. Rowan here is all I've got. ...Not that he couldn't handle himself." He added the last when the Blaziken gave him an expecting nudge. His pale green eyes rested on the Dragonite a moment before he smiled. "That's a nice-looking dragon." He commented. "Looks like he's been trained very well."
He grinned at the inquiry. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jasper. Jasper Stronghold."
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 26, 2011 0:01:04 GMT -5
"Nice to meet you Jasper." Lorna said, inclining her head towards the young man and his Blaziken. She smiled and patted Dragonite's flank. "Aye, Dragonite's been with me a long time, haven't you old boy?"
The large yellow dragon bobbed his head and let out a crooning growl. Lorna chuckled before turning back to Jasper. "So what brings you all the way out here? Searching for roaming leaders?"
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 26, 2011 3:02:27 GMT -5
"Likewise." The dark-haired man sighed softly, giving Rowan a small pat on the back when the Pokémon murmured his own sort of greeting. "I'm just exploring, honestly. I do a lot of research and such in my spare time and oftentimes don't get to spend too much quality time with Rowan here. So, I'm taking a day off and spending it with him. What about you, might I ask?"
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 28, 2011 7:21:35 GMT -5
Lorna's eyes crinkled in a goodnatured smile at the young man's words. "Ah that's good, I like a trainer who likes to spend quality time with their partner." she said. Dragonite bobbed his head in agreement as he took a step forward to get a closer look at Jasper's Blaziken. The pokemon biologist placed her hands on her hips and blew an errant lock of hair away from her face. "Well I'm doing some field work - I'm the island field biologist so I collaborate with Brooke Verity most of the time. We had a nasty run in with a poacher up here not too long ago so I've been patrolling the area and keeping tabs on the local population densities and species diversity to make sure we don't have a repeat experience."
As she spoke the former champion cast her Dragonite a concerned look. She'd been in agony when she'd lost him to Jason and there were some times when she let him out of his pokeball just to make sure he was still there.
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 28, 2011 12:30:39 GMT -5
Jasper's eyes widened in both "shock" and interest at the mention of a poacher. Inwardly, he growled, but his face and eyes showed no signs of it. "A poacher? Where? Do you know who it was?" The tone came off as a mix between concerned and angry.
Rowan barely glanced at his trainer, preferring to pay attention to the Dragonite looking at him. The prideful Blaziken stood tall and squared his shoulders, holding his head high with a playfully-challenging smirk.
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Nov 30, 2011 17:38:52 GMT -5
"Up North a ways," Lorna replied, angling her head in said direction. "Some bloke named Jason, I believe he was renegade from Team Rocket or the like up on the mainland. Either way we got the stolen pokemon back and the situation was dealt with...though not without some casualties. I just don't understand how people can treat pokemon like that, or be so malicious."
The biologist lapsed into silence, thinking about Evie's Vulpix which had been forced to evolve against her will and was now an aggressive and bitter Ninetails. Dragonite, in the mean time, cocked his head to one side at the Blaziken's playful, but challenging stance. Wary though he was, the large yellow dragon didn't seem to be bothered by it - he'd seen plenty of challenges over the years. Dragonite flared his wings ever so slightly in reply, but didn't raise further challenge than that.
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Nov 30, 2011 18:58:40 GMT -5
The trainer nodded, glancing in the direction. "At least everyone's safe...that made it..." He frowned slightly before shaking his head. "Well, if he shows up again, I can assure you I'll be helping stop him." Jasper sighed softly. "It's ridiculous that even in a small, nice place like this, a poacher's shown up...You'd think they'd be satisfied with just the mainland. They've caused more than enough problems up there without spreading."
Rowan, satisfied with even the slight reply, gave a more friendly smirk before relaxing his stance. Then he called a simple greeting, trying to show he wouldn't mind being friends instead of rivals or some other whatnot.
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Post by Lorna McKinley on Dec 11, 2011 12:11:03 GMT -5
((Sorry, sorry I'm a bloody idiot!))
"Oh everyone made it, but they're not the same," Lorna sighed, shaking her head sadly. "A lass lost her Vulpix to that poacher, sweet little thing it was. He forced it to evolve into a Ninetails long before she was ready to. When we finally got the poor thing back it was half wild and all bitterness. Poor Evie was a wreck; she's still trying to sort things out with her but that pokemon is having none of it."
Dragonite, feelings slightly more relaxed when Jasper's Balziken changed its stance, returned the greeting, the normal jolly expression he wore returning to his draconic features. He'd much prefer friends than rivals nowadays - he might've been a Champion's pokemon at one time, but he was content with retirement for now.
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Post by "Jasper" Stronghold on Dec 11, 2011 17:03:22 GMT -5
(It's okay. No harm done. Haha.) Jasper nodded slightly, frowning. "That's horrible...I hope that the two can get along and get close again in the end of it all." The Blaziken glanced to his trainer, giving him a brief pat on the back before moving to lean casually against a nearby tree, observing the ongoing conversation and occasionally saying a few words conversationally to the Dragonite.
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