Page 18 of 23 FirstFirst ... 1617181920 ... LastLast
Results 171 to 180 of 221

Thread: [M] Pokemon: Avarice Versus Justice! (Ashen and Headwrapper)

  1. #171
    The Moonlight Knight
    Headwrapper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    Medieval Fantasy, Magical Worlds
    Posts
    1,414
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    110

    Default

    After hanging up with Yulia, Clive peeled himself off of the couch. He put his work things away and neatly placed his bag in the corner of his bedroom. Without giving it much consideration, he put on a pair of tan denim pants and a comfortably soft cotton shirt. He pulled up his sleeves, which became taut against his forearms, before washing his hands. Then, he headed to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner, shooing away his Pokemon all the while.

    When Rotom buzzed, signalling Yulia's arrival, Clive wiped his hands on a clean rag before answering the door. After greeting his partner uncharacteristically warmly, he took some of the things she was carrying from her and ushered her into the apartment, sneaking a quick poke to Fritz's nose as he was carried passed."I hope you're hungry," he said as he closed the door. "I think we'll have enough for everyone, Pokemon included." He looked at some of the ingredients that Yulia had brought, eying the labels carefully as he disappeared back into the kitchen.

    While the pan was heating up on the stove, he began cutting up some of the carrots into thick batons, tossing the excess into a nearby bowl. His work with the knife was quick and precise, each stroke confident and methodical. His hands firmly held the implement and the vegetables he was cutting, but without unnecessary tensing or squeezing. When he finished cutting the first set of batons, he placed them near a small pile of baby potatoes he had already cut into halves.

    "You said that you made a discovery?" he asked, casting Yulia a glance. "Something in the lake." Deftly, he reached for another carrot and sliced off the top, before proceeding to craft additional batons to include in their meal. Interested in what his partner would have to say, he continued to work in relative silence as he listened. A sudden, unseen disturbance broke his silence. "Don't even try it, Shadow."

    The Zorua, hiding, invisible near the entrance of the kitchen, snickered as it reappeared into view and fled back into the living room.

    "You should have seen them earlier," Clive said, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat. Carefully, he inspected the pan and quickly decided it was as hot as it was going to get. "Guess it's my fault for mentioning the prospect of steak to them."

    After they were done cooking, only awkwardly bumping into each other in Clive's small kitchen a few times, they laid out their mouthwatering and aromatic feast. On the detective's plates laid their thick cuts of steak, pan-seared and fragrant with the smell of black pepper and thyme. Joining the main course were the roasted potatoes and carrots, which having been flavored in the seasoned juices of the steak, had filled the air with their own delectable scents. A few choice cuts of meat were laid out for the Pokemon joining the meal, complimented with a few of their favorite berries.

    When they were partway through their meal, their conversation maundered to the Avarice case. It was inevitable, with what had transpired before, Clive's effective suspension, Yulia's recent discovery, and the pairs incessant desire to close the case for good. Shamelessly, Clive leafed through the file that Yulia had brought with her, chewing on a fragrant and buttery potato.

  2. #172
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Once Yulia had been ushered into Clive’s apartment, she set the rest of her things down and sternly told her Glameow to be a good boy before walking to the kitchen to make herself useful. She got to work beside Clive in chopping the vegetables she’d brought, all the while eyeing the steak already on the stove. Clive had gone all out for this, and it was endearing to see the proof of his enthusiasm in his behavior. Yulia was excited that her stoic partner was excited, and just like that, the miserable last couple weeks faded from her mind.

    As they prepared dinner together, Yulia mentioned the documents she’d prepared for him, and she told him she’d give them to him once they finished eating. She couldn’t stop herself from talking about them, however, and about the discovery she’d made at Mt. Mortar. She went over the email she’d gotten about the rocks, and her speculations about what Avarice was hiding down there, before she interrupted herself with an apology to save the rest for later.

    She didn’t even notice the illusion Pokemon come up to them, so when Clive suddenly called out to Shadow, she turned to look for the Zorua. She giggled at the poor thing’s attempt, but then she thought of Fritz and his tendency to steal food, and she cast a glance around the room to look for him. She found him stretched across the couch in the living room snoring. Yulia smiled; even her fussy cat felt right at home here.

    When dinner was finished cooking and they’d plated their meals, Yulia made sure all the Pokemon were fed before sitting at the table herself. She watched Fritz out of the corner of her eye, hoping he would behave but knowing he wouldn’t. He tried to paw a berry from Shadow’s bowl, but Yulia scolded him, and the dejected Glameow returned to his own food. Yulia turned her attention back to Clive with an amused sigh. Even if she’d said she’d wait until after dinner, she handed him the documents she’d brought and continued her conversation from earlier, fully catching him up on the details about the case he’d missed. Yulia couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this animated about work, but she enjoyed having someone to share it with, someone who was also passionate about giving Avarice what they deserved. During a lull in the conversation, she realized how long she had been rambling, and she turned away, her cheeks coloring slightly.

    She sipped her water so that she could collect her overenthusiastic thoughts. She motioned towards her plate, which was empty except for a few stray vegetables. “Supper was delicious,” she said, and there was pride in her voice at having helped make it. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

    If Clive was not yet tired of hearing her talk, Yulia still wanted to go over some details about Suicune and her plan to stop Phoenix. There was no room for failure now, and she wanted Clive’s input on the best way to trap the Avarice official and save the legendary beast. But she had spoken for a long time, and she was also content saving such talk for later if he preferred.

    Now that she’d gotten all of that information off her chest, Yulia realized just how exhausted she was. She had always been the type to work herself to the bone, but it was starting to wear on her now, as she was so close to her goals. A headache drummed at the back of her head, and she was sure, if Clive let her, she could pass out right on his couch. But she shook herself awake and carried the dishes back to the kitchen, including the Pokemon’s bowls now licked clean. She liked feeling useful, and she owed Clive for the dinner anyway.

    “I feel like I’ve been talking forever,” she announced as she scraped the plates into the trash can. “What’s new with you?”
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  3. #173
    The Moonlight Knight
    Headwrapper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    Medieval Fantasy, Magical Worlds
    Posts
    1,414
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    110

    Default

    As usual, Clive remained quiet as he mulled over Yulia's thoughts, both the ones she spoke as well as the ones documented on paper. When he finished his meal, he gently nudged his plate over to make more room to leaf through the file more attentively. There was a lot of information he needed to mull over. There were lessons learned from the failure at Mt. Mortar, a summary of the known tools Phoenix and the rest of Avarice had in their arsenal, and speculation regarding Suicune's whereabouts.

    Furthermore, Yulia mentioned the findings regarding the rocks found beneath the lake near Mt. Mortar. Clive had his own suspicions when he first noticed the the large mass that turned out to be a Wailord in the middle of the lake. A lake that could not sustainably house such a massive Pokemon. There could have been the makings of some sort of travel system that Avarice used to traverse the continent, and ship supplies, people, and Pokemon. Alternatively, they may have been hiding a secret facility, similar to the one they discovered beneath the warehouse in Saffron City.

    They discussed Suicune, what was known about it, and Yulia's plans. Clive admitted he needed time to think over the details, referencing back to some of their misgivings during the Raikou mission. How they were unprepared for the sudden discovery, ill-equipped to handle the scale of the mission, and just blatantly outmatched. Frankly, Clive was annoyed by Phoenix's preparedness for his illusion tricks with Shadow. Admittedly, he was also tired of getting shocked so many times during this case too, but was prepared to deal with it again.

    For a moment, Clive hesitated. There was a particular topic he had not addressed with Yulia. One that she needed to know could cloud her partner's judgement in the future. As he considered an appropriate way to approach the subject, he observed the enjoyment in Yulia's face, despite the signs she had been working herself so hard that day. Unable to help himself, he pushed the topic of his father's Dragonite aside for the time being to revel with his partner.

    "It was good. Thanks for helping prepare it. You didn't have to." Once the work discussion was set aside, they began to clean up after themselves. After grabbing a few items himself, Clive watched as Yulia carried the rest of the dishes back into the kitchen. He joined his partner, organizing the emptied plates into his dishwasher while Yulia continued to scrape off the rest. "What's new?" he repeated. "Hmm." Clive pondered for a moment, wiping his fingers with a checkered dish rag. "I've been training with my Pokemon the last few weeks, with the help of an old mentor of mine. In fact, Shadow and Houndour have both learned a few new moves."

    He took the remaining plates from Yulia. "I'll finish this up," he said while he balanced the stack in his hands. "Relax a bit." He nodded back towards the living room before dismissively turning to finish putting away the rest of their meal.

    The gentle roar of the dishwasher announced when the task was complete, and Clive emerged from the kitchen. He was a little surprised that Yulia was not completely passed out on the couch when he approached, and he observed her carefully before he settled down in his own seat. Like before, his partner still showed signs of fatigue. Maybe ones she could hide from others, but Clive knew people better. He knew Yulia better. "Hey, um..." He shifted uneasily in his seat, before deciding to lean forward and rest his elbows against his knees so he can better face his partner. "I wasn't sure how to say this, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry. That was I wasn't there for you these last few weeks. I should have came to see you after everything... Like, in person. Not just on the phone."

    With a loud sigh, he turned his head and looked to his Pokemon, particular his Umbreon. He withdrew his breath briefly before looking Yulia in the eyes again. "There's something else. Something I have to tell you. After all, it just wouldn't be right to keep this kind of secret from you after how pissed I was at you back in Saffron. Huh, I had forgotten we had a steak dinner back then too..." He rubber his chin gently, as if in thought. Suddenly, he stood and disappeared into his bedroom.

    When he returned, he carried the broken Pokeball in one hand. "Listen," he said before he dropped into his seat and leaned towards Yulia. His eyes locked with hers, magnetized to Yulia's dark blue irises. "In the grand scheme of things, you might still be new to this line of work... But if you even think that this will jeopardize your safety, it's your right to march to the Chief and tell him I withheld this information. Get me booted right back out of the case. It's just as much your right as it would have been mine about the 'brain thing', alright?"

    Handling the item delicately with his finger tips, Clive raised the broken Pokeball between them. "This Pokeball used to contain a dear friend of mine, my father's strongest and most loyal Pokemon. A Pokemon that has been missing ever since my dad was betrayed and both my parents were wiped right off of this world." He paused, finally breaking his gaze from Yulia to look at the ball. "I'm not trying to be dramatic, but I want you to understand that this is something I... in the right situation, the wrong situation, I don't know what I might do. This Pokeball originally contained the Dragonite that Phoenix used against us at Mt. Mortar. There's no mistaking it. The same scar, the same tremendous power. It was my dad's Dragonite. And they have it."

  4. #174
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Yulia was quick to wave off Clive’s thanks. Keeping everything updated about her case was part of her job, and she enjoyed feeling useful. She appreciated the opportunity to make something special, and though she didn’t know how to word it, this dinner catch-up meant more to her than Clive could know. She was glad when he started talking; as much as she had to say, she was starting to feel self-conscious about her rambling. It came as a surprise that Clive had been training with an old mentor. He had never shown much interest in battling, and his Pokemon seemed better suited for the non-combat parts of their missions. But though it was unexpected, Yulia was relieved Clive was doing new things to keep him and his Pokemon active.

    His apology seemingly came out of nowhere, and Yulia quickly shook her head, dismissing it. It wasn’t like she had tried to meet with him, either, and he’d been the one in the hospital. She had thought to, but a part of her figured he’d be too upset to see her again, or that she wouldn’t know what to say, so she used work as an excuse—just like she always did. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him quietly. Remembering the state she’d last seen him in, and what had happened to him at Mt. Mortar, filled her with a returning guilt from not doing more to help him, but now that he was back on the case, and back to being her partner, Yulia was determined to make up for her wrongs. They’d take down Avarice for good this time, and she was sure nothing else would mean more than that.

    She wasn’t the type of person to stay idle, and even after Clive had sent her away to relax for a minute, Yulia busied herself with sorting the pillows on Clive’s couch. Fritz had taken two of them to lie across and thrown a third on the floor, so Yulia shooed the cat Pokemon off of them. She gave him a pat on the head and scratched him under his chin, a compromise. It had been a long and busy day, but Yulia could find comfort in things finally starting to look up.

    But when Clive spoke up again, the air turned tense, and Yulia nervously arched a brow. His tone indicated that whatever he had to tell her wasn’t such a happy thing, and her mind whirred with possibilities. It was difficult to not jump to the worst conclusions, but she tried to silence her thoughts. Yulia turned her attention to Fritz as she waited for Clive to return, but, as if sensing the tension, the Glameow hopped off the couch to poke around the kitchen some more.

    Clive returned with a Poke Ball, and Yulia wondered what kind of Pokemon he was about to show her. But as he got closer, she realized the thing was broken, and she dreadfully wondered what had been housed in it. She recognized that Pokemon; she’d seen it once, when they met with that judge so long ago now. Clive’s words did not comfort her; all this talk about his safety unnerved her. She tried to keep her expression neutral, though she wondered if Clive knew her well enough to see through her. She let out an unsteady breath and nodded to show she was listening, and she waited for him to continue.

    As Clive explained the origin of the Poke Ball and the Pokemon it belonged to, Yulia realized this was likely an heirloom, something Clive had to remember his father. But if the Pokemon it had belonged to had been a Dragonite, powerful and scarred and all too familiar… Yulia’s eyes widened as she remembered the Dragonite they’d encountered on Mt. Mortar. The very same tired-looking Dragonite that had attacked Clive and sent him to the hospital. Yulia reached for her partner, placing a hand on his in comfort. “I’m so sorry,” she began, not even able to conceptualize his grief. That wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg, however. If Clive’s father’s beloved Pokemon had fallen into the hands of Avarice, what did that mean?

    Yulia turned away from him, her brows furrowed in thought. She thought back to the things she had read about the great detective Clive’s father had been, including his betrayal by his partner. Was it possible his partner had been working with Avarice? Maybe it was mere coincidence that his Pokemon had ended up in their hands. And—was that Dragonite the reason they’d failed to stop Phoenix at Mt. Mortar?

    No. Yulia decided she was not going to blame Clive, especially if he’d been thrown off by seeing his father’s Pokemon again. His connection to that Dragonite did not endanger them any more than her condition did, and she wasn’t about to place her guilt on his shoulders. But this was a new piece of evidence for their case, and she was eager to research it and see what new leads it brought up.

    “What do you suppose that means?” she asked. Even if his father’s betrayal was shrouded in mystery, she still figured Clive might know more about that Dragonite than anyone else. If his father’s fate was because of Avarice, then Yulia would not rest until he was avenged, and his Pokemon was home with his son. “Do you think your uncle Richie might have anything to do with our case?” she pressed. Her voice was gentle—she knew these things were sensitive for Clive, and she didn’t want to upset him—but she couldn’t hide the excitement that came from potentially having a new lead.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  5. #175
    The Moonlight Knight
    Headwrapper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    Medieval Fantasy, Magical Worlds
    Posts
    1,414
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    110

    Default

    "Honestly, I am still not sure what to make of it," Clive responded, turning the damaged Pokeball in his hands. "There's no evidence suggesting that Avarice existed that long ago, but perhaps we've always been wrong about that. All of that being said, criminal groups are making deals and and transactions all of the time. It's quite possible Richie had no use for the Pokemon he stole, no means to control them himself, so he traded them or sold them for something more useful. Nothing significant has really come up about him for more than twenty years, he might have sold off and embezzled what he needed to so he can retire in some far off country."

    The detective paused in thought for a moment and leaned back in his seat. "Who knows, I could be wrong. But I don't think anything about Richie is going to lead us to Avarice... Actually, if anything, Avarice might be the one loose end that might lead me to Richie someday." He gently tossed the Pokeball into the air and caught it, before placing it on the coffee table in front of them. "I wonder where the rest of his Pokemon are, though. None of the others would have been as stubborn or as strong as Dragonite. If they had a use for them, Avarice might have broken in the others too." After another long, silent, pause, he straightened himself up. "I think we're already on the right path. We need to prepare for Suicune. We can not fail."

    As they began discussing preparations, the list of provisions that were needed grew longer and longer. The idea of preparing for another showdown, on top of investigating their other leads, grew to be a daunting one. The underwater cavern was still a mystery that needed explored. Then, they needed to be more prepared for another standoff with Phoenix and any other support he might bring for the crucial steps in his plan. Clive and Yulia needed their own way of tracking Suicune. They need items and resources to keep their Pokemon healed between bouts, ways to protect themselves from teleporting enemies and to prevent their escape, and either a way to defeat or stave off Avarice's vicious and tortured Pokemon. They were not able to defeat Phoenix in a full on battle, and there was no guarantee that he would not have more help in their next face off.

    It was clear they had a lot of work to do in the days to come, so they said their farewells before Yulia left for the night.

    The next day, Clive made his way to the office early, a personal list of plans already in his mind. There was no getting around it- even with the last few weeks of training, he'd have to train more have a chance at stopping Phoenix from carrying out his plans. The potential of teleporting was an issue, but after giving it some thought, Clive realized that even if he could not prevent Avarice from teleporting to him, he could stop them from teleporting away. Umbreon was already proficient with his Mean Look and his Taunt attacks, but he was slower than many Pokemon. Houndour, however, could slow down their opponents with Fire Spin. With the right training, Houndour could be fast enough to catch even Phoenix's Pokemon off guard.

    He put an order in for healing supplies from the store room, maxing out his allocation. He sent Yulia a note as a reminder to do the same, and even sent a request for an increase on their allocations given the severity of their mission. When he returned to the office from the store room, he was surprised to find the other detectives had started their days also.

    "Clive!?" Natasha and Jean exclaimed in unison. Their eyes fell to the badge dangling around their colleague's neck, inciting an immediate reaction from both of them.

    Jean stood from his seat, which creaked upon being freed from the weight of its enormous load. "You're back!" he roared. "Hoo-ha!" In one large bound, he closed the distance between himself and the new arrival and wrapped one large, vascular arm around him. "About time they came to their senses, huh?" he asked.

    Clive clenched his eyes as he braced himself against Jean's powerful bind. Even after recovering form his injuries, Jean's body still managed to allude nature with its massive size and just how unyielding his muscles were. When Clive was acclimated to the feeling of being crushed by the massive tree trunk that was Jean's arm, he glanced upward, noticing Natasha observing him cautiously.

    She stood with her arms crossed, and she leaned to one side as she studied him with a steely gaze. "You look different." She said coolly.

    "I've been training with my old guardian in Ecruteak," Clive said. "He helped me train my Pokemon and we talked through a few things. I'm sorry about what happened before Nat, what I said."

    Natasha's ice cold gaze had warmed slightly, but she turned her head to break any eye contact with Clive. "Well, that's nice of you to say. Doesn't mean you-"

    "And also, I think I need your help. Both of you. What do you think?"

    Whatever words Natasha was planning to say fell apart, the letters dissolving before she could form them. Had they ever heard Clive ask for help before, in all of the years they worked together? Did his stubbornness, which he justified with his prodigal talents, finally weathered away? "I, uh, we-"

    Jean grabbed Clive by the shoulders, nearly separating his torso from his waist. "Well of course we'll help you, buddy! We're basically you big bro and sis, always have been. Same goes to your partner, you know? Whenever and wherever you need us, we'll be there."

  6. #176
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Despite the excitement coursing through her veins, Yulia listened patiently to Clive’s speculations about his father’s Dragonite, and she tried to temper her animation. Clive was right; the likelihood of the Poke Ball being related to their case was slim, and even if it was related, that only told them that Richie had, at some point, dealt with someone in Avarice—maybe. If Clive didn’t think it was a lead worth pursuing quite yet, then Yulia believed him. Of course, she would still look into things to see what she could find, but there were a million other things she had to do, and those would be her priorities. And who knew? If they did end up learning something about Richie or Clive’s dad, then after this was all over, after Yulia had completed her life mission to stop Avarice, maybe then she could help Clive solve that mystery, too.

    But Clive’s guesses were wrong about one thing. Richie couldn’t have been part of Avarice while Clive’s father was still alive, not if Yulia was remembering her dates properly. She tried to remember when the two detectives were popular, when the betrayal happened. It was before the day Avarice formed, a day she remembered clearly. If she concentrated, she could still remember the faces of those first grunts, people who had long ago moved on. But she didn’t know how to tell Clive this without sounding insane, so she kept her mouth shut and nodded along. It was a moot point. And even as she and Clive moved onto other subjects, there was still a nagging thought in her mind, the thought that she simultaneously knew far more and far less than she ought to about Team Avarice. She tried to dismiss it, but the drumming headache that came with the effort would not let her rest.

    ~~~

    Clive was not the only one focused on training. Yulia knew there was so many things she could have done differently back at Mt. Mortar, and the entire battle with Phoenix was many of them. She would never blame her Pokemon for her own incompetence as a trainer, so she knew it was up to her to help her team meet its potential. Next time, there was no room for error, so she needed her Pokemon to be relentless.

    A couple hours before her shift started the next day, Yulia drove to a field somewhere between her apartment and the police department. It was a calm place with a couple trees and a few berry bushes, not significant enough that anyone would come here. That was perfect; Yulia wanted her Pokemon’s full concentration, and she didn’t need anyone distracting them. She pulled a Poke Ball from her bag and threw it into the air. A moment later, a Skorupi landed on the grass a little distance from where Yulia was standing. The bug Pokemon immediately dashed to hide behind a tree when she didn’t recognize her surroundings. “Ivy,” Yulia called, coaxing the Pokemon away from its hiding place and back to her.

    Ivy was a Pokemon who had been practically left on Yulia’s doorstep, battered and bruised, a tortured reject of Avarice’s experiments. Yulia had taken the poor thing in without hesitation, and though she’d invited the bug-type onto her team, in the years since, Ivy had made little progress. The Skorupi was still as skittish as ever, and she didn’t hit very hard. She was too afraid to battle most of the time, which made her an almost useless member of Yulia’s team. Yulia realized she was doing a disservice to her poor Pokemon—Ivy wanted to help, but her fears kept her paralyzed. So, Yulia was now prepared to work on those. Some might have thought Ivy a lost cause, but Yulia saw the potential within her.

    Yulia was patient, even as Ivy ran from her, and even as her Poison Sting attacks missed the wide cardboard targets Yulia had cut out that morning. When Yulia saw that her Pokemon was getting tired, she fed her some snacks and recalled her to her ball. It would be a slow process, but a worthwhile one, and she believed Ivy would help them stop Avarice.

    After Ivy, Yulia called out her other two Pokemon, and she let them train against each other. Though her Beartic had a significant advantage over her Braviary, the two were evenly matched, but she knew they could be even stronger. As she watched them train, she thought with a hint of amusement that Clive’s Pokemon might make better foes. If he was serious about his training, then she’d have to see how well he and his Pokemon were doing sometime. It even sounded…fun.

    On her way to work, Yulia wondered if this slow progress really was such a good use of her time. She believed in her Pokemon, and she believed this training would help them, but was it more helpful than other things she could be doing to prepare for their encounter with Suicune—and thus Phoenix? She mulled it over on her drive.

    When Yulia got to the office, she made her way to her desk and set up her computer. She made her way through her usual morning routine, then got to work on all the emails she needed to reply to before finally bringing up the articles and online books she’d rented about Suicune. She was interrupted, however, by a message from Clive, reminding her to stock up on battling supplies. And smiled, appreciating the kind gesture. Maybe she was rubbing off on him. Before she could forget, she heeded his words and ordered a collection of potions, revives, elixirs, and even some berry mixtures. Then it was time to get back to her research.

    After a while, Yulia got up in search of coffee. She walked to the breakroom, and while she waited for her coffee to pour, she overheard two officers in the hallway. They were talking about Clive, and she lingered in the doorway in an effort to eavesdrop. Apparently, a conversation this morning was so out of character for the stoic man that the officers were joking he needed to be temporarily fired more often. Yulia rolled her eyes at their joke, even if the two wouldn’t be able to see her. But she shook her head, a smile on her face. Clive, asking for help… It made her proud.

    Coffee in hand, she got back to work, prioritizing the list of things she and Clive had come up with last night. Unlike Raikou, the legendary water beast did not stay in one spot for long, so tracking it would be much more difficult. Yulia barely knew what it looked like because of its rarity, and she wondered if it would be beneficial to go out and study it alongside the researchers, to get a better idea of its behavior. Would Clive join her? If she could convince the researchers to let them observe with them, then that would be a huge benefit in their investigation. And, she had to admit, a childish part of her got excited about the idea of watching such a legendary Pokemon with someone she was close to.

    Clearing her throat and shaking the silly thought, she shot an email to the board of Suicune researchers again, filled with apologies, and sent it out. If Clive thought it would be helpful too, then they’d find a way to organize something.

    Lastly, Yulia pondered Clive’s Poke Ball. She wondered if the archive had anything about it, or about his father at all, and she made a note to check. First, though, Yulia made her way to Clive’s desk, and when she found him, she greeted him with a chipper hello. “How has the work been treating you today?” she asked. “I got an early start—not a good idea, after staying up so late last night—but I think it’ll be a big help. What about you? Anything new?” The small talk was a welcome reprieve from staring at her computer screen all day—and she was just happy to have her partner back on the case.
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  7. #177
    The Moonlight Knight
    Headwrapper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    Medieval Fantasy, Magical Worlds
    Posts
    1,414
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    110

    Default

    Clive glanced up from his documents upon Yulia's approach. He returned her greeting with about half of the energy she sent his way, which was still more than usual. He lifted a paper cup from his desk to his lips and took a small sip. "I guess I've made some headway, but nothing groundbreaking yet," he responded. "There's still a lot I need to do. My Pokemon too. Since it seems like it's going to be impossible to avoid another standoff with Phoenix, I came up with some ideas that I think will help. It'll just be a matter of making sure we can execute."

    After placing his cup back down on his desk, he straightened in his seat. "I also talked to Natasha and Jean. They're going to be on standby in case we need the manpower. Call it a strategic task force, in case of emergencies. We can count on them. Oh, and before you hear otherwise, Nat and Jean made it a big emotional thing, not me. You know how loud Jean can get. And Nat can be sensitive sometimes. I don't know. Anyway."

    As they continued to chat, the topic of observing Suicune came up. "It would be good to see it, at least once," Clive agreed. "Even better if we could keep tabs on it somehow. Would be great if we could catch it and keep it safe for a while until we can catch Avarice, but even if we could, who knows what effects that would have on other Pokemon and the rest of the ecosystem. Heh, who knows, maybe if we see it we can at least warn it of how dangerous Avarice is."

    "In the meantime, they only loose end we can try to tie up for now is that underwater cavern. What do you think?" Clive pulled up the images and test reports about the cavern that Yulia had shared with him. "If we can borrow the right equipment, maybe we can find the entrance."

    After they were finished reconnecting, they went back to work. Clive went about securing a vehicle they could use to explore underwater, using the evidence Yulia had gathered to justify the expense. With how organized Yulia's work was, putting together the information took little time. In fact, Clive spent more time putting together an explanation of what the findings were and organizing a persuasive proposal to secure a vessel of some kind.

    The effort became fruitful the following day, but not in the way Clive had expected. While he and Yulia were chatting in the office, one of the workers from the department stepped in. He carried a thick, black briefcase made of a rugged plastic. "Hello detectives," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I was asked to deliver these to you."

    Clive raised an eyebrow, and motioned for Yulia to make room for the young man to step closer. He watched as the newcomer approached the desk to drop off the heavy cases with a small thud. "What is this?" Clive eventually asked.

    "Ah, they are each a set of Devon Scuba Gear, from Hoenn." The man quickly unfastened the case and opened it. Inside were two identical devices, each paired with a Pokeball marked as property of the department. The devices each had a full face shield made of tempered glass, framed with an orange and blue piece that looked similar to the coloration of a Marshtomp. The bottom half of the mask had a strange device with a mouth piece. "Once fitted properly, this face shield provides a water proof seal," the young man explained. "And this mouth piece down here can provide plenty of oxygen for hours, even when diving deep under water. They're used by a lot of trainers in Hoenn, where there is a lot of water routes. It makes underwater exploration much easier, without the need for any large vessels."

    Clive ground his teeth, picking up one of the face masks. "This... Wasn't what I was expecting," he sighed. "Oh, but thanks for bringing them to us. We appreciate it." He shook his head as the man left, looking over the scuba gear suspiciously. "Just when I thought I was getting too old to be scuba diving and shit," he sighed. "To Mt. Mortar then?"

  8. #178
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    The short break with Clive proved useful for more than just a reprieve from her independent work; they were able to talk over the details of the case, including what would come next in their plans to stop Avarice from stealing Suicune. Yulia nodded along with Clive’s ideas and offered her own when the conversation called for it, and once they finished talking, she walked back to her desk feeling far more accomplished and focused. She was smiling for another reason, too: it amused her how her stoic partner though it necessary to protect his reputation after his run-in with Natasha and Jean. Yulia wondered if she should tell Natasha about Clive’s insistence, knowing that the older woman would tease him for it, but Yulia decided against it. She had only just gotten her partner back; there was no reason to tease him too. Regardless, Yulia took comfort in knowing Natasha and Jean were there for them, despite all that had happened.

    The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and the next day was shaping up to be the same until the two received notice of a delivery. She tried to guess at what it could be. Had her battle supplies come in already? But why would Clive also be a recipient of those? Weren’t these briefcases a little big for some potions and Oran berries anyway? As the man opened the cases and explained the scuba gear inside, Yulia shifted, wary. They had requested a vehicle for exploring the waters of Mt. Mortar, not…this. She cast a glance towards Clive, wondering if he had order scuba gear instead without telling her, but he seemed just as apprehensive about their packages. Maybe, due to their lack of verifiable progress in this case, their budget had been reduced to only cover this? Well, fine. Yulia could figure out some silly scuba gear…right?

    The Snowbelle City native took one of the briefcases and looked over its contents. Yulia was not a swimmer; in her hometown, you didn’t need to be in the water long to lose your limbs to frostbite. Sure, the local school and workout room had heated pools, but she’d never taken an interest in swimming. She knew how to swim, of course—mostly—but as she regarded the gear, she wished they had been sent anything but this. What if her incompetence with the gear or her slow swim kept them from a huge discovery? They could have at least sent a water-type Pokemon along with this to help propel them. Would her Beartic be able to swim like that? It wasn’t that Yulia was afraid of drowning, or so she told herself, but she was a lot happier when she wasn’t surrounded by water.

    Yulia shifted her weight. Despite his annoyance, Clive was taking this in stride, so she didn’t want to complicate things with her protests. “Won’t we need outfits?” Yulia asked, but as she poked around her briefcase, she found a diving suit in the same blue-and-orange hues as the devices. When was the last time she’d worn something so form-fitting? She cringed, not liking the thought of wearing something so revealing, but she soon shook the thought. Now was not the time to be self-conscious, not when she had a job to do. “Y-yeah,” she mumbled as she snapped the briefcase closed and picked it up. “To Mt. Mortar.”

    Soon enough, the detectives found themselves back at Mt. Mortar, suited in their wetsuits and scuba gear and staring at their reflections in the calm waters. This place was so different from the last time Yulia had been here, and the wave of anxiety that washed over her at remembering last time was nauseating. That had been a failure, and one she wouldn’t let herself forget. It would not happen again.

    After mentally preparing herself for being underwater, Yulia threw a Poke Ball into the air. Her Beartic landed on the ground with a curious sound, and the beast approached the water with a hopeful gleam in her eye. “Zita,” Yulia commanded. “Clive and I are going under there. I need you to stay up here and come rescue us if you don’t hear from us for a while. Okay?” It was an unnecessary safety precaution, Yulia hoped, but it made her feel just the tiniest bit safer about diving. She tried to shake the rest of her doubts, and then, after shooting a glance towards Clive, she hopped into the water.

    Dozens of water-type Pokemon swam past her in a flurry of vibrant colors. For several moments, Yulia could only watch them, mesmerized by the beautiful sight. When she remembered why she was here, she shook her head and refocused on the mission. They were here to look for a cavern, and any clues Team Avarice had left.

    The lake did not look very large from the surface, so Yulia was surprised as how far it stretched. So unused to swimming, her kicks quickly wore her out, and she once again wished they had been sent a submarine instead of some scuba equipment. She again kept her complaints to herself and tried to search despite the ache rising in her body.

    Eventually, she stumbled upon a tall and sturdy rock that seemed out of place. The moss growing all around it did not reach its surface, and it was a different color from the rocks around it. This had been what she’d noticed before, though this time, she thought she saw something dark and sleek behind it. With Clive’s help, she pushed the rock out of the way to reveal a broken door. Something had destroyed it; it was covered in dents and even had a hole that Yulia could just see into. The land rose enough so that the room was mostly above its surface. The land was filled with broken pieces of metal and damp papers. After poking around some, Yulia even found the switch that had likely powered the door, though it was just as broken.

    What was this place? Yulia wished she could get inside to further examine the broken things just out of reach. “Were they set up here to study Raikou?” Yulia thought aloud, her words bubbling from the communication device built into the gear. Once Raikou had been captured, Avarice wouldn’t need any of this anymore, so they must have destroyed it. There was little they could gleam from so many broken parts, but the sight gave Yulia some hope. If they’d been spying on Raikou from under Mt. Mortar, maybe they were doing something similar with Suicune. But the water-type beast didn’t like to stay in one place, so where would a hideout like this even be?

    Feeling like she’d hit another wall, Yulia turned away from the broken door and kicked back to the surface. She was getting tired already, and she needed fresh air to think clearly. When she did surface, she nodded to her Beartic, who looked like she was asking permission to go for a swim. Yulia motioned towards the water as she sat on the edge. “When would they have built all this?” she mumbled as she removed the device from her face. “Just how long has Phoenix been chasing down the legendary Pokemon?” It unnerved her to think something so heinous could go on for so long, and she wondered what else Avarice had done without anyone noticing. The thought made her sick.

    Once Clive had surfaced too, Yulia turned to him. “I wish we could get in there,” she sighed. “If they have anything like this closer to where Suicune is, we have to find it. That could be how we stop them.”
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

  9. #179
    The Moonlight Knight
    Headwrapper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    Medieval Fantasy, Magical Worlds
    Posts
    1,414
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    110

    Default

    An entirely different Mt. Mortar from what Clive had previously experienced loomed above him and his partner. The amazingly tall mountain stood high above them, visible well before they approached its base. When they finally neared, the lake they intended to explore was lain before them. Its surface was calm, peaceful. A rather stark contrast to Clive's memory of being swept away by a massive wave that erupted from a more active, foaming, raging lake several weeks before.

    The more senior of the detectives sensed a shift in his partner's demeanor, although she seemed to carry the anxious thoughts well. "Don't worry. We're here on our own terms now."

    Clive shook his legs and casually stretched his shoulders as they neared the lake's shore, testing the fit of the scuba gear. The blend of materials used in the suits were tight fitting, like a second skin, and allowed for great mobility. Once beneath the water, the garments would not hinder the detectives' movements at all, while the masks would allow them to stay submerged without needing to surface for a greatly extended period. At least Clive hoped so, he had never used this Hoenn tech before.

    After returning Yulia's glance with a small nod, Clive watched his partner plunge into the lake. He drew a long breath before following suit, fully submerging himself before the cold waters could change his mind. Once his eyes adjusted to the nautical views around him, Clive located Yulia and closely followed behind her as they kicked towards the rocks she had identified previously. Occasionally, Clive would pause to observe a distant rock formation, shoal of fish Pokemon, or some other distraction, but once he abandoned interest he would catch up with Yulia with a few powerful strokes of his arms and legs.

    Responding to Yulia's wave for assistance, Clive helped to push a dissimilar looking rock from its position, revealing a destroyed door. After Yulia had peeked inside, through a crude and probably violently-placed hole, Clive took a turn to do the same. The room inside was in shambles, the remnants of some kind of dwelling or base strewn about the dampened floor. From a distance, most of the abandoned items inside were unrecognizable. Bits of paper and pieces of destroyed equipment or plumbing. However, one particular portion of the rubbish and debris caught Clive's attention. He pressed himself as closely as he safely could to the door, trying to get a better view.

    The room was clearly meant to be a temporary dwelling. Anything of value was stripped from the room, and from the appearance of things, it was done in a quick fashion. Only a certain amount of deliberate preparation would have allowed for this. Avarice deserved some credit, they ran a intelligent operation. In the back of Clive's mind, he strongly challenged the idea that Phoenix was smart enough to understand the technical details of his mission, and was relying on others to handle such matters. Serving as the flashy tip of the spear, he relied on others- scientists, the strange psychic, and his minions- to hold the shaft.

    A wide, cylindrical shaped platform had been placed against one wall. The platform itself was rather useless, but it was clearly meant to house some kind of equipment, the kind used in certain Pokemon research labs. The only equipment Clive knew of that would have been a similar shape would have been a DNA analyzer. The kind found in labs researching fossils or Pokemon with strange DNA such as Eevee. He wondered why they would need something like that to study Raikou. What more did they intend to do with the Pokemon besides enslave it and use it for their own demented conquest?

    The duo resurfaced a shot while later, having reached a plateau in their discoveries. Clive pulled the gear off his face once he pulled himself out of the water, dropping next to Yulia. "Just how do we find a makeshift base, though?" he replied. "I noticed something in there. I think. They left behind a stand. Nothing, like, fancy, but it's a cylindrical shape. I've only seen equipment that would sit on something like that in specific types of research labs, the kind that study Pokemon DNA. I wonder how that would be useful in tracking legendary Pokemon, though."

    He pulled his legs closer to him to sit cross legged as he looked out across the lake's surface. "Maybe that's how they are tracking them," he continued. "I wonder... do we know of any DNA scientists that are confirmed to be Avarice members, or even have gone missing in the last few years? Something we need to check later."

    The man sat in silence for a long moment, finally tearing his gaze away from the shiny blue waters of the lake to look towards his companion. "You didn't hear it from me, but Nat's Milotic could probably Hyper Beam through that door." He let go of his legs, letting them extend so that his feet can dip back into the water. "You know, maybe a lakefront vacation wouldn't be so bad once this is all over. I can't say I've ever done anything like that before."

  10. #180
    The Ashen One
    Ashen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    A land that smells of sunflowers
    Favourite Roleplay Genres
    medieval fantasy, adventure, psychological
    Posts
    5,686
    Mentioned
    18 Post(s)
    Rep Power
    99

    Default

    Yulia listened to Clive dismiss her idea of searching for another Avarice temporary base. It had been an optimistic idea: there was no saying where such a thing would be if their focus was a wandering Pokemon like Suicune, and there was no saying whether or not they even had another base. He was right. There was probably no use in looking for another hideout. Mulling it over, Yulia sighed, wondering if it was worth the effort anyway.

    She didn’t consider it long, because Clive’s revelation caught her attention. Her gaze trailed back to the water, even if from here she couldn’t see the entrance of the hidden base. “DNA research…?” she repeated aloud. What would Avarice be studying Pokemon DNA for while hunting Raikou? Raikou was a legendary Pokemon, sure, but so much information had been documented about it by scientists over the years. Did Avarice really need to go through the trouble of hiring their own researchers when a quick online search would likely get them the information they sought? That depended on what they were using such information for, and Yulia knew with a darkness in her heart that they were going to use it to harm. She wondered what they had found, and what they would find now that Raikou was in their possession.

    Team Avarice specialized in powerful, tortured Pokemon, and they often employed strange devices to deliver pain to their stolen Pokemon. Maybe, Yulia thought, these devices were bound to a Pokemon’s DNA, and that was why they had been studying it. Or maybe Clive was right, and they were somehow using the DNA to track down Raikou, and even Suicune too. She tucked these new speculations in the back of her mind, eager to follow these leads wherever they took her. She would have a lot to type up when she got back, and that was before she even got started on checking arrest records and missing persons reports for any scientists that might have been affiliated with Avarice.

    Pulled from her thoughts again, Yulia looked up at her partner with a raised brow. Even if Natasha had assured them that they had her support, Yulia had still wondered if Clive would take her up on that. “Hyper Beam,” she repeated. “You’re right.” A new wave of excitement washed over her, and she debated calling Natasha right away, but she then decided to not be so hasty. Natasha was working on things of her own, and Yulia didn’t want to pull her from those. Avarice had made plenty of mistakes before, and behind those doors could have been anything. Optimistic about what they might find, Yulia made a mental note to email Natasha later, if she didn’t see her in person first.

    With her to-do list ever growing, Yulia sighed and stood up, her suit still dripping. Their field work had given them few answers, but she had tons of new questions to explore, so she couldn’t consider the mission a failure. Her content smile matched Clive’s, and she nodded along with him. “Once this is all over,” she agreed, “once we stop Avarice once and for all? Hell, I’ll pay for the lakefront vacation. I think we could both use it.” It had been years since she’d been on a vacation. She had been forced onto her last one, and she had complained even then that it would get in the way of her work. Some time away from all this, after everything she’d worked for had finally succeeded, sounded like bliss. “Or maybe,” she went on, “I’ll have to take you up to the mountains. Show you were I grew up, and take you ice fishing.” She struggled to imagine him in such a setting, wrapped in several layers and choked by a thick scarf, but the thought made her laugh. Once they finished with this mission… Yulia didn’t know where she’d begin in celebrating.

    A gentle breeze blew past them, and a shiver raced down Yulia’s spine. She wanted out of this suit, and she needed a piping hot cup of coffee. With their business finished, Yulia looked around the area again, as if to search for any last-minute clues. Her gaze settled a moment longer on the tip of Mt. Mortar before she turned back to Clive. “I’d like to document all of this,” she said. Their higher ups would want to know what they’d done with their submarine substitute, and Yulia planned on emphasizing the importance of their discoveries in the hopes that it would win future favor.

    She recalled her Beartic, who seemed slightly bummed about being pulled from the water, and prepared to leave. “This was…fun,” she admitted. “I’d forgotten how much I enjoy field work with you.” Though a blush ran across her cheeks, her kind smile didn’t falter. “Let’s get back to all those things we said we’d do. And after that… I could really go home and use a shower.”
    Thanks to Craze for the beautiful Bravely set!

    ~Recruitment Thread~
    Spoiler: Ashen's Personal Hall of Fame 

Page 18 of 23 FirstFirst ... 1617181920 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •