Tripping and Stumbling; [open.]

[Crim]

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Adrienne
Species: Snubbull
Ability: Intimidate
Gender: Female
Level: 5
Friendship: 5
Moveset: Tackle, Scary Face, Tail Whip, Charm
Nature: The Snubbull's most notable trait is her extreme protective nature. When she was still at the Lab, much of her time was spent looking after many of the younger Pokemon, even though she herself was little more than a pup. Her surprising maturity has manifested itself in an almost motherly sort of way when it comes to Avery. She's taken one look at the man and decided that it's her job to look after him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. She isn't the most keen on fighting, but seems more than willing enough to do so for Avery's sake. Her pushiness, 'tough-love' methods, and overall stubbornness are all bound to cause some sort of trouble, be it with Avery himself or with any future teammates. She only seems to act so harshly because she cares, at least.
Met: Lab @ lvl 5


Name: Ambroise
Species: Shiny Duskull
Ability: Levitate
Gender: Male
Level: 5
Friendship: 5
Moveset: Leer, Night Shade, Feint Attack
Nature: Theoretically, telling how Ambroise is feeling at any given time should be next to impossible. The ghost is either incapable of or unwilling to speak, or, really, make any noise at all, and that skull mask isn't particularly expressive. And yet, there's a certain whimsical quality to the way the Duskull moves, a certain detachment from reality that suggests the spirit is always in some sort of dream state. He's surprisingly affectionate and tends to stick as close as physically possible to Avery at all times, having formed an unspoken bond with the trainer almost immediately, at least on his end. He rarely causes any trouble, and seems to regard Adrienne with little to no care. She doesn't concern him much, and he gives her no real reason to doubt his intentions. The spirit seems to enjoy music, even if it can't create it, and can often be seen making motions that simulate dancing in some way, shape, or form.
Met: Buteston Festival of Death @ lvl 5

Coming here at night had been a terrible idea. Really, in the grand scheme of the worst ideas any human being had ever come up with, this had to be close to the top. Spooky forests plus nighttime was the very opposite of a great combination. And yet, against all semblances of sound judgment, here he was having one hell of a time avoiding falling every few steps.

To be fair, it hadn't been quite so dark when they'd first entered the forest. No, Avery had initially begun to travel on the little dirt path shortly before nightfall, lacking the forethought to realize that, hey, maybe this was actually a shitty plan. There was no way he'd have been able to train and then find his way back to Buteston before the darkness came. The moonlight was partially obscured by the numerous trees within the forest, and seeing most things was difficult if not impossible. He'd almost decided to snap a branch from a tree and use his Houndoom lighter to light it. Then he'd envisioned all the possible downsides, however far-fetched, such an action might possibly create. His mind had lingered on burning down the forest and pissing everybody in the Decona Region off. The idea was incredulous, of course, but it'd been enough to even give him cause to avoid lighting up a cigarette. He'd smoked an extra two before heading off into the woods as a feeble way of compensating.

Avery's gaze was instead fixed upon Adrienne, who was walking only a foot or two in front of him. The little Snubbull was carefully traversing her way through the underbrush, paws stumbling occasionally as they found a particularly nasty root. She growled, ears lowering as she continued along, though she was looking out for anything that might have been of possible intrigue. This wasn't her ideal territory; she was half-wishing that she was a Pidgeot at this point. Flying would have been a much easier method of traveling. ... Then again, being a ghost apparently would have made things easier as well.

Indeed, Ambroise was the only member of their small team who was having no trouble moving along, his red, ethereal body passing through particularly dense areas of twigs and branches as if they didn't even exist. He was moving with his typical, swaying silence, slowly gaining more and more distance from the man and Snubbull. Occasionally, as if realizing this, he'd turn, and the glow of that single, reddish eye would be the only thing visible, the only thing telling Avery and Adrienne that they hadn't strayed off the overgrown path altogether.

Avery stumbled and muffled a quiet little hiss of a swear, pausing for a brief moment. "... Why did I think this was a good idea?"

The Snubbull growled quietly in response, pausing and glancing back to ensure her trainer was alright. She bit back the harsh comment that rose in her throat, even though the human wouldn't have understood it anyways. ... I was asking myself the same thing.

[Nimbostratus]

Even on the brightest day, this foggy, reed-filled forest did not seem incredibly welcoming. In the dark of night, it was foreboding, if not outright hostile.

All around Avery, the sounds of various Pokemon could be heard: the chirping of Kricketot, the mournful calls of Hoothoot, the dueling howls of a Houndour and a Poochyena... and a low, malicious cackle that seemed to come from nowhere in particular. Leaves fell from the trees as they swayed in the wind, the features on their gnarled trunks looking almost like scowling or screaming faces... until, eventually, Avery and his Pokemon found themselves in a clearing.

In the center of the clearing was a formation of rocks, laid out in a perfect circle - and in the center of that circle was a cackling Gastly.

Male | Level 5
Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Smog

Before Avery's thoughts could turn to escape, the ghost Pokemon turned to face him directly; it had spotted him, no doubt. It cackled again, as if mocking his presence. And then Avery heard a voice - an ethereal voice, like something from beyond the grave...

"Mortal, mortal, dumb and vain...
Tell me, do you know my name?"

Then the Gastly hovered toward Avery, glaring at him intently - as if it were expecting an answer.

[Crim]

The various sounds did nothing to ease Avery's nerves, and when he resumed his walking it was at a nervously increased sort of pace. Anything confronting them right now would almost certainly have the advantage of surprise, among other things. The new trainer stumbled once more and very nearly fell this time, only catching himself upon a gnarled tree trunk, wincing as he tugged his foot free from the roots which had snared it.

He hadn't noticed that Ambroise had paused in his floating until he and Adrienne had progressed a little farther. The ghost was eeriely still and staring straight ahead at something not quite visible to both trainer and Snubbull. He turned to cast his single-eyed gaze upon both of them silently, motions strangely absent of their usual whimsy. There was no swaying or twirling right now, that much was certain. Avery frowned, brows knitting together as he finally noticed that cackling. He tensed up a little, though he had no idea where the sound was coming from, which somehow made everything worse.

"... What's that?"

There was no direct answer, of course; however, Ambroise suddenly seemed to regain his motion, floating forwards silently. Adrienne and Avery hurried right after him, both of them none too eager to fall behind now. And, before they even realized it, they found themselves in a clearing. A clearing would have been a blessing at any other time; it would have given them a place to rest and gain their bearings. This clearing, however, was populated by something else, and it didn't seem to be terribly friendly.

The trainer's gaze fell upon that Gastly, the source of that horrid cackling, and he tensed up a little despite himself. He began to edge slightly back towards the direction they'd come, but it was too late. The Gastly had sensed their presence, and had turned and stared directly at the ginger. That next cackle sent shivers rippling up and down his spine, and he grimaced, swallowing a noise that could have been described as terribly nervous or anxious. The voice startled him, and his hazel gaze flitted right back to the Gastly, eyes wide and more than a tad confused.

"I... Uh... No?" the man answered weakly, taking another little step back as the ghost began hovering its way towards him. Adrienne bared her sharp teeth in a little growl and stepped her way forward, ears drawn back as a little snarl rippled from her throat, directly aimed at the Ghost-type.

+... Hey, quit that. You're freakin' him out.+ the Fairy type protested, attempting to cross her stubby little arms. Ambriose retained his perpetual silence, though he floated close to Avery, that single, glowing orb of his focused directly on the Gas Pokemon, though his demeanor was as much a mystery as ever.

[Nimbostratus]

It was hard to tell whether those voices were coming from the Gastly or not - the Gastly just kept hovering and cackling, even as the voices spoke. Until finally, when Avery gave his answer, everything went silent. Not just the Gastly - everything. It was as if the entire forest had stopped to consider the human's response - and the Gastly was perfectly still.

Finally, behind it, a shadowy human form appeared.

"You do not know," said the ethereal voice. "That much is correct; and blessed is the man who admits his ignorance." The voice was definitely coming from the shadow, which seemed to flicker and sway along with the words; it was merely a spectre of a man.

"I am Nall, and I am from the long-ago - a culture now long dead. Long ago, my people came to Decona, but ... none now remain." The voice sighed, and a matching breeze of wind blew through the trees. "We worshipped Arceus. We had a grand church, with an elaborate hierarchy. I was a bishop." Both he and the Gastly now peered at Avery, their eyes seeming to pierce his soul. "In the end, we were destroyed by earthquakes and storms. Arceus betrayed us." He laughed - a sad, mournful laugh. "And so, the lesson: Beware of gods - for they will judge you, and find you lacking."

[Crim]

The silence somehow seemed eerier than that cacophony of noise. It was strange how everything quieted down, rather than merely the Gastly and the voices. That seemed to give Avery further pause, and the ginger grimaced, one hand reaching back to scratch awkwardly at his neck. For a second, he considered the ludicrous idea that time had frozen; how else was this complete and unnatural silence explainable? The man shifted from one foot to another until he noticed that shadowy figure.

He froze, eyes unblinkingly staring at the shadowy, wispy figure as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. He had never seen an entity that appeared to be made of pure shadow (really, who had?), and he found himself taking another little step back, the look in his eyes shifting from the emotion of surprise to that of wariness and mistrust. The strange voice sounded again, and the ginger found himself halting even his breathing as he listened, curious despite himself.

The words spoken certainly weaved an intriguing tale, and Avery found himself unable to glance away from the piercings stares both shadow and spirit were giving him. He frowned and began to shift about once more, quietly dwelling on this little story and its warning. Beside him, Adrienne's fur rippled along her spine, and the Snubbull eyed both Gastly and spirit with thinly veiled mistrust. Ambroise continued his floating about, seemingly uncaring of whatever was transpiring. If it was of any concern to the shiny Duskull, he certainly didn't make it noticeable.

Finally, Avery drew in a breath, straightening up and taking a little step forward. "... A troubling tale, but... Can you blame the gods? As humans, aren't we all inherently flawed rather than gifted?" The man's tone sounded wry, though it hid his nervousness and anxiety remarkably well for once. Perhaps because his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts instead.

"From what I've seen in... about thirty years, the negative far outweighs the positive. A god would have to be ridiculously stupid to look at us and not find us lacking in some way or another. Perhaps your people, and all of the others, had betrayal coming no matter what you did."

The ginger trailed off, glancing down and meeting Adrienne's rather incredulous gaze. The Snubbull seemed mildly concerned, and also seemed to be silently asking where the hell that had come from? Avery shrugged sheepishly at the Fairy-type dog, breathing out another sigh. To say he hadn't thought of similar things before would have been a lie; no, he spent way too much time dwelling on the shortcomings of humanity. It wasn't a pleasant train of thought, but the male had boarded said train long ago, and there were no stops to get off.

[Nimbostratus]

As Avery spoke, the ethereal man flickered and the Gastly floated in front of him, positioning itself as if to act as the man's 'face'. There was another moment of silence as they considered the mortal's words; then, the Gastly gave a nod, and the quiet voice gave its slow response.

"Perhaps you are right. I don't deny that humanity is flawed, and will always be flawed... but we try. We try to be better; we try to measure up to our true potential. Do you deny that? Do you deny that we are capable of something greater?"

The voice had been quiet and measured at first, but as it spoke its final words, a tone of intensity and anger could be heard - and the Gastly once again scowled at Avery. Judging him, just as Arceus had judged Nall.

Meanwhile, a Murkrow had perched in a nearby tree, and announced its presence with a volley of loud caws. Unbeknownst to Avery, the corvid's incomprehensible words were in defense of him. <C'mon, Gastly! Leave the guy alone! He probably just came here to find some Pokemon.>

Gastly shrugged and looked again at Avery, quietly waiting.

[Crim]

Avery looked rather troubled at this pause, though he didn't revert to his former nervousness as of yet. Still, this ethereal being's consideration was not something to take lightly; Avery fully planned to keep on the alert. He shifted from one foot to another, pausing only when the entity began to speak once more, brows lifting a little as he pondered over the validity of the creature's suggestion, flinching slightly at the harshening of that tone, of the judgmental look the Gastly was now giving him.

The fur along Adrienne's spine rose and she curled her lip in a slightly fiercer snarl as she picked up on the anger as well, stepping forwards a little more in front of Avery. The man barely seemed to notice at this point, his gaze instead fixed on the shadow and the ghost as he seemed to dwell briefly on his response. The SNubbull voiced agreement with the Murkrow as it crowed loudly, though Avery didn't really hear either thing, his own voice retaining its former steadiness rather than rising in emotion or volume.

"I can't deny that many of us try, no. But there is always something that will hinder our progress and make us incapable of reaching full potential, whether we like it or not. Even the most persistent, good-hearted person has their flaws, and will wind up failing at something important as a result of those flaws in the end." The man sounded surprisingly bitter, especially as he said his last words, fingers curling themselves faintly in a minor sign of agitation. His hazel glance didn't waver from the spirit, and he breathed out a soft sigh, seeking to regain his former composure before speaking once more.

"Don't get me wrong; I'd love to believe that we're capable of actually doing great things rather than only blundering instead. BUt... I haven't found much proof to support that belief."

[Nimbostratus]

"I'd like to believe..." The shadowy man repeated Avery's words, his voice deep and mocking. "Feh, you understand nothing. You must realize the ultimate truth: Belief is worthless. Desire is worthless. Only action yields results. That was why my society fell. Not because of Arceus, but because we expected Arceus to do what we would not. When nature ravaged us, we could have rebuilt - but instead we prayed for a salvation which never came."

His ghostly visage shook its head, and the Gastly hovered up once again. "I have spoken, but have you listened?" His parting words echoed as he began to disappear: "Take action."

Having heard such things, one might have wondered just what 'action' was to be taken - a question for which the Gastly was all too eager to provide an answer. It flew closer and closer to Avery and his Snubbull and its gaseous body began to expand, expelling a cloud of noxious smog. It seemed the ghost was picking a fight.

_{[derpity. I just realized your Snubbull has no non-Normal type attacks. sorry! :x let's just say that this particular Gastly is vulnerable to Normal type, for whatever reason.]}

[Crim]

The trainer flinched once more at that mocking tone, chewing at his lip in more obvious agitation than before. He couldn't help but feel as if he'd failed some unspoken test, as if his words had, somehow, irritated the spirits themselves. The ginger grimaced as he listened to the words of the shadowed man, though he didn't agree with many of them. Really, what was the point of action if the result was the same in the end? It was nice to have done something, yes, but only if it had tangible results. He personally suspected that Nall's society would have fallen no matter what course of action his people had taken.

The Gastly seemed to hover away as he vanished, and Avery's brow furrowed as he pondered over the last words of the spectre. The Gastly's sudden attack was unexpected, and Avery let out a gasping cough as that smog began to spread, shifting to quickly recoil and cover his mouth. The acrid taste of poison was nothing sort of wretched, and Avery very quickly backtracked out of the smog, eyes closing as he coughed a few more times into his hand, nose crinkled as he gagged.

The Snubbull, on the other hand, was a little less of a complete and total baby, her nose wrinkling in obvious disdain as she bared sharp teeth in a wicked little snarl. The Fairy dog let out a rumbling growl as she shot a ferocious glance at the Gastly, trying to Intimidate the Ghost-type before the battle had even begun. She was well aware of the type disadvantage that she faced; hell, most Ghosts couldn't even be hit by Normal-type moves, which was all she knew. Things didn't look particularly good for the Fairy dog. In fact, they were very likely to lose based on their current predicament.

The Snubbull hadn't accounted for a surprise helping hand, however. There was a reddish blur as a certain Duskull twirled himself into the fray, glowing eye meandering from one eye socket to the other, and then back again. The Ghost-type shifted to glance back at the Snubbull briefly, and she frowned before nodding in understanding, stepping back to stand beside Avery. Avery frowned and blinked the smoke from his eyes as he refocused, gaze settling on what seemed to be shaping up to be a face-off between the two Ghost Pokemon.

Ambroise said nothing as he twirled and floated, though he shot a Leer at the Gastly as he hovered, face as impassive as it ever was.

[Nimbostratus]

"Gagagaga...." the Gastly laughed as Adrienne glared at him. His attack had been lowered by Intimidate, but he certainly hid it well. Then his eyes fell upon Ambroise the Duskull, and he grinned. Ghost versus ghost. This would be fun.

The Duskull's first move was a Leer, which had an obvious effect upon the Gastly. The gaseous ghost responded with hypnosis; its menacing eyes suddenly became more soothing, taking on a soft blue shade that it hoped would lull its foes to sleep. Then he closed in on Ambroise, and his tongue reached out to give the Duskull a disturbing lick.

Meanwhile the Murkrow continued to watch from above. She had stopped cawing at this point, but she was still there. Silently she considered whether she ought to help the human - but now that he'd revealed a Ghost-type of his own, it seemed perhaps she would not be needed. Perhaps. But that damn ghost was using Hypnosis, so ... she'd stay a bit longer and wait, just in case.

_{Gastly is affected by Intimidate and Leer (-1 Attack, -1 Defense)
Gastly uses Hypnosis and Lick}

[Crim]

The Duskull continued his strange twirling and spinning, his own single, glowing eye only catching sight of the Gastly's strangely alluring gaze whenever he turned. This seemed to lessen the impact the attack had for the time being, though Ambroise was finding it more and more difficult to continue spinning instead of simply allowing himself to get lost in those eyes, which was a problem. The Duskull looked as if he might fall asleep at any moment, and Adrienne tugged at Avery's jacket, barking up at him.

+Don't just stand there, do something, Avery!+

The Snubbull's harsh noise roused Avery from the slight daze he was still in, and he grimaced, eyes narrowed. "Oh. Uh, Ambroise, use Feint Attack!" He hoped the command reached the Duskull before he actually did drift off, and, thankfully, the Duskull seemed to listen, body phasing in and out of sight as he flew towards the Gastly, attempting to ram into him with a Feint Attack, dark energy emanating from his figure.

Unfortunately for him, he never got there. The Duskull had fallen asleep mid-attack, and was subsequently Licked, though the attack did nothing to rouse him from his slumber. Avery grimaced and swore softly under his breath, shifting around in agitation. "Come on, you can do it...! Wake up!"

The Duskull didn't listen, of course; he was going to be out for at least a little bit. Adrienne growled and stepped forwards as if to enter the fray again herself, though Avery reached down to grab her gently, shaking his head. There wasn't much the Fairy dog could really do, despite her good intentions.

Ambroise fell asleep!
Ambroise was hit by Lick!

[Nimbostratus]

"Gahaha!" Gastly mocked his foe, sticking out his tongue and wiggling it rudely as the other ghost fell asleep. He even gave the Duskull another lick for good measure, laughing all the while. This one would be easy prey!

But just then, a black streak swooped down to intervene. It was the Murkrow!

Female | Level 6
Peck, Astonish, Pursuit

<Hey, back off, buddy!> she cawed harshly. <You made your point. Now leave the human alone!> The Gastly seemed to consider her words, but then just laughed again, apparently unswayed. <...so you're gonna be that way, huh? Fine! Then I'll fight for him!> She flew up to Avery and perched on his shoulder, giving him a supportive nod. She was not about to let this ghost get the best of him.

This new development seemed to give Gastly pause... and when he made an attempt to use Hypnosis on the bird, she just grinned. <That's not gonna work... you should run away now.>

"...Gah!" Flustered and dumbfounded, the ghost did indeed run away... only for the Murkrow to chase after him and blindside him with a vicious Pursuit attack. The gaseous Pokemon dissipated ... had he 'died' or just fainted? ...but either way, he was gone.

<What a jerk,> Murkrow grumbled. <He had that coming.> Then she flew back to Avery and perched right back upon his shoulder. <...So, uh... hi.>

[Crim]

Things seemed to be going the very opposite of good for Avery and his team; with Ambroise asleep and Adrienne virtually incapable of hitting the Ghost-type, they were, to put it bluntly, completely and utterly fucked. Their only hope seemed to be the slight chance that Ambroise would wake up before too much harm had befallen him, and then they just had to hope that he'd be capable of defeating the dual-typed ghost by then. A slim chance, of course, but still a chance nonetheless. That second Lick connected, though, and Ambroise merely continued hovering there in his sleep. Avery felt any sort of hope for the situation steadily draining away.

And then the Murkrow swooped in, little more than a black blur that was suddenly perched neatly upon the ginger's shoulder. Both he and Adrienne startled at her harsh cry, and Avery's eyes darted to the bird, seeming a little perplexed by the supportive nod the Dark-type gave him. He couldn't do much but nod back and watch in confusion as the exchange between the Gastly and Murkrow took place. When the Gastly used Hypnosis, the Murkrow seemed completely and utterly unperturbed, much to Avery's surprise. This then seemed to frighten said Gastly, causinghim to try and 'run'... The Murkrow's sudden, vicious attack elicited a little gasp from Avery, and he merely stared, slightly dumbfounded, as the bird settled back onto his shoulder as if she'd been there all her life.

Ambroise was beginning to stir from his slumber by this point, and the Duskull's twirling and swaying resumed as if nothing had happened at all. He was a little worse for wear, of course, but, that didn't stop him from dancing to that tune that always seemed to be playing in his mind. Adrienne looked relieved that the Ghost-type was unharmed, though Avery was still staring at that Murkrow, clearly wondering what could be said after the bird had saved their sorry little tushes.

"... So, uh. Thank you."

[Nimbostratus]

At the human's praise, the Murkrow smiled (inasmuch as a bird can smile) and gave a nod. <Hey, no problem. That guy was a dick.> She chuckled and shifted from foot to foot. <...By the way, your shoulder makes a nice perch. I think I'll stick around for a while.>

But before much conversation could be held with the bird, another Pokemon emerged from the woods, this one looking very much like its sleep had been disturbed.

Male | Level 5
Defense Curl, Rollout, Poison Sting, Twineedle

<Ugh, what's all this racket?> he groaned... then caught sight of Murkrow. <You again!? You're always making trouble!>

<What? No!> Murkrow squawked. <I wasn't making trouble this time! It was a Gastly - I helped this human fight him off!>

Venipede spat (or some equally disdainful gesture) and shook his head. <Feh, you know humans aren't allowed here. And neither are human-lovers! I'm gonna tell the King and get you EXILED!>

<Y-you think he'll believe you!? Ha!> ...but Murkrow's heart was already sinking a bit. If she was seen with this human, she would be exiled... but she liked him! What was she supposed to do, just fly away...?

Then suddenly an idea struck her. It didn't matter if she was exiled - she'd found a new home now. She flew down to Avery's bag and pecked at one of the Pokeballs, letting it suck her in.

_{Murkrow was caught!}

[img]http://serebii.net/xy/pokemon/198.png[/img]
[b]Species:[/b] Murkrow
[b]Nickname:[/b] ?
[b]Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Ability:[/b] Insomnia
[b]Level:[/b] 6
[b]Friendship:[/b] 5
[b]Moveset:[/b] Peck, Astonish, Pursuit
[b]Nature:[/b] [name] is a rather friendly and well-adjusted Pokemon, though she does have her oddities - most notable is that she has no concept of personal space, and will happily climb or perch on anyone. She also has a bit of a reputation as a troublemaker and a bringer of bad luck, though it's mostly undeserved.
[b]Met:[/b] Forest of Strangling Springs @ lvl 5
<...feh, good riddance to her.> the Venipede rolled its eyes, then glared at Avery. <And you - get out of this forest if you know what's good for you.>

_Continue?

[Crim]

Avery smiled at how friendly the bird seemed, much preferring it in contrast to what the Gastly and... -- had that thing actually been a human, or was it merely an illusion?-- whatever that thing had been. He couldn't understand what she was saying, but he thought the bird looked comfortable perched upon his shoulder, and pondered whether or not she was merely voicing this thought. He was fairly sure that none of what she was saying was particularly bad, at least, and that thought was enough to give him some comfort. He seemed about to say something when he realized that there was the sound of another Pokemon approaching.

The Venipede looked less than pleased, and almost had the appearance of one whose sleep had been disturbed. Avery suspected that had, at the very least, at least a little to do with him. ... Oops. He watched as the Venipede seemed to berate the Murkrow, while she seemed less than enthused about whatever he was saying. Adrienne, by his side, seemed less than enthused with whatever was being sad, the Snubbull's ears flattening as she took a little step forward, nose wrinkling.

+Hey. It ain't his fault or her fault that we ran int' some crazy ghost, yeah? An' it ain't even important if she likes humans or not. Humans are pretty great. Not always the brightest, but, still.+

She growled a little at the mention of exile, prepared to speak up more, though the Murkrow seemed to have other ideas. The Fairy Pokemon's attention was momentarily distracted from the poisonous bug as the bird took flight, pecking at one of Avery's Pokeballs and getting herself sucked right in, effectively capturing herself. Both Avery and Adrienne simply blinked; they'd never seen that happen before. ... Wow. Avery wasn't going to complain about a new, friendly team member, though his gaze shifted back to the Venipede, brow furrowed in confusion.

Adrienne bristled beside him, not exactly liking the threatening and condescending tones the Bug-type spoke with. She took a few steps forward, ears laid back as she snorted in response, folding her arms.

+We're stayin' as long as we'd like t', thanks, buddy.+ came her firm reply, which seemed to hold no place for argument or protest of any time. The dog Pokemon's gaze was critical as she stared at the Venipede, gauging his reaction and pondering if things might be about to get a little ugly.