Go away, it's a [Private RP]

[Snapdragon]

((Lack of witty title ftw. This here's a private roleplay between yours truly and Belle. If you are not either of those two, don't post. Ever. Seriously. :] You're welcome to watch, though. Thierry and Basil are no strangers to the public eye (nor will Belle's darlings be), and I have a feeling this will be an excellent way to get a solid feel of their characters. :V))

Adjusting to life in Central Square hadn't been easy. The pace of life in the city was worlds apart from the sleepy village of Northvale. Thierry had grossly underestimated just how seedy a bustling city could be. When he'd first arrived, he'd been concerned that work would be hard to come by. The opposite had proven to be true; it seemed there was no end to the amount of Pokemon needing a private investigator, whether they were anxious mothers, suspicious lovers, or rescue teams in need of a little help. Of course, Thierry's rather unorthodox debut into Central Square may have been partially responsible for his blooming reputation; the Darkrai case had been a very big issue for the city, and anything that involved being awarded medals was bound to be good publicity.

Admittedly, none of the recipients of said medals had figured out what "Hearthome Normal Rank Cool Champion" meant yet, but that didn't tarnish their pride too terribly.

Slowly but surely, Thierry and Basil had ingrained themselves into Central Square. They remained on good terms with the involved rescue teams, with Team Deceivers and Firebrand of Team Troublemakers being frequent visitors to their modest cave. Thierry had been officially branded as a regular at the Shuckle Lounge, with the titular Shuckle bartender deciding that his homebrewed Berry Juice was to be considered Thierry's usual. Much to his chargin. Thierry liked to believe he was too much of a gentleman to be associated with the seedy southern end if town, and his opinion of that vile concoction Shuckle called a drink had yet to improve. Still, it wasn't so surprising for a gumshoe to frequent sketchy areas, especially if he had to pass quite near said areas when travelling from his cave to the marketplace at the town's center. More importantly, the district had Quid. Quidnunc was a valuable informer, and the Lounge was the only place he could be found reliably. His tips were good, and he was fine with being paid in Berry Juice.

In spite of his work often carrying him to all corners of the city, Thierry couldn't begin to claim he knew all of Central Square. The south, the central market, and the Pelipper Post Office a few blocks west of it, as well as a few small sections of the northeast, where most of Central Square's rescue teams lived. Shady Forest to the northwest of town. The Church of Mew, clear across the city from Thierry's home and nestled on the town's northern edge. It was a long trek each Sunday, but at least it wasn't lonely; Basil often tagged along, though his destination was the Meditite Dojo across the street.

It wasn't so much the size of Central Square that Thierry found hardest to cope with; it was the climate. Summer had descended upon the south, and it didn't look like it had any plans to get up and leave. It had been a particularly dry, arid summer; an unrelenting heat wave had been plaguing Central Square for weeks. The difference between the sweltering temperatures and Northvale's short-lived summers had been rather hard on Thierry. Whenever a job hadn't forced him out into the sun, he refused to leave the cave for anything save church. Today was even hotter than yesterday; even Basil seemed to be wilting. Thierry was settled at the table, an apple in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Basil lay sprawled on his stomach on the floor, wings waving listlessly in a feeble attempt to fan himself.

"Hey, Thierry... we don't have any cases today, right?"

"You're the secretary, you tell me." Thierry replied, gaze glued to the paper.

"If we do, I'm cancelling 'em. It's too hot for stakeouts and stuff. Makes me wish I was a fire-type, they probably like this heat."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Basil. There's been another fire on the outskirts of town. A berry farm owned by Machokes. You know how everyone's been looking sideways at Firebrand and the rest of Team Troublemakers." Thierry shrugged and read on, skimming the tiny lines of print. "They're saying it was caused by somebody shorting out the barn lights, though. Another fire with an electric catalyst. If anything, I'd say it incriminates electric-types more than fire."

"Hey... think that's why Team Tricky's got a Glameow instead of Pichu lately? I hope not. Are we gonna solve the mystery of these fires, Thierry?" Basil lifted his head, antennae perking slightly.

"Depends," Thierry replied as he dropped the paper on the table. "Is anybody paying us?"

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]If adjusting to a city had taken time and effort, then memorising the streets and schedules of the people walking them was like backbreaking manual labor.
But with your brain.

Of course, the unusually hot weather had left the pikachu and her companion off worse than before, though with the sweltering sun came the vacancy of just about all the normal square-goers.
Which left them free to roam about as they pleased, stopping occasionally to rest in the shade of the occasional wilting tree.
It was... Inhumane.
And it made her wish that they had somewhere to stay, preferably somewhere damp and cool.

"Rusty."
At the mention of her name, the pikachu's head lolled over to the jolteon sitting beside her.
"Wha..?"
"Drink your slop. Before I drink it for you."

Koji was usually the light-hearted one in their troupe-of-two and she smiled at his attempt to cheer her.
And get her to drink the gruel-in-a-cup.

The recent discrimination that had spread through the region had left the two at a loss of good supplies, which meant that Koji was making 'energy drinks' from the oran berries they would find on the city's outskirts.
They'd managed to keep their presence fairly inconspicuous, despite the fact that they were, in fact, outsiders.
And for the past few weeks, outsiders- specifically electric-type outsiders, were a no-no.
That wasn't to say that they didn't have enough money to pay for food, no.
They had enough to get by.
What was really pressing them was the townsfolk's reluctance to do business with trouble makers like them.
Injustly prosecuted, much like many others they had come across and spared whatever goods they could.
Rusty and Koji had each other to depend on- Koji made the food, and Rusty scouted the area and made sure they were safe. And making the occasional 'shopping trip', but she wouldn't speak about it. Stealing wasn't her favorite pasttime, but it kept them alive while they hunted around for information on the arsonists that were making living hard as hell for them.

They'd come across very few leads, and even fewer people willing to help them.
But there were a few electric pokemon native to the city that were willing to suggest places to hide and people they could talk to.
They had even gone to visit one of the rescue teams in their home, because they had a magneton as their partner.
The team had given them more supplies and directions on what they could do, though most of the advice they got was to skip town.
Which, naturally, would have been a very good idea, were it not for the pikachu's hunger for justice and uncanny need to set things straight.
Most called it nosiness, but that really was irrelivent. There were plenty of other electric-types being criticised for their heritage, of course being no fault of their own.

And that meant hunting down every lead they could get, and seeking help from anyone in any place, even if it was a rather shady looking bar with a bartender that preferred to concoct drinks of unsettlingly solid matter.
The chatty little bird they'd encountered there, in exchange for the groutesque drink, had referred them to 'an old friend' that had employment as a private eye.

"Rusty, I'm taking your drink away. I'm thirsty, and you've zoned out. In fact, I could probably say anything I wanted to you right now. Like, your coat is dirty, and your breath smells, and your collar THING is really irritatingly shiny and it hurts my eyes but I'm not gonna ask you why you wear it because you'll ignore me like you are right n-"
"Koji."
"..! Uh."
"Shut up."
Obediantly, he fell quiet again and began slurping at the cup he'd snatched away from his companion, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she stumbled to her feet.
"We should go now, find that cave that bird-face was talking about. Before the locals decide that the weather doesn't really present that much of a risk of heatstroke anyway."

They were standing outside the cave withing the hour, and squinting curiously at the sign outside the door.
Sure, it had Thierry's name on it- 'Thierry Blackwell, Private eye'.
But.
Whoever had painted it seemed to have neglected a single drop of paint that had slunk down the face of the board to make the 'L' almost twice it's normal length.
Odd.
But first impressions aside, Koji raised a paw to rap gingerly on the door, stepping back behind Rusty with an uncertain look in his eyes that made the pikachu want to hit him.
He shouldn't be scared. Couldn't be.
Because if he was going to bag out on her, then she was going to fall apart. Completely and utterly.
And this Thierry fellow was a private eye, he wasn't allowed to follow the public discrimination anyway.
Not that they had much to lose in the first place.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Basil may have said that he would be turning down any and all cases for Thierry that day, but even scorching temperatures couldn't tame his enthusiasm for solving mysteries. Only clients ever knocked; if Firebrand or a Deceiver were stopping by, they just walked in. The knock on the door therefore brought his drooping antennae to attention, and before Thierry had time to even get up from his chair, the little Mothim was in the air, wings churning furiously as he heaved the door open. Perhaps a little too furiously at that -- the door swung open with such force that Basil nearly found himself squished between it and the wall. He reappeared a second later, looking none the worse for his narrow scrape. Standing in front of him were a Jolteon and a Pikachu. Definitely strangers. And electric-types, too! Funny, since they'd just been talking about electric-types and all.

A set of claws landed on Basil's head, gently moving him out of the way. "Well, Basil? Are you going to stare at our visitors, or invite them in?" Thierry inquired, punctuating the end of his sentence with a sharp crunch as he took another bite of apple. Basil mumbled a sheepish invitation for the two to enter, lingering to make sure that the door was securely shut once the pair was inside. Thierry liked to keep the door closed when clients were around, and anyway... it would be lame to let all the cool air inside the cave out.

Thierry had to move a chair from the kitchen table over to the front of the desk occupying the room's center; they hadn't quite earned enough to afford a great deal of furniture yet, but that was no excuse for guests to be uncomfortable. He gestured for the two to sit, taking a seat behind the desk himself. Basil, somewhat bummed at Thierry taking his usual spot in front of the typewriter, plopped himself down on the desk itself. He could tell Thierry was already in detective mode, despite the apple still in his hand. He got this look in his eyes, first lingering on Koji's spiky fur, then the shiny thing on Rusty's neck, then down at his own claws. Basil had yet to get the hang of his detective magic, but there was one thing Thierry had taught him once: if a client comes in wearing something nice, then they'll be able to pay handsomely. Only rescue teams and Pokemon that wanted to flaunt their affluence usually bothered wearing accessories.

Thierry had noted Rusty's attire as well, though he wasn't so quick to brand this two as the sort of clients that would keep the cupboards full for weeks. For one thing, while they didn't appear to be starving or anything, there was a certain sort of... roughness, almost, to them that suggested too much time in the sun and not enough time feeling at ease. Which wasn't too surprising, considering the sorts of things he'd been reading mere moments ago. He wasn't familiar enough with Central Square to judge whether or not the two lived here, but he had a good feeling that whatever they'd be inquiring about had to do with the arson troubling the city for the past few weeks. It was either that or a rescue team-related matter, and Thierry had neither seen anything about a Pikachu-Jolteon team in the post office records nor heard of a new team forming recently. Of course, an electric-type team without a high rank backing it up was an invitation for bankruptcy these days. Having drawn his conclusions, Thierry handed the remainder of his apple to Basil, folded his claws, and spoke.

"I suppose you've guessed as much already, but I'm Thierry Blackwell. This is my secretary, Basil."

"Assistant," Basil corrected, the words muffled around a mouthful of fruit.

"Secretary." Basil may have abandoned the title of sidekick for the more professional-sounding assistant, but Thierry wasn't going to let it slide quite that easily. They could debate exactly what the Mothim was supposed to put on his business cards later. Professionalism was important when first meeting a client. "So what can I do for you two?"


((Edited for my inability to type Rusty's name. :V))

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]The heavy door was quick to swing open, though it had seemed as if it had done so on its own. That is, until the mothim promptly slipped out from behind it and eyed them curiously.
In all honesty, it was more than just a little unnerving. The two electric-types exchanged a wary glance before the weavile appeared and pulled the bug out of the doorway.
It was nice inside; in fact, given their current state they probably would have opted for the floor if not for the chairs that had been provided. It was fortunate for their pride that they had as well, because it may not have left a good first impression to crawl into a foetal position on the ground.
And it certainly wouldn't have gone unnoticed, judging by the way that the two detectives were looking them over.

As they made their conclusions about the pikachu and jolteon, Rusty made sure to follow suit.
Thierry, while obviously the brains of the pair, was the one with the only oddity she could pick out- Weaviles weren't known for having long ears, so they struck her as intruiging at first.
Finally managing to divert her attention to the mothim, she took note of the way he'd behaved at the door.
If anything he seemed to be the more outgoing one and she managed a grin as he introduced himself through a mouth of apple.
"Yes, your reputation preceeds you; We got intructions to come here from a very talkative chatot in one of the few places that was still willing to serve us. My name is Rusty- the jolteon is my friend Koji. Uh.."
She was, in fact, hesitating.
After all the hype and buildup of actually getting here and getting inside, she wasn't sure how to approach the request.
Fortunately, Koji had a vague idea of how to do it.
"I'm sure you've heard of all the disasters with the electric-type arsonists, because everyone else in the town certainly has." His tone was bittersweet, and he forced a meek smile out of his grim look.
"We're trying to find out who's making our life hell so we can get back to living. But we can't do it alone, as we've gradually learned. We don't have the resources and the people here aren't about to provide them. But they'll certainly listen to you, judging solely on the stories we heard from Quipunk."
"I think it was Quidnunc."
"I couldn't tell."
The pikachu gave her companion a dry look before turning her attention back to Thierry.
"We haven't got too much of our small fortune left, most of it was used to try and scrape up some sort of meal. But we're willing to work for your help- manual labor isn't a trouble, I'm fairly versatile in what I do, and Koji used to work as an assistant chef."
Said jolteon had watched the weavile examining Rusty's collar earlier, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he looked closer at it.
The sturdy silver of the piece only covered the front of her neck; around the back it was hooked to a thick leather strap that tapered off until it was thin enough to be tied into a bow.
The metal itself was engraved on either side of the gold sphere- to the right it read her name, and on the left was what he'd always thought of as some sort of message to her from the girl she'd occasionally mention, though she'd never sat still long enough for him to read the faded text.
The orb itself managed to shine even in the faint light in the cave, and was held in place by four metal prongs that never seemed to take away from the lustre of the glass.
Knowing that he had started to stare, Koji pulled his attention away from the pikachu's accessory and turned back to where Blackwell and Basil were sitting.
[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

As soon as Thierry heard the words "very talkative Chatot," he knew. Of course it would be Quidnunc. Only Quid would point trouble his way like this. Trouble that wasn't even the high-paying kind of trouble. Thierry couldn't say for certain how it would reflect on his business if he were seen consorting with a pair of very suspicious electric-types, but... well, work was work, reputation or no. His relations with electric-types wouldn't make a lick of difference once he'd solved the matter of this apparent arsonist. And if he didn't solve it, or it turned out that Rusty and Koji were, in fact, responsible... well, Basil and he would be surviving off the Oran berries growing on the outskirts of town for a while. Presuming nobody set them on fire, of course. It was a grim thought, and the sort Thierry tried to avoid... but at his core, he was a realist. There was no reason not to consider these two suspects; he had nobody to testify to their trustworthiness, as far as he knew they were capable of starting the fires, and the mere fact that Rusty wore such an expensive-looking collar when the two claimed they couldn't afford to pay him was suspicious in and of itself. A detective couldn't afford optimism if he wanted to keep Basil fed and the cave standing over their heads.

A high-profile case like this was going to involve a lot of work. The arsons had been going on for most of the summer, in order for attitudes towards electric-types to be this tense. If Thierry had been investigating from the start, he could have looked at fresh crime scenes, maybe found some sort of evidence. By now, most of the fire damage would have been cleared away. There was still the most recent fire, but that was only one stop on a cold trail. If word got out he was looking into this stuff -- and it would, if Quid had pointed Rusty and Koji his way -- then the public eye would be boring a hole into the back of his head. He didn't know much about electronics; that would probably require outside help. All in all, it was sounding like a lot of running around for no money. And Thierry was not a charity.

He'd be taking the job, of course. Aycee would never have it any other way, and just because he was in Central Square and she was in Northvale didn't mean he would get away with doing otherwise.

But that didn't mean he was going to make it easy. It might have been cruel of him, but Rusty's little shiny had him interested. This hostility towards electric-types had not become quite so drastic nor lasted long enough to drive an affluent home to poverty. Even his keen eyes couldn't quite make out what was engraved on the collar from this distance, but the orb itself was beginning to strike a note with him. Aycee used to have something similar in her house, a shining round gem of some kind, only hers hung over the fireplace. She said it was a good luck charm given to expecting mothers, so their children would be strong and healthy. Something along those lines, anyways. That particular tidbit he wouldn't be mentioning; Aycee's folks had always been terribly superstitious, and he knew if he said anything Basil would immediately ask Rusty when the egg was going to hatch.

Thierry's appraising expression didn't change, a slight flick of the left ear serving as the only clue to what he was thinking. "The case does intrigue me. Unfortunately, I don't have much need for manual labour. This humble cave of mine doesn't need much upkeep, and what little it does need Basil takes care of just fine." He made no mention of the 'assistant chef' end of the offer. Really, neither Thierry nor Basil were exactly iron chefs. Thierry's diet mainly consisted of berries, apples, and eggs -- typically all of the raw variety, though he was also partial to a well-cooked egg. Basil was much the same, plus a single culinary technique: if it's edible, slather it in honey. If it isn't, slather it in honey anyway. The one time Basil had surprised Thierry with honey-coated egg slices with Sitrus jam also marked the only occasion Thierry would choose Shuckle's Berry Juice over something else put before him.

"I think it's a great offer. Your bed's pretty much a heap of straw, Thierry. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep that mess hygienic?" Big words for a guy who had a case made of mud and leaves hanging up on the wall. Thierry snorted derisively, but Basil chugged right on. "Think about it. If I don't have to waste time cleaning up, I can spend more time sleuthing with you!"

Thierry looked as if he'd just swallowed a Nomel berry pointy-end first.

"Ah... look. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I get the impression that you two aren't from around here. If you can't afford my services, your best option may just be to find someplace else to settle until this blows over. If you do intend to stay put, you may have to resort to drastic measures. I'll be blunt. You could scrape together much more than a meal if you considered putting that collar of yours in hock, Rusty."

"Thierry!" Basil gasped. Had his armstubs been long enough, he'd have clasped his hands over his mouth at Thierry's little faux pas. That wasn't how good guys were supposed to talk. That necklace shiny of hers was probably all full of memories and sentimental value. It coulda been like that one claw Thierry had when he evolved back in Northvale. A family heirloom and junk!

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]Her.. Her collar?
A paw raised instinctively to the trinket at her throat, but she remained silent. Doing so had earned her a look from the jolteon beside her, and he peered back at the sleuths as he began to speak for her.
"I must have suggested that dozens of times already, but it has some sort of sentimental value that I can't get out of her."

It was then that Rusty fixed him with a glare that sent chills up his spine and he looked for a reason to glance around the room, examining the mass of straw that Basil had referred to as Thierry's bed.
They hadn't expected the pair to willingly take the case with what they had to offer, but they were hoping.
In that case, Koji began shifting in his seat as he looked at the mothim seated beside the typewriter.
He was certainly more optimistic and cheerful than his partner- Or rather, employer.. Whichever it was, the bug's occupation seemed to switch on and off.
"We'd probably have left the area long ago if it weren't for Rusty's nosiness. She can't stand letting this 'injustice' go on, which I think is a load of crock she picked up from her train-"
His shoulder was greeted with a balled up fist before he could go on, drawing a grunt from him before he could continue his sentence.
"Ow.."

"... The point is, we're trying to help the people living here. We've spoken to a magneton from Team M, I think it was, a pichu, and I think we ran into an electrike too. They've been living here, and they're no better off than we are. It isn't fair, and I'm sure if I was born a skitty I'd be far better off in trying to work this through. But I'm not about to leave. I'm sure you can understand."
Glancing over to Koji, she eyed him warily before continuing.
"We've managed to keep ourselves out of sight for a while now, we don't need anywhere to stay. We're just looking for you to look into this."
Another pause, and she looked to her companion again as if to make sure what she was about to add was okay by him.
"We can't afford your services.. At the moment. Koji has connections in another region that would pay handsomely at his request, but may take a few days to arrive by air. We'd need some way to contact them as well, but the postal carriers here may be unfamiliar with the area.
"There.. There isn't really much of a reason for you to believe us. We're strangers, and apparently hostile ones at that. But if you can take our word for it, we will be able to get you some sort of a reward."

Yes, she had disegarded his comment about her collar.
But she wasn't about to explain her attatchment to a couple of strangers when she hadn't even told her travelling partner.
So, for now, that would go unsaid.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

No response, huh? Well, she hadn't proved that it was rightfully hers, but she hadn't necessarily disproved it either. Suddenly there was a mysterious "other region" that could pay him fabulously, if only they could somehow get a hold of them? And something about picking up a love of justice from a train-something? Training... program? Had she studied at a dojo? There was no reason to hide something like that, though. Thierry got the impression that there was an awful lot that was being left out of their story, and that certainly didn't do much to make him trust his clients. How could they expect him to deduce the whole truth of the situation if they weren't willing to tell him anything? As far as he knew, they were the arsonists and they were hoping hiring him (more like asking him for a favour) would throw suspicion off them, even if they didn't have their alibi straight quite yet.

Thierry heaved a sigh. It was a good thing he had positive influences in his life like Aycee and Basil and Quid... okay, Quid, not so much, but it was still his fault Thierry was going to run his reputation into the ground for the sake of a good deed. "Basil... run down to the post office for me. I'm going to need all records relevant to the fires. Witness statements, locations, damage reports, newspaper articles, anything. Be sure to tell the Pelippers that we may have need of a special delivery sometime soon as well." Sometime soon instead of now, as Thierry strongly doubted that there would be any cash coming from any mysterious far-off lands in the near future.

Basil perked right up. So Thierry was taking the case after all? And more importantly, he was trusting Basil with something as important as gathering up research on the fires! "Right away, Thierry! I'll be back before you know it!" Basil saluted and dropped the apple core into a paper-filled wastebasket next to the desk. In a flurry of oversized wings and puffed-up pride, the Mothim was in the air and out the door. Thierry watched him bustle out with drooping ears, then cleared his throat and resumed business as usual.

"Well, hell. If there's one thing Mew wants out of us, it's kindness." If he was going to end up taking this case pro bono publico, he may as well be happy about it. "Why don't you two start off by telling me what you know? What have you been doing this past summer? How about yesterday? Is there anybody in Central Square who can verify your whereabouts?" It wasn't likely that he was going to find out anything from these two that the papers hadn't said already, but it certainly couldn't hurt to gather up as much information as he could. Basic stuff, really.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]..
He took the case.
Oh Arceus, thanks be..
Koji's face pulled into a grin, and he seemed to sit up a bit straighter as he watched Basil zip out of the cave.
"We haven't been able to figure out much more than what we've seen with our own eyes, but we do have an alibi. Sort of. Yesterday was when we'd run into that chatot, and we spent most our time in the Shuckle Lounge trying to squeeze more information out of him. He seemed happy enough to take some groutesque drink the bartender had made us in payment."
It wasn't much of an alibi but with the way the bird had shared gossip with them, he was certain that Quid would be bursting to tell anyone who would listen about the mysterious strangers he'd talked to. He may not realise it, but by doing so he provided proof that they had been in town at the time.

As for the actual information he'd provided, well.
There wasn't a whole lot to tell, but Rusty had retained most of the information given.
"I have a hard time believing most of the information he fed us, as it seemed a bit out there. But. He'd told us about some sort of manipulation research being funded by a group of ghost and psychic type pokemon. Apparently the majority of the victims were electric types which seems a bit too obvious for a group of psychics. But if you look at the victims of the fires, a majority of them are fighting and dark type pokemon."
Since she'd started talking, she'd slowly shifted into a position where one leg was tucked underneath her, and the other was pulled close to her body and held there with one paw. A far-off look had crossed her face, but as soon as she finished speaking she'd snapped back to attention, giving a sheepish shrug.
"Nothing that really gave us much of a start, but it was something to work with for a few hours before we came here. Other than that, there wasn't many similarities in the cases we'd heard about. But we did manage to catch a glimpse of a training dojo that had lit up on our way into the city. I suppose it was just really bad timing on our part. Though I can't help but wonder how an electric type had become the catalyst in the dojo- they don't typically use electricity as far as I know, the ones I've visited were lit by torches. I thought because of that it would have been safe to dismiss it as an actual fire started by fire."
Another shrug, and she fell back into her seat, looking slightly worn out as she began to tug at the leather cord at the back of her neck.

Koji, who'd fallen quiet when Rusty was talking, took the opportunity to speak up.
"We're really more brawn than brain, for the most part. Rusty was raised a battler, and I've always worked for someone."
The pikachu gave him a look that made it clear how she thought of him at that particular moment in time.
Describing her as a battler, and noting himself as someone who had lived a lif of servitude had certainly done nothing to prove their innocence. If anything, it'd made it worse.
And she didn't like where this was going.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

This was news to Thierry. He hadn't heard anything about any research. Funny; usually Quidnunc delighted in sharing the most far-out, unbelievable gossip he could find with Thierry. It looked as though Thierry was going to be paying another visit to the seedy south district within the near future. This "psychics and ghosts doing manipulation research on electric types" thing struck him as far fetched, truth be told. For one thing, experimentation without consent and manipulation both sounded very illegal. Pokemon in Central Square, if not the entire island of Arcadia, had basic rights. Thierry was no lawyer, but he was fairly certain free will was included somewhere in there. For another, what would the psychics and ghosts funding the alleged research stand to gain? A better understanding of how to do something they weren't even allowed to do? It was his job to be asking questions like that, but he certainly couldn't ignore this. No matter how implausible it seemed, it was too soon to be dismissing leads. If there was one thing Thierry's first case had taught him it was that anything was possible.

It was a pity Basil was away on gopher duty; Thierry had a feeling that his secretarial skills would have come in handy in organizing the leads they'd need to look into. First, the records. Verify the type connection amongst the victims, seek out any other links. Second, visiting the farm that had burned up yesterday. That was the freshest crime scene with a confirmed electrical cause. Third... the dojo. "You saw it burning? Was this dojo on the north end of town? Across from a church, run by a Meditite?" As far as Thierry knew, it was the only dojo in Central Square; according to Quid, the pupils of such establishments were apparently prone to ridiculous rivalries that had the nasty habit of turning into gang warfare. Then again, according to Quid, Shuckle's drinks were palatable, so take that with a grain of salt. It was possible more training dojos existed on the edges of town that Thierry didn't know quite so well.

But speaking of dojos... "Wait, raised a battler? Care to clarify?" That was an odd way of phrasing that. If it had been that she'd spent most of her life training for rescue team work, then it would have made more sense to call themselves a rescue team. Or... if Koji wasn't a rescuer himself, simply label Rusty as such. Koji's self-description evoked images more of construction workers and merchants than anything; Arcadia was home to many Pokemon who chose steady paychecks and safety over the thrills of rescuing. But Rusty... there wasn't much use for "battlers" other than in rescue teams. The island wasn't familiar with war; it could take weeks for the average Pokemon to walk from one city to another, so they tended to keep to their own. So... a hired thug, maybe? Some sort of shady arena where people bet on cage matches or something? Dojo instructor? Prizefighter? Smaller towns might have still had sheriffs, so maybe that? Maybe he was dealing with another Enoki, so to speak, or maybe his clients were looking shadier and shadier the more they talked.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]That jolteon really did talk too much and trusted too easily. It was more or less impossible to rely on is to keep his mouth shut.
Restraining a groan, she found herself wondering what her team would think of her now- and moreso, where they were.
She did miss them.
But since this detective was going to pry the information from them sooner or later (It was, after all, his job), she might as well explain it.
It wasn't as though they could make themselves seem any more crazy at the moment.

"To answer your first question.. Yes. It was probably too soon for me to really confirm it as well hadn't really gotten our bearings, but if I had to guess I'd say it was north of the town. Across from a church- I couldn't tell you. The building was tall and rustic looking, but it wasn't like any church I'd seen before.
I think it had stained glass windows with Mew depicted on them, if that's it."
She paused, looking thoughtful as she tried to figure why Thierry hadn't heard of the incident
"It.. It was pretty early in the morning when we stumbled upon it, but I'd assume that it would have been mentioned somewhere in the news if it was a popular recreational spot.
"Your second question is going to be harder to explain, and quite honestly you'd probably be better off knowing. And you may have, if my companion's mouth wasn't quite so prone to word-vomit."

A shrug from the canine as he relaxed in his chair, watching Rusty and she began to explain to Thierry what she'd taught him months ago.

"There are several regions and cities here, and all within a hundred kilometer radius. There are even pokemon manned nations far from that circle, like the one Koji came from.
"But. Even beyond those are ones where pokemon don't have the same liberty that they do here. They're either 'owned' by humans, or considered 'wild', and reckless at that."
She hesitate as she tried to decide exactly where to start.
"I could go on, but in a nutshell, the captured pokemon are pitted against each other in battles or contests, and their trainers are rewarded with shiny pieces of tin or dolled up ribbons that read the name of the city, the contest rank, and contest type."
This time she stopped alltogether, peering at Thierry cautiously as if asking whether or not she should go on.
[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Thierry wasn't the sort of Weavile you could describe as naive; in spite of his small-town upbringing, he had quite a nasty jaded streak. Even so... he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His was a life of guaranteed inalienable rights and democracy -- even if the system wasn't without its flaws, and even if the citizens of Northvale frowned on things like worshiping legendaries other than Mew or marrying outside one's species, Pokemon could still live as they chose. The idea that there were places where slavery was the norm was... shocking, really. There was no other word for it. How could Pokemon allow themselves to be pitted against each other, just so their "owner" could be rewarded with a little trinket? It may have been because Thierry wasn't rescue team material himself, but the idea of raising his claws against somebody when lives weren't at stake was... inhumane.

What sort of Pokemon were these humans, that they could take control of Pokemon like that? It was a species Thierry hoped never found the shores of Arcadia. "You... came from a place like that? Dear Mew... I'm sorry." Not that it was Thierry's fault, but he didn't quite know what else to say. "If it's hard for you to talk about, then don't feel pressured to continue." He couldn't imagine growing up like that, being raised a "battler" without any sort of freedom. At the very least, Rusty would be safe from that in Central Square... though escaping that life only to face such hostility due to her species was downright unfair. Even if neither she nor Koji chose to settle in the city, the least he could do was grant her some small shred of justice.

...Just listen to him. It was a good thing Basil wasn't here; if Thierry was going this soft, then Basil probably would have been offering up Thierry's bed to her and digging through the cupboards for the last jar of Combee honey for her. His job was to focus on the facts of the case; he may not have been able to fix some far-off nation he wouldn't find on any map, but he could most certainly fix the arsonist problem plaguing his own home turf. He'd been so caught up in the horrifying idea of Rusty's homeland that he hadn't spared a single thought to the Meditite dojo burning to the ground. That was something that would hit the rescue teams in particular very hard; it seemed almost as if it were a deliberate taunt from the arsonist, considering how crucial said teams were to upholding the law. Another reason to be relieved Basil wasn't around; their Sunday morning ritual consisted of a hike across town so Thierry could attend church and Basil could... work on his kung-fu, or whatever else he did in there. He'd take the loss rather personally, knowing the Mothim.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]Never one to take pity, the pikachu managed a smile in spite of herself. Up until a few months ago, she'd never thought there was anything wrong with the way she'd been living. If anything, she couldn't have imagined a life otherwise, which may very well have been why the concept of leaving everything she knew had been so frightening.

"Well, frankly, I was born into it. If my trainer hadn't released me I would never have thought any worse of it. Though that isn't to say it's all brutality and fighting- you get close to your team and trainer, and get to explore excessively- Indigo Plateu for battlers, Hearthome or Lilycove city for contest goers. The grooming and training is okay, the places you see are better. They're mostly a good sort, just a little.."
She paused, scratching uneasily at where the collar had started to rub and screwing up her face in an attempt to find a suitable word for them.
Unable to find one, she managed a meager shrug and examined her feet, now crossed on the seat of the chair.

As soon as she had fallen quiet and reabsorbed into her own thoughts, Koji had started to speak up.
"It'd probably be best if word didn't get out about that place- They have truly advanced technology that manages to store pokemon in these strange red and white balls that are about.." He raised his paws in front of his chest with about four or six inches of space between them. "This big. And once they've been captured there really isn't any escaping without the trainer's consent. So, if you don't mind maybe.. Not mentioning it to anyone. Except your partner, if he's going to be as involved in this case he has a right to know."
"Uh. Yeah. That's all the information we've got. What else have you heard about the fires? We've only learned what we were able to find out about from old newspapers, and judging by the front of your paper and the one we last saw, we're about nine days behind."

Before Koji had completely finished his sentence Rusty had jerked in her chair, a dazed look in her eyes. The sudden movement had gotten her a look from the jolteon and she tried to force a reassuring smile that seemed to come out as more of a twitch.
"I ah. Just got a feeling. Mr. Blackwell, how long has Basil been gone? I know digging up papers is kind of time consuming but I keep getting chills."[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

"It goes without saying that I respect the confidentiality between my clients and myself. What you've just told me won't be disclosed unnecessarily, I can assure you of that." Thierry wouldn't be much of a detective if he leaked everything that his clients told him; his job was to unearth secrets, sure, but only to tell the ones that his customers wanted him to. He wasn't being paid to tell tales of shocking persecution; nor was he going to get anything for divulging his opinions of the subject. He couldn't possibly imagine enjoying a life like that, let alone growing fond of his captors. All that talk about somehow fitting a full-grown Pokemon into a little cage from which there was no breaking out -- Thierry's fur was standing on end, though it was difficult to say if it was from anger or fear.

At any rate, he was glad to distance himself from the subject. Stick to things relevant to the case. "In the last nine days... let's see. I'm only going off of memory here, but the fires have all been taking place on the outskirts of Central Square. Farms, mostly. A small cafe, a bed and breakfast, and... two? Maybe three houses as well. I can't recall offhand what the species of the victims were, but there haven't been any casualties. A few burn victims from trying to fight the fires, and property damage, that's it. I don't believe any of the victims were home when the fire started. Makes sense; the arsonist would risk being caught and it'd be easier to stop the fire when it was still small." They'd be able to go on in more detail once Basil returned with the files.

Though Rusty raised a good point. Basil was definitely familiar with the post office's records room; it was usually the first place that they headed when they were assigned a case. Not only that, but Basil had a gift when it came to that sort of thing. Typing, filing, organizing; all the activities that Thierry affectionately referred to as "secretary work" were no match for Basil. The Mothim didn't look like it, but he could mow through heaps of files like an Alakazam. Thierry had once used the term "idiot-savant;" he had yet to find a more appropriate name for Basil's extraordinary speed. By now, he should have easily been able to retrieve the information on the fires. Recent things like that were easiest to find.

"Hm... it has been a long time, hasn't it? I hope he didn't get distracted along the way." Thierry rose to his feet, a small frown creasing his face as he strode over to the cave door. He cracked it open and stuck his head out of the door, though his headdress blocked out most of the view from the inside. It soon became obvious he'd spotted something out of the ordinary, however, as he let a cuss slip and pushed the door open all the way, leaving the cool cave with one claw pressed against his head in dismay.

Usually, one could see the slanted roof of the Pelipper Post Office quite easily from Thierry's home, rising above the other buildings like a giant parody of it's large-billed couriers. The open roof, slanted in a parody of a beak, was spewing forth a column of oily black smoke. It was a sight that filled any Central Square citizen with dread, but it had never been seen this close to the city's core. Small businesses, farms, and little bungalows had been targeted before, but never something as crucial as the Pelipper Post Office.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]"Open the door."
It came out as more of an order than a request, and the pikachu was on her feet and standing before the weavile before she'd finished speaking.
"I.. I want to help him. I may not have been able to see what you did, but a whiff of smoke is proof enough of my suspicions."

It wasn't as though Koji didn't want to help the mothim, but making an appearance at a scene that had probably been started by another electric catalyst didn't seem like the smartest thing to do, given the circumstances.
"Rusty, are you out of your mind? If anyone sees us there they're going to assume we're the arsonists."
"On the contrary, if we're the ones that manage to find Basil and get him out of there, it'd seem pretty unlikely that we started the fire. Not to mention that we have an alibi- assuming Thierry is prepared to speak in our defense."
Concluding her reasoning with a quick breath, the pikachu turned back to Thierry with an almost pleading puppy-eyed look.

"I want to help your partner. I really, really do. Because if we don't I'm not sure who else will. He has a horrible weakness to fire and even though the pelippers don't, they haven't ever struck me as the courageous type. We're probably the only ones who know Basil is in there, because everyone else would have been escaping the heat inside their house."
The argument seemed pretty sound as far as she could tell, and thinking over what she'd learned previously in her travels, Weaviles had a dark and ice type split. Which probably meant one of two things- either he'd have to sit this one out, or he knew a water type move. Maybe.
Rain Dance or surf, or something along those lines would certainly be helpful.
If anything, they could probably grab a TM from one of the stores aound the area that were bound to have something that could help them. If worst came to worst they could always get the weavile to use an ice-type move, let it melt and pray it doused a bit of the fire before evaporating.
And if things became truly dire, they could forcibly enlist one of the pelippers, provided that a fire-fighting team hadn't already arrived.
But, again, it all came back to them not realising Basil's presence in the back, huddled away in the records room.
And that depende on how long the fire had been raging before Rusty's intuition had started to bring her unease.
And boy, was it ever uneasy.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Thierry was a private eye, not a parole officer; he certainly had no right to be telling Rusty or Koji what to do. It was obvious to him that they should stay as far away from a crime scene as they could. An emergency water-type brigade had been formed in response to the arson, but they mainly patrolled around the border of Central Square. By the time they reached the heart of the city, it was bound to be too late. Even so, the Pelipper Post Office was, unsurprisingly, full of Pelippers, which was a species that tended to be quite skilled with Water Guns and other moves of that sort. It was safe to assume that post of the aforementioned Pelippers liked to have a source of income, and would thus do their best to prevent their workplace from being reduced to rubble. Not only that, but the post office was very important to keeping rescue teams in business; job requests were traditionally either mailed or received from the bulletin board outside the post office. If any rescue teams were anywhere near the place, they'd be doing all they could to stop the flames as well. Unless Rusty could somehow use Surf, neither electric-type would be able to do much more than look suspicious. If Rusty and Koji tried to play the heroes, that would only draw attention to them and maybe give them nasty burns to boot.

Thierry would have been quite happy to point all this out under normal circumstances, but the situation didn't really lend itself to wasting time on something he knew Rusty would ignore anyway. "Do as you like, just try to use your head, will you?" He snapped out a reply, then took off running. It was typical Thierry thinking: not only was Basil potentially in mortal danger, but the files that had proved so helpful to many of his cases were at risk. As well, the sooner he got there, the likelier he was to spot the arsonist at the scene of the crime. Weavile speed, boosted by an Agility or two, was certainly a godsend here. Admittedly, no matter how fast he ran, Thierry didn't have high hopes for catching the criminal red-handed. This fire seemed remarkably out of place, considering the arsonist's habits. The previous fires had all been on the city outskirts. It didn't make sense to go from far-off farms to a dojo on the northern edge to a post office at the center of the town. On top of that, there was no way the post office would be empty this time of day. Sweltering heat or not, the Pelippers still had a job to do. It was unlikely the fire would grow out of control under those circumstances.

Unlikely, but not impossible. One couldn't ignore the possibility of the post office burning to the ground. Thierry didn't know what he intended to do once he reached the post office; he had very little tolerance for heat himself, and he didn't know any moves that would be of much use, except maybe Icy Wind. Blowing snow at the fire was a step above trying to punch it to death, anyway.

Thierry's hunches seemed to have been right, for the most part. Once he arrived, it was obvious the fire was still growing strong. Flames were dancing out of the post office doors and windows, but what seemed to be the entire mail fleet were gathered around the building, launching Water Guns and Pulses with all they could muster. A few citizens were present as well. Those who could contributed to the firefighting as well, with those who couldn't hovering on the fringes anxiously. Thierry did see a few familiar faces; there was the Pelipper that always helped manage the records, and the Meowth from Team Troublemakers was spitting out Water Pulses as if Mewtwo himself were breathing down her neck. The other two members of the team, Skuntank and Firebrand, were also there.

But Basil wasn't anywhere in sight.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]So, Thierry had a head-start.
But their god-given speed as electric types had kept them close on his heels, even as he snuck ahead with occasional bursts of speed.
Granted, they were regularly affected by fires, but it was often said that both elements were fairly unpredictable and that's what really gave them confidence.
Or her, at least.
Koji was still staring at her like an unusually large growth had started pulsating on her forehead, even as he loped along behind her.
"You're mad. Completely and utterly mad. What the hell drives you, and where can I get some?"
They had been reasonably lucky in their running- one of the water-type brigades had spotted them running and took off after them.
And that was good. Sort of.
At any rate, it drew their attention to the Pelliper post office- Not that the billowing columns of smoke and the stench of burning everything wouldn't.

As the giant, firey pelipper grew closer, so did the pace of Rusty's heartbeats as she felt her breath catch in her throat.
Fire was big and bad and painful and she really wished Noble was here but he wasn't. And that was that.
Another few strides and she was standing a foot away from the first pelipper- a quick leap and she had pounced onto his back, a second and she was on the ledge of the building's eye, crunching at the battered bar that obstructed anything trying to get in or out.
In a moment, she was inside, and a rosy haze had gathered around her paws as she started building up a good Hidden Power that had created an icy shell around her feet, which was helpful despite the risk of hypothermia. Another moment, and she had quickly taken note of the flickers of nearby flames; Detecting them efficiently as she moved around the inside of the building.
She'd hardly taken notice of how insufferable the clouds of smoke inside were, and only realized how much it was building up in her lungs when she first let out a hearty cough.
Ow..
But at the very least, the flames provided enough light to sufficiently light up every crevice in the room, and she managed to scout out the records rom quickly enough. What other place would have had towering drawers and newspapers stuck up on every wall? Wait..
A moments hesitation had earned her a vague look at an article that had been hung proudly across the doorway in plain view, and it had numerous smiling faces on it, only two of whom she actually recognised. Thierry and Basil.. On the front page of the paper.
Before she could read much more than the first half-word of the headline, the paper was gone in a lick of flame. Which was fair enough, she wasn't the one in here looking for news on the recent fires.
"BASIL?" Another hacking cough, and she took a mental note not to speak so loudly next time.

From outside the looming, flaming bird, the jolteon stared incredulously as his partner took a daring leap into the building.
Drama Queen.
Regardless, there had been buckets provided for those not fortunate enough to have been born with water-type abilities and they were being emptied faster than whomever was filling them could restock.
Which was where he thought himself a bit more helpful.
He may not be able to hurl any sort of liquid more impressive than a loogie, but where Rusty had her icy Hidden Power, he had gotten lucky with water. It didn't have the same projectile range as a water gun, but if he put his front legs into the empty buckets, they began to re-fill and become useful again soon enough. Behind-the-scenes work wasn't really his style, but there wasn't much more he could do, short of leaping stupidly into the fire like the pikachu.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Right again, Thierry -- no wonder he'd ended up as a detective instead of sticking to rescue team work. A few of the gathered Pokemon stopped long enough to wonder just what had happened and who that was, but the roar of the flames held off further speculation until the danger had passed. As for Thierry, he had a few colorful statements to make under his breath about the intellect of certain electric-types and were all Pikachus in possession of more guts than common sense, or was it just Rusty and Aycee that were like that? If both his secretary and client were going to be killed, well... so help him Mew, that wouldn't be happening. Thierry surged forward, but a strong hand clamping around one of his tail-plumes stopped him from getting very far. He wheeled around as best he could with his tail held captive and came face-to-face with Firebrand.

"The hell d'you think you're going, Weavile? I thought you had brains! You set foot in there, you'll be roasted quicker than that daft little thunder-rat!"
"Firebrand -- Basil's in there!" Thierry's oversized claws closed around Firebrand's in an attempt to pull her away from his tail. She held firm, though her eyes widened at the news.
"You're kidding me! Is that why that rodent busted into the place?" A nod from Thierry in confirmation, and Firebrand released him, though a sharp whack to the headdress kept him from sprinting into the blaze. "Why didn't you say so? Neither one of those morons will last a second. If the head doesn't get to 'em, the smoke will for sure. You sit tight and bust out those Icy Winds -- leave the fire-roaming to the fire-types, got it?"

Firebrand wasn't planning on waiting around to hear a yes; when she told you do to something, then either it got done or you'd best hope your deity of choice would have mercy on your soul. Even as she ran towards the flames spitting out from the door, though, Thierry's voice reached her. "Head past the counter and down the hallway -- records room -- third door on the right!" Not exactly a yes, but helpful.

---

If only Basil could be so lucky as to have a water-type Hidden Power.

He'd stuck by Thierry's side through each and every one of their cases in Central Square. More often than not, the archives were the first place they looked. They were invaluable to their job... and they were burning. His first thought had been to save everything he could. It was irrational to save pieces of paper as opposed to his own tail, without a doubt, but Basil had never been as good at staying level-headed in an emergency as Thierry. To his credit, he wasn't completely panicked in his endeavors. He had forsaken flying in order to stay low to the ground, avoiding as much smoke as he could. Even if Basil was nearly three feet tall, most of that was wings and antennae; he was spared the worst of it. Unfortunately, his stubby legs could only move so fast, and he couldn't reach any of the higher-up files.

Basil had managed to accumulate a pile of papers that was almost too big to carry, but it was becoming evident that it was too dangerous to try and rescue more. Even if he'd been staying low, the smoke was getting to him, and the temperature in the records room was dizzying. His wingtips were singed, and one leg was stinging from when he'd brushed against a red-hot metal cabinet. The fire had spread too much; even if Basil could barely see four feet in front of him from the haze, the heat told him that the flames had cut him off from the exit. The records room didn't have windows, either -- how was he supposed to get out? The little Mothim gripped the armful of papers as if they were a lifeline and huddled down low, a translucent green shield encircling him as he raised up a Protect.

Unfortunately, Protect was merely a stopgap; he would never be able to keep it up long enough to remain safe. Basil couldn't say how long he kept the barrier up, but it had started flickering and wavering before he finally heard somebody saying his name. He... he wasn't imagining that, was he? Basil raised his head and took in a deep breath -- then promptly lapsed into a coughing fit from the smoke. It took a moment, and when it came, his reply was hoarse and forced, but it came nonetheless? "Thierry?! Is that you? I'm... I'm over here!"

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]Oh, good, he was concious then. That was very good- It proved he wasn't dead and made it that much easier to seek him out. Granted 'I'm over here' didn't really help too much as it was, after all, fairly vague, but following the sound of his voice over the roar of the fire wasn't so daunting at the flames themselves.
She was prepared to call out again to request that he keep calling out to her, but the mothim's ruddy coloring stood out against the sooty walls and bright orange lickings well enough.
"Not quite Thierry; I think I lack the brilliant mind and magenta accessories your partner has."
As she started trotting towards the bug, she found the path was soon blocked off by a sneering plume of flare. Ouch.
Shrugging it off, she swiped at the flame with another paw-ful of violet haze, watching as a strip of silvery ice fell onto it and quickly turned to water, dampening the floor enough to clear a path.
"What's all this? Basil.. I don't think we can take all the files back. I.." She hesitated before speaking again, this time a bit more hurriedly.
"Take what you need the most, but don't over-burden yourself. We're getting out of here, now. Besides, I think Thierry would have sent someone inside himself- as a part ice-type he wouldn't fare any better in here than you."
A grunt, and she stooped down beside the moth to glance at the leg he had been favoring.
"Can you walk?"
Even if he could, it wouldn't make this any easier. Basil couldn't fly out the window she'd just opened, the smog was way too thick.
But.
If the teams outside had made any progress they may only have to go halfway. Until then, her Detect and Basil's Protect would have to suffice.
Of course, that was pending on whether or not Basil could move.
In the instance that he couldn't, they'd have much more trouble than she was preparing for.
And as if to add to their troubles, she was getting antsier by the moment, jerking around to look at whatever rustlings she could hear over the cackles of fire. Whether or not the arsonist was still in the building was debatable, but to be in the records room, where there were no windows? Why?
Still, there was no solid proof that there was anyone but herself and Basil in there, and the rustling was more likely to be the shrivelling of old records inside the cabinets that had once protected them but had now become miniature ovens set up in columns.
Deep breath..
Another rough cough as she crouched closer to the ground, and she peered back at Basil with a look she hoped was masking the sudden adrenaline rush.

Even outside Koji could tell that the condition of the building was getting worse- though if Rusty could tell from inside was another story.
But, closer to the entrance of the building, Thierry had been roughed up by an irritated looking charmeleon who promptly stormed into the building, looking as grim as ever while the weavile shouted instructions at her.
If Rusty lived, she was in for a severe scolding.
No pun intended, naturally.
He returned his attention to the buckets and once more ignoring the quizzical looks he was getting from the townsfolk and their ilk in favor of watching water pool around his paws.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Oh... well, Thierry's client was just as welcome a sight as Thierry himself -- Basil certainly wasn't feeling very picky about that. The dim remnants of his Protect faded away with a dull hum as he straightened up. The relieved smile breaking over his face was quick to turn into a frown, though. Leave even more files? He was already giving up so much of them -- Thierry needed these -- he couldn't just toss them to the flames! Even so, as he rose, at least a dozen papers slipped out of the Mothim's overburdened arms, quickly being claimed by the fire. He limped away from the dropped files pretty quickly, any thoughts of preserving Central Square's history quickly replaced by a need to not have his feet ignited.

Moving his burned leg stung a whole bunch, but Basil didn't really see any alternative. He was much taller than Rusty -- and heavier, too. He didn't know too much about Pikachus, but he was pretty sure that Rusty wouldn't be able to tote around a 50-pound moth and all his files, too. "I'm okay, let's just get out of here!" If they could, anyway. Rusty seemed to be able to use ice, but Basil couldn't say for sure if that would be enough to clear a path all the way outside, especially if the fire was getting worse. Already the damp spot from her Hidden Power was hissing like a Seviper, the sheer heat quickly evaporating the lingering moisture. Ominous cracks could be heard over the noise of the fire. While many of the filing cabinets inside the room were metal, there were several large cubbies made of wood -- not to mention the building itself. How much longer the support beams would hold out was uncertain.

"S-stick close with me. I can't do much, but I can do Protect." In spite of the heat, Basil was shaking, his burned leg trembling unsteadily.

---

Frigging Thierry Blackwell was just a magnet for weird shit. Firebrand had thought the Darkrai incident had been the last of it, but no, now a post office run by freaking water-types was burning and she was running around inside it looking for that spazzy Mothim and an electric-type who'd probably gone and started the darned fire in the first place. She may have been much more tolerant of extreme temperatures than ordinary Pokemon, but it wasn't like she exactly enjoyed tromping around a blaze like this looking to save some stupid twits. Then again... she did lead a rescue team; it was kind of her job to be rescuing, wasn't it? Even if Meowth and Skuntank couldn't really be watching her back right then, this was just her doing her duty. And a favour for a friend. A friend who was going to owe her big time for this shit.

Firebrand had a sense for these sorts of things; she knew that unless something changed quick, the fire would be out of control. The Pelipper Post Office was built almost completely out of old, dry wood, and it held nothing but paper inside of it. The place was like a giant matchbox or something. And if the flames spread to the rest of Central Square, it could be disastrous. The sooner she found Basil and that Pikachu, the better. It certainly wasn't going to be easy, though. She didn't have far to go, but the fire had been eating away at the building for a while now. A swift blow from her tail shattered the burning wooden counter and sent embers flying. Not that it mattered if she ended up scattering a little more fire. Firebrand pressed on, but she didn't like the idea of pinning herself in a narrow hallway one bit. It couldn't have been more than 50 feet to the records room when a loud cracking sound overhead brought her to a sudden halt. A rain of ash and sparks was all she needed to confirm that the place was going down real soon. "Mewtwo, Mesprit, and a Gulpin in a top hat! Time's a-wasting, where are you?!"

---

It wasn't enough. Thierry kept up a stream of Icy Winds until he was out of breath and his throat was aching, but he could tell the fire wasn't going down. His little chilly breezes weren't enough to make a difference. Likewise, some of the Pokemon around him were beginning to falter, simply unable to keep on using their water moves. One of the water brigades had shown up, but even they were struggling now that the fire had time to build up. There wouldn't be time to gather up the other squads scattered around the town's edges. Even so, the fire was still drawing in a crowd. Shopkeepers had abandoned their stores and Pokemon living nearby had abandoned their cool homes to face down the impossible heat. Even so, they were civilians; high-level techniques and moves taught by TMs and HMs were usually reserved for rescue teams.

Rescue teams.

It was a fair distance from the post office to the northeastern district that held most team bases, but a fast Pokemon would be able to handle it. Or better yet, two. "Koji. I hope to Mew you're as fast as they say Jolteons are supposed to be. Come with me -- we need reinforcements for this!" That was all the explanation he was going to get, from the looks of things; Thierry was off like a bullet a moment later. Considering the sprint that was in store, as well as the trip back, time was of the essence. They might not make it in time to save the post office, but at the very least they'd be able to keep the fire from reaching the other buildings around it. The arsonist wasn't going to claim all of Central Square at once, that much was for certain.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]A smile had managed to force its way out in spite of the situation.
The mothim was bigger than her, even when she was standing tall, but he was oddly endearing in his innocence.
"We'll get out of here, you just hold tight to those files of yours, and lean on me if you need to."
Of course, now that her suspicions had been confirmed, and an agitated voice had started calling out to them, she felt her spirits lift even though the room had started swimming. But, she'd been brought up tough. This was nothing more than a nice little reminder of her upbringing, wasn't it?
Yeah.
Swiping relentlessly every few steps and leaving a trail of hissing steam behind them didn't make for quick travels, but it was about as efficient as it got, what with the structure groaning in protest as they moved.
She'd managed to glimpse her reflection a few times as they'd hopped over bubbling puddles, and grinned grimly at the recognition. She'd completely lost her composure; her longer-than-normal fur had become unruly, and was starting to obstruct her view as it had months ago, and she was certain that the soot collected on her body had ruffled her well enough.
Sometimes she wondered why she tried.

Thierry's words had been rushed, but the jolteon had caught the gist of it.
Almost relieved to be finished with exhausting the Hidden Power he was actually capable of, Koji galloped alongside the weavile with a quizzical look.
"Wh-why? Whywhy, where are we going Blackwell?"
He pondered the reasons Thierry would have for abandoning the post office, but followed obediantly. He was, after all, the brains of this 'operation', not to mention the local.
So.
He decided what happened and where, so.
That's why he was sprinting alongside him. Admittedly, it felt nice. He hadn't been running like this for a while, not counting the brief run from Thierry's cave to the giant flaming Pelipper.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

It was slow going, without a doubt; Basil probably couldn't have gone much faster even if Rusty hadn't been taking the time to pave an icy path for them. Mothim legs weren't designed for movement like their wings, injury notwithstanding. By the time Firebrand had reached them, the two were barely out the records room door. Naturally, the Charmeleon had a few choice things to say about Rusty and Basil's Slowbro-esque pace. "What's taking you two so long? We don't have time for ice sculptures, this whole place is gonna come down over our heads if you don't get a move on! Toasty feet won't sting as much as flaming timbers burying you alive, y'know!" She didn't like the look of things one bit. The hallway itself was a dead-end. The closest way back out was the same way Firebrand had come in. Basil couldn't fly or he'd be up in the smoke, and even Firebrand's lungs were already itching. Supposing the building didn't cave before they got out, the smoke might be the thing that claimed them.

Firebrand let out an impatient snarl. She seized Basil in both hands and all but tossed him onto her back. She may have been taller, but she actually weighed less than Basil; carrying him out wouldn't be easy, but it'd be a hell of a lot quicker, that was for sure. "Hold tight and shut up, spaz. And you, Sparky, you just do your best not to get left behind, got that? We're getting out of here before--"

Crack.

Firebrand froze, sentence hanging half-finished as she looked upward. A high-straining noise followed, lingering for a mere second before the roof gave way in a shower of wood and flame. Instinct took over; One hand reached out and seized Belle by the tail, yanking her back unceremoniously as Firebrand threw herself back-first into the corner. Her free arm was raised over her head in a futile attempt to shield herself from the impact. Basil let out a squeal as his wings were rumpled between the wall and Firebrand's weight, but both his hands shot out over Firebrand's shoulders, another glowing green barrier snapping to life around the trio. Not a second too soon; the shield flickered and rippled dangerously as the flaming rubble hit, but it held.

Even so, it was nothing more than a stopgap. This Protect wasn't going to last as long; using the move consecutively weakened it. On top of that, the rubble had come to rest on top of the barrier, burying them completely. All that remained was the dying green bubble and the small, wooden corner that had been spared. "Arceus almighty...!" Firebrand hissed, letting go of Rusty's tail. She moved forward to give Basil some space, rising onto her knees and lifting a hand near the barrier. "Stuck between a wall and a fiery place. I told you this'd happen! Now where are we s'posed to go? It's just a matter of waiting for this thing to die out until we're crushed!"

---

"To get help. Rescue team bases." This was by no means a leisurely jog; Thierry aimed to save his breath for running, not explaining. He wasn't quite enjoying the trip as much as Koji. Not when he couldn't say for certain that Basil was safe, and not when both Firebrand and Rusty were risking their necks. He wasn't built for this kind of thing at all. Thierry would be the first to admit he wasn't cut out for heroics, that situations like that tended to get dumped on him regardless of his opinion, but even so... he couldn't handle the not knowing. Who could say how long that fire had been going before he'd arrived? Basil could already have been dead, and all Thierry could do was cough up Icy Winds and run for help. At least when he was forced into an ugly mess, he could actually do something about it. Rescue team material or no, Thierry didn't enjoy the sidelines very much at all.

Thankfully, both Thierry and Koji belonged to very speedy species, so they managed to chew up the blocks in good time. When the distinctly-shaped rescue team HQ buildings came into sight, he spoke again. "Split up, tell everybody and anybody to get to the post office as fast as they can!" With his urgent orders again issued, Thierry broke off to the right, shouting as best as his tired lungs would allow him. "Fire!! Fire at the post office!"

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]It had started to seem as though the entire city had turned her luck since she had stepped foot into it. And this certainly was doing nothing for them; it was all she could do to keep her cool. Stepping out from behind the charmeleon and disregarding the dull throbbing in her tail, she examined the wall before turning to Firebrand with a queer uncertainty in her voice.
"Well.
"This place is burning down anyway- if you can't beat 'em join 'em. Charmeleon, why don't you give this heap a good flamethrower? I think when w Protect starts fading it does so from the bottom-up. We can't wait for the inferno to chew away at the rubble, we need an opening now. Besides, battering at it would only shake up the foundation and bring the rest of the place down on us, not to mention break Basil's shield at a faster rate."
Peering at the wall before them she took note of the green wall's slight flickering at their feet, and stepped back as tiny remnants of paper tumbled down the slope and closer towards them. The situation was grim- dire even, but she wasn't going to let it sink her spirits. Or beat her, for that matter.
Turning back to the heap, she contemplated what she might be able to do to assist her, but as far as her moveset went she wasn't much for burning things. The best she could do was hang back with Basil and stay out of Firebrand's way.


Rescue teams..?
Thierry was right in one respect- their speediness had gotten them into the area inhabited by the distinct homes in no time, but that wasn't to say that he was any more comfortable here than he had been before. After all, these places were just the ones he and Rusty had been evading for weeks on end.
He'd have to trust the weavile and do as he'd said.

"Fire at the Post Office! There are pokemon still inside, help! Fire!!"
He watched as the houses began speeding past, the windows acting as eyes for the looming shapes peering down at him. A kirlia, umbreon, and charmander were the first to pass- he wondered if the latter had been shaped after the charmeleon at the post office before she'd evolved.
Soon more began to appear and he continued crying out to them, noting the hoarse tone in his voice steadily increasing.
[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

The whole reason Firebrand was in this mess was because she had been trying to get Basil and that Pikachu out of the the fire. Naturally, Rusty's idea struck her as immensely counter-intuitive. The aim was to avoid a fiery death, not hasten it! "You want me set the thing on fire? Are you crazy?!" The Charmeleon snapped, throwing her hands into the air in utter exasperation. Fortunately for Rusty, she need not have wasted any breath on a rebuttal. One of Firebrand's claws hit the roof of their barrier, causing ripples to distort the glowing green surface dangerously. She immediately retracted her arms, the unsteadiness of their shelter proving all the proof she needed that an insane, suicidal plan was better than none at all.

Her carelessness earned Firebrand a glare from Basil, but the effort of keeping up the Protect required too much concentration to waste on scathing insults. He dragged himself away from the corner, allowing Firebrand as much space as their cramped quarters would permit. Burning their way through meant that they'd need time for the flames to eat away at the wood; he had to make room for Firebrand to do her stuff, but maintain the rest of the Protect at the same time. The green light of the shield flickered for a moment. There wasn't enough time for more than an ominous creak and a sprinkle of embers from above, however, before it returned, this time leaving the corner exposed.

"You'd better hope that this works, Pikachu, or my ghost's gonna whallop yours like you've never been walloped before...!" With that last threat, Firebrand took a deep breath and exhaled a jet of flame. She kept it up until her breath gave out, apparently oblivious to the steadily-rising temperature within their bubble. The good news? The wood had definitely caught fire. The bad news? It was still going strong, with no sign of burning itself out, and the flickering of Basil's Protect was getting more and more frequent. Firebrand gave it a few seconds, then her nerve ran out. "Oh, to hell and back with this! Pikachu, spaz, I'm smashing my way through. You best be ready to throw yourselves outta here, or I'm not claiming responsibility for anybody getting crushed!"

Beneath the flame constantly burning on Firebrand's tail, the scales had hardened and gained an oddly metallic gleam. Nothing'd get through that mess like a good, hard Iron Tail! The subtle shine was the only hint of what was to come; Firebrand whipped around suddenly, putting the momentum of her impromptu spin behind her tail as she slammed it into the flaming wood. The fire-weakened timbers shattered under the blow, scattering debris around her. From behind her, Basil let out a pained squeak; one of the fiery chunks had struck his wing. The distraction of the burn proved to be the final straw. With a final surge of green light, the Protect shattered.

---

The problem with going as fast as one can is that one's handling tends to suffer as a result. Thierry barely had time to register that somebody had stepped into his path before he whaled into them at full-tilt. They'd have both taken a dive were the Pokemon he'd hit not apparently bracing himself for the impact. Thierry stumbled back, bending with his hands on his knees while he struggled to catch his breath. He only needed to look at the large footpaws in front of him to know who he was talking to -- he could see the trademark pink ribbon of Team Deceivers tied around the Lopunny's ankle.

"Arceus above, Blackwell, you're hard to catch when you want to be! We heard you shouting about that fire -- Rook's gone to get Team Undertow. They'll be there before you know it, so relax before you burst a vessel or something!" Jazz lifted his head towards the pillar of smoke rising skyward. "Yeesh... in between your yelling and all that smoke, I don't think there's a rescue team in Central Square who doesn't know about that fire right now. Still... you know things are getting bad when a sight like that isn't really shocking, huh? I guess since it's the post office, it's still pretty bad news, but I tell you, Blackwell... us rescue teams are getting worn out by this. If we're doing a job anywhere near the outskirts, we get dragged into it more often than not."

"You... think you're worn out?" Thierry gasped in response, still doubled over. Whew... too many eggs and not enough exercise will do that to Weavile.

"Still a smartass even when you're outta breath. Tch... that's Thierry Blackwell for you, I guess. I'm not about to carry you back to the post office, so take a breather. By the time we get there, Floatzel, Marshtomp and Politoed will have that fire completely out."

---

Gypsy didn't like to think he was the sort of ghost who would jump to conclusions. Having the misfortune of being a male Mismagius, he understood better than anyone that making assumptions lead to very uncomfortable situations. Even so, a strong connection between fires and electric-types had been planted into the brains of Central Square Pokemon for a large part of the summer; seeing a strange Jolteon whoosh past when there was an ominous column of smoke marring the sky made him rather suspicious, even if said Jolteon was shouting his lungs out about said fire. Gypsy took off after the electric-type, though even with his ability to float, he was hard-pressed to match Koji's pace. If he didn't do something, he'd lose the Jolteon entirely.

"Ah... hey, wait! I'm with a rescue team!" Technically true, especially recently; Chicane's wife had come down with a nasty flu, which meant the Bellossom had to take some time off to nurse the Vileplume and tend to their children. Saying one was with a rescue team sounded far more authoritative than "halt, I'm a freelance rescuer" and was therefore a lot more likely to encourage the Jolteon to stop. Of course, he'd stop anyways if he had nothing to be running from. "You said there were Pokemon inside -- who are they? Do you know?"

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]"N-no.."
Rusty could feel her pupils dilating as her heart skipped a beat. Or three. And of course, with the rising tempurature of their bubble, the air around them was swimming again which certainly did nothing for them.
Fire was bad, but what was even worse was great heaps and chunks of it flying in your general direction. Moreso if you had a weakness to it, as one of their party certainly did. Firebrand may not have noticed it, but the freelance chunk of wood that had made contact with Basil's wing had flown past her face enough for her to spot it and it's place of contact.
And the way that it's impact on the mothim had broken the last hold he had on the Protect that was keeping them from getting crushed.
She was fairly thankful that she was already situated beside the mothim for the most part- getting them out of under that rubble was made that much easier for her with that fact in mind. Granted, it wasn't much of a time to contemplate their luck, and the soot and ashes that had already started to obstruct their view was a fair reminder of just that.
The answer was fairly simple- the execution was not so much.
With her head planted solidly into the base of Basil's back after sufficiently worming between him and the wall, she felt every muscle in her legs surging as she used anything she could to drive them out from under the falling rubble. Agility, Quick attack, anything she could recall from her early battling days that moved very very quickly.
A second or so later she could feel the stuffiness of their bubble replaced with smoke accentuated with a dash of oxygen. Under the circumstances, it was really good enough. And the smog in front of her, however thick, still had shadows cast upon it that she assumed were Basil and Firebrand. Unless she was delusional, which may have been it because she was fairly certain she couldn't feel her lower half, much less move it.
Gradually, the whiteness in front of her eyes dimmed back to an inky grey, and with it grew a searing burning in her legs, tail, abdomen, internal organs.. It was only then that she noticed how damp her cheeks were, which may have been a reaction to the fact that half of her body was being crushed and burned fairly well by the heap that had caught half of her on the mad dash out.
In her subconciousness, the part of her dripping with wry and out-of-place comments noted that she should be thankful it wasn't her upper half- that's where her face and collar were. Ha. Haha.
She might have smacked herself if she wasn't numb with pain.

Another fine example of the laws of physics, namely inertia, was momentum.
Koji had been moving at high speeds for a few minutes, so when the mismagius started calling and he abruptly stopped moving, he nearly faceplanted in the dirt, saved only by stumbling over his back legs as his body took a queer about-face turn and dragged his rump in the dust.
"You, you can help them, ah, ah.."
He paused for a split second as his thoughts gathered. For a minute or so his primary focus was 'scream very very loudly and attract lots of attention now' and the reality of it all was sinking in again.
"B-Basil. Basil and my friend, my stupid retarded thick-headed friend Rusty who's a git and I'll kill her if she manages to get out of there alive. And some angry looking charmeleon too, but I think she'll last longer than a mothim and a pikachu."
So it wasn't the nicest way to refer to his companion, but the point got across right?

Back into the inferno and beneath the pain that had blocked most if not all of her senses, Rusty couldn't help but note a strange burning in her ears. Not on, but in.. Her head..?
Great. That helped a lot.[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Ask any Arcadian what a rescue team leader is, and they'll all give you the same answer: a hero. Responsible not only for the safety of their team members, but the Pokemon they'd been sent to save, they had to have the wisdom to navigate difficult decisions and hazardous dungeons without hesitation, and the composure to take the reins in emergencies. In spite of their name, Team Troublemakers also made a living by saving others from danger. As their leader, Firebrand had to live up to those expectations, even of this wasn't a real job and her teammates were waiting for her on the outside. There was no way that Pikachu was going to be left to die beneath that rubble! She'd told that Blackwell nitwit that she'd be getting those two out of the fire, and she was going to stick with that. The first thing she did was all but pick up Basil and throw him outside; his injuries had him going at a Slowpoke's pace, and if he didn't make it out, Blackwell would skin her.

Basil only had time to let out a squeak as he was tossed out of the collapsing building, landing on the ground in a rumpled heap. Dazed as he was, he hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. Only that the air was suddenly a lot colder and easier to breathe, and oh, he just saw a flash of light -- wait, no, light was bad, he shouldn't go into the light! Even if it was calling his name... wait, it was calling his name? Oh, Arceus had come for him, hadn't he? Was this really how it ended? But... but he was so young! What would Thierry do without him?

"Basil...? Basil! It's me, Rook!"

...Wait... "Rook... you're Arceus?" Basil mumbled, opening his eyes and trying to get the green-and-white-something to come into focus. "Thought you were a Kirlia..."

"...Close enough. Basil, I teleported here with Team Undertow. We're going to take care of the fire. Is anyone else still in there?" Slowly, the shape hovering over him came into focus. Red eyes, green hair... a Gardevoir? Definitely not Arceus. Good.

Wait, when had Rook...? "Uh... Rusty, she pushed me. And... and Firebrand, too. But when did--"

Rook didn't linger long enough to answer. It was almost impossible to see through the smoke and dust, but he could find the dim glow of Firebrand's tail as she attacked the rubble. Her vivid red scales stood out, as did the faint smear of bright yellow by her. It took him a mere moment to assess the situation; the building had collapsed on the Pikachu, and Firebrand was trying in vain to dig her out. Which was unwise, as she could just send more rubble toppling down on what little of Rusty was still exposed. The Pikachu was still conscious, thankfully, but it looked as though she may have been going into shock; if they were going to get her out, it would have to be quickly.

"Can you hear me, Miss? I'm here to help you. I'm going to try and lift the rubble with a Psychic. Firebrand -- she may be too hurt to move on her own. Be ready to pull her out." It was a significant weight that had been dropped on Rusty; it may be too much for Rook to lift alone. But he couldn't see any other alternatives. He braced himself, throwing all his focus into the tangle of debris trapping Rusty. Upward, upward, even if only a inch -- he just needed enough to get her free, and Firebrand could do the rest.

---

"Basil?" As in Blackwell's sidekick? If the Mothim was involved, then that was trouble; both Thierry and him had earned a place in the hearts of rescue teams through the Darkrai incident, and Gypsy was certainly no exception. Heck, he was the first one to know the pair; he'd been counting on them from the start. He hadn't any idea who this Rusty was, but it sounded like the Charmeleon was Firebrand. She was strong enough to hold her own against a gold-ranked team, but far too brash for her own good. That was a recipe for trouble no matter how you looked at it. There may not have been much Gypsy could do, but he could definitely do something. Being suspicious could wait until later. "What are we waiting for, then? Come on, we're heading to the post office right away!" Gypsy didn't bother waiting for Koji to follow before he took off; considering how fast that guy had been running, he had no doubts that Koji'd be able to catch up to him easily enough.

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]By the time a flash of green and white had streaked across the hazy room, she'd already confirmed that she was going to lose her sanity before she died. Her cheeks were drenched, probably heavily charred on top of that, and she could feel the veins in her eyes bursting.
Of course, those tiny details were small and insignificant compared to the crushing, blazing hurt affecting the majority of her body.
It wasn't often that she prayed- she couldn't remember the last time she'd done so. It could have been the last time they had visited a civilisation, though that had to have been months ago.
On top of that, with all the different people she'd come across it was becoming harder to determine whom to speak to- Mew, Arceus, Dialga or Palkia.. Rayquaza.
She might have given a bemused snort if she had any feeling left in her throat, and instead focused on making a vain attempt at contacting the powers-that-be.
...
Oh, lord.. Make it stop. Make it stop. Mew, Arceus, Jirachi, whoever's listening. Please.

If she or anyone else had been paying attention, they might have noticed a fat, violet trickle creating a new path in the soot that had gathered on her face, leaving a shimmering trail in the new track.
It hit the floor without a sound, without even sizzling on contact and instead dousing the flame that had started to lick it's way closer.

I was even more fortunate that Rook had managed to lift the rubble as much as he did, and the timing was immaculate.
As the rubble was pried further and further away from her back, the tiny puddle at the pikachu's chin had started rippling before spontaneously spouting a single drop that promptly plunked back into the base. As soon as the two halves had reunited, a pale gas streamed from the heart of the liquid, forked once it had gotten halfway to it's destination, and pierced the yellow pokemon's pupils drawing a sharp inhale from her as her eyes glazed over.
Opportunity being what it was, she'd managed to latch onto the floor with her tiny claws and hurl herself foreward with newfound strength. Of course, the amazing burst of energy was dutifully spoiled by the lameness in her hind legs as she toppled foreward once her lower half was in the clear.
As soon as this was done, the fur on her head ruffled with the same violet sheen before following down the rest of her body, ridding it of a good amount of the burns and filth that had since collected there.
Amazed, but still stunned for the most part, Rusty could only gawk as she watched the tiny imprint of a shooting star sprint across the surface of her own eyes before it and the glaze faded, leaving her on the open floor with her heartbeat nearly tripled and lungs working twice as fast as was considered normal.
Clearly, she thought quietly Someone up there freaking loves me. Shit..
A meek twitch pulled at her mouth as she fumbled clumsily, testing her hind legs to see if they would still support her.


Oh, good. He was here to help, then.
The jolteon hesitated, debating on whether to run the remaining length of the houses or follow the mismagius.
As could be expected, the latter option won, and Koji tore after him with his own heart racing.
What an odd ghost.
Still, he wondered if Thierry had finished his rounds yet and if the post office was stil- oh, wait, there it was. Rather, the inky columns that were still billowing from the giant pelipper's open beak. Certainly a sure sign that the fire inside was still raging.
And there was the mismagius, at last.
Slowing to match the ghost-type's pace, he took a moment to avert his eyes from the road up to the violet brim of his hat.
"Who.. Who are you anyway?"[/size]

 

[Snapdragon]

Smoke had a funny way of playing tricks on your eyes. Firebrand could've sworn she glimpsed purple amidst the yellow of Rusty's fur, but that couldn't have been right. It was probably just the glow from Rook's Psychic, or... dried blood or something like that. Certainly, imagined flashes of color were the farthest thing from her mind; her priority was Rusty's safety. The Pikachu had pulled herself free on her own, but Firebrand wasn't willing to wait around for her to try out her back legs. She picked Rusty up, gesturing for Rook to follow as she hauled Rusty nice and far away from the smoke. Meowth and Skuntank waved to her; Blisseys had finally arrived on the scene, and were ready and waiting for them. One of them was already busy treating Basil's injuries. The Charmeleon gratefully headed towards her teammates, setting Rusty down gingerly in front of the waiting Blisseys.

"Oh! Rusty!" Basil squeaked. He made an attempt to get up and skitter over her way, but a firm, pink hand on his shoulder plonked him right down onto the ground again. Undeterred by the Blissey fussing over his crinkled wings, he immediately began babbling up a relieved storm. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was totally scared when you weren't coming out and Firebrand and Rook went in after you and I woulda kept up the Protect better for you, honest, I didn't mean for it to drop but you're okay! Like... really okay, I think you got real lucky, I was sure you'd end up smooshed -- but I'm super-glad you weren't!"

----

"Hm?" Gypsy glanced down to the Jolteon running at his side. Oh... how careless; he'd been so caught up that he hadn't even thought to make an introduction. That was hardly professional at all. "My name is Gypsy, currently of Team Deceivers. I'm an acquaintance of Mr. Blackwell. You aren't in any trouble, if that's what you're worried about." Well... not in any trouble yet. Innocent until proven guilty, after all... though the loss of the post office likely meant that Central Square's rescue teams would be itching for a scapegoat or two. Thus far, the Jolteon had yet to do or say anything particularly incriminating, aside from being unfamiliar and also an electric-type. Then again... given the way things had been going recently, those two things may as well be considered crimes.

On the bright side of things, however... Gypsy had noticed the column of smoke rising from the post office as well. Where it had once been an ominous smear of black, however, it was now bloating into a cloud of white. That suggested steam; it looked to him as though they were finally beginning to get a handle on the fire. Even if it were too late to save the post office itself, ensuring the safety of the surrounding buildings was nonetheless a relief. "Look... the excitement may well be over by the time we get there, ah.... oh, I'm sorry. I don't believe I've caught your name yet?"

---

Thierry didn't like to think of himself as close-minded or racist, but... sometimes, he really disliked Lopunnies. Which was silly, considering he was technically one-half Lopunny -- and his ears could attest to that fact. But by the same logic, one could argue that having a Medicham for a grandfather meant that he was also partially a Meditite, and if (Mew forbid) there was Ditto blood somewhere in the family tree, he could be part Probopass. Which was all entirely beside the point: Lopunnies were jerks. Even if he happened to be on good terms with Team Deceivers, one of these days he was going to Ice Punch Jazz into next year.

Said Lopunny was currently making faces at him, hopping backwards with ease (and still somehow going faster than Thierry, much to his chagrin). "Come on, Blackwell, they'll have rebuilt the post office by the time we arrive. And here I thought that Weaviles were supposed to be quick on their toes. Whoops, was that an Icy Wind? Well, now you've gone and offended me. I'd be downright indignant if your aim weren't so terrible. Haha, that got you moving a little quicker, did it? Still won't catch me, but you do get points for enthusiasm."

 

[Belle]

[size=8pt]Still slightly dazed at the way the burning rubble had been jeering at her as she'd been carried out, she stared at the dancing flames from over the charmeleon's shoulder.
Hmm. They still had faces. So, technically, she was probably still delirious. How nice.
The approaching masses of pink had faces too, but she was almost certain that they were supposed to be there, even if the ones on the blades of grass weren't, she noted, as the green mass came closer and closer towards her.
With a puppy-eyed look on her face, she watched the firey pokemon go as though she'd just lost the one thing that could protect her from the inanimate objects-now-personified.
Fortunately enough, the world was starting to cease it's spinning motion and she could feel the touch of many pink blissey hands poking at her lower half- a sight she had no intention of examining herself, as she was certain she could feel the broken skin and welts well enough from where she was.
Stretching her paws out in front of her, she immediately became absorbed in watching them flex and retract, over and over and over.. And remaining ignorant of the awed comments that followed along the lines of 'nothing broken', and 'did her parents know how to use it?' and she even thought she heard something like 'I knew a raichu that could use Wish. Stubborn as a tyrannitar, he was. Disappeared about seven years ago, though.'
Whatever the hell that meant.
It was too long before Basil started off on his own little tangent, and she peered wistfully up at him from her position on her belly; paws still extended in front of her and eyes as bright as if she had just been brought out of a pleasant sleep, she managed an awry grin in spite of looking as though she was prepared to start sliding over the grass superman-style.
"S'good to see you too Basil. I'm glad your wing is okay, but I'm sorry we couldn't get any of the files. I-" She hesitated, again, and cocked her head thoughtfully before going on.
"I'm okay. Only a little smooshed, somehow. I think the smoke had more effect than anything else, 'cos the rock just a few feet away, just there, it keeps making rude gestures at me. Mm. Are you okay?"
Propping her cheeks onto her paws, she let her face be squished into a pout before letting one limb absently trail down to the collar still strung around her neck, and brush at the soot that had started to dampen the lustre.
___________
Peering ahead with a hollow look about him, he nodded blankly at Gypsy's comment on his current position as far as being incriminated went. The following train of thought probably lingered on the same topics as the mismagius, though the next bout of conversation provided distraction enough.
It was true, the towering black mass had gradually faded into wisps of white, swirling around where the peak of the pelipper's bill had been, once upon a time.
"Oh, good.. That, that's good. Uh.." His face contorted slightly as he processed what the ghost had said and supressed a concerned hiccup, glancing momenarily back up into his general direction before speaking again.
"I'm Koji. I uh, I came from Carjor, travelling with a pikachu named Rusty."
There wasn't that much to him, and what with Gypsy's embellished introduction, he felt compelled to try and explain himself. Sort of maybe.[/size]