Pokemon United

Titania was disappointed with the fact that she had been unable to find the Rufflet, but maybe she could try looking for it again after she got her pokemon healed up.

So with that in mind, she and Oberon would trek their way out of the woods and made their way to Whalerdrake. It was rather sad to see the town in such a state, but there wasn't anything she could do. Clearly the town could use some tourism dollars as much as the Reserve did. Maybe after a few more years, the Reserve would be back to it's former glory and they would attract lots of tourists. Undoubtedly if that happened, some money would go to the town itself, maybe she could even donate some surplus revenue to the town as well.

Once she made her way to the pokemon center, she would see that it too had clearly seen better days which was surprising considering the town had a pokemon gym. You would think that having a gym in the area would assure that the center got enough money to remain in good condition, but guess not. It didn't matter either way though as beggars couldn't be choosers.

Titania would approach the counter and wince at the little girl comment. Come on, she was sixteen, sure she was on the short side, but she still wasn't a little girl! Oh well, she had more important things to deal with. After recalling Oberon, she would place his ball as well as Lagi's and Zephyr's on the counter. "I would like to have my pokemon healed please."

100 yen per pokemon?! Pokemon centers were meant to be an important place of healing that any trainer could use free of charge courtesy of the pokemon league. To charge trainers for such vital services was nothing short of an outrage! Yet she wouldn't have time to think of an appropriate course of action before Chris made her appearance and promptly began to intimidate the guy.

Well Titania had no interest in getting in the middle of whatever was about to go down, but she had pokemon to heal. "Whatever you guys are up to is none of my business, but perhaps you know a place where I could get my pokemon healed? That punk was trying to charge me to get my pokemon healed and I'm not going to let anyone scam me."

If worse came to worse, she could head back to the reserve as they had medical facilities for both guest use and their pokmonitarian needs. However she really didn't want to resort to that since that was quite a trek back and as a trainer she couldn't just run home every time there was a problem.

(Pokmonitarian=humanitarian but for pokemon instead. xD)

Titania would watch as Chris headed into the backroom as well and debated about following after her. The problem was that her pokemon save for Oberon were worn out and thus knew that she was in no conidtion for another massive fight. Yet at the same time as the minutes ticked on by, her concern would grow, she may have greatly preferred pokemon over people but that didn't mean that she would stand for innocent people getting hurt on her watch.

However just when she decided to go in after Chris, the girl would come out with a very distraught looking Nurse Joy. Upon hearing what had happened to the nurse, Titania would approach Joy and hand her two three ounce bags, one filled with dried cherries and the other a mixture of nuts. "Eat and rest yourself, you have been through a lot. I worked at the Nirvana Reserve helping to tend to the injured pokemon there, so if you can just tell me where the medical supplies are, I can tend to my own pokemon."

Titania had a great deal of respect for people like Nurse Joy as they were so important to the well being of countless pokemon and trainers. So the least she could do was help her to recover from her ordeal with nutritious food and a chance to rest.

Coming out of the forest Ranger Ash wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as the sun glared down at him unrelentingly.

"Hot," Hades plopped over on the grassy hill on his side and refused to move, "dead." Ranger Ash crouched down and poked him with a stick, "Come on, you got a bit more in you, surely you don't expect me to carry you there, I just hiked here also." He watched the Zorua's tail lift and wag just once before meeting the landscape again as if being forced down. "Ah fine, come on." The ranger laughed and grabbed his companion before holding the small fox like pokemon in his arms.

"To be fair, vest is really hot." Ranger Ash glanced down at him as they continued on towards the pokemon center, "To be fair that vest will save your life, I'd rather you die of heat stroke than something violent." He shook his head at that statement, "What a lovely thing for people to overhear me say to a pokemon who is faking."

"Not faking," Hades hung his tongue out of his mouth attempting to gain sympathy and trick passersby, "only truth. Death is death. I feel it calling." He rolled over in Phoenix's arms so his belly faced the sky. The trickster fox was king of his trade, mischief being his supreme goal in the end.

The doors to the pokemon center opened up and Ranger Ash immediately felt the relief of the air conditioning. "Air conditioning?" Hades jumped down and began to run to the nearest vent low enough for him to put his face in. "I knew it, you faker! You are getting a check up anyway." The tiny black puff ball of fur whimpered as he was picked up and taken away from the air vent.

Going up to the counter Ranger Ash spoke kindly, "Pardon me, I was wondering if the nurse was available to look at my pokemon? His name is," Phoenix looked down to Hades once more playing dead in his arms, "buddy, come on, stop playing." There was no movement from his partner, "Alrighty, haha, you can stop now." Phoenix put his ear closer to his partner's chest and at that moment he heard a massive growl resonate within his small body. "Food," the Zorua whispered and continued to either rest or play dead, it was hard to tell at this moment.

"Actually, come to think of it, don't bother the nurse, I am just going to toss him in the ocean." Sure enough Hades perked up and showed a smile, "I live! Is it not a miracle." Phoenix rolled his eyes, "Sure is, pal. Now quiet down a bit." The ranger rubbed this tiny Zorua behind the ears as he attempted speaking to the center's staff. "He is a joker, but I am a bit worried about him possibly having heat stroke. I ran out of water and was unable to find a source clean enough to drink from, if you are not too slammed I was hoping he could have a once over while I go find a water fountain?" It was embarrassing for him to say, but Phoenix was flat broke from giving a little to every individual in need he met; which in the end turned out to be a financially unsound choice, though a warm heart was worth a suffering body some would argue.

Nurse Joy immediately brightened, taking the offered food and eating it politely, "Oh, thank you!" Trying to continue to speak while eating, she waves Titania's worries away, pointing to the pokeball holder underneath a machine. Finishing the food, "It does my heart good to know that someone always happens by when I become kidnapped." Which was exactly when Phoenix walked in.

Clearing her throat, Nurse Joy brushed some dirt off of her clothes, "If you place your Pokemon in their Pokeballs and then gently set them in the holder there, I will see that they are fully cared for." She collected her hands in front of her and smiled patiently, "Of course I can look after your Pokemon! Let me go find a bowl for him." She went into the back room.

Chris motioned for Ruby to meet her in the corner of the room, where they were discussing visiting that thug's house and showing him what for. Though Ruby was more interested in seeing if they had any in-danger Pokemon there. Meanwhile, while both talked quietly, but not quietly enough, Kitty, the Vaporeon, walked his way over and sat down beside the counter-top and let out a very cat-like "Meow!" towards Phoenix. Chris soon came over to collect her Vaporeon in her arms, smiling at him as she looked up to Phoenix, "Sorry, he likes to meet new people, sometimes."

"He is fine, I enjoy meeting new pokemon." His face grimaced as he furrowed his brows, the lad was just barely of adult age based on his face, but he wore a brown cowboy hat with a red cord around the base which he removed followed by his sunglasses to show his face.

Inside his red long sleeved jacket he pulled out a black wallet that flapped open to reveal a golden shield with star followed below by an identification card with his face on it and various information. "Pokemon Ranger Phoenix Ash, this is my partner Hades." He had the small pokemon under one arm as he replaced his hat and glasses. "He is usually not such a baby, but sometimes he just loves," the ranger put emphasis on that loud and drawn out word as he drew Hades to his chest in a tight hug, "cuddles!" After the bear hug he let Hades down and the Zorua looked frightened.

"Meanie," the Zorua however also showed his identification which as a similar card in a clear plastic window upon his chest. "We are specialists."

Phoenix looked back to Chris, "We do law enforcement and environmental, mostly." Hades transfigured into a Growlithe and sat by Phoenix's foot with a bark.

The Growlithe returned back into his usual black and red furred form as he noticed Titania. "Oberon!" He knew that wherever the trainer was he would find the Slyveon. "Titania!" Without any thought to respect he ran up to the trainer, proudly he stood near her, "I bring you a gift."

"Sorry, miss!" Phoenix took off after Hades and was greeted with a sight that brought his cheeks to a pokeball red. "Oh, hey there, miss Luna, I figured you would be a the reserve today." He trailed off trying to find interesting topics, he did not want to talk about pokemon since she worked with them and may be bored of work today.

Titania was happy to help Nurse Joy and felt rather bad to hear that this wasn't the first time she had been kidnapped. She truly deserved better then to deal with such distressing things after all. Well now that Joy was feeling better, she had best tend to her pokemon.

She would have just finished placing both Zephyr's and Lagi's balls into the holder when Phoenix came in. His Zorua then quickly approach Oberon and Titania. Oberon would notice Hades first and would greet him which would alert his trainer to the Zorua's presence. "Oh hey Hades." Kneeling down, she would affectionately attempt to pet him. "If you are here then- Oh there you are Phoenix."

Titania would wave in greeting before briefly returning her attention back to Oberon. Returning the intertwining pokemon to his pokeball, she would place him in the ball holder so he could be healed as well. Then while her pokemon were being healed, she would turn to attention back to Phoenix. When he mentioned the reserve, she decided to fill him in on her journey. "Actually I'm on extended leave from the reserve to go to on my own pokemon journey. My parents had wanted me to see the world beyond the reserve and I was supposed to go when..." She ended up trailing off which was hardly surprising since she almost never talked about the Team Rocket attack that left her an orphan.

"Guess we are two cards of the same deck then?" He reached into his red coat and pulled out a phone like device which he keyed something into before flipping it around to her, "I am after some adventure myself, though mine are likely to fight for more than gym badges." The screen showed some photos of Team Rocket members and various other criminals. "After my mishap at headquarters my awarding of the badge was them tossing it at me and giving me this list." Phoenix met Hades' gaze as both of them glared that same malice, "Wasn't my fault, dude was asking for it."

Hades nodded his head, "His stupid snubbul too." The only thing that had kept the two on the force were their outstanding abilities, otherwise Phoenix would be finding a new job and Hades would be on the chopping block. "Either way," Phoenix put the device back into his pocket, "you need any company? I figured I would come down here and see if any of these criminals were attempting to poach the reserve, if so I could catch up with you later, if not then I am good to head out any time you are."

Hades just had to chime in on that, "Oh, getting over your fears now? You used to shake in your boots at the thought of such moments. Truly the badge has changed," Hades was silenced by Phoenix dropping his pokeball onto him with purpose. "Oh, look at that, I always drop that thing." He pocketed the ball into a pouch on his belt, "If you ever see one of these," Phoenix patted the pouch on his belt, "I'd suggest leaving it. They never shut up. Back to what I was saying before being interrupted. I am assigned to general duty with specialist qualifications. So until they tell me otherwise I get to chase criminals, perform research, and just generally make sure the law is upheld. Which is typically the easiest part, did have to chase a hiker up a mountain after he threw his empty bottles down though, only real challenge thus far. My job is mobile however if you need company." He smiled as if trying to persuade her, he knew the key to such an act would be if her Slyveon was present; therefore he was certain to fail it would seem.

Chris watched the two talk, her butt leaning against the counter as she watched them talk. She had collected Kitty into her arms, whom she was idly petting. Catching a hold of their talk, she cuts in with, "You're from the reservation? I was going to visit there, but I got caught up in stuff." Then, to the Phoenix, "You get to chase bad guys? That sounds so cool. I kinda do that, except I don't have a badge."

Ruby piped up, "We were chasing some bad guy who was trying to smuggle some Buizel. But I guess we lost them." Chris shrugged her shoulders, "But it was a good chase. Hey, so, you're like an officer or something. If we catch these guyss, or when we catch these guys, you could lock them up, right?"

Titania would listen to Phoenix silently, but her facial expression would noticeably darken when the pictures of team rocket members appeared on the device. After all the teen had more reason then most to hate that criminal organization and that's not the mention she encounter she had just had with them.

When he then offered her his company, she would open her mouth to reply when the pokemon healing machine beeped. That beep also conveniently muffle Hades so she wouldn't hear exactly what the little fox had said. While retrieving all three of her pokeballs she would say. "Let me think about it while I tend to my pokemon."

Holding the heart marked pokeball, she would unsurprisingly let Oberon out first who would then be followed by Lagi. What would be sure to surprise phoenix was the when she released Zephyr from his ball. After all the Tailow was living proof that she had been busy on her adventure. Titania would then address Zephyr. "Thank you so much for your help earlier. You did such a good job. Here let me give you a treat." She would then reach into her supplies and pull out five small bags of pokemon treats, one for each of the five main flavors. "I don't know your taste preferences yet, so I'll let you pick." The silver haired teen would then offer Zephyr a choice between the five flavors. Then once he made his selection she would feed a dry treat to Oberon and a sweet one to Lagi.

"Would you like one too Hades?" She would then offer the Zorua a treat of his favorite flavor as well before finally turning her attention back to Phoenix.

After allowing him to finish what he wanted to say, she would then make her decision. "Well I suppose I wouldn't mind the company as long as your willing to head back to the forest first. I have some...errands to take care of in here. She hadn't forgotten about that unusual Rufflet that she had managed to free from the Rockets and was still determined to find him."Anyway, the reserve has been fairly quiet save for some business man showing up."

It was then that Chris cut into the conversation and Titania would reply to her. "Yeah I work there, but I'm currently on extended leave." She chose not to mention that she was actually the owner of the reserve in order to avoid looking like a braggart.

Hades accepted the sweet treat with glee as Phoenix furrowed his brow, "You are on the job, be professional."

"Easy for you to say, I'm hungry." He scarfed it down in almost one entire bite. "So kind." The Zorua sat by Titania's feet, his tail pointed towards Phoenix, "I never get treats until we are off duty."

Pushing aside his partner's comment the ranger was elated, "I'd love to venture back into the forest. I can see about collecting data for the fellas back at H.Q. that like such things." He looked at all of Titania's pokemon, "Oberon's coloring is still spectacular. Reminds me," he pulled out his phone like device, "I saw a weird pokemon on the way here, I was in the more northern forests near a stream to the ocean, saw a pokemon that was hidden by the trees. The back of its head seemed pointed and it was flying around, I hope it was a Celebi! Something tells me it was just a lost pokemon from up in the mountains who came down for food though." Sure enough the picture just showed a easily hidden black silhouette among the foliage of the forest.

Phoenix had to think about Chris' question for a moment after breaking away from his conversation, "I am not entirely sure I can arrest them if they are brought to me, I am required to have reasonable suspicion. If it comes on the word of at least three people then that warrants a reason to at the least apprehend them without having seen the deed done, I would suppose. That really gets into the ethics of the business, that does." The ranger thought for a moment longer, "Yeah, given the fact that pokemon poaching is not uncommon in this area I'd likely have cause to apprehend him. I'd have to call the locals in for them to be taken to the nearest station however." He hoped that answer was sufficient, for the time being it was all he had to give.

Chris thought about it, nodding to herself, "Three people, hmm.." Looking between those gathered here, she tapped her lip with a finger. Nurse Joy had gestured towards the healing machine when Chris looked at her, but Chris shook her head, "Oh no, Kitty doesn't like the the machine. But thank you." Kitty meowed, having jumped out of Chris's arms and patrolled the area...to melt in the corner of the room.

Taillow, meanwhile, looked over the treats and at first disregarded them. Then, he looked at them again and pecked at the treats in turn. Eventually, he decided to eat a sour treat and cleaned his feathers afterward. Ruby placed her pokeballs onto the machine and was busy watching the machine work.

Chris sat onto the countertop and diddle-daddled on a very old looking pokedex, sliding it back into her pants' pocket, "A weird pokemon in the woods? I happen to liv--to be a woodsy kinda person, so if you ever want to go searching, I can point out all sorts of woodsy stuff. Once I can convince some other person of that bad guy's poke-napping, I don't have much else to do." There was a moment before she perked up, "Did I...introduce myself? I sometimes forget to do so; all this excitement, you know. My name's Chris and my puddle over there is Kitty."

Titania would smile at Hades and once again pet his head affectionately. She would then watch Zephyr who would go from first ignoring the treats to ultimately consuming the sour one. Well at least she now knew what kind of food the Tailow preferred.

Turning her attention back to Phoenix and Chris, she would listen quietly. When Oberon was mentioned, the Slyveon would say his name as if joining the conversation. Titania would then pet the intertwining pokemon's head before saying. "He is certainly special, I haven't seen any other slvyeon with his coloration, but I have seen pictures of eevees who looked as he once did. It was quite lucky that my parents got him for me while he was still an egg as there was no way they would have been able to afford him once he hatched. Of course I don't care about how he looks, I would love him no matter what he looked like." At this Oberon would wrap his feelers around her wrist lovingly before nuzzling her hand with his head.

Soon the conversation would turn to the "weird" pokemon that Phoenix said he caught a glimpse of and her eyes would briefly widen before going back to normal. She would then immediately attempted to cover up her reaction. "Maybe if we are lucky, we will see this mysterious pokemon of yours Phoenix. Also you are welcome to join us Chris and I should introduce myself. I'm Titania. Also perhaps this criminals escaped into the woods, it's wouldn't be the first time unsavory elements went there to hide so it's not worst place to look."

However despite how friendly she was being, she really didn't want either of them to find the strange Rufflet before she did. Titania was the only one of them who had any idea of what it had gone through and she certainly didn't want to mention what had happened earlier either. After all Phoenix might try to tell her it was too dangerous for her in case other Rockets were there and she didn't know how Chris would react.

"Glad to meet you, Chris. Well, your puddle certainly seems like a happy one." Phoenix could feel the content emotions of both the Vaporeon and Slyveon, to a degree they made him feel more relaxed also, Titania he had known before, Chris however he found shared the same bright and joyous emotions as the pokemon with her.

"Pokemon breeding is quite the lucrative trade I hear, out here from the main station me and Hades ended up on a ranch for some days while he healed after a battle with a Krookodile that was chasing some kids around." At mention of the event Hades had to chime in, "In my defense I was a half its size." The ranger continued, "So while he got better I learned a bit about breeding," the Zorua nestled by Phoenix's leg as he stifled a giggle, "I did not however have room for the Pichu egg in my bag." His response was a glare shot at his partner, "You know I declined a muzzle for you?"

"Either way," he reached back into his back and got out some premade food for Hades, "I can agree that the special looking ones are neat, but I don't think I would trade Hades here for a fancy colored Pokemon any day of the week. Well," Phoenix mocked his pal by rubbing his chin as if deep in thought, "I'd trade you for a Jirachi, if they were real." Hades shrugged, "Don't worry, I'd trade you for a real ranger too."

"You know, the forest does sound like a good place for those team rocket punks to hide," he picked up Hades and sat the tiny pokemon upon his shoulder, "I am ready to go whenever." He held the bowl up so Hades could eat out of it, "to make small talk, any chance I could hear how you met your vaporeon? Its very loyal and loving to you, so I figure you two have been together for some time?"

Chris made an excited fist, smiling, "Yes! Thank you so much. I can't wait to find those...guys. If they're in the woods, they can't hide from me!" Jutting her thumb to herself. Turning her attention to Phoenix, "He's even happier out in the wild, makes these funny sounds." Kitty started to rub up against Chris's leg, to which she busied herself with petting his head. Her energy was likely eccentric, but she was also likely the eldest of the bunch.

As soon as Chris's petting stopped, Kitty melted into a puddle with fins, meowing for more attention. Cats develop their meows so that their owner can better understand them, as all their dialogue between each other are body movements and hisses. Pushing off of the countertop, she heads for the door and waits by it, her Kitty slowing reforming to sit next to her. To Phoenix, "Sure, I'll tell you all about us on our trip. It's the least I can do for letting me come along." Looking over to Ruby, she shook her head and said something about looking out for the brothers and sisters of her newly caught pokemon.

Titania would laugh a little at the antics of ranger and Zorua a bit before saying. "Well let's hope we never find a Jirachi or a "real" ranger then as you two belong together."

Then crouching down to Zephyr she would offer the little bird a choice. "Do you want to go back to your pokeball or do you want to fly alongside us?" She would then hold out the tailow's pokeball so he could return to it if he wanted to. She hoped by treating it kindly and giving it choices like this would help Zephyr to warm up to her.

Regardless of Zephyr's decsion, Oberon would wrap one of his feelers around Titania's left hand and the pair of them would lead the way to the forest. While they walked, the teen would gently squeeze the slvyeon's feeler and briefly a look of concern would be directed to the eeveelution. This silent communication was more then enough for Oberon to know what Titania wanted; she wanted him to try searching for the Rufflet again when they got there. So in turn Oberon would respond to the silent requesting by wrapping his feeler a little more tightly around her hand to reassure her.

As soon as they entered the forest, Titania would start scanning forest canopy while Oberon sniffed the air trying to pick up the Rufflet's scent.

(Btw Oberon has a perception stat of 5, so would that give him a buff on perception rolls? If so, just add it to his results and I'll use it next time.)

[Yes, it would!]

The Taillow chirped quietly and pecked at the ball, returning himself to its confines. The entrance to the woods soon led Titania to the spot where she had first spotted the Rufflet. The black mark of the explosion was still on the ground, but the cages were gone. Oberon kept his large eyes open for any sign of the Rufflet, but it was Titania who spotted the trail of darkly glowing feathers along the ground that led into the woods.

Chris was rather busy talking as the trio walked, gesturing as she spoke to Phoenix, "I was a young girl and, don't laugh, but I wanted to dress up like Pokemon and pretend to be them. My mother, I guess, didn't really like that, but anyway. Um, we met when I left town to fish, but I wasn't fishing for Vaporeons. He was just there and he...he beat up my guide with his friends, so I was left alone. I suppose fighting seven at once is a bad deal, right?" Chris smiled a bit, "I visited that same spot for years, while we ate cooked magikarp..." She added in quickly with a warding of her hands, "I don't eat magikarp anymore, this was just when I was young and hungry. Now I'm just old and hungry, haha.."

Clearing her throat, she continued, "After a while, he started following me into town. We used to hang out with the alleycats and listen to them sing into the night. Then he started to meow at me when I wasn't in town, so naturally, I called him Kitty." Smiling and embarrassed, "I was young, okay? Woah, what's this?" Chris bent low, once they arrived at the scene, testing the black grass and dirt with her fingers.

Phoenix laughed at the story Chris told, "That is sweet, I figured you two had met in a far beyond usual manner. Your relationship seemed too close to be otherwise." The feeling he got from them was the same he got from being around veteran rangers and their partners, a bond that could stand the test of time and possibly even the eternity of the world after this one.

Coming upon the scene he would inspect the scene to try and decipher what exactly had happened. To him it seemed like an explosion had gone off, though the feathers left more questions than answers as he could think of now avian pokemon capable of such a scene. "Looks like someone had a rather explosive time here."

Titania was a little bit disappointed when Zephyr returned to his ball, but it was understandable. Befriending a pokemon always took time after all.

As she led their small group back to the forest, she would half listen to Chris's story. The lack of her full attention wasn't out of disrespect, but due to the fact that she was concentrating on retracing her steps to where she had fought the Rocket grunts such a short time ago. In fact she wouldn't speak a word until Phoenix mentioned someone having an explosive time. "That 'someone' would be me. I fought some Rocket grunts here and now I'm looking for the pokemon I rescued from them. It might need medical attention as I wasn't able to get much of a look at him during the fight." The word rocket was said pure and absolute venom which might surprise Chris since she didn't know Titania's history.

Noticing the trail of darkly glowing feathers, she would follow them and call Oberon to her. Then using hand signals would give her beloved partner a secret order: if she found the Rufflet, Oberon was to make sure that the others didn't approach it. The eaglet pokemon was bound to be extremely wary of humans for obvious reasons and Titania was the only one who had a chance to get close to it. She was also likely to only get one chance which meant that she didn't need either Chris or Phoenix unintentionally scaring it off.

Chris wasn't too surprised by Titania's words. Team Rocket is a group of bad men and she enjoys trouncing bad men. She was surprised, however, as she looked about, "Wow, you fought them off all by yourself? It looks like a big scuffle went down." Kicking at the loose dirt and grass chunks, she smiled as Kitty rolled a chunk around in his paws, "Well he's much more adventurous than #43. We have a lot in common."

Upon inspecting the feathers, Phoenix's fingers rubbed off some of the dust the feathers were covered in. A soft, black soot coated his skin, which held the same consistency of refined moonstone. And if there was one thing that his memory served him, it was the moonstone-rich mountain north-east from here, The Diamond Shelter. His pokedex also has a map function, given to many Rangers, which is almost always up-to-date and displays real-time alerts on misdeeds that are reported in.

Titania's Pokedex has the general locations of where she has already visited, to make exploration and adventuring all the more rewarding.

Chris's Pokedex is lucky if it can identify a fifth of the Pokemon that exist.

Phoenix also recalls, after he had chased a hiker up the other side of the mountain, that the hiker had said something about the mine and that it was his grand mission to do something there. Of course, he was reported as bothering other trainers along the path and heavy littering. He had stolen samples of the moondust from the mine too, and was probably going to sell it. But his samples were like many moondust products, and were a pearly pink and white.