Mission: Don't Get Lost

[Okamoto Kaida]

As they rounded the corner, Kaida's eyes were instantly drawn to the two pokemon sitting by the lake. Glad to see that they were able to get a drink unbothered by any snake pokemon, Kaida smiled even when they ran off into the woods. The pokemon in Anrui were much less friendly towards humans. Some of them were more timid, and a lot of them were more aggressive, understandably. She was beginning to get used to it, so it didn't bother her very much that they ran away.

As Marie walked to the shed, Kaida walked to the pond. Looking down into it, she could see her reflection muddled with what she could see of the bottom of shore through the tinted water. It reminded her of the pond where she first caught Chihiro. Absentmindedly, she pushed her egg into the crook of one arm and let her other hand grace her water type's pokeball. When she heard Marie's voice behind her, she turned and nodded, smiling until she mentioned the Plasma woman again. Her eyebrows furrowing, she turned back to look at the pond.

She could let Chihiro out, she supposed. It wasn't a large pond. And it wasn't connected to any other waterways. Surely, even if the horsea hid at first, she would be able to get her to come back up before she departed for Hyo City, right?

She made the decision to let her out. With the same hand that had gently touched it before, she pulled Chihiro's pokeball off of her belt and pushed the button. The ball opened, shooting a dash of red light into the water until her horsea appeared. Chihiro looked up at her, and Kaida could see the pain inside of them. They only locked eyes for a few brief seconds before the horsea turned and dove down into the pond, leaving only a trail of bubbles.

Kaida closed her eyes and sighed. She wanted to cry. Memories of her meeting with Antoinette were filling her mind and guilt was pushing down on her heart with such force that she almost needed to sit. She couldn't cry, though. There were no more tears.

Instead she turned to face Marie, putting on another neutral face. If she wasn't careful, her face might get stuck like that.

"If you don't mind me asking... Why was that Plasma woman here? What exactly... happened?" She couldn't hold back her curiosity anymore and she needed a distraction from her own mind. Hopefully Marie wouldn't mind her asking.

axew egg 6/15[

[SOPHI]

Marie sighs, coming to stand by the edge of the pond with you. "I wasn't here, and Borus didn't remember details for the longest time," she begins. She doesn't hesitate to tell the story. Maybe she needs to get it off her chest? "Supposedly, there were a whole bunch of Pokemon at the pond at that time. This Plasma woman came by, saw the cabin, and came around back. When Borus heard a commotion he came outside."

Farther off, hidden in the brush, a pair of serpentine eyes watch the two of you.

"She used her Dugtrio's ability to corner them all, and then she used Earthquake to hit them all at once. She was catching them. She thought it was funny." Marie's face is one of disgust. She wipes her cheeks off with her sleeve, taking a bit of dirt with her. "Borus tried to stop her. She was hurting the Pokemon, and she didn't even care, so he took a branch he'd used to fend off some of the more aggressive Pokemon and told her to stop." She rubs her eyes. "But her Dugtrio tripped him, and she took the branch off him, and... well. That was that. I only knew something was wrong because he didn't send me an e-mail the next day like he usually did."

Now that she mentions it, you might notice a few spots in the grass around the pond where the dirt had been disturbed and hadn't quite grown back yet. Whoever had filled in the holes hadn't filled them in all the way. "The Pokemon in the forest must've caught wind of what happened, because they don't come around nearly as much anymore. They're scared."

[Okamoto Kaida]

The woman began to tell the story almost instantly. Kaida couldn't help but think it was a little weird how open this woman was about her brother's injury, although the more she thought about it the more it made sense. It seemed like she was alone here, taking care of him. It was probably nice to talk to someone who wasn't him once in awhile, and it probably make her feel better once Kaida understood why her brother was the way he was. As she spoke, Kaida looked around, picturing it happen in her head.

Her eyes scanned over the other pair watching them, oblivious to their presence.

In her head, the Plasma woman was Antoinette. Of course it was. That's all that Plasma was to her. The dodrio was massive and just as bloodthirsty as her honchcrow had been. She pictured so many small dratini and horsea by the lake, each shaking with pain and pure fear as the Pokemon used earthquake over and over without escape. She could hear Antoinette's laugh, although she doubted she'd ever hear it in person. As she looked, she noticed for the first time the upturned earth and her stomach churned. The event became very real to her once she noticed that.

"I'm so sorry," she finally says after the woman is finished talking. "Plasma is-" she stopped herself from what she was about to say for just a moment to rearrange her words, "Full of awful people. Just like every group that holds power, there are those who abuse it in ours too." She paused, thinking and looking down at the egg in her arms. It was beginning to twitch a bit, although she didn't know what that meant. "That was a very brave thing for your brother to do. I wish I could fix what happened here to you guys, and to your Pokemon." She didn't see how that would be possible.

axew egg 12/15

[SOPHI]

Marie smiles at you sadly. "Things haven't been too bad. Borus isn't the same, and I have to take care of him, but..." She glances at the cabin, where Borus is busy opening a window. He peers out at the two of you and gives a cheerful wave. "He's happy, I think. That's all I can really ask for at this point." If the big man remembers what happened to him, who he was before, he gives no sign of it.

It is at this moment that something long and dark slithers out into the open. "SNAKE!" Borus bellows, pointing at it. The Seviper rears up, watching you with intelligent eyes. Then it lowers its head and darts towards the pond where you released your Horsea. Within a few seconds, it is at the edge of the pool. And then it dives inside without further ado.

Marie gasps. "I think it wants your lil Horsea!"

Female || Level 23 || Shed Skin
Swagger || Glare || Venoshock
Bite || Poison Fang || Screech