@CitrusArms

So, Stella decided that it was time to begin training her Pokemon, which was a smart move. However, she could have trained in the city without bothering that many Pokemon as it is not that uncommon for people to fight the wild Pokemon that live in the city, but it is what it is.

Before that though, she went to the Pokemart and bought a Potion.

Stella obtained a Potion!
She spent 300P

Anyway, Stella would eventually leave the city to go train and deciding to let chance decide guide her, she would arrive to Route 1 since chance knew that it would be a bit of a struggle to grind on Route 4 with her current team.




(Ignore the mountains. This was the only picture that came close to my mental image.)

Those heading to Route 1 would be welcomed by the site of rolling green hills with wildflowers beginning their spring bloom strewn about, painting the route with vibrant, untamed color that ran along the entire route. The road itself was like any road; there was a paved path for cars, but for those walking around they would only have a dirt path to walk on though it was well maintained. It was a popular route for beginning trainers due to the lack of challenge that the terrain offered and the close proximity to Florasong Town compared to Route 4's challenges and length.

Aside from hills of greenery and flowers, there were a sizable number of farms on this route each with their own specialty. Some grew wheat, some grew berries, some grew vegetables, and so on. A large portion of the region's food is grown here on this route. Of course, this was common knowledge to anyone living in Evig would know that the only thing not produced here is meat, which is actually produced in places such as Nexus due to the region having advanced cultured meat to the point that it is now the mainstream.

There were also ranches in the area where it can be safely assumed that had Pokemon on them and plenty of Breeders who offered their expertise. One could get Moomoo Milk in some of them. There was even a Day Care Center where a nice elderly couple who were very much experienced Pokemon Breeders.

The route was decently well-trafficked with trainers and others coming down from Florasong or from Grand Glory. There were many trainers in the tall grass searching for Pokemon or on the edge of a forest that strangely wasn't marked on the map. What could be in it?

There were kids playing in the grass, well, actually it looked like they were holding a little tournament of some sort. If Stella was paying attention, perhaps she would recognize Faye, one of the others at the lab who received their starter as well. Also, not that far off sitting under a tree was Tristan, a boy with white hair greyish-silver hair, that was there at the lab when she received her starter. It appeared that he was reading a book.

Along the grass there were puppy Pokemon going about their day, mainly just lying in the now midday sun or playing amongst themselves. There were also these creatures with zigzagging markings all over their body scavenging for food.

Pokédex Entry #835 – Yamper, the Puppy Pokémon. This Pokémon is very popular as a herding dog in the Galar region. As it runs, it generates electricity from the base of its tail. It only assists people with their work because it wants treats. As it runs, it crackles with electricity.

Pokédex Entry #263 – Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. It marks its territory by rubbing its bristly fur on trees. This variety of Zigzagoon is friendlier and calmer than the kind native to Galar. If you've lost something, this Pokémon can likely find it.

However, slithering in the grass were these purple, poisonous snakes with yellow rattles at the end of their tails hunting the near endless supply of Zigzagoons.

Pokédex Entry #023 – Ekans, the Snake Pokémon. By dislocating its jaw, it can swallow prey larger than itself. After a meal, it curls up and rests. The eggs of bird Pokémon are its favorite food. It swallows eggs whole, so sometimes an egg gets stuck, and Ekans faints.

Stella would battle a few of these Pokemon. Kaebe had an easier time with fighting some of these Pokemon while Oclu struggled a bit due to its fragile physical stats. Still, the training bore results!

Kaebe is now level 7!
Oclu is now level 6!

However, while training against Pokemon, Stella found a few encounters that definitely were not common, but now she was armed with knowledge that they lived here on this route.

Pokédex Entry #821 – Rookidee, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It will bravely challenge any opponent, no matter how powerful. This Pokémon benefits from every battle—even a defeat increases its strength a bit. Jumping nimbly about, this small-bodied Pokémon takes advantage of even the slightest opportunity to disorient larger opponents.

Pokédex Entry #827 – Nickit, the Fox Pokemon. Aided by the soft pads on its feet, it silently raids the food stores of other Pokémon. It survives off its ill-gotten gains. It erases its tracks with swipes of its tail as it makes off with its plunder.

With her training out of the way, what does she do?

Connected Areas:

Grand Glory City
Florasong City
Unmarked Woods

---

@Zarkun

Well, it was never said that the cut marks of the tree were high up on the trees. The marks were found lower down where people who weren't climbing the trees were, around the trunk and exposed roots. But anyway, Jason decided in his best interest to actually observe his surroundings.

He was not wrong about the forest being a haven for bug collectors of various age groups and backgrounds. Knowing Jason, he's probably met some out back in his home in the Hoenn region due to the proximity of Petalburg Woods to his hometown. They were typically a bit of a strange, standoffish bunch, but this crowd was even more so. They spoke to only each other and gave the budding trainer the evil eye. It seemed like they were quite secretive with their info though Jason's focus was on the very familiar cowboy.

Now he didn't jump. It was more like he perked up when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Connor glanced at the hand that was on his shoulder and then to the owner of said hand. He grinned when he recognized who it was. "You know it. Apparently from what I hear it's from a Pokemon that hasn't been seen in this forest in years though those damned bug-maniacs won't tell me a thing about it. If you're lookin' for info from them, it ain't coming out easily."

"By the way, I heard something about some kid beating a poacher last night. I take it that was you?"

---

@Lunarlord34
It would be correct to assume that Freya indeed knew where this was heading. "Wait!" Freya called out to Steph as she ran away. "Ugh... Shit, hey wait up!" It was not long until she herself was running after them as well to the alley way. She had to make sure that whatever happened, that Steph would not end up killing anyone.

Meanwhile, the thing had been completely unaware that it was spotted and continued down the alley until it approached a messy looking man in his mid-twenties wearing baggy clothes, unkempt long pale blonde hair peeking out of a beanie. This guy looked like grease incarnate. "What'cha got this time?" The man said as it took the Pokedex from the Pokemon, examining it with a puzzled look about. It looked like a phone, but it had this weird card slot in it, speaking of which, had a card inside. He pulled it out to examine the card. Belonged to some girl apparently, but who cares?

He shrugged and slid the card back in without thinking. "Eh, no idea what it is, but it sure looks expensive. Probably could pawn it off and get quite a pretty penny off it."

However, there was a factor that they did not predict; a Bogan Galarian girl was making her way down that alley with a fury that would strike the fear of God into the heart of anyone.

Considering the difference in their strides, it probably wouldn't be difficult for Freya to keep up even with Stephs minor headstart. Though Steph was pretty pissed off right now, her vision tunnelling on chasing this pokemon down that had dared to take her pokedex. She doubted going back to say 'hey someone stole it' was going to go down well; let alone day one! So she had to get this back.

There was no doubt this man would hear Steph coming before he saw her. The fury in her eyes almost as bright as her hair. As she came storming down the alleyway, one thought might come to mind. Damn this girl could run fast. The next would be; oh fuck she's really mad. It wouldn't take much of a genius to put two and two together. Now Steph didn't actually get a good look at the pokemon that had stolen from her bag, but she recognised the reddish feather for sure as she came to a stop just short of the man, glaring and pointing down at the Sneasel.

"Yah own thaht leettle fuckah?" Was the first thing she asked. She just assumed that since this Sneasel came running to the man he was its trainer. "If sao, yah hahve exahctly foive saecawnds t' retuhn moy pokaedex befoah Oy crahck bawth yah and thaht leettle crooks hayds tohgethah." And if he didn't own it? Well, she would probably still do it. Or battle the man, she didn't care at this point. She was mad, frustrated and wanted to take it out on this crook.

The only problem left though was one of great issue. Did this man even understand a word she said?

Faye let out a steadying breath. This was to be her first Pokémon battle. While it was against kids almost half her age, that kind of meant failing at her first battle would be even more embarrassing than if she fought someone her age and lost. That meant the pressure was on. She had to win, not just because it meant getting the right to first claim for catching that rowlet, but to preserve her confidence in being a trainer. Perhaps embarrassing wasn't the right term for if she lost. It would be a lot more than embarrassing. She'd studied to do well her with her first Pokémon - know what starter moves did and what could counter what regardless of Pokémon type - and losing to a munchkin would be a blow worse than just losing with her first step onto the trail of being a Pokémon trainer.

Words from her mother's parting advice repeated in her head. Trust your Pokémon and trust in yourself. The first challenger, Will, called out his Pokémon. Faye put her hair up in a ponytail and stepped into position with Sage at her side. They were battling another normal type. She let out another breath and muttered quietly, We've got this.

She looked down at Sage. "Ready?" Sage nodded and yipped back. "Alright. Let's show these kids how to battle! Sage - go!" She pointed toward the center and Sage charged out into position. Her attention was focused on the battle at hand, not noticing any others that she might have recognized show up on the route on their way out of town.

Listening to the instructions the kid shouted at his Ratatta, her confidence wavered but she kept it bottled up. Defense lowering and actual attacks...okay, she could do this. "Sage, dodge its tail and get into a good position! Kick up sand and get it in its eyes, then go in for a tackle!" From there, she would keep advising Sage to dodge in and out with varying instructions to use other stat reducing attacks between tackles.

If there was one thing Tristan disliked, it would be studying. Reading in itself was fine as most of his time was often spent on social media, but studying? It was downright boring with things he normally didn't care enough to learn, but after that awful loss he knew that what was in this book were things he needed to learn if he intended to continue as a trainer. At first it was boring as expected though as he read on, found himself actually getting interested in the topic as he read a fair bit of facts throughout the reading session. Taking in info about all the different types which proved to be more than he thought along with status effect; one in particular he recognized from what King experienced." So you got burned. Guess it makes sense after taking that ember straight on.... I'll have to be more careful from now on." He stated with a sigh, still angry with himself for making such bad calls, but at least now he knew about status effect and the various pokemon types and though there were still more to read, he decided to save that for another time and put the book away.

Doing so as he didn't want to sit around studying all day likely to put him to sleep making the reading a waste. He also did couldn't bring himself to read anymore with some group of kids nearby being loud and distracting who seemed to be in the middle of some game. Thankfully, none of them had taken notice of him to try and drag him in like they had that girl who seemed to be a rookie trainer much like him. Standing up then following up with some stretching and while doing so took a few moments to inspect the girl and realized she looked vaguely familiar. The only ones he took notice of was the only other guy among the group and this one though only because he recalled her taking a picture and her manner of dressing was pretty poor. She gave off a frumpy appearance, but otherwise seemed to be nothing special, so unlike that she-beast with the intense and dangerous vibe which made him recall how she attempted to hit him, and this led to thinking of Freya. His face tense up at the mere thought of her; frustrated at the way she humiliated him, but she also did save him from that wicked girl's brutish assault. This left Tristan conflicted regarding Freya though his mind was still a mess from the whole ordeal and so would put sorting that whole thing out aside for now.

Seeing that the group of kids and the girl were in the middle of their thing that he saw no reason to stick around as he wasn't interested in getting involved anyway. Tristan was never one to like nor get along with kids and so, if possible, would avoid them; thankfully those back at the school didn't bother him.

Then the rich teen remembered the store clerk mention something about some nearby ranch having trouble with eggs being stolen or something along those lines. After having been stuck with studying for the past half hour, he decided this was a good opportunity to do something interesting and considering how low he was on funds after buying all those pokeballs, a chance to make some decent money made for an enticing endeavor. Taking one last look over at the group where Faye was in the middle of battle with her eevee and scoffed." Stuck battling kids...well good luck not losing to those brats." An amusing thought that made him feel a bit better, but even he wouldn't wish another person to actually lose to a bunch of kids; such a thing seemed far more embarrassing than even the horrible loss he suffered whom was at least older and an experienced trainer from the look of things.

His decision made, Tristan made his way to the nearby ranch that was luckily easy to spot or otherwise he might have found himself getting lost and ending up in an unfortunate location like say...the unmarked forest. Off he went to the ranch intending to find ask the first staff member of the ranch regarding the egg stealing issue.

"That it was, though in the end he kinda beat himself. Between his Growlithe being blinded by Mud Slap and his Rufflet confused to high hell from Confusion." Stepping back and looking around, he notes the suspicious way the bug catchers are eyeing both him and Connor and sighs, realizing getting them to open up might not be as easy as he thought. "And a Pokemon that hasn't been seen in years? Must make it rare, which would explain their reluctance. They specialize in Bug types and a rare one is like a fucking diamond for them. Though...wonder if there's any Scyther around here." Shaking his head, he focuses back on Connor.

"Anyways, since you're here, after I head into the village for some more Pokeballs, thought I'd ask if you wanted to team up and chase this rumor down together." After getting his answer, Jason would head into town and buy three Pokeballs, bringing his total back up to six, before heading back to investigate the source of the slash marks in the mighty woods of the Starbor Forest.

@Lunarlord34

Indeed, they both picked up on the sound of shoes beating against concrete coming closer and closer to them. What they say was a fiery red headed girl filled with equally fiery rage and...

...What the fuck did this girl say? No, seriously what did she say?

The duo could not understand a bloody word that this girl was saying, but she sure sounded pissed. Actually, now that he thought about it this girl looked like the one on that card in that weird phone. Whatever this thing was, it sure was important if she was all worked up over it. The man had a slimy grin, the kind that would make someone's skin crawl as it was obvious that he was up to no good.

"Ohhh, this is yours then." He held the Pokedex out and tossed it in the air, caught it with one hand, and then repeated that. "I'm sure we can work something out. Well, that's what I would say if it were not for the fact that you have murder in your eyes. I think I'll have to snuff that out."

There was another sound of shoes pounding against the ground, followed by the arrival of Steph's tall, dark-haired friend. "God girl, you run-" Freya had no time to finish her sentence before she ducked down to dodge a chunk of ice flying at her head that smashed against the concrete. The man still had that grin on his face though that Sneasel seemed... ambivalent?

"Petty Thief Arrol would like to battle"

It was a very narrow alley, making this a difficult place to maneuver and definitely made it impossible for double battles so it was impossible for Freya to join the fray, so Steph was on her own for this fight.

"Ice Shard at the redhead." Whatever feelings that Sneasel seemed to have, it followed its order nonetheless and sent a chunk at Steph. This guy was not giving her the chance to throw her Pokemon out.

---

@Sanguine Rose

Okay, so, uh, literally nothing else mattered for the fight. Sage threw out a Tackle and must've hit a weak point of the Rattata that it was a Critical Hit. The poor rat was sent flying and skidded across the dirt, completely unconscious.

"...Well, that sucks." The boy said, sulking as he returned the creature into its Pokeball.

The battle went so unexpectedly quick that Faye actually had to wait for the other battles to end. Eventually though, she was setup for another battle and against the teenage girl's little sister.

"You may be older, but that doesn't mean you're better!"

Preschooler Lisa would like to battle!

The little girl tossed out her Pokeball and what came out was a red fox with black ears, boots, and at the end of its broom-like tail.

Pokédex Entry #827 – Nickit, the Fox Pokemon. Aided by the soft pads on its feet, it silently raids the food stores of other Pokémon. It survives off its ill-gotten gains. It erases its tracks with swipes of its tail as it makes off with its plunder.

The general strategy that she was going to use was simple and like the previous battle; the girl would order the Nickit to use Tailwhip, but instead of Tackle, Nickit would use Quick Attack. It come at Sage and strike quickly.

---

@samreaper

Tristan would walk down the road a bit, which was a bit of a steep decline as he was going downhill. It was quite the pleasant walk along the flowers and fresh air. Eventually, he would arrive down at what looked like a stereotypical ranch; a series of massive red wooden buildings with Pokemon contained in these enclosures. They were most definitely not wild Pokemon so they could not be captured, but that does not mean they can't be obtained.

In one partition, there were two kinds of Pokemon that looked very similar; they were both wooly things though one species had a white coat and another with a yellow coat.

Pokédex Entry #179 – Mareep, the Wool Pokemon. Clothing made from Mareep's fleece is easily charged with static electricity, so a special process is used on it. The more static electricity is charged, the more brightly the lightbulb at the tip of its tail glows.

Pokédex Entry #831 – Wooloo, the Sheep Pokemon. Its curly fleece is such an effective cushion that this Pokémon could fall off a cliff and stand right back up at the bottom, unharmed. If its fleece grows too long, Wooloo won't be able to move. Cloth made with the wool of this Pokémon is surprisingly strong.

There two pens where pink, round bovines were separated from these fierce bulls with three tails. For some reason, looking at the pink cows would instill a primal fear that would be hard to explain as if a collective consciousness has experienced their wrath.

Pokédex Entry #241 – Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokemon. Miltank produces highly nutritious milk, so it's been supporting the lives of people and other Pokémon since ancient times. This Pokémon needs to be milked every day, or else it will fall ill. The flavor of Miltank milk changes with the seasons.

Pokédex Entry #128 – Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokemon. When Tauros begins whipping itself with its tails, it's a warning that the Pokémon is about to charge with astounding speed. Once it takes aim at its foe, it makes a headlong charge. It is famous for its violent nature.

Then there were these little orange chickens walking around by a coop pecking ground.

Pokédex Entry #255 – Torchic, the Chick Pokemon. Torchic sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokémon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black. It has a place inside its body where it keeps its flame. Give it a hug—it will be glowing with warmth. This Pokémon is covered all over by a fluffy coat of down.

Eventually after walking through the property, he would see a man in a red flannel with denim overalls over it and black boots. He was lifting bales of hay and tossing them onto the back of a truck. Now this man had an imposing figure; he easily towered over Tristan, barrel chested, and had arms that like steel girders. His face was mostly obscured by a full, lush brown beard and large bushy eyebrows though he had a perpetual stern glare in his eyes.

He had only just noticed Tristan and looked like he told his barn hand to finish the job and walked over to the fledgling trainer?

"Can I help you, boy?" He said with a very commanding tone. Perhaps if Tristan were to get on his good side to get the job, and not get thrown in the hay bales, he would probably need to not do whatever he did to piss off Steph and Freya so badly.

---

@Zarkun

It was actually a Litleo, but close enough.

"Hey, you made the effort and it worked out. A win is a win and besides, not many new trainers have the cojones to straight up battle a poacher on their first day." The cowboy shrugged and took out a small, round metallic container from his pocket. It looked like the kind that would have had chewing tobacco in it, but when the lid was removed it revealed it held an assortment of surprisingly cute looking chocolates. What were you expecting? He's seventeen. Legally, he can't even buy tobacco products.

Connor held a piece up as an offer to Jason though he didn't strike Connor as a fan of sweets.

"From what I've been able to gleam, they were a bit more common, but whatever they are, their numbers were decimated by Cipher. They're just coming back now after ten years." Jason must keep in mind that this region was ransacked for so long and that its wildlife was beginning to just recover.

And off Jason went to buy Pokeballs! We'll save the grand introduction of the village for later. Anyway, he would find the cowboy waiting for him still.

"Alright, the way I see it is that we are shit out of luck unless we can get one of those bug-maniacs to talk. How do you wanna do this?"

Before long Tristan found himself at the ranch where he could see a number of Pokemon he had yet seen before. Some were cute and easily caught his attention like the wooly mareep and the batch of orange feathered chickens he especially found himself interested in, then there were the tauros which just screamed dangerous. Upon first look they seemed to be temperamental with the way they huffed and stamped about their pen telling him to steer clear of them. Tristan, however, wasn't exactly a fan of being at the ranch mainly due to the unpleasant smell that typically lingered around these places but compared to how badly the sewers must smell like, this was easily the superior choice both for the sake of his nose and not getting dirty.

From the looks of things these pokemon weren't wild meaning trainers couldn't just go attempting to catch them, but surely there were ways to obtain any of them. After some quick scans of his pokedex to learn each of their names; Tristan found himself wanting either the mareep or torchic though the miltank could also make for an interesting option. But that would have to wait as his reason for being at this ranch was to once again see about this egg stealing incident and carried on, thankfully avoiding any tauros and miltank patties along the way and all the while his face showed a mixed expression of disgust and curiosity.

An expression that quickly turned blank and eyes going wide as he noticed a shadow loom over him and turned to see the huge, towering Uraring? At least that was what he thought he saw at first, but then realized the imposing figure was that of a hugely bulky man who looked as if to be built of powerful muscles and a great big bushy beard hiding his gruff face. This was a man who lived a long and hard life, the exact opposite of Tristan who lived an easy and cushy life that left him with the sense that this bulky brute could snap in half like a fragile twig without even trying as he was left craning his neck to look up at him with a nervous gulp.

He already angered two others and that definitely did not go well with it nearly getting him punched by that fiery she-beast and a humiliating defeat by a female giant. In fact, he has taken to noticing having met several such intimidating folks and started to wonder if this region was filled with giants. It took a moment for him to realize he had been staring up at the man wide eyed due to being intimidated and pondering on such that he quickly scrambled to collect himself by clearing his throat." Ahem, y-yes well... first I would like to clarify that my name is Tristan...Tristan Glory." He paused after introducing himself, detesting being referred to as a boy then cleared his throat once more to continue." Consider it an honor for I, a Glory have decided to grace his presence upon your ranch to offer his assistance pertaining to the rumored issue regarding eggs being stolen." Placing a hand on his hips as he tried to maintain a confident bravado while speaking in a somewhat cocky, albeit slightly shaky voice that nearly cracked at the end as it was clearly taking effort to maintain this tough image in front of such an imposing bear of a man.

Stella Lumite

Stella was breaking to have a meal with her Pokemon. They'd battled a few wild Pokemon by now, and she'd made some keen observations of the Pokemon around her, like which ones were less common. Which ones seemed stronger. She'd make an effort to catch a Rookidee at some point, but there had been something else she'd noticed.

She finished eating quickly and looked around. She'd seen them around this route, so she was glad she came this way. They looked so adorable and fluffy, with their big, puffy fur mantle around the neck, and that big, dopey smile.

Ocul crawled up her arm to the top of her head as she looked about, wondering what she was looking for. Kaebe was savoring his food.

"Oh, Ocul. I'm looking for that dog Pokemon we've seen. You know the one, right?" The bug gave a chirp in response, lightly tugging a lock of Stella's hair to get her to look in his intended direction.

She looked, and smiled, "yes, that one!"

A Yamper, rolled over on his back and sunning.

"What a cutie~, let's make friends." She did it once... Could she do it again? Maybe Ocul could help her, or maybe they'd end up with another battle. She approached the electric dog casually, stopping at a respectable distance. "Hello~"

She was ready to move. Cute or not, this was a wild Pokemon, and not so wimpy as a Blipbug.

"Hmmmm...." Jason looked at the various groups of Bug Catchers thoughtfully as he tossed Slayer's ball in his hand, up and down. "Well, we could challenge them to battles and say instead of money, they could give us information. Though...kicking their butts might not be the best way to win them over either, so that won't work the way we want either. Especially since if they're sore losers, they could just send us off in a direction for revenge..." The problem was definitely harder to solve than first met the eye. Seeing as they WERE competitive with each other to some degree, maybe some kind of contest outside of a battle would work, but he didn't have any bug types in his roster yet and he wasn't sure that Connor did either.

"Well, I suppose we could just ask until someone turns out to be friendlier than they look or just gets annoyed enough with us to tell us."

@samreaper

This Ursaring of man arched a bushy brow at this strange young man. The kid looked like he had seen death looming over him. The farmer was not exactly sure what the deal was with this kid, but it looked like he wanted something though this was quite the curious fellow. His clothing was noticeably high end, even the farmer could recognize that. This boy looked like he came from money, so it was quite odd to find someone like this kid on his farm. Well, at least until the kid finally came out with what he wanted.

This kid wanted the job? He looked like he never worked a day in his life! Also, was the Glory name meant to mean anything to him? Well, he needed help, and this was the first person to actually come to take the job. Beggars can't be choosers, he supposed.

"Hmmm. Alright Tristan, follow me inside. We will discuss the details of the job." He turned around and motioned with his head to follow him to what appeared to be his actual home. It was actually a surprisingly large farm style house with a luxuriously large wooden deck decorated with wooden chairs with soft cushions of high quality as well as various other bits of outdoor furniture. In fact, the house itself look superbly well maintained and definitely did not look like it was anything that came cheaply. Of course, not nearly as luxurious and impressive as the Glory estate, but despite this man's gruff image, he looked like he was pretty damn successful.

The farmer led Tristan through his home and perhaps he would notice that the decor was very modern and yet still had an edge to it with exposed red brick walls in certain areas, dark wooden beams across the ceiling, and sliding wooden barndoors. Eventually, they would arrive in what appeared to be the kitchen and dining area. The most noticeable thing about the room was that one wall was just a massive glass panel that looked over his property.

"Take a seat." He motioned his hand to some barstools that were by a white granite countertop. The farmer then went to his fridge and grabbed a jug of something and then two glasses from an overhead cabinet. Soon there were two glasses of iced tea that was unsweetened but had the taste of mint of and lemon.

"The name is Neil Andersen, the founder and proprietor of Frida's Ranch. Pardon the late introduction. It's just been a day." He said tiredly and honestly, if it were not for the fact that his face was obscured by his beard, he'd probably look even more tired. "I'll cut to the chase. Someone or something has been stealing the eggs that my Pokemon produce. If I don't nip this at the bud, I am going to lose a serious amount of money and before you ask, yes, I asked the police. They were useless." He said rather brusquely.

"Your task is simple. Find whatever it is that's stealing my eggs and stop it. Your payment will be 7500P if you can do it. Is that fair?" Tristan could just accept this deal as it was, or he could try and negotiate to get more money or something else. Within reason, of course.

---

@CitrusArms

Yeah, no, that was not really going to happen again. Not all wild Pokemon were going to simply rollover like Ocul the Blipbug did and go without a fight. This was the exact case for this little Yamper here.

The Yamper rolled onto its feet and crouched as much as it could with its stubby little legs. The dopey look on its face was replaced with a fierce look where it bore its fangs at the trainer and her bug Pokemon, growling, sparks of electricity crackled around it. It looked like if she wanted to catch a Yamper, she was going to have to do this the hard way.

The Yamper started to charge right for Stella, slowly. Honestly, it isn't a very fast Pokemon and just by looking at it, it's really not hard to see why. Those legs it had were not made speed. Besides that, what does she do? Would she stick with Ocul or would she get her Tyrunt to stop savoring its first meal after being a fossil for who knows how many millenniums to help catch the electric corgi?

---

@Zarkun

Connor shrugged, mainly because he was not sure what to do. Battling them was definitely not the best option seeing as it could go wrong in so many ways even if they won. The last thing they needed was to be misled by some sore losers and get stuck in the forest for lord knows how long. They were going to need think outside the box for this, something that did not require battling.

"Eh, sounds like we need a more delicate touch in general. They're collectors, not battlers. Maybe we could appeal to that?" He suggested. Maybe they could work an angle where both parties could be satisfied.

"Well, only one way to find out." With that, he led Jason to the group of bug-maniacs.

One of them turned to do the approaching due and with an ever-unfriendly expression, "And what do you want?" This guy had glasses so thick that one would struggle to tell what his eyes looked like, but besides that he looked pretty bland.

"Told ya they were a friendly bunch.", said Connor to his companion.

Stella Lumite

Yeah, didn't think it would be that easy. The pupper tried to look fierce, but somehow still looked kind of dopey. Maybe it was the general body shape. Just kinda chunky and non-threatening. The sparks it generated while running were the most threatening thing, really. But, it was so slow, she wondered how much momentum it had behind it. Those stubby legs couldn't be good for turning, at any rate. "Ocul. Get him with Struggle Bug when I jump out of the way. Then I'll try to catch him." Her bug nodded to her, and she growled at the Yamper to egg goad it on. She let the it get close and

Kaebe tackled the poor unsuspecting thing from the side! "Ruuunt!"

"Oh. Ok." Sure. Kaebe's getting decently strong, so maybe it would be good to go right for the pokeball, if he's the one who got a shot in. So she did. She tossed a PokeBall at the probably surprised and confused Yamper, figuring she might have to apologize later for Kaebe blindsiding it. Kaebe, meanwhile, took a protective stance on front of Stella.

"To be blunt, sir, we're as curious about the slash marks on the trunks as you. The two of us are helping Professor Kapoc fill out his Pokedex, more or less employed by the good Professor. We were wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing any theories or ideas you might have with us about them." Originally, Jason had intended to be polite, but if this was how they were going to treat other people, people who's only crime was approaching them, then he was going to be blunt instead. While waiting for a response from them, he made a point to watch the rest of the group from the corners of his eyes, but maintaining the eye contact with the one who'd spoken up.

Tristan was observing the rancher's face expectantly, waiting for him to show visible recognition at the mention of the Glory name. Not only did he get no reaction as he hoped, but a look of confusion as if he had never heard about his family which left Tristan feeling a tad flustered and disappointed.* Seriously? How can he not know about the Glory Congomerate?* He wondered this to himself, baffled, as just about everyone back home just about knew of the Glory's and only those who lived under a rock wouldn't though from the looks of this man, he was likely one such case.

Then the man spoke in a gruff manner causing the pampered teen to tense up as he unexpectedly found himself paranoid, worried the rancher was gonna grab and toss him into some nearby piles of hay. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time being tossed out, but he simply told to follow him to discuss the details inside. Tristan let out a low exhale of relief, releasing his breath that he hadn't noticed even holding in at first; clearly still rattled from the whole ordeal with Freya and Steph.

" Y-yes, right. Ahem, lead the way then good sir." Taken off-guard by the rancher's surprisingly direct yet kind manner of speaking as these types typically tended to not be so... elegant in the way they spoke, at least from what he was taught. Only to be surprised yet again upon setting eyes on the man's domicile, so very unlike the image in his head as while he wasn't exactly picturing a tiny shack but more like say a small wooden cabin and instead the property was more akin to a moderately nice summer home that most rick folks normally owned.

Three times now that Tristan was surprised by this ranch which, now that he took a good look around proved to be quite large which seemed to show that this place was thriving quite well. And this house was visible proof of its booming success. Then before long he saw the inside and while the decor wasn't exactly to his taste per se, he couldn't deny that the furniture and style gave off a warm and comfortable vibe; one that he might find very relaxing to lounge about when wanting a break from his lifestyle with all the tech and keeping up with social media.

Consider Tristan more than impressed and once in the kitchen, would see that this rancher whose name to be Neil Anderson was also well mannered as well seeing how he offered a glass of iced tea. For once he found himself giving a warmly smile as he sat down at the table making himself comfortable and took a sip of the tea which to his delight wasn't overly sweet as most places tended to be often overpowering the gentle flavors, but the lack sweetness allowed him to enjoy the refreshing sharpness of mint and faint sourness of lemon, none of it overpowering to the senses.

Unlike that grumpy bore, Kapock, Neil was a man Tristan found himself respecting as he seemed to know how to do business with the ranch as good indication, not to mention he knew how to treat his guests well. And so, for once Tristan paid full attention listening to the man's qualms after introducing himself first to which he gave a small dismissive wave of the hand." Not an issue at all, mr. Andersen, correct? " He asked with a nod wanting to confirm he got the name right then sipped at his drink while Neil carried on and would frown upon hearing that this egg stealing issue was more severe than what he once thought that he couldn't stand to see this kindly rancher having money troubles, especially as smaller businesses needed every bit of profit to survive.

Nodding his head with one last sip of his tea before chiming in after Neil finished with a quick clearing of the throat." Hm, that does indeed sound very unfortunate though before we get down to the nitty details regarding the job. It would be improper of me to not compliment you on this wonderful home of yours. Very...compact yet comfortable I dare say, perhaps some splashes of springtime colors would do the place wonders." Once again waving his hand dismissively with another sip of his tea with a refreshing sigh, this drink really was what he needed to soothe the nerves that had been festering." Ah, but I digress, forgive me. We're not here to discuss about your home. Onto business then.... this egg stealing does sound pretty dire from the way explained and so I assume it has been happening for some time then?" Asking with a raised brow before scoffing at the mention of the cops with a shake of his head, eyebrows furrowed." The authorities... hah! They are indeed a waste of time. The cops care only for themselves as it's all about politics and money with them who do nothing but abuse their powers most times." His opinions towards cops were low as they caused more trouble than good majority of times from the dealings he had seen regarding them.

It was no wonder why this rancher looked so exhausted when having to deal with cops who have been of no help obviously and all the profits these unknown thieves were costing him. He sat up, ready to discuss the fine details now and after years of intense shopping sprees, the one thing he was confident with and that was haggling. Though unlike his brothers who would likely try to trick and scam this simple farmer, Tristan was about fairness and while the offered price was adequate for a venue of this level, there was something he was more interested in than money at least in this instance." After listening to your qualms and the issues it has caused, I'm more than happy to take on the job and take care of things but before doing so I wish to discuss the reward?" Tristan leaned forward folding his hands together on the table having shifted into business mode." Before anything else, I will say that the price offered is more than fair though I admit, after having looked around your ranch that I have taken notice to the pokemon you housed upon your property and while they are not free for capture yes? And thus, I wish to suggest a proposal." Nodding while observing Neil as he spoke to gauge his reaction before carrying on." A proposal in the guise of a trade involving one of your torchics perhaps? Mind you that I understand they are rare pokemon so, of course this means the offered price along with said torchic would be too much, correct?" Drumming his fingers along his knuckles as he stopped to think for a moment, his lips pursing as he did so." So how about this. I find and take care of these dreadful egg thieves and in return ask for 3,500 and a Torchic of my choosing to pick? And maybe some berries for my pokemon as more likely than not some battling will be involved of which my pokemon will be handling so they will deserve a bit of reward as well." At the mention of this, King chimed in with an approving caw clearly happy at the prospect of getting a delicious berry as a reward.

He then leaned back to finish off the rest of his iced tea." Does this proposal sound fair to you?" Tristan once again observed the farmer as he waited to let him think on the proposal he suggested.

As the man spoke, Steph looked like she was about to blow a gasket. He was just lazily tossing the very expensive equipment that was the pokedex up and down like it was a tennis ball. Work something out? With a scumbag like him? Yeah right, the only thing they had to work out was how broken his nose was going to be if he didn't return her-

Holy fucking shit.

Watching as the sneasal was ordered to attack her, she barely had a moment to react let alone think of what to do before the shard of ice was hurled at her. Though before it could land, or Steph could think of what to do as naturally as one might do in this situation she panicked a little, a flickering light on her shoulder would catch the mans attention. Then an small explosion as a small light crashed into the advancing ice, causing small, harmless pieces of ice to cascade around the alleyway.

Dusk had jumped off of Stephs shoulder and launched an ember to intercept the ice shard if one needed a brief explanation as to what had happened, and was now between Steph and the treacherous duo. "Lit, Litwick!" If a Litwick had hands, it seemed like it was ready to throw them as it looked back at Steph, seemingly ready to receive some orders.

"Oh roigh'....laeh''s taych thiies crook a laessawn indayd pahtnah!" Seeing Dusk eager and ready to go snapped Steph out of the shock of being attacked. Right, she had Dusk now. And Dennis to a lesser extent, but that was a bridge to burn for another time. She was ready to counter attack. "Just kayp usin embah on thaht snaysahl! It's yoah baest sheow'!"

@CitrusArms

Sparks of electricity were now radiating from the Tyrunt. Little did the dinosaur know, the Yamper was using Nuzzle, which has a hundred percent chance of paralysis on contact. While the Kaebe did not receive damage from the attack, it still made contact with the electric type while it was using that move.

Well, she was not wrong to assume that the Tackle did heavy damage against the Yamper. The poor thing ate the full brunt of the attack without any way of guarding or bracing for impact. It rolled against the ground, already taken so much damage so quickly so it showed very little resistance to when the ball made impact

It rolled once... it rolled twice...it rolled thrice!



Now what does she want to do?

Connected Areas:

Grand Glory City
Florasong City
Unmarked Woods

---

@Zarkun

This man was totally unmoved, even when Jason mentioned that he and Connor were both employed by Professor Kapoc. Instead, he actually looked more annoyed that they thought that they think they were entitled to this information just because they were helping the professor. "And what do I get out of it? Surely you weren't expecting me to handover information that we painstakingly sought out for over days and days without anything in return."

To be fair, nothing is free. These were people who took so much time out of their day to research the possibility that there was indeed a rare bug-type Pokemon and then some random kid just asks for something without offering anything in return. They were not interested in contests or challenges; the only way that they would give away information is if they were compensated somehow, which raises a very important question. How does someone even make a deal with a bug maniac?

---

@samreaper

Being called 'Mr. Andersen' made him physically flinch. This was a man that was definitely not used to being formal. Just Neil is fine., he said quickly.

When told that his decor could use a touch of spring colors, he actually chuckled at that. "Heh, my wife keeps saying the same thing too.", said the farmer, sipping on his tea as he listened to Tristan talk and talk. He was quite the wordy, opinionated kid. However, he did raise an eyebrow when Tristan mentioned that Torchics were rare Pokemon.

"You're not from Evig are you?" asked Neil after Tristan had finish saying his piece. "Torchics are not just simply rare. They're practically extinct in the wild within the Evig region. Luckily, my wife loves those things and is working with rangers to help reintroduce them back into the wild, but right now, the only place to get a Torchic within this region is my farm. Typically, I wouldn't really give them away due to the cost of raising or even procuring them, but... well, circumstances are dire."

However, he seemed a bit confused when Tristan mentioned berries. Surely the boy must've noticed that there were no orchards of berry trees anywhere on this property. "We're not a berry farm so I cannot do that for you, but if it's a reward for your Pokemon that you want, I can spare you a pack of Moomoo Milk from my own personal stock."

Neil stood up from his seat. "Let me discuss the matter of the Torchics with my wife. It's really her passion project so I dare not make this decision without her. Wait here and make yourself comfortable." He walked out of the kitchen and was gone for about fifteen minutes. Hopefully he hasn't set the room on fire.

Eventually, Neil returned with a very short blonde-haired woman that looked just about as sturdy as her husband though not in an overly buff sort of way. She looked like she was very much used to hard manual labor and very used to wrestling the Tauros outside. She approached Tristan and said, "Sae yer th' laddie that me guidman wis talking aboot. Th' name is Frida." Judging by the way she spoke she was actually most likely Galarian or as we in the real world would call her, Scottish. She held her hand out for a handshake and if he did, he would have felt like she was squeezing the soul of out of his body. "Juist wanted tae catch up wi` oor sudden newest helper, considering yer request."

"We agreed to your request, except for the fact that you do not get to pick your Torchic. Some of them are needed for breeding stock and they are hard to replace."

"Honestly, ah dinnae even lik' th' idea o' giein' yin awa', bit if that is th' cost tae solve oor aishans then sae be it."

---

@Lunarlord34

"Oh, so the little man wants to throw hands." The man, despite being at a type disadvantage, was still acting smug. Then again, a little blue candle is not exactly the most intimidating thing in the world.

"Jump onto the wall and then push off, follow by Ice Shard." He ordered the Sneasel, which promptly leapt high into the air, its feet planted against the wall, and then it pushed off to dash to another wall while throwing an Ice Shard at the Litwick. If Steph and Dusk could not adapt to the Sneasels movements, they would just be continually assaulted by Ice Shards.

If Steph wanted to use the environment, there was a dumpster, some trash bags, and a fire escape though it's not very certain how she could use these things at all, let alone to her own advantage.

The discussion seemed to be going well as Tristan missed the way the rancher flinched upon being referred by his last name due to being taught in the ways of business formal. And thus, when told to call him Neil, he found it strange." Ah? Yes, of course. If that is what you prefer..." Intending to do as such but trailed off instead finding it awkward to do so.

Thankfully, Mr. Anderson spoke on changing the topic with mention of his wife sharing similar opinions regarding the house using some spring colors bringing a smile to his lips. It seemed this woman had some good taste to think such from the style and decor of the place though kept quiet as he looked to have more to say after showing a look of confusion or at least that was what he could make out through that bushy beard.

The next statement had him raising an eyebrow; surprised at his guess that he was foreign to the Evig region, that is until he was told about the situation regarding Torchics. Hearing this made him frown while his folded hands clenched a bit, both saddened and frustrated to hear of more the horrible effects done by cipher's misdeeds. He lost himself in thought until Neil carried on that the Torchics were more his wife's and needed to discuss with her about it after quick mention about a pack of moomoo milk." Oh... oh! Yes, of course. By all means, take your time and am more than fine with the moomoo milk." He replied in turn which got a happy chirp from King who wasn't disappointed at all about the berries leaving him to guess that this Murkrow might have partaken of this ranch's milk before.

Tristan spent this time to think on what Neil said after he left to talk with the wife. How sad it was to hear how much the Pokemon are suffering due to this vile organization who seemed to show no remorse towards the fact their actions have pushed pokemon to extinction were it not for people like Mr. Anderson's wife. He had no idea of just how severely damaging Cipher's presence was to the region that he wondered how they could be stopped. And if this was indeed the only place to find Torchics then this was his one and only chance to acquire one.

Before long he would hear the rancher return with his wife; a woman that carried an intimidating presence that while briefly reminded him of Steph and Freya, hers felt less dangerous and more just imposing similar to that of Neil though not as strongly and with a hint of warmth. All it took was a single glance to tell this woman was no stranger to manual labor as she had a strongly built body, albeit nowhere near as bulky as her husband, but he had a feeling her strength was far from lacking as he would in fact get a taste of it shortly.

The rich teen soon heard her speak and his face went blank and pale as once again was instantly reminded of the she-beast. To find another that spoke in such a thickly accent left him reeling in a manner akin to ptsd though the one saving grace was that her accent wasn't as thick allowing him to actually pick out some of her words at least, one of them including her name to be Frida.

This had Tristan struggling with trying to decipher what she said, but one thing was for sure that this time he would hold his tongue. As he had the feeling that whereas a punch from Steph would have left him with a bruised or broken nose, a blow from this woman could very well kill him. And so, he chose to hold his tongue while blinking nervously at the hand she extended momentarily before reaching out to take hold of it; an act he regretted almost instantly for the grip she had was like a vise that threatened to crush his silky soft and well-manicured hand and for a moment swore he heard something crack, confirming that a blow from Frida indeed would be deadly.

" Ch-Charmed to meet you, Mrs. Frida...and like I said to Mr Neil here, I wish to say once again that you have a lovely home here." He spoke in a friendly, albeit strained and slightly nervous manner then gave a forced smile. The one relief he had was that Neil was there to explain in his wife's stead. His eyebrows furrowed a bit at the next statement, finding it a bit disappointing that he wouldn't get to pick out his own though taking their situation into consideration that it was only fair, but was happy to hear they agreed to his proposal. Even if Frida did not seem all too pleased with it by the tone of her words, at least from what he was able to make out.

Tristan couldn't help feel bad; both for the trouble they were going through and the situation with the torchics and pondered to himself while rolling his wrist and flexing the hand to make sure nothing had been broken." I am pleased to hear you have accepted my proposal and have no qualms regarding being unable to pick one out as I don't wish to hinder the gallant efforts of Mrs. Frida here, but... I have one last thing to add if you don't mind?" He stopped there for a moment trying to think up an idea while still rolling his wrist when he noticed his stomach rumbling and from it came the idea needed." Mind, before you worry, I don't mean to add more onto the deal, but instead to offer a slight change. I would like to suggest lowering the reward by another 500 from the offered price making it an even 3k and in exchange perhaps ask to join you for dinner, after I have dealt with the egg thieves of course." He finished with a nod in the hopes this would make Frida a little more comfortable with offering up a Torchic even if only a tad and get himself a home cooked meal that while he doubt would be anything like the high quality meals he was used to, anything they cooked would be far more preferable to the nutrition bars and other small dried food chives had packed for him of which he had been dreading having to subject his refined tastebuds to.

Stella Lumite

Nice! "Good job, Kaebe. Rest for now." She'd noticed the jolt of energy dancing on his skin. When she checked her Pokedex, it confirmed for her; he was paralyzed. First, though, she better grab her PokeBall. With a glance at get Pokedex, "Oh, 'her'."

The Pokedex told her most things. The things she needed to know, like information on her vitality, and her known moves. Not much strength left, and Kaebe was paralyzed. Well... She had a potion, and the next Pokemon she wanted was a one of those little bluebirds she saw before. The electric type would be excellent.

She remembered something she'd read about Yamper, once. Joltic. Joltic would often feed off of a Yamper's electricity. Weren't they tiny? She scanned her surroundings carefully. Sure couldn't remember specifically how big they were supposed to be...

Could she lure it? "Kaebe, come here, please? I know you're not feeling the best." She turned to the Blipbug on her shoulder, "Ocul, keep an eye out for a Joltic. There might be one around here." Could she lure it over with the electric paralysis of her Tyrunt? If it was here, she hoped it would work.

Grumpy bastards... Something told Jason that mentioning the satisfaction of helping the region begin confirming the rise in its various Pokemon populations wasn't going to quite be enough for this group of bug fanatics. But between the Pokeballs and his new good rod, the young man didn't have much to offer monetarily either. That said, their refusal to share anything was more than a firm confirmation, but they still needed a location where they had the best chance to see it, even possibly catch it. Leaning over to Connor, Jason speaks so only he can hear him. "So...I have nothin' to offer these guys, except sore rear ends if they want to keep being rude."

Now, Steph had seen enough battles in the Galarian league growing up to see the basic strategy the man was using. But there was a problem. Knowing how one and seeing how it worked is one thing, experiencing it is another thing. She also had no clue how to utilise it with a Litwick. Could a litwick even be mobile? Well, maybe not as much as Sneasal but maybe?

"Don't let it confuse you Dusk, blast the Ice Shard out of the air then slam into it and use Smog!" It may come as no surprise, but Steph seemed to have a more aggressive approach to battling. Hopefully Dusk could learn the timing and whatnot of the Sneasals movements to actually make that second part easier, but maybe he could get it through the small explosion of the two moves colliding.

@samreaper

Much to Tristan's surprise, she laughed and gave him such a hard pat on the back that he would have felt the air forced out of his lungs. "Weel aren't ye a bawherr o' an ass kisser! Tis braw laddie. Ah know mah accent is thick." He wasn't exactly discreet with how confused he was when he heard her speak. In fact, she seemed quite used to it though it seemed like it didn't save him from that back pat that forced his soul out of his flesh. To be frank, it would have been an impressive feat for him to not be literally smacked onto the floor though if that did happen, Neil would've just grabbed him before that would happen.

Speaking of Neil, he had raised his brow when Tristan made dinner part of the deal for the job. He waved his hand dismissively at the very notion of adding it into the deal. "No, no that's okay. We'd offer you dinner anyway for doing this. It's the decent thing to do.

"Aye, we aren't monsters you know. Ah will be sure tae cook up a hearty meal." Frida said with a confident grin.

"Well, I should probably show you around the farm. You can't really investigate from inside a kitchen. Follow me, if you please." asked Neil, motioning Tristan to finish his drink and follow him.

Well, it looked like it was time to get back to work. "Alricht, see ye later love."

With that, Tristan was being led back outside.

---

@CitrusArms

Well, it was an interesting idea. Let's see how it plays out!

The issue is that even Ocul, even with its big glasses like eyes, would have trouble trying to spot a Joltik because those things were bloody well small. They're 4 inches or for the metrically inclined, 0.1 meter so trying to spot then in the tall grass would be just about impossible, if they were even in this area to begin with.

This would go on for quite a bit of time and perhaps Stella was beginning to feel a bit discouraged. Maybe she was ready to give up, until something very interesting happened. Something bit the tip of Kaebe's tail and was completely latched on. No matter how hard the Tyrunt tried to shake it off, this thing was fiercely clinging onto the dinosaur.

Pokédex Entry #595 – Joltik, the Attaching Pokemon. Joltik can be found clinging to other Pokémon. It's soaking up static electricity because it can't produce a charge on its own. They're often found sticking to Yamper's hindquarters.

What does Stella do?

---

@Zarkun

Connor wasn't exactly pleased with this situation. Despite how friendly of a face, he put on, one could see the right corner of his mouth twitch and how clenched his jaw was. Judging by the fact that there was a thick piece of rope poking out of his bag, there was no doubt that this man would've loved to hogtie them and hanging them on one of those massive tree roots that were arcing above them. Even more to his annoyance, he didn't know how to bargain with these bug obsessed nerds and apparently, neither did Jason.

The cowboy leaned in and whispered back, "Yeah, I don't have much to offer myself. This is proving to be much more difficult than I thought."

Despite their whispering, the bug maniac was quite sharp and was able to pick up on the situation quite quickly. He furrowed his brow and sighed, shaking his head. "God above, we don't want your money. Do you two have any info or skills to offer? You are trainers, right?" At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't provide anything either.

"Come on, aren't you being a little too hard on them?", said someone else from the group, who then received a burning glare from behind the very thick lenses of the man's glasses.

"Are you kidding me? We've been painstakingly researching this for so long with little sleep and you'd just give it away to anyone that walks and asks you? Would you give your thesis away if someone asked? Know the value of your work dammit!"

Meanwhile Connor turned to Jason while this Bug Maniac was going off on this one person. "I've don't have much on the info department."

---

@Lunarlord34

We will assume that Dusk used an Ember to intercept the Ice Shard. The attacks did collide and thankfully, due to Ember having a type-advantage over Ice Shard, the opposing Pokemon's attack was destroyed with very little resistance. Bits of ice and ember fell to the ground, none of it harmful as they were more like specks.

Okay so, uh, Litwick is not exactly what some would call a fast Pokemon. In fact, even at its fastest speed it had no chance in hell to match the most casual saunter of a Sneasel. Even under the cover of the small explosion of ice and fire, jumping or floating with all its might, Dusk did not have a chance to intercept the opposing Pokemon though it was still within range for the Litwick's next attack. Dusk breathed out a dark gray cloud of exhaust gas at the Sneasel and due to its wide range, it still caught the Sneasel. Rather than doing external damage, Smog hurts by those who breathe the toxic gasses in.

Actually, Steph and the lowlife would have noticed that the Smog was actually not dispersing but lingering above. "Get out of there!" The thug ordered and the Sneasel found its way back to the ground. The thing's breathing was haggard, presumably from breathing in the gas though it seemed to not just take damage from the attack. It was poisoned. "Ice Shard! Don't let up!" Even in this pained state, it still followed through and kept blasting icicles at Dusk nonstop.

What does Steph do?