Shades of Gray [revamp]

[Zorayda]

"All right, Viola, come back here and stay close, all right?" Jace called to his vulpix worriedly. The innocence of the path was deceiving, he knew, and he wanted his Pokemon ready to go if there was a sudden attack.

Sure enough, not fifty yards in, a wild sentret rushed from the grasses, looking wary and aggressive.

Jace looked to Selena, gesturing towards the Pokemon.

"Ladies first," he grinned, knowing that both of their Pokemon needed the experience. "Unless you'd rather me handle it."

[Moonlight]

As they entered into the wooded glade, Selina couldn't help but notice Koun moving to the outside of Eva, ushering the eevee closer to them. Protective, guarding. It was no surprise that the poochyena was looking out for his adopted daughter, but what did surprise her was the faint growl that was coming from the dark type.

Koun's muzzle was curled back, bearing his fangs as his hackles raised. But it wasn't at the sentret that was darting across the path. Selina pulled away from Jace after a moment, silver and amber eyes flicking around the pathway as they walked. Their pace slower, wary. But the sentret took the canine's apparent threat to heart, dashing off into the underbrush. "Hold on a moment, Jace ..." the young woman murmured, listening.

The wooded area was quiet, save for Koun's rumbling growl. A faint breeze sifted through the trees, rustling their garments and toying with their hair. A hand idly tucked some loose locks behind an ear, half turning. Cherrygrove was already a distance away, despite their relaxed pace. The overhead wooden sign was small from where they stood, especially on their downhill slope.

Only to have silken thread shoot by their heads as they shifted their weight.

[Zorayda]

"Whoa!" Jace doubled back at the sudden attack, looking around to see where it had come from. Viola growled, facing somewhere behind them, and Jace whipped around to see what it was that had shot at them. Some sort of bug Pokemon, surely...

"Scary! Scary!" Rast was floating about, his eyes wide with fear. Whatever it was, it didn't sit well with the gastly... Rowan was squawking and flapping about angrily, leaving cuts along Jace's shoulder and small holes where the bird's talons had been gripping. Jace winced in pain, but then was grateful for the reminder of the spearow's presence.

If the Pokemon that had attacked them was a bug-type, then it made sense that Rowan would be able to fight it off... if they could see where the thing went.

"Selena, you all right?" Jace asked, his black hair falling into his eyes. He pushed it out of his face and felt the moisture that had collected on his forehead.

[Moonlight]

Her breath hitched as another sticky string landed with an unusual 'thud' against a tree across the path, ducking underneath it as she scooped Koun and Eva up in her arms, half rolling out of the way of another String Attack. She hardly expected to be attacked less than a mile away from Cherrygrove - Much less by a bug type. And their presence had more than likely aggravated it, especially if it was one that had lost its home to Shroud pokemon. Or worse, was one.

Nodding to the young man, though, setting her two pokemon back on the ground. "Mmm. What about you?" she asked, eyes boring into the trees to find where the threat was. A hand rested on each of the canine and vulpine's backs, half kneeling and half crouching behind them. Waiting. Certain it would strike again, if it perceived them as a threat. It seemed they were learning just why people were avoiding traveling now.

Leaves rustled as the bug scurried through the branches, before it dropped. A snake-like hiss audible from the green and black spider, pincers clinking threateningly. Spinarak.

[Zorayda]

Jace forced himself from giving in to the shudder that threatened to go down his tingling spine at the sight of the angry bug Pokemon. He'd never really been a fan of them in the first place, and the screeching sounds they made...

"We need a way to distract it..." Jace muttered, thinking quickly. The spider-like thing in front of them hissed and spat another gob of silk at them, which he avoided while trying to block Viola from getting hit.

- Jace, it's scared of me,- Viola shouted mentally. The trainer watched the bug and did note that it seemed to avoid the vulpix, and, for that matter, Rowan and Koun as well.

"Hmm... okay, here's what I want you to do..." Jace gave Viola the instructions via mental link, and she relayed it to the other two Pokemon as well. Not really knowing how Selena's Pokemon's abilities, he had to leave her out... but Viola gave Eva a quick message, telling her what they were about to do.

"Go!" Jace shouted.

The pretty vulpix leapt forward, viciously showing her fangs to the bug-type pokemon. The spinarak seemed to startle at first, but then it leapt forward with malicious intent, its pincers clicking ominously.

"Viola, roar!" Jace shouted, and the vulpix obeyed, her pearly fangs glistening as she opened her maw. Raw sound came forth, menacing and scary. The spinarak stopped for a moment, unsure.

"Now, ember!" Small but scorching flames came from Viola suddenly, burning the spinarak. The bug screeched like a banshee, blind with rage as it rushed forward and stung the young vulpix with poison before she could dodge.

Jace blanched, hearing his Pokemon's hurt cry echo in his mind. He hated seeing his precious partners hurt... he looked at the furious bug, seeing that Ember had its desired effect--the spinarak was burned and weaker than it was a moment ago, but now his own Pokemon was poisoned and hurt. It looked like a close fight...

Without a direction from Jace, Viola suddenly decided to make a move on her own. She ran around the spinarak, making it chase her. She was tired, panting, and sore, and every movement was making her weaker and weaker...

"Viola! What are you doing? You're hurting yourself..." His voice trailed away as he saw what she was trying to do. She was using Tail Whip as she ran, making the angry spinarak's defense lessen with every step. Clever, but would it work?

"Ember! Now!" Viola stopped in her tracks and opened her mouth once more, emitting the small flames. The attack was extremely effective, a one-hit KO, and the bug gave one last ear-splitting screech before falling to the ground. Viola, panting and tired, looked proud of herself.

- I did it, Jacey,- she said telepathically, sounding tired. She took a few weak steps towards her trainer, who immediately scooped her up.

"Oh, Viola, you did wonderfully! You protected us," he said, hugging her close. He sat her down and crouched, pulling his backpack off of his shoulders. "Oh no... I only have potions, nothing to cure poison..." he lamented, feeling terrible. He should have been better prepared...

"Um, hey, Selena, did you happen to bring any antidotes?" He asked, rubbing Viola's back soothingly as she shivered from the poison in her system.

[Moonlight]

(OOC: Actually, I think it'd be better if it was a regular pokemon. Shroud are vicious, but also very, very hardy. They're much more difficult to defeat, XD.)

Selina had been about to send her companions in to help, when Jace took over with Viola. As it seemed they were handling it well, she took the time to observe what was going on. The young vulpix was quick on her feet, as well as quick of wit - Using her agility to confuse the angry poisonous spider, before ultimately defeating it in the battle. A burn-related stench seemed to take root in the air when it fainted, though glancing over at Jace's following request.

Nodding, quickly rifling through her pack. "Mmm, I should have one," she said, shuffling through the collection of smaller bottles. By the time she came up with the lime colored ointment, though, Viola was shivering profusely. Figuring that Viola would take it best from her companion, she handed the bottle to her companion. Motioning Eva and Koun after them, wanting to continue before the smell did attract a Shroud pokemon.

Waiting until the antidote was administered, before starting back on the trail. Only to stop short a little while later, stiffening. Black spots against a pale green suddenly emerged along the treeline, and in great quantity. They'd walked into a nest.

[Zorayda]

Jace quickly sprayed the poisoned vulpix, making sure that she stopped shivering or feeling any pain before putting the empty bottle away to throw in the trash later. He smiled at Selina in thanks before following her frightened gaze. He stiffened.

"Oh, sh--"

The screeches of dozens of angry spinarak cut off his curse before he uttered it. He quickly scooped up his weakened vulpix before giving Selina a push forward.

"Go!" He urged, making sure she ran, too. Rast was already zipping away down the path towards New Bark Town, yelling in fear. Rowan, however, suddenly seemed to light up in interest. When one of the many spinarak surged forward, swarming, Rowan flew up into the air, only to come back down in a dive to use Peck. Startled by the bird's sudden protectiveness, Jace let the bird dodge, dive, and hit the bugs, effectively distracting them for the moment.

"Let's go!" He shouted, and began to run with the fox in his arms. Rowan followed more slowly, enjoying the thrill of battle.

[Moonlight]

The push that sent her reeling was entirely unneeded - Scooping both of her quadrupedal pokemon off the ground in that same instant, breaking into an all out run. Leta seemed to chose that moment to come back out, causing the blonde woman to stumble slightly as another weight was added to her. But not slowing down a bit, strong silken strands shooting after the others. Only to have vivid blue flames race up one of them, the ralts' Will-o-Wisp taking care of one on its own.

"Thanks!" she breathed, ducking under another. Glancing over as the hill slope became steeper, before glancing back at Jace. "Jump!" she called, before launching herself off of the high end side - Sliding roughly down the grassy slope, trying to get her team to safety. There was no way that they'd survive those numbers. Not in one piece.

The young woman hissed in pain as a rock dug into her back, wet warmth suddenly blooming over the back of her shirt, before rolling at the bottom of the hill. They'd gained quite a bit of ground on the furious spiders. If they were lucky, it'd put them off enough to make them think they'd won.

[Zorayda]

Rowan finally caught up with them, flying overhead and cawing happily. Jace ran quickly, his breath coming in soft, quick pants as he did.

When they came to the hill, he jumped along with Selina, rolling down until he finally came to a stop. He'd hit a few rocks along the way, and he could feel the bruises now... he groaned in slight pain, looking up to see if the bugs had gone away.

Viola poked her nose out from the shelter of her trainer's arms, eyeing Selina.

- Selina hurt,- the fox said softly, her amber eyes now focused on Jace's deep green ones. Jace looked around to see the blonde girl, noticing that she was wincing in pain.

"Hey, what's up?" Jace asked, concerned. Rast came around to view the girl, as well, worried in his own sense. Jace gently set his vulpix down before standing, cringing slightly at the soreness in his muscles. "Ah... you've got a bit of a cut..." he said, looking at Selina's slight wound. "I don't think it's terribly deep, though. Will you be okay?"

[Moonlight]

The blonde woman pushed herself up after a moment, allowing her companions from her arms. She turned at Jace's voice, before nodding. A small smile curved her lips, ruffling her fingers through her hair to get the shreds of grass from it. "Mmm. Its not too bad. We probably should go, though, before they decide they're not done yet," Selina added with a nod towards the hilltop, putting her backpack on again.

Pausing after a moment, though. "... We'll probably have to go through the woods. The path is probably crawling with angry spinarak, so its not much better of a choice," she pointed out, before starting off again. Having the general direction, she doubted they'd get lost that easily. The route between Cherrygrove and New Bark was hardly known for having difficult forests. Soon immersing themselves in the trees, vanishing from sight.

* * * * *

The onyx haired trainer moved along the wooded area quietly, lavender eyes taking in her foreign surroundings as quickly as she was moving. Listening intently to the voices ahead, half-crouching behind a tall bush where the trees began to thin. Kali ... Destruction. A mixture of this "Team Rocket", and then the one she was all too familiar with. Spending a life fighting them had gotten her well acquainted with the organization known as Cipher.

The conversation drifting to her, half muffled but still audible. A brow arched upon catching an unexpected word, shifting her elbow length hair over to one side as to hear them better.

"... taking its affects. I think its done deal, at least for this area," the younger man was saying, almost sounding bored. Wanting to move on.

"Hold your horses, pup. You either do the job right, or don't do it at all - That or go back to your branch," the older man stated bluntly, irritated.

"Geez, pops ... You'd think this was life or death," 'Pup' groaned, taking off a dark glove, idly slapping it against his other palm. Sighing, before nodding. "You win. I just got promoted. I don't need trouble," he said, resigned.

"Good. Stay on your toes," the older man returned shortly, before motioning his partner on. Turning into the woods again, just shy of the gatehouse to the Blackthorn Trail. Diana's eyes narrowed, before following again. Determined to get to the bottom of it, alone or not.

Standing slowly, moving along the shadows of the trees. Allowing them to cloak her lean frame, black jeans and violet tanktop lending well to camouflage. Taking advantage of the darkened terrain. Only to pause as one of them vanished from her line of sight, lavender gaze flicking about the trees. Skimming through them momentarily, listening for the footsteps. Neither had been walking particularly quiet - Yet now the sounds had vanished. Unassuming - Smart.

But apparently not smart enough.

Pain exploded in the back of her head as something collided with it, staggering forward. A vice-like grip fastening around both elbows, jerking her back before she could adequately respond. Multi-color dots danced in front of her eyes, blinking them repeatedly to clear her pain-fogged vision.

"I thought I saw you here yesterday ... Sneaky wrench," the older man added sharply, tone venomous. Directly behind her. "Do you really think interfering will do you any good?"

Her jaw clenched, slowly looking up to face the younger one. "Well, that would depend ..." she returned softly, voice barely a whisper. The newly promoted Kali operative arched a brow, somewhat bemused.

"On?"

"How fast you react," she snapped, suddenly lashing out in attack - Kicking her leg up, using the superior to support her weight. The heel of her boot connecting with the younger man's mouth and nose, blood suddenly running down his face. Using that moment of shock to plant her feet as the other came back down, horse stance sending the one holding her over her shoulder with a practiced throw. Another kick connecting with the man's back before he even landed, forcing him to roll away from the onslaught of pain.

Immediately taking a step back, and taking stance. "Do you want to go there?"