[Marley Hyde]

So, it seemed the fat woman had some pokemon of her own, calling forth a Trevenant from the forest, and a Stunfisk from the sand. He had to give her credit, she was smart enough to have her pokemon lying in ambush. Though they would regret waiting so long to jump them.

Shalin's Stantler took a shot at the Trevenant. Not exactly the smartest move. Didn't she know that ghost types were immune to normal types? Well, she's certainly learn soon enough when the Trevenant hit back with a Horn Leech, dealing a good deal of damage to the deer. Well, Marley wasn't going to stand by and let her fight this battle alone. Marley's expression hardened. "Maggie."

The trevenant looked up, just in time for it to receive a blast of Mystical Fire right to the face. The ghostly tree stumbled back, crying in pain as Marley's Mismagius descended down to float by his side. Oh yes, they seemed to have forgotten about the ghost. "Maggie, follow up with a Phantom Force!" Maggie nodded, letting out a loud cry as dark energies fired from her, slamming into the stunned Trevenant before it could react. With a loud cry, the massive ghost crashed to the ground.

Marley looked at Shalin with a smirk. "Don't worry. I gotcha back."

[Shalin Nariya]

The rotund female grumbled upon recalling her fallen Trevenant. The boy was good, she would concede that. Outside the strict watch of law enforcement, though, there was more to battle than mere skill as a Pokémon trainer. There would be no referee to call foul. "Stunfisk, brace!" The Electric-type menacingly stared down Maggie, its whole frame laced with a coat of big sparks that made the girl's hair stand on end just from watching.

Realizing she was far outclassed, Shalin recalled Caprice, replacing her with a cross-eyed Stunky. "Gas 'em out, Kiku!" Running up to the crackling Stunfisk, her Pokémon loosed a cloud of filthy, rancid musk all over the electric-type. It looked no worse for wear for the time being. For the time being being the key phrase. The gas would have its effect in due time.

Aha! Seena thought. Just the gap she was waiting for. She silently made a long lob of a third Poké Ball all the way to Shalin, the Lunatone very quick to exit and pin Shalin down with its weight. Sharp rocks circled above both her and the Lunatone, the Rock Slide attack being held back via telekinesis. "Leave now, and I don't bury her alive," the smuggler threatened Marley, trying to split his attention between his current battle and her friend.

{WC: 221}
{PC: 8}

[Marley Hyde]

Marley smirked as the Trevenant went down for the count. Bet she didn't expect him to have such a versatile pokemon on his team. Really, Maggie was best suited to fight anything on her team. That was why she was one of his frontrunners. If he could just teach her a couple more moves, she'd be the bane of every pokemon's existence! He smirked as Shalin called out a Stunky, shooting out some poisonous gas at the Stunfisk. There we go. That was more like it!

And then, things took a turn for the worst. The woman brought forth a Lunatone, which in of itself wasn't a problem. What was the problem though was her using its psychic capabilities to fire rocks right at Shalin, holding them over her head to effectively hold her hostage. Oh, of COURSE the criminal would result to underhanded tactics. Marley scowled. They couldn't just let her get away, but he couldn't let Shalin get flattened either.

So, Marley went with the first thing that sprang to mind. Not the best idea, but hey, now was not the time to think.

"Maggie, blast that damn rock with a Phantom Force!" Marley yelled out, suddenly breaking into a run right at Shalin. Both Lunatone, and its trainer, were caught by surprise by the sudden attack. Maggie's spectral blast hit dead on. At the same time, Marley dove at Shalin, shoving her right out of the way.

Just as the rocks, no longer held aloft, came down atop of him.

[Shalin Nariya]

For someone who didn't spend life almost entirely in the wilds, Marley was an athletic one, and certainly a brave one to push Shalin out of harm's way. With Senna primarily relying on her Pokémon to attack the two, Shalin concluded there was a low probability that the smuggler herself was unarmed. "K-k-kiku, keep that thing busy!" she stuttered, stilll shaking from her life flashing before her eyes moments before.

ymJw3ixcp_

Shalin did her best to clear a path, lifting pieces of the Lunatone's Rock Slide out of the way enough for Marley to climb out. It was not going well - she feared that her inability to lift some of the larger stones out of the way would only make things worse. But she had to do something. It was slow going, but she managed to at the very least clear enough of a gap to be able to see Marley's face. She had moved a few more stones out of the way when she heard a large electrical explosion behind her. She turned around to find a collapsed Kiku and an angry Stunfisk that was crawling closer to her. Flit and Levy wouldn't do any good against a Pokémon with electric attacks, and Serena was so young that she would get run right over.

The panicking girl recalled the poison-type, replacing him with a nervously-shaking Caprice. "I know you're scared." The Stunfisk crawled closer. "I know you don't like to battle." Closer. "All I need you to do is buy me a little time." Closer, fins charging. "You don't need to defeat it. Just keep it away from me." As Shalin painstakingly widened a gap in the rocks, Caprice breathed a cloud of embers in front of the electric-type, its brown and yellow fins gaining a purple taint from Kiku's last efforts. Burying itself in the sand, Senna's Pokémon emerged on the other side of the Ember line moments later.

By now, Shalin was able to see where Marley's arms were, and shifted her focus to getting his hands free so he could crawl out. Progress was quicker than she liked, with exception of one particularly large boulder she could not budge. She shuddered at how much pain her friend must be in. After a couple of minutes of work, she was able to free his left arm. She got back to work on the right arm, where the problem rock was, when suddenly she heard another thunderous, crackling explosion. Caprice had fallen, and Stunfisk was crawling up the other side of the debris, fins charging with electricity once more. She instinctively lobbed Serena's Poké Ball to the other side, letting out a shriek when she realized she had just doomed the Meowth to serious injury alongside her trainer from the impending assault...

{WC: 466}
{PC: 9}

[Marley Hyde]

As Shalin let out her scream, realizing she had possibly sentenced her Meowth to certain death, the rocks began to move. The arm that pocked out of the rocks moved, and slowly began to push itself up. There was a low groan, and the rocks fell away, as Marley pulled himself out of the rocks. He was bruised, and he was bleeding in some places. And if his expression was anything to go by, he was angry!

The stunfisk paused, noticing that the other trainer was back on his feet, and was starting to back off from the murderous glare he was giving it. And then it noticed the massive Steelix rearing up behind them, an equially angry expression on its face. Marley's voice came out like a low growl. "Ironton..."

The Steelix let out a roar, and then plummeted towards the Stunfisk. The little pokemon screamed as the massive steel pokemon came crashing down atop of it, pounding the already flat pokemon even flatter.

Marley turned his attention to Shalin. "Ya alright?" he asked.

[Ebblow]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Shalin Nariya & Marley Hyde

Cursing underbreath, Senna returns her Pokemon, lets go of the Tentacool, and grabs her diving bag. Quickly kicking off her fins, she makes a break for it while the two of you check how each of you and your Pokemon are doing. The Pokemon she abandons watches the two of you and uses her tentacles to slowly make her way back into the water. She stops, though, partially submerged and get splashed by waves, and gazes back at you. Nearby, the Lapras wails again, but more weakly than the last time.

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin was still hyperventilating from having freed Marley. It took her several moments to reply with an exasperated "I'm...okay..." and arms still throbbing from doing all that quick and repeated heavy lifting. She was at least able to stand and eventually walk, but she was swaying back and forth, letting her arms hang limp. She had recalled her Pokémon by now, not wanting them to worry about her as well. Herself was enough to worry about for now.

Once she had walked halfway toward the obviously suffering Lapras, Shalin's arms swung a bit too far forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall on the half-grassy, half-sandy ground beneath her. "Maybe not..." she groaned, her arms still red in spots. "Could you...check on the Lapras for me?" She opened her supply pack and slowly dug out a vial of Potion. "Just make sure it's alright? I...need some time."

{WC: 153}
{PC: 10}

[Marley Hyde]

It seemed Shalin was in a worse place than he was. Guess that panic really took a lot out of her. As she stumbled and fell, Marley was quickly by her side to try and catch her. Though his attention was quickly turned towards the Lapras, who was still crying out in the net it found itself stuck in. He looked over at Maggie, who was floating beside him. "Here," he said, handing her the potion, "Care to take care of it?" The Mismagius nodded, holding the potion and floating over towards the Lapras. It really shouldn't take much to free the weakened Lapras, and a quick potion will have it right as rain again.

[Ebblow]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Shalin Nariya & Marley Hyde

Indeed, it wasn't difficult at all to free the Lapras. Especially since the Tentacool helps Maggie with the net. After being sprayed, the Lapras huffs in surprise and gazes at the Mismagius uncertainly. Then she extends her neck to gratefully give the ghost a nuzzle if she'd allow it.

Meanwhile, the Tentacool went back toward the humans and dragged herself back onto the sands close enough so that she could reach out and tentatively make sure Shalin was all right. Apparently she was grateful too and despite the girl working so hard to save the Pokemon, it isn't going to just go back to the water and abandon her. In fact, she seems ready to join the blond.

[Shalin Nariya]

Carefully handling the bruised Tentacool (with gloves, mind you!), Shalin placed the wild back in the water along the coastline where the smuggler's camp was set up. Once she saw the wild was floating on the surface, she turned around and started walking back toward Marley. By the time she was a third of the way there, she heard a bubbled Pokémon cry. Turning around, she found the Tentacool was on the beach again.

Shalin shook her head and turned back around, picking the water-type up a second time. This time, she went wading into the bay, gently dropping the wild into the water as soon as her chest was submerged. "You have a family, right? Return to them," she said with a gentle, motherly voice. "You have a long life ahead of you - one where you don't have to worry about awful humans that don't know where respect begins and ends. Now, return to the sea."

Shalin turned around, shouting back to Marley. "Sorry for the wait! I'm on my way!" Just as she was about to walk out of the water, she felt something snag her left leg. Fully walking out of the water, she immediately came to regret with her decision - the wind was biting, and she immediately started shivering. She shook her left leg wildly, trying to dislodge a large piece of foliage that was dripping cold water, but she could not get it off. She looked down and found the Tentacool was still there, one of its two main tentacles wrapped around her ankle! Somehow, she felt no pain from what she thought would be a highly venomous sting. No acid injection, no electricity...no nothing. Other than being very cold, she was in no pain whatsoever.

"You really want to come with me?" She asked the Tentacool. It did not let go. This was not what she had in mind for her team. While Tentacool were swift in the water, she already had two water-types that could probably outrace it, and were much more her style. She somehow doubted she could support a third aquatic Pokémon in her rotation, but it seemed hellbent on forcing its way into her party. She let out a deep, shivered sigh ending in a dejected "...Okay. If you're going to be stubborn about it, I can't exactly refuse." She dug an empty Poké Ball out of her pack and setting it next to the aquatic Pokémon, well within reach of the tentacle that was not wrapped around her.

{WC: 423}
{PC: 11}

[Marley Hyde]

The Mismagius blinked as the Larpas gently nuzzled her face against her. The ghost hadn't been expecting this little bit of affection, but returned it, nuzzling against her back. She was going to be alright, the ghost knew it.

Meanwhile, Marley was sitting back, recovering from having a small rockslide dumped on him. He watched as the Tentacool they saved wanted to stick with Shalin, refusing to take no for an answer, with her finally giving him. He couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "Seems like you've got a way with them huh?" he said with a smile.

[Ebblow]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Shalin Nariya & Marley Hyde

The Tentacool seems pleased that she finally agreed to let her go along, tapping the Pokeball with the tentacle and being absorbed. The Lapras too looks a bit expectant, but perhaps not as pushy as the Tentacool. At least she doesn't seem to be attempting to drag herself onto the shore. She does, instead, gesture with her head to the mess left behind by the woman, which is in part an assortment of Pokeballs that you could certainly take.

	Tentacool Lv15
		5 Energy
	Huge!	Relaxed
	Clear Body
MOVES
Poison Sting, Toxic Spikes, Acid, Supersonic
NOTES
N/A

[Shalin Nariya]

Seeing the mess of Poké Balls, Shalin examined them to see roughly how many, if any, were occupied. "There's...quite a lot of them," she mumbled before turning from the cache back to Marley. "I have a bad feeling about this...that she isn't alone," she moaned, walking to the other side of the camp so that both her partner and the supplies were in view. "This is no small operation."

There had to be dozens of Poké Balls of various kinds resting atop the cool sands. "I don't know how you feel about it, but I think we should probably get the Rangers involved," a paranoid Shalin continued. "If she wasn't alone, we could have a big mess on our hands...one we're not prepared for. It also just feels wrong to take all of these for ourselves. Wouldn't be surprised if this was all stolen merchandise." She continued rambling for another minute or so before stopping herself. "...Unless you object, I'm calling the Birch Rangers now to report this mess."

The blonde again picked up the Tentacool's Poké Ball. "Welcome to the team...Vannifar." She hummed and hawed for quite a while before coming to her decision, pulling out her 'Dex and Serena's Poké Ball. "Sorry Serena, but I need to give the newcomer some spotlight. I'll come back and get you, I promise!" With that, she touched Serena's Ball to the 'Dex's sensor, and it disappeared in a flash.

{Party Change: Serena (Meowth 10) -> Vannifar (Tentacool 15)
{WC: 242}
{PC: 12}

[Marley Hyde]

Honestly, Marley had thought the woman was just being sloppy, with all the pokeballs around here. I mean, she didn't exactly seem like the clean sort. But, if Shalin wanted to call the rangers, Marley wasn't going to stop her. He gave a small shrug, a quiet indicator for her to go ahead.

In the meantime, it seemed like Maggie was coming back with some interesting news. Marley looked out at the water, seeing the Lapras was still hanging around, and almost seemed like it was getting closer, though not climbing onto the shore like the Tentacool did. "Wait, you mean she wants to come with us?" Marley questioned, the Mismagius nodding. Well, this was certainly a surprise. Marley approached the shoreline, looking out at the Lapras. "Hey there! Come on over will ya?"

[Shalin Nariya]

"Thanks, Marley," Shalin replied. "I just don't want us to get in over our heads is all." She still had a couple of bruises and scrapes from the scuffle, but would be able to patch herself up while waiting for dispatch. Caprice, Prance, and Kiku all still needed medical attention. They would be fine in their Poké Balls until then, but she was still down half her team, two of which could not battle effectively on land. "I'm going to place the call now."

She stepped to the other side of the tent and placed a call to the Birch City Rangers. Navigating the menu to the reporting lines, she found herself on hold for an irritating amount of time, raising tensions further. Maybe there indeed were other cells and this rotund lady was just one. Hopefully it was just a solo operation.

After a couple of minutes, her call was answered. "Shalin Nariya. I'm with a young trainer Marley, and we have a big mess on our hands. Working together, we were able to chase off a Pokémon smuggler about five minutes ago. She was wearing blue diving gear and was morbidly obese. She abandoned a lot of empty Poké Balls and several baggies with syringes inside - wouldn't surprise me if this stuff is stolen. We would like a dispatch to help clean this up. We're about a half hour north of Birch, along the coastline. You'll be able to see a brown tent." She was shaking after delivering her report. Hopefully help would be on the way soon.

{WC: 261}
{PC: 13}

[Ebblow]

A random event has occurred!

What will you do?

Shalin Nariya & Marley Hyde

Most of the Pokeballs are actually empty. It seems she expected to get a lot of work done today, but hadn't gotten much done before you two arrived.

The Lapras perks up when Marley shows some interest in her and she happily cries out, a little tune leaving her mouth. Approaching you, she extends her head out to you and makes a coo-like noise.

The Rangers agree to come clean up, assuring that you won't be required to help but they always appreciate civilians doing what they can. Eventually, they arrive, some Pokemon-mounted and others with vehicles to put the mess into. There's five of them, geared and with all the necessary items. One seems to be in charge and starts taking your statements about everything that happened.

Once everything is cleaned up and you've told them all you can, the one that spoke to you explains, "They're not stolen Pokeballs. They're illegally manufactured. They function the same, but have no tracking so they can basically just keep all the Pokemon with them. The syringes... if you're curious, they're filled with sedatives. Rather than weaken their own Pokemon by battling, they keep their team ready to fight people like you or Rangers.

"As thanks for doing what you could, I'd like to give you both some of these. Not part of her stash." With this reassurance, he produces six Quick Balls and offers them to the pair of you, three each.

[Marley Hyde]

As the Lapras came up to the shore, reaching her head out towards him, Marley gave a small chuckle, approaching her and petting her head gently. "Hehe, never thought someone like me would get a beautiful pokemon like you," he said with a warm smile, before pulling out a pokeball. "Welcome to the team girl."

Some time later, the Rangers would arrive, clearing up the site and explaining the situation to them. Well, it did seem like lady chungus was working alone. "You'd think with a Trevenant in her party, she'd be able to take on water pokemon without havin' to resort to drugs," he said, shrugged. Just seemed, well, counterproductive. When they were offered the quickballs as a reward, he took the three offered to him. "Thanks mate."

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin was happy for Marley, even letting out an "Awww..." as she saw the two close to one another. "Lapras aren't really my style either, but they can put on some speed with their Ice attacks," she remarked while waiting for the Rangers to come. "You'll get to experience the joy of riding soon. There's a great practice facility back in Birch where I learned the ropes with Levy, my Milotic. I'd show you, but it's a bit cold for her. Maybe in the Spring."

After what seemed like hours (but was actually just under a half hour), the Rangers finally arrived to clean up the mess. When she heard the explanation, she was relieved Marley didn't take any of them for herself - they were apparently stock Poké Balls without RFID. Shalin related a tale of her homeworld to both the Rangers and her friend:

"Around a decade ago, there was a massive bust on a Team Rocket operation under Olivine City. The operation was similar to this one, but on a far larger scale, making their attacks impossible to pinpoint with technology available to the Pokémon League. We couldn't believe Leader Pryce was in on the operation, too. There's been a void in the Mahogany Gym since, mostly because of how remote and cold the Gym is." She went on to talk about the very infamous "Year Without a Champion" in the Johto region.

She graciously accepted the Quick Balls - they would be very helpful if there was a Pokémon she absolutely had to have and was jittery about sticking around. "Where to next?" she beckoned her partner in crime-busting.

{WC: 273}
{PC: 14}

[Ebblow]

Marley Hyde

	Lapras Lv10
		5 Energy
	Large	Bold
	Water Absorb
MOVES
Ancient Power, Confuse Ray, Ice Shard, Sing
NOTES
N/A

[Marley Hyde]

Marley smiled as the Lapras disappeared into her ball. He certainly hadn't expected to get an addition like this into the party. He listened to Shaline speaking about teaching her to act as a water mount, and then explaining the pokeballs they found were like the sort used by criminal organizations. Certainly made sense. After all, having those pokeballs would allow you to carry an army of pokemon with you easily.

Then came the topic of where they were going to go from here. Marley gave a small shrug. "Honestly, I think I'm just ready to head back to town and get some rest. Been a hell of a day for me."