Hunt for a Thief (Crytic)

A chilly, postwinter wind whistled through the bare, thorny branches of Pecha Forest.The sky was gray and overcast, and Jeremy could feel it in his bones that by later tonight, rain would pour down. Heck, it might even snow or hail if it got cold enough. With the weather's fluctuating patterns the past few days, the male snivy could believe it.

Now, he was here at Pecha forest with a female sneasel. It was a different female sneasel this time, but the similarities and the simple presence of this area was enough to bring back less than happy memories.

His first mission with Kuro almost became a disaster. Both pokemon came close to losing their lives, and the Grass Snake Pokemon spent a week cooped up with injuries before he could take missions again or even just leave his room without wincing in pain. The medicine provided by the guild and his natural regenerative processes allowed him to make a relatively quick recovery. However, the danger was still very real... Jeremy still had the scar on his tail from where a goon bit him, and no outlaw hunters have reported the bandit leader's capture.

They had a job to do though. Jeremy needed to see how well he could work with Crysel and THEY also needed to find the trapinch and retrieve what was stolen. Still, the tension was obvious in his rigid form, amber eyes never leaving the forest's entrance.

This cod weather was actually preferable for the half ice type. Crysel's fur was designed to keep her warm in ice cold environments and any warm weather would start uncomfortable sweating. So the possibility of snow or hail actually was good in the Sneasel's eyes. It would be more comfertable than the warm weather she had experienced in Grassveil for a while at least.

Crysel could see that Jeremy had bad ties to this area. His face, was showing it all to her in the tightening of its muscles. He was uncomfortable with being here. She would have tried offering to take another mission, but the Snivy was just too prideful to not do a mission he had selected himself. So she had gone along with it and acted like nothing was wrong.

Keeping the usual automatic careful eye for danger, Crysel spoke to Jeremy. "Well this job should be a little easier than most. I asked around and Trapinches usually live in deserts. That means it isn't used to hiding in forests. All we need to do is find tracks or something else fresh left by the outlaw and then I can follow them... Are you alright?"

Crysel's voice brought the male snivy back to reality, and the Jeremy turned to the sneasel, offering her a glance before his amber eyes settled on the forest again. "I will be fine." He stated. "Kuro and I just had some difficulties here on our first assignment. Like you said though, the trapinch is out of his element and we both have type advantage against it. He is not what I'm worried about..."

There was a pause and Jeremy shook his head. "Lets just get in and get out. I don't want to stay there longer than necessary."

Before they entered, Jeremy looked in his bag to see what he brought. Besides his map and other guild essentials, he also brought along a petrification orb for emergencies... No need for a repeat incident if things got out of control.

Reorganizing everything and putting the pack on his shudders again, Jeremy stated, "Alright. I'm ready to go."

Crysel had patiently waited for Jeremy to reorganize before she started leading the way. Her own bag held all her worldly possessions which wasn't saying much really. She had very little. After all, her home had been pretty much outside before joining Team Magna. She packed lightly as nimble sped would be integral to chasing the Trapinch down. Crysel was pretty level headed when it came to getting prepared.

When it came to what Crysel thought of Jeremy, she had no bad nor overly good impressions of him. Jeremy took things seriously and cared a great deal about what others thought of him. He wanted respect and he worked hard to get it. Crysel didn't know much... well anything about his history. Just as much as she knew of her own. She might as well get to know him since they were going to work together for a while. "So Jeremy, where do you come from?"

Feeling the light weight of the pack on his shoulders, Jeremy tried to calm his nerves. For all intents and purposes, it worked, at least the bit that was based on outer appearances. The male snivy's face was composed and his body looked relaxed, if a tad alert. Amber eyes were watchful as they started their quest deeper into the forests next to Grassveil once again.

Jeremy turned to the female sneasel at her question, listening to her intently before turning back to the path without answering immediately. He was a silent for a while, and then the Grass Snake Pokemon spoke. "A place far away. I came across the ocean by boat from the country of Brissiana. I hit port into Rainfront Town and then traveled here looking for opportunity." A Pause. "I'm not sure if I will find it yet or not. Too late to cut potential losses though."

He suddenly stopped, amber eyes making out something in the bushes slightly of to the side. "Hold on, I see something." The male snivy approached...

This dice is not existing.

Crysel shrugged. "I don't know about the world that much... kinda sure I was the same way before I lost my memory. I'm assuming that this Brissiana is full of pokemon like you. More for society and less feral." Crysel was pretty sure she was not anything like the pokemon Jeremy was raised with. If she had to guess, Crysel was probably raise in the wild judging from her mannerisms. The fact she couldn't read was also a strong point toward that possibility.

At the mention of an item, Crysel looked at it. "A Pecha berry. Should come in handy if one of us get poisoned in here." Crysel knew grass types were weak to poison which Jeremy obviously was. So she was just gonna let Jeremy keep the berry just in case he needed it.

Jeremy looked somewhat surprised as he beheld the single berry present in the scraggly bush. With the cold months mid season in this land, the male snivy fully specter this berry to have been eaten by now. More wild and feral pokemon would have surely eaten such a thing. Well, he was not going to complain about good fortune. He thought he might be somewhat entitled to some after how recent events played out.

Smirking as he took the small fruit and stowed it away, Jeremy simply nodded absentmindedly to Crysel's comments. "I would like to think we are a civilized people. Certainly, we have advancements that put everything I have so far seen in this country to shame. Alas... It is a competition Crysel. A competition where games are played, smiles are exchanged, and everyone is trying to secure this place and get rid of their competitors."

Jeremy gave a deep sigh, looking strangely elated. "It is a game I plan to win."

Looking around, the Grass Snake Pokemon frowned. "Although I do not doubt your tracking skills, I do wish we had something for you to go off of. The only thing I managed to learn about trapinches is that they are ground types and like to burrow through loose sand and silt. Not sure why he is in this forest... Must be desperate to hide."

Crysel sighed and shook her head. "Maybe its because I didn't live there, but it seems... just wrong for ways to work that way. Nature works differently. The strong survive because he weak provide for them. The way you say it, anyone can get to the top. It seems very imbalanced and chaotic. I get its fair to all, but nature was made a certain way because its what should happen naturally. But... again its probably cause I've never experienced life that way so I don't understand why it works."

At the mention of a lack of tracking supply, Crysel began to think on what she knew. Before the mission, she had left the supply organization to Jeremy as she gathered info on Trapinches. After a while, she thought of something. "Trapinches can go on for days without water in the desert... but they don't make a move in that time. Short bursts of activity. That must mean it must have to conserve its energy. With its run from authority, it must have burned up more energy than its used too. We have two options on finding it. Either its gone to find berries and water and is taking them in now to get energy or the remains of a meal would have something I can use to sniff it out."

Jeremy tilted his head at the female sneasel, perturbed frown on his features. "Fair? Anyone get on top? I can assure you, the Game of Thrones is anything but those things... In fact... I think we may see eye to eye on more things than we think dear Crysel."

He glances around thoughtfully, keeping his senses keen on the surroundings around him."If what you say is true, then he must be in a rather iffy situation. With winter here, his resources are going to be limited and in an area he has no experience foraging in..." The male snivy tried to rack his brain for an answer. "If I were him, I would look for water... I was here with Kuro last time, and I believe I know where one might be..."

Crysel took a kneed and looked closely on the ground, looking for the faint tracks of several pokemon. "Even a pokemon brought up away from the wilderness has basic instincts. If he was tired, he'd probably just randomly search and unconsciously follow a wild pokemon path. The paths always lead to food and water." She pointed to a small trail where grass and weeds were trampled. "Here is one. Best way to go and faster than going straight even if it sometimes veers off course." She waved him over. "Follow me, I'll keep us on track." With that, Crysel started down it, keeping an eye on where they were going.

"I'll take your word for it then." Jeremy stated, following the female sneasel through the underbrush. Now that he was focused on it, he COULD see a game path... a lightly treaded rut that would have been barely noticeable had he not known what to look for... And Jeremy, despite his pride, knew when he was not in his element. It seemed Crysel was as valuable as she said she would be.

To his credit, once he knew where to step, he was right behind the sneasel. Both pokemon were known for their speed, so Jeremy was only a little bit behind her, always at least staying within sight.

He did grimace at the chill in the air though. Normally, he would have more energy if it were summer or spring... A given due to his type. Crysel seemed to have no problem running at this speed in the cold. Being ice-type, and a mammal with a surprisingly thick, black coat must have been nice.

Trying to keep focused, Jeremy resolved to do by keeping an potential eye out for trouble... Quiet as this forest was, the memory of the butterfree bandit kept him on edge.

As they went, in fact she had been doing this since they started through the forest, Crysel had been scraping her claws against trees they passed. Not only did this serve to keep her claws sharp and ready, but it also made a path for them to follow back so they would not get lost. It was something Sneasels instinctively did when in unfamiliar surroundings. Make sure you don't get lost and keep yourself ready for any surprises.

Crysel stopped as she took a sniff at the air, holding up her hand to mention Jeremy to stop. "I smell... faint smells of a variety of pokemon up ahead. It makes sense a water source is up ahead. I also smell a stronger scent that is definitely a pokemon there right now. Lets go up quietly and see if its the outlaw we were looking for." With that she continued silently, looking to see what pokemon was there.

This dice is not existing.

The Grass Snake Pokemon followed closely, nervously looking around their surroundings despite himself. This whole forest felt eerie at the moment, a light carpet of mist suspending over the ground and preventing their full range of vision. Jeremy was not a superstitious person, but even he felt unnerved by their surroundings for practical reasons. He did not like the idea of having his vision compromised.

At Crysel's sudden command to stop, he did so immediately, amber eyes scanning the area around him intently. At her statement, he felt his vines slowly unwind from his leafy collar, just barely poking through the tops as he primed them if he had to suddenly lash them out. His face was composed, his yellow eye lids narrowed. "How close?" He whispered.

No sooner had they done that when Jeremy heard something rustle above them, followed by the unique *twang* sound of cable-like substance being released. Catching a blur of something plummeting down towards them, Jeremy only had enough time to put a glancing blow at its side with his vine whip and roll out of the way.

He could feel the impact of his lashes hitting something incredibly rigid and hard, doing enough to redirect the path enough so Crysel and he could dodge, but nothing more. As they both managed to clear the area, a green blur smashed into the forest floor where they would have been... An echoing boom surrounding the landscape from the force of impact.

As the small amount of dust cleared, half embedded into the earth was some sort of husk creature. It was about a foot or more taller than either of the guild adventurers, and looked a good deal heavier. It was encased in dark green armor, the only signs of life within were the angry, black eyes that balefully stared at them. A metapod... It was at this point Jeremy realized where the cable sound came from... A thin, nearly invisible line of silk connected the tip of the beast into the tree line above. It was obviously attempting to ambush others this way.

It gave a low, insect-like hiss at the pair completely devoid of normal reason. An obvious sign of completely feral instincts, there was no normal mind left behind. A whirring sound was heard as it suddenly jumped several years upward, partially suspended by its threads as rocks and rubble tumbled down below it. Once it believed it was out of range, its whole body glowed brightly until it dissipated... And to Jeremy's astonishment, he could see the diamond-like reflection on the shell, a testament to its hardness.

The snivy gritted his teeth, snake-like tongue flicking out in irritation. "Its getting ready to come around again. Get ready."

Crysel had heard the sound of the twang as well as the direction it came from. She was more than ready to jump out of the way. She stared at the green colored pokemon and began studying it as it used Harden to shore up its defenses. No limbs at all, but obviously hard and armored. There was thread above it that showed it used that as a way to travel and ensnare enemies. So the best way to deal with this enemy was not to hit it bluntly, but weaken its defenses with her claws and let Jeremy use his vines to slam the pokemon into where she weakens it. Keep hitting the same spot to beat it in effect.

"Follow my lead." Crysel dashed forward, figuring Jeremy was intelligent enough to figure out her plan. She moved at a speed that alarmed the Metapod and jumped on it so the eyes were facing down. She then swiped over and over at the same place on its broad back and caused numerous scratches. She didn't get all the way through, but it weakened the shell where she scratched with Faint Attack. At the shoot of silk shooting out to pull the Metapod away, Crysel lept off right before she was pulled with it. She then called out. "I gave him a weaker point, now strike him hard." She was ready to cut through any silk Metapod would use to lesson the blow by pulling.

The metapod chattered angrily at the pair, body swaying on its thread as it attempted to realign for another attack. However, it never got a chance. Jeremy was mildly aware of the intense look of concentration on Crysel's face before she suddenly... Vanished... No, not vanish, but move at speeds even he had trouble following along. Already, she was up in the air, form a black blur as she eyes her target.

For a split second, Jeremy could see the tendrils of black energy weave around her claws before a flurry of blows and the hits they made resounded with a terrifying set of screeching shears and crunches. The bug type, alarmed and shocked by the barrage disconnected its string cable, shooting out another to escape the female sneasel. Crysel let it go, landing beside Jeremy as the Grass Snake Pokemon stared down their opponent.

As the metapod turned around to face them once again, the Grass Snake Pokemon realized there was no apparent damage... The bug-type did not look wounded... But at Crysel's direction, he too saw the deep gouges and cracks on the shell... Chinks in an otherwise nearly impenetrable armor.

Jeremy smirked. "I see. Good quick thinking there..."

As the metapod swung back, gathering momentum like a wrecking ball, the male snivy planted himself, getting ready whip out one of his vines. It was a good thing he did. With a bloodthirsty hiss, the metapod dropped and swung, careening towards the snivy with dangerous speed and power. He was ready though. A loud *Thwack* sound akin to a tightly corded whip advertised his engaged natural weapons, and with a powerful crack, Jeremy swung his vine with precision right at the weakened spot.

These vines were powerful... Extremely so. When they connected with the metapod's chest piece, a loud crunch was heard as small shard of the insect plating scattered across the clearing, as well as a little dark green blood. Spinning and reeling from the impact, the enemy bug type spun high up in the air before it suddenly shot out another string shot, reconnecting it with a tree limb as it swung precariously.

Its eyes were narrowed as it righted itself, small dent located where its chest was with sizable cracks and missing layers present. A small trickle of some kind of foul fluid leaked from the small openings. It was clearly in pain and a little bit shell shocked. Jeremy wasted no time, throwing out another vine, but the metapod suddenly spun, sending out many strong, sticky tendrils that halted the progress of his attack. Getting caught in the newly made maze of web and trip wires, the male snivy grunted we he managed to rip said vine free just in time to avoid a counterattack...

The battlers stared each other down at this point, trying to size of the other. Jeremy looked back at Crysel, form alert but relaxed in his stance. "A good plan, but his own reaction time is becoming an issue... I have my own strategy this time. If you can distract him while also forcing him to face me, I can take care of that particular problem."