Forum Thread

(Time to get started! We are in the Johto Region, just outside Mahogany Town, near the Pokemon Center. Your characters were given a notice to show up here on said day, with a note at the bottom to look for your mentor. I'd also like to stress that, while the town is small in game, I'm going to imagine it bigger; still small enough where everyone knows each other if they live there, but there needs to be businesses and tourist attractions. Seriously, gym towns shouldn't be so small with how busy they'd be, lol.)

The sun cast a warm light on the cat, mixing in with her cream fur as she bathed in the rays a short distance away from a man, currently seated on a bench outside a small store. What they sold, thean could only guess as he had no interest on joining the four or five people already inside. From what he could glean from their muffled voices, they seemed to be tourists looking for some information or another, and he guessed they may be headed for The Lake of Rage. Most people wanted to catch a glimpse of the odd shade of Gyarados that lived within its depths, not that they ever would.

Looking toward his feline partner, Ranger Dimitrious Solven smiled behind the bandanna covering the lower half of his face, his visible right eye crinkling at fond memories of her mother, and then he sighed when the loss of her closest and most treasured friend threatened to sweep him up into waves of guilt and heartache. He shook himself mentally for thinking such things, and again because it had been two years since the loss and he had forgotten for only a moment that he could always mourn her at their favorite spot outside of Cherrygrove. Now was not the time for a breakdown or to let himself be washed away in memories long gone.

Even as he delved into himself, he was woken from his thoughts by the cat as she pressed her head against one knee, purring loudly as if she didn't know what had been going on. "Aye, they should be here soon enough, Hope. Rosso should be healed up well enough if you want some time to play." he spoke quietly to his car after taking her head in his wide hands, ruffling her fur softly. She brightened immensely at the notion of being able to romp with her friend, and meowed loudly in assent. Dimitrious smiled as he reached into the small satchel on his hip, pulling out and resizing a Great Ball to release his Luxio, Rosso. The young lion shook himself from head to toe, his tail twitching as he sniffed the air. The old Ranger chuckled as he spread his arms out to rest on the back of the bench while Hope tackled Rosso playfully and the two cats began wrestling with one another. "Keep it over here, you two. And no moves, lest you scare them Pokemon who think they're better than you are since they get carried around like some lapdog." he told them, his sharp eye never leaving the two cats, but Rosso looked up at him with a rather unhappy look at the mention of the more pampered Pokemon. The cat had caused a scene the previous day when an older woman and her posh Swanna had stepped into his mock battle, the bird resulting in chasing him around angrily before he stood his ground and gave it a shock it wouldn't soon forget. Dimitrious had stood patiently as the woman yelled angrily at him, but he had soon put in his own two cents and, rudely, told her mind where she walked when there had clearly been a battle going on. All in all, Rosso was not fond of Pokemon who thought themselves above him only because they were doted on every hour.

"I'd watch her, not me Rosso. Best get out of the way." Dimitri told him, and Rosso moved out from under Hope as she pounced, soon back to tearing up and playfully pawing at each other, carful to not hit too hard or let slip anything unwanted in their play. Looking toward the sun, Dimitri made note of the time and wished his recruits would show up sooner rather than later. He had only just arrived in town himself, but the Pokemon Center was in clear view two small buildings down and across the small path serving as a street. He would see who he was to be teaching, and if they had any sense they would hopefully realize he wouldn't be inside the Center. First lesson for them was to be aware of their surroundings always, and knowing when they were being watched.

---

A love of the outdoors was one of the factors in Keiran deciding on the life of a Ranger in the first place, so making the trip to Mahogany Town was no hardship. Leaves hushed and slid together as a breeze toyed through tree branches, the songs and cries of bird-type pokemon echoing through the canopy to counterpoint each step he took on the road. Days like this, with flawless blue skies and soft sunlight? Keiran found them almost sacred. Who could take a desk or lab job when they could have this? Fresh air aside, it was bracing to realize that this was the first action he was taking to begin his actual career. However well he acquitted himself to his mentor now, Keiran had the responsibility for his life only on his own shoulders.

"No pressure, hm?" He murmured absently to the single companion beside him, keeping up with sleek movements. As much as he'd wanted to have both of his partners out with him, Lana was tucked away in the small ball at his hip for now; Keiran had found out the hard way that, as short as the Trapinch's legs were, she couldn't keep up on a long distance hike. The last thing he wanted to do was distress his new partner by forcing her to strain herself, and carrying an extra 30 lbs on a cross-country hike from his hometown had only worked for half of the trip. Lana had been happy enough after an hour of cuddling that she didn't mind sleeping the rest of the way, and it gave Keiran a little more time to get used to his feline friend's new shape.

The Liepard's back-swept ears had twitched at his earlier comment, but Nero made no noise in reply. The dappled light filtering through the leaves on his violet and gold fur was beautiful, each ripple of muscle adding to the illusions of shadow and movement; it was easy to see the predator he was, instead of the small and troublesome kitten he used to be. In some ways, Keiran missed that Nero, but his time away at the academy had changed them both. Nero had not taken well to being left behind after years of being the closest friend Keiran had, even for something as important as Ranger school, and Keiran hadn't had enough visiting time to ever truly make up for the absence. The small cat had gotten more troublesome for the Morgan family, more withdrawn and testy even with Amber, Keiran's mother. When Keiran finally graduated and came home, he half-expected Nero to reject him entirely, not matter his apologies, but instead Nero had shoved himself at Keiran, upset and insistent to not be left behind again. A powerful enough desire that the small, emotional Purrloin had evolved there in Keiran's arms as he stared, taking on a new form. The understanding Keiran had of cat-type pokemon had always been strong, but at that moment he felt keenly both the sadness and determination of his friend and former companion, and even if it caused complications in his life as a Ranger, Keiran couldn't bear the thought of ever leaving Nero behind and hurting him again.

As a Liepard, Nero was beautiful, but in some ways it still felt like a bruise to admit it; Nero had achieved this form out of undeserved sadness, after all. Regretful, Keiran trailed his hand down the curve of the cat's spine as they walked, pleased when Nero arched into the touch with a soft, high-pitched sigh. "We're going to be alright," he promised, taking the few moments they still had to themselves as the town drew closer. "You and I, and now Lana too. Nothing to keep us apart, I'll make sure of it." Big green eyes turned up to him, watchful before Nero blinked, slow and deliberate in the way of cats showing trust. Keiran swore to himself that he wouldn't break it.

Having been to Mahogany Town before, it was easy enough to navigate, taking note of the various stalls where a few street vendors sold novelty items to tourists passing through. Far less relaxed than he'd been on the trail, Keiran stayed watchful, both grey eyes moving carefully to keep track of body language and any movements near himself and his companion-- after so long with cats, he was a little too good at being suspicious, but that would only help him as a Ranger, he thought. Using that cunning, he approached the Pokemon Center but hung back from the entrance, watching the people around it instead. No one in uniform, no one waiting for a meeting, and unless Keiran entirely misunderstood how Rangers functioned, there was no reason to think the team mentor would be inside. Instead, he took in his surroundings, and after a moment the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

"Ah," he said softly, glancing down to see that, yes, Nero had noticed as well; was staring directly to their left, down two streets to a sitting area where a Persian and Luxio were wrestling in the sun beside a resting figure. "Time to say hello, Nero?" The cat rumbled, a soft hushing sound in the new vocals he had from his evolution, and Keiran smiled. He kept his fingers brushing Nero's shoulder as they walked closer, eyes on the man seated on the storefront bench. When they were in hearing distance, Keiran considered his options before simply smiling, eyes half-lidded and expression playful. "Good morning. Mind if I sit?" If this was his mentor, the man wasn't making himself easy to find; Keiran could do worse than to play along and see how far the game went.

---

Here, take this. You've graduated, just like I knew you could, this is a gift. A token you could say, one to show youre changing your way and this is a new beginning for you.
Stein sat on the side of the trail eyeing his new possession. A pokeball, a new companion to go along with your Houndour you got from the academy. Stein pressed the button in the center of the Pokeball. Light erupted from the Poleball as it opened, before him stood now a...Pidgey, as you know brother, I train all kinds of Flying-types. This one here happened to remind me of you. Take it and remember that you can't stop, you must go forward. You are not your past. I hope the rest of your time as a Ranger brings you joy. Remember come see me some time

He stared at the Pidgey, remembering this last words from his brother, it looked at him mischievously. Stein noticed what appeared to be a Liepard coming down the trail "Strange, you don't see those much in this area. Though I never was a fan of most cat-type Pokemon." the Pidgey darted forward and pecked Stein on the head. Stein rubbed his head, glaring in pain at the Pidgey, whom seemed all to happy to do what he just did. I see, you're very Impish aren't you. Well, now I see why he said you reminded him of me.

Stein got up, paused for a second, and grabbed his other Pokeball. He released Houndour,Come on out buddy, as soon as he appeared the Pidgey flew and sat on the back of the Houndour. Tried as he might the Pidgey seemed to stay right there. Houndour let out a whine and looked defeatedly at Stein. "It's ok little buddy, looks like you'll have to deal with it, I'm sure you'll be best friends.

With that settled, the group walked into Mahogany Town, Stein had never visited here before and was awe by the beauty of it all. He reminded himself to go and visit the lake when given the chance. He paid no attention to his surroundings as he bee-lined for the Pokemon Center.

He stepped inside as the warm white light washed over him, he stood and looked around. No one seemed to be what he was looking for. Though he didn't really have an idea of what his mentor was supposed to look like. He just had the rumors and exaggerated stories from the academy. Then it hit him, I'm an idiot. He walked back outside and looked around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. That's when he noticed the Liepard again, and the trainer he was with. Wait, he looks familiar, I think we were in the same graduating class."

Stein walked in the direction of the trainer, he most certainly knew where he could find the mentor, or if not, they could figure it out. As he walked he noticed a man sitting in the shade near a Persian and Luxio.[b] Hmm, he looks suspicious, I wonder if he is my mentor.he kept walking, heard the other trainer talking. He put his hand up and waved as he got closerHello, I believe you may be the person I'm supposed to find

Stein's Houndour sat next to him and Pidgey perched on his back. All three had no idea what to expect.

---

He saw the first trainer he had been told to wait for as he walked along the streets, opposite from the direction he had come in himself, but he was pleased when the young man and his Liepard looked at the Pokemon Center before deciding against entering. They were quick to catch onto his watchful gaze, and approached with a mix of trepidation and excitement, or so it seemed to Dimitrious by the way he looked just a tad nervous but sounded rather happy. But he didn't return the greeting, just moved an arm and slid over as he slightly raised his other hand off the bench, his two cats bounding over and sitting off to the side, away from the Liepard should there be tension, obediently. Hope was genuinely interested in the purple and gold cat though, and loked on at the new Pokemon with a tilted head, whie Rosso seemed to sulk slightly from missing out on more wrestling.

He smirked beneath his bandanna when he spotted the other man he had been told to look for; older than most, with a beard running along his jawline to intersect at his chin, a feature he had known would be easy to indent ify amongst most other people. The man entered the Center with his Hoindoir and Pidgey, though he was quick to exit again with a sheepish look on his face. Once he, too, had managed to locate and head over Dimitroius looked them both over, as well as their Pokemon, with a scrutinizing eye. "First lesson, you both did well enough. Glad to see that despite heading inside the Center you came back out quick. It be different out here than at a desk, just remember to be aware of everyone you can. Don't expect it to come on quickly, it's a learned skill that comes better as you get older." he commented, soon stretching his arms above his head, a cracking coming from his elbows, and standing up. "Good of you both to keep your names to yourselves though. Despite what those teachers of yours blab, it's not always best to let the public know who you are and what you do. Not in my line anyway; I'm sure some rumors were spread about a few of us senior members back at the academy. Dimitrious Solven, but don't count on this being too much of a pleasure. The Persian is Hope, Rosso is the Luxio who's still in the last legs of his training. Names, you and your Pokemon."

He was gruff, to he point and knew he sounded more than a little intimidating. But he soon decided that, perhaps, he shouldn't come off like he was some kind of know all, tell all Ranger; Arceus only knew there were plenty of those in the senior ranks and he had always told himself he wouldn't become like them as he aged. So he pulled down his bandana to let it rest against his neck, a scar becoming visible from his chin, breaking through the right most side of his lips to disappear beneath the white bandages shielding his bad eye. "Before your imaginations get the better of you both, yes the scar was from a mission. It's decades old, yes I do take the more demanding missions where one goes looking for trouble, and no it was not from an enemy. Friendly fire, which is why I have these." he drawled on for a few seconds, looking altogether bored as he spoke. But he planted one hand firmly on top of his two sheathed knives, wanting them to realize now, should they wish to change their minds before they began, that being a Ranger was not always simply wandering around and finding lost people and injured Pokemon. "The eye was not from a Pokemon. And no, you will not hear about it nor find reports on the injury if you decide to look when we have some downtime." It was more of a challenge than a warning for them. He truly didn't care if they wanted to know or if they found out on their own, but curiosity was a good trait in a Ranger and often led to the best of them.

---

"My name is Stein, and these two are", he hadn't thought about naming his Pokemon, Croix and Zeke pointing to his Houndour and Pidgey respectively. He noted how the mentor seemed to note his age but that was all it was, just a quick squint. He had begun to notice since joingomg the Rangers, every was surprised at his age. It started to become one of his pet peeves.
He thought about what his mentor said, and glanced toward the knives on his belt. He didn't realize they would be in those kinds of dangers. The academy never really mentioned that kind of thing. Though he wasn't any stranger to danger, maybe not to the extent his mentor was, but t still surprised him.
May I ask why the academy didn't really mention to much of that in training? I feel like that's a possibility we should train for there as well

---

The quiet response wasn't a bother, seeming only to confirm what he suspected, and Keiran settled himself on the other side of the bench, grey eyes flicking to the energetic forms of the two cats that came looking. Nero for his part tucked close to Keiran's legs, green eyes shy as he looked back at the curious Persian. For all that they were near the same height now, he'd been much smaller for a long enough time to not know how to handle his new self. Keiran pet behind the cat's ears gently in reassurance, watching his body language until he relaxed.

The arrival of a classmate set things properly in motion, finally, and Keiran listened intently, pleased to know he'd done well on his first lesson. "My name is Keiran Morgan. This is Nero, and my Trapinch, Lana, is sleeping in her ball," he said, also listening to the other student, Stein, introducing himself. A Houndour... wonderful. Despite his dislike for dog-types, Keiran committed the names to memory, then paused to stare at the remainder of what must have been a painful wound, revealed now by the movement of Dimitrious' hand.

Compared to the happy cheer of the instructors at school and how most Rangers who dealt with the public seemed, this was a hint of something else, deeper and perhaps more dangerous. Far from intimidated, Keiran felt a deep, eager curiosity grow in him. He'd chosen this path and he would see it through; now he had even more reason for wanting to do it well. However, as cautious as his nature was, he kept those thoughts to himself. "I understand. If we're not to throw our names around here, then I'm going to assume there's something more subtle we will be doing for our mission? Neither of us were given a uniform to wear in public, either."

---

He smiled smally, looking to his cats. These two were perfect new recruits, asking the rout questions but undaunted regardless. "You both ask the right questions, I'll give you that for new recruits. And you were neithe told or given anything because most new graduates don't do what I do. They get patrols of the Safari Zones or menial tasks to keep the peace amongst trainers and civilians." He paused when Hope meowed loudly, pawing at his pant leg before climbing up to lay along his shoulders and making him lean forward slightly. He rolled his eyes at her antics but otherwise continued, the large cats weight enough to make Dimitrious huff slightly at her, though he made no move to remove the now sleeping cat from his shoulders. "Ignore her. That's what most people know about the Corp, peacekeepers, but who do you think keeps organizations like Team Rocket or the others in the dark? Who informs those necessary of potential dangers headed their way, from large groups of Pokemon to the possibility of a war? I do, in the Johto Region. There are a few others to help out in the more remote areas here in Johto, but we're all getting old. I'm supposedly retired to the public eye, but once you get into the life you don't leave out it down because age finally caught up. I carry these because it suits the missions I'm given, but not everyone on our side of the field carries a weapon. Mine are more geared to defend from a Pokemon attacking than damaging anything severely. I can inflict enough harm to keep myself safe, mind you.

He watched both his trainees and grimaced. He could see there was a small part of each that was uncomfortable with someone here, as subtle as they were, and it took him a minute to realize it was not the prior, but the Pokemon. "I can tell you both have some preference of Pokemon. Drop it, here and now or you won't be in the field very long. Type or species preference only hinders you, and if you have affinity for something it won't matter. You can't hold down a fort with a cat, and a dog can't get things done where a cat might be better suited.Learn that now, before either of you lose something you want to keep. I learned the hard way and lost a Pokemon, like many others have as well." He pulled out another Pokeball and tossed it into the air behind them, looking at the Pokemon once it was free.

The Tauros mooed calmly, stamped one hoof and amiably walked around the others to stand in front of Dimitri, easily in arms reach of everyone. "You won't see hardly any trainers with a Tauros, but do you know why? Anyone would tell you Basava is one of a kind simply because he's calm as he is here, but what's the real reason trainers tend to avoid owning one?" he asked, expecting an an answer from each of them, even if it was wrong.

---

He listened to his mentor, pondering why he and this other graduate were chosen to train under him. When the his Pokemon, Hope, hoped on his shoulders Steing Pidgey was not to be out done and flew up on top of Stein's head.
Stein tried to bat him away and listen at the same time. Eventually Zeke settled on his shoulder eyeing up Stein's ear.

Stein was almost glad to be one chosen to do more good than being stuck in the Safari Zone, it would have been too boring. He huffed a little when Dimitrious mentioned having to get over his type preference. It made sense to him, but he still didn't really care for cats, though catching the Luxio out of the corner of his eye time to time made him intrigued. I wouldn't mind having one of them he thought to himself.

The Tauros appears before him, closer than he would have liked. But he knew of something were to happen Dimitrious' Pokemon were well trained and would listen.

[b]Well, I personally have never had a good run in with them. A few years ago, before joining the Academy, I almost got hurt bad by a group of rampaging Tauros. I see that yours of calm, not the norm, or from what I'm gathering of this lesson he might just be. I've only ever seen them in groups and they are easily riled up.[b]

He wasn't sure if that was the right answer, but he had answered anyway. Croix paced and laid down at his teeth

---

Keiran was trying to pay more attention to Dimitrious' words than his pokemon, but Nero couldn't help being jealous as the other trainers got cuddly with their companions, and the young man found himself with a lapful of stubborn gold and violet fur that would not be moved. Chuckling under his breath, he rubbed the cat's jowls until a high, warbling purr came forward and continued to listen.
As little glamor as there was to the jobs of Safari watch or public relations, Keiran had figured he'd end up dealing with those jobs if there was a big enough need for him there. Hearing that his own work was going to focus on something else, however, had his eyes sharpening in focus. Keeping Team Rocket in check, processing information, preparing for war... that was an entirely different kind of work, with a heavy weight that came along with it. Keiran shivered a little in anticipation.

Being told to get over his dislike of dogs, however, was a little more difficult to swallow. Keiran grimaced, cutting a narrow-eyed glance at the pokemon beside him before he sighed, shoulders slumping. He'd never outright like them, he couldn't help that, but he could respect their abilities and their value in the field. "Understood."

Having a large, admittedly dangerous breed of Pokemon appear behind him had Keiran's shoulders tightening, Nero flicking his ears back, but he held his ground and trusted that this was going to be important, not a meaningless scare tactic. Stein gave his answer immediately, and it was a good one, but Keiran held his peace for a moment, studying the large, powerful creature. "Potential danger aside, they're striking and notable, but most trainers want people to remember them," he reasoned slowly, grey eyes keen on the large bull. Considering what their mentor had just been saying about type preference, though, he finally said, "Is it because they aren't what most trainers think of as a 'cool' type? A lot of people go for flashy or colorful, thinking that means value; they might overlook a Tauros based on its appearance."

---

He pondered over their answers for a few moments, smiling as he watched their own Pokemon seem to become just a tab jealous and get the attention they desired from the two young men. Leaning over Basavas back over crossed arms, the Tauros locked his knees to hold up his trainers weight and looked to the new trainers, smiling at them lazily. "Well you're not wrong, I'll give you both that. People don't want a Pokemon that could overpowered them not only physically, as Tauros are certainly capable of like you said Stein, it's also been said that they can undermine a trainers authority over their other Pokemon. Rumors only, as far as I've seen and experienced. Good point from you Stein, they can be easily riled in a herd, but get one alone and you've got partner just as loyal as the rest can be. Basavas old, older than me I'm sure, but he's the perfect example of a Tauros under the care of a trainer, Ranger training aside. As I said before about picking favorites, normal types are easily the best partners around for their all around usefulness; he knows plenty of rivaling moves and could best even the fiercest Dragon type. Trainers being flashy is also a point to consider, but that depends on the trainer of course; not everyone likes flashy or to stand out."

Looking to the sky for a second, Dimitrious looked back to see Rosso lounging on the ground, his head between his paws as he napped in the warm sun. Rolling his shoulders he grit his teeth as Hopes claws slipped through his shirt as she jumped off, soon sidling closer to Keiran and Nero, purring slightly as she hoped to greet the larger feline. "Now then, what did they give you in terms of supplies, and what did you bring yourselves? I'd prefer to get a move on before noon hits. Basava, go scout up North, and take the twins with you. Oh, and just so you're aware of the rest of my team Stein, Keiran, I want you to at least remember what they are, names can come later. My twins are Sun and Moon, and Espeon and Umbrein, and Altair my Noctowl. He's pretty distinguishable from the wilds, his feathers are almost always ruffled up and they're fraying, you could say. I've had him and Basava for over two decades, so don't mind Altair if he seems to stare at you. If we get separated look for any of my team, they'll lead you back on the right track and avoid anything over the top." with that said, he released his Eevee-lution twins, Sun blinking and yawning while the bolder Moon stared down Croix before rushing to leap onto Basavas back and resting between his horns. "Sun, teleport back if you run into trouble. You know the drill, stay out of trainers sight of you can." he told them as he pulled out a mustard yellow scarf and tied it around Basavas right foreleg.

Soon ignoring them as they left on their way, he explained his use of the scarf. "Most Rangers have identifying markers for their Pokemon if they're out away from the trainer, here in Johto we use anything in mustard yellow. In Kanto it's teal, Hoenn it's some kind of green, and the others are your guess. I haven't traveled much into the other regions myself. Anyway, I'm sure you two have questions. Give me a list of your supplies and once we get those all sorted you can ask on the way."

---

Stein paused and watched the two Eveelutions run along. They were extremely graceful.
At the time Zeke decided to nip his ear. He'd patiently been waiting for Stein to drop his guard a little.
"Ah, ow, you need to quit doing that" Stein glared at his Impidh little Pidgey, he seemed to enjoy doing naughty things. He raised his hand to brush him off and right before he could Zeke flew up and perched on the relaxed Croix.
Stein flung his backpack in front of him and started flying throughhis items.
Right, the items we brought. Well here is what I got when I picked up my Houndour:
6 Pokeballs
4 Potions
2 Burn Heals
1 Revive
A Town Map
I brought with me:
Some spare cash (2000 to be exact)
A jar of Honey
2 Antidotes
2 jars of MooMoo Milk
And my art pad, figured I'd be stuck inSafari Zone, so yeah."

He pause after stating what he had brought, wishing he'd been smart enough to grab a couple TMs, or anything else.
He waited to see if his classmate was more prepared than him.

---

Listening carefully, idly rubbing Nero's ears, Keiran considered the new information. Normal pokemon were indeed very well-rounded and had a great potential for versatility, as well as a lack of severe weaknesses. His own family specialized in elemental combat and development, but considering what their mentor was saying, Keiran had to admit it had a downside. He also found himself holding back a smile at the clawing of their mentor's clothes- his own cats had done that far too many times not to recognize the tight-shouldered grimace of pain.

Taking in the lovely Psychic and Dark-type pokemon twins Dimitrious had released, Keiran pulled his other occupied pokeball out and released his Trapinch, who yawned with her large jaws before toddling over to plop her head on his foot. Gritting his teeth at how heavy the little Ground-type was, Keiran knelt to rub his hand over her hard-shelled back. "This is Lana. She's still a little new with me." He knew she had strength and versatile skills both in her current form and in her future self, but it was new to have a Pokemon so different from the cats and foxes he'd grown up around.

The roll call of supplies was a good question, and Keiran calmly listed off his own while giving the Trapinch some affection before they left. "I have Pokeballs for Lana and Nero, as well as 8 standard empty balls. A pocketknife, a few potions, two antidotes, a paralyze heal, two persim berries, four iapapa berries, some fresh water and a couple protein bars. I have money, my pokegear, my 'dex, and a phone, also. I wasn't told if we would be doing field training, so I didn't think I should waste pack space on a lot of trail gear." Noticing the yellow scarf and listening to the explanation, Keiran bit at the corner of his mouth. "Should we pick up a couple of yellow items before we head out, then, for our own, sir?"

---

He was impressed with both the young men, and slightly curious about the skills Stein had as an artist. He wouldn't admit it, but Dimitrious enjoyed looking at paintings and sketches other people created, though he had no talent whatsoever. If asked for a map of a new area for the Corp, he often made a blob with squiggles or sharp lines to make different terrain, and wrote out any significant land marks. He was often the butt of jokes with the other senior Johto Rangers for his significant lack of skill in topography, but he brushed it off mostly.

"Sorry to disappoint but no, you are not going to he assigned to a Safari Zone, now or in the future unless you cannot complete active duty. Most Rangers in the Safari zones are older or the young ones who want a taste of field work before they get to sit behind a desk and pick through the information we send them. As for your question, Keiran, no. You're Pokemon don't yet know how to use their abilities as well as they would without you. They can defend themselves, of course, but it takes training for them to be able to launch their own offense without you guiding them. Rosso isn't up to that level just yet, which is why I brought him, but you'll learn it's fairly easy to teach. It just takes a great deal of trust between you and your team. Let's get moving, I'll give you some time to comprehend the information you have already. If you've got questions about anything else, ask them before we get too far away from town." he told them, turning and heading for the path that would take them out of town, toward the Lake of Rage.

Hope and Rosso immediately followed after, though Rosso scrambled to his feet in a rush from where he was laying down, nearly running into Steinbefore he slid to a halt, staring at the bearded man warily for a moment before leaping around him. "You both are free to do whatever you want with my team, and they know the limits of orders so if you ask them to do something that they can't or they shouldn't, they will let you know. Hope will just ignore you if that's the case, but Rosso can be a little arrogant. You'll notice it quickly, but if he does get a little out of hand just stand your ground. He thinks he can take on more than he can chew most of the time. Soon as I've broken that down, he'll be moving off with a Ranger of his own, so helping in that would be welcome." he told the. Two quietly, pulling his bandana up to mask his features as he walked. Hope looked up at him once she had reached his side, and as he looked down at her he smiled slightly, his bandana shifting before he leaves partly toward her, and she took the invitation to keep up onto him again. "And don't let Hope bully you into sharing any food, for you or your Pokemon. She's a good manipulator, but you'll have to deal with her fur all over your clothes after."

---

Stein thought to himself I guess I was a little unprepared compared to him, bah, so be it he stared at the Trapinch as it was released, they were very strange looking, he never did like the big jaws.
So we were chosen to go with you due to our age? Or were there other factors in the decision?

He was glad that he didn't get chosen for a boring job, would make this whole thing harder. He may have gotten so bored and reverted to what he was before the academy. He shuddered, at that time Russo alsmost took him out. The Luxio seemed slightly kiddish around him, he's smart, I guess he has the right to I was a bad person. I must still give off that vibe, I'll never be rid of it I suppose

Stein was surprised at the comment about the being able to tell Dimitrious' Pokemon around. He wasn't sure if he ever would, seemed kinda odd to order another persons team around. He just assumed he would have to try it sometime later. What got Stein's attention was when his mentor said he was training Russo and then sending him off to another Ranger.
He mumbled to himself as he watched the Luxio scamper off, I wish I could have you, wel see I guess. If not I'll find my own

He committed the comment about Hope and food to memory.

Stein was also watching his classmate Keira , he seemed very calm for the first time hearing all this information. Though he guessed he was too, more so glad to hear it. He wasn't sure if anyone noticed him thinking about his past.

---

Keiran couldn't help the crooked half-smile as he thought to himself, not being assigned to the Safari Zone is anything but a disappointment. He wanted his work to matter and if there was a need, he would put everything he had forwards; sitting by on the sidelines just wasn't his style. Nodding as his question was answered, Keiran glanced back over at Rosso, taking in the Luxio's energetic bouncing and remembering what he could of the behavior of the breed. That he needed more training before going to another ranger was interesting, picking up his interest. Though he had no intentions of ordering around someone else's pokemon arbitrarily, if there was a severe enough need then any means necessary would have to be taken, he assumed. "Understood. His kind are usually spirited; it'll serve him well when it's tempered," Keiran commented, knowing his mother's own Luxray had apparently been very temperamental when he was younger.

His own curiosity was pricking at the stiff, oddly wary body language of the man beside him; Stein kept giving off a feeling of being reserved or perhaps expecting judgment. Keiran wasn't sure the exact reason, though he supposed he could tell the man was a couple years older than a usual fresh graduate. Whatever his history, it was Stein's own business until he decided to share, and Keiran left it at that for now.

"It's alright, I know how cats are with food and fur," he chuckled instead, Lana scooped up into the crook of his arm despite her weight, Nero padding along beside and yowling in protest at the accusation. "Oh, hush, you're terrible," was Keiran's fond response, remembering all too many times his Purrloin had begged most of the boy's plate of food away from him. At least the dark violet and dusky gold fur was less visible on his clothing than Hope's cream-color likely was.

---

He was pleased with their responses, even the wordless one given off by Stein, at his allowing them to give his team orders. He was also aware of the looks the older man was giving Rosso, and he smiled to himself. Rosso was quite a sight, and there weren't many in the Ranger Corp; many new recruits knew from one person or another that after evolving into a Luxio they carried an air of command that needed to be tempered and thst was often hard, considering their next evolution and how quickly it often creeped up on the Pokemon. Rosso seemed wary of Stein, oddly enough, but he cast it aside for the time being as he had no reason to assume anything of the man. He had read his files, he knew enough about both his trainees to be able to read what he needed.

And then Stein asked why they had been given this assignment, why they were paired with him. And he sighed tiredly, Hope lifting her head and purring. "I chose you. Your age had nothing to do with anything, just your aptitude and the want to be one of us. I'm getting old, I'm tired and I need to know I can count on someone to take over when I finally give this part up. I've trained a few Pokemon for recruits, and that's what I'll continue to do after I'm done with the espionage side of things. Consider yourselves the best of all the recruits, in both your graduating year and the following one. Of course, you can always choose to lead a different Ranger life if you feel you're not up for everything that comes with our territory, but that's for you to decide."

He let that sink in; he had looked through dozens of files and people to find those who he felt would fit best, and it had taken some time before he had managed to procure these two men. He also didn't want to just hand over his region to someone who would bite off more than they could chew, despite him often doing this just to save another Ranger from getting hurt or killed in the line of duty. "Just don't let that get to your heads. I don't need anyone who's got too much pride to take over. That'll get you killed faster than you can blink."

---

Well that works for me. I'm ready to go now
He'd heard enough for now, and was ready to get going. Can't stand around here all day, he'll never ever to see all these things his mentor talks about. Well, it'll be strange also to see them from this side as well. Stein may have never been into some of the terrible stuff Dimitrious deals with, but he still feels strange being in the right side of the handcuffs.
Stein grabbed his the two Pokeballs for each of his teammates.
Alright you two time to go back in, I'll see about taking you out later. Zeke looked disappointed, he wanted to stay out and fly freely, Croiz was all to happy to nap again. He pressed the center button of both containers and light enveloped both Pokemon. Both Pokeballs clicked shut, both Pokemon safely inside, and replaced them on his belt.

Stein cinched his bag shut and swung it up onto his back. Staring at his classmate and mentor,'Whelp, what about you Keiran?

---

All too ready to get going, Keiran fell into step with his mentor and new team member, idly petting the Trapinch to make up for the time she would spend napping once he couldn't carry her anymore. Note to self, look into strength training for me in spare time. His focus shifted entirely away from trivial issues like sore arms and heavy pokemon at what Dimitrious was saying, however. There was an inherent pride to being chosen as the best of two generations, but unlike most fresh recruits, Keiran read it as a responsibility as much as an honor. There was a level of expectation set up for being hand-picked for a job that needed to be done, and if anything it strengthened his determination not to disappoint their teacher.

Prestige aside, the idea of being in the midst of espionage and danger was quite frankly exciting. "My own actions will determine if I'm good enough for this. I have no intention of flunking out or going for a different track, however." Keiran answered quietly. Lana burbled at him as he gently set her down and returned her to her Pokeball, leaving Nero by his side as the Liepard would have no difficulty keeping up and they had not been instructed to stow all their pokemon away.

The question from Stein had Keiran looking up, grey eyes glinting in their own catlike way as he grinned. "I'm ready if you are."

---

He felt a surge of pride at their words, but mostly aimed at the Corp rather than they being his replacements at a future date. They could very well end up in a different region altogether if the need arose, but his training would still go with them regardless. "You are both free to catch and tame any Pokemon that you see in the wild, just keep in mind the training that goes into them becoming a Rangers Pokemon is different after you achieve the basics. Your first Pokemon given by he Corp already hold these values; dependability, tolerance, instinct, intuition where a normal trainers team lacks. You aren't given a partner that was picked up the day before, and it's quite often seen that they are already evolved depending on the species. Try and see this in your partner, and when you're able teach your other Pokemon. That Houbdour of yours acts lazy and tired, but remember that he's very much ready for anything, Stein. You see Rangers with one of there Pokemon at their side because we're only human, we miss things where they will see it."

Just as he stepped over a rock, he felt eyes on him; it was odd, as they were already a good distance from tourists who were curious of them. Hope was alert even as she looked relaxed, her tail twitching smoothly as her ears flicked back and forth quickly, listing for any sound she could hear. "Next lesson. Compounding on the first to be always aware, you must have complete trust in your Pokemon to make up for the senses you lack. My eyesight is obviously impaired, but Hopes isn't and her ears are much better than my own. You'll learn and teach different cues as well, and recognize them even if only by a small glance or by touch." he moved one had as if to scratch the back of his head, but instead pointed toward her ears, then gestured to her tail as he moved it back to his side.

And suddenly it stopped, and Dimitri placed one hand over his daggers, stopping where he was and using his other hand to wave his trainees to a halt. Hopes tail was bone still, and her head was now raised and looking to the trees that were becoming increasingly heavy to their right. She let out a rumbling, odd growl that sounded more like stone grating against something a it softer, and Dimitri soon spotted what she was focused on in the taller and denser grasses. "Thats odd... How many shiny Pokemon have either of you seen in the wild?" he asked them, his voice low as he pointed toward the Pokemon. There were five in total, two Furret and three Sentret. The evolved were obviously the parents, and one was the off color that marked as shiny.

Along with each Sentret the two were surrounding. Angrily, fur standing on end for each of the golden colored normal types. The regular Furret cowered near their babies, but it was looking at its family with something very much like fear. The pink Furret snarled at them, and Hope leapt down to stand between the grouping and the three men, the fur around her neck raised even as she remained quiet. "That is not the norm for them, either. I'd grab something to keep them away if they chase us, you two. Stay between Hope and them, we'll go around them. No use fighting them if they stay there. Don't catch them yet, something's wrong with them." he cast a glance at the two men and the Liepard, then let out a whistle; some birds took flight but a call could be heard from far off, Basava mooing in response to the whistle from his trainer. "We'll head toward the rest of my team. Casually, don't be too slow or protective about yourselves, they might find that threatening for all we know."

---

The offer to catch new Pokemon was an intriguing one, but Keiran at least was in no hurry to add more to his team just yet. In addition to bonding with his Ranger-given Pokemon, Lana, he also had to rebuild some of the lost relationship with Nero and help the Liepard grow into his new evolution. Still, he'd keep an eye out for anything that felt like it would fit into the balance of elements and types he had so far. Hearing their mentor speak highly of the Houndour Stein had made Keiran more thoughtful, wondering what training went into the development of a true Ranger's partner. His desire was first and foremost to do the work, but he had the family background to held with training; thoughts for later, when he had enough experience at one job to try multitasking. For now, he absorbed the idea of extending his effectiveness by trusting the senses of his Pokemon, rubbing the back of Nero's neck idly as the Liepard purred.

As they gained distance from the town and headed into the trees, Keiran noticed already the flex of Nero's back under his hand as something strange came closer. The Furrets and Sentrets were acting completely wrong, and it spiked alarm and wariness in the Ranger trainee's chest. "Only one..." Keiran mumbled in answer, eyes fixed on the tense creatures. "Why would they attack their own family unit?" He asked softly, eyes trained on the difference between the hostile and frightened Pokemon. It was strange... only the pink Furret was being aggressive. Weren't shiny types even more shy and reclusive than their normal siblings?

Nero close to his side, bristled in displeasure, Keiran followed Dimitrious' instructions, but couldn't help asking, "Isn't it dangerous to leave an aggressive member near a mother and her kits? I understand it's not our mission, but..." It was hard to put into words the sense of unease he had, but for lack of a better justification, Keiran swallowed it. Nature was cruel, and it wasn't a Ranger's job to keep every unkindness from happening; they protected the balance of the entire region first, and their current objective likely came much higher in terms of the threat. Even so, he made himself memorize the pattern he saw, the shiny's aggression and the other's defensive anger. Something was wrong here, and it might well be connected to other problems.

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