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Fandom Pokémon: Galar (Roleplay Thread)


Cole ForrestCole4.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Alleyway, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon
Mentions: Wilford Pine
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker

-Battle Stats:
Ally Field - Tailwind, 3 rounds, doubles Speed (Perrserker, Croconaw, Thwackey, Corvisquire, Excadrill, Lanturn)
Enemy Field - Swamp, 1 round, quarters Speed (Golurk)
Argyle's Golurk - Confused (0-2 rounds left)


Given the go-ahead, Cole whistled and snapped his fingers towards Lanturn, just as the two Pokemon made their moves.

His Corvisquire flew over, hovering over the Lanturn. She gave a gentle and friendly chirp - a stark contrast to the behavior of her trainer - as she let Lanturn know what they were going to do: Pick up Lanturn so they wouldn't be attacked by Ground-Type attacks, and to allow them better maneuverability.

She carefully gripped the Lanturn's body right behind their pectoral fins, then picked them as they flew up.

However, as the Golurk was attacked by the Excadrill's Metal Claw, and Earthquake had interrupted the Excadrill's attempt at Hone Claws.

With a huff, Cole was suddenly pulled back. He returned his Perrserker and Croconaw in time before being pulled back, leaving his Thwackey out. "Pledge the ground!"


Cole looked at Cobel with some confliction, before his narrowed gaze made it back to the fight. Thwackey had managed to make the attack, but instead of attacking anything, the vines surged out and began holding the stone together, preventing the walls from collapsing.

"Cops are gonna arrive soon. This level of damage is never ignored." He huffed, already not wanting to make a statement, but he might as well.


Flying above the alleyway was Corvisquire holding on to Cobel's Lanturn, unscathed. They glided down to where the trainers were before turning to face the Golurk. At this angle, Cobel would notice a dark scar across Corvisquire's back.

As Corvisquire returned, Thwackey ran out, having successfully mitigated most of that damage and looking clearer of mind.

Cole never wanted any of Hammerlocke's architecture to suffer from a simple prank, he was sure that those thugs overreacted. With a sigh, he shook his head. "All this destruction from a prank? Really...?" He just groaned. "Thwackey, let's keep damage to a minimum. Cover the ground." Cole was absolutely sure none of his Pokemon could even do enough damage - even with super-effective attacks. Thwackey understood, reinforcing the ground with the vines from Grass Pledge. It wasn't as effective as Grassy Terrain, but it would just have to do.


That's when he remembered. His Morelull had Sleep Powder. Much of this could've been prevented. He just groaned again, feeling like such a fool. He sent out his Morelull, holding his Pokeball as the tiny mushroom creature appeared, swaying and glowing his light softly. However, it was clear that it was a freshly caught Pokemon and didn't exhibit any of his trained Pokemon's behavior, much less look all that strong considering Morelull would be evolving quite early on in a trainer's journey. Bringing the mushroom out too early in the fight would have gotten him knocked out, something Cole was aware of, but realized he could've sent out his Morelull earlier when the Golurk appeared. Despite the unreliability of Sleep Powder's accuracy, it was better than nothing. "Sleep Powder." His tone was gruff, obviously holding some disdain, more so aimed towards himself. He didn't want to admit he was beating himself up, but his slackened shoulders and panicked expression would usually be enough.

The mushroom glowed before spraying a blast of glittering teal powder at the Golurk, hoping to put it to sleep. Meanwhile, the Corvisquire angled the Lanturn behind the Sleep Powder, flapping her wings to help the powder travel while also helping the speed of Lanturn's attack due to Corvisquire's additional use of Tailwind.

 
Last edited:
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A

"Cops are gonna arrive soon. This level of damage is never ignored." The boy complained, as if now realizing there could perhaps be repercussions to his actions–expected or unexpected. "All this destruction from a prank? Really...? Thwackey, let's keep damage to a minimum. Cover the ground."

"What did you expect, everyone to clap and name you the King of Comedy?" Cobel said, admonishing the grifter. Just because he'd helped the kid didn't mean the detective had any sympathy for him at that moment.

As for the battle: it was just about over already; confused, slowed, badly damaged, and now asleep, Golurk posed little threat to anybody at that point. Lanturn finished the beaten-up Golurk off with a Water Pulse–almost an act of mercy for a Pokemon doing what its trainer asked of it. Cruel as those trainers might be, Cobel saw that the grifter boy was no different–just as Cobel himself hadn't been any different, when he was younger and thought he knew all the secrets to the world. Wasting no time, the private detective returned Lanturn to its ball, releasing Hitmonlee back with the same flick of his wrist.

If Cole had not noticed before in the earlier confusion, he would be able to see
Hitmonlee's own scars–one on each leg from intensive surgery, and at least a dozen others on his front and back from years of serious, no-holds-barred battle. Still, the Pokemon was happy. Out of his ball, the Kicking Pokemon let out a relieved:

"Leeee."

"Good job, buddy." Cobel shared, dapping Hitmonlee up.

The partners turned back to Cole, the scammer boy. He looked unimpressive, but he had proved to have some skill and talent in team fighting–even if he was beating himself up over a rookie mistake. They'd been there before themselves, a long time ago. Impossibly long ago. Thinking about it felt like pulling out of a hidden driveway, in the uncertain stretch between the home behind and the road ahead.


"Go on, get out of here." He said, glancing off in the distance toward where the nearest Hammerlocke police station was, trying to gauge the efficiency in their response, before looking back to Cole, "Or are you worried I'll I.D you, and running will only make it worse?"
 

Cole Forrest1736810852476.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Alleyway, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon
Mentions: Wilford Pine
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker


Cole shot Cobel a glare at his admonishment, only giving a scoff in return.

Honestly, who was this guy? Everything about him held that eerie feeling like Cole had seen Cobel somewhere before. But he's never seen him before until today.

This guy was just irritating the fuck out of him...

The Golurk was dealt with, and Cole returned all of his Pokemon. He sighed, looking over the Hitmonlee that came out. Scarred and battered... Were those marks from surgery?

Cole watched Cobel warily, staring a bit with some level of concern. Normally, he was much better at hiding his expression - not being so open - but today had been a rollercoaster. He huffed, pursing his lips at the question. He looked around, then shook his head. "Galar's got cameras in every city facing the streets and this was likely all caught on camera. It's how they keep the public safe. The police will be on the lookout for me for my testimony, so I can't just flee. I'll have a warrant out for my arrest if I do run and I at least want to look better than those punks." He then gave a cocky grin. "Not like I'm worried about what you'd do anyway. I.D. me, huh...? You some sort of law enforcement?" He looked over Cobel, eyes narrowing as if to ascertain Cobel's danger level.


He was concerned that Cobel might be, but he kept an easy smile, even if it wasn't reaching his eyes.

 
Last edited:
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A

"Galar's got cameras in every city facing the streets and this was likely all caught on camera. It's how they keep the public safe. The police will be on the lookout for me for my testimony, so I can't just flee. I'll have a warrant out for my arrest if I do run and I at least want to look better than those punks." As the scammer kid flashed a shit-eating grin, Cobel realized the boy also happened to be a blabbermouth. "Not like I'm worried about what you'd do anyway. I.D. me, huh...? You some sort of law enforcement?"

"You give a lot of credit to the H.P.D, but more than likely it's too late now." Cobel ignored the direct question altogether, instead leaning toward one adjacent street and then the other, finally hearing the blaring noise of approaching sirens as he looked back at Cole once again. Credit where it was due, though, he noted to himself that the police here showed a faster response time than back home in Celadon.

Four cops came in from the northwest-side street, dressed in their police blues, billy clubs at their sides, walking with the air of legally-granted authority in approach of Cole and Cobel. None of them stood out to Cobel–no darting, observant eyes or innate movement toward securing and investigating the crime scene, any of the passively obvious detective work that might make a cop formidable.


"Hammerlocke Police, Sergeant Dubol," One of the police stepped forward, flashing her badge, "You were a part of this mess? What's going on here."

"Cobel Vamon, private detective," Cobel flashed his own badge, smirking at what he pictured the grifter boy's reaction could be, "This boy here was attacked by a small gang. I intervened, but one of them had a nasty Golurk. It...caused much of the damage you see here."

"Is this true?" A second cop asked, confronting Cole now, "Why did this gang attempt to assault you?"
 

Cole Forrest1736813565636.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Alleyway, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon
Mentions: Wilford Pine
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker


Cole was starting to get a bit anxious. He just stood there beside Cobel, waiting for the police to arrive. However, when the police did arrive, Cole had a sudden bad feeling. They were not securing the area, they just walked over. They didn't check the cameras? There was usually people watching the cameras and feeding information to the cops.

Did the cops not get said information? Did they come in with an idea of who to arrest anyway, regardless of the evidence? This did happen once in a while, and unfortunately Cole knew that he didn't look innocent.

Cobel then introduced himself, and Cole tried to tame his expression so as to not appear too worried. However, he was starting to feel ganged up upon by law enforcement despite that not being the case. He did relax a bit more as Cobel went to talk about what had happened vaguely.

Cole tamed his expression, giving that same easy smile as the sergeant asked him. "Yes. Name's Cole Forrest." He showed his own Trainer ID, as he was sure the sergeant would need it. If they went to look at his background, they wouldn't see any previous criminal records as it was all sealed.

Cole knew that - if the police really wanted to and if they had probable cause or if Cole agreed to it - they could use Psychic-Type Pokemon to read his mind. He might as well just say the truth. "We went to trade Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. I was thinking about doing a small inconvenient joke and the guy had friends with him, so I traded him a Pokemon he wanted, thinking he wouldn't overreact since he seemed pretty chill. He still got his Machamp that he wanted in the end, and the screen showed what the Pokemon was holding and I went to warn him, but he didn't want to hear it nor read the screen, as he said he wanted the surprise. The cameras in there caught everything. Then, after the trade, he suddenly cared and wanted to off me. I uh..." He looked back at the alleyway. "Tried to keep their destruction to a minimum. They kept me from leaving the city." That part was at least true, as he was being chased and prevented from going west, which led out of the city.

He really hoped nothing would happen, but he was growing incredibly uneasy.


 
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A

Blabbermouth he was, it seemed. Cole Forrest. He couldn't decide if he wanted to tell the full truth or tell the conveniently adjusted version of it that made him look best. Getting stuck in between the two did the grifter boy no favors at all, though the police seemed to hold some degree of mercy for the shaken-up kid. Of course, he'd just had a building almost fall on his head–it can be hard to string together coherent sentences consistently after getting attacked as Cole had. Sergeant Dubol stayed to dutifully take notes and interview the two while her three subordinates split up to secure and investigate the scene. Cobel waited patiently with his hands behind his back while Cole rambled, wondering whether the scales of legal justice would tip in - or against - his favor.

"A small, inconvenient joke, eh?" The police sergeant asked, raising an eyebrow in visible uncertainty. She looked at Cobel, "And how did you become aware of this...attempted assault?"

"I just flew in from Celadon, and was having a meal at the Pokemon Center," Cobel explained, trying to stick to the truth while remaining as vague and succinct as possible, "I witnessed the group acting unruly and disruptively."

"Did you witness the trade–this...joke?"

"No, Sergeant," Cobel shrugged. "But like Cole here said, the leader of that group was out the door with a newly evolved Machamp not five minutes later."

"I see...and you," Dubol switched back to Cole after writing down a couple of notes, speaking clear and stern. "You said it yourself, we have access to the cameras. I'll have you know, though–trade tampering is considered a misdemeanor. We have your I.D number, if found culpable, you'll be issued a fine and potentially a court summon."

"I'm sure you'll find whatever he may have done was not quite gang assault, Sergeant," the private detective replied, holding out his hand to Cole to let the scammer know he'd handle it. "Are we free to go?"

"For now, yes," the police sergeant affirmed. "We'll be in touch if we need another statement."

He nudged Cole, a not-so-subtle signal for the boy to leave. They did their civic duty, now it was their duty to get the hell out of Dodge. As they walked off, the rubble shifted, bringing the investigating police to attention. From under the collapsed building, a small, pathetic, mostly-bald head, now missing both front teeth, peaked out into the open world. An unimpressive yet courageous voice broke the silence:

"B-Boss? Boss is 'at you?" the Golurk-owning thug said, barely above a whisper. "Did I get 'em, boss?..."

"Freeze! Police!" they were on the poor kid in an instant. Cobel almost felt bad for him–but knew the thug would break under police pressure, and that'd probably work out in Cole's favor.
 

Cole Forrest1736836571138.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Alleyway, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon
Mentions: Wilford Pine
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker


He really hated cops...

He didn't know what to divulge, what to not say. If he was vague, would he be withholding the truth and thus obstructing information if they saw it on the cameras and tried to get him with it? But if he said too much, he would have more information that needed to be corroborated and thus pinned on him.

This was stressing him out too much.

It was clear that the sergeant didn't buy his story of it being a little joke. But strangely, in his own little way, Cobel stood up for him. It was a surreal feeling.

He never really had anyone do that before. Not unless it was to get something from him. What was his angle?

Cole was immediately suspicious and he was starting to feel that creeping anxiety feeling squeeze at his chest. It felt a bit difficult to breathe. He managed to keep his face straight as possible and his gaze not as panicked as the sergeant looked at him pointedly, talking about trade tampering. It wasn't even trade tampering, what did he do that would consider something to be trade tampering???

He nodded and understood what he would be given, silent.

Why was this private detective helping him again...?

Cole's mouth felt dry. He followed Cobel, noting that one of the goons had left the rubble and was taken into custody immediately by the police. He could also tell that the squirrely man would be easy to press on the situation.

As they made it away from the scene of the crime, Cole turned to Cobel, a slightly accusatory glare on his face, sounding almost exasperated if it weren't for the subtle quake in his voice, words hurried and spoken in a strangely hush tone. "Why did you help me? No one helps me except myself. Dislike me enough to be short with me, sure, but you came in and saved my life and stood up for me in front of the cops. You want something from me for later or something, or you one of those weird helpful people?"


Cole's breathing was starting to get a bit more labored and shallow-sounding, and he was visibly wincing from the struggle to not only breathe normally, but to not let these strange emotions from hurting him. He was terrified, angry, anxious, and so so confused, culminating in this brew of muscular discomfort around his chest and making his stomach feel sick and heavy. Panic attacks were something Cole rarely ever had - if ever - and yet here he was, freaking out that someone had helped him because of the possible intentions or implications for the future.

He did at least take a deep breath to calm down and tried to not sound so ungrateful as he spoke directly after his questions. "... But I thank you anyway... Just caught me off guard..." He said softly and semi-quickly, still feeling queasy enough to look slightly sick from stress.


 
Last edited:
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A
"Why did you help me? No one helps me except myself," Cole said, hushed and glaring at the detective like he was in on some sort of sick joke all along. "Dislike me enough to be short with me, sure, but you came in and saved my life and stood up for me in front of the cops. You want something from me for later or something, or you one of those weird helpful people?"

Cobel watched the young grifter have a mild, low-key meltdown, wordless and breathless, weariness and mistrust mixed together with gratefulness and confusion as if in a hearty bowl of salad. Almost getting beat to shit and then almost dying tended to freak people out the first couple of times it happened, so Cobel understood that perhaps Cole felt out of his element and needed to adjust. Even Cobel felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He craved another cigarette–smoking one after a fight always gave the greatest headrush. He'd wait, though, until Cole was gone.

"... But I thank you anyway... Just caught me off guard..." The grifter boy added quietly after composing himself better, caught between the better and worse parts of his own nature.

"You're welcome," he replied, gruffly, stopping for a moment at the side of the street, to give Cole another moment or to to get his shit together, "Stupid as your prank was, I wasn't going to let you get beat up by a mob...maybe one guy, sure–not seven. And those cops were just posturing, just trying to put a little bit of fear in you. If any of those chumps take the time out of their day to add our info into the database, watching surveillance footage and writing reports: I'll eat my Weezing's hat."

The detective glanced away again, his eyes always darting between people and places, taking in information: a little side-street of Paldean curry restaurants; a businesswoman almost tripping over new heels, a Pichu holding precariously onto her shoulder; a closed-off portion of road designated for construction; a Meowth and a Growlithe antagonizing each other over a delectable meal of garbage can leftovers. Hammerlocke hummed with kinetic energy, everyone in the city moving with machine-like precision–toward work, or home, or off for a date at the art museum. Cobel had given up the easier ways of life; could he ever claw his way back to them? A shiver ran down his spine.

"Good people can exist," Cobel said after pausing to observe the city for a few seconds; he sounded like he was trying to convince himself that this could be true. The detective nodded in the direction of the city gates, and Hammerlocke Hills, "C'mon, make some more distance between us and them."
 

Cole ForrestCole.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Alleyway, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon
Mentions: Wilford Pine
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker


After that mini freakout, Cole did feel a little better.

He could tell Cobel was just looking out for him, even somehow making him feel better with words. It was a foreign feeling. Cobel wasn't bringing anything up about helping him in the future, but it still gave a sour taste in Cole's mouth. His parents would always do something good, and then use it as an excuse for later about why he should return the favor. He visibly relaxed though, able to breathe normally. "Well... I... Appreciate it." That took some effort to say. "I guess, don't expect me to return the favor then." His tone was much softer this time. He did smirk a little though, imagining the older man eating his Galarian Weezing's hat.

Cole had noticed Cobel taking stock of what was around them. He didn't much care for it, even if he was also noticing the same things Cobel was. Cole knew who he was, knew how he should live, and it wasn't amongst them. Cole could hear the slight uncertainty in Cobel's voice, about good people existing. He looked up at Cobel with some confusion. Were they that similar? Now that Cole had time to process, Cobel reminded Cole of himself. Surely, not what Cole saw himself a decade later being or doing, but there was something about Cobel that reminded him of himself.

Honestly, those were the best and worst people to run into. They not only could empathize and understand better than others, but also knew too much, too well... It was rather unsettling.

He looked at the Pokemon Center passed Cobel's shoulder, thoughts going to his Pokemon.

"I should get my Pokemon treated first before I go. I don't exactly have a bunch of Potions to spare, and I don't intend on depleting any of your stock." He huffed, trying to play it cool and like he didn't suddenly care at all.

Though, a thought came to mind. What if those thugs who ran away were in the Pokemon Center, or thugs who affiliated with them and heard about the news already? Already, he was glaring at it.

What if Wilford saw all that? The dry cleaners was right there. The thought made his blood run cold. What if Wilford didn't like him after that botched prank and left him here in Galar, and Cole couldn't go to Paldea? What if he lost the only person he found who was similar to him in mindset? Surely, Wilford wouldn't condone hanging around Cobel, especially with what he was.

He felt shame creep up. He looked up at Cobel, an uneasiness permeating his movements as he tried not to let those thoughts win. Cole sighed, wondering if he should just not bother. He can be strong on his own, he didn't need anyone. And if he got stronger, they'd come crawling back to him.

He knew that was delusional thinking, but he didn't care. He found himself walking towards the Pokemon Center, regardless of what Cobel had said about it.


 
CODE BY SEROBLISS
WILFORD
PINE

August 2nd
WCS Rank: 69,398
Interactions: Cole Forrest(Merciless Medic), Cobel Vamon(EnviousWorm)

Though Wilford's brow twitched at Cole's laughter, the compliment about Drilbur and his tackle brought a resigned sigh. Snickering, Wilford's eyes briefly darted to his suitcase, narrowing on its midsection before facing Cole. He patted his left pocket, clenched the outline of his phone, and nodded to himself. Soon after Cole extended an invitation to watch the everstone-related prank, the rich young man held out his hand to halt his traveling companion.

"I'll have to pass on your invite, tempting though it may be," Wilford spoke while walking toward the aforementioned cleaners, turning his head to focus on Cole, "Have fun without me."

Despite your eccentricities, you never fail to remind me why I keep you around, Cole.

A bell chimed simultaneously to Wilford opening the dry cleaner's door. A young man led a giggling woman by the hand out of the store, brushing against Wilford's shoulder on their exit. The rich young man sneered at the pair, though the only person who saw his expression was the innocent cashier.

Gulping, the cashier cleared her throat, "Hello, sir! How can we help you today?"

"My suit's been dirtied. I was hoping you could clean it for me," Wilford tugged the corner of his sleeve to shake out some excess dirt.

"Of course!" The cashier walked toward the little gate leading further into the store, "Right this way."

Nodding, Wilford followed closely behind the cashier. Without much else to look at, his eyes sailed upward. Hordes of outfits dangled atop the thin metal bars that outlined the store. Attire from all walks of life swayed on the hangers, ranging from simple business suits to opulent wedding dresses. An ebony suit decorated with silver flowers held Wilford's gaze until the cashier cleared her throat. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wilford saw the young woman gesturing to a small stool covered in a teal cushion, elevated by a slight ledge. Wilford stepped on the stool and spread his arms out, his gaze fixed on the cashier.

Grabbing a pair of glasses from her shirt pocket, the cashier scooted her feet closer to the suited young man, her eyes moving up his torso, legs, and wingspan. After finding specks of dirt nested between the microscopic holes in Wilford's suit, the cashier clapped her hands with a smile.

"We can have this cleaned for you in about two hours. Will that be ok with you?"

Wilford replied with a low groan, "Yes. I have nothing better to do anyway."

"Perfect! I'll lead you to our dressing rooms," Smiling, the cashier hopped down from the ledge and continued her route.

"If you don't mind me asking," The cashier tilted her head while grabbing Wilford's suit jacket, "How did you dirty your suit like this?"

"A Drilbur tried to steal my suitcase. Thankfully, I recovered it and added the thief to my team," Wilford cocked his head sideways while closing the door. The cashier giggled before grabbing the pieces of Wilford's outfit in 30-second increments.

Wilford opened his phone's Pokédex app to check the stats of his newfound Pokemon.

Rapid Spin is a decent coverage move and provides stellar utility between speed raising and entry hazard removal. Metal Claw will become useful upon evolution. I'll have to eliminate Mud Slap with a TM, but I can make that work. Sand Rush is the better of the two abilities I could've gotten; that would explain how it dug so quickly but ran so poorly. If I can get my Duckletts in a row, Drilbur can become a mainstay on the team...

Soon enough, Wilford's suit was returned to him. The blond young man smiled during his dressing ritual, his shoulders relaxing in the warm embrace of his freshly cleaned jacket. He emerged with his debit card in hand.

"Rotom!" The cashier met him at the dressing room's exit, yelling for the Electric Type Pokémon. After a split second, a Rotom-possessed chip reader zipped towards the pair. The Plasma Pokémon's trademark eyes sat at the top of the screen, while the bottom showed the price of 30 Pokédollars. Halting between Wilford and the cashier, the Rotom tapped its receptor against the card's chip. After five seconds, the Rotom removed its receptor from Wilford's card, its face disappearing to show percent amounts ranging from 10 to 20

"Would you like to add a tip?"

"20%," Wilford shrugged, grabbing his wallet from his back pocket to return his debit card.

"Thank you for shopping!" Chiming, the Rotom flew back to the cash register desk. With a slight nod, Wilford waved to the cashier and left the building.

En route to the Pokémon Center, a pair of police officers grazed by Wilford's peripheral vision. His eyes lingered on the passing cops before dancing among the crowd, searching for concern or fear in their eyes. Unfortunately ,the expressions of the other passersby were too varied to make a conclusion.

Must've been on patrol. Hopefully, nothing happened while I was busy.

On the horizon, he spotted Cole's familiar silhouette flanked by another on his left. The details became clearer while the man drew nearer: he was a thin, lanky man with slicked-back chestnut hair. His shoulders nearly folded into his armpits, and his facial hair resembled porcupine spines. Notably, the strange new man wore an overcoat that almost devoured him. Perhaps he could consult a tailor after his barber's appointment.

Standing at the Pokemon Center's entrance, Wilford's brow cocked upward, his eyes drifting between Cole and his new companion, "Seems like you had more fun with your prank than expected. Somehow, it seems like you even made a friend."

Turning to the overcoat-clad man, Wilford removed his hand from his pocket and extended it for a shake, "Wilford Pine. In case you've heard of the CEO of Pine Industrial Mining, I'm his son."
1736912546531.png
Species: Monferno
Ability: Iron Fist
Battle Ready Moves:
Fire Punch(Egg Move)
Mach Punch
Thunder Punch(Egg Move)
Power Up Punch
Fake Out
Ember
Helping Hand(Egg Move)
Taunt
Rusty Moves:
Scratch
Leer
1736912555767.png
Species: Thwackey
Ability: Grassy Surge
Battle Ready Moves:
Fake Out
Razor Leaf
Growth
Branch Poke
Double Hit
Taunt
Leech Seed(Egg Move)
Rusty Moves:
Scratch
Growl
1736912564207.png
Species: Panpour
Ability: Torrent
Battle Ready Moves:
Disarming Voice(Egg Move)
Hydro Pump(Egg Move)
Scratch
Play Nice
Leer
Lick
Water Gun
1736912572486.png
Species: Togepi
Ability: Serene Grace
Battle Ready Moves:
Tackle
Fairy Wind
Extrasensory(Egg move)
Life Dew
Psycho Shift(Egg move)
Sweet Kiss
Growl

1736912581622.png
Species: Mimikyu
Ability: Disguise
Battle Ready Moves:
Shadow Sneak
Destiny Bond(Egg Move)
Baby Doll Eyes
Double Team
Mimic
Copycat
Wood Hammer
Feint Attack
Rusty Moves:
Splash
Scratch
Astonish

1736912667959.png
Species: Drilbur
Ability: Sand Rush
Battle Ready Moves:
Rapid Spin
Metal Claw
Scratch
Fury Swipes
Hone Claws
Sandstorm
Mud Slap
Metal Sound
 
Last edited:
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A

"Well... I... Appreciate it." Cole might as well be removing his own appendix, the way he expressed gratefulness, "I guess, don't expect me to return the favor then."

"I expect nothing of you at all." Cobel replied, adding harshness to his tone to make it seem like more of an intended insult than it was.

A short pause followed. Maybe it was the jet lag, or perhaps the wearing off of the adrenaline in his veins, but Cobel could feel his mind wandering. It had already dipped into the past like a child testing the ocean temperature with a big toe, but suddenly he heard the echoing of laughter from the corner booth at Schaeffer's in Celadon; he could remember the slow, dripping rain of a cold autumn night, and the smell of fresh-cooked leppa berries.


"I should get my Pokemon treated first before I go. I don't exactly have a bunch of Potions to spare, and I don't intend on depleting any of your stock." Cole said in a huff, bringing the detective back to a tangible reality.

Cobel did not reply, instead opting to raise a skeptical eyebrow toward the grifter boy–a look that said:
'was I offering?'

Overtaken by uncertainty, the young Cole had looked up at Cobel almost as if for guidance, or just asking for a little bit more help. Cobel was there, physically, but his mind had stepped away for just a moment...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


COBEL VAMON, UNEMPLOYED.
CELADON CITY, KANTO. SEPTEMBER 8, 2013.
NINE YEARS IN THE PAST...

He rolled over in bed at 4 p.m., the alarm on his phone blaring away for the fourth time now. His head felt like a Voltorb had exploded in it. Instinctively, Cobel reached to his bedside table and grabbed the open bottle of whisky. He took a drink, swallowing slowly but graciously. After, he dug around under the sheets, swearing under his breath about finding it. Eventually, he pulled out a bent cigarette and lone match. Cobel struck the match against his nightstand and lit the cigarette, leaning back against the pillow with one arm under it. Then, Cobel checked his phone; the alarm read: HITMONLEE SURGEON, 6:30 P.M.

Taking a drag and holding it in, Cobel assessed his messy apartment bedroom: clothes and cans and bottles strewn across the floor; ashtrays on every surface, full of butts and ash; last night's take out, Celadon street tacos. He blinked. Why did it seem cleaner? He clambered out of bed with a heavy sigh, still holding his head, the cigarette, and the bottle of whisky.


"Jules?" He called out, opening the bedroom door and looking out into the kitchen with one eye, "Jules are you in the bathroom???"

Cobel stumbled as he walked, part-hangover and part old floors. Cans and aluminum wrappers crinkled under foot, smoke pluming into his eyes and spreading across the yellow-stained ceiling. He turned on the stove and inspected the frying pan sitting on top. While the stove heated he rinsed the pan off as quick as he could over the stacked pile of other dishes that piled up, collecting all sorts of bacteria for days or weeks now. Ignoring it all, Cobel opened the fridge and dug past more take-out leftovers and some old, gross vegetables that didn't get used. He pulled the last two eggs out of a carton and cracked them open on the edge of the kitchen counter.

"Jules you want some breakfast?" He called out to the specter in the apartment, the person who'd been there for him for the last five years. "...Did you go to work early?"

He left the pan with butter melting in the center, checking the living room for Julie. The couch, chair, table, and t.v all remained in tact. His guitar case sat tucked in the corner and a hardly-used Nintendo Wii U was set-up under the television. The table, though, was cleaned off, recently. And a folded note sat alone on it. Cobel limped over, taking the last drags of his cigarette. He grabbed the note, opening both eyes under great duress to read it.

"My dear Bell," the note started, "I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Somewhere down under the rage and self-destruction, you're one of the kindest, most reliable people in the world."

...under the rage and self-desctruction? What the–?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
THE PRESENT, OF COURSE.

"Seems like you had more fun with your prank than expected. Somehow, it seems like you even made a friend."

Another Voltorb exploded inside his head. Had it been a minute, or a second? Memory and the linear passage of time tended to disagree. Cole was still near, caught mid-stride trying to guilt the detective into joining him at the Pokemon Center, when another boy approached from across the street–someone on friendly terms with the young grifter, no less. This one looked like he himself had been plucked off the dry clean rack moments prior, ten-thousand dollar outfit still fresh-pressed and steamed. An obvious mark for an even more obvious scam, it seemed.

"Wilford Pine. In case you've heard of the CEO of Pine Industrial Mining, I'm his son." Richie Rich pulled a hand from his pockets to offer Cobel to shake.

"Right, right, P.I.M," Cobel said, shaking the boy's hand; he kept his grip loose and unintimidating before letting go. As they shook hands, the detective looked at Cole, again trying to communicate without words: this time that he thought the grifter boy was trying to rip this Wilford off, "William Pine, interesting man...Say, how do the two of you know each other? Old friends? Study buddies?"
 

Cole Forrest1736918844179.png
Date: August 2, 2022
Location: Hammerlocke Pokemon Center, Galar
Interactions: Cobel Vamon, Wilford Pine
Mentions: N/A
EnviousWorm EnviousWorm sSoul sSoul
WCS Rank: 72,303
Pokémon Team:
Croconaw
Houndour
Morelull
Thwackey
Corvisquire
Perrserker


Cobel's harsh words sounded rude, but it did placate Cole strangely. A willing and reliable hand, especially one who didn't take anything in return. How strange... Cole still felt like there had to be a reason for it, no one just helps others like that without some personal and sentimental reason or one for gain. The skeptical eyebrow raise though was a little amusing, but Cobel's suggestion to 'get out of dodge' would have caused some people to assume Cobel would take care of their injured Pokemon too.

That was when Cole paused mid-stride to see Wilford there. His expression lit up, even if only briefly. He huffed at the idea of Cobel being a new friend, but let that little detail rest.

He watched the handshake, raising an eyebrow at how... limp fish that handshake was. Cobel was a lot more intimidating than that. Why was he trying to keep himself from intimidating Wilford?

His expression immediately flattened when Wilford's father's name was brought up. How the hell did he know of him? He raised an eyebrow as he was given an expression, the message lost in translation. When asked how they knew each other, he shrugged. "We met up several hours ago at the Turffield Stadium, getting our first badges. He looked like he needed someone reliable as a guide, and I needed some help getting out of that city. My old folks didn't really like me, and I had quite a few adoring fans who didn't want me to leave." He gave a sneer, only to give a huff, expression relaxing. "We're doing the Galar circuit together."


He then turned to Wilford. "Oh yeah, this guy Cobel here helped me get out of that prank unscathed. I didn't expect the punks from Spikemuth to get murderous and commit vandalism after a little prank like that, but I guess I should have expected it." He just groaned. "Stupid enough to not see the Everstone on the screen, and stupid enough to let their pride get attacked without taking responsibility for their obliviousness." He shook his head, clicking his tongue.

His eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered something from their celebratory first-badge dinner together. "Oh, yes, food." A subtle reminder about feeding their Pokemon before the next question he gave. He then gave Wilford a grin. "When are we heading to Paldea? The Viridian City's WCS Tournament is in three days." He asked Wilford, giving Cobel a slightly apologetic look for bouncing the topic away from him so abruptly.

Honestly, Cole's mind might as well be a mental list of reminders, considering that Cole figured Wilford had forgotten about sending a text to Henryson about feeding his Pokemon. It's been a couple hours or a little less since then, as they've been running around battling people, capturing Pokemon, and releasing Pokemon.

 
CODE BY SEROBLISS
WILFORD
PINE

August 2nd
WCS Rank: 69,398
Interactions: Cole Forrest(Merciless Medic), Cobel Vamon(EnviousWorm)

Wilford raised a brow while returning his hand to his pocket. The newcomer failed to introduce himself, and shaking his hand was like shaking a limp water balloon. To rub salt in the wound, the coated hobo couldn't even bother keeping eye contact with Wilford, keeping all of his focus on Cole. The rich young man squinted at the older men before him, silently watching them speak.

This man clearly never had a father figure in his life. He can't handshake, he can't shave, he can't dress. He can't even look at someone when they're talking to him. 'Interesting' may not be the word I'd use to describe my father, far from it, actually, but at least I can use 'present.' I can't say the same for that wench...

Wilford nodded in tandem with Cole's description of the dry cleaners but blinked in the face of the prank's aftermath. Tilting his head toward the dry cleaners, Wilford saw that the police officers had vanished into the background. The incident Cole described would have grabbed their attention; had Wilford been nosy enough, he might have heard it from the officers. Though Wilford saw his traveling companion mention Paldea and the Viridian City Tournament, he had no reply to offer, only pinching the bridge of his nose with a downward tilted head.

"So the cop must have been getting their report on your little trick." Raising his head to Cole's eye level, Wilford shot his traveling companion a piercing glare, "The trick you pulled with the Everstone I gave you. The Everstone I dirtied my suit for. Your prank couldn't have been funny or clever enough to die for, and a like-minded associate such as yourself is no good to me dead."

"Maybe...the cloths we were cut from were more different than I expected," Shaking his head, Wilford briskly walked into the Pokemon Center.
1736989417646.png
Species: Monferno
Ability: Iron Fist
Battle Ready Moves:
Fire Punch(Egg Move)
Mach Punch
Thunder Punch(Egg Move)
Power Up Punch
Fake Out
Ember
Helping Hand(Egg Move)
Taunt
Rusty Moves:
Scratch
Leer
1736989534590.png
Species: Thwackey
Ability: Grassy Surge
Battle Ready Moves:
Fake Out
Razor Leaf
Growth
Branch Poke
Double Hit
Taunt
Leech Seed(Egg Move)
Rusty Moves:
Scratch
Growl
1736989649447.png
Species: Panpour
Ability: Torrent
Battle Ready Moves:
Disarming Voice(Egg Move)
Hydro Pump(Egg Move)
Scratch
Play Nice
Leer
Lick
Water Gun
1736989672189.png
Species: Togepi
Ability: Serene Grace
Battle Ready Moves:
Tackle
Fairy Wind
Extrasensory(Egg move)
Life Dew
Psycho Shift(Egg move)
Sweet Kiss
Growl

1736989694652.png
Species: Mimikyu
Ability: Disguise
Battle Ready Moves:
Shadow Sneak
Destiny Bond(Egg Move)
Baby Doll Eyes
Double Team
Mimic
Copycat
Wood Hammer
Feint Attack
Rusty Moves:
Splash
Scratch
Astonish

1736989712726.png
Species: Drilbur
Ability: Sand Rush
Battle Ready Moves:
Rapid Spin
Metal Claw
Scratch
Fury Swipes
Hone Claws
Sandstorm
Mud Slap
Metal Sound
 
COBEL VAMON, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
HAMMERLOCKE CITY, GALAR. AUGUST 2, 2022.
WCS RANK: N/A
Cobel remained observantly silent. Part of him felt surprised that Cole seemed to treat this Wilford Pine as a comrade and not as a target. The detective knew better than most though how strong the bonds could be between strange bedfellows. Of course, a lot of the finer details seemed iffy, but Cobel found he didn't really care all that much about the whole truth–just that there was even a sliver of truth at all. Not that the young prankster seemed to be a liar, or even an information withholder, but they'd only known each other for maybe half-an-hour. That this Cole had any friend at all might be almost a small miracle–or perhaps the miracle would be in maintaining the friendship? Then again, maybe Cole was just that desperate; or Wilford was just that bored.
'The Galar circuit, huh?' Cobel thought to himself. His eyes softened a bit. 'I woulda killed to run this circuit back in the day...'

A displeased annoyance washed over his face as Cole rambled on about his prank, and the overall inability to take responsibility for being the one who caused the trouble. Overreacted though the Spikemuth punks did, Cole forgot that it was important that a prank be funny first and foremost, not inconvenient or annoying. Wilford seemed to share a similar disdain, apparently having been sort of aware what Cole might do with the everstone. Unimpressed by the whole situation, the young Pine boy admonished his compatriot.

"Maybe...the cloths we were cut from were more different than I expected." The rich boy said. Cobel had to give him credit for a not-half-bad put-down.
The detective gave Cole an unengaged shrug.


"Smart kid." He said, resisting the urge to let his mouth curl into a wicked smile. He made no indication that he would follow Wilford into the Pokemon Center; their little quarrel held no interest to him. Cobel's good deed for the day was done, and he didn't want to seem too overzealous in following around younger boys. Instead, his mind drifted toward his current case. As always, it was far larger than him, and likely way out of grasp. Still, the detective figured he'd start small. That tended to work. Unless it didn't.
 

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