PMD: A Lucario's Corruption (Firehead)

[Soru]

Looking at the job description for more details you find that the item is a necklace made of pearls and while not worth a lot it holds a lot of sentimental value for the client. After a bit of a hike you find yourself at Roaring Cliffs and you can hear the sound of waves crashing against the cliffside. The place didn't look as nice as you imagine as there seems to be no plant life and many rocks and boulders covering the cliffs. You find yourself at the base of one and you know your destination is to the tallest one which you can see in the distance. Deciding to get started you begin your way up the cliffs.

(Roll-8) At first you don't see any other Pokémon till you come across a pass and come across your first enemy, an Omastar and it spots you right away. It's obviously hostile as it fires a water gun right at you and you barely manage to dodge in time.

[Firehead]

Sandra nodded as she found what she was looking for. Just a sentimental item lost by some poor Pokémon. It wasn't valuable, but to that poor soul, it was still important. Sure of what she was looking for, she made her way to the cliffs.

Sandra had to admit it was a bit disappointing to look at. A few trees or a patch of grass would have been nice rather than the barren, rocky edge she was presented with. Oh well, she'd just move on and get this job done with then. Upon catching sight of the Omastar, she jumps to the side avoiding its Water Gun before charging right at him. A quick Aura Sphere should dissuade this guy from bothering her further. All she really wanted was to find this necklace and return it to its owner.

[Soru]

(Roll-18) Using a bit of a charged up Aura Sphere you launch it at the enemy and hits it directly. Being super effective it did a lot of damage as the Omastar was sent into a boulder and knocked out. Despite the advantage you are surprised it did that much damage; perhaps you've gotten stronger lately, your hard training starting to pay off. With the way cleared you start walking again.

(Roll-15) It seems there aren't too many Pokémon to block your way, and any that do are quickly dealt with as they were all rock types. As you get further up the cliffs you find a different kind of beauty with them as colorful shells and rocks dot the otherwise barren rocks and cliffs. Soon you make it to the tallest cliff and you see a slumbering Gastrodon at the top and right next to it is the pearl necklace.

[Firehead]

Sandra looked down at her fists a bit surprised at how hard her opponent had gone down. She was certainly getting stronger which was a good feeling after how that Nidorino had toyed with her. Still, she needed to keep alert to any more trouble. On the way up, she was surprised to find the shells. Quickly picking up a few handfuls she figured she could make a necklace out of them.

Finally, she saw what she came here to retrieve. The pearl necklace was guarded, but thankfully, the Gastrodon was slumbering away. Seeing a chance to accomplish her goal without having to fight, Sandra skulked up carefully to the cliff where they slumbered. It would be nice to be able to get the keepsake back with only a minimum of fighting. She crouched down taking cautious steps as she was nearly within arms reach of it now.

[Soru]

(Roll-20) Using any and all of your skills in stealth you slowly make your way up the cliff and towards the sleeping Gastrodon. You are very careful to avoid any loose rocks and time your steps with the sounds of crashing waves to muffle your own footsteps. Soon enough you are right next to the necklace and the sleeping Pokémon and you carefully and silently pick up the pearl necklace before backing away. After a bit you find yourself well away from the sleeping Pokémon with your mission objective in your hands. With barely any injury to yourself since you got to the Roaring Cliffs you felt rather good at how this job went without issue especially considering how your last one went.

[Firehead]

Sandra was on edge as she got closer having to watch both the sleeping Mon for any sign that it was awake as well as any obstacle that might make a noise, but as her hand closed around the necklace, she saw nothing that would indicate awakening. By comparison, the walk away was far less tense as she grew further and further from the potential enemy. In the end, she made it and was pumped she got through that mission with so little conflict. You couldn't do that on every mission, but as she made her way back to the guild, she decided she'd treat herself to a dinner at the café in town as a way to reward herself. She couldn't hide the confident stride she was taking with how proud she was with a mission completed with so few complications.

[Soru]

With your mission objective in hand you head back to the Guild and meet Felicity at her desk to hand over the necklace. "Good job, Sandra. The client will be very happy to get this back. Here's your payment and keep up the good work." You take your pay and the words of praise from her before moving away. "Well someone seems rather overconfident with herself." You hear a familiar voice say as you see the Mienshao Marie as she glares a bit at you. You remember your last encounter with her didn't go so well and apparently she has noticed your rather confident stride. "Seen you working with Slash lately. Guess you're a good lay for him to keep you around and do jobs for you." Apparently she was also still envious of you as she makes the same accusations as before.

[Firehead]

Sandra smiled as Felicity took the necklace. "Thanks, I even managed to find some things for a necklace of my own." She showed Felicity a few of the shells she'd found while up there. "Well, I should go get something to eat." She waved the Meowstic off as she walked away only to stop when she heard the familiar voice turning to find the Mienshao here with more accusations.

The accusation hit a little hard this time considering what little help she'd been in that fight with the Nidorino, but she wasn't willing to let her just say whatever she wants. "Oh, just because I take missions with male partners I must be doing the jobs themselves? For your information, I do plenty of jobs by myself and just returned from one." She was getting a bit annoyed with the accusations leveled at her every time they crossed paths.

[Soru]

Felicity looks at the shells that you showed her. "Oh wow, those are pretty." She says as she smiles up at you. "One of the perks of being an Explorer is that you find nice things like those. Anyways, go enjoy your dinner." She says before you leave and have an encounter with Marie.

"Oh is that so? Maybe you should show it then." She said before pointing at you challengingly. "Let's have a sparring match then, to see if you really can handle yourself without seducing some male to help you out." She said as she stares you down. Some others around you two seem to be watching as they took notice while most seemed to just mind their own business.

[Firehead]

Sandra was getting frustrated at the continued accusation and was seconds from taking the challenge just for the chance to shut the Mienshao up for a bit, but she stopped for a second taking a deep breath to get herself centered before she just took the challenge. "How would that prove anything? Sure, if I beat you, you wouldn't have any room to point fingers, but if I lose how does that prove I'm getting guys to do everything for me? Oh no, other girls in the guild are stronger than me." She had worked herself up again and was getting a bit sarcastic at this point, but her eyes narrowed on Marie as she said the next part making it clear who she was talking about. "Especially the ones who have been here longer."

[Soru]

Marie seems to get more agitated and flustered from you as you get a bit sarcastic. "Oh just spar me already. Or are you scared?" She said, trying to taunt you some more as she seemed to feel like she needed to prove something. Maybe by fighting her you can get her to stop with her taunting and teach her a lesson. Or maybe it's just best to ignore the jealous female and not give her the attention she wants. She taps her foot impatiently with her arms crossed for your answer.

[Firehead]

Sandra gritted her teeth. It was clear she was getting under the Mienshao's fur, but it wasn't enough to get her to relent. Sandra only really had the choice of walking away or fighting her. She hated it, but she felt she had to respond to it. If she didn't at least challenge these lies some might be apt to believe them. "You know what, fine you're on." She walked away in a huff leading the way to the gym. She wasn't sure she could win, but if she could give Marie a good enough challenge, anyone watching would at the very least agree that she could hold her own in a fight.

[Soru]

"Well... good!" She said, slightly taken a back when you simply walked by her and took the lead to the gym. As you make your way there you do know you do have a type disadvantage because you are a part steel type going up against a fighting type. However you do have experience and skills that you have been developing and from what you can tell Marie doesn't seem particular strong compared to everyone else.

The two of you enter the training area and find a sparring arena for the two of you to fight in. "Alright, let's see if you're more than just a pretty thing." Marie says as she takes a stance; it was a stable one so she at least seemed to be capable though you won't know for sure till the match starts. There was a stare down between the two of you for a few tense moments before she charges forward at you.

[Firehead]

As Sandra took up my stance, she eyed over her opponent's pose. She clearly had the basics down, but she probably wasn't as skilled as Sandra was, but type advantage gave her an edge too, so she still needed to be careful. "Why don't you come find out then? I'd prefer it to your baseless accusations."

Still, her opponent didn't think much of her, so perhaps that could be used to her advantage. The Lucario kept herself on the defensive letting her opponent come at her and trying to give off the impression she doing everything in her power just to avoid the oncoming assault. Let her opponent think she had the upper hand, and she could make the mistake of dropping her own guard giving Sandra the opportunity to turn the tables on the Mienshao.

[Soru]

(Roll-11) Going for the defensive for now you try to avoid and block any of the oncoming attacks. Marie to her credit isn't nearly as unskilled as you might have though as she does quick and controlled jabs and kicks at you, most of which are focused and even a bit disciplined from what you can tell. She gives a strong kick which you block but it does send you back a few feet. "Is that the best you got? You haven't even tried to attack me yet!" Marie seemed a bit frustrated that you haven't tried to attack yet. She then jumps at you and aims to knee kick you hard.

(Roll-20) But this is just what you were waiting for as her guard is dropped and you make your counter as her movements are easy to read. You quickly move to the side and right as she is flying past you your hand shoots out and you grabbed her by the arm before lifting her up and using her own momentum slam her down onto the matted ground, knocking the wind out of her for a moment.

[Firehead]

I did my best keeping my guard up and just out of her reach, so she had to chase me. There were a few close calls, and I realized I might have underestimated her a bit myself, but eventually, she got sick of chasing after me and decided to use a flying leap to close the distance. I smirk as the moment I was waiting for occurred. "Just looking for my moment."

Dancing around her, I grabbed her and turned the momentum she planned to use to catch me and used it to send her down onto the mat hard. It was clear after she went down that I'd managed to knock the wind out of her. I was tempted to get down there and pin her down before she could recover to claim a win, but I hesitated. She might just call it a dirty trick if I did that, so I decided to back off giving her a chance to recover instead. I'd given up my chance at a quick victory, but I focused on getting a few moments of rest while she tried to get back on her feet.

[Soru]

It takes a moment for Marie to recover and jump back onto her feet. "Y-You got lucky there." She breathes out, still trying to get the air back in her lungs after that hit to the ground. A moment later she jumps back, getting some distance between the two of you and she holds her hand to the side and you see a blue energy gathering in front of her hand, a familiar blue sphere forming. "Your kind aren't the only ones who can use this attack." She said as she charges up her own Aura Sphere. While she isn't able to charge it up as fast as you could if this attack hits you'll be taking quite the hard hit.

[Firehead]

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that, but I could have pinned you then and there." Sandra felt her breathing evening out as she recovered a bit from all that ducking and weaving she'd had to do, but her opponent seemed ready to continue. She wasn't too surprised when the Mienshao pulled an Aura Sphere on her, but she decided to change things up rushing her opponent while charging a sphere of her own. Figuring Marie would try to hit her, she pulled up her Aura Sphere planning to swat her opponents away before striking with whatever she managed to keep hold of.

[Soru]

(Roll-13) Using your own Aura Sphere and charging it as fast as you could you get ready to deflect the attack. Marie, the moment her Aura Sphere was ready, launches it at you and you move to block and deflect it. When it collides with your own you struggle for a moment, actually feeling a good amount of power behind your opponent's Aura Sphere, before sending it away. Marie actually seems surprised that you managed to deflect it like that but she doesn't let herself be deterred and she charges at you again.

[Firehead]

Sandra had hoped her rushing would mean Marie's Aura Sphere would not have been fully charged, but she just barely pushed it away without getting the opening she'd hoped for. Still, she might be able to goad Marie into doing it again giving her an edge. "You may be capable of it, but it's still my specialty. Do you think yours is really the same as mine." She charged another crouching low like she was about to charge in head first again but pulled back at the last moment instead to see if Marie would leave herself another opening to exploit.