Montagne Khastil - Unranked - June 20 - Menhir Trail, Kalos
Oracle lazed about on the riverbank, soaking up the morning sun as she watched useless Monty fuss about in the water. He had packed up their camp in a daze, hardly saying a word to her as a he stuffed the sleeping bags back into his backpack, and his silence had continued during their short walk to the water. The Absol was confused by his strange behavior, annoyed that he wasn't his usual blustering self.
Useless Monty dunked his shirt in the river, but as his hands moved his eyes seemed to be looking far past the cloth garment. What had happened that he was acting so strange? Oracle's own dream was pleasant, but useless Monty seemed to have ripped himself out of a nightmare based on his loud awakening.
The Absol flexed her claws, scratching at the grass. This wouldn't do! If useless Monty was going to be distracted by something as trivial as a nightmare, how would they get anything done today! She'd just have to bring him to his senses. She stood up silently, and crept up on her trainer who had his back turned to her. Oracle crouched down onto her hindquarters, wiggling her hackles a little as she shifted into the perfect position, and POUNCED! on useless Monty.
"HEY!" Monty shouted as he felt paws on his back, and he fell forward into the brisk Menhir River with a SPLASH! The cold shocked his system, and he pushed himself up and whipped around to see Oracle cackling on the bank. "Why'd you do that?" He demanded, cheeks rosy with embarressment, and his partner fell back and started rolling around in apparant mirth.
Monty threw his soaked shirt at Oracle, which SPLAT!'ed against her face, prompting a boisterous laugh from the criminal and a furious glare from the Absol. His laugh was cut short when he saw black sparks crackling around her feet, and Monty threw his hands up to defend from an attack that...never came.
Monty had closed his eyes in preparation for the Sucker Punch's impact, but instead he felt the weight of her Pressure emanating in waves. He opened his eyes to see Oracle's back turned to him, her fur bristling as she stared up at the treeline. What was she looking at? The criminal scanned the bushes and trees, but whatever caught his partner's ire had yet to appear.
WHOOSH!
A blast of fire came soaring out of the trees, prompting Monty to dive back into the water as it passed dangerously close overhead. The criminal scrambled out of the water, adrenaline coursing through him as he clambered onto the riverbank, and he looked around for cover as he called out, "Oracle, watch out!" The criminal swiped his PokeDex from atop his discard backpack, and held it up for analysis of whatever came out next.
The Absol shot him an irritated look, as though questioning why he thought she wasn't already watching out, and her legs began crackling with the black sparks of Sucker Punch. A second later and she'd SHOT! up into the treeline, and Monty waited with bated breath for her return. He heard some sort of cry, and a Pokemon came flying out from the bushes and landed halfway between the treeline and Monty.
It was smaller than Oracle, with orange fur on its belly, black fur everywhere else, and bone-white growths on its back, legs, and face. It growled up at the treeline, and gave a << Howl >> as Oracle reappeared with a venomous glare.
Monty pointed the PokeDex at the Pokemon, and it reported << Houndour: The Dark Pokemon >>. Perfect! Houndour was on Monty's list of potential captures, and this one had saved them the trouble of hunting for it.
Smoke poured out of the Houndour's nose as it threw its head back, snapping forward and sending another Ember soaring toward Oracle. She jumped to the side, dodging the attack as her horn began glowing with the pink light of Zen Headbutt. "That won't work!" Monty called up, conscious of the Houndour's Psychic immunity, and Oracle flashed him a glare as she disipated the energy.
If that wouldn't work, she'd just have to get in closer. The Houndour charged at her, it's jaws glowing with black light as it readied a << Bite >>, and Oracle decided to meet it with a Night Slash. The Dark-Types clashed in the middle, the Houndour's jaws closed around Oracle's horn, and she thrashed her head to dislodge the black puppy.
The Absol's superior attack won out, and the Houndour let go and rolled a few feet away before popping back to its feet. "Try Quick Attack!" Monty called, hoping the move wouldn't knock out the Pokemon before he could catch it. He readied a Dusk Ball, and in a flash of white light Oracle ducked beneath another Ember before SLAMMING! into her opponent. The Houndour cried out in pain and went flying a few feet farther, landing just in front of Monty.
The criminal paled as the Houndour's attention turned to him, and smoke poured from its nose as purple wisps escaped its growling mouth. "Oracle!" Monty shouted as he backpedaled, trying to put distance between himself and the imminent Smog attack, and his eyes widened when the Houndour sent the small purple cloud flying.
"OOF!" Monty grunted as he was knocked to the side, pushed out of the way by Oracle's Quick Attack. The Absol took the Smog head on, the purple smoke enveloping her as she staggered back a bit. She'd taken the attack for him? Monty was surprised that his partner would do that, and he apologized frantically as she staggered out of the cloud, shot him another glare, and poured Pressure onto him.
"Keep your eyes off me!" Monty shouted, realizing with a start that the Houndour was almost on top of Oracle with another Bite attack. "Detect!" Oracle's eyes glowed blue as her gaze snapped back to her opponent, her legs springing backwards to dodge the incoming Houndour.
A cascade of Pressure came off of the Absol, visibly slowing the Houndour's follow up Bite. The black-and-orange puppy seemed confused at Oracle's ability, and it staggered a bit under the uncomfortable weight. The Dark Types clashed with Bites and Night Slashes, exchanging furious blows until Oracle caught her opponent with a cut to the neck.
The Houndour whimpered as it was pushed back up toward the treeline, and for a moment both Pokemon paused as they caught their breath. Were they an even match? No, Oracle had been whooping it up until that Smog attack...the Smog! Monty's suspicion was confirmed as Oracle suddenly convulsed, retching and throwing up a small amount of purple ooze. She'd been poisoned!
The Houndour wasn't fairing too well, either, though. It seemed to be hanging on by a thread, its breathing heavy as it stared down Oracle. The Pressure definitely wasn't helping either, and Monty grabbed a Great Ball from his bag. This was the perfect chance to catch it, as long as neither Pokemon moved before he threw the ball.
The criminal winded up for a perfect pitch, but Oracle had other ideas. Her legs crackled with the black sparks of Sucker Punch yet again, and she took off just as Monty threw the Great Ball. She sent the Houndour flying up into the treeline, and took its place in the Great Ball's path as it bounced off her harmlessly.
"Damnit," Monty muttered, though he didn't want to scold Oracle considering she'd gotten poisoned defending him. He grabbed another ball and ran up to the treeline, hoping to snag the Houndour before it got far, but it was long gone by the time he got there. The criminal groaned exasperatedly, annoyed that the chance to grab a teammate had come so quick yet left equally so.
Monty hustled back down to Oracle, who threw up another batch of purple bile as she sank to the ground. "Hang on," he told her, and she gave him a glare that seemed to ask if she had any other choice as he ran down to his backpack. The criminal rummaged around for a second before producing an Antidote, and he administered it to his partner after a quick read through of the attached directions.
The Antidote proved to be effective, and Oracle's condition stabilized with no more purple bile incidents. Her partner was relieved, and he sank into the grass as he released his bated breath. Monty swallowed his pride and said, "I'm sorry you had to take that attack for me."
Oracle rolled her eyes, curling up into a ball to rest a bit since she couldn't sense the Houndour's movements through her horn anymore. Of course she had to save useless Monty, he was useless for a reason! Still, it wouldn't do for him to get injured. They both needed to stay in top shape, and it would be a major annoyance if she had to sit at some Human Center waiting for him instead of just going to the Pokemon Center herself.
