Ask to Join The Pirates of Kalos

[AgrarianAtlas]

Hello hello! Let's just make this introduction quick and say that everything you need to know about this RP, including plot and rules, are all posted in the discussion thread by the same name. The most basic premise involved Marcel O'Bithel, a pirate captain docked in the shores of Kalos, and who's seeking a new crew to help fight in a people's war against public enemies known as Peregrines. Again, character bios and things of the like are all posted in the discussion thread, so definitely read up there before coming here. Intro aside, let's begin!
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It was cold that day.

Not that it wasn't cold any other day in Kalos, nor was it the coldest of days Marcel had ever seen. Still, it was cold enough to make her wish she had a proper sweatshirt. There was certainly some true charisma and comfort in an overworn and overloved sweatshirt. As to how Marcel knew that, she was uncertain.

Ten years... it had really been ten years, hadn't it? When she'd first scoured the shores of Kalos, brought to the lands as part of a study program, and residing in a vessel not of her own ownership. She sighed, peering out across the rocky grey waves as they made the docks churn on their surface. Nostalgia was an old friend she'd learned to love, not at all unlike the other five who were with her on the first Kalos trip.

Each of them, every single last one of them, had something that made them unique in Marcel's eyes. At the time, she thought it wasn't fair. Humorously, they were all older than her by about four years each. Marcel assumed that she would grow her own individuality naturally with age, but in truth, she felt as if it were no such luck. True, one could argue that being a pirate captain was pretty damn unique, but compared to them, even in the present day, Marcel felt she couldn't compete. She loved them all to death, and somehow, she felt they'd loved her back...

It'd been ten years.

She couldn't hold it against any of them if she tried. Like she knew, they were people with busy lives and agendas. God, if anyone in this world could be considered "people" in her eyes anymore, it'd be them. There was Lila, starry-eyed and quaint, though haplessly kind and more independent than anyone she had ever met. Young Marcel looked up to her as if she was the only star in the night sky, and honestly, she still did. Bubbly and joyous, and unashamed to be so, Gianna was an absolute ray of sunshine from anyone's perspective. Nadine was laid back, but motherly, and with a love of laughter, whether it be her own or another's. Jerrek was the only boy, but was without doubt the most complicated. He put his own blunt humor first, and emotions and relations second, evident from a time where Lila chastised him about his offensive jokes. He'd gotten defensive with her, but no matter how many walls he'd put up, Marcel could still tell he needed a heart-to-heart deep down. Too bad she'd never jumped at the chance to give him one. Lastly, there was Baylor. Quick to shed her innocent and modest-mannered facade, a loud, brash personality made itself glaringly known just underneath. Still, besides her wild, cackling nature, she did care for others. On day one of the trip, she was the one to lend Marcel her sweatshir—

She really had come full circle.

"Hey, you just gonna keep moping around like this, or is this the day you'll finally get off this boat and find us a crew?" Snapped from her thoughts, a Braixen stood behind her, arms crossed as she spoke, no-doubt annoyed with her captain's state. "We didn't leave Dune and Kaia and the rest behind for to sit here and watch the water for the eighth day in a row. What happened to "a captain's no captain without a good crew," or whatever that old spiel was?"

Seeing Helia's good-humored nature set aside for contempt told Marcel that she meant business. The captain didn't respond. The look in her eyes did it for her, and Helia pinched the bridge of her nose, something she only did in the worst of situations.

"Cap. We've been sitting in these docks for a year now. Are you planning on bumping that up to two, or are you gonna go get done what we came here for?"

The captain sighed. She knew Helia was right. Her social skills were only getting rustier with each day she spent like this. At the very least, she'd always have her "Marcel-quirks" as Lila had once put it, which apparently was a good thing. The silhouettes of passerbys in the distance lined the great seawalls of Corsaire-de-Milo. It was as good a day as any.

And so, mustering the slightest smile to convince Helia that she was finally going to do it, Marcel made her way down the ladder, let her feet touch the mossy wooden planks of the dock...

...and started walking.

It had been harder than that in theory, even if the hardest was yet to come. Kalos was a diverse region, and Corsaire-de-Milo was an even more diverse city. No doubt there was a willing crew somewhere in there, and a simple walk would give her the chance to scout out anyone who caught her eye.

She chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, of how she'd made it out to be more than it really was. In truth, her heart felt lighter at the thought of meeting new people again, even if it scared her. There was that word again, people. Each one unique, and each one an individual, or so she hoped.

And perhaps, their individuality might just be enough to fill the gap...

...a gap that was ten years old.

 

[Hisseki]

"Hey, Caesar, lemme go! I want to do this, okay? You can't stop me forever, ya know. I'll be fine, watch."

That bell, the one bell that was higher than the others. There was a wall in the town, and on that wall sat several bells. People would come by and ring a bell, just for the heck of it. Dmitri knew not of whether there was or wasn't a purpose for it. Maybe it was just for fun? Or maybe it was for good luck? Maybe each bell meant something different. He never knew, but they still always intrigued him, especially one. Each bell was different. One was actually just a wind chime, one was cracked, so on and so forth, and none of them were at the same height. Even so, there was one bell, one silver, polished to almost perfection, brilliant bell that sat high, significantly higher than all of the other bells.

Ever since he could remember, Dmitri had always been adventurous. He loved exploring and chronicling his 'adventures', even if they did seem trivial. To date, this was to be his biggest yet, and he had been 'adventuring' for years. He wanted to ring that highest bell since the first moment he saw it, reflecting the sunlight of that day directly into his younger self's eyes. He wasn't nearly tall enough, but maybe, just maybe, if he jumped a little higher, or stood on something. Dmitri had gathered up boxes and planks for the past week or so, receiving strange looks from those who watched, in preparation for this final moment. This was it. He was going to ring that highest bell.

From behind him, a Quilladin jumped around, excited for this 'decisive' moment. Tucker had always been approving of these mini-escapades of his, and this was no different. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, stood a Clauncher known as Caesar. He was a guardian of sorts to Dmitri, ever since he was little. He would prevent him from sustaining any serious damage during his adventures, and this time was no different... but it was. Caesar had always done the protecting more or less from the shadows. That is, until this moment. He didn't want Dmitri getting hurt, but Dmitri was still persistent nonetheless. All Caesar could do was watch as he precariously stacked the boxes and planks atop each other, trying to gain the height needed to touch that final bell.

"Almost... there... if I just jump!" Dmitri struggled with the height difference between himself and the silver bell. The bell was mocking him, sitting there, shining brilliantly no matter what the sky looked like, still remaining untouched. Caesar looked on, his expression being indifferent, but his mind telling him to stop this at once. Tucker bounced around, still excited as usual for the future completion of an adventure. Dmitri counted down, "5... 4... 3... 2..." and with a sigh, he finished.

"1!"

He jumped up, the force of the jump knocking down the pillar of boxes and planks. He reached his arm out farther, farther, and closed his eyes.

Ding, dong, ding.

Crash!

He had done it. The bell swayed, ringing loudly three times before settling once more in it's previous position. Dmitri fell to the ground once more with a crash, landing atop the fallen boxes, once a pillar. Caesar rushed over to him, brushing off his legs and chest, but was shooed away by Dmitri, with a silly grin etched onto his face. He got up hesitantly, sore all over but refusing to let that stop him. "That, my friends, is going in the journal! I'll call it 'The Bell Once Motionless'. Whaddya think?" He said, giving a close-eyed smile to his friends.

Tucker pat him on the back after a pride-filled wind-up, which stung Dmitri slightly, while Caesar simply sighed in relief that he wasn't injured much. Dmitri picked up a small notebook with a weathered cover from the ground and brushed it off several times in a similar manner to Caesar just moments earlier. "Oops, must've dropped it. Ah well, better get writing." He said as he pulled out a navy blue crayon, sitting down against the wall of bells, and beginning to write.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

A crash from atop the seawall snapped Marcel right out of her little nostalgia voyage, followed almost immediately by the deep, demanding chime of one of the countless bells. As luck would have it, she was actually in search of commotion this time around. To find it this quickly? Bound to be a good start.

She herself had been scouring the seawall, and not far in front of her, a boy, or a man, was lying on his back in a heap of scattered planks and boxes. That aforementioned bell was the culprit of the chimes, gleaming a lovely silver tantalizingly just beyond the reach of the average person, unless of course they were to stack together some junk and stand—

An involuntary chuckle escaped her lips as she pieced two and two together. Initially, it felt wrong to laugh, but the boy definitely seemed to be a good sport about it. Already, he had put the incident aside, and was scribbling away in a notebook like a man possessed while his nearby Quilladin egged him on. Marcel called out to him. She couldn't help it. He seemed like too good a of time to pass up.

"Did you... seriously fall down while trying to ring the bell?" She spoke between an uncontrollable bevy of giggles. It felt good to laugh, which was probably what gave her the drive to call him out in the first place.

 

[Nateriety]

Corsaire-de-Milo was cold today.

Just cold enough to leave one Ryan 'Roger' Dermont in a somewhat sour mood, or at least a degree of sourness above his usual disposition, as he briskly walked along the street. Ryan and cold temperatures didn't exactly agree with one another. Even a slight chill would cause him an involuntary shiver, and that fact was one of the many that annoyed him so. He remembered absolutely hating his time traveling through the colder climates of Kalos, the cities of Anistar and Snowbelle specifically.

He often wondered why he didn't get himself a thick coat if it bothered him so much. Maybe he saw it as a waste of money? Or maybe he just didn't care enough?

Regardless, he continued onward, passing by the huge docking area on his way to the stores to pick up some supplies. "Stupid cold," he muttered bitterly to himself.

"Squark! Stupid cold! Squuaaark!" the small, colorful Chatot known as Blathers loudly echoed from Ryan's shoulder, broadcasting his private comment to the ears of everyone in the vicinity. He chirped and joyously repeated the words a few times over without really knowing what he was saying. His antics were mostly ignored by Raika the Manectric, who was content with just sticking close to Ryan's leg as she moved along with him.

Ryan groaned, about to chastise Blathers, knowing that nothing he said was actually going to stick in the bird Pokemon's head...

...until the sound of nearby crashing, grouped with the chimes of multiple agitated bells, rang sharply through the air.

"Squuaaark!" Blathers chirped in response, his attention snagged by the loud noises. He leaped off Ryan's shoulder and took to the air surprisingly quickly, and with another chirp, sped off in the direction the sound had come from. As he usually did when his curiosity was piqued by something.

"Blathers, where are you-!?" Ryan began, trailing off when he realized Blathers was already too far away from him to scald. Sighing quite loudly, Ryan picked up his speed to follow after his rogue Flying type. "I swear, one of these days I'm going to tie an anchor to that bird! Come on, Raika, let's go get him before he gets into trouble."

Lightly barking in agreement, Raika kept pace with Ryan easily, as the two of them weaved through the crowded street in pursuit of Blathers.

 

[mizzmitz]

Pepper's morning garbage-rummaging session had been interrupted by a sudden crashing sound that seemed to have come from the other side of a nearby wall. Brushing it off, she resumed her search for her breakfast. A rotting apple core? No. Mouldy camembert? No. A half eaten pokepuff? Better than what she had found thus far. Had she won the street battle she had taken part in the other day, she wouldn't be in such a state. She watched, annoyed to see another good chunk of the dessert crumble away before her as she split it in half once more.

'Breakfast, Monty.' she told the tiny Ekans that had been asleep, loosely coiled around her ghostly pale neck. The snake pokemon awoke with a yawn, displaying a set of fearsome pointed fangs that hung like stalactites within the cave that was his gaping mouth. This intimidating appearance was immediately shattered once he closed his mouth, as his stubby face and rounded head were not at all threatening when coupled with his small size. His tongue flickered, eager to taste his breakfast. Upon tasting it, however, he recoiled in disgust.
'I know, I know. I'll try and find you some good meat soon.' Pepper said to Monty apologetically, gingerly poking at the swirl of frosting sitting on top of the pastry with her tongue, wondering when some kind of good fortune would come her way.

 

[Il Fantasma]

She walked out of the store, a bag hanging from her hand. Looking down at both the bag and her partners, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Taking the bag's contents out, she examined the grey turtleneck that appeared before her. The color nearly matched that of her jeggings, but she wasn't one to complain about something as simple as that. "Why did I buy this, exactly?"

The Pokemon that followed her everywhere sweat-dropped, the other, who had only began to tag along recently, laughed. Taking out his notepad, which had a leather cover and a bit of wear-and-tear, but was otherwise okay, and a pen, the forever partner jotted something down, handing the pad up to the human.

Taking the notepad from her caretaker's grasp, the young woman read: It's chilly today. Put it on. You'll catch a cold.

She walked out into the brisk air, inhaling deeply. "No way, Orion! I don't need that thing! If you want it, take it, but there's no way I'm wearing it!"

Another sweat-drop. Another laugh.

Throwing his head through the turtleneck to escape the cold, Orion the Sableye glared at the Emolga that also followed Ambrosia Kalis around. The Emolga laughed like crazy now, going far enough to even point a finger at the Ghost/Dark-Type. Orion scowled, dragging his feet behind him as he walked.

"Why the long face, buddy? Being cold's nothing to be ashamed of!" the Emolga reassured, placing a hand on the Sableye's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Orion growled at Kenzo, who quickly floated up in the breeze and landed on Ambrosia's head.

It was Kenzo that heard the sound first. How could he not, with ears as big as his?

His head whipped in its direction, ears perked. Ambrosia also looked in that direction. "Did you hear that, guys?" she asked, brow furrowed once again. "That almost sounded like... bells."

Orion's jewel eyes widened as he, too, searched for the sound's source. "Oh, no. Not the bells again..."

"You mean 'oh, yes! Yes, the bells again!'" Kenzo corrected, catching another breeze and floating away, off to see what had caused the commotion of jangling bells this time.

Ambrosia ran off after him, calling back to her other partner. "C'mon, Orion! Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Sighing, the Sableye followed his team, turtleneck keeping him warm in the cold Corsaire-de-Milo air. And I always happen to be that 'last one'...

 

[Hisseki]

At the sound of laughter, Dmitri instinctively put his notebook into his pocket. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Stupid thing was way too high, but it was calling my name, ya know?" He responded to the question he was asked.

He stood up and looked down, sort of expecting to be the tall one in this situation. His eyes were met with a blue tunic. He looked up and saw the face of a woman, laughing. He chose to laugh along with her, not wanting to make it seem like she was doing something wrong.

Caesar sat beside him, glaring up at the woman. He didn't feel very safe around her. In fact, she practically emanated the same aura as the one he felt every time Dmitri was about to do something crazy during his adventures. Tucker slid over from out of nowhere, crossing his arms, raising his eyebrows and giving a cocky smile, along with making a clicking noise with his mouth. Caesar punched him in the side lightly. "Dude, c'mon! She looks like the kind of girl who digs that tough guy look. Lemme do this!" Tucker yelled to Caesar.

"My goodness. Fine, make yourself look foolish. It'll be at least slightly entertaining without putting anyone in immediate danger, so continue by all means." Caesar responded, spite and sarcasm dripping from every single word.

Dmitri looked down, not in time to see the punch, but in time to see the two Pokemon speaking to eachother. If only he could understand, things would be so much better. He then looked back up. "So, I'm Dmitri. Dmitri Margaux. You look like the adventurous type, what with that bandana and everything. What's your name?" He asked, making a motion to extend his hand in a handshake, then re-evaluating his decision, finally continuing.

 

[Ariados twice]

In an alleyway near the bells. "'Shouldn't you be looking for work?'" Vanish the Ninetails asked Annabeth. "I will. I'm just trying to think of places I can look for work." responded Annabeth, who always seemed to know what her Pokémon were saying. Then they heard a bell ringing and then a crash. Skyqueen the Braviary went to scout out the situation. Once she reported back, Annabeth poked her head out of the alleyway to see for herself. There was a guy on the ground and a girl near him. Then Annabeth checked to see where her Pokémon were. Vanish and Skyqueen were by her, but Night. "Night!" Annabeth hissed. The Zorua had snuck behind the girl. Vanish gave Annabeth a look that said the Ninetails would roll her eyes if she could. Then Vanish signaled to Night with her ears. The Zorua saw the signal and came running back to the group.

 

[Il Fantasma]

Now at the scene, Kenzo immediately floated, still using the wind, over to that high-up silver bell. "Hey there! Name's Kenzo!" he introduced himself to the Quilladin and Clauncher, straightening the bow tie around his neck."Bow ties are cool," the Emolga quoted a famous sci-fi television show, chuckling.

Ambrosia appeared next, with Orion now receiving a piggy-back ride from 'being too lazy to care', as his Trainer had said, even thought this was not the reason. "What happened here? What's going on?" she asked Orion, turning her head to look back at him.

The Sableye slumped off her shoulders, whipping out his notebook yet again, unintentionally showing off his writing skills to the small group in front of him. Someone rang the bells. We wanted to know who.

"Oh, right. How could I forget?" she laughed lightly, turning back to face the group. "We're you the one who rang the bells?" she asked the man.

Sighing and now writing on a blank sheet in the notepad, Orion ripped the page out and handed it to the woman. Sorry about her in advance. She suffers from short-term-memory-loss. Please excuse her odd actions.

 

[Hisseki]

Another girl made her way onto the scene, accompanied by a seemingly lazy Sableye and an Emogla, who floated up on top of the silver bell. This action from the Emolga made Tucker laugh. "Ha! And Dmitri had so much trouble with it! The name's Tucker, this is Caesar, and bowties are indeed cool." He said, leaning on the new girl's leg after pointing to the Clauncher.

"Uh, okay. Memory loss. Got it." Dmitri said, looking at the paper that the Sableye had scribbled on... well, written on. His handwriting was good, better than his own. "I'll remember that. Now, I did in fact ring the bell," he said with a stance resembling that of a comic book hero or a knight, "and my name is Dmitri Margaux. The Quilladin over her- next to you...how'd he get over there so fast? Whatever, his name is Tucker. That Clauncher over yonder is Caesar. And you are?"

He extended his other hand to the newer girl for another handshake, making his arms cross in a semi-awkward position. He smiled a closed-eye smile to both the woman with the bandana and the girl with the Sableye. Meanwhile, Tucker was attempting to 'score' with both this newer girl and the woman from before, and Caesar simply held his head in shame at Tucker's actions. "Tucker, what am I ever going to do with you? Surely you must be kidding? Your crazy attempts are simply a joke, right? If so, tell me and I might actually laugh for once. Maybe." He asked, speaking directly to nobody in particular.

 

[Il Fantasma]

"Nice to meet you, Tucker, Caeser, Dmitri!" she greeted, shaking the man's hand and patting the Quilladin's head. "My name is Ambrosia. This Sableye here is Orion," she did the same head-pat to her partner, "and the Emolga's Kenzo. Good job with those bells. That silver one is pretty high up, and I'm much too short to even dream of ringing it!" Ambrosia laughed, turning to the woman of the group. "And what might your name be? Do you two know each other?" She turned back to Dmitri, cocking her head to the side.

 

[Nateriety]

"Squawk!" Blathers chirped loudly once more, finally having pinpointed the source of the noise he had been attracted to. His natural attunement to sounds allowed him to single out the prime suspect, his eyes falling to the multiple fallen boxes, and especially so toward the shiny silver bell. Then he noticed everyone else surrounding these objects; three humans, two females and one male of differing ages, and a total of four other Pokemon. All in the same place!

Excited, Blathers seemed about ready to inspect the scene with wild abandon.

"Blathers!" Ryan yelled, having finally caught up to the Chatot in question, Raika quickly at his side. "There you are! Just what are you-" he stopped, taking notice of what appeared to be a sort of gathering taking place around a numerous amount of scattered boxes beside a wall of bells. "Oh, the bells again...those irritating things," Ryan muttered under his breath, too low for anyone else to hear him.

"Squawk! Irritating things! Squuaaark!" Blathers repeated, it's tremendous ability of sound detection allowing him to hear even that. It flew further out of his owners range, sitting atop a tall lamp-post while Ryan was distracted. In his mind this was all good fun.

Ryan, however, did not agree. "You little! Tch, fine then. Have it your way, loudmouth, see what happens," he hissed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He turned to address the small group near the wall. "Don't mind my intrusion on...whatever this little powwow is. Just carry on as normal," he finished before turning back to the current target of his ire. "Raika, prepare the Thunder Wave for the little bugger, would you?"

Lightly crackling with electricity, Raika complied, taking a few steps forwards. She quickly turned her gaze to the other Pokemon briefly, noticing a Quilladin, a Clauncher, a Sableye, and an Emolga. "I'm truly sorry about this. Master Ryan has a bit of a temper, especially when it comes to Blathers up there. We'll try not to bother you too long," she communicated to the Pokemon, coming out as a few light 'boofs' to human ears.

"Blathers! You've got two options right now: come down quietly, or we do this the hard way!" Ryan threatened, gesturing to the softly sparking Electric-type beside him. "Come down now and I promise I won't be too mad at you!"

Blathers made no noise, rather dipping into a lower stance, as if ready to resume what it assumed was a game of tag.

"So be it..." Ryan narrowed his eyes, ready to issue the command. He hated the fact that he was making a scene, and if he'd just remembered to bring the small box of snacks along, tempting Blathers down wouldn't have been an issue. But with no such treats, or even a substitute on hand, he'd have to settle for the old classic; the paralysis capture. "Get ready, Raika."

 

[BurbleBurble]

"Mmm...can you feel it boys? The salty sea taste...the docked, beautiful flagships...truly a city for romance, no?"

The words were clear, and carried a very faint french accent on them. The boys, as the voice referred to, were a Vulpix and Dusclops. The Vulpix barked in agreement, It's head held up high, like it were all incredible and the best. It's name was Vul, and he was a prideful one. Meanwhile, the indifferent Dusclops simply shuffled along. Ironically named Chipper, he was but a body guard of the man, working for all of two scraps of food a day. Granted, for a Dusclops, that's like a whole buffet.

"So, Vul, spot anyone interesting?"

The young fox took the front, with it's hazel eyes scanning the crowds. Finally, his eyes caught a woman. Curly hair...interesting clothes...freckles...yep, this was a total Jackson magnet. Unfortunately, she had walked down a port street. Fortunately, If they gave chase now, they'd catch up! With no time to lose, Vul barked his signal, and started running down the streets, followed by Jackson and a shambling ghoul, zigzagging through people and stands, on the hunt for the person.

A bell rung in the distance. But Vul was seemingly unaware of it, only focused on the woman.

Eventually the fox tracked near a wall, where the one he tracked down was. There were more than just a singular lady, though. There was another lady, and two boys. And a lot of their Pokemon as well. Oh well, she was there, and that's what mattered. The creature barked to signal his location for his trainer and his "Team mate".

"Oh, you found a good lot Vul. Great work."

While he enjoyed choice, Jack knew he had to wait for the perfect moment. When conversation was at a low. He didn't want to interrupt anything. So he simply leaned back and watched it unfold. This bunch was rather interesting, after all.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

Looks like Marcel wasn't the only one searching for a commotion that day. She graciously accepted the handshake with Dmitri, though with everything happening again and again and after the other, she wasn't sure when or how to jump in.

"Marceline O'Bithel, Marcel for short. It's a pleasure." She held back a chuckle with a slight snort at Dmitri's first question. Cold, melancholy day in Corsaire-de-Milo or not, the captain never minded the opportunity to show off. "Oh you have no idea the kind of adventures I've been on."

She turned to the second person, the girl with her Sableye and Emolga. "Ambrosia, it's nice to meet you and your partners, too. Dmitri here and I have only just met after his excursion with the bells, but what a good thing, as now I've the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance as well." What could she say? Marcel did have a sliver of a gentleman tucked away in her way of speaking, and it showed especially often around her fellow girls.

She had absolutely no idea how to address the wild-eyed boy and the Chatot. His Manectric stopped to speak with everyone else's Pokemon, before returning to his trainer's beck and call.

"Should we... uh, you know what, nevermind." She sidemouthed to Dmitri and Ambrosia. "Odd question, but do you lot have any interest in boats, perchance?"

 

[Hisseki]

Did Dmitri have any interest in boats?

Caesar knew exactly what was going to happen next, and held his head with his claw. Tucker looked at Dmitri, waiting for a response from him. Tucker and Caesar both knew about the stories Dmitri had read when he was little. Most of the stories written by his mother revolved around boats one way or another, and he's wanted to be on a boat ever since he read his mother's first solo written tale.

Dmitri's face lit up, and anyone could've swor he began to shake in excitement. "Do Ihave an interest in boats? I've always wanted to be on a boat!" He turned to his faithful companion Pokemon with a heroic stance. "Imagine the adventures I could have out at sea! Caesar, you should be happier!... No, okay, Tucker's happy, so whatever." He said, poking the claw of his ever-stoic Clauncher.

"Imagine all the ladies I could get with a boat..." Tucker muttered to himself, drooling a little at the thought.

"I am surrounded by psychos. Why? What did I do to deserve such a punishment?" Caesar said to the air.

Tucker nudged his crabby friend playfully. "Ah, c'mon, you love us. Don't fight the crazy." He said with a smile.

Dmitri turned back to Marcel, excitement still evident through his expression, though he tried to mask it with his voice. "So, why exactly do you need to know of our interest in boats?" He asked her, his curiosity taking full control of his mind.

 

[Nateriety]

Seconds from ordering the Thunder Wave, Ryan stopped short when he overheard a question about boats. He had no idea why he seemed to prioritize listening in on the strangers as opposed to dealing with his own little problem. After all, he was never usually one to fraternize with people unless it was completely necessary. But this batch of individuals and their Pokemon partners didn't seem like the ordinary crop of folk.

With the long pause, however, came a new idea.

"On second thought..." Ryan said, taking a second to breath and cool down as opposed to working himself into a conniption, and glanced down at Raika, "...hold off on the Thunder Wave, girl. I don't want to risk him dodging it and spurring us into a wild goose chase across town. Instead, let's try a different angle."

Tilting her head in confusion, but nonetheless curious, Raika allowed the thin electricity around her body recede. "Not quite what I was expecting," she admitted to herself, unintentionally loud enough for the other species of Pokemon to overhear.

As if sensing Raika's confusion, Ryan knelt down to her level. "Blathers wants us to play his game. But, on the other hand, he seems pretty interested in this little group hanging around the bells. So if we ignore him in favor of interacting with said group, he might just come down on his own. Sound good?"

"Very rational of you, Master Ryan!" Raika responded, sounding like just an affirming bark to Ryan. She actually liked the idea over the usual tactic. Truth be told, while she was aware Thunder Wave didn't do any sort of actual damage, she hated having to put Blathers in that state of paralysis whenever he got too out of hand. Maybe if this plan worked, they would have a new go-to plan over having her lightly shock her avian friend.

"Okay," Ryan nodded, before returning to his full height and turning towards the small group. "Uhh...so, I'm sorry if I interrupted anything over here. Didn't mean to cause a such a commotion." He paused while thinking of an appropriate follow-up. He never usually initiated conversations...but he was willing to make an exception this once. Although his mind returned to that one question that he'd overheard just now.

"And yes, that is a rather strange question. But I grew up in the ports of Coumarine City, so I've grown up around them and been on my fair share in the past. But why do you ask, Miss...sorry, I didn't catch your name," he admitted a little sheepishly. If she'd said it while he was around, he mustn't have heard due to his previous state of frustration.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

"Marcel O'Bithel, always a pleasure." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. There was something she couldn't help but enjoy about introducing herself like old time's sake. "Coumarine's a fine city. I've made my way through their ports many a time in my life, and the people have always been pleased as punch to accommodate."

She finally got around to answering the million dollar question, trying to clear the confusion she'd caused with the sudden talk of boats. "Eh, no real reason in all honesty. The bulk of the pride in this old seadog's life took place on a boat, rather, a ship. Truth be told, I talk about myself too often. You've an adventurers spirit Dmitri, that's clear as day, and seemingly so do you, amie à moi, Ambrosia." She turned to face the other boy. "Evidently, something about the question has entranced you as well."

Marcel fiddled with the hem of her tunic awkwardly. How exactly was one to just up and ask someone if they wanted to join a crew out on the seas? Impulsiveness definitely seemed to be a common trait among pirates, so she guessed it was now or never.

"By all means, don't let me hog the conversation here. Stop me now if you're in no mood to hear a tangent, but I'm on somewhat of a mission in this city. You see, I've spent half of my lifetime on the open waters as a... captain, of sorts. Due to a falling out, I appear to be bereft of a crew." It'd be strange to spring the invitation on them the moment they'd all met. At least, if she did so directly. "I don't suppose you fine folk know of any like-minded individuals with an equal interest in boats?"

 

[Hisseki]

Caesar looked at Marcel with a look that simply read "What have you done." He could practically feel the excitement building up within Dmitri, but admittedly he was doing an amazing job at keeping it within himself. If he was younger, he would've exploded at Marcel's appearance, let alone the fact that she was, in fact, a pirate, a captain at that. Tucker simply leaned on Marcel's leg and looked up at her with his signature over-confident smirk, accompanied by his raised eyebrows. "I do, in fact, know someone with a mind like mine who is interested in boats like myself... me!... Oh crud, maybe that was too blunt, but oh well. No do-overs! Already said it." He responded, standing confidently as if he had just slain a massive beast and saved a princess.

Tucker fought back laughter at his ridiculous posing, while Caesar fought back the urge to punch Tucker directly in the center of his stomach. He wanted to, oh how he wanted to, but he knew it would make Dmitri most unhappy. Caesar didn't want to ruin this moment for him. Instead, he stepped onto Dmitri's foot, climbing up his leg like a spider, before resting on his head. He wasn't very heavy, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable experience for the both of them. "Caesar, if you wanted to go up there, you coulda just asked. Simple. Poke me in the leg or something next ti- I've had this discussion with you before! You did this on purpose." Dmitri grumbled, while Caesar refused to let himself smile. He instead sat and shut his eyes.

With a sigh, Dmitri continued, this time more carefully so Caesar didn't fall. "I could be part of your crew! Is there some sort of initiation? Oh, do I have to bring you something to prove my worthiness, or do we have to fi- Ow. Okay. Fine, calming down."

His rambling was cut short by a swift punch to the head, courtesy of Caesar, though he was much, much more gentle than he wished he could've been. He took that as a sign to calm down, because he was about to make a fool of himself... if he hadn't already. Instead of continuing, Dmitri stood, shifting his weight onto one leg, and gave a reassuring thumbs up to Marcel. He also ignored the fact that Tucker was attempting to hit on Marcel, while occasionally winking at Ambrosia. Caesar glanced at him, scoffed, then turned around and returned to his resting.

 

[Ariados twice]

Vanish overheard the whole thing. "'Perhaps this is the job opportunity we've been looking for.'" Vanish told Annabeth. "Yes but there's only one way to find out for sure. Follow me you three." Annabeth walked over to the group, followed by Night and Vanish on the ground, and Skyqueen the Braviary in the air. She walked up to the girl in question. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. You're looking for a crew? It just so happens that I'm looking for another career."

 

[Nateriety]

Seeing that she had gone through the trouble of extending her hand, Ryan supposed it was only fair that he returned the gesture, taking her hand and shaking it only once before retracting his arm. "Well, it just occurred to me I haven't introduced myself to any of you. I am Ryan Dermont of, as previously stated, Coumarine." He gestured down to the Manectric sitting calmly by his leg, "This here is Raika, and up there," he paused, jabbing a thumb in the direction he knew his Flying-type Pokemon to be perched, "is Blathers...the troublemaker."

Introductions aside, Ryan listened intently as Marcel spoke, and then as the one named Dmitri excitedly piped-up before being cut off by his Clauncher.

"Hmm...a mission you say? Curious," Ryan hummed, finding himself actually wanting to learn more about this situation for some reason he hadn't grasped yet. Some feeling within him wanted him to stick around and see where this would lead. The kind of curiosity he hadn't felt for a good while.

Perhaps the monotony of his every day life up to now was spurring him towards anything even remotely interesting.

"I don't really know anyone else, to be honest, but I'm gathering you're looking to recruit a new crew for this mission you mentioned," he stated, speaking his current understanding of the circumstances. "I hate to be the prying type, and you're free to ignore this question entirely if you don't want to answer it, but what exactly does this mission of yours entail that it requires you to recruit from a place like this?"

As Ryan asked for the details, Raika had decided to split her attention between two things: keeping an eye on Blathers (who looked like he wasn't too far off descending from his position above, meaning ignoring him was actually working) and watching the antics of the other Pokemon with some level of amusement.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

Dmitri was talking a mile a minute, with questions and antics galore, and Marcel hadn't even noticed the fourth person to show up until she joined into the conversation.

"Oh, where to start. Yes, I seek a crew. No initiation necessary, just good people with good loyalty, any of the rest can be taught or picked up along the way. True, my location of recruitment is a bit strange for this sort of request, but in my heart of hearts, I do seek a crew, but more importantly, I seek diversity. Individuality is something I yearn to associate myself with all the more in the rapidly coming years, and that's a very fair question to ask Ryan-Monsieur-Dermont."

How exactly could she describe what life as a pirate would entail? She'd convinced herself that she was here for unique individuals and camaraderie, but only a year ago, she'd left behind some of the most "unique" individuals on her old crew she'd ever had the pleasure of knowing, all because she felt it was her duty to fight.

She sighed, unsure how to break it to them.

"Good friends and good adventures await, but so do a multitude of dangers I'm afraid. I wouldn't have the heart to purposely thrust you all into the line of battle so quickly into our endeavors, but I ask that you be willing to learn how to defend yourself in our travels, so that I may sleep with a doable conscious at night. Understandably, if you pale at the slightest thought of a fight, I would take no offense to any of you walking away now."

 

[Ariados twice]

Annabeth nodded. "I'm well aware of some careers involving danger. Thanks to one of my past careers, I know it personally." Meanwhile, noticing that no one had given him the time of day, Night tugged on the girl's tunic. "' What are you doing?'" Vanish asked Night. Skyqueen landed on the ground and pretty much made her presence known to everyone else in the group.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

Marcel marveled at the majestic Braviary as she suddenly touched ground. The earth seemed to quake in the presence of the massive bird, but it was probably just her imagination. Snapped back to reality by the tugging on her tunic, she looked down to find a Zorua, possibly a companion of this strange, seemingly not-so innocent girl who'd showed up out of nowhere.

"Is there something you'd like, little pal?" She rubbed his head, taking care to scratch behind his ears, and found that she felt right at home with the little guy. Her gaze rose to level with Annabeth's. "You've got quite the party with you here. I'm sure you've plenty of good tales of your past careers socked away, which is always a good thing in a pirate's book."

 

[Il Fantasma]

Ambrosia's eyes widened at the proposition of joining a pirate crew. "Oh, really? I'd love to! It's not like we're doing much of anything ever, anyway," she had replied, chuckling lightly, not really thinking about what she was getting herself into. Orion tugged on her shirt, gaining her attention for a short moment so he could shake his head 'no', seeing this as an awful idea for anyone that acted the way she did.

Kenzo's smile stretched from ear to ear, which is saying something, since his ears are so high atop his head. "Aw, chin up, buddy. This could be a great idea for her!"

"It really isn't, Kenzo," Orion replied, using the language of Pokemon (obviously lol), before glaring at Tucker. "And would you please stop goggling at her!?"

Turning to the two new people, Ambrosia also smiled, introducing herself and her partners. "Hello there! My name's Ambrosia, and this is Orion and Kenzo!"

Orion whipped back, still angered, to look at the other people's Pokemon. "Hi," he barked, not worrying about first impressions.

"Don't listen to him," Kenzo called, floating down the stand in front of the Sableye. "He's a pouty-puss. Nice to meet you guys!"

 

[Hisseki]

Oh my goodness. Is this happening? Is this real? Is this really real? Am I about to become a pirate? Better yet, am I about to become a real adventurer?!

Dmitri did his best to contain his excitement, but his calmer facade was starting to crack. He had concealed his excitement in a decent manner earlier, but this was fading. Caesar looked at Marcel in shock as she mentioned fighting. He wasn't about to have any of that, especially if it meant Dmitri getting hurt!

"I'm in for anything, so long as it's an adventure! Fighting's just another part of it, right? What's an adventure without a little action?" He said, much to Caesar's dismay.

Orion had addressed Tucker's attempts to 'score with the ladies', and was not very happy about it. Needless to say, that wasn't about to stop him. In fact, out of spite, he wandered closer to and focusing more on Ambrosia specifically. Caesar was increasingly tempted to launch some kind of attack at him, because what he was doing was stupid and he knew it, but he refrained from causing a scene.

Speaking of, Ambrosia re-introduced herself. "Uh, we already me- oh. Um..." He made himself level with Orion and whispered into his ear. "I'm not sure what to do here, do I point out that she forgot, or do I just roll with it?"

Again, Caesar hit him on the head, hearing every single word. "Ow! I was just asking a simple question, dude, come on!" He yelled, rubbing his head while trying to avoid pushing his Clauncher off of his head.

All of this was going on, and he failed to notice the Braviary spectacle, something Tucker didn't miss. "Man, Dmitri would love to put that in his book. Ah well. So, ladies..." He practically purred, again trying to smooth talk Ambrosia and Marcel despite them being unable to understand him. He figured his tone of voice would get the point across.

 

[Ariados twice]

Annabeth nodded. " I forgot to introduce myself though. My name is Annabeth Wilde. The Zorua is Night, the Braviary is Skyqueen, and the Ninetails is Vanish. Named such by the first town terrorized by her thievery." Each Pokémon bowed in greeting when their names were called. "I stopped her stealing spree on my first try. Vanish has had a deep respect for me ever since."

 

[Il Fantasma]

Orion wrote in his notepad, ripping the page out and handing it to Dmitri. I believe she was introducing herself to Miss Annabeth and Mr. Ryan, but do not be alarmed if she does reintroduce herself in the near future.

Getting more annoyed at an almost scarily-increasing rate, the Sableye pulled the turtleneck he still wore over his head, leaning on Ambrosia's leg for support.

Speaking of her, Ambrosia giggled at the Quilladin's odd actions. Being able to understand him might've helped in this circumstance, but since she couldn't, she really didn't have a clue about what he was playing at. "Yes, hello there, Tucker," she spoke softly to the Grass-Type, once again patting his head.

 

[BurbleBurble]

What an ever interesting band of characters. The woman Vul tracked down was a pirate. It seemed the red haired girl couldn't remember much from minutes before. There was a shorter boy with a Quilladin and a Clauncher. A taller boy (Still a bit shorter than himself) had a Manectric and a...was that a Chatot? Interesting. And finally another girl emerged somewhere as well, with a impressive Braviary, Ninetales, and Zorua, yet another interesting creature. The Ninetales caught Vul's interest as well, as another Pokemon who'd understand the greatness of their lineage...until it turned out she used to be a thief. He suddenly didn't want to be associated with such things. Either way, Jack found this the perfect oppurtunity to introduce himself.

"Ahem. Excuse me for interrupting..."

Stepping from his hiding spot, Jackson emerged, followed by Vul, who took a seat by his side, and Chipper, who unceremoniously stood behind the boy. "I couldn't help but overhear your proposition. Did you say, Boats, Danger, and Pirates? I'm not sure if this is some exclusive club, but I would love to join you all. If you'd have me."

The fox at his side yipped in agreement. "My name is Jackson, by the by. My friendly companions here are Vul and Chipper. Say, has anyone noted how fine you all are looking today?"

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

"Well Annabeth, you seem to have quite the well-mannered set of Pokemon with you. All of you, in fact, I believe will have what it takes. If you value loyalty as much as you do life itself, you're already halfway there." Whether or not that was entirely true by the percentage was unbeknownst to Marcel, but loyalty was certainly a big part of it.

Another boy had sauntered up, preaching flattery, and without doubt the will to join them as well. Marcel would gladly play his game.

"My my, what a gent. I've already forgotten who I have and haven't introduced myself to, so we'll assume you'll be the last wayward individual drawn here for now. Marcel O'Bithel, I'll say once more, it's a pleasure. I see our Pokemon have already begun to talk among themselves, so I'll ask all of you now for your certainty: are you willing to stow away on a pirate's ship for weeks to months at a time, leaving Kalos behind in favor of the Laurel region, facing potential dangers not only along the way, but even at the farthest reaches of our destination, and be willing to learn the necessary skills to provide your own safety, all while growing together as a crew and a family?"

 

[Ariados twice]

Annabeth, Night, Vanish, and Skyqueen all nodded. Then Night remembered what the new boy had said. "'Was he talking about us too?'" he asked Vanish. The Ninetails just sighed. Skyqueen started to preen herself. Night decided to try to make conversation with Skyqueen. "'So, how's the weather up there?'" he asked her. "'The same as you experience on the ground.'" the Braviary replied.

 

[mizzmitz]

'They won't be able to.' Pepper responded bluntly to Marcel. She had managed to scale her side of the wall out of sheer curiosity, looking quite goofy as only her head was visible to everyone else, listening in to the conversation. Marcel's talk of voyaging and adventuring intrigued her. After all, if this little expedition turned out to be a success, it could mean big cash was coming their way. Isn't that what being a pirate was all about? Sea salt, the great outdoors and treasure? At least, Marcel seemed to fit the bill. The others, not so much.

 

[Nateriety]

Ryan had chosen to stay quiet during the majority of the next few minutes as he mulled over the possibility in his head. He couldn't say that he wasn't impressed by the Pokemon belonging to the first new arrival; a Ninetales who was previously a thief, a Zorua, and a rather majestic looking Braviary. It was an impressive line up, no doubt.

As he continued to think, pausing to acknowledge the introductions of the ones named Annabeth and Ambrosia, he felt a light weight land on his shoulder. Seemed like Blathers had finally dropped down from his position above.

"Heh...too excited to hide away now, aren't you?" Ryan asked, glancing to the colorful bird resting on his shoulder.

"Squawk! Excited!" Blathers repeated with a frantic flap of his wings. He didn't move, though, instead happy to stay on Ryan's shoulders and watch the many different Pokemon mingle with one another.

The same could be said for Raika. She didn't yet feel her intervention in the meeting was necessary, the interactions of the other Pokemon already being chaotic enough, yet she watched with interest. She couldn't quite understand the motives of the Quilladin named Tucker, who appeared to be trying to hit on the human ladies. "What a strange one. But I suppose stranger things exist," she mused. She nodded courteously in introduction to the three new arrivals of Vanish, Night, and Skyqueen.

There was also the arrival of another person, introducing himself as Jackson. A Vulpix and a Dusclops named Vul and Chipper respectively moved in tow with him. He seemed to be the sweet-talker type if his last statement was any indication.

Finally, yet another head popped over the other side of the wall; a girl who seemed to be directly addressing Marcel. If she had any Pokemon with her, they weren't visible just yet.

"Alright. I'll admit that piracy isn't quite something I'd thought of," Ryan admitted, finally having come to a decision after listening to Marcel's most recent string of questions, "and I'll admit it'll be a challenge. Getting used to living for extended periods on a boat, as well as becoming familiar with everyone else, might take time. Learning the skills you speak of might also prove a bit of a trial. "But..." he paused, taking a moment to collect his breath, "...I think it's time I did something a little different. I haven't adventured in years, but the monotony of doing nothing day-in and day-out will drive me mad if I keep this up. Besides, I've always wanted an excuse to travel outside of Kalos. And from what I've heard of it, Laurel is pretty interesting, if a little chaotic. So at risk of all the dangers and tribulation you speak of...count me in."

But he quickly added, "Assuming you'd be willing to put up with me, of course."

 

[Il Fantasma]

"Where is everybody coming from!?" Ambrosia whisper-yelled at Orion, before turning to face Jackson. "I'm Ambrosia. The Sableye's Orion, and the Emolga's Kenzo," she introduced for what felt like the dozenth time, before looking up to the head that poked out from behind a wall, yelling up another intro. Facing her original direction, Ambrosia's memory began to fade as she re-greeted and re-introduced herself to Dmitri and Marcel.

Orion wrote in his notepad yet again, handing this page, also, to Dmitri. There it is. What did I tell you? Don't feel bad if you point it out to her, okay?

Ambrosia replied to Marcel next. "I already told you, I'm in! I wanna do something, and looking for a place to live isn't exactly what I call 'fun'. I'd love to see this new Laurel region, and I'm sure Orion and Kenzo would, too. Right, guys?"

Orion poked his head out of his turtleneck, flicking his gaze from his Trainer to the captain and back again. He didn't want to show his excitement, but he was in his glory at the moment, so he nodded his head feverishly, smiling wide.

Kenzo, too, smiled and nodded his head. Being a pirate sounded very exciting, and he could even double as a parrot!

 

[Hisseki]

Three new people emerged from Arceus knows where, which Dmitri had originally failed to notice. "Woah, there's new people! Caesar, did you know about this- ow, fine, okay. Maybe I should stop letting you up there." He asked his grumpy Clauncher, his response being a swift blow to the head for a third time.

Then he heard Marcel's question. Basically, was he willing to be a pirate. He started shaking ever so slightly with excitement, but it was enough to make Caesar uneasy. He poked his forehead in an attempt to calm him, alerting him that he was about to do something stupid. Dmitri, in response, took a deep breath, and stopped shaking. "Thanks Caesar. Anywho, heck yeah I'm in! This sounds like the greatest adventure of all time! This beats that bell by far!" He said, glaring intimidatingly at the silver bell, the bell that brought everyone together for this moment.

Ambrosia re-introduced herself to Dmitri and Marcel, and Orion handed him a piece of paper, mentioning that he shouldn't feel bad about telling her. He moved closer to her, whispering to her. "Uh, 'scuse me, but you alrea- ow! Okay, that's it. One more time and you are coming down, hear me?"

Dmitri was starting to regret letting Caesar on top of his head. After trying to notify Ambrosia of her re-introduction, he received his fourth, and hopefully final, blow to the head. How rude, he thought as if Caesar could hear him. Dmitri flexed one of his muscle that may or may not have actually existed. "I'm pretty sure my team can handle being a pirate! Right guys?" Tucker took note of Dmitri's stance and copied it, while Caesar just sighed and turned away from the general crowd again.

"Hmph, always a downer, huh Caesar? Whatever, I'm gonna see how many ladies exactly there are gonna be on this ship." Tucker told Caesar, rubbing his hands together as if he had just received a massive plate of food after starving for a week.

"I don't recommend it, but when have you listened to me before? It's not like being intelligent can benefit you or anything..." Caesar responded sarcastically, readjusting his stance on Dmitri's head before sitting down again.

 

[Ariados twice]

"'It's not exactly a good idea to flirt with Annabeth. So I wouldn't do that if I were you.'" Skyqueen told Tucker. "'Indeed.'" Vanish added. "'It's kind of part of why she was fired from waitressing.'" Night chipped in. "'So, in other words, don't do it'" the three told Tucker in unison.

 

[Hisseki]

"Sheesh, harsh. Fine, for now, I'll lay off of... Annabeth? Dang, she's got a pretty name too. Ah well. I'll lay off." Tucker responded to the girl's Pokemon, backing up and approaching Marcel once again instead.

Caesar's mouth was left gaping wide. Tucker, the Tucker, just followed someone's orders about not flirting with someone!? Who was this and what did they do with the real Tucker? Well, he did say for now... Caesar thought reassuringly, fixing his face and going back to the stoic one he loved to use so much.

Dmitri wasn't paying attention to... whatever that was. Instead, he was focused on Marcel. She's a pirate! That's so cool! I know she said there's no initiation or anything, but... I dunno, I wanna prove that I deserve to be a pirate somehow... what should I do? He thought, going into a thinking stance that Caesar recognized. That particular stance, to him, meant Dmitri was trying to formulate some kind of plan. Jumping off of his head, he reeled back and punched him in the foot. "Ow! Come on, Caesar! That was uncalled for!" He said, holding his foot. "Okay, next one is the last straw, better believe it!" He scolded, though Caesar knew for a fact that he would simply continue saying that, never actually acting on his statement.

Putting his foot down, he cleared his throat. "So, uh, what were we talking about? I lost track." He admitted, awkwardly looking down at the ground for a few seconds before looking back at the group that had assembled in front of him.

 

[mizzmitz]

Pepper had assumed a much more stylish (if not also cliché) position on the wall, as she was now sitting right on top and glancing down at the people and pokemon below her, kicking at the air with her feet. She focused her gaze on Dmitri, furrowing her brow only slightly in annoyance. Monty, who was still wrapped around her neck and shoulders, mimicked her expression with an added flick of his tongue.

'Why are you letting that pokemon boss you around? You should learn to teach him respect.' Pepper remarked, patting her companion on the head and running her bony fingers through her wiry black hair before several tangles cut this action short. Her attention once again turned to Marcel.

'Like I said before, these people aren't cut for the job' she told her.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

The girl who'd previously had her head poked out over the top of the wall was now sitting there like she owned the place, and Marcel couldn't help but be intrigued. Evidently, this girl had her doubts in the gathering group.

"Pardon? And what all do you know about what this job entails? Meanwhile, that's a certain yes from four of you, which is a fine amount for an hour's worth of searching."

Truly, it was a fine amount, and so conveniently picked up outta nowhere too. Marcel might've known better than to believe in fate or destiny if it weren't for moments like these. Maybe they had what it took, maybe they didn't. They would learn. As she gleefully went over this all in her head, Tucker was getting a little close to her leg, practically foaming at the mouth when he purred earlier. It was clear that Dmitri didn't have the level of control over his Pokemon that someone like Annabeth did, but there was a certain charm to that as well. If anything, the Clauncher would be the one to keep them all in check.

 

[Hisseki]

Dmitri was surprised by the wall-sitting girl's comment about respect. "Th-they respect me just fine! Watch!" He turned around, facing Tucker with a more stern expression. "Tucker, come here. Now. Stop doing... whatever that is."

Tucker looked genuinely surprised at this sudden change of tone and followed his order reluctantly. Caesar looked on in amusement - until his turn arrived. "Caesar... you... I would have you apologize, but I can't understand what you say. For now, you are to stay on the ground. No climbing, no hitting. Got it, Caesar?" Dmitri ordered, his expression softening and revealing a bit of regret.

Caesar saw this regretful look, shot the girl on the wall a glare, and nodded his head in understanding. Dmitri didn't like that at all. He lets his Pokemon, his friends, do what they want. Sure, his parents told him what to do, but he felt it wasn't right to make his Pokemon do every single thing asked of them. He whispered a quick apology to the two surprised Pokemon before turning back to the girl. "S-see that? They respect me j-just fine!" He said, his confident tone slowly fading.

I feel terrible! I have to fix this later, but for now, I have to make it look like I'm worthy of becoming part of this crew. Super sorry, guys, but it's all for the sake of adventure in the long run. He thought to himself, glancing back at his Pokemon quickly before looking once more at the girl on top of the wall.

 

[AgrarianAtlas]

Marcel was unnerved by Dmitri's state. Clearly, it was a facade for the girl on the wall, but with his wavering tone and attitude, he could've been about to cry at any moment. Unfortunately for her, Marcel was none too pleased with those who upset her crewmates. With a refined and slow gait, she made her way to stand face-to-face with this girl.

"Hmph." She looked her up and down for the sake of intimidation, though in truth, she wasn't really registering what the girl looked like at all. "If you knew a thing about what it means to be a crew, I think you'd understand that "respect" is a scam term used only in the demand for unwavering obedience. If forced respect is the only thing you have for someone, then you're not even a person. You're a tool, and you're expendable under that mentality."

She turned to face the rest of the group. "Do not let yourself become a tool under me. Throw a mutiny before that happens, though I'll do everything in my right mind to ensure that that never has to happen."