[PRP] The Great Chase

[Blood_Goddess]

The gray gloom of the winter months was starting to gradually burn away as the spring approached.
It was on this particular day that the sun was shining bright and warm on the land, and early blooming flowers were starting to peek out from the vegetation.
It was one of the first real nice day of the season, and Jerome's group was lucky enough to be able to spend it outside for the time being.

The end was in sight for the new HQ's construction, The transportation teams were starting to get that idea very clearly from the kind of cargo they were still hauling to the new aria. It bred of a sort of antsy anticipation in many of the Rockets, One in particular who was not so much looking forward to being out of the smaller base, but was looking forward to something new, and explore.

Said Rocket was standing by the Ambergris base holding aria, along with the rest of the Transfort team as their cargo was being prepped and logged for transport.
This was likely to take another hour, and Kyle, a tall Rocket currently running his fingers through light brown hair, bright yellow eyes staring off with a deep frown at the other grunts cataloging the cargo.

"I'm going to go for a walk." The man announced, pushing himself out of the driver seat of the van, and slamming the door shut behind him.
"Who wants to come with me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jerome, who's job it was to keep an eye on the cargo glanced over when he heard Kyle's plan, not seeming the least bit surprised, and generally didn't quite care what the driver did while they waited, as long as he returned in time to do the actual driving.
Ryan, Kyle's partner, didn't seem to be up to going anywhere, as he lounged in one of the back seats of the van, nursing a lidded cut of Coffee, while the two Jamie's were playing a game app on their dexs.
"Looks like yer goin' alone today."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, no one else is bored out of their minds?" Kyle said, in argument.  

[insidiousEnigma]

It was here.
It was finally here.

...More or less.

Zacharie slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and snatched up his basket, the contents nearly spilling out in his haste to get out of his room. "Shuppet...Shup-pet?" Jabari grumbled from where he was floating just above the teen's bed, eyeing his trainer with sleepy suspicion. "The weather has been nice enough that some flora may have started waking up, so I'm going out." He explained as he shifted his grip on the basket full of jars. The ghost pokemon made no move to join him, simply closed his eyes and went back to ignoring the purple haired boy. "...It appears that you don't want to join me, try not to cause any trouble while I'm out." He smiled faintly at the dismissive noise he received as he left the room.

------

Squinting against the afternoon sun, Zacharie fully stepped outside of the base. All by himself. Because he was a grunt now and could do that. And wasn't that a nice thought? "...Need some sunglasses." He grumbled as he shut the door he'd exited behind him and continued out into the sunshine. He didn't have his bangs to shield him from the glaring light but he'd make do, he was nothing if not determined to have a look around today. Though the distant sound of voices did have him slowing his pace.

...Was that Jerome?

Hurrying over to the source of the voices, the teen poked his head around the van and found that it had in fact been his friend that he had heard. "Hello, Jerome." He greeted, offering up a shy smile as he stepped out fully to make his presence known. His pale eyes darted between the other various Rocket members that he had never met before as his hands nervously clutched at the basket handle. "It's been a while. I take it that with the preparations for the new base underway you've been quite busy."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Kyle didn't have much more time to try and convince someone to go with him when the hatch from the base opened and someone from within joined them in the garage.
Jerome's attention was drawn to the grunt as well as his name was spoken, certainly recognizing the voice but doing a double take, his head jerking back a little in surprise "New look" He said, "Man, S'kinda weird seein' yer eyes." He reached a hand out to ruffle his hand over she now much shorter hair of the seventeen year old.

It had taken Jerome a second to recognize him, though it was hard to for get the kind of sharp eyes and instinctual glare the boy seemed to always have. Jerome knew that the batch of Trainees had since finished the training and been promoted. Jerome was pleased that Zacharie had made it to a Grunt, and more importantly the kind of training he could start the scrawny kid on.
"What brings ya up here?"  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie lowered his gaze to the ground in a small gesture of insecurity, "Yeah well...I figured it was time for a bit of change." He muttered, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he gave a soft laugh as the older man ruffled his hair. "It doesn't...that's not a bad thing, is it?" He asked, looking curiously up at the Agent. The decision to cut his hair had been a hasty one without much thought put into it before he had taken a pair of scissors to it. Only once it was too late did he realize the repercussions to his actions. He tried not to stare too long at his fellow Rocket members, for fear of unnerving them or worse...angering someone into violence. It'd happened before when he was still in school.

"Ah, I was going to head out to see if any flora has sprouted." He said, motioning to his basket. "I'm hoping to gather some seedlings that I can take with me to the new base when we transfer." He'd found quite a few interesting plants that grew around here and he'd be damned if he didn't leave for the new base prepared in case the same plants didn't grow there.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Jerome couldn't see why it would be a bad thing, but by now he was fairly used to the questions and concerns like that from Zacharie, who still seemed to be learning the ways of social interactions.
"Naw S'cool." Jerome reassured

Jerome didn't get much from what Zacharie explained, only that he was going out for the day, and something about seeds or what not.
Jerome glanced over his shoulder and nodded his head toward Kyle "Yo,"

Kyle narrowed one eye at the addressing from Jerome, glancing from the gangster to the younger kid with him, not taking too long for him to realize what it means. "With him?"

"Its that or go alone." Ryan reminded him.

Kyle crossed his arms across his chest, and settled his gaze back onto the other Grunt.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Reassured by Jerome's easy reply, the teen relaxed his tense shoulders and gave a nod. The older man wouldn't lie to him and so he took his reassurance seriously. "Ah yes, it's rather...refreshing." He admitted, reaching up to run a hand through the short strands. Zacharie eyed the brunette standing off to the side warily, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as the taller man fixed him with a hard look. "...Who's he?" He asked bluntly, pointing at the other Rocket member in an accusatory manner.  

[Blood_Goddess]

A deep frown set on Kyle's face as his chin inclined upward, yellow eyes still fixed on the purple haired rocket.
"I'm Kyle, the driver." He replied almost pointedly just as bluntly "And who are you?"

Jerome didn't seem the kind to be buddy buddy with kids, or... well from the look of it this one must be a young adult. But still, the two looked like one of the more odd friendships he's ever seen.
the man inclined a heavy eyebrow, "I hope you're not seriously implying that I let him come along, what do I look like? A baby sitter?"  

[insidiousEnigma]

"My name is Zacharie." He replied, eyes narrowing as he continued to be stared at. He wasn't sure he liked this Kyle person, did he always stare at people like that? "It's considered rude to stare." He snapped, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He drifted a little closer to Jerome, more out of instinct than any conscious thought.

At the babysitter comment, the teen visibly bristled in indignation. "I do not require a babysitter." He said huffed with a scowl. "I'm perfectly capable of going out on my own." Was added in a haughty manner as he adjusted his bag. "I simply came over to say hello to my friend, not to be bothered by some random moron."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Staring, What do you consider staring then?" Kyle retorted with a slight jerk back of his head and a frown.
"I'll show you what staring is." The tall man moved forward closer the two, leaning forward and widening his eyes a little to stare directly back into the other grunt's pale gaze. very clearly being pointedly uncomfortable.

Who was this grunt, and how was he getting to buddy buddy with Jerome. guys like Jerome ate kids like this up for breakfast! and here he was calling Jerome a friend and Kyle a... moron?
Kyle frowned again and straightened up an anger flashing into his eyes.
"This coming from someone who looks like they took a pare of gardening sheers to his hair." He said with a great sarcasm "-and his face"

Jerome arched an eyebrow and made a noise as to clear his throat. "I ain't sendin' ya f'yer ganna be at each others throats." He warned "F'yer goin' out ya should stick t'gether, ya got people waitin' to snitch all over th'place. So both ya cool it, aight"  

[insidiousEnigma]

What...was wrong with this guy?

Zacharie leaned back to put some space between them as Kyle came into his space. "...S-Stop that at once." He demanded, incredibly unnerved by the close proximity of this near stranger. How could Jerome stand to work with someone with such a blatant disregard for people's personal space? Oh wait...Jerome was rather relaxed about such things.

The comment about his hair wasn't too far from the truth, but drawing attention to his scars made him visibly flinch. "You...You..." He knew he should have kept his hair long. The clear vision wasn't worth having people bringing attention to his face. "...You have no clue as to what happened to my face. So I suggest you shut up before you make an even bigger idiot out of yourself." He said flatly, refusing to let Kyle see how much the comment really effected him. He shifted his gaze up to Jerome and gave a soft huff, "He started it..." He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.  

[Blood_Goddess]

At least getting to point across Kyle straightened up once Zacharie had expressed him to stop.
Instead he looked over to Jerome, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow that was a much darker color then his hair at the younger grunt.
"Your not that important." He retorted as Zacharie seemed to get touchy about mention of his scaring,

As Jerome stepped in Kyle fell silent, a light frown playing on his lips but he didn't argue back against the Agent.
"Ah well, you heard the boss right?" Kyle said with a sigh. "Come on fellow grunt, or your going to waist my precious daylight. we're on a schedule."
He was not really in the mood to stand around bantering back and forth, if they wanted to do that, they can do it outside! and not in here, where it was boring.

Jerome eyed Kyle for a couple of seconds, but then nodded, looking down at Zachaire. "S'cool." though more quietly "Jus get what ya need and ignore em."  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie opened his mouth, ready to bite out a cutting retort...but closed it again with a quiet snap. He glanced up at Jerome, his eyebrows furrowed to show just how much he disliked the situation. "Fine." He sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "He can tag along, I suppose." He huffed, adjusting his bag yet again. "Just don't get in my way, idiot." He grumbled as he stalked off towards the door that led outside and pushing it open.

He'd take Jerome's advice and just continue as if Kyle weren't there. He was good at ignoring people, he'd had years and years of practice. Though, he wished that he'd made Jabari come with him...just so he'd have someone talk at while he looked for saplings. "Let's see...heading east would likely yield the most results." He muttered to himself as he started out in that direction. He ignored the little path in favor of cutting straight through the bushes and into the trees.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Kyle rolled his eyes at the insult, making a mocking sock puppet with his hands withing the syllables following Zacharie's words, but otherwise kept his grumbles to himself. Man this brat was on thin ice!

Right off the bat Kyle knew what he had gotten himself into, they were not on the trail for a few minuets when Zacharie left it completely, talking to himself.
Kyle paused, arms folded over his chest and frowned after the seventeen year old.
"... Where are you going?"  

[insidiousEnigma]

"Perhaps if you listened earlier you would have heard me say that I'm looking for saplings." Zacharie grumbled as he scowled at the older man from over his shoulder. "Knowing that would make it clear that I am going into the forest...to look for saplings." With a huff he adjusted his bag before marching off through the trees.

He didn't have time to deal with an idiot...he never had time to deal with an idiot. He did keep his pace slow though, just in case Kyle happened to follow along after him.

As he entered a small clearing, he carefully set his basket down before dropping to his hands and knees. The grass was a bit damp which was perfect for possibly finding molds and fungi but, judging from the lack of sunlight, not particularly good for finding saplings. He crawled along the damp earth regardless, his eyes intent on the grass for anything that he might find interesting.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Kyle scowled at the response, taking a few steps as if to follow behind the other grunt, but paused just off the path, glancing back toward the base then after Zacharie "Hey, this better not mean you're going to keep stopping constantly to stick your face in the mud!" Kyle yelled back after the Grunt, though shortly followed after
"I mean it! this is a 'walk' for a reason, it involves mostly walking!"