[PRP] To Start: Faceless

[Blood_Goddess]

A deep cold had settled in over the forest, along with a deep penetrating silence as all life within the woods depths hit from the winter chill, staring on to the clearing settled in the forests between Sagestone and Sandelwood.
A warm light softly falling from the structures built into some of the large trees still growing from the clearing. To the left, a more dim glow from a gentle fire keeping a young boy laying awake with a Treecko on his chest. light brown eyes staring up at the ceiling were vague lights were flickering back and forth, courtesy of the fire burning in the fire place.

The cottage in the center however was more prominently lit, implying that its inhabitant were awake within.
Ray stoked the flames as she fed into the fire that helped keep the cabin a comfortable temperature.
Sitting by the small table on the other side of the Room, a blond trainer sat with her hands in her lap, looking over a map of Sagestone that was pinned to the tree trunk growing up from the center of the room.

"Alright," Ray sighed, pushing herself up and with a light grunt made her way over to the small sitting area where she had gestured the others.
She allowed herself to look around at the pokemon assembled.
Her own team of course, DS comfortably by the fire, but who's large green eyes still on the group as he listened.
Emith stood by the tree trunk, her arms crossed with one leg bent against the tree.
Breezychu was sitting on one of the stands by the table, blinking midly at Ray while Impact hung upside down from one of the smaller trunk's branches, left just for him.
The pokemon that Rosie could fit in the room were in the room. Pop the Lopunny looking as disinterested as ever, though ray had to wonder if the pokemon really had any music playing in those head phones.
Vahy'n sitting beside Rosie with an elegant sort of concern as she looked over Ray, being somewhat of a silent protector to the girl she raised. Kiss Kiss next to her, and Northern settled in Rosie's lap, looking between the humans deeply invested.  

[Suudonym]

As he suspected might be the case, Sorey was left with a feeling of guilt over becoming an obstacle in Gon's path. He almost suggested a rematch to give the younger trainer another chance - perhaps Protect wouldn't succeed as often or his movements wouldn't be as sharp - but he recognized that doing so would be a disservice to Mikleo and the effort he had put into the battle. Not only that, but Sorey was an outsider here, and it was impudent of him to assume he knew anything about Gon or Ray's principles as his teacher. He had no place to argue against the decision.

Uneasiness would eventually hinder him, and so Sorey dismissed the feelings to focus on what was before him. With Mikleo at his side, he joined Rosie in studying the map, etching its more defining characteristics into his memory. If his sense of direction was accurate, they weren't too far from Sagestone - which meant they were a fair distance from Jinko. He'd make his way there sooner or later; one or two detours wouldn't worry him in the slightest.

He looked to Ray as she moved from the fire, curious about the nature of the task she needed assistance with but couldn't accept the help of her pupil.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie would recognize the map of Sagestone as ones they had sold at the tour guides office she worked at... or according the new news reports Rosie had seen a little over a year ago, used to work at.
Rosie had forgotten that Ray had been pinned for misconduct while on the job, and getting people hurt... Rosie had never asked about it, and Ray never bringing it up, or even seeming too affected by it. Maybe that's why she moved to the woods.

The Map displayed the entire town, but more then that is spanned up to show the mountains and forests, mines and known caves were marked on the map as well, with a few custom marks seemingly added by Ray herself.
It was the marks that were put in the town that caught Rosie's attention more. What are these for?

Ray stopped next to the map, glancing to it before she returned a smoothly smile back to the other two.
"Sorry here Sorey, bear with me for just a second and we'll explain before giving you a chance to decide if you're up to helping out or not."
She then turned to Rosie. "Do you remember a couple of years back? When a group of you came up to the mountains."

At the question Rosie blinked straightening up a little. "Yeah... there was a gang in the mountains, selling pokemon."
the words drew Northern's attention more closely then anything had so far from the Jirachi... or at least since the mention of Mewtwo.
"... we had them arrested."

"I've known for a while now, but that wasn't the only place they had set up in the mountains, in fact it wasn't event he most important place they had set up at all." Ray looked from Rosie's sudden shocked look to Sorey "according to my souses, they've got a growing empire of pokemon trafficking, and if my sources are right they could have control over a good chunk of the town by now."

Ray let that sink in with Rosie for a few moments as she brought up how to explain this to Sorey and Mikleo. "A couple of years back, a friend of ours found this little Jirachi out on her own." She said with a gesture to Northern. "The places she was describing sounded really familiar to me, so i decided to go check it out. And what I found was a gang, calling themselves the Griffin's or the Griffs, utilizing an abandoned mining area to store pokemon. Only these are not normal pokemon. Pokemon like Northern, Or Emith here." she made a gesture to the two very elaborate pokemon "Pokemon that I suspect are not made this way naturally. Leading me to suspect Team Rocket involvement, though as of yet, I have no real proof."
She shrugged a shoulder, leaning against the tree by Emith as she continued "There was a bit of a stand off at one point, but Rosie and a group of our friends showed up and they helped me get in and take them down. Freeing all the pokemon and finding them better homes. We assumed that would be the end of it, but as it turned out they didn't take kindly to us messing with their trade.
I used to live in Sagestone, I was a tour guide for the mines and caves, a job that I lost when the Griffs started harassing our customers, claiming that I was the reason for their persistence. Eventually they got more bold and brought a cave down on a group I was leading. I was ultimately blamed and changed with negligence." She made a gesture to the cabin around her "Sagestone quickly became hostile for me, and I was starting to notice that there were less and less people around that I could trust in the town, so for safety I left... but didn't go to far since I'm not likely to just roll over and let them win."
It was here that the usually mild mannered women frowned. "They're buying out the miners, and intimidating those who don't sell out. but I have one sourse that I trust to still be loyal to me. He's been getting information that I want to use to start mapping out these Griffs and to help for a plan to start pulling there weeds."  

[Suudonym]

Sorey listened dutifully to the story that was told, and though his expression remained level, almost impassive, a gleam of ferocity burned in his green eyes. Fundamentally, he was against selling pokemon, or even trading them without their consent, but he could tolerate it with the knowledge that there were regulations in place to ensure the pokemon's safety. The idea of trafficking pokemon was as abhorrent to Sorey as human trafficking, and the fact that innocent people were having their lives dismantled as a result made it all the more unforgivable.

Mikleo barked. lives we're talking about! Pokemon aren't merchandise to monopolize and turn a profit on!>

"It's all right, Mikleo," Sorey said, quelling his indignation for the sake of quelling the Vaporeon's. "I mean, it's not all right at all, but," he turned his attention back to Ray with a sense of interest keen enough to border on determination, "a plan, huh? If you called Rosie out here to help, does that mean you're about ready to act?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Yeah you're right, its far from alright." The tall women agreed "They're good at covering their tracks, good at getting people to do what they want. But that won't help them for long."

She nodded to Sorey "Not quiet. For the last year I've had an ally that's been helping me. The only problem, is that they know my face. So if I go to Sagestone they know I'm there. and if It comes out that he's helping me..."

Emith added with a tone of warning.

Ray looked over to the Scyzor, nodding lightly. "I've been keeping in touch with him through radio code. But he's got something for me that he said would help get a real workable plan together."

Rosie tilted her head lightly "But you can't go into Sagestone... or risk exposing him."

Ray nodded as Rosie seemed to catch on what Ray needed them to do.  

[Suudonym]

"I see... So then a courier's your best option," Sorey said, crossing his arms. "I'm more than happy to help, any way I can. Oh-- I'm, uh, not very good at lying, though, if you think there'd be any of that involved."

Mikleo added.

"Not very good at all," Sorey agreed, shaking his head.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"... Ah." Ray pondered this for a few moments "Yeah, well so is Rosie so..." she glanced at the trainer who look back with a slight blush and small apologetic smile.
'I can't say if that will be a problem or not, I can't for seeing it being one, unless you get into an unexpected situation." she waved a hand "so you should be fine."  

[Suudonym]

Well, better to send someone who couldn't lie well but wouldn't be recognized than someone whom lying wouldn't help from the second they were spotted. "I'm sure it'll work out," Sorey said, choosing to remain optimistic. He glanced at the map, refreshing his memory of the town's layout to cement it more firmly in his mind. "So is there already a plan, like a time or place we should go to meet him?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"There is a bar, its one popular with the miners, every night its filled with the men as they get off their shift. Its loud and busy, and its where you'll find a man named John Lastish and his partner Sandslash." Ray explained
"We don't like to communicate over radio, I've managed to get the time and where, and I assume he thinks I'm coming, but we both know the risks of that, so if I send you in, I'm going to need you to take something to him so that he knows he can trust you, and the I've sent you in my stead."

"... Me." Northern's voice floated through the heads of everyone in the room, heads shifted silently to the small legendary still sitting in Rosie's lap.

Ray nodded "He won't doubt you. Not knowing what these Griffs have done with your like."  

[Suudonym]

"John Lastish and Sandslash," Sorey repeated, "got it." It took half a second for him to realize where the voice was coming from before he recognized it as Northern's. The Jirachi was distinctive, to be sure, though he was bothered by the implication that the trafficked pokemon, perhaps even Northern herself, were treated cruelly by their captors - even if that was simply part and parcel with the trafficking of sentient things.

Sorey switched to a less unpleasant line of thought, "So then the reason you let Gon go unless he defeated me and Mikleo - is it because you're expecting some kind of opposition or danger?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray tilted her head a little "In part, Gon's been training for a while, but he's starting from nothing and working his way up from nothing. I wouldn't have let him go with you tomorrow either way, Two people is more than enough and I don't want to draw attention."
She looked over at Rosie "Part of the reason I asked you to bring neutral colored clothing this time."

Rosie blinked, her eyebrows arching a little but she nodded "I bought some." She reassured the women. When she had been asked Rosie had gone through to look for something that wasn't bright and cute... to her surprise she had no luck, so she had to go out and buy something like Ray had requested. At the moment though Rosie was in her usual pinks and color.

Ray continued. "Either way yes, I expect this to eventually get dangerous, I am dealing with underground gangsters after all. I wanted to see if Gon was going to be ready to help when the time came. I also wanted to see if I was sure I wanted to ask your help for tomorrow. As it stands, he's not ready and I'm confident about asking your help for this time around, if you're still interested."
She looked at Rosie "and of course I in no way expect you to help if you don't want to. But I needed to get you out here to ask if you would. I didn't really have anyone else I wanted to call anyway."

"Of course I'll help Ray." Rosie reassured "But I'm just wondering, why you didn't contact the KSO about this or something... Just me?"
she was a surprised Ray wanted her help at all, not when there were so many more people better suited for this kind of think. Luke, or anyone in the KSO.

"We'll see, Right now the KSO is understaffed, and over stretched, and I don't have any proof. Besides, I started this, I should see it through as much as I can."  

[Suudonym]

That made sense, then. Gon was just a child, after all - although Sorey didn't get the impression that Gon was too naive or immature to handle a situation like this, mentally if not physically.

"I'll help too," he affirmed. "I've never fought against another human before, but I'm sure Mikleo and I will find a way to make it work if the situation calls for it."  

[Blood_Goddess]

"I don't foresee that happening this time around." Ray assured Sorey with a laugh "Plan for the worse though."

Ray stood up off of the tree "I'll join you on the way to Sagestone tomorrow. For now go get some rest."

Rosie pushed herself to her feet, allowing Northern to float back up.
"Alright, I'm going to go let my team know what the plan is." Rosie said, earning a nod.  

[Suudonym]

"Okay, we'll do that," Sorey said, giving a nod to the room's other occupants before calling Mikleo to follow. With a parting 'g'night,' he and his Vaporeon companion started in the direction of the room he had been instructed to share with Gon. Before they reached the door, however, Mikleo spoke up.

he warned.

Sorey paused, willing to endure the nips of the nighttime cold to work through the conversation. "I get it, but I don't want to just do nothing. Why not just think of this as an introduction and see how things go after we're done?"

Mikleo said, really difficult to get you to stop. How many meals have you missed because you were reading a book and didn't want to put it down long enough to eat?>

Sorey laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it. I promise I'll think carefully about it, okay?"

With Mikleo apparently satisfied - or at least willing to pretend to be satisfied for the time being - the pair proceeded to the other building and entered quietly, unsure whether or not Gon would already be asleep and not wanting to wake him if so.  

[Blood_Goddess]

Rosie tried not to dwell on the feeling that Ray had made a mistake by asking her to help. She knew Ray was talented, and one of those talents was recognizing the ability in other people. But maybe Ray was seeing something that wasn’t there this time.
Following Sorey out of the main cabin, she parted ways with a gentile “good night, Sorey, Mikleo” And descended the latter to the ground below.

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

Ray reached up to rub her face.
Emith asked, frowning at the unusual look on Ray's features.

"I don't... know." Ray admitted "I thought this would be the most logical idea, but now I'm not so sure." the gray haired women admitted, looking down out of the window to the blond trainer re-joining her Pokemon below. "I'm starting to think she doesn't have the stomach for this." Ray voiced openly.
Ever since Rosie had gotten here there was something off about her, Ray was starting to see Sorey as the means to her predicament much more effectively then she believed Rosie would do it... the first one she had put her stock into.

Emith admitted Pushing herself up she made her way to her bedding, and dropped down with a weighted THUD.

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

Gon and Treecko both lifted their heads up when the door to the cabin opened, just as quickly they were sitting up, Treecko voluntarily falling from the boy's chest to his lap.
Heracross who was sitting close by opened his eyes.
"What did she say?" Gon questioned eagerly.