[FIN] Welcome to the Jungle

[BlackFireKitsune]

A roughly 24 hour boat ride ended with a small group of House staff taking her things, and a brown hornless Rapidash, off into the inner parts of the city. Left in their wake was a small girl that looked a little younger than she actually was, a girl whose curiosity for this new city she found herself in almost insatiable. The last companion had only left her alone after persistently drilling her on her current whereabouts in relation to her final destination in the middle of the city, and had departed once absolutely sure the girl would be able to find her way there after sightseeing.

Shortly thereafter, Nicolette had found herself in the company of a kindhearted stranger who knew her plight and had promised to show her all around the city, so that she might be more familiar with it. Though he wore clothes native to Kodo, he insisted he was originally from Grande Ile, and the pair conversed almost entirely in French as they wandered about the city. Their journeys started near the pier, for obvious reasons, meandered through the park, and slowly but surely they were, unbeknownst to the naive girl, headed into the more dangerous parts of the city. Still, her guide appeared quite amiable and friendly, even going so far as to nod his head in greeting at a man standing against a building as they passed and continued the tour. Nicolette, however, didn't see his hand slip behind his back to give the other a signal before it emerged again to gesture at the buildings they passed. The man left behind caught the brief signal, and wordlessly moved into and through an alley, presumably towards some predetermined destination.  

[Suudonym]

Luke, still caught in the tumults of an ongoing attempt to find his role in the region, moved through Camphoreon's streets absently, seeking to relieve himself of some of his excess anxiety by enjoying the cool summer evening. As his thoughts defocused, he came to understand that there was a conversation nearby taking place in another language - though still one he understood. He thought it strange for a moment before remembering his location; they were probably a pair recently arrived from Grande Ile and taking a little time to explore the city. Stranger than the language of their conversation was their direction, which as Luke recalled from his earlier days on the island led to a less pleasant part of the city. He thought to call to them and warn them of this when one of the two gave a subtle gesture to a passing stranger. It… looked awfully sketchy. And maybe it made him look a little sketchy himself, but Luke picked up the pace to follow them. That just didn't seem quite right.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The couple remained unaware of Luke following them, and continued on their path. It wouldn't be at all difficult to see that he was the leader, and she the follower, going wherever he led her. Their conversation continued as well, with him speaking a great deal more than her as he appeared to explain things as they went; explanations that she practically ate out of his hand, and if Luke were close enough to hear and knew anything about the area, he would likely be able to immediately denounce them as total bullshit. The young girl though, unfortunately, had only just arrived hardly an hour before and didn't know better just yet.

Regardless, though, the atmosphere darkened more the further they went into the dangerous parts of the city, and that, coupled with the slowly setting sun, served to make Nicolette a little uncomfortable. As if sensing this, her guide placed an arm around her shoulders and continued to lead her onward. Not long after, though, he paused to regard her curiously. "Avez-vous faim? Ce bateau prend tellement de temps pour arriver ici, et nous avons marché pendant un certain temps maintenant," he said in sympathetic tones as he inclined his head towards her slightly. "Je parie que vous êtes épuisé et affamé maintenant. Voulez-vous aller chercher quelque chose à manger et se reposer pendant un certain temps?"

Though she was growing hesitant, the mention of going somewhere to sit and eat was welcoming. Especially if it was in a nicer part of the city. "Eh bien, je suis un peu faim," Nicolette admitted, "et il serait bon de se reposer pendant un certain temps."

"Magnifique!" Her guide said with a broad grin, then moved to continue on their way deeper into the darker heart of the city. "Je connais un charmant petit endroit pas trop loin d'ici."

His words were met with more hesitance, but regardless, she moved to walk with him again. This part of the city unnerved her, but at the very least she wasn't alone - she had a very kind, friendly guide with her. Everything would be fine.  

[Suudonym]

The pieces of conversation that Luke overheard were troubling, especially given the gradual change in scenery. That girl was being deceived.

And what are you going to do about it?

Indeed Luke's tendencies were to cause problems or make them worse rather than to resolve anything, despite all efforts, and it was still only a speculation that the girl's companion bore her any ill intent, but still… Still. He followed carefully, remaining watchfully out of sight regardless of how much of a stalker he appeared to be as a result. He couldn't just leave it alone.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Conversation dwindled as the pair eventually approached a particular building, outside of which stood another person. When the couple approached, the other man held up a hand, "Hold on, I can't let you in until I tell you about our strict no-pokemon policy," he said, then shoved his hands in his pockets. "We can't have them out inside here," a thumb jerked back over his shoulder to indicate the door behind him, "so you have to leave them outside." The thumb and its hand descended and spread palm-up in front of the pair, and while her guide didn't move, Nicolette held up her hands with an apologetic look.

"Oh, I understand completely, but you don't have to worry. I don't have any pokemon."

Both men seemed a little bewildered, the guard moreso than the guide. "Wait, really?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded, a slight accent evident in her words as she spoke English. "Not a lot of people really have them where I'm from. I just have one, and she was already taken to my apartment earlier. So don't worry," she ended brightly, not noticing or not understanding the meaning behind the pointed look one man gave to the other.

"Alright, no worries then," the guard said, although his body language indicated that while he wasn't worried, he was a little put off. Her guide appeared indifferent, however, and he looped an arm around her shoulders again as he led her inside, resuming their conversation in French. The guard outside the door gave a subtle glance at the street for passersby, then followed the pair inside and shut the door behind him.  

[Suudonym]

And what kind of place was this backwater little wreck that it was too ritzy to allow as much as a pokeball on the premises? Yeah right. The look given by one of the men didn't escape Luke as he scrutinized their interactions - like a creep, no doubt, but it was for a good reason. He ducked a little further back as the apparent guard gave a sweeping glance and advanced at the sound of the door shutting, quietly searching the facade for some kind of window or something. 'Leave your pokemon,' yeah right. It was the right area of town and the right time of day, but if they were Rockets… if they really were Rockets after her pokemon, then wouldn't they just let her go when she denied having any to offer? The situation was unnerving.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While there were several windows, all of them, including the door, were locked, and most of the windows had opaque curtains or blinds through which various amounts of light could be seen.

It would be but a few minutes before raises voices could be heard, followed by a short scream and a few distressed words half-shouted in French.  

[Suudonym]

Frustrated by the state of the windows, Luke was testing the door handle when the situation behind said door escalated to a ruckus. Seized by a steady panic, he moved away from the entrance to take a pokeball from his side and release the regal-looking Aggron that was his companion. It took only a vague command - "Tartarus, get us in there!" - for the steel-type to rear back and charge his full weight at the barrier, Luke standing close behind in preparation to respond to whatever was happening inside.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The door gave way pitifully easily under the Aggron's assault, revealing a short hallway in what appeared to be a house. The only occupant in the small room was the man who had only recently been standing outside the door, acting as guard. "Who the hell are you?!" He shouted angrily, though he didn't bother to await a response as he pulled out two pokeballs, releasing a Raichu and a Pidgeotto, to deal with the large steel-type. Once the balls were hastily replaced and his two pokemon charging at the Aggron, he himself brandished a knife. "The hell are you doing in here?"

A frightened, feminine scream sounded from somewhere further inside the house, followed by a panicked shout, "S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi!"  

[Suudonym]

Tartarus snorted in bemusement and guarded himself from the charge with Protect, a sidelong glance following to the unknown human at the familiar glint of a blade. The Aggron had had quite enough of watching squishy little humans run around trying to harm one another.

His thoughts reminded him of countless failures, derided him as useless, and warned him to abstain from further action before he caused something awful, but still he raised his voice to respond to the cries, "Ne t'inquiète pas!" There was a luxury ball in his hand, and then a Flareon at his side. Mieu's stance was immediately aggressive, and when he heard his trainer call for a Flamethrower he didn't hesitate to comply, breathing a column of fire at the human enemy. Luke used the fire-type's efforts as cover to try and move past their foe in search of the source of the shout.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The Raichu aimed an electric attack at Tartarus, while the Pidgeotto moved to block the Flamethrower, but unfortunately for the guard, his bird was knocked backwards by the strength of the fire attack and smacked into its owner, subsequently knocking him out.

The path towards the shout was simple and straightforward. The hall ended in a staircase up to the second level, from which the scream had originated, and once there Luke would find a locked door, behind which were the sound of very displeased voices.  

[Suudonym]

Tartarus took the Raichu's attack, nonplussed, and released a roar in challenge, charging with a Headbutt with a fleeting glance to his trainer as the human and Flareon disarmed the barrier blocking their path forward. "Tartarus, keep him here," the noble called, both noting the fact that the large Aggron wouldn't be able to climb the stairs easily and understanding he would eventually have to call the police to arrest these people. "Mieu, with me." The Flareon, unhindered by something like a staircase, was more than happy to stay at his master's side.

Another locked door greeted Luke at the end of his ascent, and he regarded it with uneasy frustration. Aside from the occupied Tartarus, his arsenal of pokemon were primarily small and light. Suddenly very glad for the hard work he invested in his health during the month he spent traveling with Yuri, he leaned into a heavy kick near the door's lock.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When presented with the Headbutt of an Aggron, the Raichu displayed a stunning display of courage and bravery by squeaking and running past Tartarus and out the open door behind him. The Pidgeotto, on the other hand, got back up and attempted a Whirlwind on the Aggron while its human remained unconscious.

Immediately after the door swung open, a fist swung out aimed directly at Luke's face. Inside the room were two more men, both brandishing knives of their own and their own pokemon.  

[Suudonym]

The steel- and rock-type would have laughed at the Pidgeotto's Whirlwind were he more of the laughing sort. Instead he carried the energy from his triumph over the Raichu (a triumph was a triumph, even if the opponent was a damned coward) and pushed his great girth through the bird's wind to counter with a Metal Claw.

Retrospectively, Luke should have been more prepared to meet immediate opposition; it was only by the grace of the forward momentum that resulted from the successful kicking in of the door that he wasn't knocked back completely defenseless. Mieu reacted first, launching forward towards his human's assailant with his maw wide to Bite. Luke's first reaction was to wish he was armed, but given that this accomplished very little, he quickly released Leste with a request for one of the Pidgeot's own Whirlwinds. The flying-type complied readily, beating broad wings to generate a debilitating wind.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The flying-type hardly stood a chance, and at Tartarus's attack, the bird collapsed in a heap against a wall.

One man stumbled back as he raised an arm to protect his face, and was subject to the bared fangs of Mieu as the fire-type lunged at him. A Vaporeon nearby countered immediately with a burst of water aimed for the Flareon, while a Jolteon jumped into the fray to counter Leste's attack with its own Thunderbolt. The pokemon occupied, the second man in the room, which Luke might recognize as the one who received that subtle gesture in the street earlier, lunged at the boy with a dagger raised and aimed at his upper torso.