[h2][u][b][center]Rustboro City[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]Ru's feet pounded against the dock to plant himself stiff as a large rope slid through his bare hands. Men and women were shouting all around. Crates were lowered with bangs and cracks. Wingull and Pelliper circled above and gathered around. A few of the vermin panicked away for fear of being crushed when Ru's crate met the dock. Random hands met the crate and the pulley mechanism before Ru could. So he, instead, grabbed a nearby crowbar to pry open a side to inspect the merchandise. After a few quick and powerful yanks, the side of the crate toppled down. Shouts were hollered in warning of the six-foot panel of thick plywood falling to meet the dock with a sharp and deep slap of wood meeting wood on their flat surfaces. The same random hands groped and tore at the merchandise inside. Ru was pulled to another, slightly smaller, crate that proved to be heavier. His boots failed him and he stumbled forward to be pulled by the weight of the crate. Several pairs of hands attempted to catch the rope. But the help only managed to drop the crate at a slower rate. It threatened to tear through the dock and shatter itself on impact, but the concrete and steel supports made sure that wouldn't happen. Ru cursed loudly at himself as did the others to themselves. A few hearty and bellowing laughs could be heard a distance away. But, still, hands worked over the crate and its contents as Ru was called to unload more crates. The Rustboro Wharf was named such out of courtesy. Owned by the Fairfax Association, it's an entirely private portion of the city. Security clearances are required to enter and exit the Wharf and is well-situated to make it quite difficult for outsiders to see exactly what happens beyond the ten-foot fence, gates, and tall warehouses without windows. Considering the current events, any Pokemon usually employed at the Wharf were now filling temporary positions in security. Much of the staff were required to relocate or change occupations temporarily to accommodate those affected by the "Mauville Incident" for those still able and needing to work for a living. ---------- The influx of humans into Rustboro meant more opportunity for her. Her pile of loot had grown significantly in the past two days and she was still "finding" collectibles. She hovered between buildings to occasionally perch herself on a ledge to better spy over a greater distance. Coins were her favorite. She knew them to be rare, an anomaly, bu nothing beat the ornate simplicity of a coin. It was her lucky day, too. Though she'd only found a few gems and shiny metal bits, her little eyes spotted a hand that reached out and place a small shiny circle onto a ledge. She dove as fast she could and dipped her beak to scoop up the treasure. In her excitement, she missed and it fell far to the ground.[/quote] [h2][u][b][center]Lavaridge City[/center][/b][/u][/h2][quote]The crowds were irritating, but she couldn't deny the cover they'd provide. Still, she didn't understand why Ms. Shade couldn't be bothered to do this herself. Samantha just let out a sigh and looked up toward her Bronzong hovering over the town. From the mountainside, Lavaridge definitely looked like a refugee camp. That Haven girl Ms. Shade learned of before the Attack was the last person they knew to have contact with Raiziel. But he seemed to have escaped without being able to be traced. This certainly killed two birds with one stone, but she wasn't as skilled with such a stone as Ms. Shade was. "[i][b]Bellarus[/b][/i]" was all Samantha had to say for the Bronzong to begin to levitate her along the sheer southern cliffs of the small, but, now, overpopulated, town. She stumbled a bit as the heels of her shoes sank into the tender sand typical of Mt. Chimney. She managed a graceful stumble toward the nearest road where she could gain balance. Victims, townspeople, and Rangers rushed past her in every direction yet paid not mind to the fact she came from, seemingly, nowhere. It was like they couldn't see her. "[i][b]Good job, Bell,[/b][/i]" she thought. "[i][b]Now, to find Asuna. Scan what you can for any sign of the girl...[/b][/i]" She stopped where she was and considered how difficult it would be to actually reach her primary contact. She hated Teleporting, but hated crowds even more. The thought of the sheer volume of strangers in front of her, bumping into her and shouting over her, made her heart pound with anxiety. "[i][b]Actually,[/b][/i]" she thought. "[i][b]Just get me there from here.[/b][/i]" She was supposed to get a good analysis of the town in its current condition, but she decided she needed more time to mentally prepare herself. Luckily for her, Bellarus was excited to teleport her, since he often never got the chance. Because of this, he had to descend so his underside almost fell over Samantha. With a low hum, they both dematerialized rather slowly into silver dust until there was nothing. A moment later, she was standing in front of the Mura Bath where she knew she would likely find the woman. Bellarus then hovered away with his usual metallic hum to scan for their secondary contact. ---------- "[b]Asuna,[/b]" a voice almost shouted from the door. It was relatively low yet held the softness of youth trying to be forced away. "[b]It's time.[/b]" Asuna just shot an arm toward the door with her index raised with some irritation as she continued to suck a man's face. But he seemed to have more manners than her and broke from the embrace, though likely out of curiosity than modesty. "[b]Aw, come on, you bitch,[/b]" Asuna whinned, gesturing toward her "visitor." "[b]Don't care,[/b]" Samantha said. "[b]You'll just have to explain to Ms. Shade...[/b]" Samantha held her face from showing amusement at the fear and dread that blanketed Asuna's face from the apparent "threat." Asuna just grunted a sigh and reached for the man's face to physically apologizing for the interruption before verbally apologizing for the interruption.[/quote]