Okora's Story

The ship landed softly, nestling itself behind foliage that would provide adequate cover to hide it from view. It's door opened up shortly afterwards, allowing a woman to step out. She stretched a bit before taking a quick look around, walking through the bushes and coverage her ship had taken refuge in, so as to get herself into the open.

"Well, this place seems nice, I guess. Best get to seeing what is around here. I could go for a large meal and a warm-up exercise."

She activated the device she wore over her left eye, the device whirring and scanning the surrounding area to identify any nearby threats of any strength, as well as any indicator of civilization, or others in general. She was also getting a read on the temperature and weather, and seemed quite bored of the entire process, despite its necessity. Her armor was not anything natural to the area, though she didn't seem to mind the idea that she might stick out like a sore thumb.

The device was showing a few clusters of beings: A large city, and a smaller city being the notable. The device also indicated there were smaller bands of beings around the area, as well as more normal animal lifeforms.

"Ugh, windy. Bothersome, and why does it feel so arid? It looks lush for how arid it feels. Well, it's only for a bit. The ship won't take long. Perhaps I can hunt some animals for a quick bite. Shouldn't be too hard."

She would keep the device active as she turned her attentions to whatever animals she could find, intent on hunting in her own fashion. The first nearby deer or jackrabbit would find itself the focus of the woman's attention as she would begin to give chase.

Following an extended session out in the fields, and having sat down to cook and enjoy her meal, the woman threw aside the last bits of bone.

"I suppose that's good enough. Venison is always robust, regardless of where it is from. But I should be going. I've been here long enough. Let's see... Where to start?"

Pressing the button on her device several times, the lens continued to show the readings from before.

"Guess I'll take a look around. A world tour could be fun to get comfortable again. Maybe I'll find something fun on the way."

With not any further a word, she took off flying into the sky, seeking adventure perhaps.

A solitary woman flew across the sky, looking at the land below her, the device over her left eye constantly displaying various shapes, symbols, and numbers, in a foreign language.

"So, a single large city, based on the readings, and quite a lot of unknowns in the surrounding wilderness. I'd best stop by the city first and see what's up."

She sped her own flight up as she flew for the city. As shifting forests turned to impeccably confusing desert, Okora relied on her small device to guide her to the city. Due to the city's location, it was not hard to see once she did get somewhat close.

"Huh. The city seems to be atop a large table hill... Clearly no urban planning at all, but seems very-well lit. Far too many smokestacks, and are those wind-turbines? How backwards are they? Well, given the surroundings, I guess they make do. Perhaps someone there can give me some more information on this planet."

As the woman flew into the city's airspace, weaving and dodging the few attacking airborne creatures she did encounter, she would greatly slow her speed as she descended. An entrance with an elevator looked like a front gate enough for her to select it as her starting location.

As she slowed almost to a halt, lightly landing on the ground, she looked around with an almost disinterested expression, though her thoughts were anything but. Having landed before Barnable and Sonora, she stood observing the pair as a lens-based device over her left eye displayed several symbols resembling some kind of foreign language. It seemed to be displaying these symbols in two separate tables.

--

Target: Local Citizen A
Armed: Yes (Firearm: Pistol)

Known Abilities...
-: N/A

Threat Level: Low

--

Target: Local Citizen B
Armed: Unknown

Known Abilities...
-: N/A

Threat Level: Unknown

--

"So they aren't really much, though the lady with traits of a canine is to be watched carefully. I don't think I'm in any real danger."

She pressed the button on the device's earpiece twice, apparently putting it onto some kind of local persistent scanning mode. Returning her attention fully to the conversation, she seemed to notice the hesitation in Barnable as he was engaged by the coyote-woman. Seeing an opportunity to eavesdrop for information, Okora waited her turn with a measure of politeness that could easily be mistaken for a lack of actual care instead.

Seeing she wasn't going to get addressed anytime soon, the woman cut her losses and once more took to the sky. Flying away to another area of the world.

Having come back from an unsuccessful trip, she flew across the Dark Continent, following her device back to her "base" of sorts.

"The ship is done recharging, and I don't think anyone else here will be worth investigating. Perhaps something interesting will come up next time? Well, I should get going."

She flew back to where she had landed far earlier.

Having returned, the woman walked back toward the brush her ship was hidden behind, climbing inside.

"Well, time to move on. This was a short stop after all. Onward to the next location. Hopefully I'll find a job there."

As the hatch closed, the orb lifted into the sky and flew out into space once more.

Two sonic booms could be heard as a spherical ship entered the atmosphere of the planet, and before long, the residents of Snowpoint City would be able to witness a shooting star that was going to impact in the water, a short distance from the city's port. Quickly slowing down, the ship nonetheless crashed into the water with an intense splash, disturbing the water. After several moments of tense hissing noises, the spherical ship surfaced, allowing a door to open outward.

In moments beyond that event, a hand would grip the side of the door as a woman pulled herself out of the ship, placing one foot on its hull as she looked up. Her dark brown hair was straight, and her skin was darker in tone than expected. Black irises quickly regained their bearings as she looked around.

Her armor was not anything natural to the area, though she didn't seem to mind the idea that she might stick out like a sore thumb. Dark green in color, the armor looked durable, though was not made of metal. Underneath, she wore a black shirt bodysuit. The guards and plates on the armor were dark yellow, with the exception being a single plate on the chest, bearing only a green logo across a grey plate. She also bore boots and gloves to match, but no pants, or tights, just a pair of black briefs.

"Well, this place seems nice, I guess. Best get to seeing what is around here. I could go for a large meal and a warm-up exercise. Whoa, I just got some familiar feelings there."

Stretching, she activated the small green device across her left eye, attached to a silver machine mounted to her left ear. The device scanned the surrounding area to identify any nearby threats, of any strength, as well as any indicator of civilization, or other natives in general, of which Snowpoint quickly registered. She seemed to also be getting a read on the temperature and weather, and somehow seemed quite bored of the entire process, despite its necessity.

"So, the planet Ruula... Seems fair, if cold, though it could just be the area. I appear to have landed near a city. Several lifeforms present, most seem to have limited fighting capabilities, but they have with them others who are far stronger. I should use caution anyway. No use getting overconfident on a foreign world."

She would keep the device active as she turned her attentions to the city she was close to, flying into the air as she used a remote to have the ship close its door, and sink into the water once more. Then, she made to fly towards the shore and dock.

Of all the places in the world Pitch had to run off to, he managed to pick the one that was the polar opposite of what he'd been.

The Eevee exhaled, a steamy cloud produced from his breath and dissipating around him as he shivered. Good Arceus, it's cold today! he thought to himself as he ventured through the snow-scuttled alley and onto the streets once again. He had to keep moving to stay warm, but that wasn't too bad. Running around cities was his forte and he was definitely built for it. The real problem was finding a place to bunker down for the evening since it was obviously colder at night.

But he managed. He always did.

Constantly, he would check the little side pack he'd found at his previous residence to see if his personal item was still there. That thing he'd been told to protect and safeguard with very little insight as to why it needed guarding in the first place. Pitch wondered what significance it would bring him down the line...and what dangers it would bring about. He already knew Castol would be after it, but he was hashing his bet on him not following him out of Nimbasa City...especially not to Snowpoint City.

But for once, his mind wasn't on that right now. His mind was on the crazy shooting star turned meteor that crashed into the chilly water outside of town. He, like many of the residents in town, was very curious as to what a meteor looked like and wanted to see it for themselves.

So down the street Pitch sprinted, nearly slipping on a patch of ice here and avoiding a snow drift there. He had to dodge and weave through the flood of human traffic heading down towards the water front, but that was a normalcy in his life. The event also provided decent cover, as so many were too distracted by what was going on to take notice of a wild Eevee running through the streets.

Pitch rounded a corner and froze. Standing in front of him was a large mob of people all gathered around the pier, looking outward. The Eevee scrambled to a stop and started snaking his way through the crowd's legs, trying to find the front. All the while, he kept his ears perked and was listening to the others's gossip around him.

"Did it sink?"

"No, it...I think it's floating."

"Why do we get all the foreign objects crashing into our city?"

"Hey, I think someone's on top of the-"

"Wait! Is someone...flying?!"

"It's probably a Flygon or something."

"Flygon? Whuzzat?"

"My dad was telling me all about 'em. They're in this island region called Hoenn and they've got these wings on their back-"

"Sure. And your Snorunt stands a chance against my Chimchar!"

As the people around him continued to murmur, bicker, and chatter, the Eevee finally got a glimpse of the water, his shiny eyes glancing around the sparkling water for any signs of what they were talking about. He saw movement from his upper peripheral and he glanced up to witness the being in the sky. It was hard to distinguish features against the sun behind it, but Pitch could make out a head with long hair behind it and some shoulder pad-like things around it's torso. Pitch felt a small shiver go down his spine, only this time it wasn't from the cold.

Why am I getting a sense of deja vu? he wondered to himself as he watched.

The woman would close the distance quite fast before slowing down as she slowly landed on the ground, in front of the crowd. Her little eye device was constantly beeping as unknown text and symbols kept flashing across it.

"A welcoming party. Somehow, I don't feel they're entirely passive. I'd best keep a guard up."

She crossed her arms as she looked across the gathered individuals, almost as if trying to maintain some kind of dominant presence, yet her expression resembled one of an almost apathetic disinterest.

"Heh. A Ruulan greeting party assembled just for me? I suppose I should be honored. I rarely get such treatment when I arrive on a new world."

Her voice sounded bored, and perhaps a bit sarcastic, though she didn't seem to be immediately hostile.

Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd as she landed in front of them.

"It's a human!" one of them cried out.

The gathering became a hive of murmurs and whispers of various comments as they continued to watch her, mostly commenting about her hair style, her attire, and particularly the brown fur wrapped around her torso. They couldn't see her back, so they assumed it was a belt of some kind. However, they questioned what species it was fashioned from.

The crowd parted ways for their own delegate to step forward...a young lady with black hair tied in braids behind her and a long, smooth bang across her face. She was pasty pale, which made her light brown eyes that much softer. Her outfit was rather uncanny for the city's atmosphere: a white, button-up blouse with a bow tied underneath the collar and a light brown skirt. No pants. She did have a sweater, but it was tied around her waist rather than being worn. She had a confident glimmer in her eyes, accentuated by her thin eyebrows.

"Hello! Candice welcomes you to Snowpoint City!" she proclaimed, "You made a heck of an entrance there. Don't think I've met any humans that could fly without a Pokemon."

As Candice began speaking to the strange being, Pitch watched from the crowd, trying to place where he might've seen this person before. So much happened in his lifetime that he couldn't exactly place certain events. As a result, he didn't recognize her...and yet he did. But as he stared on, he couldn't help but get this pit in his stomach. Something about her distant glance, her disinterested stance with her crossed arms...

Whatever that memory was, it wasn't a good one.

"Well, I suppose it isn't a universal skill. Most of the humans I know are incapable of the feat, though I assume the Ruulans are different from Earthings and Terrans in other ways, despite similar looks."

The woman flashed a brief, if somewhat smug smile, her tail unwrapping itself to flow freely behind her, in a way of perhaps testing the gravity of the world. Her hands moved to her hips.

"Candace, it was? The name's Okora. I'm not from around here, though I gather this is one of your settlements, judging by the creatures present among all of you. Are you perchance the Ruulan in charge?"

Okora's smile faded back to her disinterested expression as she took note of any creatures present, in particular, Pitch himself, speaking to herself in her mind the entire time.

"What odd creatures. These must not be the ones used for food. That little brown one barely looks like it could feed one of the children, though it some how has a stronger fighting power than any of these Ruulans do. I guess that makes sense in a way. The standard Terran was weaker than the standard Gorilla on their planet from what I witnessed, at least without a weapon. That must be what those spheres the Ruulans have with them are."

It was clear she was interested in Pitch, though Okora never moved from her spot, not while engaging in conversation with Candace.

"Ah, you are from Terra then?" Candace's left eyebrow wagged up and down before continuing, "I don't think I've met a Terran before. Not many of them like to walk this far and Castelia City is pretty far away from here. Actually, Candace guesses that isn't too big of a deal for you, given you can fly and all. Anyway, Candace is in charge of Snowpoint City. If you're looking for someone higher up than Candace, then Shirona is your next bet. Beyond her...well, I guess that would be the Grand Champion Iris herself! At the very least, what can Candace do for you?"

Pitch felt the gaze of the one called Okora on him, almost as if she was reading through him...seeing what he was made of. Analyzing him and breaking him down behind that strange glass monocle in front of her left eye. It appeared to be beeping rapidly. Much like-

The Eevee gasped as he remembered what happened. Nimbasa City...the invasion...

Five creatures wearing similar armor had been there. Not all of them looked like Okora in appearance, but one of them did. He remembered seeing them being driven out of the city by a swarm of Pokemon united together to fight off all the invaders. He knew this because he'd met the Pokemon that had helped lead the charge against them. They were very capable fighters, Pitch knew. And if this one was here to cause trouble...

He had to warn somebody...

Very quickly, Pitch whipped around and scurried back through the forest of human legs behind him. He was already used to running through tight spaces, so his movement was fluid enough to not accidentally bump into one of the humans around him. A few did see him and proceeded to move out of his way at the urgency of his pace. Through the crowd and past it, Pitch now broke out into a gallop back towards the city walls. He had to find some Crimson Guild members. He didn't know where they were at, but he'd know who they were when he looked upon them.

"I'm not Terran either. They're too much like you Ruulans. I'm what most would call a Saiyan, a warrior race that was proud and strong. While a significant portion of us no longer exist, many of us can still be found across the universe."

Listening to Candace's explanation in full, Okora nodded.

"Okay, good to know. So, for starters, food would be fine. The creatures seem plentiful here, so I assume the food must be easy to come by. I could also do with some directions. If I'm going to spend some time on Ruula, I'd best figure out what local entertainment is. Hopefully, I can get some good fights in. I could use a warm u-"

Her scouter interrupted her with a clear beeping alert. Turning her head to follow it's indication, she noticed the Eevee scurrying away, quickly moving out of sight through the sea of people gathered. Her eyes narrowed as the device continued registering the distance to the Eevee that was steadily increasing.

"No one reacts to the creature rushing off like that? Interesting."

Okora smirked at a thought that came to her mind.

"Anyway, yes, a warm up. After a long trip, some unwinding is always good. Is the wildlife a good challenge? One of the creatures has caught my attention."

She crossed her arms again, her gaze resting fixed in the direction the Eevee ran. Her question about the wildlife lingered with a bit of an uneasy air, though the voice delivering it was no different than it had been. Okora's tone was a consistent one of disinterest, even when her expression seemed otherwise for brief moments.

"Hunting can be fun, but I should wait to see what Candace has to say. It cannot hide anyway, I'll always be able to find it."

As she awaited Candace's response, or the response of anyone else present, she tapped a few buttons on the device to stop the beeping. It made a few more different beeps that seemed to indicate some kind of record saving function.

Another ripple went through the crowd...this time uneasy towards the implication of eating the Pokemon they've befriended. Candace was quick to interject.

"Oh, we don't eat the Pokemon. We have many other methods of gathering food, but unless you have some kind of wish to piss off the Pokemon God, we don't eat the wildlife it creates. Of course, we befriend the creatures. And if you're wondering about entertainment...well, you're a warrior from the looks of it. Maybe you'll enjoy a good Pokemon battle. If you're looking to watch, there are plenty of battles going on at the Pokemon Gym." She pointed towards the outskirts of the city. "It's out that way. Look for the building with the green dome."

"if you want to battle yourself..." Candace's brows furrowed as she looked towards the lake in thought, "Hmmmm...Candace doesn't know how strong you are, but if you are mighty, you could be capable of fighting some of these Pokemon yourself. Candace has heard stories, but I don't think I've met any creature other than other Pokemon that could do it. If not, you can always stop by the PokeMart and pick up some PokeBalls to try and catch the wildlife. They look like this."

Candace reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out one of those tiny spheres that were half red, half white. It was tiny, but not even a second passed before it had grown and now fit comfortably in the entirety of her hand. She went on.

"All you have to do is throw one of these at the Pokemon and it'll warp right in. It'll wiggle three times and then you'll hear a click. That means you caught it! Though, they're often pretty escapable if the Pokemon is strong enough or determined enough. You'll either have to weaken it or befriend it to actually catch one. Candace'll give you this one for starters, but if you need more, you can stop by the PokeMart. It's right in the center of town."

She tossed the PokeBall in Okora's direction, expecting her to be able to catch it.

"Anything else Candace can help you with?" she asked.

Meanwhile, the Eevee she'd spotted had disappeared into the maze of the city behind her. If Okora's plan was to go hunting, the hunt was on indeed.

"Angering the local deity? I see. So you find alternate sources of provision. Well, I'll see what's on offer then."

She glanced toward the building Candace described.

"Green dome. Right. So that's the place for entertainment."

Okora seemed interested when Candace mentioned fighting, her eyes focusing on the size varying sphere Candace brandished.

"Hmm. I'm pretty sure I can handle an engagement with one of those creatures myself, though I'll admit that that sphere is interesting."

She reflexively, albeit lazily, caught the Poke Ball tossed to her.

"A Poke Ball, huh? So either make nice with, or wear them down, before using this device on one of the creatures. Seems simple enough a weapon to wield."

Okora held the Poke Ball beside her as a green aura enveloped it, after which the sphere began hovering beside her on its own, her arms returning to their crossed position.

"I think you covered most of it, Candace. You've been helpful. More than I can say for most natives of the planets I've visited in the past. I think I'll explore the area if you don't mind."

She took another glance around the snowy environment as she stood before Candace, not intent on moving until the conversation was done.

"Alright. Candace wishes you good luck! And be careful. Some of the Pokemon you may encounter are much tougher than others!"

With that, she turned around and started walking towards her gym. The crowd began to disperse, going back to their regular activities they had partaken to before Okora's space ship landed. Now the Saiyan was free to do whatever she wished, unabated by the regular conformity of polite conversation. Lucky her.

---

Now Pitch didn't quite have a grasp of the city layout yet. He'd been here for at least a little bit, but the shocking change in weather made him more recluse than usual. As such, he didn't explore Snowpoint City to it's fullest extent and he ended up making a left turn instead of a right.

Dangit... Pitch cursed silently in his head as he spotted a brick wall in front of him. However, he was already running towards it and didn't want to try and stop himself out of fear of slipping on the slick ground and slamming into it full force. Instead, he diverted course, hopping against the wall to get more air time and actually make it onto the dumpster. Even then, he had to scramble to successfully scale the wall and drop down the other side.

All these buildings kind of look the same... he thought, frustration building. This wasn't Nimbasa City, where the buildings looked unique on every street corner. Even though Snowpoint City was smaller than his previous home, it felt like running through a gingerbread maze. If only he were taller.

But he still didn't slow down. He couldn't afford to. Turning left out of the alleyway, he made his way up the slight slope of a street, passing underneath a decorative arch that doubled as a bridge between two buildings. Around the bend he continued to run, feet flying and kicking up snow behind him. He knew where he needed to run at least. And he knew all he needed to do was travel in one direction and he would get there.

The forest...

As Candace left, and the crowd dispersed, Okora reactivated her scouting device, resuming it's tracking functions. The hushed, though still audible beeping sound identified Pitch's location before the beeping stopped, a solid value now displayed for Okora's benefit.

"Bingo. It's still around. I'll track it down later. Right now, I figure I should explore the surrounding area. I can reacquire its signature easily enough."

She would proceed to lift off the ground and fly into the sky, proceeding outside of town in the sky.

---

When her device made an alarming beeping noise, she stopped and looked where it was indicating.

"Okay, so that must be one of the bigger creatures, though there are two signatures. Both are far stronger than the other creatures in this area, and those are stronger than the signatures in the city, so I should be cautious until I know for sure. The last one... That's a ship! But what is it's purpose? It doesn't look like a trade ship. It also has a large power on board. How complex. Maybe entertainment if I play it right."

She would fly towards the scene, intending on keeping a distance where she could observe events.

The Galaxy Police officer offered a swift nod, but that was briefly broken by the approaching shuttle.

"I want you to form a perimeter around the city and tell the citizens to hunker down. I'll get on the comms with my superiors and get some backup on the way; hopefully they won't be needed." She said, while making a run towards the landing site.

She seemed to run quite a bit faster than a normal human, easily reaching running speeds of about thirty miles per hour. Her legs were moving swiftly, and she was kicking up a small plume of dust.

Nearly falling flat on her face, Haruko stopped at the landing site and moved her hand towards her weapon. She looked up, eyes narrowing at the subtle changes in the light.

"Something's up there..." Haruko said, getting into a fighting stance, eyes moving swiftly towards the droid.

"Under the authority of the Underdeveloped Planets Preservation Pact! I demand you identify yourself at once!"

Yes! Pitch thought as he weaved through the trunks of snow-covered evergreen trees surrounding him. She managed to escape the winding city streets of Snowpoint, but now came the next challenge: finding someone that could spread the word to the wildings who needed to hear it. The good news was now that he was in the forest, he was not the only wilding roaming these parts, making him a harder target to track. The bad news was, he didn't know how much time he had before the being known as Okora would find him...if she found him.

Regardless, he kept his eyes out for some Pokemon...any Pokemon that could carry the message. He finally spotted a pack of Snover tromping through the snow down a hill. Quickly, the Eevee raced to cut them off, sliding to a stop in front of them and sending a wave of snow drifting against a tree.

"Hey!...Quick favor!" Pitch panted, out of breath, "Can you guys...send a message...to the Crimson Guild?"

The pack of Snover looked at each other before the head look back towards Pitch, shrugging his shoulder, "We don't know who you're talking about."

Pitch sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, "Alright...thanks anyway..."

He took off running towards the west, searching for another Pokemon he could ask. It wouldn't be a moment later before he heard voices...the sound of conversation between others. He quickened his pace, practically gliding through the snow towards them. It was just over this rise...

"Under the authority of the Underdeveloped Planets Preservation Pact! I demand you identify yourself at once!"

Pitch came to a screeching halt, perking his ears up in partial confusion. That didn't sound like any Pokemon gathering he knew. There was too much vocabulary...vocabulary he expected to hear from humans. Perking his ears in interest, he hid low, not daring to peek his head up, and stayed out of sight. He would listen, but not be seen.