Jackpot! (floabn)

[Razzle]

Meadow Lake was such a serene and peaceful place, a far cry from the snobbishly arrogant atmosphere that clouded Skyline City. There wasn't any crowds or any loud noises (other than the occasional bird chorus). Yep, one could easily lose themselves out here.

Kiri had been walking through the forests and wildflower fields that dotted this area for what seemed to be hours, soaking in the sunlight and fresh air. Eventually she walked into a clearing, and found a wooden shack. Kiri wasn't too surprised by her finding. After all, plenty of Pokémon lived out here. What did surprise her was the various strange contraptions that were scattered around the yard. She walked up to one located near the door of the hut, frowning slightly when she noticed that the device was covered with webbing. Gross.

Of course, most would just turn around and continue off into the forest. But not Kiri. No, curiosity had taken a hold of her, and now she just had to know if there was more strange things in the house. Curiosity killed the cat...or, in this case, the Aipom. Noting that no one seemed to be home. Kiri slowly entered the hut, immediately dazed by all of junk that littered the small building. What a pigsty! She walked around, looking at the materials, mostly stones and pieces of wood, that were piled up in large mounds on the floor and on tables.

Kiri came to a halt at the back of the hut, picking up a metal object that had been placed beside a piece of paper that was covered in weird doodles. The metal object looked like the thing that was attached to a Magnemites head. What were those things called again? Scraws? No, wait. Screws! Hmm...no doubt that the screw would be worth a lot. Stuffing the screw into her bag, she continued to sort wander around the hut, a smile on her face as she dug around for more valuable things.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

Finally, Aires had made it back home to Meadow Lake. While very peaceful, he didn't consider it the most interesting place..., but here he wasn't chased off for his curiosity of the other residents, many of them politely insisting that he please give them some personal space, and even that could be lost on him sometimes.

On his back was a pack filled with various items and materials that he had collected while he was away. He'd gotten another commission about creating something that could automatically paddle a boat. It was an entertaining challenge to the spider, and went out when he found that he was short on the needed materials. Perhaps he might even use that metal thing he happened to come upon... A screw, was that what it was called?

He walked through the grassy fields of Meadow Lake, occasionally passing a resident and exchanging hellos, but pushed on to get to his home, a relief to those that saw him as being annoying. Walking through yet another field of flowers, he saw his wooden home in sight. Many might consider it a mess, but to Aires, it was a sort of 'organized chaos' that only he could begin to understand. In the front yard were much of his works in progress, many of them projects he'd started on his own, but got bored and went to working on other inventions, occasionally coming back to previous ones.

When he entered his home, Aires was surprised by the sight of another pokemon. His first response was to be fascinated by them, having never seen one of their species, but upon seeing what they were doing..., "You! My things! Stop!" He cried, quickly scurrying near them. Aires didn't get upset often, but one way to do this was to mess with ever-so-carefully collected things, especially the inventions. He only gave away the precious things to those he thought could use them right for a reason.

[Razzle]

She picked up a oddly shaped stone, eyes growing wide. Was this...a moonstone? She had never actually seen a moonstone, and had heard little about. Still, this pale stone did look like the Earth's moon. It was smooth and colored a pale grey, and was covered in indents that resembled craters. Then again...maybe it was just an ordinary rock. Well, whatever. If it wasn't a true moon stone, hopefully she could con some doofus into thinking that it was the real thing and make at least some money.

Kiri had just placed the rock into her bag when she heard someone enter the house and start yelling at her. Grimacing slightly, she turned around, a chill running down her spine when she locked eyes with the spider-like pokemon. Shrugging off the fear, she diverted her attention away from the Airodos, instead focusing on a nearby window. "Thanks for the stuff!" Kiri smiled. After quick wave goodbye , the Aipom ran to the window, hopping up on the sill before jumping outside, successfuly landing behind one of the inventions.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

This pokemon was touching his things! While Aires had little to no concept of 'personal space', he always regarded others things with more respect, usually asking if he could touch them before doing so. The Ariados had always assumed that others would do the same, but apparently not this pokemon.

He quickly rushed forward, only to charge right into a table when the Pokemon escaped through the window, making several items fall onto the floor as he wobbled backwards. Why did they thank him?! He didn't give her those- at the very least, she could have let him shuffle through the items! Having grown up in a community that freely shared things among one another, a pokemon taking one's things like that was something he didn't understand. Perhaps it had happened to him before, but in a more subtle manner, and as such, he'd always assumed that he must have lost the item.

It took a moment for him to recover, and he went out of the house, scurrying to the back of it and give chase, "No, not yours! Give them back! The items! You..." he yelled, stuck on a word. He recalled hearing a word for that sort of Pokemon, a word for a Pokemon who just took things and assumed them to be theirs..., "... Stealer- Thief!" he yelled, correcting himself.

[Razzle]

"Nuh-uh! You can't catch me!" Running on all fours, Kiri sprinted over to the nearest tree. Hugging her bag tightly, she crouched down before jumping towards a large branch located in the middle of the tree, her large, long feet acting like springs, propelling her into the air. Without a second to spare, she grabbed the branch with her tail and swung on top of it. Now that she was perched up so high, she was sure that she was safe from harm. Hmm...maybe the Airodos knew some long range attacks, like poison sting or string shot, but Kiri was sure that she could dodge them.

Tail wrapped around the branch, she let go of her bag, opening it and pulling out the 'moon stone'. "Hey! Look up here!" Kiri called out to the Ariados, waving the moon stone at him. "You want this?" she asked. "Then go get it!" She then threw the stone at him.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

Aires was sure to follow, all the way up to when the pokemon went for the tree. He nearly ran right into it, but this time managed to stop himself. Desperately, he scratched at the tree, trying to climb up it, but soon found this action to be futile.

He looked up, trying to find the other pokemon before they finally called attention to themselves, waving around one of his many treasures, a stone that he'd thought to be rather interesting. The stone wasn't much compared to what else she might have had, but he still panicked when she threw it, making him quickly scurry back and forth, trying to predict where'd fall, and how he'd even catch it.

At the last minute, he turned around, using String Shot and trying to aim for the stone. The silk wrapped around the stone, and eventually fell to the ground, the silk leading to where it fell.

He decided to go for it later; he could use the silk to find it again anyways. For now, he needed to get the rest of his things back, but how to get to the pokemon... Gasping, he hurried up to the tree, looking up and shooting silk from his mouth. The silk managed to stick to one of the branches, and he broke it off, climbing up it at once.

[Razzle]

Kiri had to admit: The Ariados was pretty goofy. She couldn't help but laugh as he frantically scurried around in his desperate attempt catch the stone. At the last minute, silk shot out of his spineretts, the silk clinging on to the stone as it hit the ground. Kiri cocked her head to the side in curiosity. So the Ariados did know String Shot after all.

The Aipom continued watching him, laughing once more as he started to make his way up the tree, using his silk as a rope. Instead of running, Kiri continued to sit there, though she had uncoiled her long tail from the branch. "You're almost there! C'mon, you can do it!" She encouraged him, smirking as she did so. The real fun was about to begin. If the Ariados actually managed to make it all the way up to her level, that is.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

Aires found himself confused by the Aipom's encouragements. While he certainly did want to make it, so that he might get his things back, wouldn't the thief not want him to make it? "Um... thank you!" he said, continuing to make his way up to the branch.

Once he finally made it up, he looked above him, seeing that the theif was still above, and evidently better at this tree-climbing thing than he was. He tilted his head, wondering what sort of pokemon they might be- she was one of the many kinds he'd never seen before. Aires shook his head; there were more important matters at hand, like his things! He wouldn't let her get away with those!

He realized that climbing might not be the fastest way... and this thief might just climb higher. So, another idea entered his head. He carefully turned himself around on the branch, his back facing the pokemon, before using Spider Web to shoot a sticky web at her. Should it hit, it'd be guaranteed to trap the pokemon- more than once had he used it on pokemon he found too interesting to let get away.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

Aires found himself confused by the Aipom's encouragements. While he certainly did want to make it, so that he might get his things back, wouldn't the thief not want him to make it? "Um... thank you!" he said, continuing to make his way up to the branch.

Once he finally made it up, he looked above, seeing that the thief was still higher, and evidently better at this tree-climbing thing than he was. He tilted his head, wondering what sort of pokemon they might be- she was one of the many kinds he'd never seen before. Aire shook his head; there were more important matters at hand, like his things! He wouldn't let her get away with those!

He realized that climbing might not be the fastest way... and this thief might just climb higher. So, another idea entered his head. He carefully turned himself around on the branch, his back facing the pokemon, before using Spider Web to shoot a sticky web at her. Should it hit, it'd be guaranteed to trap the pokemon- more than once had he used it on pokemon he found too interesting to let get away.

[Razzle]

Before she could even comprehend what exactly he was doing, the Ariados had shot a web straight at her. Barely dodging it, she jumped down, using her tail to grab a hold of the closest branch. Swinging from the branch, Kiri let out a deep breath. That was...a close one...

After hopping down to the next branch, she was now eye level with the Ariados. "Good try," She snorted, pulling out the screw from her bag. It was heavy and bulky. Not so heavy that it was hard to carry, but it could probably still cause some damage. "But not good enough." Grabbing the screw with her tail, she flung it at the Pokemon, aiming right at his head.

[For Lack of a Better Name]

With his goggles, Aires managed to see the pokemon's movements, enough to see that... he missed her. Not terribly, but still, a miss.

Before he could plan his next move, the pokemon had jumped down, and he was surprised to see that the thief was so close. Now was his chance! Aires narrowed his eyes, prepared to attack, but quickly saw one of his precious objects in her grip. His focus switched, and he gave a look of concern, as if she might somehow damage the metal object.

So focused on the screw, he went forward, intending on getting it from her grip. The pokemon did that for him, as she sent it his way- although, she certainly didn't intend for him to catch it. Like the 'pretty stone' dilemma, he went back and forth, this time with sufficiently less time to react and less space to panic. Again, he tried the same solution. Just as he was turning around, the screw managed to strike him, knocking him off of his balance. He struggled, like it was some sort of balancing act, and eventually tipped over.

He was frantic as he fell, his limbs flailing as if that would somehow help. In his struggle in the air, he tried to string shot to a branch- yet, instead, it targeted the Aipom.

[Razzle]

Bingo! Her shot was a success. That bug was going down! But before she had time to celebrate her win, she felt a sticky substance latch onto her, pulling her down along with the Ariados.

"Huh? Wha...no-" Before Kiri even had a time to react, she hit the ground with an 'oomph', her body shaking slightly from the impact. Shaking her head, she peered down at the sticky 'stuff' that clung to the front half of her body. It was silk. "Get this crud offa me..." Kiri mumbled, hastily trying to swipe the silk off of her fur.

(Sorry this is so short. Blargh. I don't feel good right now.)

[For Lack of a Better Name]

In only a moment, Aires hit the ground, his legs twitched for a few moments after. Thankfully, clarity came a little while after, and he managed to turn himself over.

He turned to the Aipom, and gave a glare through his goggles. He wanted his things, but wasn't driven to get 'justice'. Part of it didn't make sense to him. If the Aipom wanted something so badly, then why didn't she ask? Was it impatience? Having to work together to survive in the Pedeo Mountains taught him that stealing was senseless.

This time, he realized something that he could have done all along- Agility! It only took a moment for a blue light to slightly surround him, and he went at the Aipom- Let's see her try to get away now!

(( If you think Aires using Agility is unfair, then tell me and I'll edit with another move.

[Razzle]

Okay...okay...things were getting out of control. This Ariados was obviously a lot tougher and more resilient than he acted. Kiri's eyes narrowed as a blue light encased the spider pokemon. Barely having time to hop back up onto two feet, the Ariados swiftly rammed into her. She staggered backwards, crashing into one of the weird machines.

"That was...fun..." Kiri piped as she rose up, staggering around slightly. Even she had trouble telling if her words were sincere of they were merely a product of her head conking against the wood. "Now if you will excuse me, I'm just going to take my stuff and leave."

Hmm...Just where could that screw have landed?

[For Lack of a Better Name]

Clarity had been regained early, but the hit from before had an impact on him, so the force of ramming the other pokemon, while effective, also gave him the unanticipated effect of making him dizzy again.

He swayed, but his eyes stayed on the purple pokemon. Until he found what was in the background, that is. He rushed passed her, going to the now broken machine as if it were a wounded pokemon. This appeared to grab his attention up to the other pokemon saying something that reminded him of his precious, precious objects.

"My things! Not yours!" he said, coming forward in a zig-zagged line, "Just..." he paused, finally realizing that, perhaps, giving chase was useless...

"I... I could sort through my things..." he said, like a child reluctant to share, "and let you have... some of them."