93-Ranger

Amelia slowly turns the beacon over in her hands, swallowing her spit to try and ease the queasiness in her stomach. It doesn't do much other than add some self directed exasperation to the mix.

That was the first time she’s ever seen injuries that severe, she thought she’d built up an immunity with the pictures in her medical textbooks, but either it didn't help or it did and just not enough.

She turns the beacon over in her hands again, ears perking up at the chest vibrating sound of Chansey’s growl. Glancing up, Amelia’s disappointed to realize her partner is so big that she can't actually see Ursaring, Chansey standing directly between her and the ‘mon.

Then Teddiursa pokes his head out from behind a rock and seeing her, quickly ducks back out of view. At getting caught Amelia also quickly looks down again and goes back to pretending she’s not straining her ears to hear the low murmur of pokespeak.

It’s clear from their first interaction that Ursaring has a… dim opinion on humans, though from everything she knows about the line it’s a common opinion.

Ursaring as a line are, by nature, quite solitary. They don't naturally form into groups larger than a mother and her cubs and it’s rare to see more than two cubs in a family. They pick a den, and unless moved by an outside force, are quite happy to stay in the territory around their den for their entire lives.

Naturally this comes in conflict with a lot of other ‘mon, but trainers stand above the rest, rangers to a lesser extent. Because trainers, and humans in general, are naturally curious and exploratory so they’re far more likely to wander right into an Ursaring’s den.

Rangers try their hardest, but even with her limited knowledge of how they work, Amelia is well aware of the news stories where a team of rangers have to work together to safely relocate an Ursaring after they create their den too close to a human town or trail for either party to ever be happy.

An unmistakable call has Amelia glance up in time to see an altaria cresting the treetops, a ranger sitting atop with familiar flight goggles looking down at a boxy device hanging from his shoulders.

Altaria calls again as she tilts downward, the sound causing the ranger to look up from the device and see Amelia calmly waving both arms above her head to get their attention.

The pair land hot, Alteria’s claws sliding in the dirt as the ranger hastily unbuckles himself and jogs over to her, carefully glancing at his surroundings before speaking urgently in a low tone.

“I thought this was a DRA alert? Who dispatched you?” He asks looking around again, eyes lingering on Chansey. “Entering the area before me is a flagrant breach of protocol Nurse Joy. Where’s the tra–”

His muttered reprimand devolves into a panicked wheeze as Amelia holds up her beacon, the wrist strap attached to her arm confirming that yes, she’s the trainer who sent out the call.

…She has to find a way to stop this from happening. Perhaps changing her hairstyle? Her clothes? She doesn't bother with the loops on the trail and she’s not in her uniform, but her shirt is a shade of pink.

Sue her! She likes pink!

“I put out the call sir.” She calmly states over his choked attempts to speak. “I am Trainer Amelia Joy.”

Behind the ranger, Altaria’s slightly surprised expression morphs into a quiet musical laugh, which disappears into the electronic hum of being recalled into her ball as her partner finds his footing a moment later.

“Ah– Yes– Well regardless we need to leave the area as soon as possible Nu– Trainer.” He says, placing a hand on his capture stylus as he does. “There’s an injured and unstable ‘mon in this area, if everyone you know of is accounted for we need to go.”

As he says this Chansey slowly steps aside behind him, revealing Ursaring who begins slowly shuffling forward on two legs.

Amelia nods.

“If you’re referring to Ursaring I’m aware of the danger.” She says, pulling the patient log from her pocket and holding it out as she points to the ‘mon behind him. “I was helping her with her injuries and called–”

Turning his head, in less than an instant the ranger leaps a few steps back, ripping his stylus from his belt with a stressed hiss through his teeth.

“Get behind me.” He orders without turning his head, one hand squeezing his stylus while the other rests near Altaria’s pokeball in a way that seems designed to obfuscate that. “If she starts to attack you run and switch your beacon from alert to emergency.”

Amelia, slightly shocked by the abrupt turn in the mood, takes a few seconds to comply. But by the time she finally does, the mood in the air has relaxed somewhat, the ranger seeming to notice exactly how badly injured Ursaring is and how calmly she’s shuffling forward before coming to a stop a comfortable distance away.

After a few seconds of no action the ranger seems to process what she’d said and his posture, barely, eases.

“...You said you were helping her?” He asks, to which Amelia nods, but before she can respond further Ursaring turns and barks something over her shoulder.

Moments later Teddiursa trots over, and the moment the ‘mon comes into eyeline his mother begins to speak.

Unfortunately Amelia can't understand any of it, so she’s reduced to trying to figure out what’s going on with context clues.

Ursaring growls something, points at Teddiursa, and whatever she says next has Teddiursa looking increasingly worried. In a pause for her to breathe he tries to speak up, only for her to growl louder then talk over his attempted interjection.

Every one of his following attempts to speak up are interrupted by Ursaring, determined to get out whatever it is that’s so important.

Then she hesitates for a second, glances from Teddiursa to Chansey, to the ranger, then back again, and whatever she says after that has Teddiursa’s expression twist into frightened alarm.

Ursaring tries to keep talking, but this time Teddiursa shouts loud enough to finally force his mother to listen to him angrily yell back at her. But what Amelia is more alarmed to see is Chansey’s expression, which in spite of her partner’s normally calm disposition, could only be described as horror.

Teddiursa continues to shout, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he takes a few steps toward his mother.

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Only for Ursaring to drop down onto all three limbs and roar at him without the structure of language, silencing them both.

They stare at each other, both breathing heavily, until Ursaring closes her eyes and butts her head against Teddiursa’s.

“Urs, sar saring.” She says, pulling her head back and opening her eyes. “Ur sari arin… ursa ing.”

With that she rises back up to her hind legs and turns toward the ranger again, leaving Teddiursa looking lost.

He takes a step toward her.

“...Ted–”

“Ur.”

Teddiursa flinches at the clear order, hesitating before turning as if with great effort and walking toward… Chansey?

Who still looks more horrified than Amelia’s ever seen her, more horrified than when they figured out Mt. Chimney was going to erupt.

Teddiursa walks about halfway between his mother and her partner before turning around and sitting down, watching Ursaring with desperate eyes and at this point Amelia can't take the suspense anymore.

Hesitantly, she clears her throat.

“...Chansey?” She asks, hesitating when her partner’s attention snaps to her so quickly she’s almost worried the ‘mon pulled a muscle. “Could you translate… all that? Please?”

Chansey takes a second, the task to do seemingly allowing her placid expression to reassume control as she heaves a slow breath before answering.

“Chansey chan chan ans chans ans an.” She says, the clinical tone completely at odds with what she’s describing. “Ansey an chan annan yan chanan.”

…

…..What?

Amelia blinks, glances between the mother-son duo, then blinks again at the absurdity of that idea.

Because that’s insane!

The ranger shifts his posture slightly, turning his head so the corner of his eye is looking at the Joy.

“What did she say?” He asks, to which Amelia shakes her head.

“I think Chansey misunderstood something–”

“Just tell me.” He reiterates, turning his head to look fully back at Ursaring, to which Amelia huffs.

“...Chansey says Ursaring wants to battle you, if you win you can tak– Um… She goes with you, but if she loses, she wants Teddiursa to go with us.” She condenses. “But that’s nonsense, she’s too injured to be fighting anything, let alone an Altari–”

“No.” The ranger corrects, his voice suddenly sounding a lot more calm as he flicks his stylus and a gentle whirring noise slowly spins up. “She doesn't want to battle Altaria.”

Amelia blinks, confirming at a glance that he only has one pokeball on his belt right now, and tries to figure out–

The thought is cut off as Ursaring steps forward with a raspy growl, placing her injured side behind her as she gets ready to fight whatever ‘mon she seems to think the ranger–

He steps forward, the hum of his stylus reaching its peak as he locks eyes with the injured ‘mon.

…No.

The ranger slowly raises his stylus and points it at the heavily injured Ursaring who really shouldn't be standing right now. Let alone fighting.

…Surely not.

Ursaring swipes at the dirt in a threat display who, no matter how injured, is still definitely several times stronger and faster than almost any human.

Amelia opens her mouth to object to… whatever this is, but before she can make a sound the ranger flicks his wrist, causing a glowing metal puck to erupt from the device’s side, and in the exact instant Ursaring drops to three legs and enters a loping charge.

To meet the charge the ranger flicks his stylus and the puck shoots out fast enough it whistles through the air, a glowing thread energy forming between the puck and the tip of the stylus as it goes.

Ursaring and the puck meet in the middle, the ‘mon immediately takes a swipe at it only for the ranger to make a small twirling motion with this stylus and the puck to spiral around the attacking arm.

The moment the puck finishes its last loop the ranger yanks back on the stylus like it’s a fishing rod, causing the threads to tighten around the limb. Only for Ursaring to yank back in almost the same instant, almost ripping the stylus from the ranger’s hand before he manages to twist it and the glowing thread loses tension.

Still charging, the ‘mon raises her caught arm up to her mouth and bites through the thread, large portions of the line going dark as she unbinds herself.

Ursaring is halfway to the ranger as flicks his stylus again and the puck comes shooting off from the side, hitting the still glowing part of the thread coming from his stylus with pinpoint accuracy, this time he goes for her hind legs, the puck shooting between them and coming around to do the same binding loops.

But before he can make a single loop Ursaring slashes again, her front claws cutting through the thread and everything past the cutoff point going dark.

The puck zips back in to reconnect but this time the ‘mon is ready, trying to strike at the fast moving object with no success as it picks up the glowing line again.

With just a few seconds before Ursaring is upon him and seemingly no success with his capture tool the ranger flicks his stylus causing the puck to retreat back to him before shooting out again just as the ‘mon gets reaches him and takes a swipe–

Amelia opens her mouth to scream, only to be stunned to silence as the ranger smoothly ducks beneath the attack to the right as his puck goes left, a glowing thread left on Ursaring’s stomach.

She claws it off but by the time she’s looking back at the ranger the puck has already reconnected and has spiraled around her arm again.

This time she ignores the binding and takes another swipe at the ranger but this time he steps back, the puck buzzing as it flies between her hind legs again and only to wrap a few times around her midsection.

Ursaring claws a few of them off, but despite breaking the thread in a few sections the places that loop and overlap don't go dark.

She raises her arm to her mouth again to rip the threads off, still moving toward the ranger as he backs away, only for the puck to buzz through the crook of her arm and, with a yank of the stylus, stops her from getting her mouth.

But once again, the moment the ranger creates tension in the line she yanks back, this time causing him to stumble forward a few steps right into her range as she throws herself at him with jaws agape.

There’s no way for him to recover in time, let alone dodge, but in the fraction of a second he does have the puck appears, wrapping her muzzle in glowing threads that he yanks tight a fraction of a second before her face hits his forearm and he scrambles to get away, his stylus twitching and twirling all the while.

Ursaring fully abandons attacking him, focusing entirely on the battle of getting herself free of the glowing threads, a battle she’s slowly but surely losing. Individually she can claw a thread, or bite it, or simply break it with raw strength, but in the time she takes to break one at least one more appears, almost always more.

Slowly but surely, her struggles slow, breathing heavily as the ‘mon is not quite caught, but it becomes undeniable that she cannot fully beat the threads and escape either.

Gradually, she stops trying to break the threads, panting for breath, and stares at the ranger with a begrudging acknowledgement in her eyes. The moment she stops Teddiursa lets out a cry, taking a few steps forward only to stop when she glances at him, takes a deep breath.

Then looks back at the ranger and sits down. Conceding defeat yet no more injured than she was before.

The ranger, also breathing heavily, calmly flicks the capture puck back over to the stylus and into the device, cutting the thread between the stylus and the ‘mon, yet leaving her bound.

He takes a second to catch his breath before giving Ursaring an easy smile.

“I will say ma’am, you would be terrifying at your best. I’m not sure I would have won.” He says, wiping his brow. “With any luck, once we get you fixed up I’ll never have to find out.”