Team Whispers PMD-U Hunter Exploration (Written)

HUNTERS GUILD: Team Whispers
Date Joined: 03/01/15
Current Funds: 0 St

Merits:
Strikes:

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Name: Medingo
Species: Honedge
Nature: Impish
-Characteristics
Gender: Unknown (They themselves don't know or care)          
Age: 15 years a ghost (Unknown how old they were in life)
Ability:No Guard

Strength: 3/5     Agility: 1/5
Intelligence: 3/5 [+2]     Charisma: 3/5

Total Points Left: 0/10
Type Bonus: [Ghost] -> [Intelligence]

Move 1: Shadow Sneak
Move 2: Night Slash
Move 3: Brick Break
Move 4: Sleep Talk

Inventory:

Item 1
-Nothing

Item 2
-Nothing

Item 3
-Nothing

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Name: Sophia
Species: Loudred
Nature: Lonely
-Characteristics

Gender: Female              
Age: 19
Ability: Soundproof

Strength: 3/5     Agility: 3/5
Intelligence: 4/5     Charisma: 0/5 [+2]

Total Points Left: 0/10
Type Bonus: [Normal] -> [Charisma]

Move 1: Stomp
Move 2: Fire Blast
Move 3: Blizzard
Move 4: Bulldoze

Inventory:

Item 1
-Scarf

Item 2
-Nothing

Item 3
-Nothing

========== WRITTEN TEST ==========

Above your team stands one of the few restaurants around Andalusst that could be considered ritzy, Café Obscurité. The name is often looked upon as ironic, due to the establishment's success and popularity. Many can't afford to dine here, but it is where the Hunters have invited your team to speak with a Guild representative. Hopefully they don't expect you to pay...

Outside stood the nervous Loudred, her finger toying with the scarf that the kind Furfrou at the boutique had all but thrown at her to congratulate their invitation to the Obscurité. It had taken quite a bit of her partner's urging to get them out of the shop in time to make their meeting, and it was his urging now that prompted her to move and go inside.

The moment you step foot inside, the Pokémon at the front desk approaches you and shows your team to a table. It's located in one of the darker corners of the already-dim establishment, and it's already attended by a sly, smiling Furret with a blue newsboy cap. The Hunters representative, you realize, though he hardly seems like a good fit for the present surroundings.

"Hey, pull up a seat. Order your favorites; this one's on the Guild's checkbook," he greets with a quick wave.

Shortly after your team is situated, an Empoleon waiter arrives at your table and passes a fancy-looking menu to everyone present. A number of higher-class dishes are represented on it, along with equally high-class prices. "The usual," the Normal-type comments with disregard, gently pushing the menu back against the Empoleon's chest. The waiter merely rolls his eyes and turns his attention to your team, waiting expectantly for your team to order.

Sophia was practically drooling as she looked over the menu, but could feel her partner growing impatient as he slipped from his harness and levitated himself into a comfortable position that was eye level with the Furret across the table. Then, with an echoing but respectful voice he spoke to the waiter.

"My partner here will have the sauteed flesh-caps with the balsamic and butter sauce, a glass of oran juice to drink on the side." As he spoke he adjusted the silverware placed before him, as if they were somehow unaligned. Sophia herself merely nodded meekly as the waiter gave her a questioning look.

Once he has everyone's orders, the waiter shoots one last annoyed glance at the strange fellow, who appears unfazed, before walking off. "No sense of humor," the Furret remarks with a shrug, before lazily slumping back in his seat. His gaze doesn't settle on anyone in particular, as though he's simply staring off somewhere.

"The name's Cuffin, but I'm sure you've already heard of me. No need for introductions on your part, I already know who ya are," Cuffin says with another sly smirk, tapping his paws together. "So... I work for this kid, Sundance. He made me promise to ask ya a few things before I go off on my own thing. He'll get his feathers in a bunch if I don't, so humor me. First things first: why do you wanna join the Hunters?" The last question is accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a dramatic recitation, as if driving home the fact that he's being forced to ask this.

Again it was the Honedge that spoke. "Hmm, I am assuming you have heard the oft spoken reason of riches or fame, those may do well for some but we have our own mission in mind. Our joining the hunters is mostly a way to gain a better foothold in your wonderful town so that we might easier accomplish said goal."

At the very least, Cuffin looks interested as he listens. Perhaps it isn't the question itself he's so annoyed about. "All right. Respectable, yeah. Down the list..." The scruffy Furret reaches for a parchment already settled upon the table. Rather than hold it up to read, he crumples it in his paws rather rudely, then promptly tosses it over his shoulder. "What can you bring to the Hunters? What skills or talents can you utilize for us?" Once again, his recitation of the question is somewhat mocking.

"Your reputation is what brought us" the spirit said, ignoring Cuffin's childish act, "and what we plan to offer your organization is our intelligence and service. Though I do not possess many strengths while on my own, I can assure you that me and my partner here are very proficient in a brawl, and perhaps information collection if the need arises."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. I guess we'll get to see some of that soon enough. Don't get me wrong; your answer don't mean you're gonna be taken or thrown out. This is basically... formalities..." Cuffin pauses, tilting his head upward thoughtfully. "...Yeah, formalities. I think that's the word he used. Whatever that means."

Sophia frowned under her scarf, her doubt of this pokemon's intelligence growing. With a small brush of Medingo's cloth  hand she transmitted her opinion then returned to her passive state. The sword-bound ghost could only chuckle mentally.

A grin comes over the Furret's fuzzy face as he readies himself for his next question, lowering the register of his voice. "This one's more interestin', to the little guy's credit. Are you against doin' things that the Royal Guard ain't gonna like if they catch ya doin' em?"

With a tone that conveyed smugness, the Medingo replied only "We would never do anything to bring shame upon your guild. Least of all get caught."

The Normal-type's pointed ears twitch at the reply. "It ain't me, just sayin'. I know well enough that if yer here, then you an' I are prolly already aware of the answer to that question. I just needed somethin' to tell the kid." With a sigh of relief, Cuffin tosses his hands in the air, then at the sides of the chair dramatically. "Whew. All right, enough of that stuff. The kid is on the right track, but sometimes it seems like the royals crammed a stick really far up there, if ya know what I mean. All these "formalities" and junk... anyway, the rest is straight from me."

He looks left, then right... but given the way his bright eyes are never quite focusing on your team, this seems to be one of those "formalities" of his own. He then begins to explain in an oddly sincere fashion, "You already know the basic stuff, so I'm gonna level with ya. Truth is, the Hunters are all about knowin' things about everybody else. Yer gonna learn secrets that nobody else will know. It'll change the way you look at this whole city, and yer prolly not gonna like what you see, but you'll always know exactly what's goin' on under the coat of sugar. I wouldn't blame ya if you'd rather go hang with a Guild that doesn't deal in the worst of what Andalusst can offer."

"My good man, if we were not prepared to deal in the shadows then we would have searched for employment in the Researchers' guild."

Cuffin's non-serious demeanor returns with a smirk at your response. "Is that so? Well... to be honest, I would've blamed ya, actually," he jokes with a lightly teasing tone. "Who doesn't wanna know everything about everybody? Life is all about keepin' yer options as open as possible 'til the right moment."

Just then, the waiter comes into earshot, flippers laden with everyone's orders. As he hesitates with the platter containing Cuffin's meal, one can't help but wonder if he's contemplating on spitting in it. The Furret doesn't appear to be looking at him anyway... and your team may begin to suspect that he couldn't even if he wanted to. The silver platters are placed on the table with mild clatter, but Cuffin faces your team again before paying them any mind.

"Before we eat..." he interrupts, reaching down and palming the nearest glass. He holds it up and forward across the table. "Let's toast, to the new recruits," Cuffin proposes, though he leans in and adds with a whisper, "...That's you, just so ya know."

With a smile, Sophia lowered the scarf below her mouth and held up her glass, Medingo's cloth arm wrapped around her own as the three of them finished the toast.