PMDU: The Underestimates

EXPLORERS GUILD: The Underestimates
Date Joined: 14^th October 2013
Current Funds: 10 St

Merits: 3
Strikes: 0
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Fletcher
Species: Bidoof
Nature: Serious
-Characteristic: Somewhat stubborn
Gender: Male              Age: Late adolescent
Ability: Moody (randomly raises 1 stat and lowers another after every move)

Strength: 5                    Agility: 2
Intelligence: 3              Charisma: 0 (+2)

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

Hyper Fang
Super Power
Dig
Last Resort

Inventory
-Broad Brim Hat
----Description: Being adventurous by nature, Fletcher likes wearing a brown hat in order to keep the sun off his face.  The hat sits just above his ears, and is often tilted forward so that the brim casts a shadow over his face.

-Combat Gloves
----Description: Despite being designed for Maria’s use, since she can’t use them Fletcher chooses to use these modified gloves instead.  The gloves are fingerless and only cover his paws, with two small holes on the knuckles to make them breathable.

-EMPTY
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Maria
Species: Metapod
Nature: Sassy
-Characteristic: Thoroughly cunning
Gender: Female                     Age: Young adult
Ability: Shed Skin (may heal status problems on her own)

Strength: 1                    Agility: 0 (+2)
Intelligence: 5              Charisma: 4

Total Points Left: 0/10
Type Bonus: Bug -> Agility

Tackle
String Shot
Electroweb
Harden

Inventory
-Apricorn Ocarina
----Description: Gavina taught you how to make a lovely ocarina out of an apricorn husk. It feels smooth and quite durable, and is pleasant to hold. Allows the use of Grasswhistle.

-Evolution Permit
----Description: This mysterious piece of parchment allows a single team member to evolve one stage.

-EMPTY
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========== WRITTEN TEST ==========
Fletcher glanced skyward, frowning at the state of it.  The sky was shrouded in dense cloud, blotting out the sun and most of the sky save for a thin sliver of blue.  It seemed the Sky God (or whoever made the weather, because Fletcher didn’t know) was unsure whether to make it rain or shine; it could turn at any moment.  Cautious of the impending rain, the venders tried to park their stalls under canopies or other means of shelter.  Perishables were stored to keep them from getting rain-damaged as an extra precaution.
 
Grunting, the Bidoof moved through the market place on all fours.  Normally he’d make some sort of attempt to walk on his hind legs, but on this particular day he didn’t feel like putting in that effort.  He’d done with the formal stuff, and now he simply wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
 
Maria sighed; she’d wanted to converse with some of the other recruits, but Fletcher was adamant on leaving as soon as he could.  The Explorers guild already felt like a second home to her, despite them only being there for a few hours.  A number of new registrars were milling around as they left, although one in particular happened to catch their eye.
 
A Servine was leaning against a nearby wall, her face shadowed by the brim of her hat.  Her narrow snout turns towards Fletcher as he walks past, one bright eye becoming visible from beneath the hat’s brim.
 
“Hey... New, are you?” Her tone is welcoming, if not a touch cautious. “Hmm, stupid question. ’Course you are, I saw you sign in. Admittedly I'm not great with this meet and greet stuff, so how about exchanging names to start things off? You first.”
 
Her tail flickers back and forth as she waits for Fletcher to respond.  Sighing, he spoke in an inaudible grumble.  When prompted to speak up, he simply growled in an even less audible manner.
 
Rolling her eyes, Maria answered on his behalf. “Forgive him…he’s a bit of a grump.  Anyway, my name is Maria, and this is my leader Fletcher.” Fletcher responded with a grunt. “We’re very pleased to make your acquaintance!”
 
On hearing their names, the Servine relaxed a little, her small arms folding across her chest. “Ahh, that's great. Yeah, when you said your name just then, it had that... that “zing”. It means you're serious about this, yeah? As for me, my name's Teresa. I'm what you'd call a Guild Assistant, which makes me your Serperior.”
 
Fletcher’s ears bent back; he looked thoroughly unamused by the dull joke.  Maria laughed nervously in an attempt to be polite, but quickly fell quiet.  It was hard to pretend she found that amusing.
 
Teresa stares blankly at the pair for a moment, before covering her mouth with one tiny paw and giggling slightly. “You know, you don't have to be so polite. I don't really care about rank and file, but I do care about honesty. If I tell a joke and it sucks, feel free to roll your eyes.”
 
“Don’t worry,” Fletcher finally interjected, “I didn’t plan on it.”
 
Still smiling, Teresa extended a thin, green vine from her back for Fletcher to shake. “So what brings you here, anyway? You from out of town, or...?”
 
Fletcher stared at the vine, but didn’t take it. “Yeah.  We come from a village on the other side of…that.” He pointed towards the mist that encompassed the city. “Then we heard of this…guild business, and decided to check it out.”
 
Teresa waited a moment longer for Fletcher to take the vine, before eventually giving up and withdrawing it. “Cool, cool... Well, whatever the case, you've got a name in mind for your group, right? I didn't get a chance to check your papers, but I do want to get more familiar with our rookie members when I have the time. I'm kinda new to this whole assistant thing, honestly.”
 
Impatient, the Bidoof sat down on the pavement.  He didn’t want to talk anymore.  With a soft sigh, Maria piped up in his place. “We’ve decided to go with the Underestimates.  Because…well, you shouldn’t underestimate us.”
 
Snorting a little in an attempt to suppress her laughter, Teresa smirked at the pair.  It was unclear whether she found the name amusing, or was just messing around with them.  Either way, when she spoke her tone was fairly ambiguous. “There's that "zing" again. Feels good to know we've got Pokémon like you joining our Guild. I guess Cassidy wasn't exaggerating when he said the standouts just keep pouring in.”
 
A small rumble of thunder could be heard overhead, causing all members of the gathering to glance up briefly.  Shaking her head, Teresa returned to the pair, addressing them in a serious tone. “Just don't get cocky - confidence is good, but overconfidence in a dungeon is a quick way to get yourself in trouble, along with everyone else in your party.”
 
Silence fell upon the gathering as Teresa tapped her snout, as if trying to remember what to say.  Finally, she clicked her fingers, figuring it out. “Oh right, this is very important - why did you want to become an Explorer, hm? Just curious...”
 
Maria was silent, trying to think up a tale that would impress the Servine.  However, Fletcher cut her off with another of his uninterested grunts. “Because I want to go exploring…”
 
“...and ultimately, the people come first, yeah?” The Servine cut him off, suddenly speaking with a desperate sense of urgency. “There's lots of food in the dungeons, and materials for clothing and medicine! When we go out and find that stuff, it means everyone here gets to have dinner. I mean, you know that, obviously, but just don't forget!”
 
Fletcher bent his ears back, his voice sounding a touch defeated. “Yeah, sure.”
Teresa’s tail swayed back and forth as she thought, a grin spreading across her face.  She appeared to be lost in her own thoughts, until Fletcher distracted them with a gruff clearing of his throat.  The Servine immediately snapped back to reality, giving a small “oh!” as she did.
“N-not to sound standoffish,” she began with a start, “but what exactly do you do, anyway? What skills or talents do you have to offer the Guild? Everyone's good at something, I think.”
 
This time, Maria started talking before Fletcher had a chance to open his mouth. “Oh!  Well, if I do say so myself, I’d say I have a skill in the art of speaking…because it is an art, let me assure you!  I’m a very good speaker, as you can surely see, darling!  Oh, what am I doing…I don’t have to remind you, hun, you already know!  Why, when I was but a Caterpie…oh my, I forgot about Fletcher!” The Bidoof cast her a withering look.
 
Chuckling at the glare, Maria continued. “Anyway, you’ve never seen a Bidoof as strong as Fletcher!  I can assure you, he is simply the best of the best.  I’ve seen him take down an Aggron before; you’d better believe it!  So…in short, I’m the brains and he’s the muscle.  You see…”
 
Before Maria could continue on her tangent, Teresa clicks her fingers again. “I can just feel it, you do what you do and do it with everything you've got. 'Cause in this guild, when a giver gives, then the giver gets... gotten... gets give-- eh, well you get what you give, or something. Whatever, it's written down on that big plaque in the hall. Just do your best and come see me if you need any help.”
 
Before either of the pair could say anything, the Servine slithered away to talk to another pair of new recruits.  She appeared to be a touch more cheerful than she had been at their first encounter, which made Maria smile a little.  However, this was rather short-lived as another roar of thunder echoed overhead, foreboding the coming storm.
 
Shivering a little, Fletcher got up and began to plod towards their home.  It had been a busy day, and now it was time to rest.