[attr="class","extradoradotext"]

It wasn't long before the dog picked up on the scent of a wild pokémon, tongue rolling thoughtfully along the side of the hound's jaw as it forced the metallic tang from its nostrils with a huff. Her paws fell flat to the earth, embers rolling from her tongue as licks of flame danced hungrily in her throat as she hunched herself forward, the twitch of her muzzle bringing the corner of her lip to rest higher along her jagged rows of sharp teeth.[break][break]

''Lead.''[break][break]

Sirius threw herself forward at the command, body soaring overtop her paws as she jet herself forward, feet scrambling to reach out and catch her weight to further launch herself toward the unwary pokémon resting in the grass nearby, its hexagonal body leaned against the rockface as it slept.[break][break]

The Houndour's approach, for all of her excitement, was a quiet one. The heavy fall of her paws to the rock, the quiet scatter of pebbles, wouldn't be enough to pull the steel type from its rest.[break][break]

Following the red glow of the dog's mouth Ten walked forward, phone already pointed in the direction her pokemon had centered her attention in search of data. As an image of a Bronzor appeared on the screen she slowed to a stop, shifting her thumb over the displayed information to check over the bar slowly filling at the bottom of the screen.[break][break]

Sirius was low to the ground beside the sleeping disk, jaws parted and ready as she eagerly awaited her command to attack.[break][break]

''Ensure each hit, Sirius,'' came a calm, instructive voice from behind the face of the grunt's helmet.[break][break]

Command in ear, the fire-type rushed the short distance forward it took to reach the psychic steel plate. A vicious, bloodthirsty snarl tore from her throat, and the wild pokémon's eyes suddenly snapped open.[break][break]

The wild, metal bodied pokémon's eyes rolled sharply to focus on Sirius, the hound's jaws rushing down to meet with the hard surface of its body in a fated ғᴇɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ, the wild growl rolling from her parted fangs only growing louder as her paws rushed her further onward, teeth scraping over the Bronzor's body to leave heavy divets in its steely surface.[break][break]

Bronzor spun swiftly, its body rising to levitate over the grass as it turned itself to face its attacker, a wavering film of psychic energy surrounding the dog's body before disappointing without effect. The battle hungry dog's darkness overwhelmed the psychic attack, paws carrying her low to the ground to draw nearer to the wild pokémon, the cruel growl still trembling in her throat dying to silence. Bronzor took the moment of posturing to attack, its eyes centering on Sirius' in order to hypnotize her into a slumber, but the preparation of the attack was all the time the hound needed to launch herself to the air, catching Bronzor again in her teeth and forcing her muscled jaws to clamp onto its body with a sharp crunch of fangs in another ғᴇɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ.[break][break]

Sirius shook her head wildly as the pokémon fell unconscious, ripping it from left to right as she landed against the ground before tossing it up in the air and leaping after to catch it.[break][break]

''Sirius,'' Ten called again, her eyes still lingering toward her phone.[break][break]

The dog made no move to stop in her assault, landing with her paws to the rock with the fainted Bronzor still trapped in her muzzle.[break][break]

''...Sirius?''[break][break]

Despite the questioning inflection of the woman's tone, the quiet concern and concealed fatigue coloring her voice, the even way she spoke quickly stole the pokémon's attention.[break][break]

Her wrist slacked to let her phone drop from view as she directed a focused stare toward the dog, an irritable snarl sounding as Sirius' muscles locked to stand perfectly still.[break][break]

''We're not playing games today. Start again. Odor Sleuth.''[break][break]

With her new command Bronzor was spat to the ground, the Houndour's nose pressing a trail to the thin-soiled surface of the ground.[break][break]

Ten watched after her pokémon to ensure she continued in her work rather than find herself distracted by Bronzor's unconscious body again.[break][break]

She needed coffee.

[attr="class","extradoradotext"]

Sirius' sensory search of the area would have to be put on hold for now, as from out of the darkness of the sky an armored Skarmory swooped to fly low over the Houndour, the rush of wind resulting from its pass causing the little dog to hunker toward the ground.[break][break]

Ten's eyes moved to follow the bird's ascent, her hand moving carefully to follow as she turned her attention to the screen, capturing the data that the pokémon's presence offered.[break][break]

The Houndour got to her feet quickly as the gust of wind died, an angry snarl tearing from her throat as she aimed her jaws after the Skarmory's line of flight to shoot a winding pillar of poisonous ɪɴғᴇʀɴᴏ into the sky. The heat from the fire summoned its own rush of wind, its hot glow bathing the area in a brief, orange light. Ten's collar whipped about her neck, the flames mirroring from the dark surface of her visor as her eyes stayed locked to the information on her device. She hadn't instructed an attack.[break][break]

It took only a tilt of its feathers for Skarmory to dip under the shot of flame, its course altering sharply as it swept low for an attack.[break][break]

Wings spread wide, Skarmory gave its armored plated wings a heavy beat to bring a sudden halt to its descent, whipping up the dirt and rock to blind the dog's eyes with a sᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ. Sirius bowed her head as the grit hit her face, eyes screwing shut as she shook her head wildly back and forth, the angry growl in her throat rumbling louder as she snapped her teeth wildly at the air, clamping her jaws madly to tear at the empty space in front of her.[break][break]

''Are you going to win this, Sirius?'' her trainer questioned, voice calm.[break][break]

A series of angry barks were her answer, cinders falling steady from her pointed fangs as another toxic breath was shot from the dog's nostrils as she lifted her head to shoot her ɪɴғᴇʀɴᴏ out into the darkness. The sudden display of light flashed against the black surface of Ten's catsuit, her hand reaching to holster her powered down phone in the protective case resting at her side. If her pokémon was so set on taking the bird on alone she wouldn't interfere.[break][break]

The flames shot to the night air to unfurl into blackness, missing their target entirely as the bird hopped easily to the side, its wings drawing up to stabilize its balance. With another short hop forward its beak came plunging down toward Sirius, its sharp metal tip scoring at her fur with a ᴘᴇᴄᴋ.[break][break]

The successful attack spurred an angry paw to come crashing down blindly toward the bird's armored body, the sudden ғᴇɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ unimpeded by the sand still hampering the dog's vision. Batted to one side, the Skarmory took a couple of light steps before forcing its talons to the earth and extending its sharp wings to take to the sky. Sirius hurried to follow, paws planting to the ground to push her a short step forward before launching into the air, her teeth sailing right by what appeared to be their intended target before her body whipped around for an airborne roundhouse kick, the ғᴇɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ knocking the bird back to the ground.[break][break]

Metal sounded against metal as Skarmory hurried to pick itself off the ground, the dog's tumbling landing sending it to roll a short ways away before it scrambled around to shoot another buffet of flames - finally catching the wild pokémon in a successful ɪɴғᴇʀɴᴏ.[break][break]

She took a noisy breath as she prepared for another, unable to see through the sand and dance of fire to catch sight of the beaten pokémon resting in the dying flames.[break][break]

''Stop.''[break][break]

Ten's voice cut through the darkness abruptly, boots sounding against the ground as she approached the fallen Skarmory. Its wings reached to pull it up from the ground, steel body red hot with burns as she drew a small capsule from her hip, the pokeball swelling to its true size as she held it out toward the bird.[break][break]

Skarmory's body was enveloped in a bright light, its form disappearing from sight as the pokeball stole the pokémon from its place.[break][break]

''If you decide to battle alone I won't help you.''[break][break]

The reminder was muted by the material of the helmet, but the sharp ears of the dog had no trouble at all deciphering the words.[break][break]

''It won't always go well.''[break][break]

Ten was somber as she dropped her arm, the still trembling ball held lightly in her grasp.[break][break]

''Put out these fires and we'll get some rest.''