This Could Cause Problems

So Kevin, we're going to go up against Houndour if we were to investigate the gym leader's house, right? So...that's a Dark-type and a Fire-type Pokemon, yes? That would mean using Psychic-types or Grass-types would not be in my best interest.  I don't have either of those, so that's good.

I guess the key would be to use Fighting and Water, since I don't have a Bug-type that knows a Bug-type move.

Besides, fire would be very bad for her.  I think I've got something decent here that would not only prove pretty effective, but also get some necessary training done in the meantime.

That ought to do it.

You know, come to think of it, you're right.  There has been a mysterious chain of fucked-up shit happening everywhere we go...and there will probably be some more ruckus once we get to Mastam--

That's not the first time I've heard that theory.  Shoot! Who else was warning me about weird and dangerous stuff going on? God, it's only been a few days, but I've suffered so many head-wounds.  Eh, such is life, I guess.

Well, I left a note for Jess at the Bike Shop, so I suppose--

Yes, I'm well aware of how it looks when a teenage girl is traveling with a man in his late thirties.

Anyway, if she's heard that there might be Houndour in that house, she's probably already there.  We should just assume that she's the adventurous, risk-taking type, completely oblivious to whatever consequences might result--

Wow...maybe I should take the time to think about shit a little bit more before I do them.  The whole "unexpected consequences" thing is hitting a little close to home.

Well, Kevin, I don't know about you, but if we need to get to Mastam, I'm going to need a bike...and since I don't have much in the way of money, helping Tyre out will probably be the best step towards getting a Bike Voucher that I can take at this juncture.  We might need some help if we're going headlong into danger.  Do you know how to contact Arturo, Lindsay, and Erik--?

Yes, my phone is very old--

I don't know, maybe I can upgrade it, but it's not as though I have the--

...components? This looks like a busted Xtranceiver and two broken Pokedexes.  Where did you get them?

Do I want to know?

Eh, I'm sure I can whip something up with this, but I think we can hold off on that for now.  Thanks, though.  I'll hold onto this stuff until I get some tinkering time.

Kahu's pretty big...I wonder where Tyre's house is--

HOLY CRAP! Okay, we need to keep our heads on swivels here.  These cyclists are insane.  Maybe if we got to a better vantage point, like a hill or something, we might be able to see where the burned house is; I can certainly smell it--

Wait...don't you have a dog Pokemon? Aren't dogs really good at scent-tracking?

He's...he's very literal? I'm...I'm not sure what that--just tell him to find the burned house and we should be fine.

Are...are you sure he understands what we're--

Woah, I take it back! I didn't realize--!

Shit he's fast! We gotta hoof it, Kevin!

I don't know if we're gonna be able to keep up with him at this pace! Man, if only we had--

Wait...what road are we on?

WHOA GOD--!

Holy shit, did he just hit your Poochyena?!? Oh man, this could cause problems...

Yeah, he does not look happy.  You better be careful about what you say--

Or...at least try not to sound like you're yelling at him when you're actually just trying to be heard over the sounds of his agony--

Wow, he seems pissed.  I mean, if he wasn't going so fast, maybe he wouldn't have completely ate asphalt after hitting your Pokemon.  I wonder who had the right of way in this little kerfuffle...

I don't imagine the bike lane indicators are going to help us out much, but don't pedestrians usually--?

Kevin, be the bigger man here.  I know he's angry and he's up in your face, but you don't have to tell him to "back the fuck up", per se--

Kevin! You are going to provoke him into a battle! We don't have time for--!

You know what? I should probably just keep my mouth shut--

Yep, here comes the battle.  I knew this was going to cause problems--

Oh...

Or...you know...you could just swat the ball out of the air and have it pound the poor man in the chest.  That's a plan, too--

DO NOT THREATEN TO GET INTO A FISTFIGHT WITH HIM, KEVIN! JESUS--!

Oh, wow, that actually worked.  Never mind, then.  I'm glad that worked out for the--

Where's your dog?

Oh, son of a bitch! Well, at least he ran off the bike path.

Great idea! Skarmory is probably much faster than Poochyena; as long as it stays visible in the sky, we should have no trouble following it, since it should have no problem following Poochyena.  Let's go!

Why did he have to run through the absolute thickest underbrush in the--

I hate this dog.

Say, do you hear running water?

Isn't this the same river that runs passed the gym and becomes kind of this little waterfall-type thing? I think we're on the right track, since the gym leader would probably want to live close to--

How did he get to the other side? How do we get to the other side? Is there a bridge, or--?

Stupid dog! Damn it! Okay, we need to think quickly.  There's got to be a way--

Kevin?

JUMPING?!?! Your first instinct...is JUMPING?!?!? Come on already! I've been through enough today--

And you're gonna keep running.  Great.  How the hell am I going to do this?

...always leaping to my death, aren't I? Can't keep my damned feet on the ground for more than five minutes at a time, huh? Christ...

Okay, Gliscor.  You know the drill.  Let's do this!

Up, up, and away!

I wonder how high up we are, Gliscor.  I mean, it didn't look like that deep of a--

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GLISCOR, DON'T YOU DARE DROP ME--!!!

Hey! I think I see Tyre's house down there! We've done it! We've found the--

GYOOWWWWW!

Undershot the landing a bit, eh girl? Gah, my shins! I'll catch up with you, Kevin! I just...I just gotta hobble my way over to the path that leads down to the house--

FUCK! I'm back on a bike path! Running! Running--GAH! My shins!

Hobbling with purpose...hobbling with purpose...

Y'know, Kevin, I'm starting to have a really bad feeling about this whole let's-go-explore-the-burned-down-house-where-people-have-been-disappearing-doing-exactly-what-we're-intending-to-do thing.  Maybe we shouldn't--

Oh...who, us? No, we're not snooping around.  We're here doing a favor for the gym leader, trying to figure out what caused all this--

I'm sorry, there was a what a few hours ago? I could have sworn I heard you say explosion--

You did say explosion.

...well.

Alright then.

Kevin, what the hell are we thinking--?

Well, yes, I can see the front door is ajar.  Most of the house is ajar.  It's been on fire.  It's probably not safe to go in through there--

No, I don't think the back door is safer--!

How am I supposed to know which door to go through, Kevin?! I mean, if I were coming here illegally, I would of course go through the back door.  If I was here trying to help out a friend, like those apprentices must have been, they probably went through the front door, which is probably why it's ajar.  Knowing that they haven't come back yet would make me believe that there's something inside there that did something to them...Houndour or whatever.  Regardless, whatever's in there must have seen people come in through the front door, so the back door is probably safest...

But who's to say that the other apprentices who've come by here haven't thought the same exact thing? What if they've been going through the back after people weren't coming back out and now, if we go through the back, something will be waiting for us?! Then we'd have to go through the front, but by this time, they'd already be expecting that we'd go through the front.  But would they have suspected that we would suspect that?! I don't know--!!

...

...split up?   Your idea...if I am understanding this correctly...is to split up, and I go through the front...and you go through the back?

It can't be any worse than standing around the outside equivocating like an idiot, I imagine, but I'm still really not happy about this--

No, I don't need him to watch over me--

Wait, why are you leaving him with me?! Houndour are Dark-types! Isn't he a Psychic-type? This is not a great plan, Kevin--!

And he's gone.  Awesome.  Alright, Chang, I guess you're with me.  And while we're at it, I better get some of my own company too.

Alright, Nidoran...we're going to be headed into some dangerous turf, so I need to know if you've got  my back if things go south.  Can I count on you?

...who else do I have on my team again?