FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Rescue teams. Exploration teams. Discovery teams. Collection teams. There were plenty of different types of teams in a world of Pokémon dealing with the mysterious dungeons that existed within their realm. Some teams hyper-specialized, others spread out to a variety of roles. There was no right or wrong way to do it, just teams who did it right or wrong. There was only one thing they all had in common: the word "team."

Dungeon delving was not something to do by one's own, as far as pretty much everyone was concerned. Team sizes could vary pretty dramatically - some were very casual affairs, being only two or three or four members who did things everything on their own, while others would be entire enterprises with dozens of different members. While it was rare for any one dungeon to allow more than a small number of mons to enter, a larger enterprise could field multiple teams to take on multiple dungeons, letting them perform more tasks and have a greater influence. Again, different teams had different approaches, each with their advantages and disadvantages, but the one thing that was decidedly UNcommon was anyone trying to make it a solo venture. Maybe a dungeon had a specific restriction, but even the ones going in on their own knew they had a team to back them up and help if they got into trouble - it wasn't the same as being alone completely.

Still, on occasion, one of them was seen - a dungeon delver who tried to do it all by themself, determined to challenge things without any support or backup. Pretty much every one of these endeavors ended in failure, with the soloist lucky if they were ever seen again, crawling to a guild or larger team to shamefully accept that they couldn't hack it by themself. Sometimes they needed a good dose of reality to put them on the right track...other times, they fell off the track entirely and their fates went unknown. But it considered an inevitability that they would eventually succumb to the truth, that there wasn't any way around teaming up with someone in some way.

The message seemed not to have gotten to Seyris.

The arrival of a lone Snivy in Burnhylde Town was not originally of any interest - new folks traveled in every now and then, for any number of reasons, and Burnhylde was relatively welcoming. What caused people to take notice was when he started looking at the notice board for dungeon missions - all on his own. No one saw any partners around him at any point, and it was clear from where he was staying that none were coming...no one really knew what he did on those missions he went on, but there was no sign of any hidden partnerships that were being kept out of town for whatever reason - which wasn't something that ever happened, but neither was a single Snivy taking missions like that.

Complicating matters was the fact that Seyris barely spoke. A very quiet, sullen, stoic creature, the most he spoke was a couple words at a time, and then only to people he seemed to need something from, like the innkeeper and shopkeepers. He was largely mute towards anyone else, friendly or hostile...not in a way that made it seem like he was ignoring them, but simply that he didn't intend to speak to them. No one could quite figure out what the Snivy was all about, he seemed to be an enigma...an enigma that tended to return from missions successful, no less, which seemed improbable given his solitude.

Today in the central square, Seyris was once again making his way to the notice board. A small collection of Pokémon were hanging around the board, chattering amongst each other; he listened as they spoke, assessing them.

"Looks like Feryyl got himself in a pickle in Kelerus Forest again," remarked a Medicham. "Who wants the crappy reward from him this time?"

"Don't be mean, he's a perfectly nice Drampa," admonished a Pancham.

"I know, I know, but he doesn't give you like anything! I mean, for as often as he needs his butt saved...and you'd thing a fairly tame dungeon like that wouldn't give him that much trouble."

"He hasn't the means to provide that much," stated an Ursaring gruffly; he was standing next to the Pancham, in a way that made clear they were together. "You take advantage of the free juices he offers, don't demand extra on top of that."

"He does have a point," agreed a Passimian next to the Medicham, which caused the Medicham to grumble in annoyance.

"Ooh, there's one in the Hashwa Crevice!" chittered a Buizel excitedly. "You all don't mind if we go for that one, do you?"

"No way, there's nothing I'd desire more than to soak at the bottom of the fucking sea in wet-ass fur, slogging through cruddy terrain trying to find some TM I can't even use," growled the Ursaring.

"...so you want it, then?" asked a Kabutops.

"He's being sarcastic," the Buizel pointed out.

"Oh. I see. He's making a denial through tone rather than words."

"I still want to know where you found him," remarked the Passimian.

"Oof! I just saw THAT notice." The Pancham pointed to one that was bordered in red. "They still haven't gotten someone to get the Node Stone back? Jeez, the south sector must be really pissed."

That was the one that caught Seyris's ears. Burnhylde was a town with some renown for its advancement, thanks to the Solar Streamer, a massive stone in the center of the city which gained energy from the sun, and the mechanisms that had been built to direct said energy to the rest of the city to power machines and infrastructure. Each quadrant of the city had their own Node Stone, which was a waypoint for the energy to be distributed to the rest of the quadrant; it was a lot less complicated than trying to fuel everything directly from the center. It was normally a very effective system, but there was currently a crisis in the southern quadrant - someone had had the audacity to steal the Node Stone. An Infernape named Wadrech, an outsider who had apparently been run out of another town, had taken the stone and was demanding enormous ransom for it, one that was far and away lunacy to even try to pay - enough money and resources to almost found a new town. What Wadrech intended to do with it was anyone's guess, but it wasn't happening, so there was a bounty for someone to return the Node Stone that was pretty hefty.

Which, apparently, still wasn't getting bites.

"No way, no how." The Ursaring shot it down instantly. "That fucker's pasted anyone who's come for him. If the Star Striders fell to him, we don't stand a chance. How the hell did he ever get that strong, anyway?"

"I feel really bad about the south sector, but little ol' me probably couldn't even scratch him," the Buizel lamented with a shake of her head.

"Our buddies on the Cortex Crew thought it would be easy because of the type advantage, and they were utterly minced." The Medicham shook her head as well. "It's hard enough just getting through the Casthor Grove dungeon, and he preys on them after they're already weary. I'm not sure what it's going to take to defeat him, we might have to bring in support from another city...that always feels like an embarrassment, but we can't leave the south sector to suffer forever..."

Seyris had started to move as they were talking, and was now approaching the board. Everyone looked over at him as he passed right through the middle of the chatting group, perusing the board. "Oy! What's the little weirdo doing here?" asked the Ursaring.

"It would appear that he is looking for work," replied the Kabutops.

"Well, maybe he should look for some teammates first. Hey, snakey, how have you been here this long and not hitched your wagon to someone by now? You too good for everyone or something?"

"Don't be rude," chided the Pancham. "He can do what he wants. Even if it isn't a good idea."

Seyris gave them a sidelong glance, but didn't say a word before looking back at the board. His eyes trailed up very deliberately towards the red-bordered request. Definitely seeking help for the return of the Node Stone, with a reward that was larger than the last time it had been posted...which still wasn't even close to what Wadrech was demanding for its return. Clearly they were trying to incentivize people to go out and try their chances against him.

"...You can't seriously be considering that," said the Medicham in disbelief as she caught where Seyris's eyes were going. "Little guy, I don't know what the heck is up with you, but take my word for it, Wadrech is going to turn you to ashes. If you have a death wish, talk to someone, don't act on it."

"He's beaten some of the best teams around, dudes WITH a type advantage," agreed the Passimian. "You don't stand a chance. Try something a little more your size, there are plenty of fetch requests and easy rescues around here."

Seyris showed no outward sign of even paying attention to them. Another few moments of contemplation, then he extended a vine and pulled down the request, catching in it his hands and then turning and walking off. Behind him, he could hear the Ursaring's voice dripping with disbelief. "Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?"

"I don't know, but I hope he's still around to think it after this," the Buizel said nervously. "I don't see how he makes it through Casthor Grove alone, much less goes up against an Infernape..."

"Some people need to learn their lessons the hard way," the Passimian remarked dismissively. "Well, his funeral. Hey, here's an interesting one, bounty hunt in the Lochner Desert..."

---

The Casthor Grove dungeon was an infamous one around Burnhylde. Situated between a dense forest and a tall mountain, it was a place that looked bounteous and fruitful, but anyone who went there knew it was far more sinister than it appeared. The grove itself contained an imperceptible miasma that accelerated fatigue and hunger, but only affected those who weren't native to it - the denizens of the dungeons were in fact empowered by it, and it made them more aggressive and less easily intimidated, especially considering they were already higher threat level to begin with. Mostly powerful Grass-types and other woodland creature Pokémon, they were ruthless, trying to knock explorers into the water, which accelerated the degrading effects. Only certain edibles found in the dungeon could temporarily mitigate the effects, and they were quickly snatched up by the feral ones. Even under ordinary circumstances, it was considered a high-risk dungeon to attempt...and with an unexpectedly powerful foe at one of the deeper waypoints, it clearly was too much to handle for most.

Which was why it was an incredibly bizarre sight to see the ferals on one of the deepest floors tearing away from a lone Snivy like their lives depended on it.

A Bibarel scampered in panic, as fast as its somewhat portly body would take it; it was no use, as a green blur flashed from behind it and swooped past, a loud slice and crack ringing through the air. Seyris slid to a stop several feet in front of the Bibarel, which collapsed and slumped onto the grass; the long leaf blade in the snake's hand disappearing as the Bibarel did. A Simisage leapt at him from the side, trying to slam its fist on Seyris's head; it didn't even get within arm's reach before one of Seyris's vines lashed across its face, sending it sprawling, and then it was lifted up by the same vine and slammed brutally into a tree, dropping limply to the ground and disappearing. He thought nothing of the disappearance - that was the dungeon's doing, defeated mons would disappear, and then reappear later, none the worse for wear. They were the tests of Giratina, the chaotic element of the dungeons was their provenance.

A fierce shocking attack caught Seyris from the side, though it seemed like he barely reacted to it. He turned to see a Morpeko chittering at him maliciously in its dark phase, looking as smug as it could while still furious. That smugness faded in an instant when Seyris suddenly flashed in front of it, catching it by the throat in one hand and raising it up. It struggled a bit, then screeched as the Snivy's eyes flashed, and its energy was immediately drained, disappearing before Seyris even let it go. He dropped his arm and turned, heading down across the room; the other Pokémon had fled, just like the ones in the previous area after he'd fired a Dragon Pulse point-blank at a Venusaur and sent it flying through the tree wall around the area's borders. Apparently that had made an impression that lingered.

Onwards he went, through the gap in the trees. He felt the miasma receding as he passed through...he was arriving at the waypoint, which was protected from it. A shame, because he'd been somewhat enjoying it. Where other Pokémon were inhibited by it, it had the same effect on him that it had on natives to the dungeon - part of his natural gifts, an innate ability to be empowered by effects which normally weakened a Pokémon. Not entirely unheard of among his kind, except he was an extremely rare variant which didn't have the inverse; most of the time, those who had his trait were weakened by moves which were designed to empower, but Seyris got the intended effect out of those ones as well. As a consequence, it was especially hard to inhibit him in battle, and easy to empower him.

Not that that was the entire reason he'd been able to do what he did, it only helped give him a bit of an extra edge compared to his normal. The reality that no one realized was that Seyris was exceptionally capable of handling most things on his own - he was remarkably strong in pretty much every dimension, well beyond that of a typical exemplar of his species. People just didn't go at his pace, and he was the kind that didn't like to wait around for them to catch up, it just didn't seem like it benefitted either of them. That was why he went it alone as much as anything...though, the fact that he wasn't exactly a social maestro helped as well. He simply didn't terribly like talking, hanging with others, interacting with them...it wasn't that he disliked people, he just didn't really relate to them at all.

The one he was approaching now, though, he didn't have to relate to. The trees opened up again, and there he was...an Infernape, standing tall with folded arms and looking smugly down at him, as cocky a grin as Seyris had ever seen stretched over his face. The Node Stone was on a stump behind him, nothing in particular protected it besides Wadrech, but he didn't seem like he thought he'd need more than that. "Heh. Been a bit since I heard the sound of action coming my way. But those fools must be pretty desperate if they're sending a little snake in the grass to try to best me. Or are you their white flag? You gonna tell me that they're going to give me what I want?"

Seyris didn't respond, looking defiantly into Wadrech's eyes. The Infernape just snickered at that. "Didn't think so, but it was worth a shot. But it's pretty laughable that you're the supposed big shot they sent...after I threw a bunch of dragons out on their asses, you'd think they'd learn. Not sure how you managed to slither your way through a dungeon like that, but you're gonna regret it in a moment, once I put you in your place. I think I might even have some fun with you before you go crying back on your way home, give you something to think about and remember me by when I build my new kingdom. You might even come seeking me out, wanting to serve me..."

Seyris held his arm out to his side, green energy and foliage swirling around it. He waved it hard, breaking out the leaf blade from it, and held it at his side. "...You talk too much."

"Tch...and you don't talk enough. But I'll get you singing soon enough." Wadrech raised his fists, enveloping them in flames. "Watch the king conquer!"

It quickly became clear to Seyris that this was not going to be a fight like the ones on the way here - Wadrech was on a different level entirely. That was obvious from the opening salvo, a testing Leaf Tornado that Wadrech rushed into, charged up within it, and sent it spiraling back at Seyris as an enhanced Fire Spin. Too obvious to actually hit Seyris as he quickly dodged out of the way, but a demonstration what he was capable of, and a warning not to take him lightly. He took it to heart, readying himself...and did an expert duck and roll around the Mach Punch Wadrech sailed at him with, followed by a rising slash with his Leaf Blade that barely missed thanks to the Infernape overrunning his attack.

Wadrech tried to ambush him with a Fire Punch immediately after he had recovered his balance, slinging himself around to try to catch Seyris, the Snivy barely ducking under in time. He swing with his blade again, but Wadrech cloaked himself in flame, and the blade burned, unable to do more than nick the Infernape. Seyris cast away the severed blade, not bothering reforming it - Wadrech was too ready for it, his heat was dulling the effect even when he didn't have the active flame aura up. He needed different tricks to succeed against him...but there was no panic in him, no fear, just determination.

Wadrech suddenly rushed him again, and Seyris focused on avoiding this time, trying to read the moves and patterns. A couple Energy Balls went in as counters but Wadrech went right through them, fists and feet swinging in Blaze Kicks and Fire Punches and Sky Uppercuts, all fast and furious. Seyris avoided most of them, but dodging a roundhouse Blaze Kick, he realized Wadrech was too on-balance...the thought occurred to him to Protect, but he didn't, instead letting the Mach Punch slam into him and send him flying. He landed and skidded on the ground, flipping to restore his balance. Not a nothing hit, but not a knockout by any means.

"Hah...didn't think you'd be able to stand after that one." Wadrech was cackling, clearly enjoying himself. "Not bad, I would've thought I'd get you before that. But if you think you're going to run me out of fuel, you're gonna be disappointed, I've got more in the tank than anyone I've ever seen. Good luck getting through my flames with those pathetic leaves of yours."

Definitely talked too much. Seyris had no shortage of ideas for what he COULD do against Wadrech...the trouble was how hardy the Infernape was, he could sense the monkey's toughness, clearly unusual for his kind. And he knew that Wadrech wouldn't make it easy for him, even if he did get the edge...the monkey probably had some ideas up his sleeve for making sure he didn't get the Node Stone, he wouldn't let go of his leverage that easily. Advantages Wadrech had over him no matter what...he needed to think his strategy carefully.

Seyris's eyes glowed blue, and another twister kicked up and rushed towards Wadrech - this one an actual Twister, which the Infernape wasn't ready for. He took the attack, which didn't faze him too much but clearly incited him to act more fiercely, as he rushed down Seyris once again. Seyris took to the defensive again, but this time was less linear, dancing around Wadrech and making sure he couldn't easily rear back for another surprise. He flung a couple Magical Leaf attacks as he did, trying to disrupt Wadrech's focus and give himself a window for something more substantial, but Wadrech seemed barely to make any effort to dodge...Seyris was understanding the trouble the others were having now, Wadrech was preternaturally capable of enduring just about anything. His leaves weren't ideal against a Fire-type but they normally did SOMEthing, Wadrech was basically no-selling them.

He managed to get in a Dragon Tail, knocking Wadrech away and giving himself a bit of breathing space, though he knew it wasn't going to last. He needed to come up with something...Wadrech rushed at him again, and he wove out of the way, flinging a Vine Whip as a straight jab to knock against the side of the monkey's head. Wadrech staggered, glaring as he turned to face down Seyris. "Okay, getting a bit tired of you, little fucker snake. You're gonna be GREAT stress relief when I put you down."

Seyris braced himself to evade once again as Wadrech rushed him once more, the fire even fiercer over all his limbs. The swings were getting even closer now, Seyris having to react more blindly, and not able to move side to side as much as he wanted to...and once again, he found himself dodging right into an oncoming swing. He launched himself upwards with his vines, avoiding the Fire Punch...but it was an enormous tactical blunder, and he knew it before he found himself dropping right into the path of Wadrech's Flare Blitz. The attack struck him square, and he was buffeted by fire as the pushdown attack trapped him, and then Wadrech made him pay properly as he launched himself up into the air and then drove down, slamming Seyris into the ground with all the force of the attack. He popped back upright, Seyris didn't, staying down and panting hard.

"GodDAMN, about time. Hah, cocky little snake, thinking you could take ME on." Wadrech was panting a bit, too, as he stepped over and snatched up Seyris, the Snivy wincing at the rough treatment. "But in the end, you're just another little grassy bitch who belongs on my dick. So let's put you in your proper place...you might never be able to leave once I get you there, I know how much you little bitches love it."

Seyris opened his eyes, and of course, right in the center of his vision was exactly what Wadrech was promising...an imposingly large cock, smooth and rounded at the head, the spicy and sulfuric musk leaving a burn in his nostrils. He wasn't in any position to struggle, being held up by the powerful hands of the Infernape...there was no escape, just inevitability. Wadrech's grip shifted, one hand on the Snivy's side and one on his head as he pulled him towards that steaming shaft. "C'mon, snake bitch, open up, I know you can swallow a lot," he cackled as he mashed his cock against Seyris's mouth.

There was no winning this fight, and it only took a few pushes before the head breached Seyris's maw, and then it was shoved in forcefully. The thick tool stretched his throat, leaving a potent burning sensation that made his eyes water, but the pressure on his head made certain he couldn't do anything about it, Wadrech was in control now. Slowly, his spasms ceased, and Seyris fell in line, moaning and bobbing at a pace dictated by how much let Wadrech gave him, the Infernape mostly in charge of pushing him down while Seyris pulled back. The Snivy's hands finally took a grip on Wadrech's pelt to give him leverage, but it was clear he wasn't making any real effort to pull away.

"Hah! That's what I thought. Maybe a bit more skilled than most, but you're still just a bitch at heart. Same as all the other little fucks that don't evolve, it's because they wanna be stretched out by cocks almost as big as they are." Wadrech's gloating was loud and boisterous, he clearly held this opinion VERY dear to his heart, and he was making sure Seyris felt all that energy he had...the heat was just building up more and more, Wadrech wasn't holding much back, putting as much thermal and physical pressure as he could on Seyris. The snake's body felt incredibly hot, the musk was getting more potent, and his own twins were pushing out of his slit, leaking their much lighter and sweeter scent into the air. "Yeah, that's right, snake whore, get hard for me, I'm gonna fuck you until you run dry after you slurp down my first load!"

Seyris certainly wasn't going to doubt him, not the way he was already hammering away into his maw. The furious heat was going to obliterate all of his sensitive spots, and he had plenty inside him that were reserved for temperature sensitivity...but it wasn't his choice anymore, all he could do was take what the monkey intended to do to him. And the first part of that was the searing heat in his throat, the gushing precum which felt like lava pouring into him, the raging force that was being used to batter him into succumbing...all of Seyris's intense power was being unleashed on him now, the Infernape wasn't holding a single thing back, clearly intent on turning Seyris into a charred fucktoy.

It wasn't long before Seyris's nose was being mashed into Wadrech's crotch, soaking it with more of that choking musk. His whole body felt like it was on fire, too much of that precum had already invaded him and had left its heat to radiate through the rest of him, and there was hardly anywhere for it to escape to given how hot the air was around them now as well. Yet Seyris's throat seemed to fit almost perfectly, if snugly, around that thick cock...Wadrech was right, snakes were built to stretch for it, and Seyris was demonstrating that quite obviously, much to the Infernape's delight. "Yeah, that's right, slut, take every inch, show your new master how well you can serve him!"

Well, that made his intentions clear, but it wasn't as if Seyris could do much about it; he couldn't even voice his objection with how packed full his throat was. Nor could he stop his cocks from leaking onto the grass underneath him, or as much as they could with the heat vaporizing the fluid rather quickly and spreading the scent of his lust into the air. Which only inflamed Wadrech's lust, the Infernape clearly reveling in the image that his new snake slut wanted this as much as he did. And that finally brought him over the edge, Wadrech letting out an infernal yowl as he exploded into Seyris, pumping a healthy, virile, viciously hot load inside the Snivy. Seyris couldn't swallow, his throat was totally blocked and all he could do was let it pump into him, his body squeezing some out into his mouth so he had to taste that spicy, musky seed on his tongue, burning constantly as it pooled along the bottom, a few dribbles leaking out.

Wadrech didn't relent at all, making sure every drop had been emptied from his balls before pulling out of Seyris. The Snivy panted hoarsely, his throat aching and raw from the sheer heat that had been baking it. That side of him was getting a reprieve, though...at the expense of the other. Wadrech flipped the snake in his hands and laid back on the ground, holding Seyris over his cock, the snake just hanging limply in his grip. "Hah, looks like you're already broken, bitch. But let's break you PROPERLY, so you'll know your place for good!"

Seyris knew better than to expect anything gentle, and he was validated immediately as he was yanked down HARD, the whole of that massive shaft drilled into him at once. And immediately he came, his body's pleasure points viciously attacked and overwhelmed in an instant, sweet and sticky seed spitting out onto the wilting grass to hiss and steam in the furious heat. And Wadrech wasn't relenting even the slightest bit, yanking him up and slamming him down again, over and over, burying that entire blazing poker into the Snivy without the slightest bit of mercy, forcing more and more of Seyris's seed out of him.

"Fuck, yeah! I'm gonna make your balls a barren desert, bitch! They'll go so dry you'll never shoot a drop again!" Wadrech certainly seemed to be trying to do that, unleashing gashes of heat that made Seyris's body flare up hotter and hotter, his cocks still continuously spewing but the dribbles getting weaker and weaker. He just didn't have much more in the tank, no one could after a ravaging like this. All he could do was squirm in that vice-like grip, his legs occasionally kicking out involuntarily, weak cries escaping him as the air was driven out of his body over and over again, barely any able to be drawn in, tainted with fiery musk when it was.

And yet, Wadrech still wasn't done...suddenly Seyris spasmed as the Infernape's hands and body lit up in fierce flames. There was no avoiding it, the flames engulfed Seyris, making him screech out. "Ahahahaha! Now you're MINE, snake fuck!" bellowed Wadrech, hammering his cock in there, that already malevolent rod now wreathed in flame itself. Designed not to damage physically but to be absolutely brutal on the psyche, the flames were a beast of an addition to the already outrageous fucking, lighting up every single nerve the Snivy had with pain and pleasure. His cocks were shooting nothing, but still being cooked in heat, still trying to pump out from the empty well, and there was nothing Seyris could do to stop it. Only Wadrech could stop it, and that would only happen at one particular point...

The only grace was the speed - Wadrech was going so all out that he couldn't hold himself back, and another primordial cry escaped him as he orgasmed hard. Each shot felt like a volcanic gut-punch from the inside to Seyris, and he could do nothing but take each blow as his body was pumped full with that infernal essence. It felt like he was literally being cooked alive in a lava vent, though he couldn't imagine the real thing would feel good in ANY way, unlike this, where there was an obvious attempt to break him through sheer pleasure and his sensitive spots were being furiously flamed to the breaking point. And it seemed like it might have reached that, as Seyris fell limp in the Infernape's grip, head hanging back, the only motions in his body from his lungs trying to suck in that fire-tainted air.

The flames did abate finally, though, as Wadrech's surge finally vanished. The Infernape was panting just as hard as Seyris was, having put even more into the fucking that the fight, but it was clearly satisfying to him to see the Snivy surrendering submissively to him. He finally relinquished his grip on Seyris, laying back in bliss and letting the snake bend his cock up as he fell back against his body. "Mmrr...now THAT'S how you fuck a bitch...heh...bet you're glad I beat your ass up now, ain'tcha, snake slut?"

"...Yes. Quite glad."

Wadrech had just enough time to process that that voice sounded far too clear-headed, before he felt something seize his wrists and ankles. His eyes shot back open, to see Seyris pulling himself off of his cock, and his limbs bound by something from the ground. "Wh-what the fuck?! Grass Knot?!" He growled, trying to raise his flames back up to destroy the grassy bindings...but his body refused to cooperate, stuck in the orgasmic afterglow and overtaxed by their hefty use during the fucking. "Ah! No! No way!"

Seyris didn't hesitate - heedless of his leaking ass, he booked it away from Wadrech and towards the Node Stone, now sitting entirely undefended on the stump. Up he hopped, displaying entirely too much energy for what he should have after what had just happened, something that Wadrech was realizing with horror. He didn't know how, but he'd been PLAYED.

"No! Get the fuck away from that! That's mine! NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" His voice didn't match his body's level of struggle, though, unable to free himself or fry the vines holding him. Anger and shock and desperation were forged in his face as Seyris turned back to him, a smug smile as he looked down at the now defeated Infernape, his arm around the Node Stone as his badge flashed. He gave no more words as he was warped out of the dungeon...and for Wadrech, that was the cruelest bite of them all, the taunt of complete silence saying more than any of his words ever could.

---

In the end, it really had been the only viable course of action.

Seyris privately had to thank Wadrech for being so obvious about his intentions, otherwise the idea might not have come to him. As strong as the Infernape was, brute force wasn't going to overwhelm him before he cut his losses, and trying a more roundabout strategy would only convince him to escape rather than lose his bounty. He had needed to give himself an opening without the monkey being able to go after him...letting him think he'd won and wearing himself out on screwing the Snivy was the best plan available. Others might have questioned it, but he had the results to show for it.

It was a risk, albeit a calculated one. A blatant opening for an all-out attack, he was relying on Wadrech not suspecting anything, and himself to last with enough fight power to pull off the next part afterwards. He'd been making efforts to learn Endure, even though it wasn't natural to his kind, and he'd only gotten it to properly trigger about 80% of the time...whether it had worked or not, though, he'd given himself up early enough that even a heavy-hitting move like that didn't fully take him out - Wadrech wasn't the only unnaturally tough Pokémon out there. It might not have gone so well if he'd waited until later in the match...though, it was unlikely that he would've not had the edge later, so there might not have been a proper opportunity anyway.

The fiery fucking hadn't been quite as anticipated, but Wadrech had been so focused on going all out that he'd never noticed Seyris channeling his Synthesis to keep his energy up. And it had made him a far easier target in the aftermath - the Infernape's flames would have been arrested briefly in the afterglow either way, but using up so much energy ensured that his window was nice and large. Seyris couldn't have asked for a better execution, really. Nor a better rut...Wadrech had been quite the satisfying assailant, Seyris rarely got lucky enough to have more consensual partners go as all out as that. A shame, given how much abuse he could take, but he understood.

And so he returned to Burnhylde, somewhat singed and somewhat stuffed, but more than somewhat successful. The Node Stone was handed over to the city's leaders, who replaced it back in its proper position, along with extra protections that had already been set up with the others, making it much more difficult for something like this to happen again. Seyris received his hefty bounty, much of which was stowed away in the bank, but he did take the time to indulge himself in the baths (it was always satisfying to clean back up after a good romp), an expensive meal, and some relaxation treatments. Not his usual routine, but this had been a big job, and it felt good to unwind sometimes from the really important stuff...plus, he focused on the businesses in the southern sector, who were likely grateful to be able to operate as they usually were again and looking to get their activity levels back to normal.

It was a couple days later that he finally visited the mission board again, and as luck would have it, a couple of the teams from before were there. And apparently quite in a lather over the recent events.

"I still can't believe it! If I hadn't seen everything all lit up in the South I would've thought it was lies." The Medicham sounded almost dizzy. "I don't know how that little snake managed to snatch back the Node Stone!"

"I heard someone saying that Wadrech booked it!" the Pancham gushed. "He was so humiliated about losing that he couldn't show his face around Burnhylde again! Not that he would've been able to get to the Node Stones so easily anyway, but I guess he didn't even want to try!"

"I can see why," said the Passimian. "You can beat some of our top stars, but you get your shit wrecked by a Snivy? That's gotta be a mortal pride wound for a guy like him."

The chatter suddenly stopped as Seyris reached the board, acting as usual like he hadn't heard them. His eyes quickly caught onto a request - a yellow border, not nearly as momentous but certainly a step up in challenge from the norm, a request for some rare plants found deep inside a fairly tricky dungeon. As he snatched it up, he heard the Ursaring rumble from behind him. "Hey, you...did you really...go down there all by yourself to get that Node Stone back? You faced down Wadrech all on your own? You really did all that?"

Seyris turned his head, giving them a sidelong glance. "...I took the job, didn't I?"

And then he turned, his new request in hand, leaving the rest of them in awe and confusion. "Fuckin' hell...don't misjudge the quiet ones, I guess," sighed the Ursaring.

"I gotta know his secret," muttered the Passimian. "The power he's gotta be packing in that tiny form, I don't usually get envious but DAMN. Shades of those two dudes in Everleaf, dunno how they do it..."

Their voices became a muddy blur as Seyris put distance on them, his focus back onto business. But a tiny bit of that smug smile graced his face privately...sometimes it was nice to be underestimated, just for the reactions when he proved them wrong. And while he wasn't hoping trouble got bad enough for him to have to show his skills to their fullest, he'd be ready to do it whenever he needed to.