"Routes of Hazzard!" - Mio
Mio nodded enthusiastically as Brendan explained his reasoning, totally forgetting that he was supposed to be 'cool.'
"Having such a sturdy Pokemon would definitely come in handy in caves... and the hearing is definitely a plus." He paused, considering Brendan's question before continuing. "Well... I really wanted a Pokemon that would be easy to handle, at least at first. I already kind of have my hands full with Meena, so something nice and calm would be a big help for me. It was actually a toss-up between Mudkip, Cleffa, and Flabebe, but I also wanted something that could take more hits since Meena is so fragile... and the water/ground typing was appealing, since the only weakness I'd have to account for would be grass, which is fairly easy to counter..." With a small start, Mio realized he'd been rambling.
"Aha, sorry! But anyways, Loam balances out Meena very well, and I'm hoping she'll help mellow her out a little."
The water type in question perked up at the sound of her name, and then again at something entirely different. She froze, the fin on her head rigid. Loam rushed to Mio's leg and and gave him a hard little bump.
"What's the matter?"
Loam responded by rushing forwards, forcing Mio to break out into a run to follow. They shoved through thick underbrush, getting scratched to hell and back by branches and thorns before finally reaching an area that was relatively clear. Meena was crouched near a thick tangle of brambles, her tail lashing. The group could hear the sounds of a fight, and Mio understood Loam and Meena's distress. Something was struggling in the the thicket of thorns, and they could hear the sneering chatter of a Patrat.
Meena looked to Mio, who simply nodded. He couldn't risk the Patrat hearing his commands, so he just had to trust that Meena knew what to do. The Meowth's battle instincts, and maybe more importantly, her predator instincts, were on high gear. She backed up and tensed her legs as much as she possibly could before exploding up and over the wall of brambles. She only just made it over; her stomach and back legs scraped painfully against the thicket, but she had the Patrat in her sights and some silly scratches weren't going to stop her from getting her prey. She plummeted towards the unsuspecting Patrat's back, eyes gleaming as she gathered dark energy into her mouth. Meena wasn't pulling any punches in this fight; her eyes were focused on the rodent's neck.