The ILEX Team

"Thanks for the help earlier, Faustus, but our priority now should be to move the hell away from this area. Infected will surely be attracted by those explosions, and they will gather in here fast, very fast. We have to go, anywhere but here." The Haunter spoke, which caused the Phanteon to nod. "Alright," he murmured, before his attention was drawn away by a silvery newcomer.

It was coloured black and white, coming out from the flora and offering to help while holding up a bag of what the ghost assumed to be medicine. Suddenly, the angry voice of the serpent made Faustus flinch. "You offer us help-- for what? We could be just as dangerous as that filthy diseased-- why take the chance? I'm not some juvenile to just trust any pokemon weilding a friendly smile and bag of supplies; niether one of you are coming near me. Do you understand?"

The Phanteon stared at the Arbok for a moment, words rushing through his head. 'Yeah well, what are we supposed to do instead then? Watch you in pain?' The phantom struggled to not start bursting out in annoyance, breathing deeply to calm himself. "I will respect you decision. Understood," Faustus replied, his head motioning a slow nod. He now redirected himself to the fellow apparition, curious. "I'm not really familiar with this region, but what's the closest city from here? Perhaps we could go to a village and see if we can rest up in an abandoned home?"

"Before you come with us... what is your name? I've never seen anything like you..." The Espeon asked, her voice broken and soft and her eyes brimming with tears. He didn't have to look at her aura to see that she was in pain on the inside. His ears fell a bit as he faced her, slowly approaching.
"I'm Ilo. I'm um...I come from Sinnoh..." He muttered awkwardly, his eyes falling to the ground in uncertainty. "I had a shelter not far fro-"
"Why are you so charitable, either of you?!" The Arbok exploded, making the Riolu jump back in surprise.
"You offer us help-- for what? We could be just as dangerous as that filthy diseased-- why take the chance? I'm not some juvenile to just trust any pokemon weilding a friendly smile and bag of supplies; niether one of you are coming near me. Do you understand?"
'Filthy diseased?..' I guess they just got out of a fight with some infected...
Ilo watched the coiling Arbok cautiously, putting up his paws in front of him. The ghost fox didn't say much in return and seemed to take her violent reaction in stride, despite his aura vibrating with indignation. Ilo, however stayed fast, his eyes going from her defensive glare to the deep wounds along her long body. The Riolu looked at her with intensity, his paws slowly lowering to his sides in submission.

"I know I've given no reason for you to trust me...but I think that..." He paused, looking at the others before continuing. "Fighting each other is pointless. The entire region is teeming with things that want to kill us. And...the thought of not being able to trust...anyone...wearies me." He said, his last words quieter than the rest. With a tired sigh, he got to one knee, placed his bag on the ground and opened it towards them, revealing a large array of medications and other supplies.
"See? I mean no harm. We're in the same boat, whether you like that or not. You either trust me, or find a way to not attract more undead to all of us with your...copious bleeding." He finished, his paw motioning towards her large wounds, a tinge of anxiety coloring his voice.

After a moment of tension, he looked about the ruins before adding an offer. "I'll help anyone who needs medical attention, if I can travel with all of you, but we need to hurry."

(Lol, he's such a boob.)

As Anaksa ranted to the two newcommers, Xander's mild headache worsen into a trubbing cramp on the verges of being untolerable. Damnit, she's even worse than Ruby's ranting when she's into it. Faustus spoke a little, but the Haunter could see that he's also frustrated by her. The tension was rising into the group. Xander knew it, and it wasn't good. But his painful headache get ahold of his mind as he snaps back at the Arbok, a claw pointed at her: "And if Plague and the rest of us wouldn't had been so juvenile to just trust any pokemon weilding a friendly smile and a shelter, your den would still exist, you HYPOCRITE! Stop blaming them for YOUR own FAULTS!" The corners of Xander's mouth were twitching as he stared down at her, the trubbing in his head doing roller coaster rides in intensity.

Groaning a little while massing his forehead, he turned to the Riolu. "Ilo, isn't it? Do you have by any chances something in there that stop headaches, because I'm feeling snappy and something tell me that it won't be long before I get out of fuse." Turning to the Arbok, he added: "Look, we're not forcing you to be with us. You can go by your free will." "But Ilo got a point: Those wounds of yours won't heal themselves of they aren't treated properly, and you probably won't be able to tend them without "These"."he added, showing her his claws.

Suddenly, a light breeze blows on the group, and Xander recognise the drenched smells that it contained.

Infecteds

"I don't know for you guys, but If I were you, I would move my ass to get to the nearest shelter possible, because they are coming here..." He then proceeded to move toward the wrecks of Azalea Town, searching a proper building or structure with enough safety to protect them from the infected.

"I'm Ilo. I'm um... I come from Sinnoh..." Well, he hadn't said what he was, but the name was nice at least. He was walking forward slowly, awkwardly, and Mint felt a spike of sympathy for him. "I had a shelter not far fro-"

And then Anaska exploded. Mint gaped at her in shock as she turned on those who had offered help. What the fuck!? Did you forget YOU randomly approached US with help just freaking YESTERDAY!?

Before her thoughts could be spoken to the ungrateful serpent's face, Xander beat her to it... with pretty much the same observation. And, for added effectiveness, Ilo told the snake off too... though in a far calmer way. Mint was starting to like this Ilo.

"I'm not really familiar with this region, but what's the closest city from here? Perhaps we could go to a village and see if we can rest up in an abandoned home?" The ghost fox had also managed to keep a cool head in the face of the blistering accusations. Mint chalked Xander's freak out up to a combination of stress, pain, and grief over their friend before answering Faustus's question. "We're in Azalea Town. So... that makes the closest human settlement... Goldenrod..." Mulling it over a moment, she added: "But that's not a good idea. Goldenrod is the biggest city in the region; there's bound to be a lot more danger there than in a little town like this..."

"Ilo, isn't it? Do you have by any chances something in there that stop headaches, because I'm feeling snappy and something tell me that it won't be long before I get out of fuse." Mint couldn't help but smile a slight bit. Uh, that hadn't been blowing his fuse? The Arbok had deserved it, but still. If Xander didn't consider that losing his temper, Mint wondered what he did think flipping his lid was. She particularly enjoyed the light jab at the Arbok's inability to care for her wounds, even if it was a slight stab at herself too. I wish I had thumbs...

A breeze blew in, and it would have meant nothing if not for the scent of decay it carried. Mint froze and instantly glanced over at Xander, unsure of why she did so but doing so anyway. Once again, the ghost was prepared. Sort of. As much as he could be, anyway. "I don't know for you guys, but If I were you, I would move my ass to get to the nearest shelter possible, because they are coming here..."

Mint wasted no time in trotting after the floating ghost, beckoning to the others with her head to follow. She trusted Xander, and while she didn't want to leave the others behind, she would choose Xander over them if she absolutely had to.

"And if Plague and the rest of us wouldn't had been so juvenile to just trust any pokemon weilding a friendly smile and a shelter, your den would still exist, you HYPOCRITE! Stop blaming them for YOUR own FAULTS!"

If Anaksa had fur, it would be on end. If she had claws, they would be out, scoring the ground in silent fury. Her tail rattled, her fangs bore and her eyes widened with the ghost's impunity; how... DARE HE! "You're right, I should have left you shelterless and bereft! Then I would still have my home, wouldn't I? I SHOULDN'T be blaming them, and I don't! I BLAME YOU!" If she were in better health, if she weren't bleeding, if there weren't a pokemon with a damned type advantage on the ghost's side, she would have re-killed that damned phantom right where he floated, right where his indignant, infinite mouth spouted all of that self-righteous bullshit. "Your leaders had good reason to leave you." The comment was low and loathesome, and directed at them all.

However, it seemed her words fell on deaf ears. Figured. "Look, we're not forcing you to be with us. You can go by your free will. But Ilo got a point: Those wounds of yours won't heal themselves of they aren't treated properly, and you probably won't be able to tend them without these." He wriggled his claws, which only made Anaksa scoff.

"You think my kind has gotten this far in history with hands always looking after them? I know how to deal with my own wounds, Phantom. Stop flaunting your claws-- no one cares." But his words went further into her mind, the thought of leaving growing more and more in her thoughts. It was just sounding better and better, if not to simply get away from this wretched specter.

Then, of course, more trouble. The ghost announced it first, suggesting movement and shelter. The espeon followed, and Anaksa was sure the others would as well. With the cat and ghost, they at least seemed to have been with each other for a while, and that bond was not likely to break. So be it. Turning in the opposite direction, she paused to glance at the two newcomers, the slef-proclaimed philanthropists. "I hope you think they're worth your time," Anaksa hissed, her hard glare flicking to each of them in turn, "because they weren't worth my home." And with that, as the roars and vibrations from the undead began, she slithered off into the underbrush. Hopefully, she'd be able to find someplace safe...

((And this is her leaving post. It's been fun, guys! XD))

All this yelling was really hurting his ears.

Faustus was never one for shouting, even if it was the only thing he ever did in his juvenile years. The Phateon shifted uncomfortably as he listened to the words. "You're right, I should have left you shelterless and bereft! Then I would still have my home, wouldn't I? I SHOULDN'T be blaming them, and I don't! I BLAME YOU!" 'Perhaps we should not pin the blame on anyone...?' The ghost was wise enough to not say his words, knowing full well he'd probably get even more words screamed at his face. Instead, he waited for all of them.

"We're in Azalea Town. So... that makes the closest human settlement... Goldenrod... But that's not a good idea. Goldenrod is the biggest city in the region; there's bound to be a lot more danger there than in a little town like this..." The ghost-type nodded in understanding, the argument simply white noise to his ears now. "I see. Thank you," he mumbled, surveying the torn land.

"I don't know for you guys, but If I were you, I would move my ass to get to the nearest shelter possible, because they are coming here..." Faustus smelled the breeze to, ghostly pelt flickering in alarm. Although undead didn't quite disturb them as they used to, having gotten used to the animated corpses over the year, they still left him in a nervous state. Already the Haunter and Espeon were leaving, the Arbok deciding to leave in the other direction. "I hope you think they're worth your time, because they weren't worth my home."

Faustus stood there for moments, taking in the words of the snake. He was about to shout something, but already the serpent was gone and the sounds of the dead was growing louder. He was torn, looking back and forth from the leaving group and the Arbok. "...O Fortuna what should I do?" he mumbled, staring down at the golden pendant hanging from his neck. He grit his teeth, before forcing his paws to step towards where the others were heading. "Great lady of fortune please tell me I'm walking the right path," he whispered to himself, carefully following the phantom.

Ilo nodded at the ghost and Espeon as they seemed to understand the urgency. As the others began to move, he looked back at the retreating Arbok with a hint of disappointment on his face. The snake had left a thick trail of blood following her.
At least with an attitude that fiery, she may just survive her wounds and the attacks that she will no doubt encounter.

A sudden growling shook him out of his thoughts, his gaze whipping around to see the others far ahead of him. His golden eyes grew wide as he started forward.
"Wait!" He shouted, only to be cut off by a terrible screeching and rumbling.
The Riolu fell to his knees in pain as he covered his ears with his paws, his eyes meeting with an enormous Onix, it's body torn and dark as it snaked it's way towards him. The Riolus' fur stood on end as he leapt to his feet, looking to the group and then to the solid wall of rock barreling towards him.
If I run towards them, it will only follow and destroy any hope of safety they'd have in the buildings! And who knows if they can take another battle- they're all wounded!-
A fearful resolve was clear in his eyes as they met with the Espeons. He grimaced, and shouted as loudly as he could towards the oncoming monster. "Come and get me you disgusting thing!" With that, he turned tail and dashed towards Azaleas' shore, away from the group, with the Onix following close behind.

(I'm sorry to have him show up and just leave you guys, but too much is going on right now, and I just can't handle so many teams. It's been fantastic RPing with all of you, and I will miss Ilex so much. The Onix came from the caves, just to give you guys a better idea of direction)

As they began to go toward the remainings of Azalea, an horribly loud screech made Xander's head split in pain. He holds his floating head with both his hands while trying to remain airborne, but he still had difficulties to control himself, because there was litterally an hacksaw cutting through his head. "DAMNIT! MAKE IT STOP SOMEONE!". Despite the huge pain, he could still feel something big was near. Turning around to see if the others were there, he saw an humongeous Onix fending the ground with his rock body toward Ilo. The Haunter just had the time to focus on Ilo to hear a fatidic shout from him.

"Come and get me you disgusting thing!"

To his surprise, the rock snake followed the Riolu as himself ran away from them, toward the shores. The whole body and mind of the Haunter wanted to shout him to stop, that it was madness, but it was already too late as the enourmous rock Pokémon dissapeared from his sight. Xander praised for Ilo's safety. After all, he was probably the only one who could deal with that kind of Pokémon best, since he have the type-adventage over it. Still.....

Xander was remaining there for a brief moment, then turned around and continued on his way. His headache slowly start to rise again in him, he pointed the ruins of the building separating the Ilex forest of Azalea Town. "There..... it should be enough for some time....".

(OOc: Please skip. OTL I completely forgot it was my turn. I am so sorry.)

Perhaps the stony behemoth was a sign from the gods.

As the rock serpent emerged from the filthy Earth, it's tainted body oozing malevolence, Faustus felt the anxiety within him grow even larger. Maybe this Onix really was a sign from his good Lady Fortune, his fur fading from reality as it flickered in alarm. Soon enough, the Riolu was off though. "Come and get me you disgusting thing!" Faustus gazed at his sprinting figure as it grew fainter from distance. As the fighting-type wanted, the undead was already hot on his trail and lead away from the group. "How brave..." he mumbled, a bit of envy biting his mind. The black and white Pokemon was definitely courageous, sacrificing himself to save the others. "Gods, give him good fortune,"

The Haunter was already on the move again, the Phanteon padding after him. The remains of a settlement began to poke into his vision as they passed the tree line, curiously gazing at the broken buildings. "There..... it should be enough for some time...." Faustus nods, but soon found his eyes locked on the gym. "I hope there's no undead in there," he muttered, cautious of the building. Gyms were used to test a trainer's strength against strong Pokemon, which meant it would be highly likely that any undead from there would be... bothersome.

"Which building shall we take temporary residence in? Most of them seem too ruined..."

The Haunter looks back at the Ghostly Eeveelution and slightly nods. "Indeed. It's not everyone who would do what he did. Let's just hope he can deal with it now, because there's nothing much more we can do at this point." Floating ahead of his two others companions, Xander looked at the structures and building of Azalea Town.

Most of them were torn appart, due to the explosions of the gas lines, and dying fires could be seen everywhere. Even the welcoming sign of the town has been damaged by the fires. The Pokémon center as well as the PokéMart have both completely blown out. The Charcoal Kiln house was still burning fiercy, maybe because of the amount of Charcoal in it. Huge smoke clouds were masking a part of the Sun's light. The only moderately still standing buildings were the Gym, where half of the roof collapsed into the building, and the house of the Apicorn fanatic, which seems to have been damaged, but relatively moderates ones compared to the others settlements.

As Xander was still evaluating which building should be chosen as shelter, Faustus spoke a little. "I hope there's no undead in there" he said, looking at the ravaged Gym, before asking where they should go. After a moment of reflexion, the Haunter added: "I don't believe there's any infected there, as the explosions should have at least drive them crazy and converging at the sources of it. But as it was a Gym, my guess is that we shouldn't go inside, just for safety: The roof doesn't seems solid enough too. We-"*He stopped, looking at both Mint and Faustus, not sure of what to say before continuing* "I mean...em.. you could be crushed if the roof goes down. I suggest we go to the Apicorn addict's house. It seems relatively safer."

"NO!"

Mint choked the word out in a scream as Ilo willingly led the undead rock snake away. No way. Just no way. She didn't care that the snake left, but she'd just started to like the Riolu. And now, just like that, he was gone.

Another friend. Gone.

She stared after where he left with wide eyes, not wanting to accept it. Because... why? What was the purpose of meeting someone like that only for them to leave?

Arecus was being a cruel ass today. Oh yes he was.

She missed Faustus's question but learned soon enough what it was from the answer Xander gave the ghost: "I don't believe there's any infected there, as the explosions should have at least drive them crazy and converging at the sources of it. But as it was a Gym, my guess is that we shouldn't go inside, just for safety: The roof doesn't seems solid enough too. We-" The Espeon's mouth curled up in the smallest of smiles, knowing what was coming next. Funny, how he kept forgetting he was intangible. "I mean...em.. you could be crushed if the roof goes down. I suggest we go to the Apicorn addict's house. It seems relatively safer."

"... Should we even stay here...?" Mint hated this town. Despised it. She wanted to leave. "It's daytime. The monsters... is it sleeping they do...? Well anyway, they're never as active in the day as they are at night. If we wanna consider leaving town, we should leave now... maybe we'd have better luck in the forest...?"

Flapping his chocolate coloured wings to catch the hidden air paths the Noctowl soars above Ilex Forest. The ruffled edges of each wing feather make his flight completely silent.
He scans the ground below him, his eyes picking up the faintest of details. He can see the twitching tail of a rattata as it digs for grubs in the soil and the smaller still movements of a fallen leaf as the bug type underneath nibbles at its edges. He lands on a tree branch, razor talons clinging tightly to the tree bark and plucks free a few ruffled feathers with busy darts of his beak, smoothing others over with careful strokes. He unfolds each wing and carefully grooms the underside as he keeps an eye on the activity on below him. The sting of the long since risen sun as the bright morning light assaults his red eyes is nothing new, he merely keeps a close watch out on the other pokemon he thought he saw.

Zephyr had suffered from his madness too long to think being awake now was anything strange. It had all been predicted after all but he still didn't understand any of it. Curiously with a coo he tilts his head to the side as he watches. This was all getting rather interesting and-ONIX! In alarm the bird screeches loudly, flapping its wings to whip up the air around it and making a horrible uproar.

Clumsily the large bird pokemon lands on the tiled roofs of the Azalea town house, his long talons scraping down the ceramic with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. The pretty tiled are gouged with large ugly line, some slip loose to shatter on the ground below.
Flapping his wings frantically to slow his descent the Noctowl skids down the sloping curve of the roof and hooks the long black talons of one scaled foot to the underside of the drainpipe to halt his fall. The bit of metal creaks ominously, the bird's weight threatening to pop the anchors that lock it in place from the stone wall of the building.

Hanging upside down from one foot the bird tilts his head around as far as it will go, his red eyes focusing on the ground below. His wings outstretched and feathers rumpled he looks ridiculous; a clown. His messy, noisy landing was planned although for what purpose is unknown to anyone that does not share his dementia. Though his appearance may be comic there is an almost disturbing intensity in his bright red eyes as he blinks and opens his beak, showing the sharp shape of his tongue inside. "Do you know the answer?" He asks with a caw as he swings back and forth. The metal drainpipe protests all the louder, a few of the nails that kept it anchored to the stone wall popping loose.

The Noctowl swings around one last time before letting go and leaping into flight, corkscrewing mid-air to get the right way around as he dives down from the treetops swiftly, landing with a stagger on his clawed feet as he tries to keep his balance while not in the air.
"Do you know the answer?!" Zephyr screeches loudly at no-one in particular before covering his beak with a wingtip. “Sorry, that was loud.”

"... Should we even stay here...? It's daytime. The monsters... is it sleeping they do...? Well anyway, they're never as active in the day as they are at night. If we wanna consider leaving town, we should leave now... maybe we'd have better luck in the forest...?"
Xander could understand the uneasy look in the Espeon's eyes. With everything that happened in here, he would go away from there too. But....

" I'm sorry Mint, but... I can imagine how much you despite this town, but I believe we have no other choices: While I may agree as the infected remain -shall we say "dormant"?-, the Ilex forest is as dark as the night. If there's a place where the undeads are roaming days and nights, it would been there. Beside, answer me franckly: Where would you want to go? Everywhere would still looks like here: Devastation everywhere, the Humans flew away.... or even dead.... rot and destruction. That's the only thing we'll get if we move. Plus an extra chance to be killed. With a deep sigh, he continued, while motionning to Kurt's house. "Look, as I said, I don't hold you back. You're free to go on your own, but remember that number is safety. I really need to rest, this headache is slowly killing me" He stopped for a moment. Could it be? Does he's turning... infected? He doesn't feel sick or anything, just this trobbing headache. No bloodlust, no... decomposing (Not that it couldn't happen, since he's a ghost, but still....). No, of course not he wasn't becoming infected. Xander shoved that idea out of his mind. For now, he needs rest... and food. He eyed from the corner of his eyes Mint and Faustus, wondering which one he shall ask first.

A huge uproar was heard as something came crashing on the roof of Kurt's house. Sliding of broken tiles could be easely heard, as well as scratching sounds on the roof. The Haunter stopped the others, silently urged them to not making a sound. The source of the noise appeared not long after that: A huge owl Pokémon, looking at them with his bright red eyes. Hanging upside down from the pipe, he just looks at them for a moment, before asking a question: "Do you know the answer?" He then proceed to rock back and forth, making the pipe cracking and protesting. The Haunter looked at the two others, shrugging with his claws and turned back just in time to see the bird flock to the ground and screeshing the question again, which make Xander cringe, holding his head with his claws. " SHUT IT TABARNAK! Damn it hurts." Huffing at the petty excuse the bird give them, Xander continue his way to the house, not wasting anymore time outside, and flew throught the closed door.

"NO!"

"I'm sorry Mint, but... I can imagine how much you despise this town, but I believe we have no other choices: While I may agree as the infected remain -shall we say "dormant?"- the Ilex forest is as dark as the night. If there's a place where the undeads are roaming days and nights, it would been there." Shit, he was right. But what about the other way out of Azalea? What was the name of that route...? "Beside, answer me frankly: Where would you want to go? Everywhere would still looks like here: Devastation everywhere, the Humans flew away.... or even dead.... rot and destruction. That's the only thing we'll get if we move. Plus an extra chance to be killed."

She didn't believe that at all. Maybe somewhere was less devastated than here... but as Xander went on to offer her the chance to go on alone, she stared at him with drooping ears and knew she could never do it. He was the only one of her original group of friends who was still here. The last friend. Leaving him would tear her heart in two.

Besides. Who could bear trying to survive alone in this world?

"Go ahead and rest, Xander... you look like your headache is really paining you..." She sat down and forced her ears up. "I'll keep an eye out for trouble while you sleep. Maybe after you wake up we can find something to eat?"

No sooner had she finished speaking then the sound of something landing on the roof could be heard. Tiling broke loose and fell as whatever was up there moved around, and then suddenly the creature responsible appeared. A Noctowl.

Mint gaped at the bird for a moment before her ears were blasted with the most obnoxious sound she'd heard all day. "Do you know the answer?!"

"Wh-wha...?"

"Do you know the answer?!"

"If it's to the question 'Am I nuts?' then the answer is yes!" She snapped, pawing the ground irritably. Arecus, she just wanted some peace!

Xander had felt the same, yelling at the bird at the same time she'd lost her own patince to shut up before groaning that he was in pain. Oh boy. Xander wasn't a complainer, so this really had to be hurting him...

"Sorry, that was loud."

"Gee, ya think?" The Espeon growled, opening the door with Psychic and following her friend through. Normally she'd remind the ghost that not everyone could walk through walls and maybe opening the door for his more tangible friends would be nice, but in light of his headache, she'd let it go.

"... Should we even stay here...?" The comment caught the Phanteon's attention, turning his head to watch the Espeon. Xander replied, and the ghost simply sat and waited patiently for the decision. He was a foreigner here, he had no right to speak. As the general consensus came to be, Faustus stretched and surveyed his surroundings carefully. "I needn't rest," he mumbled gently. "I can take watch first, if you'd like. You two have been through a lot, so I-"

The ghost-type's mouth was snapped shut when he was interrupted. "Do you know the answer?" It was a Noctowl, a bizarre one to say the least. Repeating it's words louder and louder like some sort of demonic chant. Faustus's fur was straight on end, his teeth bare in aggression to the feathered fiend as it screeched. His two other companions didn't take the bird any better, yelling at the dark-type.

Damn owls.

As the two others retreated to a house, the Phanteon padded to follow, stopping before going through the filthy wall. "Answer to what, oh wise Noctowl?" he growled, glaring at the flying Pokemon. "Who needs answers in a world like this..."

Fluffing up his tan feathers the Noctowl looks down disapprovingly on the others with his crimson eyes. He flaps his wings briefly, stirring up a cloud of choking dust in his wake before opening his light pink beak wide, showing the sharp shape of his purple bird tongue and he screeches again and takes wing to perch on the tiled roof of the Azalea Town house.
He draws himself up as magnificently as he can as he looks down on those entering the house and twists his head around at so sharp and unnatural and angle it looks like it should have snapped his neck.
Still in this unnatural position the Noctowl bounces along the roof tiles.
"I am Zephyr the Feathery Asshole." He announces in deep, sonorous bass tones as if declaring he was royalty and sweeps the scratched tiles with a wing tip as he bows. "And you are trespassing" He clicks his sharp beak, black talons retracing the grooves gouged through the tile in irritation.
Silly things that didn't know the answers to his riddles weren't entertaining at all. How could he possibly help them if they didn't stay to talk?
Zephyr's wings snap open, a few of his more unkempt feathers drifting to the ground and he dives from the rooftop, the force of his landing gouges deeper gashes into the pretty tiles as he lands by the now open door.
His sharp beak snaps, long feathered ears turning towards those inside as he spreads out his long tan feathered wings as he leans forwards, obscuring the morning sunlight streaming into the dwelling with barred shadows
"Riddle me this..." The Normal-type's voice is far from sane, his blood-red eyes piercing and his tone lone and menacing.
He was a scrawny bird, one hardly blessed with any signs of competence in battle but with his head crooked at its unnatural angle his figure is strangely disturbing. He looks like some grim spectacle of madness.

Tilting his head back the owl starts to recite in a clear condescending tone.
"What has eyes of red,
Likes to fight,
But stays out of sight,
And is never dead until you remove the head?"
The Noctowl pauses, flicking out its wingtips and looking over the hunch of one folded wing stares down at them through the doorway with its blood red eyes.
"Well...What is the answer? I even gave you an easy one." Zephyr demands arrogantly, with his ruffled feathers and mad red eyes looking for all the world ready for a fight.
His anger is not at the understandably irritator survivors of the world of darkness that foreseeing so many years ago had driven him to his present madness but at the way such a sight had robbed him of his understanding of the world.
Permanently the frustration of having something just on the tip of his tongue irked him like a blood-sucking tick burrowing beneath his feathers.
He knew so many things but lacked the words to tell him what they were. It was why he would ask his riddles of anything he saw until they escape him or died.

((OOC: He’s an irritating guy isn’t he?))

Prudence awoke at the sound of a disturbance.

The Linoone snapped her head up from the crumbled area that she had made into a resting area. Something was obviously on the roof, and Prudence was greatly annoyed by whatever woke her up from her slumber. It had been the first time she had allowed herself to sleep in days, and she now felt crankier than ever. She had been paranoid about any abnormally acting Pokemon, similar to the ones that she had seen during her time before she discovered her trainer's passing. Prudence pushed the thought of her beloved trainer's dead body out of her mind successfully and began to direct her attention back to the noise on the roof. She was able to pick a few pieces of dialogue out from the outside, something about an "answer" or some shit like that.

Rising from her place, she stretched her muscles a bit. While the small area she had chosen to rest in wasn't the most comfortable, it was at least something. It certainly wasn't a nice comfortable bed with a blanket waiting for her in a nice house like she used to have in the good old days, but she found it to be much more comfortable than sleeping in a tree, as the Linoone had been resulted to it before, it was quite an uncomfortable position to lay in, at least she thought so.

Deciding to be cautious, Prudence sunk back down again and creeped slowly along the crumbled area, attempting to not make a sound as she passed through. Whatever was on the roof could possibly be just another abnormally acting Pokemon, and she certainly didn't want to have to fight yet another when she could easily pass it. The female Linoone came to a stop and she listened intently as she attempted to listen to the noise outside, being as silent as she could possibly be.

When he entered the old ruined house, Xander looked around, searching for a place to rest safely. Fortunately, There was plenty of safe places where he could lay down, or simply floating in. He was glad, and grateful to both of the eeveelutions for their guarding offers. He was really tired and the headache was still beating his brain to the core, like an hammer of pain beating the measure of doom in his head. Speaking of the eeveelutions, Xander realised he forgot to open the door for them. Turning around, he extend his claw just in time to see the knob turning itself and the door opening under the Psychic move of Mint, and Faustus to appear throught the wall.

As they enter the small house, the annoying Noctowl flew and land by the door, looking at them and starting to babbling about a riddle and whatnot. Xander wasn't paying attention as the narcissic tone of the bird was increasing his pain. Was that damn owl the responsible of this? Xander wasn't sure anymore, but his patience was too low to tolerate him anymore. The Noctowl want an answer? Xander will give him one Hell of an answer...

He looked around, took a lead pipe from the debrits and said to the bird:" I'll answer with another riddle:
"What have eyes of red,
like to riddle,
but stay out of sanity,
and is annoying untill you remove the head with this?"
Xander didn't even know what he was going to do if this silly game happens to going on. He wouldn't hurt... or even KILL... a fellow survivor. Hell, it's even him that replied to that Damned snake lady that number was power in the situation they were. But the annoying bird was irritating, and he believed he could even be a threat to the small group they were....

Xander was about to reply once again to the Noctowl when he stops and listens. He could swears he have heard something in the ruins behind him, like if something was moving inside the debrits and making some rocks fall. His back facing the rubbles, he mimed the others to be quiet as he listen more carefully. He couldn't hear anything else, but he mimed the others that there might be something in there....


(OoC: Congradulation guys! We've hit the 10000 views today! That makes us the 4th more viewed team on this forum! Let's make it to the top!)

Faustus had sat down inside the old home, finally getting a bit comfortable when the Noctowl gave another riddle, squawking. "Well...What is the answer? I even gave you an easy one." "Perhaps we should kill him," he chuckled, but knew very well that he did not have the courage to dirty his own paws with blood. He turned to regard the Espeon, but froze in the realization that she was no longer there. "Xander," he called the fellow ghost's name, frowning.

"Xander, I'm going to go look for her." the Phanteon stated, rising up. She glanced at the owl, scowling. "Noctowl, if you have any worth, help me look for the Espeon. Go scout the town," he snapped, looking carefully around the battered home. It wasn't long before he phased through the wall and outside, calling the psychic's name. Mint, was it? He had caught it in one of the conversations.

Racing out into the cold breeze, he called for the Espeon, his voice not so loud as to attract danger, but clear enough to be heard. "Mint? Miss Espeon?" he stopped, worry written on his face. "It's dangerous out here, where are you?"

With a soft coo of curiosity Zephyr tilts his head to the side, listening intently to same sound as the Haunter.
The threats of death do not bother him simply because he has received so many before. Often they stayed just threats.
Flicking his brown wings the Noctowl once again twists his head to the side violently.
His talons, long and sharp, scratch the ground as he curiously walks forwards. The act is strangely comic for a bird.
He turns his head towards the purple billowy pokemon with the red eyes and clicks open his beak, showing his pointed tongue, before he takes off straight up in a feat that spreads a cloud of dust from his launch and throws him off balance so he has to twist mid-air to get properly airborne. Being the kind of bird he was despite how clumsy he makes it look his flight is entirely silent.
In the dark of night his feathers would lend him camouflage too against the bark of the Ilex Forest trees.
"Mint Espeon!" He calls out harshly with none of care of his companion. "Minty, Minty Mint Flakes! We can't have a party without balloons!" He screeches as he wheels overhead.
He can't see hide or violet hair of an Espeon but he is enjoying this game.
"What is the answer?!" He screeches loudly as he dive bombs the nearest pokemon he can see, his talons digging straight into the spinal column of the Rattata as he digs in his beak behind the skull to kill it instantly.
Forgetting he had something he was supposed to be doing Zephyr hungrily tucks into the corpse, devouring the entirety of the small rodent on the spot, even its fur and bones and swallows it down with glee. Some strange whim of his broken mind makes him keep the curled tail though and he picks it up in his beak as he once again takes to the air.

As soon as he is once again climbing the warm spots of thermals over the tiny shattered town the Noctowl finds he cannot cry out with the tail still in his beak.
What a conundrum...
Zephyr spends a few further fond moments turning over the word in his head.
Conundrum. Conundrum.
Conundrum.
He tilts one messy wing, bringing his flight down in low lazy spirals as his mad red eyes focus on a lone speck of strange color on the ground below.
Immediately he drops into a killing swoop, silent wings flapping hard to adjust his angle correctly and his bloodied talons outreached as he dives in at incredible speeds.
His talons gouge scratches in the dirt as he lands a few meters in front of the purple cat thing with the bandaged head and drops the severed tail in front of it.
"A present from the Feathery Asshole." He bows.

The Linoone flinched as she kept still. Two Pokemon entered the house, Prudence believed they were both ghost types of a sort. One of them had stopped, it must have heard her, or possibly something outside. Either way, she didn't want to take the chance of being heard. The other Pokemon that had entered began to leave, something about an Espeon lost or something, she managed to catch this part of the conversation. So there were more. Possibly a group of Pokemon would soon be here.

Prudence was never good with groups. She didn't get along with other Pokemon. Besides, the two Pokemon she had just witnessed seemed to be able to handle themselves. All she cared about was surviving and getting away from her past, why should she care about the lives of others? Why should she have to put up with the burden of others?

Telling herself that these Pokemon didn't matter, and that all she should care about is herself, she snuck out and away of the house quietly, not looking back.

((OOC: I am so sorry you guys. ;; Roleplay is too stressful for me at the time. I'm placing Prudence in inactive. I'm sorry if this is a crappy leaving post, I just wanted to get it finished so I could get this stress off of me. I'm sorry to leave so soon. Maybe I'll come back, maybe. ^^" I just know I can't right now. Bye!))

Jousha stirred as the sound of voices calling disturbed his rest. Groggily the strange Eevee rose to his feet, groaning lowly from soreness of sleeping in such a cramped burrow. It was necessary however to sleep like this to hide from the strange pokemon. Looking around he noticed a pair of red eyes in the bushes, terrified the blackish looking Eevee bolted, barreling through the weak back wall of the house in front of him.

The impact upon hitting the building had broken a small hole in the structure as he tumbled forward. Rolling through the air he felt a chill run through his body. He opened his eyes when motion ceased only to see that he had passed through a Haunter while vaulting through the air due to his recklessness. Usually he wasn't but those mean, decaying creatures out there were really starting to scare him.

"Who...Who are you?" Joshua asked, groaning as he pulled himself off the floor, out of the rubble. His joints and muscles seemed to be in more agony than he was before but he shook it off, used to being bullied by the other street pokemon back when he was in Sinnoh, pain rarely bothered him now though his body protested to his movement when he was in agony.

With a careful twitch of his body to make sure nothing was too damaged he sat on his haunches, tail swaying occasionally. Joshua licked his paw and did his best to clean the visible parts of his face without wincing. Awaiting the Haunters response Joshua's ears swiveled in the direction the voice that had previously woken him was. It sounded masculine and they were calling for someone. Had he happened unexpectedly upon a group that were actually still nice? For the first time in a while the youngling perked himself up in hopes he was right.

(Glad to finally be on this team after about a year of waiting c: also got permission from Keb to have Joshua pass through Xander upon entering)

"Xander, I'm going to go look for her."

"Huh?" Xander replied, not sure of what Faustus was talking about. He looked around, and then realised that Mint was gone! Where she went? Xander remember very well that she entered the house with him and Faustus.... Maybe she went for food? The Haunter wasn't really worried about her, because he believed she wasn't very far from them. If she would wanted to leave them, she probably would have done so earlier, when Kyoya departed for an unknown destination with Plague. But again, she was intelligent enough , judged Xander, to not going out alone. Mh, strange. At least now, he had something to occupy his mind, slightly reducing his headache for a moment. Plus, Faustus made the damn bird fly away.

Xander was about to go outside, helping the others in search of the missing Espeon when a small hole in the wall beside him opened. As soon as he turned around to face the potential thread, a little furball rolled through him. It wasn't the most agreable of sensation for a ghost Pokémon to get passed through like that, especially when it was an identified object. After a momentaly paralysis, he faced the furball, holding his lead pipe above his head, ready to strike. It would looks like a normal Eevee if it wasn't of his odd color and looks. Maybe it was infected? But, as the furball asked who he was, Xander dropped the lead pipe away. It could speak intelligible sentences, and what's an oddly colored Eevee? After all, Xander saw in the time lapse of 2 days a weird .... he doesn't even know what to call Faustus. He didn't had the chance to ask him yet. And there was Plague.... Curiously, the little Eevee made Xander though more about Plague. Odd.

Moving to the exit, he talked to the Eevee. "The name's Xander, and I'm moving out of here to go with the others." He stopped by the doorstep:" Have you seen an Espeon? We're searching for one... we just arrived, but she appears to have left us, maybe for food." Asking wouldn't hurt, he guessed, before moving out. Outside, he arrived at Faustus when the "Feathured Asshole" as he name himself, dropped out of the sky and deposit a..... severed tail. Just in front of them. Wonderful....

" I hopefor you it was dead when you picked it up, otherwise... I'll strangle you with it."

"The name's Xander, and I'm moving out of here to go with the others." The Haunter said, pausing a moment before asking "Have you seen an Espeon?"

"No, I don't think I have." Joshua replied. Following after Xander, limping. Breathing deeply as he stepped outside he looked over at the two other Pokemon. One a Noctowl and the other a species he had never seen or heard of before. Something about the strange unfamiliar Pokemon bothered Joshua but he couldn't put his paw on it. Shaking his head Joshua tried to remove the thought from his mind. He didn't want to make assumptions, but of course to him the others were nothing more than boring company that would eventually eave him to rot. Or so he thought for the time being.


(short post is short. I'm not feeling too good so that's why.)