The ILEX Team

Hope remembered that she felt quite stumped as she stood there, with the Umbreon suddenly gone from her arms, snatched by a ghostly Pokémon, she humphed haughtily at the memory of it while attending to Socket's burn. "There there, have a Rawst Berry, it makes it all better." she handed the Pichu a blue berry. "No! It's bitter and icky." Socket cried, "It's okay, nibble it one bit at a time. Here, have a Pecha with it, don't finish the Pecha before the Rawst though!" she pulled out a pink spotted berry.

As the Blissey collected her thoughts, she remembered that Tyranitar. It was long gone now, and good riddance too, but some may have perished under it's claws and jaws. She sighed. "Hope..." a Slowpoke walked up, and it was an old one, a grandma in fact, "Is something troubling you?" "Oh, Maria." it happened to be the Slowpoke that was allergic to Rawst Berries, how ironic.

"Well, yes. An infected came dangerously close to us, and it was quite large and powerful as well... I hope we are alright here, as we are." Hope hugged her companion. "Well, aren't you thankful that you have a safe home, like Slowpoke Well?" Maria's eyes twinkled, "Yes... Yes I am." she suddenly smiled as she removed the gigantic egg in her pouch and into a small boiling pot. The pouch then was immediately filled with a significantly smaller egg, "It'll take time before things settle down, and we're all glad that we have a very caring friend with us." Maria yawned and suddenly curled up, then slept.

As he guided the other pokémon through the woods, Xander looked back at them. He saw that both of them seemed to suffer from the hot and humid temperature of the forest. Of course, he wasn't affected, being a Ghost. He decided to slow down his pace, so he could cool them down with the cold air that seemed to emanate from him.

They were getting closer to the den now, because Xander could recongize some specific trees, and also the rampage the infected Tyranitar did. Xander stopped here and there, taking some luckly untouched berries.

Xander then saw Ruby, who seemed to suffer more of the heat then Plague. "Mh. Maybe because he's a water type?" Xander thought. He said to the Milotic: "Don't worry, if I recall correctly, there's a pond in front of the den, if you want to rehydrate yourself.". Than, turning to face Plague, he added: "You too, you should get some to let you bare the heat. I don't want to be obligated to carry you both all the way to Azalea..."

Ruby tried not to look grateful as Xander mentioned that there was water nearby, but he couldn't help the small, slightly-cracked smile that entered his lips. He could feel the moisture leaving his body, leaving dry skin and dull scales to shrivel under the blazing sun. He had gone without water for twenty-four hours now, and on top of that, had used four Water-type attacks without a known source of water nearby. How foolish could he get? Being a vigilante was more trouble than it was worth.

He sighed inwardly as he slithered behind his new friends, head bent low to keep from scraping the low-hanging branches of the trees. He tried not to look unhappy or worn-down for the sake of his comrades, as they looked pretty wary and tired, as well. Though the heat didn't seem to bother the Ghost, the sunlight seemed to bother the Umbreon almost as much as it bothered himself. He felt sorry for the Dark-type, but knew nothing could be done until he found water. His coils dipped into massive footprints left behind from the rampaging Tyranitar, and he shivered as he touched them. So many trees were torn apart...the power of the Infected was not to be taken lightly.

Then he saw it -- the distinct shimmer of water dancing along the leaves as sunlight reflected off its surface. The Haunter was right, and though Ruby would never admit to it, he was terribly grateful he was. He made a beeline for the pond, not stopping to inspect it for Infected. He slithered into the water, his scales regaining their old luster as the dirt and dullness of dehydration were washed away.

Suddenly, a burst of bubbles welled up from deep below the surface; an Infected Gyarados, awakened from its deep-water slumber by the Milotic's splashing, reared up from the depths and threw its boil-covered coils around the prim Milotic's slender body. Ruby fought as hard as he could to escape, but the Gyarados' sharp-but-brittle spines dug into his skin, preventing his escape and drawing blood from between his shining scales. He tossed his head in fear, shooting a desperate look at his comrades, knowing they could do nothing to help as the great Kanto native began digging his teeth into his pliant scales, ripping them from his body. Blood stained the water as the Gyarados began to feed, pulling the Tender Pokémon down to the depths of the pond with it. Ruby's long frills floated wistfully on the surface before slowly sinking downward, like the hands of a drowning human...

Catching sight of the shimmering water ahead, Plagues’ wilting ears perked up as he quickened his pace at the thought of finally feeling refreshed. He chuckled a little at seeing the eager Milotic slither past him, a grin large on his face, eyes on the glistening water. He made a beautiful arc as he dove into the pool and came up in his full glory, scales boldly glaring the deepest reds Plague had ever seen.
Yes! Plague thought, as he broke into a run, and let loose a small laugh, preparing to do a cannonball.
It’s been so long since I’ve actually enjoyed myself!

But his glee soon turned to horror as he saw the Gyarados explode out of the water and coil around Ruby.
Using all his might, he twisted his body and pulled back, sliding through the slick grass, as he tried to stop himself from sliding into the deadly waters. Mud coated his paws and legs and he pulled up the vegetation from his momentum.
His paws fell into the water, just as he came to a halt.
“Rubyyy!” Plague screamed in frantic terror. He wanted to jump in and help him, but he knew that he was no match for the giant water Pokémon.
With a sickening, gurgling hiss, the rotting Gyarados coiled himself tighter and tighter around their friend, squeezing blood from between the elegant Pokémon’s scales. Ruby tossed himself desperately, beating his body against the dead dragon weakly, as the monster began to take chunks of flesh out of his prey. Ruby’s screams rang out, breaking the trance that Plague had been under, as he saw the horrific scene play out.
“No!” Plague bounded forward and crashed into the ankle deep water of the shore.
“Let him GO!” He shot a shadow ball at the face of the monster.
The infected Gyarados roared and sunk into the water, taking Ruby down into the depths, where he couldn’t follow. Blood stained the beautiful havens’ waters as the doomed Milotic struggled.
Ruby’s gaze fell upon the two of them just as the undead dragon dove. His eyes were full of an indefinable emotion…Plague knew then that those eyes would haunt him forever.
“No! NOOO!” He roared, broken, tears welling up in his wide eyes, Plague fired shadow ball after shadow ball after the monster, as each one got weaker and weaker.
Exhausted, Plague collapsed in the water, weeping weakly as he watched Ruby’s’ frills sink deeper beneath surface, like a beautiful red scarf, disappearing into the darkness of the waters…

Hope had been roused by a disturbingly large noise, similar to the one of last night. "Arceus, it had better not be that Tyranitar again." she hopped among the grass as deftly as she could. The sun has rose high now, and the undead, she heard, doesn't like the sun. Whether it be rumour or truth, the Blissey needed to keep her guard up. She had reached Celebi's very-torn-down shrine. "Although, I think I heard water splashing."

Hope started to go over to a stretch of water, but everything seemed calm. She looked around for more bodies of water, like small ponds and such. When she finally set her eyes on two living things, she hoped she hadn't seen them.

There was the Umbreon, and the Haunter who snatched him.

Because of their dark appearances, she had thought them to be infected, but they do not appear to be. The Umbreon was clean when she contacted him, and the Haunter... The Blissey was not sure of signs of infection on Ghost types. She put her stubby arms on her hips, took a deep breath, and approached. "What just went on here?"

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Ilex forest | Late Morning (9)

As he saw the relief in the eyes of both his companions at the sight of the pond, Xander felt better. Maybe because he knew that after this, Ruby will probably settle down for a moment and maybe try to act friendly toward him. Xander approached the den, searching for other Pokémon or valuable items inside. As he headed out of it, a huge splashing sound and the terrified cry of the Umbreon caught his attention.

An infected Gyarados, much bigger then the three survivors, caught Ruby with his body, and began to coil around him. Xander was in a trance, watching as the giant Pokémon took -- oh, Arceus -- pieces of flesh from his ally. Ruby's scream rang through Xander's body, freeing him from his state of shock. Xander floated to Ruby's rescue, beating the beast with numbreous Shadow Punches. Unfortunately for him, it didn't seem to even bother the monster.

“Let him GO!” That was Plague's cry, along with a huge Shadow Ball that hit the beast directly on his face. The rotting Pokémon then let a loud roar and sunk back into the water, along with his victim. Xander knew it was too late for Ruby now, and the only thing he could do was watch Ruby's last gaze. Xander recongized that look: It was the one of someone terrorized who knew they were about to die. It was the same look that was on Patrick's face when he was killed by those infected.

As the memories flowed back into his head, Xander eyes began to get wet, and soon tears dropped into the pond. He witnessed Plague, who vainly shot Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball. He finally collapsed into the water. Refusing to lose another one of his comrades, Xander dove into the water and pulled Plague back onto the shores of the pond. Xander was now on the verge of being hysterical, and cried for a moment, still shocked by the death of his new-found friend.

"What just went on here?" Xander, surprised by this new voice, turned around and saw that big fluffy Pokémon he mistook for a Chansey. Panicking at the idea of the monster coming back for another free meal, he picked up the weak Umbreon with one hand and, feeling the adrenaline burst through his system, he screamed: "DON'T APPROACH THE SHORES!" Whithout even thinking, he grabbed a foot of the pink Pokémon and dragged it far away from the pond.

Still panicking, the Haunter didn't have the slightliest idea where they were going. After a moment, he began to slow down, mainly because of the weight of the Blissey, which didn't stop moving, probably angered or shocked by his behavior. He released both Pokémon from his hands, and told the conscious Pokémon with a shaking voice: "Please, take care of him for some time. I-I-I need to get a-alone for a moment-ent."

Xander then sank into a big tree, and then let all his emotions overflow. Anger, despair, and sadness flowed through his body, and while he blasted away a good section of the tree with a Shadow Ball, his despaired cry echoed throught all of Johto:

The Sawsbuck's thick swath of winter fur had bristled in terror as he watched the hapless Milotic be crushed in the mighty grip of the Gyarados; but he, unlike the others, knew there was no sense in wasting energy to rescue the creature, which was obviously going to die. Still, he felt a pang of guilt rise in his chest -- it was not like him to leave the innocent behind...With a wistful sigh, he watched the ghost and the Umbreon attempt to rescue their friend, but to no avail, eventually fleeing the scene with a seemingly-oblivious Blissey in tow. The Season Pokémon stretched his long neck and took a deep sniff, tasting their scents; his eyes widened behind their round glasses -- these three were uninfected! How fortunate! He hadn't seen clean creatures since he chased off those Stantler. At the thought, a shiver crawled up his spine, making his antlers rattle against the branches they touched; he couldn't quite shake the feeling of their glowing red eyes on him...

Shaking his antlered head to clear his thoughts, he turned and sprang through the underbrush, his new winter coat muffling his hoof-beats as he leapt over the ground. He had to follow them, his only hope of camaraderie. He longed for friends to protect. His keen eyes picked out their escaping forms through the trees, and he followed them without boldly stepping onto the path. To be so bold could mean death in these tense times...

Finally, the group stopped, breathless and worn-down. The Haunter excused himself and escaped into the forest for reasons the Sawsbuck could only guess at. This left the Umbreon, which looked thoroughly wrung-out, in the care of the Blissey, which still looked unaware of the disaster at the pond. The cervid took a deep, slow breath; this was his moment. He stepped into the clearing tentatively, lowering his head to look less intimidating. His overgrown fetlocks, white and well-groomed, trailed over the ground behind him, making soft whispering noises as he walked.

"Pardon, ma'am, but is there any way I can be of service to you?" he asked politely, his striking green gaze gentle as he dipped his head to look the Blissey in the eye. From his horns, he released the soothing, rejuvenating scent of Aromatherapy; he hoped this would calm the desperate group and bring the Umbreon back to its senses. 'Damn,' he thought to himself, 'I'm bloody awful at meeting new people.'

"DON'T APPROACH THE SHORES!"
Xander screamed, grabbing Plague with his large hand and the Blissey with the other.
Plague let himself get picked up. He didn't care. All he could see was the Gyarados sinking its' teeth into his friend.
That's all of our fates. There's just no escape, is there?...

Plague could feel the Haunter weakening and the pink pokemon protesting as it struggled. They were a ways away from the pond now. He collapsed on the floor where the Haunter dropped him with a soggy splat, exhausted and out of breath.

Suddenly a deep cry echoed throughout the forest, one of despair and pain. He barely recognized the voice as Xanders as he absently gazed towards the source of the sound. He felt the Blissey nearby, muttering something...he wanted to talk, he just couldn't.

"Pardon, ma'am, but is there any way I can be of service to you?"
Out of the brush nearby, a large antlered pokemon quietly drew closer to them. Plagues' drooping ears slightly perked at the approach of a newcomer, then fell back down at the sight of an uninfected.
Plague became aware of a very pleasant aroma, which somehow soothed his frayed nerves. He was vaguely aware that its source was the new pokemon, as the scent helped his mind clear and recover some of his strength.
Plague shakily sat up and gazed down at himself, letting out a sigh as he saw that he was covered in mud and shredded leaves and grass.
Aw, fuck it.
He dismissed his rather grungy appearance with a tired shrug as he eyed the new creature with a sideways gaze.
He wearily propped himself up as he listened to the two pokemon converse, waiting for Xanders return.
I hope he's okay...

"Ow, ow, ow!"
Hope did not like the Haunter tugging her along quite rudely, seeing as streaks of grass stuck to her what-was-once-clean pink and white body. He had better have a good reason... She struggled quite aimlessly, helplessly and even angrily. As they raced through the forest, she took in the feature of the Haunter, it was larger than normal ones. When they finally settled down, she coughed and sighed. "There was something that was going on in the shores, you say?" the other Pokémon did not reply, and rather rudely shoved the Umbreon into her, the left hurriedly.

"Pardon, ma'am, but is there any way I can be of service to you?"
Well, that was the tone that the Blissey took a liking to. It seems to be the most genteel, and most wise of the group. The Haunter was just insane, and the Umbreon somehow much more angry than she expected. "Well-" she wanted to say that the strange Stantler-like creature (She is most unfamiliar with Unova Pokémon). A rather startling cry-the Happiness Pokémon recognised it as the Haunter's-sounded loudly through the forest, sending shivers. It rhymed, funnily, with Spinarak.

"Thank you." the Blissey said to the Pokémon that was offering help as it finished the last touches of its Aromatherapy. "I can take it from now on." she took a deep breath and radiated a Heal Pulse to all of the Pokémon that was near her, hopefully soothing them.

As Xander's expected, the giant tree coulnd't support itself anymore, and it just fall in the forest with a loud "CRASH!" Xander looked, emotionless, then returned where he left the other Pokémons.

As he saw them, he was shocked that they were three now. A new Pokémon (a Stantler, maybe?) had joined them. At first, Xander wondered if he were infected, but soon it was obvious that he wasn't. As he get nearer, Xander smelled a very pleasant aroma, and he became very calm. He didn't forget what happened, but he seemed to have overcame it.

When the other Pokémon noticed Xander's presence, Xander saw their different gaze toward him. He could tell that Plague was rather relieved to see him back. On the other hand, the Blissey is glaring at him, probably mad because she was dragged carelessly by him. But now, as he was clam, Xander can told her what happened.

He talked first: "Sorry about the rough time I gave you earlier. Let's say that I didn't want to see another Pokémon getting eaten by that...THING."

The Sawsbuck paused his Aromatherapy and stood to his full height, ears pricked forward, listening. He had heard something moving in the bush -- a falling tree a ways off. He remained mostly motionless, his small tail twitching in agitation, until the culprit appeared silently, almost motionlessly; the Haunter from before floated through the underbrush, looking upset until it reached the borders of the pleasant smell of Aromatherapy. Then, it seemed to calm itself, as did the great cervid, who dropped his head again to the Blissey and Umbreon. They looked calmer than they did, a bit more rested and relieved, but he thought he caught a glimpse of irritation in the Blissey's eyes when the Haunter returned.

"My name is Chosen." he started, his accent thick but not hard to understand. "Saw everything happen, I did; what a terrible thing to happen." There was sadness in his startling green eyes for the Milotic he never knew, and his voice went quiet. "We shouldn't stay here long; I reckon we'll be bait for an attack if we linger." He bent his long legs into an awkward bow, tipping his antlered head: "Get on. I'll take you someplace safe." His thick winter coat stifled the dry heat of the sun, unusual for this time of year; the Sawsbuck could tell the seasons with the changing of his coat and antlers, and was never wrong. Winter would come soon, and hopefully with it, a lull in the Infection.

"Get on. I'll take you someplace safe."
Chosen said, as he bent down to let them on his back.
The horned creature was twice his height, and seemed like he could definitely do some damage with his antlers if provoked.
Plagues' gaze fell as he pondered the creatures' words.
He knew that he hadn't the strength to fight off anything until he had gotten some rest, but he felt ashamed that he not only failed to help his friends, but could barely survive on his own.
...and now I lost Arnie too, it seems...
He wasn't sure what happened to the Cubone after he had passed out in the den. Plague cringed at the thought of him wandering the forest alone...or worse.

"None of us can do this alone..." He said with a sigh as he gazed at the looming trees, silently cursing his own weakness.

Plague got to his feet and shook himself, making small bits fall off his now lusterless coat.
"Thank you for your kind offer. I think I have the strength to walk on my own."
He nodded at the Sawsbuck and did his best to look stronger than he felt.

One day, I'll be strong enough.
One day, these monsters will no longer be here.
I promise, Tullie.

Hope nodded to Chosen for the kind offer. "Thank you... But I'll pass. My size would definitely weigh you down." she waved her short stubby arms in a flustered and embarrassed manner. "Still, we can rest up at Slowpoke Well. It is sealed off from the infected quite nicely, and we have lots of food too." she pointed in the supposed direction of Azalea Town.

Offering hospitality is what we do... Right, Nurse Joy?
Memories floated around at the thought of her former trainer and owner. She sighed, it was indeed what they do, and she would have to take these travellers in as well, like she always did with the passing trainers so eager to beat Bugsy and so eager to move on. It was tradition, and she wasn't very good at attacking, but her defense and healing made up for that. Yes, she will take them in.

"If I can lead you there," the Blissey smiled. "And if none of you mind, it's this way." she hopped off in the direction of the town her knew so well and now so cold and abandoned. The home for her in all these years and the place for rookie trainers. She has seen many, from Chikoritas to Totodiles to Cyndaquils, she's seen them all. They were the ones following the trainers around. Some had Pidgey and Sentret and all those friends they had caught along the way... Now it is very much abandoned, and Hope thought of the remaining things she could do to invite people and Pokémon to stay.

Xander was relieved when Chosen confirmed the attack of that giant rotting sea serpent that cost the life of Ruby, thus giving a good reason for the rough time he gave to that Blissey. Then, he realized that even if he actually saw it, then why he didn't came and help, even if it was helpless? Wasn't the least to do in these times of crysis? Xander shake his head to clear those bad thoughts away. It was not the time to start this here. All the rumble he did with the tree had surely alerted numbreous infecteds, maybe even.....


"Still, we can rest up at Slowpoke Well. It is sealed off from the infected quite nicely, and we have lots of food too." Right. It was the place they agreed to go after leaving the cave. Plus, since it's sealed from the infected AND have a large stock of food, it would probably be the nearest and the safest place to go.

As they departed, Chosen offered to them a ride on his back. Both Plague and the Blissey declined, and Xander didn't ever bother to answer, because he floats in the air with ease. He then realised that even if the Umbreon told the buck Pokémon that he was strong enough to walk, his shaking legs and and the unbalanced body of his could only prove the opposite. Silently, Xander pat the head of Plague, and told him:" It's okay if you're weak right now, especially after what happened. Don't be shy to ask for help, it's vital for having a chance to survive this hell."

As Xander followed the Blissey, hunger began to annoy him. His thougts came back to that little Cubone he saw with Plague earlier. Maybe if they could met again, that would cheer him up a little? He asked to the BLissey:By any chance, did you happen to have seen a little Cubone around here?"

[OoC: Sorry for the delay DX Having a new job mean less time spending on internet! I'll make sure it won't happen again.]

Chosen's frown quickly turned into a quiet smile as the others turned away his offer for help -- that meant they were strong enough, even after the incident at the pond, to help themselves. They were all smaller than he was, however, so the great antlered Pokémon kept watch at the back of the moving group. Slowpoke well, huh? He'd only been there once or twice, as he knew it was close to Azalea Town...and getting close to towns was bad news for the cervid.

The Sawsbuck's ears twitched as they swiveled all around, listening intently for any sounds in the nearby underbrush. While traveling on the path was dangerous by way of exposure, traveling in the trees had its disadvantages, too...especially for tall, antlered creatures like him. Behind his glasses, the great deer looked troubled. He watched the three ahead of him interact, but still felt too awkward to join in.

Cerberus came to a stop at the edge of the huge forest. He looked back at the direction he had come from. The once great city of Goldenrod was now out of sight. He let out a low growl, wishing he could have that meal he so dearly longed for. His tongue started to hang out of his mouth as he started to imagine it, his prey helpless to his power as he started to devour it. I hoped he would have better luck here in his own territory, a forest that all Mightyena were born and raised. If he hunted here, he knew nothing could possibly stop him.

He put his nose to the ground, trying to pick up a possible living sent. He managed to pick up a faint sent. He managed a smile, even though he no longer had much emotion left. He raised his head and let out a howl, before he ran into the depths of the forest.

They had all managed to make it through the forest without much more incident, and Plague couldn't have been more relieved. They were just passing the old oak tree that he had obliterated the other night.
There wasn't much of the infected corpses left. Plague wondered what would have been desparate enough to eat them.
Do...they eat their own?...he thought, as he stepped over a rotting appendage of a now unrecognizable pokemon.
Or was it something still alive...desperate for food...?

"This was where I was staying after I got separated from Toluca, my...trainer..." Plagues' voice was ragged and full of sadness.
He stared at the shattered bits of wood as he continued.
"We were attacked by a mob of infected Gyarados on the coast nearby. They used powerful water moves...threw her and Cyndaquil out to sea. I waited near the coast for days, combing the safer parts for them both...but they...never washed up..." his rings shuddered, pulsating strangely.

He didn't want to face the others; he didn't want them to see the tears that had welled up in his eyes.
He reached underneath the skull and wiped away his tears angrily.

"I'm sorry. Let's get to your friends at the well." Plague sighed heavily and fell in with the others as they continued on the path to Azalea.

(OoC- Why was 'Afternoon' only one post? xD)

"By any chance, did you happen to have seen a little Cubone around here?" that was the Haunter's question to Hope. "Well, he was with me when you snatched Plague... But now I don't know where he is since I left to find you." she replied, with a somewhat accusing glare at Xander. "Alright, it's just this way." she pointed to the well that was hidden behind a few houses. "Grab some Potions from the shops if you wish, but there's a few corpses here and there." she pranced about among them.

When she had reached the well, she lifted the round stone slab that covered the entrance, the climbed down. "If the last one of you to come down is able to, can you replaced the stone on top of the entrance?" she called out to her team.

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Edge of Azalea Town|Late Evening (12)

Xander was relieved that the little Cubone, despide still being lost somewhere in the forest, was still alive. It could always cheer up Plague. He was also aware of the glare of the Blissey she gave him, but he ignored it.

As they passed near an old obliterated oak, Plague began to told his story of what happened and why he's there. He then turned his back on them, to secretly wash the tears from his face. But Xander did notice it and, despite the fact he wanted to cheer the Umbreon, he couldn't find the words. He just silently praise for the safety of his comrad's friends.

"Alright, it's just this way." the Blissey suddenly said. They had finally made it through the Ilex forest. "Grab some Potions from the shops if you wish, but there's a few corpses here and there." she added then. As Xander looked at his new comrads, he replied: " Since I'm the only one with hands, I think I'm the one who'll search for the potions."

When he took a peek inside, Xander couldn't retain a shocking "Gasp" as he witness the remains of what were the unluckies last residents in the shop. "She said only a few corpses, right, but Arceus, I wasn't prepared for this mess!" though Xander as he float over many undescribles pieces of flesh and bones that covered the floor of the shop. He was glad he didn't have to breathe, because he could sense the smell was really awful, even worse with the humid temperature they had in the past few weeks. Xander looked on the shelves, but they were all empty. When they fled, the humans probably raided that shop and take whatever useful item they could get. He finally spotted a bag, containing some potions and many berries. As he was about to left by a broken window, Xander spotted a shinning can in the remains of what it seemed to be a refrigerator. He take the can and look at it. It was a Lemonade can. How lucky he was to find that!

When he returned to the entrance of the Slopoke Well, Xander stopped, and watched carefully around, to spot possible danger while the others climb down the ladder. When he was alone, he entered the well and, gripping the round stone slab, he closed the only exit of the well, hopefully protecting them for incoming ennemies.

The infected Mightyena was no longer running through the forest. Instead he was walking. The sent he had been following had disappeared awhile back and he couldn’t find it again. So instead of looking for it again he decided to just try and find something else to hunt. His stomach groaned for food, and yet no matter how much he consumed he would always want more. “Blood, need.” He growled, hoping to find something that would quench his hunger for the time being, even though it wouldn’t be long before he wanted more.

Cerberus had found his way to a lake, were he stopped and looked into the water. He stifled a growl as he looked at his reflection. The blood seeping from his chest wound now started to drip into the water, turning the shore he was on to a light red. Disgusted with his new appearance he took his claws and slashed the water, distorting his image as he turned and walked away.

He put his nose back to the ground, trying to pick up any possible sent that could lead him to his prey, but Cerberus wasn’t getting anything. Frustrated he ran back into the woods and found his way to a path that humans used to get to Goldenrod City. He thought about going back to the city, try his luck in catching those two pokemon once more, but he knew they would have probably left by now. Not liking being out in the open he ran back into the forest.

Arriving at the Slowpoke Well, each took turns climbing down. The Blissey had no issue in getting down the ladder.
Humanoids and their ladders...

He gazed out towards the town, seeing the outline of the Haunter floating in and out of the destroyed store.
I guess he found some useful items. Plague thought, noticing his hands were full of glittering objects.

He turned his attention back to the hole. He couldn't jump, as it was a rather high fall. He carefully put his rear paws down onto the rungs of the ladder, clinging to the cool stones that made up the outside tightly with his claws.
He continued down in an awkward fashion, until he reached the bottom.
He sighed with relief as he felt the moist earth underneath his paw.

He trotted to the side, getting out of the way, so the others could make their way down.
Taking in his surroundings, he gasped at how many LIVING slowpoke had been holed up here.

"Wow...it is nice to meet all of you." Plague said quietly in the direction of the resting pokemon.
"Thank you for sharing your home, and taking care of Arnie while you did." He nodded towards the frilled pokemon.
"It is certainly nice to know that he wasn't alone that entire time..." Plagues' ears wilted as he thought of the young Cubone.
But maybe he is still alive, somewhere.

Clearing his throat, he changed the subject.
"Do you take care of all of them? Surely they can't venture out..." He sat near her and motioned towards the resting pokemon. He wondered how well a Slowpoke could fend for itself, considering it's natural plight.

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Slowpoke Well | Late Evening (13)

After closing the exit of the well, Xander catched up the others. A shriver went through his gazeous body when he saw all the Slowpokes that were there, watching them with their silly eyes and absent-minded expression. He taked out what he found at the shop, and made the count: 7 berries (Most of them are Oran, some are Pecha and one is a Rawst one), 4 potions (2 labeled as Ice Heal, one as Awakening and another one without any label), and of course the Lemonade can.


He then started to share the berries with his comrads, only keeping one for himself."So, what should we do now?" asked Xander to the others. "Now that we can safely think about it, we should decide what we should do next, because I'm clueless."With a discret movement, he gave the Lemonade to Plague, telling him: "I think you'll ned this more then any of us right now."

Cerberus managed upon an old den, it was empty but it had a lot of lingering living sent. Which is why it had drawn him in. He looked around, hoping to find something to eat, but there way nothing, which didn’t appeal to him all that much. So he decided to try and follow the sent. If he was lucky it would lead him to whoever had used the den, or it would lead him to the old residents dead, killed by another infected. Her couldn’t let that happen, but he couldn’t rush like he did last time. The last thing he wanted was to lost this sent like he did that other one.

He took a good whiff of the den as to make sure he got the sent memorized. Being a canine, he was very proud of his sense of smell. It had not deteriorated which he was glade about. Having the sent now memorized he started to follow it, making sure not to move to fast, but not to slow ether. So he was doing something like a trot, if canines can trot anyway.

He managed to follow the trail to the edge of the forest, not caring if he was leaving the shelter of the forest behind him, this prey was to good to pass up. And the sent was getting fresher with every step he took. And soon he was at the edge of an old town. He looked around, hoping to spot something edible, but there was nothing. But the sent of the living was strong here, like they had just arrived. He managed a grin as he stood there. It was everywhere, and he couldn’t wait to sink his fangs into whoever left it.

Rain dreamed of his mother, Anne, and old memories that returned to haunt him. He suddenly remembered images of a strange, yellow mouse that had a strikingly similar resemblance to him. The only difference was the color of the circles on her cheeks, tail, and ears. Instead of blue being the color of these appendages and facial areas, the color red was the substitute. Rain slowly awakened from his slumber and pushed himself against the wall of the laboratory he escaped from. He lifted his head to, once again, see the open vent of the building. Many times he had thought of going back to save his mother, but she would certainly refuse help from him or any other. Rain pouted as he slowly walked away from the laboratory. Tears began to fall from his eyes with every succeeding step toward the lush forest before him. Rain did not know where he was going, and he didn't care. All he wanted was to be in the arms of his loving mother again.

After walking for miles, Rain's journey brought him to a place unfamiliar to him. The ground was hard, grey, and rough. The place was filled with many square structures, much like the laboratory. Rain gazed at these massive structures in wonder as he continued to pace through the town. THUNK! "Oww!" Rain whispered as he put his hand on his head. He raised his head to see what he ran into. A broken sign stood tall from the ground. AZALEA was what the sign read. Although Rain could not understand what was written, he memorized the symbols.

Rain stepped to the side and continued his stroll through the town of Azalea. He followed a white fence all the way to the end of the sidewalk; however, the gruesome carnage which covered the courtyard past the fence stunned the small Minun. Oh! was all Rain could think as he lifted his tiny hand to his mouth in fright and shock. Every step seemed to make a loud thud as Rain drug his feet with every step toward the fallen. He stared wide-eyed at all of the corpses' faces as he passed them. Some faces filled were filled with horror, others with despair or grief, and even some with no faces or heads to determine what their emotions were. Rain came upon a small deceased girl with a small pink backpack. Every inch of the girl was mangled and torn apart along with her bag. After looking away in sadness, Rain's eye caught a small plush Barboach toy that was flung from the backpack during the attack on this little girl. Rain stepped toward the small toy with his gaze fixated upon it. He did not know what it was or whether it was real or not, but something drew Rain towards it, to pick it up, to hold it.

Rain picked up the small toy and held it in his arms. Suddenly, a voice started to speak in his mind. The voice repeated I'm here. Don't worry. I'm here. Don't worry. I'm here. Don't worry. The voice sounded much like his mother's. Rain swerved in every direction to see his mother anywhere nearby but saw no one. He didn't understand what was happening, and the voice continued to echo the same words in his mind. "AAAAAAH!" Rain screamed as a sharp pain thrashed around in his head. Rain shut his eyes tightly as he slapped both of his hands onto his head as if to hold his skull together. The Barboach toy fell from the small Minun's hands. Rain opened his eyes. The pain stopped. He looked down at the small toy he had just held in his arms with much affection. "Mother?" Rain said confused as he stared at the small toy. No answer came. Rain picked toy up once more and heard the voice again, except, this time, there was no pain. Yes...I'm here... The voice said no more. Rain closed his eyes and quietly said to himself, "Don't worry mother. I'll protect you this time." Rain held the small toy in his arms and squeezed it.

Rain heard another set of voices, only this time, they were coming from the opposite end of the town where a small well sat. Unaware if the chatter coming from the well was from friend or foe, Rain strode towards it in hopes of finding some live pokemon to help him. Arriving at the well’s entrance, he used one of his hands to grip the small parts of the brick that, due to weathering, jutted out. While carrying the small doll in his other hand, Rain was able to reach the top of the well. He knelt down on the thin bricks, which bordered the hole, and poked his head out over the well to see how far it went. The darkness of the evening did not allow the small Minun to see a lot, but he was able to spot a ladder that led down the well. Rain hopped across the hole and grabbed one of the ladder's rungs. With great difficulty from holding the Barboach toy with one hand while using the other to climb farther down, Rain reached the bottom of the well and could hear the conversation between the voices clearly. The bottom was pitch black, mucky, and humid. There was no visibility in any direction except for a small, orange beam of light, which looked much like fire. Rain approached the small beam and noticed it was coming from the other side of a wall. He felt the obstacle before him to determine what blocked his way. "Wood? How would a tree be growing down here?" Rain said aloud as he knocked on it. The voices suddenly stopped. Rain, realizing whatever was talking was on the other side of the wall, was frightened and began to run around in the darkness with his arm stretched out to find the ladder.

"I think you'll need this more then any of us right now." Xander quietly said, as he placed the can of lemonade in front of Plague nonchalantly.

Plague gave the Haunter a thankful look, his shoulders sagging from exhaustion. He put his paws around the can, remembering how Tullie had bought these often, filling her backpack with them.
Plague let a small chuckle escape his mouth as his thoughts went back to the past.
The nights around the campfire, resting on her feet, keeping her warm, traveling and wrestling with Cyndaquil and Strix...he had missed this terribly.
He turned to look back at the others that had been accompanying him, wishing he didn't feel so damn lonely.
His forlorn gaze turned back to the can. He pushed it over to its' side and was about to open it when suddenly, a flashback overcame him, filling his vision.
The chilling water, the choking, suffocating feeling in his chest and throat, Tullies' screams and the terrifying roar of the Gyarados flooded his senses.
Plague groaned in fear and pain as the images flashed before him uncontrollably. His body quivered and shook as he lay there with his paws covering the empty sockets of the Honchkrow skull that masked his own.
I can't...I can't let them see...I can't lose it!...Stop being so fucking weak!
Plague could hear his father screaming at him.
Stop being so fucking pathetic! You're nothing but a failure! You failed your pack! You don't deserve another chance!
His fathers' voice, dripping with rage and disdain, reverberated in his head, becoming his own.

Plague clenched his jaws together painfully, trying to keep himself from screaming. As exhausted as he was, the rage that he felt knew no bounds. He knew that if he ever let it out, he would hurt others that happened to be near him...and he couldn't let that happen.

Forcing his paws away from his face, he hoped that his actions hadn't attracted any attention. He didn't want to have to explain why he was so utterly fucked up.
He dug his claws into the can in front of him and bit into the middle hard, puncturing the weak aluminum with his teeth. The sharp metal cut his gums, but he didn't seem to notice.

The liquid inside spilled out of the holes, as he quickly lapped at it. His gaze was fixed on the far wall, and his eyes were glowing a deep crimson from the intensity of his emotions. The deep red light reflected off the white bone of his mask, illuminating the hollow skull in a sinister glow.
The syrup-like drink filled his belly as he began to feel his energy return. The taste of blood also seemed to soothe him, pacifying his need for the release of this darkness that threatened to consume him.

As his energy returned, his vision cleared. He started to pick up sounds from the pokemon around him, and listened to the conversations that were going on.
The others were wondering what the next step was.
His beaked muzzle rose from the empty can and was about to speak when a knocking sound came from the entrance.
Everyone went silent as all their eyes went to the heavy wooden door.
Plague looked at the others, and he could see that they all shared the same thoughts, for all their eyes were wide with fear and surprise.
"What do we do?"

(OoC- sorry it took so long, I've been super busy)