The DREAMYARD Team

"Forever and ever..." The dragon, no sooner had it come into the scene with its claws bared had its eyes watered and it began to flee. Coco dropped her Double Team facade, cocking her head in question - though not for long, however. Heh, poor guy can't take more than a few birds. The Starly stayed in motion for just a moment, before realizing that there were two other Pokemon in her residence. It was just her luck that at the first sign of danger the thief had dropped her act in favor of running; and what did she do? Oh yeah, she stayed and helped the others. Where's the 'no honor amongst thieves', huh Coco? She berated herself as she glided towards Natasha and Arthur. The two Pokemon were speaking to each other, and as she neared she gave a gentle caw, careful not to let her cheekiness seep through her voice.

"I... I was so scared..." She whispered as she landed on the right shoulder of the Feraligatr, flapping her wing in exaggeration. "One swipe of those big claws, and I'd have been a goner...!" Within her mind Coco disliked the fact that she had to pretend to be the weakling around the parts, but there came benefits when others felt the need to lend an extra hand for her. In exchange for her defining weakness, the people she flocked around would naturally help her out, and the rewards would come by themselves. Her honor and glory as a living being? Heh, she hasn't had that kind of thing ever since her life turned rogue and thievery. Picking at her silver spoon delicately, Coco pretended to feel extremely exhausted and laid on the side of Arthur's head. "I can never thank you enough for those berries..." No one said coddling someone ever did them any harm... until you walked away and left them with little to nothing.

"Hello?" An uncertain voice brought Coco's attention to a different part of the Dreamyard, and almost instantly the bird's train of thought was of suspicion. Who was this mysterious speaker? Just what could they want? With a gaze now slightly narrowed, the starling now pinpointed a Chandelure, the ghost floating with... a book? She perked up in interest, trying to not seem to excited about the item. It wasn't something she would find that would help her survive, but hey, a thief is a hoarder, no? She looked the fire type up and down, and it seemed that through her voice the poor thing was frightened, scared of something. Just another thing to take advantage on, sweetie.

"Hello," Coco crooned gently, not wanting to scare her off. "We're not harmful, don't worry." Something almost like laughter danced in her eyes, but in the next moment the Starly refrained herself, and her eyes once again reflected the act she had assumed; calm, assuring, and gentle. Yeah, right.

Natasha readied herself to fight the beast when, all of a sudden, the rumbling calmed down. She was confused as to why the thing had just left without having done anything, but she knew to be glad that it had left instead of questioning why it did. She noticed the little form of Coco making its was back towards herself and Arthur.

"I... I was so scared..." The bird said as she landed on Arthur. "One swipe of those big claws, and I'd have been a goner...!"

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, it's a lucky thing you managed to survive that," she said. "Although it's strange how it just sorta... Left."

Though Natasha was glad that the Starly had gotten through the situation alive, she wondered where Coco had gone while it happened. Her small body was hard to detect with all the rumbling, but Natasha hadn't expected her to take off anywhere. That was really reckless of her.

"Try to stay safe, Coco."She said simply. She didn't know how good the bird Pokemon was in combat, and didn't want her to get hurt.

Before Natasha had the chance to answer his question, Coco came fluttering back. The small Starly looked rather stricken and Arthur thought that to be a little odd since she'd wasted no time in flying off towards the undead before and had performed Double Team with confidence. Still, he supposed that times of panic one had to react with haste and that the event had scared Coco more than she had let on before.

"I... I was so scared..." Arthur tensed a little as the bird landed on his right shoulder. She was remarkably light and weighed little to nothing, but the feeling of her feet and talons on his scaled shoulder was strange to him. It was rare that he had anyone even come close to him, let alone land on him! "One swipe of those big claws, and I'd have been a goner...!" Arthur had no caught a glimpse of the attacker and he was starting to feel relived that he hadn't. Coco then leaned her soft, feathered head on the side of his face. "I can never thank you enough for those berries..."

Arthur was starting to think that he couldn't hear the words "thank you" often enough. He started to chuckle, but quickly stopped in case his shaking shoulders knocked Coco off. "You're welcome! I'm just ... glad I could help you! Y-Y'know, there are still some more on there. You, er, still hungry?"

But just then an unknown voice called out and Coco called back and told a very strange, floating Pokemon that they were not going to hurt her. She was definitely a Fire-type, but perhaps she was either Ghost or Psychic-type as well. Arthur had never seen this Pokemon before so he was initially apprehensive, but as he took a closer look at the poor thing he could see that she was really upset about something.

"Y-Yeah, Coco's right, we won't hurt you," he said, slowly and carefully moving a little closer to the Fire-type; with the Starly still on his shoulder he had to make sure he didn't make any sudden moves and shake her off. "Wh-What's your name, miss? I'm ... I'm Arthur."

It was... peaceful, at least, for now. Little did she look up from the ground, still covered in dew, nor did she pay attention whatsoever to where she was going. It didn't matter where, because she just went. Not that she ever would have anywhere to go after all. After Sterling, nothing really mattered anymore. Just living, and maybe, throughout all of this, she might have learned, or gained something... She hasn't. It's just one brutal day of running, hiding, and fighting. Every. Single. Day.

Why? Who's to blame. Of course their are some who are more accountable and they will be held responsible eventually. That was not her question. The Epidemic, however deadly, was not on her mind. It was Sterling. Her love... her Human love. They took him away without any regards to her or him. Just killed him. Then their was nothing. No happiness. If only she wasn't so dignified and calm she'd be weeping this whole time. Maybe there wasn't a point, and then again, maybe she was just too sullen to see the good.

Wait... there wasn't any good. It was just hopeless. Hopeless. All she could think about was the negatives. She heard voices, and saw others, but rather than greet them and spark meaningless conversation with these fools, fools who would never understand her, she just flitted in between their group. As they spoke, she floated right next to them as she left, quickly finding herself alone again. It wasn't pleasant to be so alone, but if it wasn't Sterling there with her, holding her tight, it wasn't company worth having.

The morning seemed a bit too quiet for Douglas. He's been living a life of misery for quite some time. He thought everything would be hunky dory when his trainer released him in favor of reunting him with his parents, but instead, it just ended up making things worse. The Shuppet still mourned his loss, and he kept wondering if his trainer was still alive.

Doug was always fascinated by the things Robert does, just like how Robert was fascinated by ghost types and psychic types. Robert also had a passion for music and literature. He taught the young ghost type how to sing and read. 'I'd teach you how to write, but you don't have any arms.' Robert said to him a while back. It made Douglas realize how limited he was in the things he could do. He would just have to wait until evolution.

Douglass drifted into the Dreamyard, hoping for survivors and not infected. He heard voices and saw others. He noticed that the Starly was calling out to something saying they weren't going to hurt her. The Feraligatr said the same thing, introducing himself as Arthur. Douglas looked over to see what it was. It appeared to be a Chandelure. The poor thing looked scared. Slowly, he floated up a bit closer to her. He spoke softly to her, "Miss, are you okay? We're not going to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're fine. My name is Doug." He said the last sentence a bit louder to make sure the others could hear him.

"Try to stay safe, Coco," Natalie told the small bird. I don't need someone to look after me! Came the inner sharp retort, though within the material world Coco only nodded and gave a sweet smile. It was odd, seeing others looking out for her well-being selflessly. The concern just wasn't something the Starly was used to; after all, her time on the streets taught her that even her closest partner in crime would leave her behind if she risked him getting caught - he wasn't about to drop the walls he had built just for an expendable bird such as herself. For a moment Coco's eyes hardened once again as she stared at Natalie, before she shook her head and the innocent look washed upon her face again. A thin figure crossed by them, a blank face set upon her as she graced them with her presence momentarily, before beginning her walk away from them. What was that for?! Coco wanted to squawk and follow after, but she knew that sudden movements were hardly fit for the scarred Pokemon nowadays.

Now that she actually brought her attention back to the 'gathering' - they were hardly fit to be called anything but - Coco realized that there was another Pokemon to add to the company. Ugh. Why are the ghosts all appearing now? The Starly never enjoyed ghosts, how ethereal they were and how easy it was for them to come and go as they pleased. Though she supposed it was more so of begrudging respect for their phasing ability than anything else, really. Ruffling her feathers, Coco watched with feigned interest towards the scene, the ghost introducing himself as Doug ([color=#888888]just another name to add to the listlling the other ghost not to worry. It was all in good tiding, the Starly noted, but then again, she was never in for anything "good". [color=#888888]Heh. Coco patted the side of Arthur's head and pointed her beak towards the direction of the Gardevoir, before flapping her wings and taking flight. Best let the croc-o-wimp know where I'm going before he explodes in worry. She thought deftly as she neared the psychic type.

"Nice day for a walk, huh?" Coco asked in a general voice, like a stranger making small talk to the person they sat next to on the bus because they had to. The Starly slowed herself until she came to a gentle glide alongside the human-like Pokemon, making sure that her stance remained neutral. Was this Pokemon aggressive? Friendly? Easy to take advantage of? She waited for the Gardevoir's response, waiting for a reaction to which she could retaliate upon.

((Bluh sorry for not posting for so long but I just couldn't think of anything... Skip me please...))

The strange Fire-type Pokemon had not responded to any of their questions or greetings. It seemed that she was still too upset to speak. Arthur decided that it was probably best to leave her for a moment rather than keep pestering her. Surely she'd come over to introduce herself when she was ready ... if she even wanted to, of course.

But then a bizarre floating Pokemon that looked a bit like a puppet floated towards her and spoke. "Miss, are you okay? We're not going to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're fine. My name is Doug," he said, raising his voice a little upon announcing his name. Arthur was intrigued towards the strange little Ghost-type and walked closer to him so he could have a good look. He had never seen this Pokemon before, and was starting to realise that since being abandoned by Elijah he was starting to discover things that he'd never known before. Perhaps being on his own wasn't such a bad thing after all...

He was about to indroduce himself to the ghost when Coco suddenly patted the side of his head and then fluttered off towards yet another new Pokemon. Arthur froze when he saw her; how wonderfully beautiful she was. Never in his years had he seen a Pokemon who carried itself with such grace, such elegance. His face blushed as he finally managed to move his legs and followed Coco towards her. She seemed to be upset by something, so Arthur smiled at her as he approached to let her know he was friendly.

"H-How do you do, m-miss?" he stammered, blushing harder than ever. "M-My name is Arthur. Don't w-worry, we're not g-going to hurt you. What's your n-name?"

Ariadne wasn't at all surprised by others attempting to converse with her. First it was the bird. The Starly attempted to be sweet, but she knew otherwise. Normally, she wouldn't respond, but something about this bird made her want to tell her what she really thought. Gardevoir can sense emotions, and this bird was doing poorly at covering them up.

"Do not pretend to be sweet bird. You are as cold and hard inside as a glacier, do not pretend to be kind. All you want is a pawn."

After those words, she noticed the Feraligatr, who appeared to be blushing from just being near her. It almost made her laugh someone would so nervous around her, but instead the attraction made her think of Sterling. A single tear rolled down her cheek, before she flicked it away and swiftly floated away from them. After finally being alone once more, she knelt down and wept, holding her beautiful face in her hands, sobbing. It was pointless to attempt to cover it up. She couldn't stand life without her love. She noticed a puddle, and tentatively, Ariadne looked at her own features, wiping away the tears and smiling like she used to when she would see him. It was a pitiful gesture to remain at ease, but it was all she had to keep from breaking down and collapsing again.

(I'm afraid I have to skip. I don't want a negative event in my life affecting how I post, but I'll post next cycle.)

Ophelia had quietly stayed away from the growing group of living. Where were all of these Pokemon even coming from? So many unfamiliar faces, and so many strangers... The Chandelure had never felt so alone. As the Gardevoir floated away to do who-knows-what, she ghost wandered towards where she had first met Taisiel and Hunter. It was in the basement of the Dreamyard, within the dim-lit chambers...

It was in that sudden moment that the floating chandelier suddenly dropped to the ground with a clang, no longer levitating as she gazed longing at the worn book in her hands. Flipping back several pages, she read the notes that she had written.

'Infected Zangoose, name unknown. I found this Pokemon in this area called the 'Dreamyard' on the bottom floor. it seems to be feasting on a Munna, a Pokemon that is able to give off dreams. This Zangoose seems to be wearing an article of clothing, a navy blue hoodie. How or why is has such an item is beyond me, but I suppose it scavenged it from the nearby town.'

'I have also met a Mawile by the name of Taisiel. She is however, mute and had communicated by writing on the ground. She has a pretty blue scarf with a design in white around her neck. She seems like a kind, yet shy Pokemon. She is a living, one of the few that I have encountered on my journey here.'

Hunter and Taisiel. The companionship had been so short lived, the Mawile brutally murdered by a vulture and Hunter had simply... Gone. They'd left her all alone, in this barren area. Ophelia glared at the ground, silent.

"Do not pretend to be sweet bird. You are as cold and hard inside as a glacier, do not pretend to be kind. All you want is a pawn." Emotional walls sprung up around the Starly's psyche, her eyes narrowing just slightly as she faltered in her glide alongside the Gardevoir. Coco looked at the empty eyes of the psychic, seeing that there was nothing left in this serene Pokemon to rob of; simply because there was nothing left in the Gardevoir at all. Hmph. By this time the starling had noticed that the awkward-gator had followed after her, and with a small roll of her eyes she landed at the shoulder of Arthur as he stumbled over his words to say his hello. Coco couldn't care less about this Gardevoir - actually, she was just a tad concerned. Was what she had said simply a bluff, or had she actually looked into her... and saw her intentions? What utter rubbish. Coco didn't believe in that kind of stuff; her time on the streets had taught her that she could only believe what she saw with her own two eyes.

The Gardevoir had found herself at a puddle, smiling in bittersweet memories. As Coco watched, she only found disgust at the psychic's actions. Those tears that she wept, it meant that she was weak and had allowed herself to connect to someone. Connections like that will only hurt twice as much when that person leaves. The Starly felt the smallest of smug smirks cross her face, and it actually took a lot more effort than it should have for her to keep a decent mutual face on. Fluffing up her feathers, Coco was beginning to find herself bored with the situation; Arthur was having a dandy time tripping over his words and falling heads over heels for a female he didn't even know the name of, so with a quiet flap of her wings, the bird withdrew herself from the equation, seeking out the two ghosts they had left previously. Where could the librarian ghost have gone? She speculated in thought, retracing her steps in the Dreamyard. After landing on the ground and peeking around the corners, Coco had not found a single trace of the Chandelure, and she clucked her tongue in displeasure. The quiet ones are always the ones who hide things. Hopping back out to the main area of the yard, Coco picked out the closest living thing in her sight - Natasha.

"Hey there, Nat. Is it okay if I call you that?" She asked innocently, waving a wing to seem endearing. Coco wasn't really the first to go around making new friends, but having another avian as a companion in her time with this group would most likely prove fruitful.

Ariadne wiped her eyes for one last time before standing fully straight and relaxing in the solitude. Then she felt something. She had felt it all this time, but it was pronounced now that those people were there. Loneliness. With actual chances at company and friends she felt so much more alone that she had rejected them instantly. She could've talked to them... No. They wouldn't understand. They never did. Never would. It was too easy to get caught up in their lies. Soon they'd be beating her for what she did.... for who she loved. They all did. The bastards never accepted them, so why bother with them? But... being alone leaves her in a predicament.

Maybe she could make friends. Maybe. She wasn't sure. She gave a forlorn glance over at the others. Frowning, she crossed her arms in frustration and paced. The stress and indecision nearly drove her to blasting all of them with Psyshock. It was too much. Why was it so hard to say hello? She shook her head and huffed. Nevermind. She'd do it later. It wasn't essential she greet them. It wasn't like they were going to be buddies after her curt response to the little bird, regardless of how much the bird deserved it. That cruel little Starly reminded her of why she avoided others. They only wanted to hurt her. Pain and control. It's all they ever wanted.

Sighing again, she sat down angrily and glared at her knees.
"You'd think I could say hi...but noooo... you gotta be a wimp don't you?" Amidst her soft ramblings, she had neglected to notice the scent of death that began to hang in the air... Then she smelt it. It was... blood and death. A sweet smell, but deadly. then she realized it could only mean one thing... Infected.

((OOC- Since Night's in SH and Skitty just recieved a Death Warrant... I was told it was my turn now.... Sorry if it isn't.))

This team was set for a Harb. Do not post until said Harbinger has posted.
Team on hold until the Harb is contacted.

Weavile darted through the shadows, leaping from tree to tree as she stalked her prey. They were gathering in a strange place, some kind of ruin overgrown by trees and brush, but the leafy surroundings only aided in her cover. She sensed the warmth flooding from them, could almost feel their life blood pumping through their heated flesh as they spoke in hushed tones, and she was going to be the one to put it out.

Death...cold...no warmth...

She cast her eyes over the group, selecting which one would be the best meal. After the metal monster she wanted something that would provide her with the blood she craved and the gore she could tear from it. It wasn't long before her eyes trained on the blue fluttering bat with the odd ponytail. She grinned maliciously as her targets left her prey alone and moved in swiftly to rest in a tree right above the female.

Blood...warmth...

After her last outing she was starved, having conquered a beast that was completely inedible, the warmth floating from the hovering Woobat below was too much to resist. In a flash she sprang from the tree and descended on the Woobat, the female's terrified screams soon echoing around the Dreamyard. Weavile's hysterical cackle followed the screaming as her claws soon ripped into the wings of her prey, ripping them from her so she couldn't get away. Soon the Woobat was just a fluffy blue ball that Weavile delighted in kicking around like a toy.

Everywhere...blood everywhere!

As she toyed with the creature the now gaping holes that once kept the creature aloft began spraying the warmth giving life blood around every surface. Soon the dark female herself was covered in it and her laughter stopped instantly and a deep frown came over her. She had the warmth splashed all over her but she could feel nothing, everything was still as cold as her home in the ice. Soon a furry came over her like never before and she began hacking at the Woobat with devastating Night Slash after Night Slash.

"Die..die...die...DIE!" She hadn't been so angry in a long time, not since the release, but no matter how much she hacked the body, no matter how much blood sprayed her she could feel no warmth. After she ran out of Night Slash there was nothing left recognizable of the body, just a mound of mangled flesh and organs. She had hacked them into near ground perfection before her furry finally ebbed so she dug her claws into the mass and began feeding. Her belly was full but it did not quell the hunger within her so with one last final sneer Weavile sent an ice beam at the remaining pile, freezing it into a rock of ice.

There was no reason to stay there any longer so with one last final glare at the remaining inhabitants of the Dreamyard she jumped into the trees and took off.

Doug saw that the ghost wasn't responding. He turned his body to see that a Gardevoir was in the area, and she was very beautiful. The Shuppet was at a loss for words. When he turned back, he was sad to see that the Chandelure was gone. He frowned and decided to float over to the group that included the Gardevoir. He recognized all of the pokemon in the group. "Hello." He said to them. He felt so small compared to everyone else that he felt intimidated by them.

Suddenly a creature came down from the trees and attack the Woobat. Doug saw that it was a Weavile destroying the Woobat. He couldn't stand the sight of watching a living get killed by an infected, so he fled the scene. Doug floated over to the basement of the Dreamyard. It was dim-lit down there, not a lot of light. In the dead silence, the Shuppet heard a clang echo throughout the basement.

Douglas followed the sound of the clang, going through the barely lit basement until he stumbled across the Chandelure. All that she was doing was silently glaring at the ground. Doug was very concerned for her and carefully floated over to her. He looked at her with a face of worry and sincerity. "Miss?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Reluctantly, Ophelia decided to go back to where the others were. Slowly levitating off the ground she began to float across the Dreamyard, her book still clutched in one hand. Hearing screams she the Chandelure felt urgency in her mind as she sped faster to the others, only to find a Weavile hacking away at the Woobat.

Well, fuck.

She fled, she couldn't stand the sight of another living being hacked apart as she floated back down to the Dreamyard Basement, intending to stay when suddenly a Shuppet came to her. "Miss? What's wrong?" Ophelia stayed quiet, before smiling. "Nothing, nothing at all."

It was odd; all her life Coco had been taught to never confront fatal foes face to face. You're puny, she had been told, they wouldn't bother chasing someone so small, or even bother spending the energy to fight her. So when she actually took the effort to talk to a Pokemon, actually try to get to know them despite her hidden motives, she didn't expect that something would leap out of nowhere and literally decimate her company. The Starly stumbled back in surprise, the true feeling of shock striking the bird. Holy-! She gasped in surprise as she identified it as a Weavile, speaking of which had began to chant 'die' and cutting into Natasha like she were soaked paper. The dual type then brought its icy glare upon all of them, the eyes penetrating - and for once, the bird showed one, true emotion, and that was fear. "Oh God." The Starling Pokemon exclaimed, her talon reaching for her spoon for whatever mild comfort it could give. Her dilated pupils darted back and forth anxiously, the blood of the flying psychic thrown everywhere. If she hadn't known any better, she couldn't even tell there was a Pokemon there at all.

Coco gasped, seeking out Arthur instinctively. He was the only other being alive that she actually knew the name of, and his large size was an admittedly much needed support. She did right in front of me...! She tensed as she looked back at the bloody murder, and after a moment's lapse, took a deep breath. She needed to calm down, and she needed to keep on a straight head. What am I doing, letting fear rule out my actions? I was reared up better than this. Her thoughts of fear and seeking support quickly fell into her habit of seeing what she could salvage from this... this mess, instantly hating herself for wanting to find Arthur and, please Arceus don't ever let this happen, and be comforted by that wimpy 'Totodile'. Although a small part of her conscience felt that she should properly mourn the loss of this stranger she only knew the name of, Coco knew that only the hardest will see to the end of the epidemic. The friendly Swoobat was a harsh reminder of this stark reality.

Making sure that the Weavile wasn't going to swoop back in, the Starly focused on her earlier fear, and put that weakling emotion onto her face, and stumbled over to Arthur and the Gardevoir. "Oh A-Arceus! T-The Weavile, and Nat-t-tasha!" She stammered, her mind reeling on what her plan would be. Coco could easily use this new event to her advantage, finally get Arthur and whoever else would follow to get away from this Dreamyard, maybe head into Striaton City, scavenge for more food, get more things for her to steal like a silent thief. "I... I thought it was going to get me too." Coco whispered softly, surprise flitting across her face for just a second. That last sentence had been much too sincere, hitting right on the spot of her earlier panic; she had said too much. She was supposed to be in control of the situation, and if she allowed emotions to get in the way, others could just as easily take advantage of her - and she was never gonna let that happen again.

The Gardevoir seemed to be rather hostile towards Coco and Arthur did not understand why since the Starly had been friendly to her. "Do not pretend to be sweet bird," she spat. "You are as cold and hard inside as a glacier, do not pretend to be kind. All you want is a pawn." Arthur blinked at her in surprise and watched as she quickly floated away from them. Once at a considerable distance, Arthur watched with a heavy heart as she dropped to her knees and began to sob. Even though he did not even know her name, Arthur immediately felt an instinct to help her and made to start walking towards her when a scream of pain and a mad cackle echoed through the air.

A Weavile had leaped down from a tree and had started hacking away at Natasha with her sharp claws. Horrified, Arthur stumbled backwards into a piece of rubble and knocked it over. He felt a searing anger towards this creature that was making such a brutal and unprovoked attack, but at the same time his limbs were frozen with fear. There was something about this Weavile that was different from the other undead Pokemon he had seen. Her eyes blazed with indescribable rage and bloodlust as she practically slashed Natasha to pieces. No... Arthur tried to move, the instinct to help his new friend growing greater than his fear of the crazed dual-type, but groaned in anguish when he realised it was too late. The Weavile froze Natasha's remains into a pile of icy rock and, with a final crimson glare at the rest of them, took off back into the trees.

Arthur simply stood where he was, rubbing his sore back. He was completely stunned. Why had that Weavile attacked only Natasha and not the rest of them? Was it because she was one of the smallest, or simply because she had been the closest target? He didn't know, but what he could clearly see was that Natasha was dead, sliced to pieces by that crazed infected...

...And he had done absolutely nothing to stop it.

With another grief-stricken groan, Arthur slowly shuffled over to the icy rock containing the Woobat's remains as Coco stumbled over to him. "Oh A-Arceus! T-The Weavile, and Nat-t-tasha!" she stammered, clearly more frightened than ever. "I... I thought it was going to get me too." Knowing that there was nothing he could do for Natasha, Arthur bent down to Coco and gently ran his large finger along her wing. "I-It's OK, it's gone now. It ... won't hurt anyone else."

Arthur stood up tall and looked round. The Dreamyard was desolate once again apart from himself, Coco, the stricken Gardevoir and the two strange Ghost-types, both of whom had distanced themselves from the group after the attack. Arthur had walked through Striaton City to get here, and although the city had been just as devoid of life as this place, it gave greater opportunities for shelter and cover from the bloodthirsty predators. His independence and the duty he had to look out for his new friends was starting to make him feel more confident. Natasha's horrible death had been painful to witness and he knew that memory would not leave him for a lifetime, but watching such a terrible thing happen only gave him the urge, the willingness, not to let that happen ever again.

Turning back down to Coco, his spoke quietly. "D-Do you think that w-we'd be a bit safer in the city? I mean, er, there's more shelter there, more food. I r-reckon that we'll manage a lot b-better there. What do you say?"

She merely watched. Having never known the creature who just died, not surprisingly the Embrace Pokemon felt nothing. She heard the cruel bird make an honest statement of her own fear. Pathetic. For her to be so cruel and cold inside, and yet feel such fear.
"It would be best if you hid your fear, it's not dignified for someone like you I'd think."
Her voice was too calculated and precise to come off cold, but instead it sounded gentle and sweet, but you could still feel the spite and the seething acid in her words. With a whirl of her dress-like garments, she floated over to the icy rock that was once the bat. She sniffed in distaste at the smell. Repulsive things. The living were no better. All of them... disgusting creatures. Her earlier pain forgotten, she merely stared at the icy rock with a cold, disgusted stare.
"Even the kind souls die by these beasts... where are you now Arceus?"

((OOC-Ay ay aye... When I wrote this I didn't realize until I had written the whole post before I saw how dark it was...DX))

The Chandelure remained quiet before smiling. "Nothing," she said, "nothing at all." Doug smiled at the statement. "That's good to hear. My name is Doug." He looked around the basement a bit, staying near the Chandelure. "What's your name, miss?"

(OoC: So sorry for the short post, but there wasn't really much I could do.)

[ooc: I didn't know Radio posted, and I'm really tight on time, so I'll have to skip. >< I'm sorry! Let's just say that Coco only gave a quick, small glare at Ariadne, then chirped in agreement with Arthur, quickly flying away towards the town to get away from the Gardevoir.]

Everything seemed to get so eerily silent. Of course the bird gave her a nasty look. After all, Ariadne could tell the bird's intentions merely by her emotions. No matter how well physically you can conceal them, psychologically a Gardevoir can always tell. Then again, it hadn't helped her make any new friends, considering the severe lack of social skills he possessed. Her ineptitude only exacerbated matters as she attempted the rectify the situation. Being incapable of deciding what to do next, she merely followed after the bird and the crocodile.

Maybe in some way this would purify whatever lacking emotions she may have had. Then again, maybe that was what truly would exacerbate matters, and not her feeble attempts at friendship. Friends... probably a luxury she would never see, and didn't plan on seeing any time soon.

((OOC- Short crappy post DX... couldn't think of anything... and I hate skipping.))

As he waited for an answer from the Chandelure, Doug heard a low growling noise coming from not too far away. He looked at the Chandelure and said "I'll handle this..." The Shuppet floated over to the source. It was an undead Abra. The psychic type grabbed him as he flailed in its grip. "Help me! He-" And he was gone. The Abra had used teleport and took Douglas with him to wherever he was going.

(Sorry for leaving the team, guys. The Abra is moving him to Pyrite Team. I'll come back with another character some day, though.)

[OOC: Skip.]