(ACE) The HEARTHOME Team

    "So these poffin things ... what are the made of? Did the humans make them?" Francesca glanced over to Rocket, considering his question as she fumbled for a good answer.
    "Yeah, they were human-made, they're kinda like uh..." she paused in thought. "They're kinda like buns? Or soft cookies. They're made with a bunch of different berries; kinda like Pokeblocks if you know what those are." the Krookodile explained. "They taste pretty okay, depending on how well they were cooked. Come in all different flavors, too."
    "Oh hello!" the ground-type nearly jumped at the sudden voice, looking around to catch sight of a Growlithe and Vaporeon dual. "Would any of you mind giving a couple lost pups some directions?" She squinted at the canine, wondering why exactly he was wearing a mask--one that only covered half his face. "Or, at least tell us where we are."
    The Banette replied first, and Francesca nodded. "Yup. Hearthome City in Sinnoh." she confirmed, crossing her arms and looking the two strangers over. "Who're you two?"

Phantom squashed down his natural shyness as all eyes turned to him with a wary gloss. Smiling genuinely at the Pokemon before him the Growlithe tried his best not to appear as nervous as he felt. Though some looked a bit beaten none smelled or appeared to be of the diseased type, at least not to the point that he could tell. It was just his luck, had any of them been infected he knew that Artemis' stare that burrowed into his neck would of been much worse. The Gabite was the first to speak up, perhaps he was like the leader of the group? "I'm not the one to ask. Only just got here myself," Well.. guess not. However, curiosity perked Phantom's good ear up. Were they traveling as well?

"Um, we're in Hearthome City, between the contest hall and the pokemon center." Hearthome City? The name was nearly foreign to the canine and the sharp hiss from the Vaporeon beside him could only mean bad things. He could vaguely recall hearing it maybe once or twice and, for what he could remember, it no where near where he was trying to go. "Hearthome City?" He repeated, hoping there had been some mistake. The Krookodile spoke next with a knowledgeable air, maybe she was the lead. "Yup. Hearthome City in Sinnoh." Sinnoh. Oh dear that was not good. The Growlithe knew next to nothing about the region except that it was oceans away from his home and more then likely his destination. "Oh, I see.." He replied, failing to hide the disappointment and discontent in his voice.

"Who're you two?" She continued though the Growlithe's thoughts were far away on mental map with many holes. How had they popped off course like this? They had been going in nearly a straight line until the incident! "My name is Phantom, and this is Artemis." He glanced down at the scowling Vaporeon who was obviously not pleased. She stared straight into his eyes, rage boiling in her cyan eyes. Confidence waning, he was at a loss for words. "We are from Orre and we were on our way to Goldenrod City.. but it seems we've gotten a bit.. off track."
His gaze drifted upward with an awkward smile, examining the mighty buildings in a desperate need to change topics. "I've never seen a buildings so large before.." Artemis only growled, standing up tall with fins flared, claws scoring marks in the hard ground as they curled. "Well I have, and they were in Goldenrod. How did you get us lost in Sinnoh?" He flinched at her angry, feeling hot under his fur as the other Pokemon watched. "Hey, you know as well as I do that something brought us here. I had kept us on track."

Artemis thrashed her tail, bright gaze flicking between the other Pokemon. There was something about them that she just did not like. Maybe it was because of the last group she had been stuck with, or the fact that these guys were just standing idly in the middle of a city. She didn't care- she just did not like them. Keeping her back straight the Vaporeon refused to be intimidated. Phantom may be the talker but she would make sure they knew she meant business.

"--brought us here. I had kept us on track."
Belle's ears, or whatever it was she heard with, picked up on noise from an area close by. Luckily for her, it seemed like whoever was speaking was intelligent, and not completely hard to understand like the disgusting zombies she had come across thus far. Though, admittedly, she felt a bit bad for them. They were once living like she was, and it was kind of sad to see pokemon just turn into those mindless monstrosities.

But whatever, that was the least of the Chimecho's worries right now. There were other beings nearby! The first she had seen so far! She guessed she just avoided all the towns in fear of infected, but there was definitely a large crowd, of what she assumed to be living, here. She could hear them.

Wanting to be careful however, due to not exactly knowing if she should trust these voices, she floated into town, making sure to hide behind things as she got closer. She peered from her hiding spots, hoping not to make any noise as she did so, because if they were in fact infected, she'd be doomed. As she got closer however, the pokemon she saw were definitely Living. Granted, there was a huge Krookodile with tons of scars, but they were just scars, not rotting flesh.

Nervously, she approached the group, happy to see some, well, hopefully, friendly faces. "Uh... hello!" she called out from a few feet away.

As Ullr and Francesca answered the Growlithe's question, Rocket kept his eyes firmly on the masked canine. No one went around wearing a mask for no reason - this guy was hiding something. If it was something like an infected wound, he'd have to kill him. Well, he would've if he didn't have an audience, and the moody-looking Vaporeon that had appeared looked as though she knew the Fire-type. Killing him and her in self defense wouldn't make him look too good.

"My name is Phantom, and this is Artemis." Rocket frowned, still watching the Growlithe like a hawk. Even his name was weird. "We are from Orre and we were on our way to Goldenrod City.. but it seems we've gotten a bit.. off track."

"A bit?!" Rocket scoffed harshly. "Dude, you're practically on another map." He didn't feel much like making pleasantries right now, especially with Phantom continuing to creep him out. Still, if they were going to tag along for a bit, names were always helpful. "The name's Rocket, and this is--"

"Uh... hello!" called another voice just off to his left. A Chimecho was approaching, and although she seemed friendly enough, Rocket wasn't sure he wanted a large group following him around. Sure, he loved Francesca's company and Ullr wasn't too bad, but since the arrival of the masked weirdo and the Vaporeon that hadn't stopped scowling since she'd arrived, he decided that he definitely preferred smaller groups. Not just for less stupidity, but less noise as well.

"Yeah, hi." Nonetheless, he offered the Chimecho a brief wave of his fin. "We're off to find some grub at this 'Poffin' place," he said, looking to the Chimecho and then towards Phantom and Artemis. "If you wanna come, that's fine, but you gotta keep up. Oh, and no bullshit. Got it?"

"And lemme try that again. My name's Rocket." He started off down the street again, soon reaching a junction. He stood on the edge of the curb, scratching his cheek. "Shit, which way now?"

((I'm so sorry but please skip me >.<))

    "My name is Phantom, and this is Artemis. We are from Orre and we were on our way to Goldenrod City.. but it seems we've gotten a bit.. off track." Immediately the Krookodile's brow furrowed, an uneasy frown on her face. She nodded her agreement to Rocket's words, a clear hint of doubt and suspicion in her eyes as the dark-type gazed down at the newcomers.
    "Uh... hello!" snapping her head to the source of the sound, she was met with a small psychic-type slowly making her way towards their ragtag group. She gave the Chimecho an odd glance, closely inspecting her for any wounds before giving a small wave of her hand.
    After the Gabite introduced himself to the strangers, the Krookodile began. "I'm Francesca," she spoke, crossing her arms. "Had no idea there would be so many survivors in this one area." she shrugged. She turned, following Rocket as he meandered down the street. Quietly, she whispered. "Where are all these Pokemon coming from?" she asked. "I mean, three living at once?"
    "Shit, which way now?" she paused, looking down the roads and the piles of rubble. Francesca frowned, trying to recognize the paths before cautiously pointing down one. "This way, I'm pretty sure." she replied. "Been ages since I've been here, but I think this is the way. Hearthome isn't as complex as Castelia anyways, if you get lost it's easier to find your way back."

"A bit?! Dude, you're practically on another map." The Vaporeon stiffened, muscles tightening harshly. "Really, well isn't that just great." She growled, unable to catch Phantom's gaze as he received the 'news'. Well wasn't this fantastic. Not only were they lost but somehow they had gotten themselves way the hell on the other side of the damn country. She sit down roughly with an exasperated groan. Roped in with these morons cause Phantom can't keep his big yap shut. Just great. And the Growlithe seemed way too interested in them to even think of leaving. "The name's Rocket, and this is--" "Uh... hello!" Oh no, not more Pokemon. For legends sakes, she would take listening to Phantom sing that damn song for an hour then have to deal with more of these guys!

Phantom perked immediately at the new voice, already beaming at the new face, a friendly one at that. "Hello!" He greeted the Chimecho, wondering if she was lost or just traveling. "I'm Francesca. Had no idea there would be so many survivors in this one area." The Growlithe shrugged, tail wagging a bit. At least she seemed to enjoy the new company too, making the total go up to three friendlies. "We're off to find some grub at this 'Poffin' place," What was a Poffin? Was that a Sinnoh, human, or an apocalypse thing? "If you wanna come, that's fine, but you gotta keep up. Oh, and no bullshit. Got it?" Shaking his head the pups tail wagged even harder. "That sounds lovely, thank you." He barked lightly, "And oh no never! Wouldn't even dream about it when you all have been so helpful."

"And lemme try that again. My name's Rocket." Turning toward the Chimecho Phantom nodded, "My names Phantom and this is," He gave the Vaporeon a gently shove, forcing her to acknowledge the psychic type and actually speak up for herself this time. "Artemis." She snarled, eyes staring to the side instead of at any of the other Pokemon. Avoiding any other conversation the quadruped rose to her paws and followed close behind Phantom as the party started to move. If she was going to be stuck with these Pokemon at least she could get some food out of it.. Yeah, and after they could get the hell out. Well, as soon as she could get a certain canine to leave his new buddies behind.

"Shit, which way now?" "This way, I'm pretty sure. Been ages since I've been here, but I think this is the way. Hearthome isn't as complex as Castelia anyways, if you get lost it's easier to find your way back." Phantom blinked, enthralled by the Krookodile's knowledge. His entire life he'd hardly been out Gateon, the thought of knowing so many big cities, having visited and explored them.. it was extraordinary. "Where is Castelia?" He asked mesmerized, curious if it was another city here in Sinnoh or if it was somewhere else entirely. How many of these wondrous places will I end up traveling through before we get to Goldenrod. He blinked. Which.. way is it? Suddenly he realized he had no idea where to even start on his way back to Johto.

The Chimecho edged a bit forward from the spot she was behind. Not all of these pokemon looked too happy to see her, and she was just a teensy bit nervous, but the reassuring wave of the Krookodile made her want to get closer to the group. "Hello!" the Growlithe called out, and Belle returned the greeting with another "Hello!" before adding, "It's nice to see some friendly faces!"

"I'm Francesca. Had no idea there would be so many survivors in this one area." the Krookodile said after the Gabite had rather gruffly introduced himself, "And lemme try that again. My name's Rocket."

She was glad they seemed at least rather friendly. Granted, she didn't expect them to be too happy, considering their situation, but at least they seemed like they were trying to be welcoming.

"My names Phantom and this is," the Growlite trailed off before nudging the Vaporeon, who growled out a vicious "Artemis."

"I'm happy to meet you all. I'm Belle, a wandering nurse. I hope I can help you guys out!"

Belle admittedly flinched a bit at the Vaporeon's cold nature, but she just shrugged it of in a second as she saw the group moving. I mean, she had no idea what had happened to all these Pokemon over the years of the infection, and it was only normal to have a few pokemon who were probably very angry at the world as it was. Either way, she let the thought flow to the back of her mind as she happily trailed the group.

(Skip please)

Phantom wagged his tail happily as he followed along with the others. This was so exciting! It was easy to squash the worry of location down when he thought about the fact he was somewhere completely new. He had told Acid he would survive out of Gateon and now look at him, exploring the far off reaches of Sinnoh. This is for all of you. If he really was living for the friends he had lost, then the Growlithe really hoped they were proud of the distance he had covered. Oh.. The thought of the actual distance he had gone and all the sand he had walked across made his aching paws hurt even more. Giving his thick orange fur a hard shaking the canine can still feel sand trapped next to his skin, making it itch feverishly. He didn't miss the expanse of sand but at the same time the thought was comforting as his is homeland was filled to the brim with the stuff. They were a far ways from Orre and he wondered if there a desert in Sinnoh. Should I ask? Maybe now wasn't the time.

Artemis kept her eyes locked on the ground, her frown as far as her face would allow. She did not want to be here, she did not want to be with other Pokemon, she did not want any of this! But damn Phantom won't let that happen. She takes in an exasperated breathe and lets it out with a soft sigh. Wasn't Sinnoh.. a different continent all together? She shudders. How in Arceus' name had they gone from the endless deserts of Orre to freaking Sinnoh? About ready to call shenanigans on this crap. Than again, how did she know that these Pokemon weren't all conspiracists and just lying to them, trying to get them good and lost more then Phantom had? They said something about just arriving.. Hell, what if they didn't even know where they were and just threw out a name!

Her ear fins twitch bitterly. Nope, no way was she believing this to be Sinnoh. Not anymore. Not until she had some sort of hard evidence that was more believable then the word of some 'new arrivals' to a city that at least one had never seen before. I hadn't explored all of Johto before ending up in Orre, this is probably just one its cities, or maybe Kanto's. That would make more sense, kind of. Moving across the country in a random flash was more realistic then moving across the world. Right? Hah! Gotcha! Her scowl changes to a pleased smirk. She didn't have to become friends with these Pokemon, just use their food before they headed out. This was brilliant.

[Skip. Don't have much to work with unfortunately! uvu]

"This way, I'm pretty sure," Francesca replied, pointing to the right. "Been ages since I've been here, but I think this is the way. Hearthome isn't as complex as Castelia anyways, if you get lost it's easier to find your way back." Rocket nodded in response as he turned and began to walk down the sidewalk, keeping his sharp eyes open for any movement, ready to retaliate if something unholy threw themselves at them from behind the rubble or out of an alleyway. "Good job we got you, ain't it?" He turned to the female gator and winked at her. 

Just as Phantom queried Castelia's location, the Chimecho introduced herself. "I'm happy to meet you all. I'm Belle, a wandering nurse. I hope I can help you guys out!" The Gabite perked an eyebrow at the Psychic-type, nodding in approval. "A nurse, eh? Looks like we got some keepers here, all right. Where did you-- hold on."

Rocket stopped and held out his fin for the others behind him to stop. "Sssshh..." What was that? A whisper? Rocket's head snapped to his left, towards a trash can sitting on the edge of an alley. He stayed deathly still, barely breathing, as he stared at it. "Wait there," he told the group and, claws raised, he stalked towards it. He peeped around it, beyond it and even inside it, but there was nothing to be seen. 

"Weird ... did anyone else hear that?" he asked, resuming his place in the middle of the path, scratching his cheek in confusion. "Swear I heard something." He paused for a moment, mulling it over before continuing with a shrug. "Probably just the wind. C'mon, let's hustle." 

Had he just been hearing things? It wasn't like him to be paranoid...

((Sui gave me permission to make posts without images and colour codes since I'm away with just my phone and don't have enough SH days. Once I'm home I'll come back and put everything missing in.))

    "Where is Castelia?" the Growlithe asked, which caused the Krookodile to glance back at the pup. She hummed in thought, remembering the massive buildings and towering hotels. The streets were crammed, packed with both people and Pokemon alike. The roads bustled and every shop was crowded--it was the epitome of the term 'big city'.
    "Castelia's in Unova," she replied. "Pretty far off the map. It's a long boat ride oversea, maybe a few days. It's a pretty big region, though."
    "I'm happy to meet you all. I'm Belle, a wandering nurse. I hope I can help you guys out!" Francesca nodded her head in acknowledgement, glad that they had found a survivor with some kind of medical knowledge out here. After all, Arceus knows how many wounds she and Rocket would get while brawling.
    ""A nurse, eh? Looks like we got some keepers here, all right. Where did you-- hold on."" The Gabite himself seemed genuinely glad they had found a nurse as well, but his last sentence left the Krookodile alert as she perked up. "Weird ... did anyone else hear that? Swear I heard something."
    Francesca shook her head, a small frown creased her scaled lips as she focused on her hearing. She cocked her head in an attempt to catch more sound, but shrugged. Nothing. "I don't hear anything." she mumbled. "Well, I guess my hearing isn't the best, anyways."
    "Probably just the wind. C'mon, let's hustle." With a firm nod the Krookodile followed close behind, eyes alert for anything uninvited that dared to follow them.

Phantom's tail would not stop wagging as Francesca answered his question. "Castelia's in Unova," Unova, Wow! "Pretty far off the map. It's a long boat ride oversea, maybe a few days. It's a pretty big region, though." Days by boat. He had stared day in and day out at an endless expanse of water back in Gateon yet he couldn't imagine an entire region being such a distance away. Even now, after crossing so much of Orre and somehow skipping a few regions to arrive in Sinnoh, the pup could only look on in awe. "That's incredible." He said breathlessly, trying to take the idea in.
He was forced away from his thoughts as the Gabite voiced his approval about the friendly floating Pokemon, "A nurse, eh? Looks like we got some keepers here, all right. Where did you-- hold on." but caused the canine to slow to a halt as he finished. Blinking his orange-brown eyes Phantom shifted his gaze around the street, searching for anything that could of set the dragon off. By this point in his life he knew that when big, strong Pokemon felt a disturbance it was usually better to listen now and ask questions later.

"Sssshh... "Wait there," The Growlithe was perfectly still, body tense with curiosity and fear. It was too soon to be running into trouble! An uncomfortable shiver coursed through his veins as Artemis bumped ever so slightly against his side with her tail. Looking toward her he was surprised to find she didn't seem at all concerned. Heck, she even looked happy for once. What are you thinking about? Maybe it was best he didn't know the things and went on in her mind. "Weird ... did anyone else hear that? Swear I heard something." Glancing back up he was relieved to find Rocket coming back empty handed. Finding nothing was better then finding something bad. "I don't hear anything. Well, I guess my hearing isn't the best, anyways." The Growlithe shifted his paws uncomfortably, "Mines a bit handicapped, but not much. Though I didn't hear anything either." He tilted the masked side of his face away from the others.

Artemis straightened out her back and stood a bit taller, putting it simply, "Nothing at all." She wasn't afraid of some noise that she didn't even hear. Honestly, what was their, six competent Pokemon here? Even if she didn't trust them no one wanted to lose to the undead and these lizards looks like they were itching for a fight. "Probably just the wind. C'mon, let's hustle." Her muzzle angled itself upward as though it was searching for this 'wind' he spoke of. The Vaporeon's cyan eyes saw nothing but Belle floating about. Wait.. Wasn't there another floating Pokemon with this group? Though she looks nothing comes up but the Chimecho. They were down a member already and hand't even noticed! Artemis opens her jaw to speak but then clamps it back shut. I don't care. These Pokemon were not her friends so she wouldn't concern herself with a missing persons problem. With a sweep of her tail the Water Type strode forward and followed the others with proud steps.

""A nurse, eh? Looks like we got some keepers here, all right. Where did you-- hold on."
"Hum...?" she replied, questioning, tilting her little body as she did.
"Weird ... did anyone else hear that? Swear I heard something."

Belle admittedly was put on edge as she heard the other talk about noises. She was just recovering from her most recent escape, and that was a whole day ago. Just... their faces and the noises they made... it was terrifying and she was so tired of it by now.
"I... I didn't hear anything either. Do gabites usually have such acute hearing? I didn't think they could hear very well..." she replied, keeping the last part mostly to herself as a note. If this gabite had good hearing, or at least... better than a growlithe's, she wanted to keep it in mind, because maybe it could help someday. Who knows?

"Probably just the wind. C'mon, let's hustle." At that, Belle immediately replied, "Well. We really shouldn't just brush it off. Let's all tread carefully over there. In case it wasn't just the wind."
If he was going to brush something off like that, he may as well at least know that it could be something.

Not one of them had heard what he had. Strange ... Rocket was certain that he'd heard a whisper. Not a hiss or growl like usual; a whisper, like from a living tongue. For the first time in a good while, Rocket felt himself getting uneasy. Anything capable of making a whisper still had at least half a brain left. Undead, he could cope with - they weren't very clever and he had no qualms in killing them. But the living ... he had never killed a fellow survivor before, and wasn't sure if he could.

Fuck that, he scolded himself as he continued on. He looked up at the spires of an impressive cathedral as it came into view on the corner ahead. If there are living Pokemon here, they mess with us I'll pluck their damn eyes from their skulls with my bare claws. But was he being serious? Rocket wasn't sure if he could bring himself to kill a fellow survivor, even if they were hostile. Wasn't the whole point of his pursuit for strength to kill the undead? If he slaughtered a survivor, he'd be taking two steps back with each life he ended.

Rocket turned left at the end of the road and walked into the shade of the cathedral, its towers still piercing the sky despite its broken windows and damaged stonework. He waited before he'd passed it before stopping again, pointing his fin to his left. "I'm guessing it's this way?" he asked no one in particular. In a foreign part of him, something wanted to get to the shelter of the 'poffin place' as soon as he could.

Phantom gave his fur a hard shake suddenly wondered if it had been a good idea to of shared that little tidbit about himself. He didn't really mind, he trusted them after all, but it seemed too clear that not everyone trusted him yet. That might make things a bit more difficult.. No, no what was he thinking. Survivors had to stick together! A small hearing problem from a bad ear was no reason to cause mistrust! Taking a deep breath the pup tried to clear his mind. They were in a new, far away place that probably had different customs and the infection spread might be at a different pace. It would take some time to fit in and get used to it all. And he had the patience for it.

The Vaporeon walks past her companion and closer to the dragon in the lead. She wasn't afraid of some lizard and she sure as hell wasn't going to listen to one with paranoia. As he waits for whatever reason she took matters into her own paws and continued to stride forward. "I'm guessing it's this way?" Was he talking to her? She didn't care if he was but made it a point to stop several feet ahead of him. Not so she could say with the group or anything but to make sure Phantom wouldn't lag behind. I gotta keep you around at least. Tempted to sit the Vaporeon keeps herself standing by running one paw across her face in a dry wash. Her pads were so rough against her stiff scales.. Artemis stiffened. "You're supposed to be leading." She sneered at the Gabite.
The Growlithe hurried over to her stern eyes. "Hush." He warns her, feeling hot under his own fur in embarrassment. Why did she always have to be like this..

No one answered. Rocket felt himself getting pissed off. How was he supposed to find them a place to stay if not one of them was co-operating? Without looking round, the Gabite simply stomped off down the left pathway until his eyes latched onto what remained of a colourful building some way down the road, an equally bright sign lying on its side near the door.

"You're supposed to be leading."

"Look, fuck you." The Vaporeon's snide remark cost Rocket his cool, and he quickly turned on her. "I've never been here before either, OK? I'm trying my best here. You want shelter? Food? Then shut up and help me out or both you and your freako friend are outta here!"

"Screw this, we're going in here," he added, giving the unhinged door to the building a good kick. It swung open, revealing a single, large room with several overturned tables and chairs. On a smaller table towards the left of the room was an odd-looking machine of some sort, clearly out of order just by the amount of dust that was covering it. Rocket looked up at the ceiling; half of it had been torn down, leaving nothing but a wooden beam running across the gap.

"So is this the place, baby?" Rocket asked who he thought was Francesca as he wandered over to one of the larger tables. He scowled at the lack of reply. "I said is this the...?" He finally turned, stunned into silence by the Krookodile's sudden absence. That Chimecho was gone too. Concerned, Rocket returned to the door and poked his head out, examining the streets.

"Hey, did ... any of you guys see where the others went?" he asked Artemis and Phantom, completely dumbfounded.

"Look, fuck you." Artemis hadn't expected a rebuttal and seeing the Dragon turn her way sent a shiver through her scales. "I've never been here before either, OK? I'm trying my best here. You want shelter? Food? Then shut up and help me out or both you and your freako friend are outta here!" Freako friend? "Haha, wow, you seem so concerned about a pup that couldn't hurt fly." Flicking her cyan gaze at Phantom for a moment the Vaporeon was pleased he didn't comment on either of those remarks, just puff up his face a little in disappointment.
Eying the building the Bubble Jet Pokemon saw no reason to continue standing outside. "Are you sure you can go in there?" She continued to gibe at the Gabite. It was fantastic to see him get so worked up though a spot in the back of her mind said she would regret this later. "Screw this, we're going in here," With a good smash the doors were opened and they moved forward. Sneers aside Artemis suddenly felt much smaller. No, she was not afraid of some old building but made very sure that both Rocket and Phantom stepped in before her.

The Growlithe was much more inquisitive about the place compared to his old companion. He had never heard of a 'poffin' and had no idea what to expect from the brightly colored room. It may of been beaten and dusty looking but his wonder was not dampened. Sniffing around the canine can tell that at one point this place was bustling with life and food, must like the Krabby Club back at home.. "Hey, did ... any of you guys see where the others went?" Peeling himself away from his own thoughts Phantom glanced backward to see only Artemis sitting very still by a wall. "I thought they were right behind us." He says more like a question. There was no screaming, no pain, they were not attacked and didn't call out for help or if they got lost. This didn't make sense.. Confusion probes his mind instead of worry.

Without warning Artemis stood up and walked very slowly into the center of the room, coolly rounding one of the overturned tables while she spoke. "The Banette ditched us a while back, in that alley to be exact." Her voice was unnaturally sweet for the Water Type and the topic. "I suspect the others did much of the same." Jaw agape Phantom struggled to respond to her, "You.. if.. do you know where they went?" However, she had no problem and shot a dark glare at the Gabite, "They are long gone."

 
The inside of your beak felt as dry as parchment paper, your stomach grumbled with the noise of an Exploud (by gods, are those loud), and your feathers looked ugly. Any other moment of your life was filled with the eyes of a maturing man, his deep voice nudging your heart in a warm embrace. Now, though? Arceus, you flew to a top branch of this tree and hadn't moved since. Every limb complained of movement, a creak in the joints begging for- what? Nourishment? Whatever liquids you still had left in your body gathered at the brims of your eyes.
 
Days passing only brought more mania and despair, and desperate grabs for any form of food only turned up more monsters. The intestines inside you screamed, prayed, worked against you. The life you once led wasn't built for surviving; when was the last time you actually ate a morsel of food? Don't think of it, Bee! You forced yourself to get onto your feet, deliberately ignoring the sudden need to scream out in pain.
 
You're just on the outskirts of Hearthome, which seemed relatively empty. If only...! You stretched your wings, and unsteadily glided down to the roof of an unfamiliar building. Your feet tripped on the landing, and your chest hit the rooftop first, feeling the air escape in a pained gasp. Clenching your beak, you laid there, mind blanking out. You could stop moving altogether, stop struggling, stop hurting -- if only you could do that with a full stomach, you think, flapping your wings in frustration.
 
"You.. if.. do you know where they went?"
 
Holy shit, a voice. The thought passed over you and left with no impact. It came back like the crash of a bus, the honk of a horn. "Holy shit." By Xerxes itself, was that actually another living, breathing being? An unfamiliar form of energy filled your bones, revitalizing your spirit as you sat up, straining yourself for anymore sounds.
 
"They are long gone." A different voice, in the same direction, a few buildings down. Your thoughts raced, and heart ricocheting against your ribcage, you glided to the ground and slowly began hopping to the building at the end of the street. Gods, you weren't even thinking straight anymore; the first sign of life in what has been the absolute worst scenario? It made you want to sing a song of lilacs and roses-
 
You didn't even think of how they'd react to your appearance, stepping through the building's entrance without so much as a thought. That thought caught up to you now, and with not two, but three others in the room, you felt small, like you shouldn't have intruded. "Uh... buh..."  You stammered helplessly, looking at two canine-like Pokemon and a blue dragon. Wait- Puffing out your chest feathers, you tried your best not to show how gaunt your form had gotten. "N-name's Beatrice. Nice to see your little coup of living Pokemon, ha?" You added a laugh at the end, though the situation didn't really feel for it.

He had traveled quite far this far. His legs felt sore from his screaming muscles begging for a rest, but the stubborn Arcanine did not always listen- no, respect his body's wishes. The great fire type chose to blatantly ignore his scraped paws as he found himself approaching a new environment. Sprinting powerfully towards the buildings, clear deterioration and strew debris confirmed this place was like any other. ...Best to move through quickly without getting distracted, he decided, stepping onto the broken concrete street as he continued on running without hesitation.

He really had no real reason to be in the city as he was, or any real destination past that. He was alone for the first time and this was unnatural for the Arcanine. All he could see in the back of his eyes was Easter. Need to find her as soon as possible, he grunted to himself, speeding his pace. The sun felt good on his thick fur, the heat naturally restoring the state of his tired muscles beneath his pelt as he enjoyed the light, even as he was running. With a flick of his ear, however, he heard a voice.
 
"They are long gone." What was that? It sounded young, almost like a child. The Arcanine gritted his teeth, the massive fangs clenched together as he slowed to a mere walk as he rounded a building. He could scent many different Pokemon, all uninfected. The group must be remarkably large to be to potent, but Halloween was not worried or eve scared. He could handle himself ad had survived worse. He saw a shape enter a building and slowly followed, making his way nearer until he was a few yards outside the door.

There was what seemed like a Gabite, Vaporeon, a Growlith- lovely, children- and a small orange bird. She was speaking confidently, though after her words ended a seemingly forced giggle escaped her ad Halloween felt pity for the bird. "N-name's Beatrice. Nice to see your little coup of living Pokemon, ha?" Her nervousness was obvious to him, having witnessed the same behaviour regularly in the past. Already his gaze softened when regarding her, though the stoic individual did not show it clearly. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to the door and looked inside where the four were, but made no move to join them inside or block their entrance by standing too close. "Nice little meeting," he growled, more of a grunt than truly threatening, but his eyes slid to the right and left. This wasn't right, there were only four Pokemon in sight but his nose told him otherwise. "...Not to be paranoid or somethin', but are there others in your group? Enough to make a large group?" He asked directly, almost positive that they would say no. If that was the case, then they weren't safe... and neither was he. Something told him that he wouldn't hear the response he wanted.

"I thought they were right behind us."
"Yeah, no shit, so did I," Rocket snapped back, his confusion quickly morphing into anger. If they'd just left without a word...

"The Banette ditched us a while back, in that alley to be exact," the little bitch of a Vaporeon said, her pleasant tone making him want to kick something. "I suspect the others did much of the same."
"You.. if.. do you know where they went?"
"They are long gone."

Artemis's glare worked just fine in getting Rocket to release his rage; he sent one of the stools flying with a strong kick, watching as it crashed loudly into the opposite wall. "What are you lookin' at ME for?!" he snarled, holding onto the table so he didn't just walk straight up to the little whore and kick her too. "Like it's my fault! Well, fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all to Hell and back. We don't need 'em. FUCK 'EM!"

"And YOU," he added, pointing a trembling claw at the Water-type, "had better keep your mouth shut, or you'll fly further than the chair. Got it?!"

Rocket could feel himself getting hot; sweat drizzled down his scales and he leaned against the table and took a deep breath. Calm down ... no, screw that. They LEFT us! He just couldn't believe that anyone would have the nerve to do that. Without even a reason, nor a word of goodbye ... Rocket knew he wasn't the nicest guy in the world, but that, to him, was just downright rude. No, not just rude: traitorous. They were in an apocalypse, for fuck's sake, and for all they knew they'd just left them to die somewhere; left them to be eaten alive by a zombie horde because they were too damn selfish to just, y'know, think of others.

Even Francesca was gone...

"Fuck 'em," Rocket repeated, quietly this time. He sat himself down on one of the stools and rested his head on his claw. "Great ... what the hell am I gonna do now?!"

"N-name's Beatrice. Nice to see your little coup of living Pokemon, ha?" Rocket glanced at the door to see an orange bird Pokemon hopping over the threshold. He simply glared at her from the corner of his eye as she cautiously came closer. Huh ... let's see how long SHE lasts.

Seconds later, a large, fluffy head peered in from outside. "Nice little meeting." Rocket simply scoffed, and said nothing. "...Not to be paranoid or somethin', but are there others in your group? Enough to make a large group?"

Rocket burst out laughing, more out of incredulity than amusement. "What kind of dumb question is that?! Does it look like there's more of us? There were, but they all fucked off somewhere. You're welcome to go out and drag 'em back so I can give 'em an ass-whoopin'." He eyed the two newcomers, then slid himself off the stool. "Either make yourselves useful, or hit the road. I'm tired of bullshit--"

A shadow swept across the floor, accompanied by a flutter of wings. Rocket looked up to see that a Swellow had perched itself on the beam extending across the roof. It was difficult to see, what with the light behind it, but it looked clean enough; no guts hanging out at least. It sat there, ruffling its feathers nonchalantly, and peered down at them all.

"...What?" Rocket snapped, holding out his arms to the sides. "You just gonna sit there and stare? Whadda you want?"
The Swellow briefly preened itself before turning back, and Rocket was surprised to see ... a smirk?
"We don't like bullshit either, it said, revealing itself to be male. That's why we've come to get rid of you."

"'We'? Who the hell is 'we'-- OH SHIT!"

The room was illuminated as a blast of intense fire erupted through one of the windows. Rocket threw himself to the floor, his burnt tail stinging in the heat. All around them were voices; laughing, shouting, jeering.
"Kill the intruders!
"I'm getting the Arcanine!
"This is our city!

Rocket stood up as at least seven Pokemon threw themselves into the room; from the door, through the windows or jumping in through the roof. They laughed and yelled and roared as they quickly closed in. A Charmeleon, who Rocket guessed had attacked before, threw himself at him, fangs bared.

"COME ON THEN, ASSHOLES!" Rocket bellowed, giving the Charmeleon a good shove and trying to spear him with his claw. The reptile was nimble and swept round to Rocket's back, biting him on the neck. "Ack ... get rid of 'em! Kill 'em!" he choked, trying to thrash the Fire-type off.

"What are you lookin' at ME for?!" Phantom flinched as Rocket snapped at Artemis, the Vaporeon jumping as the stool went flying. "You should of noticed!" She laughs with near manic eyes. Dammit all, what was that fish trying to do, get herself killed! The Growlithe stepped in place, at a complete loss for what to do or say. "Like it's my fault! Well, fuck 'em. Fuck 'em all to Hell and back. We don't need 'em. FUCK 'EM!" Oh this was bad. She had really gone and pissed him off now.
"And YOU," The Bubble Jet Pokemon is frozen on the spot, standing defensively now but unable to react if needed. "had better keep your mouth shut, or you'll fly further than the chair. Got it?!" There is a dangerous glint to her brightly colored eyes, all fear hidden behind her own bold attitude. Oh please don't say something stupid please.. The dog swallows dryly, utterly useless to help her.

Luckily, the vulpine has enough sense to bite her tongue and the Gabite backs off, at least for the moment. Releasing a breath he hadn't even known he was holding Phantom exhales. He hadn't known this Pokemon long enough to cast judgement but worry stirs deep in his stomach. Did he have a violent nature and that's why the others left? After what he just saw that seems highly possible. No no, he's just upset.. Rocket didn't hurt Artemis, he had sense, maybe a heart. "Fuck 'em," He roars, "Great ... what the hell am I gonna do now?!" He was keeping to words and not violence toward others, thank the legends. He has to be good! The thoughts enough to bring peace to his mind and let his muscles relax. Then, a surprise, "N-name's Beatrice. Nice to see your little coup of living Pokemon, ha?" And another, "Nice little meeting. ...Not to be paranoid or somethin', but are there others in your group? Enough to make a large group?"

"Oh hello there." He yelps a bit too cheerfully to the bird while his tail wags at the hound. Their dragon friend was much less enthusiastic though, going off on them before finishing with, "Either make yourselves useful, or hit the road. I'm tired of bullshit--" A shadow catches the Vaporeons attention and she decides to peel her eyes of the Gabite to investigate. "The hell.." She whispers to herself at the sight of a bird just.. watching them. Then, it spoke, "We don't like bullshit either. That's why we've come to get rid of you." An icy chill rushes through her veins while her scales quickly sizzle at the touch of fire against her tail-fin. Pokemon swarm in and any confidence she previously had vanishes in a cloud of panic. "Who the hell do you think you are!" Artemis shouts while running around blindly.

The canine was still stand, staring, doing nothing as chaos broke out. Fire.. Chest aching from the pressure of his own heart the Growlithe fought to keep calm. He has no chance to prepare himself as a Luxio roughly shoves him to the ground, electricity flooding from her pelt into his. Whining in pain Phantom struggles violently to get the cat off, claws digging into his pelt and shredding his skin as he finally gets the Spark Pokemon off. "Crawl back to mother, flea-pelt." She taunts, lunging forward and sinking her fangs deep in his flank. Emotions twist deep in the Fire Types stomach. Never. Its hard to breathe but he does his best to take a deep breath. "Never!" Phantom growls, spitting Embers at its face. It takes longer then he would of liked but finally the Luxio releases her grip and backs away a few steps.

Shaking his head and standing the Growlithe yelps as pain rushes through his leg. "Why are you attacking us, we aren't infected!" His pleas are lost in the smoke filled air as the Luxio lunges at him once more.
"Get the fuck off me!" Artemis hisses, her body pinned to the floor as a Loppuny sat on her. Writhing hard against the broken wood her lungs scream for freedom she can not obtain. "FUCK OFF!" She spits again, burnt tail trashing as more fire touches it. As it swings it hits the rabbits side though it does no damage and he laughs, "Pathetic" before smashing a fist into her shoulder.

The room felt increasingly tighter, smaller, suffocating even, when an Arcanine appeared behind you. He growled his words and his legs were strong, and every part of him spoke of strength -- in fact, every breathing being in the room had a rough exterior, save for maybe the Growlithe, who wagged his tail in greeting. Somewhere in your mad rush towards their voices, you had hoped that they would welcome your into their midst; the false optimism felt like whiplash as the Gabite barely acknowledged you.

Maybe it was wrong of you to come so enthusiastically. Yeah, as if-! You lifted a wing in return towards the Growlithe with the funny mask, hopping away from the Arcanine. You knew you were just as much worth as any other Pokemon here, as much as that Gabite... or that Vaporeon, even that Arcanine... who could all easily one-up you in terms of strength... You stifled a sigh, turning upwards to a Swellow.

And then- yelling. Hooting, taunts, angry spats. Your center of gravity was cut off-balance as something pounced on your side, and in a daze you saw glimpses of the other Pokemon being attacked. Searing pain throbbed against your skull as a claw drew itself along your line of vision. "What's a little birdy doing here?" The voice was a snake, slithering through your spine, causing you to shiver. Gods... You think, struggling under the weight, writhing in surprise, gasping for air. A Glameow, a cat.

Her figure wasn't exactly well-fed, and her diluted eyes looked that of a maniac than a sane Pokemon. You didn't have much time -- even with a paw grinding your head into the ground, you aim for the other forepaw, feeling your flame sac churn with cinder. The Glameow had begun striking you with her hind paws as she laughed in sputtered breaths, and for a moment, you thought to yourself.

This is where the world was headed, now, slowly going insane with no chances of a cure. Damned if I become that any time soon...!

Fire erupted from your beak and caught the Glameow's paw, causing her to shriek and take off the restraining paw against your skull. Now free, you push your wings against the ground, adding more distance between you and the offending cat. The lower half of your body ached from the attacks, but you told yourself it was nothing, at least for now. If you couldn't even handle a scrawny cat like her, then the words of the Gabite would be true; you'd just be a waste of time. The Glameow shook her paw and pounced again -- you attempted to slam into her underbelly with a Quick Attack, but a quick flick of her tail sent you slamming against the floor again. "Ack-!!" You gathered up embers in the back of your throat, fervently hoping you'd land a hit before the cat did.

Halloween wasn't exactly expecting a warm welcome. The Arcanine himself only bothered with asking the group a question because he was suspicious, and if there was danger, well tough shit. They could take care of themselves. But Halloween frowned as the immediate reaction was from the pop of a Growlithe, his tail wagging happily as he called out a friendly, "Oh hello there." Halloween takes a step back without thinking about it, feeling an immediate awkward almost disgust at the job in the dog's eyes. Why was he so happy, what was there to be happy about? And why is he staring at me with god damn goo-goo eyes... Fluffing out his pelt in the face of the uncomfortable greeting, he merely grunted in response to the pup. But it was the Gabite who suddenly had his attention.

Barking out a loud burst of laughter, the Arcanine's hackles raised slightly. Curling his lips at the dragon, he growled as he spoke. "What kind of dumb question is that?! Does it look like there's more of us?" Halloween stopped listening by then, already not giving a shit about the Gabite or his friends. "Fuck you, then. I didn't come to make friends, I smelled a massive group of other Pokemon and might have cared to warn you if you weren't such an ass hole." The Arcanine turned and began walking away, his teeth clenched in anger, but also the feeling buried underneath that he did not want to acknowledge; worry. If there were Pokemon nearby who weren't their friends and were sneaking around, it would be dangerous. But shaking his massive head, the fire type huffed to himself as he kept walking away. Whatever. Not my problem. He didn't work well with others anyway, all he ever needed was his sister.

Though even as he walked, the image of the innocent Luxio was clear in his mind's eye. She would be so disappointed in him for pissing off after meeting one survivor. Fighting back a sigh, the Arcanine slowly turned around and trotted back towards the building. Maybe I can still make allies if I try to...play nice, he thought grudgingly. But Halloween came back to the scene just in time to see a smirking Swellow and the Gabite crying out,"--OH SHIT!"

The canine roared in shock, jumping back as glass exploded both in and outside the building. Shaking his mane to dislodge any loose shards, he peered his hears as suddenly voices were shouting.
"Kill the intruders!
"I'm getting the Arcanine!
"This is our city!"
Halloween's green eyes snapped open and blazed with fury even as the nearby fire raged and scorched the Pokemon that had been inside of the store. Fucking--! "This is what I was trying to warn you about!" he bellowed just as a pair of Pokemon stepped before him; a Krokorok holding a club with a jagged nail sticking out, and a Delcatty baring it's fangs at him, though it's pelt was patchy and filthy. Halloween stood strongly before them, his body towering as his size was his ally. "Bring it, fuck face," he challenged just as the Delcatty sprang with a wild yowl. But even with their surprise attack, they were not immune to the Arcanine's natural Intimidate, and the take down might as well have bee deflected off of his bulk for all the damage it did. A seasoned fighter and spurred on with his growing anger, Halloween roared again in the face of the Krokorok, seeing it's eyes flash with uncertainty for the first time.

Bounding forward, Halloween smashed his body against the reptile in a blaze of fire, his flare blitz technique causing more pain to the dual type than it did himself. Smashed against the wall in the front of the Poffin House, Halloween built up fire in his throat to finish it off, but the Delcatty from earlier jumped at his eyes with a screech, claws flailing as it broke his focus and dug it's scrawny limbs into the flesh of his neck. Biting off the growing fireball, Halloween instead smashed his body against the door frame, causing it to splinter with the impact and the feline dropped to the ground unconscious from the blow. It was only then, though, that he was able to see the state of the others; everyone else was either scrambling to get the upper hand in the fight or outnumber and pinned down. Already Halloween could hear the Krokorok groan and struggle to get to his feet, but the Arcanine's attention snapped to the one member of the first group he saw. The small bird was struggling beneath a sneering Glameow, the cat trying to suffocate her. It seemed she would be alright, though, managing to get free and diving for another attack, but the obsessively long tail of the cat slammed down the fiery bird to the ground ad she grunted with the impact. "Ack-!!" 

"Enough is enough," he spat. Charging forward, the embers hit the cat right in the muzzle as he stepped up, effortlessly throwing the Glameow into a nearby chair. In the same motion the canine dipped his head, tucking his nose beneath the bird, and gently tossing her onto the back of his neck and into his mane. "You alright?" His words were gruff but genuine, even as the Krokorok stomped through the busted entrance, meeting the Arcanine's eyes with a growl. Behind him were a Charmeleon and a Slugma, and without hesitation charged the canine. Dropping into a crouch, he told the bird, "Hold on-!!" and raced forward to meet their charge boldly head on.

[ ooc: Had permission from Nega to help Bee and toss her onto Hallow's back! ]