(ACE) The HEARTHOME Team

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! ]

"A city..."

Connor remembered how Penelope would talk about the cities, with their endless abundance and vicious inhabitants. Humans that she had said killed Eevees and wore their skins. As a small child, he'd been terrified of them, and begged Penelope not to go steal from the people living there.
Now, the humans were gone, with their city in ruins. Penelope was gone too, and her absence was the true catalyst of Connor's collapsing life. Without her by his side, Connor had no idea what to do or where to go. He was merely a wandering Eevee with ruined paws and no plan. Even when their parents had been around, it had been Penelope and Connor, the two siblings dependent on each other. Yet here he was, with no sister to be seen.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. It was so...very...lonely.

"Please, Penelope, sister...come back to me," Connor begged aloud, even with nobody there to hear him.

The Eevee hobbled along the city path, wrapped up in his thoughts. He tried hard not to think about the agony of every step, or how he was leaving behind bloody footprints. Penelope had been particularly enthusiastic in the "shrugging off pain" lesson, though Connor was never good at it. His sister had been made of stronger stuff than him.

"OH SHIT!"
"Kill the intruders!"
"This is our city!"

Connor's ears flattened as he heard the shouts from many different voices. Feeling panic, he began to breathe deeply and remember Penelope's lessons. "Be fast, be smart, and don't let anyone see you." Doing his best to follow what his sister would do, Connor set his sight upon a building ahead of him. It was far from the most ideal of shelters, but he needed to hide. He couldn't be caught in a fight here, not without Penelope to protect him!
Connor moved as fast as he could, seeing what was unfolding in this city. A bunch of mostly-unfamiliar Pokemon were jumping into a building from all sides (even the roof); one was even setting fire to the place. Connor's eyes widened; he had seen territorial fights before, but never any involving fire-types.

They were far stronger than Connor; he couldn't fight them, it would be suicide to even try. He didn't know the Pokemon getting attacked, and strangers...strangers were horrible. Penelope had always taught that nobody could be trusted but her and Connor himself. Even so, Connor couldn't help but doubt his own judgment. If Penelope ordered him to hide, he would have done so, but his actions were nowhere near as reliable. Penelope had helped other Pokemon before, to survive. Suddenly, he knew that he couldn't just hide. Without Pokemon to help him, especially Penelope, Connor wouldn't last much longer.

Turning to the building where the fight was, Connor realized that nobody had taken notice of him. He was pretty small, and not much of a threat. It was an opportunity that Penelope could've easily taken advantage of. Connor was afraid and weak, but he could do something.

(OoC: Hi guys! Glad to be here...for what, the third time? *laughs* Hopefully, things will go better this time!
Sorry about the post being terrible. I'm on my phone, and my original one was deleted completely. *sigh* I hate rewriting posts...
Anyways, sorry about Connor not really joining the conflict yet.)

"What a wonderful day to fuck with someone's life!"
The Absol's happy tone bounced along the trees as the white quadruped stepped out, his red eyes shining with glee as he stopped to flick at the golden clock that sat around his neck. "Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock, goes the clock. Tick, tick, tock." The last word was spoken with malice and hate when Reaper spotted the small eevee nearby. His frown soon grew into a toothy wolf's grin as he chuckled darkly. His snake-like pupils watched the fox in interest, before the Disaster Pokemon forced his grin down, sliding over towards the normal type like ink in water.

"Why hello there young fox~ What might you be doing out here, all on your lonesome hmm? Are you lost dear little fox?" He said, his voice dripping with liquid sincerity. His tone was practiced as his bright scarlet eyes scanned over the delicious vulpine's small, lithe form and ragged appearence - a perfect treat! Now, now Reaper, we musn't get ahead of ourselves! They have to trust you first, else the reaction won't be good and they'll taste bitter! He thought, before blinking down at the eevee. "What's your name little fox? I'm Reaper~" His voice was almost sing-song like as he spoke, forcing the urge to kill him then and there down - no, he had to wait till they were sweet with all the mixed emotions that went with betrayal; after all, it was so much fun to watch them ask "why"!

Well, this had all gone to shit pretty quickly.

Damn, this Charmeleon was stronger than he looked. Rocket thrashed like a maniac but the guy would not let go of his neck. He could feel an unpleasant, prickling tingle around the reptile's teeth; he was going to use Fire Fang. Like hell you will! Rocket raised one of his claws and thrust it backwards over his shoulder; a warm, thick liquid gushed down his arm, indicating he had been spot on.

The Charmeleon reeled backwards and howled in agony, his hand covering the bloody, oozing mess that used to be his right eye. Rocket gave the Fire-type a strong shove, slamming him into the table. Pinning the thrashing, screaming guy by the throat, Rocket raised his other claw to finish him off but, for a split second, hestitated.

He did not kill the living; what good was there in murdering Pokemon who still had brains when there were a load of zombies out there that were practically ending the world? But these guys are fuckers. The Charmeleon's one remaining eye was brimming with tears as it silently begged him to spare his life. Zombies are fuckers too.

A wide grin ceased Rocket's bloodstained face as he plunged his claw straight through the Charmeleon's neck. The Fire-type gagged and spluttered, before going limp as his neck snapped. Rocket tossed his corpse to the floor, daring someone else to come and try. At least the zombies don't know what they're doing, he thought, giving his bloodied claw a quick lick.

The others were well into their combat as well, some doing better than others. The Arcanine in particular was making fine work of his foes. "This is what I was trying to warn you about!" he bellowed over the chaos. Rocket stared at him incredulously for a second before hollering back, just as loudly.

"YOU DUMB PIECE OF SHIT! You could've been a bit more SPECIFIC! How about, 'There's a fucking horde of idiots outside who want to FUCKING KILL YOU!' YOU DUMBASS PILE OF-- FUCK OFF!" He stopped ranting just in time to slash the throat of a Sneasel that had thrown itself at him.

Rocket panted and heaved, blood dripping from his claws as he dared one of these assholes to come and get him. Their numbers were starting to disperse; some appeared to be fleeing after witnessing the deaths of their companions. The Gabite felt ... amazing. Not just because he had removed a couple of idiots from the world, but because his entire body was tingling. He felt light and warm, as though he'd just woke up from a long nap. He could practically feel his energy increasing by the second.

He'd felt like this before.

"Whoa..." His toes were glowing. And so were his legs. And his belly. His entire body was illuminated in a blindingly white light. His legs were growing longer, sturdier; his claws sharper; his muscles hardening. The light faded slowly, and the first thing that Rocket noticed was just how much taller he was.


"Fuck yeah..."

The Vaporeon writhed hard against the splintering floor as the Lopunny continued to laugh. "Wow, you're so weak!" He kicked his legs playfully, smashing another Dizzy Punch against her skull. "Fight me like a real man!" The Vaporeon growls, repetitively smacking her own paw against the ground. This fucker was heavier then he looked. "Oh, are you trying to tell me you're a boy? Well then I.. uh.." The Lopunny stops his attacks, going all but silent as a strange light distracts him. She may not whats going on but an opportunity is an opportunity and Artemis will take it. "I said get off, fat ass!" Bucking as hard as she can the Bubble Jet Pokemon ends up rolling slightly, still squashed but a bit more mobile on her side. Quickly, she powers up a Shadow Ball and blasts it straight at his face.

Nothing happens. The dark sphere dissipates to reveal a glare locked in some cross between annoyance and amusement. "Are you retarded, a Ghost Type move against me?" The rabbit laughs manically. Panic builds in Artemis' labored form. Without thinking she sinks her fangs as high up as she can reach into its ear. The Rabbit Pokemon screams, standing and shaking at the pain in its sensitive ear. Dragged upward the Vaporeon can not support herself with her jaw alone and fights for footing. Forepaws scrabbling at the bunny her back legs barely scrape the ground. Well this was bet- The Lopunny knees her straight in the gut and instantly the Water Type is grounded again. "Bitch."

Once more Phantom is shoved to the ground, claws gouging his thick pelt. Its different this time though as he hears a thu-thunk sound and his orange-brown eyes go wide at the sight of his mask rolling away. Mimic..
He snaps.
Steeling his muscles the Growlithe barks before lunging his neck forward, jaws clamping down roughly on Luxios chest. She wails, pulling away though the teeth keep her locked in place. No one, He bites harder, wrapping his paws around her and jerking his neck back. In one fluid motion the canine flipped the tables, pinning the cat to the under his paws and teeth as he stood. "Touches his mask!" Phantom shook his head, feeling the skin in his jaws rip and tear. The Luxio claws wildly, scoring many hits but none that stop the enraged pup. She hadn't expected this change in him and could see the blood welling from her chest. Electricity fills her blue-and-black pelt, channeling into the Growlithe through his face.

The seconds crawl by like years before he lets go and the terrified feline runs to the back of the burning building with clumsy steps. Phantom pants from lack of oxygen, moving one step at a time. His gaze was locked on the Spark Pokemon's fleeing form. She was trying to escape. With a flick of his neck the Puppy Pokemon spits heated Embers at her. They sting against her legs and scatter across the floor, tripping and downing the Luxio. It cries in agony, blood from its chest staining the floor.
Phantom moves forward to go after her when his clawed paw bumps against the mask. He holds his breath. Mimic.. A speck of his own blood drips onto its white surface. Im sorry.. Fondling with it Phantom carefully places the half-mask over the scared portion of his face, taking in a deep, hot breath. Wiping one paw across it he smears the blot into his fur. He looks up and the first thing he notices it the dead bodies of a Sneasel and Charmeleon. Looking back toward the Luxio he watches the cat struggle to climb out a broken window, glass cutting her on the way out. ..I dont kill the living..

"You alright?" It was like being thrown into the air and forced to fly, except you didn't fly at all and the action was more akin to being tossed. Your mind went white as your attack backfired and the cinders within your flame sac were left unsettled, and the only sensation you could feel was warmth. ... Ah. It brought images of a blanketed nest, but- now wasn't the time to think of that, honestly!

You shook your head and watched in a blur as the Arcanine faced off with a Krokorok, and something- something within you caused your entire body to freeze up. Maybe it was fear, or shock, but in a matter of seconds, the situation was clear to you. You and this Arcanine were surrounded, and no less by fire types. Your only decent attack was useless, basically rendering you without a proper offense.

"Hold on-!!" He charged forward without further preamble, and all you could do was attempt to follow his orders. Arceus help me-! Everything was happening so quickly, and you couldn't find enough stability before the Legendary Pokemon surged onward with incredible speed. In a matter of seconds, you were thrown once again into the air, this time straight towards the Charmeleon, whose wide eyes and bared jaws were readily waiting for you.

And holy shit, you didn't want to go out like that. Even if you couldn't deal a lot of injury, something was way better than nothing. Flapping your wings, you twisted your body and used Quick Attack, ramming into the Charmeleon with your shoulder. The damage was minimal, but the shock to the unprepared foe was enough to gain you a few more seconds -- that was all you needed, though. Taking a deep breath, you used Agility and felt your muscles relax. And- you sped away, away from the fighting, and into the open street.

"Nngh..." You groaned as the adrenaline pumped through you, with no outlet except for the pain that seared your body. You landed roughly on the street, spreading out your wings in defeat. I... I hope that Arcanine is okay... He actually helped you... that wasn't something you exactly expected, when you first saw his grim face.

It was then that you noticed an Absol, and an Eevee. You must've looked pathetic laying on the ground, but you raised your head. "Fighting... ambush. Others... danger." You gasped the words out, as if every syllable pierced your lungs and tussled your insides. With everything happening, that might as well have been what was happening. "Guhh..." They didn't seem to be joining in the fight, though you were too beaten to really take note of who they were. Hopefully they were friendly, to some extent.

"YOU DUMB PIECE OF SHIT! You could've been a bit more SPECIFIC! How about, 'There's a fucking horde of idiots outside who want to FUCKING KILL YOU!' YOU DUMBASS PILE OF-- FUCK OFF!" The response of the Gabite only earned a similar roar of frustration from the Arcanine. How was he suppose to fucking know?! Who else would he have fucking asked! "How was I suppose to know they would try to kill all of us?!" In the back of his mind the fire type knew Easter would want him to apologise, but grumbled back to the image of his sister, Not like he was being friendly in return. But Halloween reminded himself to properly made up for it afterwards. At that moment they needed to all be focused on the fight.

Halloween did not hear a response from the bird and unfortunately did not have time to hesitate. As he pushed his body forward, flames built in his throat. Slamming his body brutishly into the Krokorok and Charmeleon, his eyes widened with alarm as the small avian took involuntary flight. Luckily he seemed to be able ad get out of the fray, though, and the canine felt pride light his smirking eyes as he let loose the roaring flamethrower on the trio.
Free to let loose, the sudden flash behind him caught the canine off guard. Tossing his head, he managed to catch a glimpse of the Garchomp before slamming his forpaws down onto the chest of the reptile, the dual type's grunt cutting off with a scream as bones snapped beneath the power of his massive paws. There is no way that we'll lose with a fucking Garchomp on our side now! "Ahaha HA HA! YEAH FUCKERS RUN!" Howling with triumph, Halloween finally noticed that the numbers had already dispersed, but several Pokemon turned and fled soon as they saw the powerhouse dragon.

Not all of them were so bright, however, and even then the massive fire type found himself being tackled by pelted with weak hits. "Why won't you just fuck off already?!" Whipping around, the Arcanine kicked out, landing a vicious blunt hit on the shoulder of Zigzagoon. The raccoon screaming, flying through the air only to slam into a panicking Pidgeotto. "Yeah, we fucking got this."

"Why hello there young fox~ What might you be doing out here, all on your lonesome hmm? Are you lost dear little fox?"

In that moment, Connor forgot all about the fight; even his lingering thoughts about hiding vanished. The only Pokemon he had seen were fighting, yet someone the one talking had snuck up on him. Connor knew the lessons: smart, quick, invisible...and he'd failed all three. The Eevee wanted nothing more than to scream.

"What's your name little fox? I'm Reaper~"

Connor forced himself to face the unfamiliar Pokemon, which was some sort of white-and-blue creature. It's red eyes seemed to know Connor's terror, and that only made Connor's heart pound harder. This Pokemon was so much bigger than him, obviously so much stronger, it could kill him in a second if it wanted. Connor struggled to answer Reaper; his tongue was twisted into knots. The words were caught in his throat, he was choking on them, it was as though he'd forgotten how to breathe.

"C-cc..Connor," the Eevee said, his voice barely more than a strangled whisper. His gaze constantly shifted from Reaper's claws to that horrible scythe upon his head. If Reaper did attack, Connor wouldn't be able to run fast enough, not with his sore-ridden paws. His own life was depending on the whims of a stranger. I...I'm so scared, Penelope, Connor admitted mentally to a sister that wasn't there. You're the strong one, you could defeat this Reaper easy. For the hundredth time, he wished she was still with him. Like every other time, he did not get his wish. However, he did get something else.

"Fighting...ambush. Others...danger."

Another stranger? Connor regretted not hiding away before, when he'd had the chance to do so. This Pokemon was nowhere near as scary as Reaper, though. It was a small, colorful bird lying on the ground; the Eevee knew that it was hurt. Someone I don't know, but...it's hurt. And Reaper...I don't want to be near him. Connor carefully walked over to the collapsed bird, his entire body tensed.

"Um...are...a-are you okay?" Connor asked, his voice just a bit louder than when he had spoke to Reaper. The bird had talked about an ambush, and others in peril. He wanted to help out, he really did, but Connor was not a battle-ready Pokemon.

"I-I can't fight. M...m...my sister did, but, but I'm too weak." Connor looked down at the street, too ashamed to meet the eyes of the bird.

Drago's legs were tired.

He had spent the past four days walking aimlessly, his mind fuzzy with only sudden moments of clarity. He was confused. He remembered leaving his home. He remembered reaching that Island. He remembered the basement. Then... Nothing. It was a blank. A void.

Drago knew he had a goal. He knew he had a purpose. But for the life of him, he couldn't find the strength to do it. He couldn't find the path to begin again. So he wandered.

He hadn't been familiar with his surroundings upon waking up on that beach, which was unsurprising. Most of the world was unfamiliar to Drago. Walking inland had obviously not improved his situation. Despite his being hopelessly lost, he never once considered stopping. Surrender was never an option. He knew he had some purpose. He just needed to find it.

When he entered the city, night had already fallen. He had not even realized that he was no longer under trees until he nearly walked straight into a building. Drago was used to silence. He had become accustomed to an almost... ironic serenity while traveling alone. What caught his attention that night, however, was not silence. It was not serenity. It was chaos.

Loud crashes and the sound of muffled screaming drew Drago further into the city. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Drago started to walk faster. He could smell smoke. Drago's speed increased. He was getting close enough to hear some voices. Whimpering. Drago's feet began to lift off the ground. He was close enough know to make out some shapes in the darkness. Huddled outside a building. He could make out their voices. "Fighting... ambush. Others... danger."

Purpose.


Drago's wings stretched out for the first time in days. Lifting off the ground, Drago flew over the shadows in the darkness, smashing through the doors of the building behind them.

This was chaos.

All around him. Fighting. Chaos. Death. Drago's mind began to clear, and he quickly assessed the situation. Two groups were fighting here. Territory, food, mates, whatever they were fighting over, Drago had just bardged directly into the center of it. And he had to pick a side. One side was ambushed. Drago wouldn't fight with a group to use dirty tricks like that, but he had no way of telling who was who in this mess. Eyes darting around, he tried to pick out any information that would help. Finally, his eyes came to rest on a large blue creature with yellow and red markings. Spikes adorned it's shoulders and knees, and it had what looked reminiscent of wings on its forearms.

That looks like a dragon... Drago thought to himself. That'll do.

Mind made up, Drago began to move offer his aid, when something caught his eye. A flash of white in the shadows around the building. There. In the corner, a Weavile hid in the shadows, poised to strike. Drago followed its line of sight, and found its target. Definately a dragon...

Moving quickly, Drago lowered his head. His antennae sparked, and came alive with electricity. Everything around him faded away, leaving just the Weavile in his sights. He only had one shot. Releasing his Thunder Wave into the air between the Weavile and the dragon, it made contact with the ice-type as it dashed forward. Paralyzed, its eyes moved downwards to stare at the growing hole where its stomach used to be. Drago had followed his shot, flying through the room with a Fire Punch.

Removing his hand from the corpse, Drago kicked it to the side. He never was a fan of ice types anyways. Shaking the remnants of blood off his fist, he turned to the dragon. "I'm here to help." Drago turned away from the dragon, and began to get a feel of the fight. There were a lot of bodies in the building, but nothing too large. Drago found that surprising. A gang like this wouldn't survive for this long without someone strong. Slightly worried by the thought, Drago began to join the fray, picking a fight with a small Linoone. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very, wrong.

Reaper chuckled as the eevee froze, and began shaking as the Dark Type spoke, before choking out a name. "C-cc..Connor," Reaper chuckled, flashing a wolf's toothy grin, before looking up as a bird flitted over, crash landing before them. Reaper's grin faded to a frown as he hissed inwardly, but then his eyes lit up, and the grin soon returned. He left the eevee's side and was over at the Fletchinder before one could even say 'bird'

"Fighting...ambush. Others...danger." Reaper feigned concern, watching as the eevee seemed to find it's tongue. "Um...are...a-are you okay?" "Ah, yes, yes dear bird, are you okay? Had a bit of a crash landing did we? No matter, Connor here should be able to watch over you can't you Connor?" He said, his voice singsong as he addressed the eevee, but the eevee just stuttered out a few more words. "I-I can't fight. M...m...my sister did, but, but I'm too weak."

Reaper let out a sinister chuckle, his grin growing back into a toothy smile as he slid back over to Connor. "You don't need to worry dear little fox, Reaper's here to make it all better." He said, his singsong voice dropping to a dark tone as he said the last words, before skipping away and over to the fire bird. "But enough about that eh? What's your name dear little birdy? Mine's Reaper~" He sang to the Fletchinder, his bright red eyes watching the bird hungrily before he looked back over to Connor, his snake pupils slits as he studied the two morsels before him.

Oh this was just absolutely perfect. Rocket was sure he had never felt quite so good as he watched several of his foes turn tail and flee at the sight of him.
"Shit, a Garchomp!"
"Oh man, this is bad!"
"Call the boss! We need help!"
"You'd better fucking believe it, you asswipes!" the newly evolved dragon bellowed as he charged forward, immediately noticing his increase in speed. He held his fins outwards in a horizontal position as he ran, and within a second he was on the other side of the room, snatching up a fleeing Poochyena in his jaws as he stopped. The small dog writhed and squirmed and cried out in agony as the Garchomp's dagger-like teeth slowly sank deeper into his flesh.

Rocket's new Crunch attack was working like a charm, it seemed; within ten seconds there was a snap and a sickening squelch as the Poochyena's spine was severed in half. With a great toss of his head, he threw the corpse towards two Pokemon who were scrambling to climb out of the window. It hit them with a loud splat and sent them flying. Rocket screeched with almost insane laughter; he had finally done it.

Even the dumbass of an Arcanine seemed to be impressed. "Ahaha HA HA! YEAH FUCKERS RUN!" Rocket smirked as he watched them all scramble like cockroaches under a rug. "YEAH! Go back to suck on your mamma's tit-- what the hell?!"

A spark of electricity from behind startled Rocket, followed by a sweep of flames. He turned to see a blue Dragonite kicking aside the charred corpse of a Weavile. He frowned at the fellow dragon as it looked at him. "I'm here to help," he said, before dashing off and targetting a Linoone.

After a few seconds, Rocket snapped back to reality and burst out laughing. "Does it look like we need help? Look - half these fuckers are high-tailing it outta here! And so they damn well should!" As he spoke, a Flareon and Purloin muttered to each other by one of the windows, but before Rocket could get to them they climbed out, slipping on the ledge in their haste. "We did it, guys!" he hollered to his 'team'. Maybe they weren't so bad after all. "Fuck 'em all to hell! We're so totally--"

A massive crash of thunder startled Rocket, and within seconds a heavy downpour started. Rocket looked up at the dark clouds that had appeared almost out of nowhere. Weird ... skies were blue when we came in here. There was a dull, repetitive thump coming from the back door; something was trying to get in. BANG ... BANG ... BANG...

"Seriously?!" Rocket licked his bloodstained mouth as he crouched, ready to strike whatever came in. His scales glistened as the heavy rain pounded down on them. If one of those assholes was stupid enough to try and get back in when they were clearly out-powered, Rocket couldn't wait for the look on his face as he tore him to pieces.

BANG ... BANG ... CRASH!

The door hurtled off its hinges; Rocket had to quickly duck to avoid it. Squeezing its body through the door was a massive Swampert. The guy was huge; powerful muscles rippled through his arms and torso, his entire body decorated with ragged scars. The large Water-type laughed as he entered, his skin shining as his Rain Dance continued to fall. Rocket smirked; this must've been the 'boss' they were referring to before.

"Don't you idiots get it?! This is MY city! You come in here, eat our food, KILL my friends..."  The Swampert pounded his huge fists together and let out a great bellow. "I think it's about time you FUCKING DIED!"

"Come and get us then, you overgrown turd!" Rocket hollered straight back, grinning at the Swampert as he charged forward. This guy was clearly suicidal if he thought he could take them all out on his own. The Garchomp braced himself for an attack, but the big Water-type veered off to the side, ran straight past him and made for the Arcanine. His mouth parted to reveal ... steam? It floated out from between his parted jaws and the next thing Rocket knew, he was firing a powerful jet of red-hot water; he could feel the heat from here.

"Might wanna move guys!" he yelled to the others as the Swampert's Scald attack threatened to hit Hallow, Phantom and the Fletchinder too. He was going for the Fire-types first, it seemed. Rocket charged forward himself, preparing a Dragon Claw. No way was he about to lose this one.

Artemis could not breathe. Between being winded and again smashed under fat ass McRabbit air would not enter her lungs. Fuck.. you.. Mind racing and paws scrabbling desperately the Vaporeon is literally choking to death. Her lungs burn, crying for solace when suddenly precious oxygen returns to them. Sucking in lungful after lungful of air the Vaporeon relaxes, slightly. Did she seriously almost die by lack of oxygen? Pathetic! What would Polnareff think about that? A few more moments pass before she even bothers to look around, cyan eyes meeting a wondrous sight- the Lopunny was fleeing, running away like a timid rabbit along with a lot of its other carnies. "Hahah, thats right, fuck you! You guys got nothing on us!" She laughs, returning to her paws while smirking triumphantly.

Dtt.

Time freezes.

Dtt. Ptt. Drip.

The sound was the equivalent of nails on a chalk board. The Vaporeons scales flare up painfully while her fins shrunk back against her skull. No. It was impossible. It had to be. Corpses litter the ground and Pokemon race from the burning building but the Bubble Jet Pokemon can only focus on one thing. Bright spheres fall back to the floor, back to a small, dark spot on the floor. It was wet.
Her heart skips a beat.
No no no. Where was it? Where was the Pokemon that caused this? Artemis' breath rate increases into short, fast gasps. Her gaze darts rapidly around the room. Nothing, none of these shitheads were those demon Water Types! Drip drip drip drip. The spots on the ground grow. There is more, more water. Thrusting her head upward Artemis' chocks when she sees the droplets falling beside her. By some miracle a chunk of the roof was still above her but the rain was falling. So close. Too close. Fucking. RAIN. "NO NO NO NO." She screams, realizing the predicament she was in.

Trapped. Trapped she is trapped! The overhang only offers her a small space of sanctuary but the rain. The water. The WATER is so close. "NOOOOOOOOooo!" She yowls again. In her panic Artemis failed to even notice the massive Swampert that graced them with its presence. However, she did not miss its attack.
The hiss of stream wrecks her ears and the rapid breathing instantly turns into hyperventilating. "Might wanna move guys!" The attack wasn't even aimed at her, whizzing past the Water Type as though she didn't exist. It threw a shower of droplets in its wake. Hiss.
They touched her.
She cries out with a bloodcurdling scream.
Like a blue bullet the panic-stricken Vaporeon dashes out of the building, barely slipping past the Swampert and burning her legs on the few remaining flames. More water touches her scales, an ice-like feeling flooding her veins like the surface burned in the heat. Barreling her way outside Artemis crashes and tumbles against the ground, flailing and rolling wildly in a failed attempt to remove the liquid from her body.
The ground was wet. Water was coming from the sky.
She can not stand, her body convulses without control and she vomits. The last sight in her unfocused eyes is something like white fur..

"Artemis!" Phantom barks, his paws moving all too slow. The Scald had swept him, tearing a jagged line down his side while burning the wounds. Getting back to his paws the pup staggered, pain clouding his thoughts. Of all things.. He stumbles back over. "Someone.. help her!" He yelps, forcing a mouthful of Embers up. The attack is more like a failed cough as they fly toward the Swampert, landing weakly on its scaly skin as though they didn't even exist.
I cant leave her.. she needs help.. Clawing his way forward the Growlithe drags himself along the ground. "Artemis.." He whines weakly, again forcing himself to stand. Each step threatened to down him, a limp already forming. "Help.. her.."

Your blurry vision cleared itself to you in colored splotches -- a cowering Eevee, peering at you from above, and an Absol, with a necklace around itself. "Ah, yes, yes dear bird, are you okay? Had a bit of a crash landing did we? No matter, Connor here should be able to watch over you can't you Connor?" And you bit back a retort -- he sounded so incredibly patronizing, and that never flew past you any good. This Reaper Absol was more like a creeper than anything else. Just... ignore... or whatever. You coughed as your chest tightened, pulling yourself up slowly.

"I-I can't fight. M...m...my sister did, but, but I'm too weak."

"Hey... you don't have to think of yourself like that...!" You still felt dazed from the crash landing, but at heart you were a caretaker's Pokemon, and this Eevee really called out to you. "Just call me Bee, okay? We can fight together." Arceus, talking about fighting made you tense, at the thought of bloodshed, of killing. "I'll s-stay calm if you do, Connor." Maybe if you imagined that you were stronger, braver, and able to protect, then fighting wouldn't be too hard... You puff out your chest feathers in your anxiety.

A large shadow passed over your sight, and you twisted your neck to pinpoint the source. It was- a dragon? Infected? Not? You spread your wings, ready to fly, but the dragon barged inside and began assisting the- the uh- t-t-the G-Garchomp?! When did that sucker evolve?! You watched in shock as the Mach Pokemon began tossing his enemies left and right, the rest of them fleeing in surprise, fear, or some weird mixture. You had to remind yourself that damn, you better not cross lines with him. The thought made you unsure if you should fear or respect his evolution, but you shook your head. At least the battle was-

Raining? The water dripped down on your oily feathers, and you fluttered them briefly. "I think it's about time you FUCKING DIED!"

And if the surprise attack was mayhem, then this was an atrocity, the mad laughter of a lost sanity. The Vaporeon from before rushed out -- a large, looming Pokemon stood within the room, water was everywhere. You barely had a second before you noticed the Scald headed straight in your direction, and bolted yourself towards Connor. "W-what?!" You watched as the water slammed into the cement, simmering with its heat. That was exactly the thing you always avoided; hot fucking water! You looked at the hungry eyes of the Swampert and- oh, ohh, you knew you couldn't handle a big heavyweight like that. The monster barely looked at you when you evaded his attack, as if you weren't even worth his time.

"Artemis.. Help.. her.."

"I-I'll do it, Growlithe! I'll get her!" Your voice was ridiculously shrill and high, but you couldn't really think of anything else and there was that Swampert and so many things were happening and Reaper was creepy and- calm the heck down, Bee! You regarded the pained dog once more -- I hope you'll be okay, too. -- and began to sweep your wings after the Vaporeon. "Artemis! Artemis!! Wait!"

he fight was going in their favour, the Arcanine puffing out his fur with confidence as the Garchomp shared his obvious feelings of triumph, though the most unexpected thing was the... green Dragonite? The guy rushed through the door to take out one of the Pokemon, turning to address the Garchomp with, "I'm here to help," Without waiting for a response he then shot after a Linoone, but Halloween rolled his eyes. The newly evolved Garchomp only laughed, though, bellowing out, "Does itlook like we need help? Look - half these fuckers are high-tailing it outta here! And so they damn well should!" But at that point the back door suddenly exploded as the canine suddenly felt wetness on his pelt. Rain?! With half their group fire types... they would have trouble.

"Might wanna move guys!" The shout of the Garchomp jolted him from his thoughts as Halloween realised that the crashing through the door was caused by the same fucker who put the rain up. A Swampert!? He thought in indignation, yelling out loud, "Are you kidding me?!" Met in response with the friendly, "I think it's about time you FUCKING DIED!" Bolting forward, Halloween's emerald eyes widened in alarm as he tensed his legs with an Extremespeed technique, only able to avoid the wide spreading shot of water by running outside into the rain with pure speed. Skidding to a halt, he was met by the unexpected sight of the Vaporeon spamming on the ground. "What the hell is going on?!" Of all of the types, the single Pokemon able to take advantage of the rain is out cold on the fucking floor?!

 "Someone.. help her!" The pup begged, calling the attention of the small bird over too, who assured him, "I-I'll do it, Growlithe! I'll get her!" Fanning out her wings over the Vaporeon, Halloween could not comprehend why she would be like that, and with the Swampert looming closer, he made a quick decision."I don't have time for this." Dipping his nose under her, he thrust the Vaporeon onto his shoulders. Whipping around, the Swampert was literally right in front of them. "Fuck--!"

"Going somewhere, hero?" Halloween launched himself forward too slow, the Swampert letting loose another Scald, the water singing his hind leg and tail, bringing a roar of pain from the Arcanine as he shielded the Vaporeon from the attack.

[ ooc: Cinder didn't care is Hallow picked Artemis up or not, but can edit if asked. ]

Connor's feeling of dread only got worse as Reaper continued to speak. "Ah, yes, yes dear bird, are you okay? Had a bit of a crash landing did we? No matter, Connor here should be able to watch over you can't you Connor?" The Eevee didn't respond, his ability to speak to the Absol had been taxed. Connor gave only a tiny nod to show that he had heard, wishing in his head that the Absol would just leave them alone for good. Connor didn't want someone so horrible to stick around.

"Hey... you don't have to think of yourself like that...!"

W-what? Connor was confused. Why would this bird say that? It wasn't like his weakness was untrue. He never liked fighting, that was something Penelope handled. He couldn't bring up the courage to protest, though, and the bird resumed speaking anyways.

"Just call me Bee, okay? We can fight together."

"B-Bee," It was a simple name, and Connor liked it. It reminded him of when he'd call his sister "Phee." The Eevee smiled, only a small gesture, but it was still a vast difference from his usual cowering. Connor couldn't quite believe it, but...this Bee wasn't that bad. He didn't completely trust her, but it was better than his obvious fear of Reaper. "I'll s-stay calm if you do, Connor." The Eevee nodded once more, showing more confidence than the one from earlier. "I'm not-I'm not good at f-fighting, but I'll try to help," Connor still sounded scared, and he was, but he felt a sliver of courage with Bee at his side.

Connor was feeling better than he had in days, until he caught sight of the huge flying dragon and the Garchomp fighting the Pokemon left in the building. His eyes went wide; these were the Pokemon Bee said needed help? They were killing and injuring one after another; Connor forced himself to look away. He knew they had really good reasons, but that didnt stop the Eevee from feeling sick. "I-I don't think t-t-they need us right now..." Thankfully, the fight looked to be just about won, with a lot of Pokemon fleeing from the conflict.

That was when the rain began to fall. Connor shook the droplets out of his fur, but the rain just picked up more. Rain, just out of nowhere? Connor didn't think it was impossible, but it was still pretty weird.

"I think it's about time you FUCKING DIED!"

Everything dissolved into chaos when the hulking blue beast broke into the building where Bee's group was. Connor yelped in shock as it fired steaming-hot water at Bee; the bird was lucky enough to avoid it, but Connor couldn't tear his eyes away from the new foe. He imagined that water hitting him, burning away his fur and skin, even the smell of the burning flesh...it was too much. He had to run, to get out of here, this thing could burn them all alive and not even blink! Connor realized how difficult it was getting to draw in air, his heart just wouldn't stop pounding painfully against his chest.

"I-I'll do it, Growlithe! I'll get her! Artemis! Artemis!! Wait!"

The voice of the only non-frightening person he'd met snapped Connor back to attention. He focused on the bird, ignoring everything else, because everything else would cause him to panic. He tried to recall what Penelope had said about panicking. Breathe deeply. Focus on me. He looked straight at Bee and took off after her, forgetting for a moment how badly his paws hurt and how afraid he really was.

Holding the Linoone at bay, squirmy as it was, proved no great challenge to Drago. He was wrestling with it for a few moments before the Dragon-guy spoke, causing Drago to snap the Linoone's spine in surprise.

He hadn't necessarily been expecting praise, but some gratitude... Still, Drago couldn't help but laugh softly to himself. It seemed to be a lively group he had gotten himself into a fight with. He was midway through finding another target to fight, when something caught his attention. Wrinkling his noise, he turned to face the window. Rain.

Drago loved rain- he loved storms. With his sudden return to his old self, nothing would make him happier than standing in a cold rain for an hour or four. But something tickled at the back of his mind. It hadn't been cloudy when he had arrived. That rain was too heavy to have just snuck in like that. It was artificial. Something else was out there.

As if to accentuate his thoughts, a loud banging began to hit the doors he himself had entered through. Loud banging. Shaking the whole building, the doors were suddenly blown away, and a hulking beast began to push its way through. Drago had spent enough time near water to recognize a Swampert when he saw one. He knew how tough they could be. Grimacing, he regretted the beast's immunity to his Thunder Wave. He'd have to think a new strategy up to fight it.

With the majority of the enemy group either fleeing or dead, however, it was rather simple for Drago to pick out the Dragon's friends. He didn't like the colors on their bodies. Lots of oranges. Lots of reds. Fire types... A water type like Swampert could wreck through what looked like half the group in seconds if it so chose. The Dragon was already charging at the Swampert, and Drago wasn't one to be left behind. "It does look like you could use my help..." He muttered under his breath, stretching his wings. Stepping off one foot, he flew at the Swampert from the opposite side as the Dragon, preparing a Fire Punch. He wanted to use something stronger, something that would do more damage, but in this refined area... He needed to take the fight farther outside. Farther away. He needed to communicate that to the Dragon, somehow.