(ACE) The HEARTHOME Team

"I'mma bit hungry Daddy, but I'm glad I could finally have a family! Mois loves Mommy and Daddy yes!"

Molly bit her lip, the child’s words threatening to melt her heart. If the maternal name she’d recently received was enough, the tiny feeling of Mois hugging her head was emotionally crippling. She exchanged a glance with Arthur, her face contorted to show her utter adoration for the Plusle they had effectively adopted in such a short space of time. The Nidoking offered a smile, touched by the child’s innocence and determination to have a family.

As the Nidoqueen entered the building, the tingling sensation of Mois climbing down her back came to her attention. She strained to look over her thick shoulder, making out the youngster hovering behind her, apparently curious to see the other child in the growing group. Smiling softly, Molly turned her attention back to Pidove, gently stroking the child’s feathers in a bid to awaken him. She didn’t really want to disturb him in the first place, but it wouldn’t be fair to simply shake him into consciousness in the event that things took a turn for the worst.
“Pidove?” She whispered, still lightly stroking the plush, youthful feathers of the bird. Suppressing the worst case scenario, she set her sole objective on simply transporting the children to a safer place – somewhere where the scent of blood and death was a good deal subtler.

"I must ask, Arthur, did you two have any plans on going anywhere before chancing upon our little group?"

Arthur turned his head lazily to the Wingull hovering about his head, a slight smile on his ageing face.
“Hm?” He took a moment to decipher what the bird had said, having been somewhat distracted by his mate disappearing within the building of the pokémon centre. “Oh... uh, yes... sorry,” The Nidoking spluttered, embarrassed that Quinn hadn’t received his full attention. “Well, not exactly, actually. In all honesty, we’ve just been trying to get by,” He gave a half-hearted smile, the truth of the situation sounding rather hopeless. They had never set themselves a destination; only one objective to return to Hearthome to see whether his beloved ex-trainer had survived. Now that she was buried, Arthur felt he could move on, eager to leave the city. “What about you? Have you been in Hearthome long?”

[Ooc: Skip ;-; I really don't like skipping, getting an occasional writer's block, but mostly because I really don't have Mois able to do anything besides eavesdrop on the conversation]

Pidove was in a deep sleep. But something didn't feel right, there was no warmth of Mandibuzz's fur, not even Zoroarks, nothing, and still, he kept himself asleep. He didn't dream, and if he did, it would have been more of a nightmare, filled with dead bodies, and blooded undead. The only good dreams Pidove had where those of Mandibuzz.

He felt something stroke his feathers, and he felt himself drift awake, but he didn't want to wake, not yet, he was still sleepy. "Pidove?" The voice came and the baby birds eyes began to open slowly. If he was a cat, he would be purring from the stroking, though when he
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]noticed that Zoroark was missing he shot away and looked around. The one next to him was the blue dino like pokemon, though he wasn't scared of her, he was still surprised to see her and not Zoroark.

"Where Zoroawk?" He said, surly pronouncing it wrong, but he was still young and would know how to talk properly as he got older. He asked the question as he looked around the room, hoping to see the red fur of the dark type, but there was nothing. He turning back to the Nidoqueen and continued with his confused looked.

“What about you? Have you been in Hearthome long?” Arthur had asked him after reporting that he and Molly had just been passing through. But to ask Quinn himself if he had been here for long? ... I suppose it depends! The Wingull continued to flap his wings gently around the Nidoking's head, pondering on his journey since he had fled from the Canalave Library. He had been hopping around the region, stopping at one city and flying away to the next, hoping to find something to do in this dying world. Did he truly have the power in him to even try anything against the epidemic?

"A few days at most, truthfully. I was reading a book I had found in the Pokemon Center!" Quinn cawed at how ridiculous that sounded - reading books, in the middle of a pandemic! He had to defend Huckleberry Quinn's amazing literary style though, the classic jewel that it is. Oh, how he had missed the days that he had toiled away in the library, resting in a path of sunlight and reading books to his content. The past reality is now nothing more than a false fantasy, something that could no longer be reached. With a chirp, the bird had perched himself atop Arthur's head.

Quinn had turned to watch the three Pokemon inside of the building - Molly, Mois, and the little Pidove - gathered together, an innocent scene all on its own. After a few seconds of quiet reflection, concern suddenly pierced his heart, sharp as a Luxray's claw. "Arthur..." The Wingull murmured, looking down to connect his eyes with the purple dinosaur's. The Seagull Pokemon didn't want to admit it aloud, but he was lost, and had no idea as to how to find a safe area as well as protecting the young. The horrid Hydreigon, and the Scizor proved just how dangerous the open sky is.

"What will we do?"

"Where Zoroawk?"

Molly had been a little bit hurt at Pidove’s reaction to her appearance, practically darting away from her with fear. Her face fell, a painful stab in her heart as her hand hovered over an empty space in which the child had previously filled. Disguising her pain at the rejection, Molly ushered a sad smile at the bird’s question.
“Um... you see...” The Nidoqueen bit her lip lightly, finding an explanation particularly difficult to phrase. With a sigh, she rubbed her paws together in fear of only worsening the situation for the Pidove. “He had to go, sweetie.” Her voice was gentle as usual, albeit slightly shaky. “But it’s okay! We have little Mois here,” She gestured to the Plusle at her side, talking quickly in a vain bid to distract Pidove from the loss of his friend. “And Quinn and Arthur are just outside, so it’ll be all okay, my dear,”

"A few days at most, truthfully. I was reading a book I had found in the Pokemon Center!"

Arthur chuckled along with Quinn at the Wingull’s response, a pleasant smile gracing his lips. The bird was clearly gifted with words – there was no denying his intelligence, but the Nidoking was genuinely awed at his reading capabilities. His trainer had once tried to teach him to read; needless to say, he’d failed miserably and had refused to touch one of the human contraptions since. Before he could enquire any further, something seemed to have clicked in the Wingull.

“Arthur... What will we do?”

The elderly Nidoking tensed at the question, his smile fading slightly at his loss for words. He was usually a relatively optimistic guy; he had always been looking forward to his retirement years, but with such a volatile environment it seemed Arthur would never get the rest he deserved. Glancing to the pokémon centre and finally back to the Wingull hovering about his head, the dinosaur gave a great sigh, shrugging his shoulders lightly.
“I don’t know, Quinn,” Arthur admitted softly, somewhat ashamed that he had nothing more to offer in words of wisdom. “I suppose we just try to survive. Find some food, some shelter and just try and wait it out...” He desperately wanted to believe that the epidemic would just disappear one day, but the Nidoking knew damn well that it would only be a matter of time before they would all succumb to the virus. It was an ugly, depressing thought and the Nidoking mentally cursed himself for thinking so negatively. Losing hope now was the worst thing to do – if they were to survive, they needed to believe it. “I think the nearest town is Solaceon – it could be worth investigating, no?”

"Where Zoroawk?" The flying type asked as he awoken from his slumber, Mois felt a flicker of jealousy in her heart as she stared at him, oh the innocence of youth. She glanced at Mommy, it was obvious in her eyes that she was sad, Mois immediately felt her heart drop, already feeling guilty that she felt jealous even for a moment. “Um... you see...” The Nidoqueen began with a sad smile, “He had to go, sweetie.” The Plusle felt like she was being stabbed, that's what everyone told her when her parents left her, “But it’s okay! We have little Mois here,” She blinked, staring at the Pidove with a smile - a very fake smile - but it was a huge grin, but excitement never seemed to be flooding out like the usual, “And Quinn and Arthur are just outside, so it’ll be all okay, my dear.”

The Plus Pokemon bowed at the Pidove (though she hated doing that, especially to younger Pokemon) introducing herself, "As Mommy said, I'm Mois, let's be friendsssssssssssssss~" She chimed, happiness started filling up the empty void she had just a couple of moments ago, the Plusle gave a huge hug at the bird, "We'll do lots of stuff!" She said excitedly, "Like play tag, find treasure, oh oh, and maybe we could ask Mommy and Daddy to give piggy back rides~" Mois said it all very quickly, as if she didn't even feel any negative emotions earlier.

Of course, she doesn't want to bring bad luck to the group just because she let her emotions get away. Mois perked up her ears as she distinctively heard a conversation go on between Quinn and Daddy, only hearing the last part, “I think the nearest town is Solaceon – it could be worth investigating, no?” The Plusle immediately jumped, her heart skipped a beat as she immediately raced outside, "No Daddy! Don't!" Fear was obvious in her eyes, she remembered that area of course, it was the first place she arrived to in Sinnoh after being carried off by a bird and suddenly dropped. Images flooded through her mind as she remembered the bloodbath, corpses of humans and Pokemon scattered everywhere, undead Murkrows and Mandibuzzs with their bloodshot eyes as they feasted. It was lucky they were too busy eating and not noticed the Plusle, who had fear written all over her when she entered the place. "I-it's not a good idea to go there," Mois said, the fear leaving her eyes as she just simply stared at her feet, the Plusle didn't want to give a bad impression that she's a rebellious child.

Pidove saw the sadness in her eyes when he looked at her. He wasn't scared of her, he was just surprised, though she seemed to have taken it the wrong way and he felt bad for it. “Um... you see... He had to go, sweetie." Pidoves eyes widened as he heard the Zoroark has left. His eyes once again beginning to tear up. First Mandibuzz, then Zoroark, who was next to leave him?

Looking back up to the Nidoqueen before him, he knew that as long as she and the others where around, he wasn't alone, but what if it was only a matter of time before they left him as well? He didn't want that, not at all.

Pidove opened his wings and flew up to the Nidoqueens shoulder where he proceeded to perch himself on it. It wasn't as soft as Zoroark's mane, or as comfy as Mandibuzz's back, but he felt safe there. He smiled before he proceeded to rub the Nidoqueens head before looking down at the Plusel on the floor. His smile grew as he opened a wing as a sort of "hello" to the little electric type.

[ooc: ;A; I've been real busy what with finals wrapping up and family matters... so skip for now fkldsajf]

“As Mommy said, I’m Mois, let’s be friendsssssssssssssss~”

Molly chuckled lightly, charmed by the Plusle’s desire to help in the situation. Glancing over her shoulder down at the young, electric-type, she caught glance of the creature bowing politely, sending a rush of giddiness around her body. She was just too cute! Smiling to herself, her attention returned back to Pidove just as the little bird fluttered over to sit on her shoulder.
“It’ll be alright,” She cooed softly as the child nudged her head affectionately. She shuffled around on the spot, careful not to accidentally hit Mois in the process on her exit from the pokémon centre. But the Plusle was gone – already sprinting outside and calling out to Arthur, panicked. “Mois?!” The Nidoqueen called after her, concerned to what could be the problem. Trotting after her, she rejoined the rest of the group.

“No Daddy! Don’t!”

Arthur’s head turned slowly to face the alerted Plusle, his expression falling into one of confusion at her urgency. Exchanging an uneasy glance with Quinn, the Nidoking listened patiently until the creature had finished, mustering a weak smile as he knelt down. His knee gave an unpleasant click at the movement, but Arthur otherwise remained unfazed, speaking to the Plusle far closer to her own height.
“Hey, hey, hey,” He soothed kindly, his clawed hands resting limp on his knees. “We don’t have to go there, sweetie,” Arthur truly didn’t mind where the little group headed, although if a destination was going to cause any emotional stress, then he was insistent on a change of direction. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps, watching a concerned Molly appear at the building’s entrance, Pidove on her shoulder. Molly’s eyes widened a fraction, her head tilting towards Mois - a subtle questioning the pair had developed of communication. Arthur smiled weakly, his shoulders lifting and falling slightly as an answer. “Where do you want to go, darlin’?” The Nidoking continued, a sympathetic smile gracing his ageing features.

Daddy knelt down as Mois kept her eyes fixed on her feet, she felt terrible for going through that outburst, “Hey, hey, hey, We don’t have to go there, sweetie,” The Plusle blinked, partially turning her head toward his direction. A small smile formed, she preferred anywhere besides that town that was scattered with bloodied bodies. “Where do you want to go, darlin’?” The Nidoking asked, Mois glanced at Mommy, checking for an expression, then over to Pidove, then over to Quinn, then back to her father. It was okay to be selfish for the time being...? Despite the fact she had claim the Nidoqueen and the Nidoking as her parents, perhaps it would be okay to ask one more favor?

The Plusle began to point at the direction she came from, which was past the church and the front exit of Hearthome City, "How about there?" She remembered taking a longer route around the town that was scattered with dead bodies. And if she did remember correctly, she passed by a map too in those gates the humans have made. She remembered one town that intrigued her, which was the city nearby the sea (also known as Sunyshore, but she has no clue of the name). Though she was quite unsure whether the direction she pointed at would lead her there.

[Ooc: Sorry for short and late post ^^; Fell asleep lol]

Pidove didn't move as Molly left the centre to where the Nidoking and Wingull where. instead, he sat silently on her shoulder as he wondered what they where doing, and where they where going to go. Really, Pidove just wanted to go home, back to Unova. Maybe Mandibuzz was there, maybe she thought he went back to Unova, and was there waiting for him. He didn't want to say anything though, he didn't want to be alone again.

"How about there?"

Arthur’s smile faltered slightly, his eyes following the youngster’s pointing. The directions were a little vague to say the least, but the Nidoking couldn’t bring himself to pressure the Plusle for a definite, named destination. The cold, hard truth was that no matter where they headed to, they wouldn’t be able to stay for long. Survival was key; and nowadays survival meant staying on the move. His attention momentarily flickered to Molly, hoping that maybe she had a better idea of where Mois meant – or any geography of the region for that matter. Arthur had lived in Sinnoh for a few years, but in his older age, he hadn’t really seen much of the land. He’d had no reason to voyage when everything he could ever ask for was in Hearthome. His trainer had lived in the city centre; he and Molly had lived blissfully on the outskirts.
“Pastoria?” Molly suggested gently, smiling softly down at Mois. “Velistone? Erm... Sunyshore?” Arthur was somewhat surprised at the Nidoqueen’s memory, plucking city names out of the depths of her mind that only rung a very faint bell for the male. He could remember Pastoria – years ago, he’d received a nasty beating from the gym leader’s Gyarados, although he managed to put the cocky youth in his place eventually. Smiling lightly at the thought, his attention drifted to Quinn. Maybe he had a better idea of the region?

Molly had shuffled closer to the Nidoking, her mate steal kneeling down to talk with Mois on a friendlier level, as she habitually clutched her paws together. Her blue eyes fell onto the gates the Plusle had motioned to, desperately trying to visualize a map-like view of what lay beyond the city she knew and loved.
“Well, let’s just head that way and see where it takes us, hm?” The Nidoqueen suddenly announced having failed in her attempts to plan out a definite route. Everywhere was going to hold some danger and no matter how much planning she wanted to do, something was bound to upset the balance. Suppressing the negativity, she persuaded herself that their little group would be fine. She and Arthur could still pack a punch, and Quinn seemed capable of keeping himself safe. The children only gave her a stronger incentive to ensure their safety. Nothing was going to touch Pidove and Mois whilst she was around. “It’ll be an adventure!” The dinosaur practically beamed, helping Arthur regain his full height as he emitted a slight ‘oof’ from the effort.

[Apologies, but skip ^^; Nearly the end of schoolyear so hopefully it won't be as much skips as recently. Let's just have Mois go; "Oh yeah! Sunyshore, that's the name Mommy!"]

A yawn escaped the tired Deino as he awoke from his slumber within the small tree cove he'd discovered, nestled under a pile of leaves and branches that hopefully hid him. It apparently worked, since by the sounds and scents of the world around him told him it was well into morning. He cracked his stiff neck after taking a long sniff to determine that he was in fact, alone. His venture across the region had taken him far enough, though where he was, he had no idea. All he knew was that he was near a city, and that it smelled less of dead than everywhere else he'd been. Maybe he'd get lucky and find some food while he was at it.

He rose from his safe little makeshift den and pawed the leaves over his scent to ensure he wasn't followed by a scent trail. Keeping to the shadows by identifying the warmth on his back, he trudged along until he felt not soft grass and earth beneath his feet, but cold concrete. Immediately, he paused, unsure of whether or not he should continue. Though, the deino quickly deduced that standing still, probably in the open was a bad idea, and continued under the shadows and by the wall of a building. It took him further into what was probably the city, but should he need a quick escape, Reeves had his own scent trail to follow.

He paused when a sound filtered into his trained ears that he had not heard in months. There were four of them, at least that were speaking. One an older large male, by the scent that followed a poison/ground type. A frown crossed his face as he knew no pokemon like that. Another was a painstakingly high female voice, a pure electric type by the scent. Young, too. Ugh. There was a softer voice, and couldn't quite place the gender, as the scent was a little muddled, as well as the voice. Then, finally, the last voice was an older female, with the same typing as the older male. A mating pair, possibly? Reeves managed to catch the end of their conversation:

“Hey, hey, hey, We don’t have to go there, sweetie,” the male gently reassured, his voice gentle. “Where do you want to go, darlin’?”

"How about there?" the high, annoying voice squeaked, making Reeves flinch a little. How anything could stand a voice that high was beyond him. Maybe all the other pokemon were a little deaf. Probably from her.

“Pastoria?” the older female offered, her soothing voice much easier on the deino's ears. “Velistone? Erm... Sunyshore?” She paused for a moment, and Reeves tensed. Had they spotted them? He could smell no trees nearby to hide behind, and darting away was just as likely to catch their attention... Damn. “Well, let’s just head that way and see where it takes us, hm? It'll be an adventure!” Reeves sighed, grateful he was away from their sight. He wasn't sure which way "that way" was, but the mating pair seemed large enough to give him a notice by their rumbling footsteps of which direction they'd be going.

He stood, leaning against the building, waiting.

((OOC: Hiya there! Reeves is leaning against the Church, directly in front of the pokemon center.))

Elidr slithered through the streets of the city quickly and silently, he was hunting. He had heard voices, and was of the mind that possibly one of them would be able to provide what the last lot of weaklings had failed at. He needed answers. The feelings swirling within him were confusing him, and bordering on maddening. He would not become one of those weaklings! Once he figured out what these 'emotions' were called and how they were formed, he would figure out a way to stop them. Nature did not allow the weak to survive and he would not become weak.

As he passed around a corner he saw a strange blue creature leaning on the wall. It did not seem the type to form the voices he had heard, but neither did it seem to be of the dead. What was it doing out here by itself? Curious, he carefully slithered to the other side of the street to watch it carefully. "Let's see just what you are," he whispered quietly to himself. Though, he was completely aware that the voices he originally sought were close so he made sure to keep himself hidden in the overgrowth.

((OOC: Sorry for the short intro post guys, lol. But Elidr is in a really bad mood right now from his last team so he is just kind of being pissy. Feel free to spot him if you want, I'm sure Reeves' excellent hearing would have caught him anyway.))

Pidove had no idea what everyone was talking, but it seemed they wanted to leave this city. "You no like it here?" Pidove asked, a hint of sadness in his voice. He had been in Hearthome for a few weeks now, and he had grown attached to this city. There where not many undead here, and it had his favourite place to sleep.

He let out a sigh and his wings drooped a little. They didn't like it here, or else they wouldn't talk about leaving, but he didn't want to be alone, so he would go with them if they left.

Pidove opened his wings and took flight. "I be back." He said as he began to fly to his sleeping spot. He had stored berries there for when he got hungry during the night, though on his flight he noticed something near that weird looking building with the nice picture windows. It was just a black spot to him beside it, so he thought it was nothing, but his curiosity got the better of him and he flew closer, making out the shape of another pokemon.

Pidove landed about two feet away from the stranger pokemon and raised one of his wings. "Hi, I Pidove." He introduced himself to the unknown pokemon. Not even checking if it was living or undead, it was just there, and he thought it rude not to acknowledge it.

Hunh? Mois seemed entirely dead set that they travel over 'there'. Quinn stayed silent as the dinosaur pair guessed where the little electric mouse meant, staying comfortably perched upon Arthur's head. His mind wandered as Molly listed a few towns, a calming presence settling upon himself. How long had he been able to rest easy such as now? Long ago, he decided - and how long would this last? Not long, he told himself. Unsettled now, the Wingull found his eyes straying along the city of Hearthome.

This place used to bring happiness... Quinn looked at the empty streets, his heart feeling a pang of forlorn sadness. "Hmm." How different would life be if this epidemic were ever cured? Mois had perked up at the name of Sunyshore, exclaiming that this was the city, that was the destination. He cawed in agreement, noting that Sunyshore had the sea breeze and the large sky above. Trying to raise his spirits up again, Quinn took into account their small group-

"Little Pidove? Pidove?!" He had not noticed that the smaller bird had flown off by his lonesome, panicking as he realized that the tyke had disappeared. Taking flight, Quinn's eyes grazed the city street, searching fervently for the Unova native. Finally the gray wings of the Pidove had been found near the church, and with a sigh of relief he followed after the other flying type. "Little guy, it's not safe to wander off on your o-"

A quadruped stood in front of them, radiating an almost intimidating aura to those aware of it (little Pidove was gladly ignorant of this!). Quinn followed Pidove's gesture with a raised wing in welcome. "I'm Quinn, ha..." The Wingull skirted away, not exactly feeling right as he looked at the Deino.

[ooc: I think I got who it was right. owo" Though if I'm wrong, please tell me so I can change it dsaldfjasd]

Molly stood smiling down at the Plusle when the sudden, minute movement of Pidove on her shoulder caught her attention. Before she could react, the young bird had fluttered off, a small gust of wind hitting her aged face at the creature’s movement.
“Pidove!“ The Nidoqueen reached out for the bird too late, helpless as he flew away. Hurt at the child’s choice to recklessly dart off for some unknown reason, Molly looked concernedly to her mate. Arthur’s eyes follow the young bird, ushering a weak smile as he gently touched Molly’s shoulder. The weight on his head soon vanished as Quinn took off after the youngster, providing the Nidoking a sort of beacon to follow.
“Don’t worry, dear. I’ll go get them,” He reassured her with a tired smile. Trudging after the two males, the dinosaur eventually emerged before the church where Pidove and Quinn stood before a strange, blue and black creature. Arthur had never seen such a being before, his curiosity instantly piqued at to what this unusual newcomer actually was. His expression relaxed, a smile on his face as he peered back in the direction he’d come. “Molly!” He called, peering around the side of the building to call his mate from a distance. He ushered her over, smiling broadly before turning to address the Deino.

Arthur nodded his head formally at the dragon creature, emitting a hearty chuckle.
“It seems survivors are just popping up everywhere!” The Nidoking grinned, his voice deep, denying his age as he grinned down at the blind stranger. “Pleasure to meet you good sir, my name’s Arthur,”

Molly had watched Arthur usher her over uneasily, glancing down to Mois with a weak smile. The Nidoking seemed cheery enough, but Pidove and Quinn hadn’t been with him – that only meant that they weren’t alone. Rolling her shoulders, silencing any fears before they could overwhelm her, she turned her attention back to Mois.
“Come on, poppet,” Molly smiled softly, offering her paw to the Plusle to hold or as a means to scale her bulky form, before slowly moving to rejoin the rest of the group.

"Let's see just what you are."

The quiet statement rang in Reeves' ears like a tolling bell, and his head turned swiftly in the direction it came from. Curse! The moment he turned, the wind shifted and gave the dark dragon all the information he could want about the other pokemon nearby; pure dragon, young, male, and way too close for comfort. Instinctively, he hissed, baring his sharp fangs and hoping the thing would back off enough for Reeves to hide again.

However, it seemed his chosen hiding place was not a hiding place at all. Soon enough, the muddled scent became very clear, and the beating of wings followed. "Hi, I Pidove," it murmured, voice and scent revealing its species, one Reeves knew, its gender and age. He redirected the hiss at the little bird, but was soon distracted by the small vibrations in the ground, marking the larger male moving. His fuzz stood on end as he slowly backed away, overwhelmed by suddenly being surrounded.

“It seems survivors are just popping up everywhere!” the oldest, and probably dominant male chortled, coming nearer and nearer. Reeves offered another hiss, even if the gesture was in complete vain. Risking attacking was too stupid. “Pleasure to meet you good sir, my name’s Arthur.”

The kind words took Reeves off guard, but he didn't lower his defenses. His form remained hunched, curled, and fangs remained bared. He had taken a few steps backward, but all his instincts screamed to run. Run. RUN. But... how would he lose them? They had the gifts of sight while he could only throw echoes in the dark. It was a weakness he despised... and it had cornered him once again. He quickly went through his options, deciphering what would keep him alive for minutes or seconds. Finally, he settled on merely replying. "...What do you want with me?" The question was neutral, devoid of fear or aggression. It was simply a question.

((Phoe said she's comin out of the SH soon, so we can wait for her :3))

Elidr was lucky, the creature noticed him other with a turn of his head and a show of fangs, but since nothing came of it he figured he was in the clear. Several others soon came to investigate the creature he was watching and it gave him pause. The bird who landed first just seemed...off. It chattered away while the blue one just sat there and hissed. The two largest, the male and female, looked like they might be trouble. They obviously knew the ways of nature if they had managed to survive together and be so strong. But they didn't attack the other, they simply greeted it.

What was this world he had come to? Was everyone here as ignorant as the Pokemon in the square? This world had gone back to its primal nature, one that he was very familiar with and was able to survive easily, but these creatures seemed intent on focusing on the social aspects of life. Bonding. When your life hang in the balance bonding has no place, so why were they trying? Though, he couldn't explain himself why he too had been interested in the blue one. He had assumed it was his quest to discover these 'emotions' the Arbok had always spoke of. But the more he watched, the more he saw himself in the dino rather than the Arbok.

"...What do you want with me?" The question was simple, concise, and deviod of any of these troubling 'emotions'. In a sense, just like him. This creature was someone he could relate to, a suitable member to form a pack with if the choice presented itself. He would easily be able to work with this one, as he too seemed to see the natural path of life. He coiled slightly under the brush, the branches shifting from his weight, as he watched the scene before him.

Pidove looked over as his fellow flying type came to say hi to the new pokemon as well. Even though the dragon was from Unova as well, Pidove didn't know this cause he was still young and unknown to all the pokemon in the world. "What your name?" He said again as he turned his attention back to the blind dragon, just as the Nidoking came up and stated how living where popping up everywhere.

"...What do you want with me?" It asked and Pidove simply tilted his head. The answer was plain and obvious, Pidove just wanted more friends, that was all.

"More friends!" He chirped, opening his wings with a big smile on his face as if hoping for a hug from the dragon before folding them again.

"...What do you want with me?"

Arthur chuckled at the creature’s reply, believing the dragon-type to be simply joking around. Although, as the silence stretched on, the Nidoking’s cheery demeanour shifted to one of concern. Obviously he wasn’t joking. Before he could offer any kind of explanation for what seemed a rather bizarre question, Pidove had chipped in his own reasons for seeking company.

"More friends!"

He smiled warmly, watching the young bird before a touch on his shoulder caught his attention. Molly had moved to stand by his side, silent, though her heavy footfalls betrayed her presence. Hooking an arm around her mate’s own, the Nidoqueen looked to the newcomer, only having just caught the creature’s apprehension at the discovery of more survivors. On reflection, perhaps it was a little intimidating to have been surrounded by strangers in only a few short seconds.
“As Pidove said, we’re no threat to you,” Arthur added, making a point of taking a step back, bestowing the dragon with a fraction more of his personal space. “Surely, company cannot be considered a bad thing?”

As Molly peered at the stranger, a flash of blue in the nearby foliage quickly distracted her, serene eyes falling onto a light rustle of branches. A slight frown surfacing on her features, the Nidoqueen squinted at the source, soon deciphering a serpent-like form within. Whilst she couldn’t entirely comprehend the species, it looked relatively small and that alone suggested that it could be easily restrained in the event of violence. Her face relaxing, she gestured to the concealed serpent with her free clawed hand, mainly addressing Arthur.
“It seems we have a spectator, love,” Her aged, gentle voice was quiet, for once the NIdoqueen deciding that a far softer approach was in order to keep their latest company at ease. Usually a complete chatterbox fretting over the smallest of problems, Molly was restraining herself – eager to make a good impression on the rather apprehensive duo before her.

It took him a moment; the Nidoking struggling to see what his mate had discovered, but the flicker of blue between the leaves was enough proof to satisfy him. A smile broke across his wrinkled face, eyes wandering back to meet Molly’s for a moment.
“I wouldn’t have noticed, dear,” He muttered quietly with a chuckle, surprised at the quality of his mate’s vision – his had certainly deteriorated in recent years. Clearing his throat, he spoke up. “If there is anyone else in the area, feel free to introduce yourself. There is nothing to fear… well, save a couple of pensioners, a child,” He gestured to the sprightly avian, then to Quinn. “And a complete gentleman,”

"More friends!"

The comment made Reeves flinch back a little, his face directed at the high, young tone that rang with optimism; a sound that reminded the deino of dying, screeching felines. His mouth curled into a frown at the naive answer, when the alpha male responded.

"As Pidove said, we’re no threat to you," he commented, and Reeves could hear and feel him move back a little. Odd. It could be a ruse to lure Reeves into a false sense of security, but they would have attacked by now were they thinking about it. And "Pidove" sounded like a species name rather than a real name. It smelled avian. Some sort of bird, then. "Surely, company cannot be considered a bad thing?"

Reeves thought a moment before answering. "...Depends on what company you prove to be." His voice was little more than a mumble, but his meaning was clear as day. He had to resist the urge to hiss at them all and scamper, but a low, soothing voice rose on the air like a sweet melody. Reeves' head turned toward her, intrigued. What pokemon spoke like that? For once, his first urge was not to hiss.

"It seems we have a spectator, love," her voice lulled, reminding the deino of the pure dragon that had been spying on him prior to the ambush of friendly pokemon. He turned back to where the scent emanated, taking a few more inquisitive sniffs of the creature. He found it strange and unrealistic that in the months of his traveling, he'd suddenly found an entire tribe of friendly, welcoming pokemon. There had to be a catch. No group just accepts rogues into their midst unless they were desperate. And by how healthy these members smelled, they were in no dire need. It just made no sense.

During his solo interrogation, he'd tuned out the alpha male's words, until the other cleared his throat. "If there is anyone else in the area, feel free to introduce yourself. There is nothing to fear… well, save a couple of pensioners, a child," He gestured to the sprightly avian, then to Quinn. "And a complete gentleman."

The alpha was granted another confused silence from the deino. Obviously, it was an invitation to introduce himself and complete the rite of initiation. However, the latter comments bewildered him a bit, and he quickly deducted he must have meant his other tribe members. Though he couldn't tell who was whom, -besides the "pensioners"- there was no real negative title, therefore, they were all "good" in a sense. The child was also easy to finger, as he'd already semi-introduced himself as well. Reeves frowned as he realized the condition of this tribe. A child, two elders, and a "gentleman". No warriors, no fighters in their prime.

...They were desperate.

His posture shifted as the realization dawned on him. They needed more bodies, more members to keep the tribe alive. While the elders were obviously in charge, by admission, they were retired and no longer fit for these harsh times. It was amazing that these ill-fitted pokemon had managed so long. They probably didn't even realize he was blind. He slowly rose from his crouch as he pondered, turning to each of the scents as he considered. Would aiding these pokemon keep him alive longer or would they invite the demons in the dark, the ones he'd avoided so long, straight to him? Would he finally catch his break or would all of his hard work be for naught? His frown deepened a fraction before he finally spoke.

"...My name is Reeves," he spoke, his voice almost monotone. His frown deepened more, and he added almost forcefully, "It's... a pleasure to... meet you." The deino smacked his lips slightly, as if the statement itself tasted bad. He stood and waited for a reply, ready to turn on a moment's notice to head back to his hiding place.

((Long post is LOOOOOOOONG))

“It seems we have a spectator, love." Elidr cursed as he realized he was spotted, tensing into a coil in case they tried to come at him. “If there is anyone else in the area, feel free to introduce yourself. There is nothing to fear… well, save a couple of pensioners, a child, and a complete gentleman." There were so many words in there that he didn't understand that Elidr couldn't help but relax in confusion. What the heck was 'pensioners'? Or 'gentleman' for that matter? He hissed slightly and stuck his head out from under the bottom of the bush to eye the pair that had seen him, giving them a firm glare. What did they want?

"...My name is Reeves," The look on the dragon's face was one of struggle, much like Elidr himself had felt whenever the Arbok tried to teach him about 'love'. "It's... a pleasure to... meet you." He knew that one! It was a greeting of some kind, he had heard the Arbok use it on occasion, though he wasn't sure why it was so special. Since he assumed the other dragon and himself were so similar, and since the other seemed to have a better grasp of these strange customs non-wilds seemed to have, Elidr figured he would be the wisest choice to side with.

He came out tentatively, eying the large dino-pair almost angrily, and darted near his fellow blue dragon. He didn't get close enough to assume a kinship with him, giving the male his space. This was mostly for his own sake, in case he misjudged and the other decided to attack, but it was also out of respect. One does not simply join a pack, it must be done by invitation, so he wasn't going to press his luck. It hadn't been in his favor lately. As he eyed the group, assessing just what exactly he was going to have to deal with to stay close to the other dragon, he found that the only true threat was the older pair who had seen him. If they ever went rogue, they would be trouble.

Zoe had been trotting for quite a long time. She was more than used to being alone as well as traveling long distances, but at her own pace. Not having to run like a frightened Ratattah. But at this point she had no choice.

She looked just like a normal Mawile for the most part. There was a slight dip where her stomach should have been, ribs pokingout out from beneath tough skin. Her brilliant violet eyes were wide with fear and the glasses bounced up and down from where they sat upon her nose. Her small arms were swinging back and forth, her breathing coming in rasps. The gigantic jaws protruding behind her only made moving faster difficult, to say the least. There was nothing about them that allowed her to be swift. Despite her smaller size, Zoe was still a weak pokemon. She could only hope to escape the gargled howls behind her.

The steel type didn't even know what it was, only that there were a few of them. Tears began to sting at the corner of her eyes as she moved through the lush vegitation. There was another call behind her and her hands automaticly reached up to clutch her necklace, holding onto the metal pennant like it could save her. One of the lithe shapes darted by, allowing itself to be seen in the light, and she gasped. it was an Absol. She had come to recognize many Pokemon durning her travels and this was one she always tried to avoid. But still her stubby legs did nothing to help.

But suddenly she emerged into light. The Mawile cried out, sheilding her eyes as she skidded to a stop. She had come into the outskirts of a city. She had no idea which one, but it hardly mattered. Zoe needed to keep moving. But she suddenly stopped dead. She heard voices. With desperate eyes of a frightened child, she ran blindly in the direction with short legs. She heard snarls and glanced over her shoulder only to realize with horror that she had three undead Absol on her tail. The tears began flowing as she rounded a corner only to nearly crash into a giant purple dinosaur. Zoe found herself right in the middle of a group of living Pokemon as the thee undead rounded the corner.