(ACE) The HEARTHOME Team

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.

((Skip please. Pidove isn't really doing much at the moment.))

Quinn visibly relaxed as Arthur and Molly came into the scene, accompanying themselves to the Deino. It was obvious right from the beginning that the dragon didn't want to have any business with them, but it was at this point that the Wingull began to cock his head in question. What was wrong with being in each others company? Wasn't two heads better than one? Wouldn't that make being in a group better than being alone? The aquatic bird listened in silence as the Deino replied to Arthur's question about the goodwill of company. I wonder what happened to make this Deino so cold and distant! It almost sickened Quinn of his narcissism; how could he find whatever traumatic events that rained upon this dragon... interesting!

In a tense silence, the dark type had introduced himself as 'Reeves', and soon after another dragon had slithered out. Oh! It was a Dratini - known to evolve into the most graceful Dragonites, and rare in their nature. It was like it had jumped straight out of a fairytale book! Quinn gave a friendly chirp towards the two new acquaintances, hoping that they would find their easygoing group a pleasure to be in as well. The Wingull remembered as an afterthought the fight with the Hydreigon just a while back, which had killed the unnamed Espeon... His eyes flickered towards Reeves suspiciously, but it was ill of him to think that one of the same species line would do the same. Still, though... Quinn couldn't help but wonder if all Deino and their evolutions this hard, this aggressive, or if the two that he had encountered simply brought up this way.

He couldn't really say much in terms of experience, really. Quinn had spent many days and years within the confines of the library, finding that it suit him much better than the outside (although he did fly to the nearby Sandgem Town to enjoy the sea breezes now and then). With a few flaps of his wings, he had wound his way back onto Arthur's head, nestling atop comfortably. "I'm not that young, you old timer!" He said jokingly, referring to the Nidoking's earlier statement. Quinn patted Arthur on the head to signal that it was a joke, seeing that the Dratini looked suspicious of all of them. The Seagull Pokemon was about to pay his own two cents and try to make Reeves and the Dratini feel at ease, but suddenly a roar and the angry patter of steps alerted the Wingull to another disaster at hand.

Quinn angled his head to find that a Mawile had appeared, tired and obviously dilapidated from hunger and starvation. She had a crazy look in her eye, almost as if she knew that she were this close to death if a miracle didn't happen - and the entire world knew that miracles happened only so often. "My!" He exclaimed in shock, three Absols with vicious fangs and matted fur swinging by the corner, their eyes locking on their targets. Head reeling, Quinn glided downward and landed next to Pidove. This poor child couldn't be trapped right in the middle of a bloodshed! "F-follow the leader now, Pidove! Come this way!" He cawed anxiously, nudging the little bird towards the entrance of the cathedral.

"...My name is Reeves. It's... a pleasure to... meet you."

Arthur smiled, satisfied that the dragon was being at least a little bit more co-operative. He simply couldn’t understand why the creature was so apprehensive; they didn’t’ look infected and had given him no reasons to distrust them, what was to fear? Exchanging a glance with Molly, the nidoking suddenly worried whether it had been a good idea to welcome the unova-creature to their little ‘family’. If he was going to be uncomfortable, there was no point. Suddenly awash with shame for pressuring Reeve into their homely group, Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a hiss. The dratini that emerged had the elder’s mouth open in shock. He was so… feral. Molly too, found herself hurriedly disguising her concern.
“Um… welcome to you too,” Arthur nodded at the serpent, his usual confidence faltering as the creature took stance a little ways from Reeves. The nidoqueen beside him offered the latest arrival a small smile, her eyes darting to Quinn and Pidove in a bid to catch their reaction. However, before anything more could be said, the sounds of snarling could be heard.

Alert, the ageing couple moved to face the sound’s source before a terrified mawile ran into the midst of the survivor’s group. Distracted, Molly turned to the creature, her expression one of alarm as she stooped down to address the female, tears staining her face.
”Sweetheart, sweetheart,” The nidoqueen soothed hurriedly, a paw gently placed on the creature’s shoulder. “What could ever be the matt-“ She had no time to finish, she was suddenly alerted of the presence at Arthur’s shouting.

Whilst Molly had turned to address the distressed mawile, Arthur had formed a fist, continuing to spin on his heel to greet the absol pack. His heavy clawed hand instantly made contact with the first absol’s face, the force shattering the creature’s skull and pushing the dinosaur a distance back. He cursed lightly, his hand throbbing with pain as he watched the undead fall to the ground, heavily bleeding and screeching in agony. He knew he shouldn’t, but he sympathised with the monster. The heavy layer of blood coating the creature’s face disguised an unidentifiable wreck of a face that he had caused. At least it would be too preoccupied with its injury for now. That left the two, unflinching others.
“Get back!” Arthur bellowed, his tone authoritative as he shielded the group with his bulk. There was no way he could do this on his own, but as the eldest and seemingly strongest, it looked like he had no choice. If they could get away unscathed, he would willingly sacrifice his own life. The second of the absol’s was too quick, its blade slashed deeply into the purple dragon’s shoulder as a monstrous snarl escaped its lips. Stumbling backwards, Arthur clutched the heavily bleeding wound, unprepared as the canine lunged for his throat.

“Not my man, you bastard,” Molly snarled, a surprising fury in her voice as she threw herself at the absol with a body slam. The sound of cracking bones disgusted the female, but it was the only way of dealing with these monsters. She watched, merciless, as the canine writhed on the floor, reminding herself that there was no conscious left. It had to die. It would have killed her Arthur, it didn’t deserve life. Molly brought her foot hard down on its head. Her eyes flashed over to her mate, determined. “You’re not doing this alone, you ol’ coot,”

Screams. Fear. Anxiety. Dead blood. The scents and sounds littered the air, proving Reeves' instinct true. Some newcomer had nearly literally crashed in, Reeves only just barely escaping the panicked heavy strides the stranger made, which led her nearly crashing with what he could only guess as the elder couple, judging from the direction the stranger went.

Out of habit, he took a quick sniff of her, assessing her information. Female. Young. Pure steel type, not one he really knew. The name was just on the tip of his tongue. Panicked. Malnourished. He could also tell she'd been around the infected--

'No!' his mind cried as his head whipped around in the other direction, the sounds of snarls and barks filtering into his hearing. Just as he'd feared, the Infected had been led straight to him. He snarled slightly, unsure of any possible hiding places. Damn his curiosity, he should have just kept going!

He managed to use his hearing and small chirps he utelized for echolocation to figure out where the undead were and what they were doing. A single sniff told him the information he needed. Three, all pure dark types. Absol. Been undead for some time. Nodding to himself, he heard two go down from the elder couple's attacks, the fresh scent of musky blood lingering in the air. 'One of them must have gotten hurt,' he mused, shooting a Dragon pulse at the last of the absols, severing its head from its spine.

With the threats seemingly dealt with, he turned to the older couple and growled. "See to your wounds, old man, lest you get infected like they were." He heard the birds had flapped away, keeping away from the action. He scoffed, then thought them lucky for such an advantage... 'Till some infected pair of wings plucks them out of the air, too...'

However, the steel-type's crash intrusion proved enough of a racket to attract more undead, and the telltale groans grew nearer. Reeves put his attention back to the flapping of wings, which allowed him to hear the small, muttered words of the "gentleman". "F-follow the leader now, Pidove! Come this way!"

"Where's he going?" Reeves muttered aloud, more of a growl than anything. Damn his useless eyes! With more infected coming and a giant bullseye on their group, the deino's anxiety rose as he found himself more and more unable to find a hiding spot. Still, maybe the others could follow, and he could follow them. It was the only plan... and once this fiasco was over, he was determined to leave these suicidal crazies to their own devices.

“Um… welcome to you too.," Elidr's eye twitched at the greeting, not really sure of its purpose. They had already acknowledged that he was among them when they forced him out of hiding, why did they feel the need to address it further? Was this some other custom he had yet to discover among the tamed? Before he could ponder any further implications of the act, a young female- something, came rushing towards them with three undead hot on her tail. Finally, something he did understand.

The birds flew off together, and the Dratini wondered for a moment why he wasted his time helping the child. How would she learn to defend herself if she was removed from the danger? But, there was no time, that train of thought would have to wait. Elidr noted that he had been accurate in his estimation of the mated pair, they were a force to be reckoned with. They easily took care of two of the three white feline's after the female, though the male had been badly injured in the attack. That left one, and he knew just what to do with it.

Using a Twister, he trapped the rushing demon inside and watched as it berated the rotting creature. Wasting no time once the attack started to fade, he quickly unleashed a Dragon Rage, watching as the mystical purple flames engulfed his foe. As the fires weakened the gory flesh Elidr rushed forward with a Slam, putting all of his weight into it, and sent the demon skidding some distance away. Using one last Dragon Rage he he felled the beast, enjoying the satisfaction only survival of the fittest could bring. And in this case, that was him. With one last look at his defeated opponent he turned back to what remained of the group. "Any other disasters you tamed ones want to bring around?"

Zoe felt cornered. Rushing blindly right into a group of Pokemone she had never seen before was never a smart idea. Despite the monsters behind her, she immedeately recoiled from the group, her violet eyes wide with many fears behind hee glasses as her hands clutched her necklace for support. Her breathing was quick and shallow, regaurding everyone in the group. She almost never encountered kind strangers, even before this plauge, and she did not expect anyone to care enough for her to try and help. People hated her. People pushed her away. She was an alein to her own kind with only one goal keeping her moving, keeping her alive. Fitting in was not it. So when the Nidoqueen moved closer to her, of course the Mawile flinched. The steel type tried  to simple melt into the ground. "P-please. Don't hurt me!" Zoe begged, desperate. The undead were behind her. There would be no second chances if the dinosaur decided to attack. But instead of an attack or a growl, Zoe found herself with a touch on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, wide violet pools staring up at the Nidoqueen with utter confusion. 

”Sweetheart, sweetheart,” She cooed in a strangely caring tone. Almost like how Zoe imagined a Grandmother would sound. Not that she ever knew. Zoe was hated by her mother as well as her grandmother.“What could ever be the matt-“ The Nidoqueen broke off. Snarls and gargled moans told her that the Absol had come. Zoe whipped around, finding herself now cringing into this stranger's grip, watching in horror as the undead came. "P-please help me!" The Mawile cried out, just as the male counterpart of the Nidoqueen rushed forward. Roars slit the air, and theings moved very quickly then. Before Zoe knew it, the Nidoking was suddenly bleeding. The large female behind her was suddenly rushing forward, viciously helping her companion. Zoe flinched, averting her gaze from the violence as tears of fear began to run down her cheeks. It was only when more attacks from behind her shot out and took care of the last of the undead pack. "See to your wounds, old man, lest you get infected like they were," the small blue dragon growled at the Nidoking. Soe stared at him in horror. The one who just saved her... Become infected?! Guilt tore through her, worse than the usual sarrow, and she even fell to her knees. She was truly at the mercy of the strangers. Even though they had saved her from the undead, surely they were now only going to throw her out. Or worse.

The Mawile felt her chest begin to burn slightly, tearstains now evident on her face as small discolorations began to form on the concrete where her tears hit the ground. "I'm s-sorry..." She whimpered. Since she brought the threat, it was her fault that the male was injured. That was more than wnough real reason for her to be thrown out of a group once more. Soft whimpering sounds came from her chest as her eyes closed. "I-I'm so sorry... I didn't m-mean to... Please forgive me! I don't want to be alone..." Zoe whispered to herself, finally crying out loudly with the last two sentences. She just stayed whimpering on the ground. Things were probably hopeless anyway. They always were.

Except when she thought about Chase.

Pidove wasn't doing anything, or really saying anything, or paying much attention at all. He had introduced himself to this new pokemon, and now everyone was making friends, which made the tiny pigeon pokemon rather happy. He loved it when everyone made friends, it just meant that the family was growing. If only Mandibuzz was here to this, Pidove was sure she would love to see this.

Without meaning, Pidove let out a large yawn, not realizing how tired he was. "I sleepy." He chirped is a lazy and tired voice as he looked around for a place he could sleep.

((I'm sorry, no idea what is doing on, so just did a random here >.< ))

Quinn's heart constricted in distraught as he watched the Mawile quiver in fear, sadness ripping through him as he realized that she was afraid of them. Oh... The Wingull was torn between wanting to help the little Pidove find a place to rest, or coming to the Mawile in comfort and hoping to make her feel welcome. Oh, how his heart swelled with sympathy with all the Pokemon affected by the epidemic. The stark truth that there was very little that he could do was a horrid portrayal. Placing a wing on the Pidove, the older bird looked into the innocent eyes of his small friend.

They were inexperienced eyes that knew nothing of the world, while his held truth that yes, the world wasn't what it once was. Quinn glanced away, guilt beginning to wrack through his conscience as he conceded that it was futile of him; he had noticed that the two new members of their group weren't the most friendly of people, and he had noticed that they weren't exactly taking to him, or to anyone for that matter. I... I can't do this anymore. Being within this group reminded him too much of how risky it was to connect to people during the epidemic, how much it'll hurt once he lost them. Wincing at where his train of thought was leading, Quinn looked at the rest of the group with profound regret.

"I'm sorry," he said in a tight voice, fighting to stop his emotions from getting the better of himself. With a few flaps of his wings, Quinn began to ascend above Hearthome, and before he knew it, away from the city entirely.

[ooc: ;A; It was really fun role-playing with all of you, but I've reached my limit trying to handle all of my characters orz. Goodbye!]

"See to your wounds, old man, lest you get infected like they were."

Arthur watched, awed as the final two absol were swiftly slaughtered by the newcomers. Well, they were certainly useful in battle – about the only creatures that proved battle-readiness in quite awhile, though the dratini’s execution method seemed a little… sadistic, for the elder’s liking. Regardless, an appreciative smile soon snuck onto the aged face. He nodded obediently at Reeve’s advice, a newfound respect blossoming from the creature’s serious, non-nonsense attitude. Still clutching the heavily bleeding wound, stemming the blood flow as best he could, the dragon trotted away from the corpses, his eyes catching glimpse of Quinn and Pidove in the skies.

Molly was soon at Arthur’s side, her expression one of anger as she touched her mate’s good shoulder reassuringly.
“Bloody buggers,” She muttered, eying the wound irritably. He gave her a sheepish smile.
“It’s nothing,” However, the pair’s attention was soon diverted to the latest arrival, the mawile, practically grovelling out her apologies. Molly’s anger was forgotten, her heart aching at the sight of the terrified, whimpering wreck of a pokémon. The poor dear. Stooping down to the steel-type, Molly’s maternal instincts fluctuated as she bundled the creature into her large, protective arms.
“That’s enough of that, sweetie,” Her voice was gentle, though a certain firmness lingered in her tone. She hated to see the creature in such an emotional state, seemingly blaming herself for Arthur’s injury. She had done nothing – if anything, it was Arthur’s ‘heroism’ that was responsible. “You’re not alone now. We’ll get to safety,” Prepared to move on, the pair were soon distracted by a quiet, heartfelt apology.

"I'm sorry,"

Arthur’s expression dropped, his chest tight as he watched, helpless, as Quinn flew into the skies. He liked Quinn. The wingull had been nothing but a gentleman – a kindly, well-learnt avian that Arthur could have seen himself becoming lifelong friends with.
“Quinn –“ Molly instinctively called out to the retreating figure, her eyes wide, hurt, as she held the scared mawile in her arms. However, she was cut off by a reassuring squeeze of her waist.
“Let him go, love,” The emotion in Arthur’s soft voice was poorly disguised, the duo simply watching the bird disappear into the distance before snapping back to reality. They had no time to dwell on the departure of a friend, with the threat of the undead still ringing strong. Clearing his throat, Arthur swiftly regained his composure. “The cathedral should provide some safety – for now at least,” His gaze fell onto Elidr and Reeves, sucking up his sadness for the sake of providing a reliable source of leadership. Increasing the pressure on his wound, he moved from Molly’s side, trudging towards the abandoned building to hold the door open for the group. ”Come on,”


(( Aww, I'll miss him, Negative ~ <3 Permission was given to pick up Zoe. ))

"Any other disasters you tamed ones want to bring around?"

The dratini's anger caught Reeves' attention, turning his dark head toward the source of the voice. While he shared the dragon's sentiments, he knew better than to bark something like that out. The air was saturated with tension, emotions and fear nearly suffocating his sensitive nose. He let out a small snort of disapproval and shook his head. "...Not now."

The fluttering of wings continued above, drawing his attention back toward the sky. Reeves tilted his head upward, listening to the "gentleman's" voice bid a soft, strained farwell, which was mimicked in the tone of the older male. He and his mate conversed softly, as the female consoled the weeping, hysterical steel-type. Though he had no opinion on the sorrowful goodbyes, the deino's mouth turned downward at the young girl's weeping. She'd attract more infected like that... "The cathedral should provide some safety – for now at least," the older male stated, trudging away toward what Reeves could only guess was the building in question. "Come on."

The deino hesitated, chirping a few times to grasp where the doorway was, for one, but also just how big this building was. Astonishingly, he "saw" no end to the wall before him, figuring the building at least 20 or so feet high. Incredible. He turned back to the open doorway and sniffed as he stepped foot in the threshold, wanting all the information he could get.

The air was stagnant, stale, and dusty. Blood was there, of course, but it was old blood, dry blood. Not the reeking dead, infectious, diseased blood the undead carried. The diluted scent was almost comforting, and he made his way into the comforting dark. The glare of the sun was off his back, and once again, he was in the safe hands of the shadows. He followed the wall to a corner to the right of the door, sniffing and chirping. "...Nothing. Looks like it's clear." He settled onto his knees and wrists, hunkering down into a more comfortable position than a labored crouch.

The looks everyone was giving him were strange, and Elidr didn't like it. What was so wrong with him using the only moves he knew to take out the demons that everyone else was trying to kill too? It was how he had survived this long, as Dragon Rage wasn't able to completely kill stronger Pokemon unless used more than once. At his comment a quick response from the blue one had him even more confused. "...Not now." Had he breached some etiquette of these odd creatures? Something that tamed ones did or said after a kill? He really wished he had listened to the Arbok more, this was starting to drive him nuts.

With the leaving of the bird it suddenly came to the Nidoking's attention that they were rather exposed out here. “The cathedral should provide some safety – for now at least.” While Elidr fully agreed, he didn't trust the older one enough to just jump in with them. Until he held the door open for all of them. ”Come on.” Well then...he supposed it wouldn't hurt to join them for at least one day. It was what he witnessed his fellow dragon do that had him really curious, he was guiding himself with the wall. He sniffed the air and settled himself in a corner, mentioning that the area seemed clear. He didn't actually look to make sure...

...because he couldn't see.

Realization struck Elidr like a rock to the head as he suddenly regarded the other dragon with renewed interest. He couldn't find any eyes on the best, even under the mop of fur on his head, so the notion that Reeves was well and truly blind baffled the Dratini. Nature said only the strong survive, and deformations like blindness were generally seen as a weakness, but here this one was not only functioning but strong in his own right. And the strangest part, Elidr found he could accept that. But, he had to be sure. He slithered up to the Deino and settled close enough to not be overheard by the rest, but far enough away to not crowd. "You are blind, aren't you?"

A simple question, awaiting a simple answer.

Zoe could not help herself, the teas were running so strongly down her face that she almost had a fleeting thought of rust. She was a steel type after all... But the pain and distress was too much, and she crumpled down to the groun, grabbing her knees. She was weak, an asset. She should have just turned and let those monsters tear her to shreds. Anything would have been better. The poor Nidoking-

Zoe's thoughts froze. The blue female counterpart was coming closer again, crouching to be closer to the Mawile's point of veiw. The grandmotherly feeling she had felt earlier ran behind the stee type's mind as the Nidoking did what she least expected. Large, powerful but gentle arms were suddenly around her. Zoe had no reaction but to stiffen in shock. Surely she was just readying for an attack?... No one ever showed her kindness. It just did not happen.

“That’s enough of that, sweetie,” the voice of the Nidoqueen was firm, but yet... it releived Zoe in a way. her breathing was still ragged and her heart pounding, but she found herself wanting to trust the stranger. The tears would not slow down, but she took the words to heart. Surely she would not go through all of the trouble to comfort her if only to just hurt her?... “You’re not alone now. We’ll get to safety,” she promised. Zoe let out a choked sob, clinging desperately to the blue Pokemon's arms. Those words alone. Just... those... But suddenly the two counterparts of Nidoran were distracted and Zoe found herself overhearing a hushed conversation. Determined not to blow the trust she wanted to build and keep with them, she hummed inside of her head to block out their words.

Luckily, they seemed to be done soon enough and Zoe blinked the tears from her eyes. The two small dragons followed the lead of the Nidoking as he motioned to the huge building by them. "The cathedral should provide some safety – for now at least,. Come on." Zoe had no option but to go along with them, being in the arms of the Nidoqueen and all, but she decided to take a risk. Glancing back at the two dragons whom seemed to be having their own conversation, Zoe hesitently tapped the Nidoqueen's shoulder. "M-my name is Zoe," she told her in a soft tone. She risked a glance at the older female's face, silently asking her name but too shy to word the question.

Arthur was the last to enter the dusty building, standing close to the entrance as he clutched his wound tightly. It stung, of course, but it wasn’t the end of the world. The blood might attract unwanted company and result in an episode of dizziness, but otherwise, Arthur remained optimistic that it was nothing more than a nasty cut. Eyeingthe door suspiciously, he heaved a sigh of relief as everyone made themselves comfortable in the place of worship. Reeves was sat in a corner, Elidr a short distance from the dragon, whilst Molly, still cradling the fearful mawile hovered towards the room’s centre. Unhearing of the dragon duo’s conversation, Arthur managed a soft smile in their direction as his eyes scanned the musty room for something for use as a makeshift bandage.
“You might want to keep an eye on the door,” He warned gently, keeping his tone light to avoid any unnecessary panic. Trudging about the room, slinging his mate a look of reassurance in the process, Arthur began his search for a potential first aid kit.

"M-my name is Zoe,”

Molly smiled softly at the mawile’s words, pleased that the female had significantly calmed enough to make time for introductions.
“I’m Molly,” The nidoqueen answered with a gentle nod, shuffling to the side of the room to lower herself to the ground. Allowing the steel-type opportunity to escape her grasp, Molly moved into a sitting position, her knees giving a quieted crack purely out of old age. Leaning her back against the wall, the elder’s kindly smile was unmovable as she regarded the latest arrival with a maternal pride. “Oh!” She exclaimed lightly, soon realizing that it would be best to offer the names of the entire group whilst in the moment of peace. There was no telling how long it would last. “That’s Arthur, Reeves and…” A blush surfaced over the female’s face as she finally gestured to the dratini, realizing that the creature had never offered a title. She laughed, embarrassed. “I-I never did catch his name,”

"You are blind, aren't you?"

Reeves whirled to face the other dragon, sniffing lightly and chirping to see where Elidr was and what his emotions were. The others settled in, their voices sounding from further into the cathedral. He bounced the question in his mind, looking for some sort of connotation to go with it; was it a snark remark, surprised, pitying, anything? As he formed his reply, he found that it had just been a question. The small amount of apprehension eased, and he nodded slightly. "...Yes. All of my kind are blind," he answered, his voice low so the others wouldn't hear.

He sniffed again, making sure he hadn't missed anything in the other's demeanor, settling further onto the tiled floor. He was glad that nothing had come along with the question, especially pity. He hated being pitied. If he was so helpless, he would have died a long time ago, against his abusive father. His mouth twitched as he felt the conversation leaning more, as if the words wanted to come out. "...You don't get around people a lot, do you?" he asked, keeping the same, neutral tone Elidr had kept. 'Lucky.'

Arthur’s quiet hunt for medical supplies had been particularly unsuccessful. The abandoned cathedral wasn’t the ideal place to nurse a wound, though there was an eerie beauty about the place that was enough to lift the elder’s spirits.

As he moved further away from the entrance, tired eyes scanning the ground for supplies, the nidoking soon discovered a most unpleasant site. At the building’s end, hunched lifeless in bloody, near-shredded blankets were human remains – about five distinguishable figures, skeletal, as the stench of decay hit him full force. Disgusted, the dinosaur looked away, though his attention soon peaked at the simple boxes lying besides the mess. Taking care to avoid stepping on the almost unrecognisable corpses, Arthur quickly delved his large paws into one of them – pleasantly surprised to discover an amount of still-standing human supplies. Apparently they’d been trying to find safety in the place of worship, well-equipped to endure the monstrous state the world had descended into. Arthur’s face fell, saddened that their efforts had been in vain.

Turning away, the box cradled in his arms, the nidoking began to trudge back to the group. His shoulder was stinging, the blood flowing freely down his arms as he dedicated his energy into presenting the others with his findings. He hadn’t recognised many of the items, though had caught sight of liquid-filled vials which he could only presume were used for healing. Nearing, he gently set the box down, mustering a weak smile as he gestured to his discovery with a nod.
“Any of this useful?” His voice was relatively quiet, somewhat unnerved at the sight of the corpses in which they shared the vast room with.
“Where did you find this?” Molly questioned, suspicious as she scooted forward to investigate. A good half of the bottles were smashed open, a sticky concoction saturating the cardboard and clinging defiantly to whatever products remained intact.
“Well I haven’t been out of this room, have I, love?” The nidoqueen brushed away her mate’s reply, gradually retrieving a number of items to set them at her side. There were several potions, human food, some water, a strange necklace contraption, an escape rope and bingo!, bandages. Molly held up the slightly dampened bandages to her partner, motioning him to present his shoulder now that she had some equipment to nurse him with.
“Help yourself, dears,” Molly spoke to the group whilst she worked. Wrapping the material around the bloody gash was mainly an easy task, surprisingly skilled in the application given the size of her hands. She looked over her shoulder to Reeves and Elidr in the corner, smiling brightly. “Have a rummage, hm? Might build your strength,”