The UNDERGROUND Team

All of a sudden, strangers.

To Felix, who had not been paying the slightest bit of attention to his surroundings, the Mismagius seemed to materialize out of no where.

He stared at her in wide eyed horror; he didn't know who she was or even what she was; he had never seen this kind of Pokemon before! And why was she-

Then she wrapped a tendril around him, and he began to tremble even more violently, barely hearing her attempts to comfort him. Everything seemed faint, echoey even.

He raised his hands to clutch at his chest as his vision dimmed, then brightened again. He found the air was too thick to breathe properly and began to hyperventilate to try to compensate.

A panic attack is almost exactly like a heart attack, but is always nonfatal, becoming a danger only if it escalates into a heart attack. Though Felix didn't know it, what he was experiancing at that moment was a panic attack, likely the first of many to come. His wailing and loud sobbing stopped because he no longer had the energy to make noise; all of it was going towards the simple act of breathing to try to stop the escalation before it could happen.

"C-can't... b-breathe..." He squeaked weakly. "H-hurts... Mommy... w-want M-Mommy... D-Daddy... U-Uncle R-Roddy..."

He barely even noticed the Cranidos stepping onto the scene, instead curling into a tiny ball on the dirt. Though Flo had only tried to help, something unfamiliar had been the last thing the nine year old needed at such an earth shattering moment in his life. The feelings he had been radiating intensified along with his panic attack; if the alarm bells had been ringing before, they were blaring out the ninth symphony now.

((I am simply waiting for Kothar's question to be answered. Hate to skip when I just started but there is nothing else for him to do.))

"R-Rodolfo... Are the-ey all o-okay?"

Relief swept over when he heard that timid, shaky voice. His expression exploding into a warm smile, he looked down at the creature he held with the purest form of joy. He was okay. They were all okay. He opened his mouth to speak, to reassure his friend, when Marilyn appeared at his side, soothing the young togetic. He nodded his head softly in agreement, though his vision was beginning to blur. The back of his throat was burning, the acid eating away at the delicate skin whilst the world around him became increasingly unstable. Shaking away the effects of the poison, he slowly continued towards the building, knowing that as soon as Nikki and Marilyn were okay, he would finally allow himself his own rest.
“She’s right, Nik,” Rodolfo spoke softly as he walked onwards, glancing over his shoulder to catch glimpse of Florence and Bryant disappearing into the distance whilst Marco was following a distance away. His brother had always struggled with emotional affairs and so, the smaller charizard was unsurprised at his behavior now. “We’re all brilliant,” Although it was a lie, especially in his case, he hadn’t the heart to tell his friend of what exactly was happening within his body.

Marco walked slowly behind the group, reluctant to have let the ghost and fellow dragon-type wander off at the sound of crying, but even more reluctant to lose sight of his sickly brother. Feeling somewhat useless, the elder sibling walked slowly, his body is prime condition whilst the group around him continued to suffer. With a huff, he looked up in time to catch glimpse of a black dragon approaching the gathering just ahead. A growl rumbling from his throat, Marco rocketed forward, muscles rippling beneath his thick skin as he approached this stranger – a charizard. Shiny, taller and possibly stronger than himself. His mood instantly souring at the prospect of being outmatched, the eldest brother stood protectively before the group, ensuring that this newcomer would have to go through him first before securing a meal out of one of his sibling’s friends.

"Do you need any help?"

Rodolfo was a little taken back at the appearance of the stranger as well as his tensed brother. He stifled a cough as he regarded the dragon before him, practically dwarfing him. Marco was already a good foot taller than him, yet this newcomer was even larger. The charizards of the valley were known for their size, their muscular forms, Marco a prime example of the creatures born and bred in such a place – but the elder brother bristled at his newfound shortcomings.
“That depends, what are you offering?” Marco growled bluntly, a frown hanging over his eyes as he regarded the demonic dragon. Roddy nudged his sibling gently, sharing the frown but this time directed at his brother instead.
“We need all the help we can get,” He reminded with a rare sternness that surprised Marco to no ends. Turning to address the stranger once more, the smaller dragon managed a weak smile, clearly unwell. “I’m Rodolfo. W-We’re just a little – “ He was interrupted by the need to cough, turning his head away from the others out of respect for their own health. He found himself unable to continue, Marco’s comforting hand soon on his shoulder as the elder took it upon him to speak.
“Poison, blood loss, fatigue,” He gestured to his sibling, the togetic and then spoke in regards to the remainder of the group in general. His expression, although hard, had lost is bitterness. Marco had banished the envy, reminding himself that it was wrong to judge others without fair trial. “Help if you can,”

Marilyn noticed the black Charizard entering the scene, asking for help. Thank god he came. Marco couldn't bear leaving Rodolfo alone, and Nikki was in bad shape as well. But if the Charizard didn't show up, the two healthiest people in the group, Florence and Bryant, would come back with help.

She noticed that Rodolfo was becoming very ill. Marilyn was growing worried about everyone in the group. Nikki nearly gave his life to save Marilyn, and Rodolfo is beginning to suffer from saving Nikki. It seemed like everything was starting to become the Gothitelle's fault. But she kept thinking about Nikki's own safety. Why?

Meanwhile...

Florence wasn't having any luck in comforting the Riolu. She knew he would freak out at the sight of a Mismagius. Everyone does. He was having a panic attack, which worried the ghost type to no end as he kept hyperventilating. Though his crying was done, his broadcast of emotions was becoming stronger.

"C-can't... b-breathe..." He squeaked weakly. "H-hurts... Mommy... w-want M-Mommy... D-Daddy... U-Uncle R-Roddy..." He curled up into a tiny ball, just hoping to escape everything. Florence understood what he wanted. He wanted to see his family, to have them comfort him. She looked around and saw no signs of anyone that seemed to know the Riolu.

Thr Riolu's breakdown was starting to break Florence's heart. She wrapped herself around him, in the fashion of a strong hug that helped out someone in times like these. Trying not to cry herself, the Mismagius whispered to him, "I'm sorry, but I don't see any of your family here..." She knew the little Riolu would be saddened by that fact, so she tried her best to make it better. "But, I do know a group of people that are like a family. Would you like to come with us?"

Bryant could hear sounds coming back from the group. Thinking back to the last time he went off alone, he decided he should probably return. Looking back at the Ghost and the tiny two-legged hound, he gestured to go with him. "Bring him along." He said, agreeing with her previous statement. Turning on his strong legs, he ran back to the others, hoping they were fit to be moved.

It didn't seem like they were, however, when he arrived. He was surprised to see another dragon standing around as well. He seemed to be the same species as Rodolfo and Marco, but had completely different coloring. Odd. Regardless, Bryant arrived just in time to hear Marco's assessment of the situation. Poison too? Shit... Blood loss was bad, fatigue was dangerous, but poison would be much more difficult to deal with. Poking in further, he looked to Marco and the new dragon. "Should we try to press on to Ecruteak? There may be supplies we can use for healing there." He hoped there was, at least.

Unsurprisingly, Florence was cold.

But Felix didn't even care. She may have been cold, but it was a very familiar gesture...

...

"Why are you so upset, young one?"

The Riolu lifted his head, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. The Sableye standing in front of him gave him a smile.

"Do you mind if your Uncle Seyha sits down with you?"

Felix shook his head slowly, and his "uncle" took a seat on the fallen log beside him, wrapping an arm around him. Felix leaned into him, laying the side of his head against the ghost type.

"I-I m-miss I-Ignis..."

Seyha's eyes saddened. "I know you must; after all, he was a child of your own age, and now that he's gone you have no other children to play with. But he and his trainer had to move on, and so must you. Would Ignis want you to be so sad?"

"N-no..."

"You don't have to forget a person to move on. And you can remember them without feeling sadness all the time. Besides, he's not dead, after all. He and his trainer are simply continuing their travels across the region." The Sableye smiled slightly. "He'll return someday, I know he shall. The apocalypse couldn't stop that clown."

Felix giggled slightly and swiped the rest of the tears away with a hand. "Y-you're r-right, Uncle Sey. I-it'll be okay."

"There, then my work here is done, young one." He gave the child and affectionate squeeze before letting go. "If you don't need me anymore, then I should go collect the berries I promised your Aunt Aleena; you know how she gets when you promise her something and don't deliver."

"She gets sooooooooooooo mad." Felix giggled. "You better hurry up and move or she'll Thunderbolt you!"

"And believe me, I have no intention of that happening." Seyha chuckled and stood. "I'll see you at supper, young one."

"See you later, Uncle Sey!"

Uncle Seyha, the only person he knew whose hug was cold, but every bit as safe and comforting as everyone else's hugs.

...

Felix's breaths came in gasps but his breathing pattern was slowly returning to normal. His vision cleared slightly and he could see the ghosty-thingy looked more than just a bit worried...

"I'm sorry, but I don't see any of your family here..."

He whimpered. He knew that already. Saying it out loud made it hurt more.

"But, I do know a group of people that are like a family. Would you like to come with us?"

He gasped softly; Group of people? Like a family?

I don't think this is too far from home; maybe Mommy and Daddy are there! Maybe Joshie is too! Or Uncle Roddy! Or Aunt Aleena, or Aunt Violet, or Uncle Seyha! Or one of the others! One of them's GOTTA be there!

He nodded rapidly, unable to draw enough breath yet to speak.

Maybe I finally found someone!

Kothar watched as one of the other Charizards came forward, his stature showing that he was willing to protect the others with his life, as though the black dragon was going to attack. Though it wouldn't be the first time this had happened to him. Its only natural that no one would trust a demon.
He looked as though he was angry, as though he hated how much larger Kothar was. He couldn't help how much larger he was compared to other Charizards, he was born this way. Even as a Charmander he was large.
"That depends, what are you offering?" It asked, though Kothar hadn't the time to answer before the smaller Charizard staggered forward, clearly sick from its breathing and weak posture.
"We need all the help we can get," it said to the other one. They appeared to be related. It must have been nice to have a sibling. The closest thing to a brother that Kothar had was Dean, and he was missing. "I’m Rodolfo. W-We’re just a little –" He speech was interrupted by intense coughing, which only make the black fire type tenace. He's really sick.
"Poison, blood loss, fatigue, Help if you can." The Charizard that had approached him first said.
Lowering his head so that he could look the other Charizard in the eye he said with a stern tone, "wait here." It wasn't an order, though it sounded like one.

Opening his large wings Kothar took to the air once again, flying through one of the holes in the roof and back into the open skies. The wind buffeted his scales as he soured over the treetops, his eyes scanning them for what he was looking for.
If they where sick, they needed something to help heal them. Petcha Berries helped get rid of poison, which seemed to be what Rodolfo had. They would also need Sitrus Berries to help get there strength back, and those where harder to find then Petcha.
He began to growl as his search was leading him nowhere. He could always go to the pokemon centre in Goldenrod, or even the Pokemark, but what where the chances of those places still having super potions or antidotes.
Kothar was starting to give up before he spotted what he was looking for. A small bush of Petcha berries close to the path humans used to get to Ecrutek City.
Folding his wings Kothar when into a dive before opening them again just before landing on the ground. To his luck, the berries where well and untainted, though a few of them showing signs of rotting.
Taking as many of the ripe ones he could find he took to the air again and began to head back to where he had left the others before spotting an Oran Berry bush, well hidden by the undergrowth. Though it had a lot more rotten ones and it looked to be bear, there where still a few ripe ones he could take back to the others. Though he would have preferred them to be Sitrus, Oran would have to do.

Returning the way he had left, it seemed the others where still where he had left them. Then again, they weren't going anywhere fast with there sick and injured.
The Berries cradled in his arms so that he wouldn't drop them, he walked over to them and then placed them down. "There not much, but there better then nothing." He said before backing away to give them there space. He didn't expect them to take to him right away. No one ever did take to him at first.

“Wait Here.”

Marco, wrinkled his nose at the stranger’s command, a frown falling over his eyes as he watched the creature take off into the skies. He was an expert flyer too? The elder dragon gave a snort, glancing to his own injured wing. Whilst he could fly, it was never for a long period of time. It was just too delicate – besides, he could cope just as well on land. Watching the black dragon disappear into the distance, he managed a weak smile as he turned his attention back to Marilyn and Rodolfo.

Rodolfo, although grateful for the combined help of the team, was suddenly left feeling empty as he looked down to his empty arms. Nikki was gone. A tight pain exploding in his chest, the charizard looked about him helplessly for a moment, eyes wide with a combination of fear and confusion. Had he done something wrong? His concerns mounting in the back of his mind, Rodolfo finally gave a huff of defeat. Marco, noticing a sudden distress coming over his sibling rested a paw gently on his younger counterpart’s shoulder.
“He’s okay, Rod,” He spoke quietly, surprisingly gently in relation to the persona Rodolfo was familiar with. “Maybe he’s gone to find supplies, hm? Either way, he’s healthy,” The youth brushed his sibling’s hand away, obviously saddened by the togetic’s disappearance. Whilst his brother had a point – Nik wouldn’t have been able to fly off hadn’t he been in relatively good help – he was still bombarded with guilt. He should have stopped him.

"Should we try to press on to Ecruteak? There may be supplies we can use for healing there."

Rodolfo flashed a smile at Bryant, pleased to see at least he too was still hanging around. That only left Marilyn’s companion; he hadn’t seen the ghost-type in a good while and was beginning to fret following the loss of Nicholas.
“Does that mean going through the park?” Marco asked, nodding his head towards the pile of undead corpses. He didn’t exactly fancy a repeat of that battle, but if it were necessary to trek through that damned place then he hadn’t much a choice. Huffing, he continued. “We’re not going anywhere until Roddy is better. I won’t risk him fainting out in the open,”
“I-I’m not going to p-pass out,” There was a fear in the dragon’s hoarse voice, suddenly realizing the extent of his own physical damage. Looking to Bryant for some sort of reassurance – someone to tell him that he’d be okay – he was unnerved at Marco’s silence. That was never a good sign.

"There not much, but there better than nothing.”

Before he could pursue the topic any further, the black charizard was descending from the skies, berries cradled in his arms. Rodolfo smiled, pleased that the stranger was going out of his way to help the little group. Marco, surprised at the dragon’s knowledge of the region and offering of berries, managed a smile, nodding his head in a newfound respect.
“Thank you,” The eldest sibling spoke firmly, though the gratitude was quick to seep into his tone. Wasting no time, he trudged forward, stooping down to inspect the newcomer’s finds, eyes desperately hunting for a pecha berry. Fortunately, there was a good few of the fruits. Smiling to himself, Marco scooped them up in his claws, subtlety inspecting their ripeness before looking to the stranger. The male had given him no reason to distrust him, and on the rare chance the food killed his sibling – Marco would kill him without a second thought. “Here. Eat,” He told his brother, holding out the berries which were accepted with some hesitance. Rodolfo knew better than to argue so slowly began to consume the fruits, pleasantly surprised at the sweet fragility of the food. Satisfied his sibling was on the road to recovery, he turned his attention back to the black dragon, his expression serious but not unkind. He respected this guy, but he wasn’t prepared to accept him as a saint quite yet. “So, what brings you here? Got a name?”

"Wait here." Marilyn watched as the black Charizard took to the skies. When she looked back over, she wasn't prepared for what she saw; Nikki was gone. Marilyn felt a piece of her heart break. The Togetic was like a younger brother to Marilyn, and seeing that he was missing brought a tear to her eye. The Gothitelle let out a depressed sigh. However, she also saw that Rodolfo was just as worried for the young Togetic as well until the brother comforted him. He’s okay, Rod. Maybe he’s gone to find supplies, hm? Either way, he’s healthy,”

The words made Marilyn let out a soft smile. She wiped the tear away from her eye as she knew that Nikki would be safe. "Should we try to press on to Ecruteak? There may be supplies we can use for healing there." Marilyn looked over at Bryant, who was starting to get a bit impatient. There was no sign of Florence. "We should wait for Florence to get back," she said. She saw that Rodolfo and Marco were having a conversation as the black Charizard came back with some berries. It was mostly Oran Berries with a couple Pecha Berries as well. Marilyn sighed as she took one of the Oran berries and slowly ate it. She needed all the energy she could get.

Meanwhile...

Florence smiled as the Riolu began to calm down. At the mention of the word 'family', the young Riolu let out a soft gasp before nodding quickly. She chuckled at the Riolu a little before letting him go from her hug. "Okay then. My name is Florence, but you can call me Flo if you like. If you ever need anything, just come to me. What's your name?" The Mismagius asked. She soon realized that everyone was probably going to leave soon, so she gestured the Riolu to come with her. "Come now, let's meet up with the others..." She told him, her voice being kind and caring for the Riolu. He wasn't fit enough to survive in this epidemic, so hopefully, taking them into their little family wouldn't be a problem.

Bryant nodded at Marco's answer. He didn't want to hear that they were stuck in the open like this, but he understood the reasons for it. In all honesty, despite the fact that the battle was almost entirely his fault, he seemed to be the only one to make it out unscathed. Likely because he barely fought. Bryant didn't like to think like that, but it was true. In normal situations, he enjoyed sparring against others, but these... things... They were too strong for him. He was far too weak for fighting them the way he was... If he was going to be any use to the team, he needed to train more.

Slowly, he backed away from the group once more. It probably wasn't his best idea, going off alone again, but it would have to do. A ways away from the group, he found a small copse of dead trees, their leaves completely gone. Bryant couldn't tell if they were knocked or burned off, or if they died from disease. However, they would do regaurdless. Still within seeing-distance of the others, he backed up to increase the distance between himself and the first tree. Then, pushing off on his strong legs, he rammed the top of his head point into the tree, snapping it in half. He would have to be more careful with the others, he realized, or he would lose his training tools. Standing closer to the next tree, he rammed it as well until it broke. He continued on and on to the next tree, continuously training his stamina. It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now.

"Okay then. My name is Florence, but you can call me Flo if you like. If you ever need anything, just come to me. What's your name?"

The little boy began to babble, desperately trying to make himself forget what he had done earlier. "F-Flo... th-that's a p-pretty n-name... I-it sounds r-really... what word did Mommy use when talkin' 'bout Aunt Aleena...? 'Ele... elgint' I think..." He giggled nervously, totally oblivious that he'd just butchered the word "elegant." "I-I'm F-Felix."

As soon as she started to move, he scrambled along beisde her and latched back onto one of her tendrils the same way he would have grabbed onto one of his mother's arms had it been her there instead. The Mismagius was making him feel safe right now; she reminded him of his mama and all the emotions that his mother's care evoked, and he desperately wanted more of those feelings.

He walked a good bit of the way in silence, unable to think of anything to talk about. No matter what he tried to think of to start a conversation--any conversation--his thoughts kept circling back to that poor Vulpix that now laid as a decaying blob of guts. He'd taken a life, he'd taken a life, oh great Legendaries that be, he'd killed a creature that hadn't known what it was doing...

As they drew closer his mouth dropped open and his head snapped up as he caught a glimpse of orange; though they were still a distance away and Felix's vision was blurred from tears, there was no mistaking the species of the dragons gathered in the clearing. What else could they be, with that color, that shape, those wings? However, of all three Charizards there, only one stood out, and it was not the huge one with the bizarre coloring. The dragon in question had his back mostly turned to them but Felix's blurred vision could make out a smaller Charizard than average. The colors were right, the height was right...

They were now close enough to hear snatches of words being spoken, and what the second largest dragon of the group said made Felix's blood run cold, his heart then beginning to pound.

“We’re not... any... ...til Roddy ...tter. I won’t ... him faint... out ... open.”

Most of the words had been unintelligible from their distance, but one of the words he had heard in its entirety was the only word in the whole statement that mattered to his fragile mind.

Roddy.

His Uncle Roderick... it had to be! It just had to! Everything fit for Arceus's sake! Even the name and the placing was right, for Uncle Roderick wouldn't have gone far from home!

With a squeal of pure excitement, joy and relief welling up inside him, the little one let go of Florence and ran as quickly as he could over to who he perceived to be his uncle.

"Uncle! Uncle Roddy! It's me, Felix!" The little Riolu shrieked happily as he threw himself at the Charizard in a hug from behind. "I found you; I found you!"

(Snitch, if you don't like that Felix just basically glomped Rodolfo from behind, contact me and I'll change it, okay? =))

Kothar stayed back as he watched the older of the two smaller Charizards inspect the berries he had brought.
He smiled at him, though the black fire type could tell it was hard to manage as the other fire type thanked him before turning to the smaller one. Telling him to eat.
The black Charizard looked about there small group. Trying to remember the names of what there kind where called. He could remember the Gothitelle, a pokemon from Unova if he remembered correctly.
Will I even fit in here? He though to himself, his head held high and with pride as he looked at them all as they ate the berries he had brought for them.
It was easy for him to tell they where grateful for the berries, though he still wished he had found sitrus berries. They restored more health then the Oran Berries.

"So, what brings you here? Got a name?" Snapped from his thoughts by the voice of the other Charizards he turned to face him. He could see the seriousness in his face, though it wasn't unkind, as though he wanted the black Charizard gone.
"I'm searching for someone." He said as he sat down, his white flame flickering as he moved the tip of his tail back and forth. "Have you seen a human with white hair and red eyes?" He asked, his voice as kind as he could manage though there was hints of a low growl, though not enough to show any signs of aggression. "As for my name. Its Kothar."

Kothar had not noticed the return of the other pokemon until a small pokemon, a Riolu, threw itself at Rodolfo. Shouting something about an uncle and finally finding someone.
Raising a brow, he watched at the little Riolu hugged the the smaller Charizard, finding it rather hard to believe the two are related. Though you really don't need to be related by blood to have a family. Dean was practically a brother to him rather then a trainer. And he wouldn't stop looking for him. He would never stop looking for him.

“I'm searching for someone. Have you seen a human with white hair and red eyes? As for my name. It’s Kothar."

Marco frowned, somewhat surprised at the fact the dragon before him had belonged to a human, that he’d been tamed. Well, he certainly hadn’t been expecting that. Nodding his head politely at the shiny, mustering the closest thing to a smile he could manage considering the state of his sibling, Marco spoke pleasantly.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t. In fact I must’ve seen about five humans in my entire life,” He gave a quieted, deep chuckle. Ultimately, he spoke the truth. He’d spent his entire life in the Charicific Valley – a place practically isolated from the rest of the hectic world and nought but brave tourists graced his sight. He’d never particularly liked the creatures and all the stories he’d been raised on gave him reason to distrust those strange beasts. “Marco,” He smiled a little at the introduction, though soon noticed that the Cranidos was on the move. Frowning, he turned his head to watch Bryant wandering away. “Hey, where you going?” His cry fell on deaf ears, a certain confusion washing over the dragon as he looked to the trees – one of which violently shaking before collapsing altogether. People had funny ways of dealing with stress, but if it helped the youth then so be it. Marco made a mental note to keep an eye on him, eager to see no more of this group injured.

"Uncle! Uncle Roddy! It's me, Felix! I found you; I found you!"

Rodolfo, who’d been eating a handful of berries at the time, pleased with the immediate effect they had on his ailment, nearly choked when he felt tiny arms against him. Although tensed, the Charizard knew that were it some sort of threat, Marco would have already intervened. And the voice, it sounded far too innocent to cause him any damage. Swallowing his mouthful, he looked over to his confused sibling and shrugged in response to his expression. He was no uncle. Straining to see the Riolu, Felix, behind him, he managed a helpless smile.
“Um… sorry, kid…” He spoke hesitantly, his voice still a little raspy from the stomach acid burning at his throat. “H-have we met? I-I’m not good with… faces,” Rodolfo was convinced he hadn’t seen the canine before, not even sure of the species’ name yet was reluctant to crush the youth’s hopes. He seemed so happy, so excited, about being reunited with family – it pained the dragon that he had to be the bearer of bad news.

"F-Flo... th-that's a p-pretty n-name... I-it sounds r-really... what word did Mommy use when talkin' 'bout Aunt Aleena...? 'Ele... elgint' I think... I-I'm F-Felix." The Riolu said. Florence giggled a little at Felix. As soon as they headed off, the Mismagius felt him latch onto one of her tendrils. She looked down at him and let out a soft smile. However, as they walked back to the group, silence haunted them. Taking a life probably traumatized the Riolu to no end.

When they got to the group, Florence saw that there was a black Charizard in the group, and the Togetic was gone. Felix ran over to Rodolfo and hugged his back, calling him "Uncle Roddy". Pretty much everyone was confused by this. "Who is this kid?" Marilyn thought. Florence chose to introduce Felix to the group. "Everyone, this is Felix. I invited him to join our group, so try to make him feel welcome." Marilyn smiled at the newcomer. "Hello there Felix, my name is Marilyn." She said as she waved hello to him.

“Um… sorry, kid... H-have we met? I-I’m not good with… faces,” Florence frowned at the realization. The Riolu thought that Rodolfo was his uncle Roddy. She floated down beside Felix and looked at him. "I'm sorry, Felix... But I don't think that this is your Uncle Roddy..." She made her best effort to let out a sympathetic smile to the child. She felt so sorry for him. Uncle Roddy must have been special to Felix, and the realization that this isn't the same Roddy must've hurt him pretty badly.

((Skip please))

For just a few wonderful seconds, Felix felt complete bliss, the first he had felt since this whole nightmare started.

The bliss began to fade, however, when he realized that, although the dragon's aura felt nice... it didn't match up to his uncle's aura.

And then, three simple, innocent words smashed the remainder of the bliss like glass.

"Um... sorry, kid..."

That was not Uncle Roderick's voice. Not at all. Plus, now that he was up close, this Charizard was looking much too young.

"U-Uncle... R-Roderick? Y-you're... you're not..." He continued to cling to Rodolfo from behind as he struggled to process the mind numbing notion that this was not his beloved uncle after all. So deep was his shock, that he didn't noticed Rodolfo's question, nor Marylin speaking to him, nor Florence's introduction of himself to the group. He merely stood there, arms still around the dragon, frozen.

"I'm sorry, Felix... But I don't think that this is your Uncle Roddy..."

At Florence's words it finally sank in and the canine let go of Rodolfo with an odd noise that sounded like half a yelp and half a sob, leaping back as if afraid that the much larger creature would bite him. "I-I'm sorry! S-so sorry! I-I- you l-look a-almost l-like my u-uncle... y-you even h-have the same n-nickname!" He didn't want to cry; he'd cried so much today already and he was a big boy, and big boys didn't cry, but oh... this hurt so much...

He reached up and wiped desperately at his eyes, struggling to hold back his sobs, but whimpers escaped anyway despite his best efforts.

The only way this would get worse, he miserably decided, was if the dragon decided to get angry with him for this.

Auras. Living auras.
The lucario's footsteps slowed as he ran. It had been far too long since he had last felt another living aura, much less a group. The last time he found another living pokemon, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. But these auras were different. Kinder. Maybe he could ask them if they had seen his trainer. It was worth a shot since none of the aura's seemed hostile.

His direction changed and he picked up speed again, running for the national park where he felt the auras coming from. Skirting around trees, he made it to the park, slowing to a walk. They were close now. In fact, he could see the soft glow from the flames of the charizards from where he stood. Hopefully the light didn't attract anything dangerous. The last thing he wanted was to do was fight anything undead at them moment.

The polite thing to do would be to introduce himself.. But something seemed to be going on.. Perhaps he would would a moment or so, or wait to be spotted.

((ooc: Hello everyone. I hope to have a lot of fun rping with you! Feel free to spot him; he isn't trying to hide, just wondering how to introduce himself.))

"I-I'm sorry! S-so sorry! I-I- you l-look a-almost l-like my u-uncle... y-you even h-have the same n-nickname!"

Rodolfo’s face fell upon the youngster’s realization, the sorrow contagious as the Charizard managed a sympathetic smile. The arms quickly left his form, allowing him to turn and face the fearful canine for the first time. He was smaller than he’d expected, sobbing desperately a good distance away. Saddened at the sight of the creature’s tears, Rodolfo took a step forward.
“Hey, it’s okay,” The youngest sibling answered, pleasantly surprised to find the dizziness had left him. Obviously those berries had done a world of good and he made a mental note to pay his thanks to Kothar when he had chance. Smiling down at the nervous Riolu, he picked up a berry, holding it out as a sort of peace offering. “I’m sorry I’m not the Roddy you know, but you don’t have to be scared. I won’t hurt you,”
“You can say that again,” Marco scoffed in the background, a playful smirk on his face. The younger brother met the remark by sticking out his tongue, a grin tugging at his lips regardless. He had missed his brother’s teasing.
“I’m Rodolfo. My brother, Marco,” He gestured to the larger dragon. “You know Marilyn and Florence. That’s Kothar and Bryant is…” Rodolfo looked about him, suddenly concerned.
“Easy,” Marco interjected, using an arm to point to a trembling tree in the short distance. He smiled softly, pleased that his keen eyesight had ensured that the quiet dragon also hadn’t gone astray. “He’s probably venting. Needs some time to himself,” Rodolfo nodded his head, understanding before turning his kindly smile back to the canine.
“So, you gonna hang around, kid?”

Whilst Rodolfo was working to set the newcomer at ease, Marco had caught sight of something foreign when he’d pointed out Bryant’s location. It was blue, another canine, blurred due to the distance it stood from the group, but apparently alive and well. The dragon rose to his feet, steely eyes on the stranger as he began to trudge towards whatever it was. It was probably best to bring the Cranidos back to the group’s gathering anyway. With Rodolfo’s ailment cured and Nikki’s peculiar disappearance, everyone was back in working order and with some luck, ready to get moving again.
“Hello?” Marco called out, his voice not unkind despite a high volume. He did not smile as he approached what was a larger copy of the canine that had hugged Rodolfo, obviously the species’ evolution. Nodding his head in a formal greeting, he came to a halt a good few metres from the stranger. “You okay, here? You’re not going to cause trouble, are you?”

(OoC: Changed the time because we've been on noon for a few pages now...)

Felix just started to lose it. He was crying once again, and he had every reason to. The man he thought was his Uncle Roddy really wasn't. "I-I'm sorry! S-so sorry! I-I- you l-look a-almost l-like my u-uncle... y-you even h-have the same n-nickname!" Florence floated down beside Felix and patted his shoulder. "There there, Felix. I'm sure that somewhere in the world, your Uncle Roddy is looking for you." She said to him, "Maybe your whole family is looking for you too." The Mismagius let out a smile as she tried to comfort the young one.

Rodolfo was also trying to make Felix feel better. He introduced him to the rest of the group. Marilyn and Florence both smiled and waved at the mentioning of their names. Marilyn stood up, however, when she noticed that Marco was calling out to someone. She went over towards him curiously and saw that he was calling out to a Lucario. The Gothitelle found it a bit funny that Florence found a Riolu and she found a Lucario since they're both of the same evolution line. She decided to call out to him as well. "Hello there? You alright?" She called out. "Friend or foe?" she then asked him.

Bryant had found a rhythm. He could hit a tree fast enough to shake it, but not hard enough to break it. Of course, it took four or so tries before he found said formula, but it was worth it. He felt he could focus now better than he had been for weeks, walking around aimlessly until he found Nick and the others in the middle of the road. His mind was totally clear. While he shook loose several of the leaves over head, he thought about his place in the team. He belonged with them, he could see, even if he wasn't worth much. That's what he needed to fix. He needed to be worth something to them. He knew evolution had to be close for him- after than rotting monster in the road, and the hordes of bugs, he had to be close, but he couldn't force it. Much as he wanted to, he couldn't. However, that just meant he had to be ready for the next fight, and prepared to help in any way he could. With one last THWAK, he crashed into the fifth tree, sending it crashing to the earth below. It was time to head back.

As he returned, however, he heard a voice nearby. The voice sounded like Rodolofo, or maybe Marco. Marilyn's voice quickly followed. Heading in the direction of the sounds, he found the two confronting a blue canine, a larger version of the tyke they had found earlier. Great, another threat, or another friend? The question had already been asked twice, however. Calming striding to Marco's side, he watched the newcomer carefully. He didn't say anything, however, hoping his presence would be enough of a statement.

“You okay, here? You’re not going to cause trouble, are you?”
"Hello there? You alright? Friend or foe?"
Well, not only was he spotted quickly, it seems they were a bit apprehensive of him. And perhaps it was for the best, considering the state of the region. It was necessary to keep oneself safe somehow.

Seeing no point in beating around the bush, the lucario figured he might as well just get to the point quickly, while he had their attention.

"No trouble." He promised, stepping forward and meeting the eyes of those staring at him. "Just a question, if that's alright. You haven't happened to see a trainer around lately, have you? She has blond hair and wears boy's clothes." He took a moment to scan the group as he spoke, both hoping to see that something would strike a cord in at least one of them and he would get some positive information, as well as making a note of those that made up the odd group he just found.

He had never seen more than one charizard before, so seeing so many in one place seemed a bit odd to him, not to mention one didn't even look like a natural charizard. And he wasn't even sure what the black pokemon that spoke to him was. But he did not wish to be rude, especially since they had only just found each other, so he said nothing on the subject and waited for a reply.

"No trouble. Just a question, if that's alright. You haven't happened to see a trainer around lately, have you? She has blond hair and wears boy's clothes.”

Marco’s glare lingered on the newcomer a moment before he gave a snort, satisfied that this canine would prove no threat to the group. His stance relaxing, the dragon opened his mouth to speak as Bryant returned back on the scene. Distracted, he gave a curt nod of his head in greeting before his grey eyes returned to the Lucario.
“No,” Marco shook his head lightly in response to the being’s questioning of seeing this strange human. The dragon knew nothing of humans, their world, their contraptions or anything of the sort. The pokémon that had fallen under command of such creatures only baffled him further; the concept alone sounded odd. Managing a half-hearted smile, he cleared his throat to dispel some of his cynicism. “Sorry, I haven’t seen any humans. Now, have you got a name?”

Rodolfo smiled down at the Riolu as Marilyn comforted the canine with kind words. It was always nice for a new face to join the group, an innocent pup who was missing his family – Rodolfo knew that feeling. When he’d first been banished from the valley, the loneliness had driven him mad. His parents had disowned him that day, the humiliation of the scene still plaguing his vivid nightmares. And then, Marco… Marco hadn’t been there. Thinking back, the smaller sibling looked across to the dragon in the distance. Why hadn’t Marco been there? Why hadn’t he stopped it all? Saddened, Rodolfo shook away the thought yet it would only vanish so far, continuing to gnaw away in the back of his mind.

"No trouble. Just a question, if that's alright. You haven't happened to see a trainer around lately, have you? She has blond hair and wears boy's clothes.” Marilyn opened her mouth, ready to answer the question, but Marco beat her to the punch. “Sorry, I haven’t seen any humans.” The Gothitelle simply looked at the Charizard then looked at the Lucario. Her eyes seemed to make her stare into the distance like she was in some sort of daze. Marco asked the Lucario if he had a name, which made Marilyn come back to reality.

Florence floated up to the Charizard's head and whispered to him. "When I went out, I found Felix crying in the park. He got separated from his family and he's been looking for them. I asked if he wanted to come with us, since we're a bit like a family, and he was more than happy to say yes." Florence looked back down at the Riolu before floating down next to him again.

(So sorry for the short post, but I've had other stuff going on...)

This canine was looking for a human? Bryant couldn't suppress his natural instincts. Turning his head away from the others, he spit on the ground, unable to hide his disgust. He had no love for humans. They had locked him up after breeding his parents as an experiment. The happiest moment of his life had been escaping that hell-hole with his Aerodactyl friend. It was a shame that they were seperated...

Still, Bryant's eyes narrowed. From his understanding, they were all gone anyway. Why would this pooch keep looking for one? Curious, he popped the question. "It was my understanding all the humans were gone. Why are you still hunting this one down?" He never had understood how pokemon and trainers could get along so well. Sooner or later, they always shoved a knife in your back.

Florence's attempts to comfort him were sweet but not too effective. Of course his whole family was looking for him! But would they ever find him...?

As the time wore on, he was less and less certain of this.

Felix wiped his eyes with a sniffle and looked up to see and hear a kindly verbal reassurance coupled with the offering of a berry.

It was an Oran berry.

He loved Oran berries.

Slowly, hesitantly, he gently took the berry from the Charizard's fingers and began to munch on it. The taste exploded in his mouth, bringing with it memories of sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs, Mama cleaning up after baking. Meanwhile, just outside the window, his father tried to get his uncle to steal his mama's oran berry pies off the windowsill before they could cool. Mama always caught them of course and watching her chase them around the ranch was more than just a little funny. Aunt Aleena would shake her head and mumble something about some people never truly growing up. And everyone else would just laugh.

The indulgance in his memories lasted barely a second as Rodolfo once again brought Felix back into the real world."I’m sorry I’m not the Roddy you know, but you don’t have to be scared. I won’t hurt you."

His brother met that bluntly and if not for his expression, Felix might have mistaken it for mockery: “You can say that again.”

Rodolfo sticking his tongue out at Marco was such a silly and childish respose that the small canine giggled.

"I think Daddy and Uncle Roddy would like you guys... Daddy would tease Uncle Roddy like that all the time. We hung out by the river a lot so Uncle Roddy usually pushed him in the water to get back at him. But they never got mad at each other... they were just kidding and stuff..." Felix trailed off, realizing he was rambling. Oooh, he hoped they hadn't minded... maybe he should just stop talking completely and finish his berry...

He sat down next to Rodolfo, feeling snatches of the dragon's aura radiating off him. Though feeling others' aura was a natural ability of his species it would take many years before Felix would be able to feel all of someone's aura at once. But what he could feel, he liked. There was a warmth to the older Pokemon, the same welcoming, good natured aura his family had.

As the canine settled down a little further, Rodolfo began to point out the other members of the group. Marco being Rodolfo's brother didn't surprise him at all. Marylin was the tall lady in black, right? Felix gaped at Kothar; what a cool looking guy! In a moment of the bravery he'd once had, he beamed at the black and blue Charizard and piped up: "Wow Mister Kothar, you look really cool! I love the white flame!"

Bryant? Was someone missin- oh, no, apparently not. Felix's eyes rounded as he tried to picture what Pokemon was powerful enough to shake trees. Maybe he didn't wanna meet this Pokemon... then again, if he wasn't nice, he wouldn't be part of the group, right?

“So, you gonna hang around, kid?”

Florence was still hovering nearby, and when she floated even closer to whisper something to Rodolfo, she was now in range enough for Felix, now that he was calm enough to be able, to feel bits of her aura. Again, warm and welcoming. Instead of feeling the good natured humor that he felt from Rodolfo, she had a motherly feel.

But the bottom line? Safety. People he could trust.

And that was something he'd missed so bad, it had hurt. Maybe big boys were allowed to cry when they hurt that badly? If they weren't, wow, had he been breaking the rules big time.

"...Um... if you don't mind me around... I would really like to stay," he murmured tiredly. He began to relax further, almost leaning against the Charizard before remembering that the older creature hardly knew him. He sat up straight with an embarrassed, apologetic glance, pinching himself with the hand that wasn't holding the bite of Oran berry left to wake himself up. He was no longer feeling the auras--it wasn't uncommon for him to lose contact with them, as if he had a spotty internet connection--but feelings were another matter. Others constantly broadcasted emotions and he as a Riolu could feel them... and unlike Auras, feel them very easily and constantly.

So when all of a sudden the feelings of contentment changed, Felix's ears shot straight up in surprise before laying back with worry. That was pain. Hurt. The kind that would drive you mad if you felt it long enough. Within a minute it was muffled, as if it's bearer was trying to bury it, forget it.

But he could tell from who it had come from.

Felix looked over to make sure Florence had moved away a bit before glancing up at Rodolfo again, ears back, a worried frown settling on his face. Anyone familiar with the child would have known what was coming next: an invitation to talk about it.

"You're hurting."

Okay, so maybe the two words he had whispered didn't sound like an invitation and sounded more like a blunt statement... but maybe Rodolfo would be able to recognize the true nature of the words.

Then again... maybe not.

(Okay... tried to put everything in the correct order; hopefully nothing's out of place. ^^; If it is, PM me and I'll fix it. And if Snitch is okay with it, Felix will probably lean against Rodolfo next post. He'll probably lean on or hug everyone at some point or another so please tell me if you don't like/want that.)