The CHARGESTONE Team

Wearily the bleeding Simipour nods his head as he looks down on Giri. His first kill and so soon! If only he had been there to witness it. From now on Fujimaru knows he will have to step up the little Aron's training program to accommodate his charge's new growth in strength. In fact he is rather looking forward to it.
Seeing that none the less the little albino is concerned over his wounds the Shining Geyser Pokemon finishes dragging the cloth over the metallic shell the palest silver he had ever seen until the iron armor regains its usual faint gleam of well cared for metal.
Cleaning the last of the goo from the deep pores in the surface of Giri's well-armored head Fujimaru laboriously manages to stand.
A small puddle of blood has gathered in the short time he has been sitting, the metallic scent of it a lure to the ravenous red-eyed beasts. Though most of his wounds were shallow his fur was a mess, no area of it entirely spared the sluggish dribble of his leaking blood and the many shallow wounds would come to be a greater problem if he did not treat them correctly.
No matter which kind it was infection spelt the end for many pokemon, without the specialist human aid to heal injuries.
In particular he struggles not to feel his deeply gashes right shoulder. Thankfully it was the sharp talons and not the beak of the bird that had dug so deeply into him as to actually tear at the muscle, his fear is for what regular contaminants might have been picked up by filthy talons rather than the possibility of infection from the bird's saliva.
Holding Giri close to him he rummages in a few likely looking boxes until he finds a cheerfully colored box of bandage, complete with clips to hold it in place. For the hundredth time in many months he thanks the gods of wind and rain for giving him fingers like the humans had, though his golden skinned fingers were shorter than that of a human. Thanks to his opposable thumbs he had a versatility in movement that other pokemon could only dream off.
"Come on Giri, shower time." He says cheerfully to the small Steel Type as he carries the albino away from the others towards the corridor he had taken his morning wash in. Cleaning out and disinfecting his wounds is the main priority, followed by getting them dressed but at the same time he could also get Giri fully cleaned up.

The light pink eyes widen from slits of contentment at the gentle sensation of the cloth to wide-eyed terror at the mention of the 'b word'. Disbodediantly the tiny Steel Type starts to struggle in his guardian's arms, accidentally putting one foot against a particularly tender scrape and causing the taller Water Type to wince.
"Lilli, 'Dori!" Giri calls out in loud protest as he is carried away down the corridors.
Water, even pleasantly warm water from Fujimaru's tail was not something he liked at all and the prospect of having to be washed, even if it would get free a few lingering smudges of disgusting worm brains, panicked him.
By nature his species was subterranean dwelling. In the dark heart of the earth the feeling of water meant you had just tunneled into some subterranean lake and were about to drown as your tunnel filled up with water.
Working tirelessly against this ancestral prejudice Fujimaru had some success of curing him of water phobias but that didn't mean Giri was any more inclined than any other young pokemon towards taking a bath.
"Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wanna!" Giri drums on his mentor's wounded chest with his short legs, leaving his Lucky Egg tucked firmly in the crook of the golden furred arms as his protests get louder and louder.
His loud cries are cut off when Fujimaru glares sharply down at him.
"And what kind of behavior is that for a warrior?" He says with a curious softness to his angry words.
Guiltily the albino aron settles down, feeling the heavy weight of his mentor's disappointment settle on him.
"Sorry..." the small steel type says quietly.

Lilli watched as Giri struggled in Fujimaru's arms over a bath. She almost found it funny that a little kid like him didn't want to take a bath, but her face fell a little when she remembered that the Simipour was injured. Leaving Chidori's side, the Lilligant followed the duo. "Mind if I come along?" She asked. "I think that Giri would feel a bit more comfortable with me around." She looked down at herself and noticed a few small cuts on her torso. It didn't seem like anything major.

[quote="Kaze"]
The Simipour falters awkwardly at Lilli's request. His rather archaic upbringing insisted that the sexes should not bathe together due to risk of indecency. Even though in these circumstances it was certainly practical he doesn't wish to ever go against the ancient code by which he lived his life.
On the other hand this wasn't simply like bathing at a lake or river, he held the water inside his tufted tail.
His shallow but many wounds twinge and Fujimaru reluctantly makes an exception.
"If you wish." He tells the Lilligant as he carries the little albino down the corridors to the place where he had his morning shower.
Twining his long tufted tail up he uses a milder version of his Scald attack to summon forth a pleasant trickle of heated water.
Directing his tail tuft like a shower head he washes out his wounds thoroughly to prevent infection of either kind. The dried blood is washed away in a swirl of faintly pink tinged water as he tenderly scrapes away the crust of congealing red and sterilizes the wounds with the hot water. The heat brings out his aches and pains and makes his fur stick up in spikes but it also warms him deeply.
He turns his attentions to the squirming Giri, cleaning every last scrap of the disease riddled flesh from him before the disease can spread to his ward. Fighting the strange plagued ones was a risky business. Even a slight scratch could carry the disease.

Giri made a harsh metallic sound of disgust as the warm water flowed over his back. He HATED having to take a bath.
As the tufted tail poured the heated liquid over his back the gross bits of the giant worm that had stuck to him and begin to dry were slowly but surely washed away to the floor. Trying not to wriggle too much in Fujimaru's arms Giri blinked his wide pink eyes in dismay as he tried not to get water in them. His typing meant that he hated getting wet but not as much as he hated disappointing his mentor.
Giri lay quietly in the Simipour's arms, wriggling only when the water went somewhere he found particularly unpleasant. Slowly but surely his metal shell lost the smears of dried brain matter and began to shine again. Even if he didn't like taking to take a bath he did love the feeling of being clean.
After his wash Fujimaru carefully replaces the tiny Steel Type on the ground.
Shaking himself off like a canine the albino Aron immediately sinks his single toothed jaws into his Lucky Egg of stone as a comforter.

"If you wish." The Simipour said to Lilli. She wasn't aware that it was awkward for different genders to bathe together, but she followed Fujimaru anyway. When they got to the room, he began to wash the blood and guts off of Giri, much to the Aron's protests. The Lilligant didn't really understand why Giri didn't like to take baths. Of course, Lilli was practically a flower, so her definition of a bath would be to bask in the sunlight. In fact, she found a window with some sunlight coming in, so she sat down in the sunny area and enjoyed the sunlight as much as she could. "What are the plans for traveling?" She decided to ask to makes things a little less awkward.

"I...do not know." Fujimaru confesses as he watches Giri play, the indignant of having to bathe soon forgotten as the tiny Aron plays with his toy.
In truth he needed no goal for wandering, he expected to find no more places of safety to rest in. All there was is the constant journey.
Twitching his tail he carefully picks up the roll of bandages and starts to dress his wounds as he begins to think.
Taking care of Giri was practically easy but taking care of others wasn't something he was sure he could handle.
As he severs the end of the cloth with a deft flick of his blade the shining simipour turns towards the Lilligant.
"[color=#0033CC]Towards the Celestial Tower is the only suggestion I can think of. The important thing is not the destination but the journey.

Giri babbles happily to himself as he rolls the egg of stone along the floor, drawing himself up fiercely to leap on it.
He pretends the simple carved stone is a monster he is fighting to protect his family and growls under his breath.
Playfully the tiny steel type tackles the rock across the ground, batting at it as it rolls around.
"Yeah I'm going to kill you bad guy!" He tells it as he more or less ignores what the Simipour is doing.
In his child's world of fun and games he couldn't care less where they went next because he's sure no matter where they go it'll be an adventure~!

Lilli leaned back against the wall and let out a relaxed sigh as the sunlight hit her. "Oh that feels nice..." She said in a near whisper. The Simipour said that they could head towards the Celestial Tower, wherever that was. Lilli had never been to Unova, so she didn't know where it was. "I've never been to Unova, so I don't know where that would be..." She told him. "But if you know where it is, then I don't see why we couldn't go."

(Skip. Just say Lilli fell asleep while relaxing in the sun. I really can't think of anything...)

"It is...a graveyard." The Water Type states bluntly, unaware the Lilligant has peaceful started to doze off in the pleasant sunlight.
His golden fingers instinctively reach for the blade at his side for reassurance, his teacher's ancient tales of wiles and tricks of evil ghosts preying on his mind. He had seen none such dark spirits among those that strove to destroy them and with luck they could seek shelter amongst the spirits of the departed souls, perhaps indefinitely as long as they could survive their tricks.
The simian Pokemon's large ears flick at the sounds of distress and he swiftly runs towards the sounds of the Zebstrika's panic as swiftly as he can manage without hurting his newly bandaged limbs.
Bending down the shining water type scoops up the Aron with his egg of stone and holds the Steel Type close in his arms.
"Lilli, come on." He says with a small hint of urgency undermining his usual calm tones.

The Aron gives a small yelp of surprise as he is swiftly plucked off the ground and carried away from the spot he had been playing. Keeping his stubby forelegs wrapped firmly around the stone in his grasp the diminutive Stell Type blinks his pale pink eyes and looks curiously up at the deep blue furred water type carrying him.
The sounds of Chidori's distress spark a great concern in the tiny albino.
Are the bad guys back again?
"'Dori!" The tiny steel type calls out as he closely observes the strange metal thing that had his friend trapped. "Ouch..."

(Skip me. I won't have time to post, so just say Lilli followed Fujimaru and tried to figure out how to get Chidori unstuck.)

"That does look bad." The Geyser Pokemon says, suspiciously prodding the machine with the tip of his blade. Metal that came alive and moved, the idea scared him.
Thankfully for now it seemed the Zebstrika's electrical attack had frozen it in place before what sinister plan it had could be put in place.
The Water Type's blue-furred ear flicks in confusion. Chidori could read the strange squiggle lines of human language?
Fujimaru prods the machine again.
If it was supposed to heal it made sense for it to hold down unruly patients, to prevent them from doing further damage to themselves. In particular setting a broken limb was a thoroughly painful process.
"You say you stopped it with electricity." Fujimaru says slowly, formulating some kind of plan as he decides to save his actions for after he has seen whether this human-made tangle of metal really was capable of healing. "Try shocking it again, it may release you."

"'Dori!" Giri chirps up, trying to see over his mentor's arms. "'Dori, got ouch." he solemnly states, wriggling to be free.
He is not a big one for making plans but by his judgement the large electric type had found him some tasty meetal to eat and then gotten stuck.
Resting one short leg against his Lucky Egg the tiny Steel Type wriggles to be put down and start eating but with no luck; Fujimaru is holding him tightly so he doesn't get in the way.
Giri pouts childishly at being unable to get his own way and bites at the top of his egg. Already he can feel the hard bulge of another tooth coming through.
"Jiji help 'Dori?" He asks as he looks up at the Water Type.

(Skip. Can't really think for Lilli right now.)

"Hold still!" Fujimaeru says warningly as he tries to hold the thrashing Electric Type still. The bucking equine's hard hooves flash uncomfortably close to the Water Type's face, reminding the Geyser pokemon that a Zebrstika's powerful kick is enough to knock him unconscious.
Inwardly wishing he could have invested in learning Hypnosis the shining furred simian tries to manhandle the electric type back onto the platform.
The electric type's words grow slurred with delirium from whatever poison the metal spike had been coated in. His only hope was that it was medicine that would help the electric type.
Already Fujimaru can see the Zebstrika faltering as he instinctively kicks out in an attempt to restore life to his his leg.
The frantic bucking can only do more harm to the injured limb and Fujimaru struggles to hold the Zebstrika down without loosening his grip on Giri who seems to think all the jostling around is a great kind of game.
In the end Fujimaru has no choice but to draw his seamitar and firmly whack the Electric Type over the head with the blunt end, stunning the panicked Zebstrika before he can do any lasting damage to himself or the Water Type.
The strain causes a bloom of bright red blood to flower along the bandages of his injured shoulder.

"'Dori!" Giri calls out as he bounces in the Water Type's arms, Fujimaru swiftly trying to dodge the flying hooves in an attempt to get closer to the panicked Electric Type.
The tiny albino's voice is full of worry for his friend as he keeps a tight grip on his Lucky Egg.
The little Aron has no idea what's going on or why Chidori is suddenly acting funny. Have the bad guys got to him?
The little Steel Type growls with diminutive fierceness at the thought.
Jiji-sensei will help 'Dori, the tiny albino is sure. Jiji could do anything.

Lilli had no idea what was going on or why Chidori was acting so strange. She stepped back as Fujimaru knocked the Zebstrika out. What got her attention was the burst of red along the bandages on his shoulder. "You need to rest..." She told him. Just as she finished her sentence, she heard noises outside. She looked out and there were undead birds everywhere, but none of them were in the building. "Shit, there are bird everywhere..." She looked at the unconscious Zebstrika. "And it figures that our strongest team member is unable to fight..." She knew that the group was fine as long as the birds didn't find a way to get inside or none of them went outside.

A bird found its way in, and the others followed suit. A Staraptor tried grabbing Lilli and take her away. "Let go of me!" She shouted before controlling a Magical Leaf attack to hit the bird, releasing its grip on her. The bird attacked back with an Aerial Ace attack. But a simple type disadvantage wasn't going to stop the Lilligant from fighting back.

Fujimaru's golden furred fingers swiftly fly to the Zebstrika's neck to feel the steady pulse through the neck vien there. The Shining furred Water Type breathes a sigh of relief to find the Electric Type is still alive. He can only pray to Arceus that this strange metal altar is indeed a human healing device and not something more sinister.
They needed Chidori alive, not just because he was a good fighter but a good companion too.
The Simipour remembered back in the time when he and his teacher had served a human one of the medicinal herbs of the mountain, used when a rotting tooth of his had needed treating. It was dark of leaf and had the nasty bitter taste of medicinal herbs and his teacher had taken a few leaves and chewed them up into a paste. The juice of the leaves took away pain as it had flowed down his throat, numbing the flesh as the coldest water did and preventing him from moving his tongue at all as the tooth was pulled.
The human version of such a simple process seemed strange but for all the panic the metal arms had caused the Zebstrika perhaps putting the Numbleaf on the tip of a silver dart was sensible.
The sound of shattering glass alerts him to the danger followed by the sound of Lilli's voice.
Fujimaru reaches for his Seamitar and winces as his freshly bandaged wounds begin to ooze as the congealed crust of blood is broken by his movements. Until he heals his technique is crippled.
Giri wriggles from his grip as the Simipour reaches for his blade and darts towards the escaping Aron in an attempt to defend him from a swoop of a black taloned Uzefeasant that glares at him with its red eyes.
The Returned Ones were back, the souless ghosts of empty bodies that strove to suck life back into them. Such things were treated as mere superstitions before, tales to frighten children but Fujimaru had fought them with his own hands, fought them and knew how they could be killed.

As soon as he hears Lilli's call Giri whips his head around in time to see the bright red eyes of a strange pokemon as its sharp beak jabs towards the Grass Type.
He wriggles free of his mentor's arms in his eagerness to defend his friends and takes a firm stance against the ground.
"Giri!" He calls out like a battle cry as he charges towards his airborne enemy.
His new battles have galvanized him, he feels much stronger now than he looks, even if he is still young.
A shimmering of silver light plays around his feet as he runs, the metallic shell there becoming sharper and more pointed as he finds his tackle attack has been replaced with one of the new moves he has learnt from his battle.
The tiny albino charges forwards swiftly and leaps into the air before his caregiver can catch up to him, slicing furiously at the Flying Type's flapping wing with a Metal Claw attack.

Lilli was scared. She was in the hands of this bird again and the only one that could help her was Giri. But then again, he was proving himself to be quite the fighter, so Lilli wasn't too worried. "Atta boy, Giri!" She called out as he used what looked like Metal Claw. The bird still had a firm grasp on her arms, though. Every now and then, the Staraptor would peck at the Lilligant, causing her to flinch in pain. He pecked everywhere on her body. There would be times where he would peck in the same exact spot as earlier, causing even more pain.

"Come on, Giri!" She cried out. "A few more hits will take him down." The grass type soon remembered a tactic from the cave. "Aim for the head!" She said to him, flinching once again from the bird's pecks.

With the sound of tearing muscle Fujimaru's new wounds start to bleed again. His bandages are staining red as he strains his muscles but as soon as he sees the threat he is moving in battle mode. One must always be prepared to die, he has spent hours in meditation preparing for the moment of his own death. He takes the effort to numb himself as he curls his tail around like a fire hose and douses the attacking staraptor with a burst of boiling hot water.
To a plant like Lilli it is a hot bath at the most but to the large bird pokemon it has the effect of loosening its feathers from their roots and leaving them vulnerable as the gentlest flap of wings leaves them shedding crucial wing feathers and starting to loose control.
The necklace of faceted sea blue stone on its silvery chain he ties around his neck to increase the power of his scalding water attack, it is still coated in a faint layer of blood from his own wounds.
Inside his heart is bursting with pride in Giri as the tiny albino fearlessly steps forwards to battle. He is maturing very swiftly, not just because of the egg of rare stone he carried with him but also because of the experiences he has had. Already the smiling simian can tell he saw the Grass Type as an older sister and wanted to protect her. With a step up in their training Fujimaru will begin to lecture him in the Sacred Warrior's Code.
Then...If he is not dead by then, he will have an heir.
The red-eyed bird's feathers, those that had not already been shed, now sparkle with droplets of crystal clear water.
"Zebstrika..." He says, calling to Chidori for the lightning in his mane."Shock it now!"

The albino aron determinedly faces the Staraptor as its red eye turns towards him, its sharp beak open in a harsh cry. It was a figure out of a nightmare, parts of its bloodied and purpling feathers fallen free to show pimply pink skin covered in the broken stubs of feather shafts.
Its claws are long and sharp but despite natural instinct the squat bodied little Steel Type isn't afraid of it. He had already seen from his mentor and his new friends that the way to destroy monsters was not to be scared of them.
"I'm not scared of you!" He yells at the bird as he lowers his iron armoured head and bends low against the ground, his pale silver belly scrapping the rock as he paws at the ground like a miniature Rampardos.
"You...don't...hurt...my...FRIENDS!" He yells out loud as he charges forwards again.
For a second it seems the normal type turned towards him with hungry beak opened wide and bloodied red eyes fixed on him with wild rage.
The small steel type screeches out a battle cry as he lowers his head for the bone shattering headbutt of a Rock Smash attack.
"Giri!"
It was not only his name, it was also the name of honour and duty.