The VICTORY team

"'Hal'? Well, Hal, since you're so dead set on names, mine is Brig. And if you sass me again like that, I'll peck your tongue out."

The Arcanine quirked a brow at the bird’s response, shocked at the immediate threat that had accompanied his words. In any other situation, Hal would have laughed at such a quip, but the bird’s overall demeanour gave him reason to distrust him. And that hat – he was sure he’d seen humans sporting such attire before, in battle. Holding his tongue, struggling to uphold a collected, respectable composure that all those etiquette lessons had demanded of him, Harry cleared his throat.
“Hal,” He repeated again, firmly. “Short for Harry,”

Allowing the bird to the freedom to rant on and criticize the group, the fire-type could no longer disguise a frown beginning to surface across his features. Who the hell did he think he was? Stood beside Armonia, fur bristling with a youthful, but well-suppressed frustration, Harry listened to the newcomer, Brig, with a look of muted disgust. He was thankful when that authoritative drawl silenced, ending with the question on the whereabouts of a human – a trainer, Hal presumed. But whilst the creature’s words had dampened the canine’s peppy spirit, it was the immediate similarity to his father that triggered the true disliking. The way he spoke, the criticism and venomous advice – Hal heard his father’s booming voice as an echo, demanding respect and attention. Then again, his dad had been worthy of such respect. The canine of the royals, the king on his throne – this creature was simply a less eloquent, gruffer version that Harry was struggling to find the positives in. Taking a breath, Harry upheld his regal patience.
“Well, Brig. We didn’t choose to fall asleep, it was an attack – you saw the outcome yourself,” He couldn’t bring himself to look back to the charred remains, instead deciding to move on. “I have seen no humans, but I’m relatively new to this ‘convoy’,” The word sounded odd on his tongue and the foreignness led him to believe he might have misused the new vocabulary all together. He gestured to Armonia with a lazy nod of his head, recognising the female as the group’s leader and the one to answer Brigadier’s question.

Harry turned from the avian with a forced smile, unwilling to sacrifice good manners despite his initial opinions on the feathery dictator. Blue eyes falling onto the Growlithe, Oliver, the canine’s expression fell into one of sadness. The kid’s attention was unmoving from the Mightyena’s corpse, the fear written all over his young face. Instincts kicking in, Hal rushed to the canine’s side, his handsome face mirroring the youth’s concern with the exception of a weak smile.
“Just don’t look,” He spoke quietly with a surprising tenderness, eager to dispel the sorrow and panic slowly tainting the once pleasant air. Of course, the bird remained aloof, and Hal couldn’t say he’d known the deceased well, but the emotions around him were contagious. Working to catch the Growlithe’s stare, his expression turned serious. Oliver had returned alone, evoking an alarm that the prince was keen to disguise. “Are the others okay?”

Brig couldn't help a chuckle when "Hal" attempted to keep up his calm nature; the bird could tell he was trying a lot of nerves. That slight twitch of the mouth, narrowing of the eyes, subtle shifts of weight and tells of the face. Yeah. He was quickly getting on this guy's nerves and had probably overstayed his welcome ten fold. Unfortunately, Brig really didn't care. Some good did come out of the fire dog, though, in the form of an answer to his previous question: “I have seen no humans, but I’m relatively new to this ‘convoy’.”

New, eh? Well, that did Brig as good as a shit-flavored Popsicle. The mare remained silent, as she should, since women were supposed to be in two places: in the kitchen, in the bedroom and fucking quiet. His sharp eyes caught the small puppy that appeared, breathless and shaken by what he could only guess was the sight of their now very charred fallen comrade. A frown graced the avian's eyes, studying the pup. If the pup started bawling, he might do something regrettable.

"Steady, boy," he muttered, walking away from the burnt corpse. While he was callous to these sorts of matters, he still didn't feel too right telling them what to do with their dead. He stood, watching the others, evaluating their uses as the last members of the group trickled in.

Standing where she was, Armonia let everything around her settle down as she watched the scene through glazed over eyes. Slowly she began to flash back to her herd, her family and the vivid image against her mind's eye was horrid. A bright day loomed before her, she had always loved bright days. Her youngest daughter Selene trotted beside her almost mirroring her colors with a darker purple flame that fell around her body like mist. Armonia watched her youngest and other children as they joined in the run but soon chaos was all around them. It started out as an attack from above. A large dragon type swooped down and before she knew it, Selene was ripped from her spot beside Armonia and reduced to nothing but a pile of blood and devastation on the ground. Crying out, Armonia got her other children to safety and began to fight with her herd as tears streamed down her face like tangible pain. Tears falling to the ground, Armonia trotted down to the forest away from the others as fast as she could, passing Yoru as he ran past her in pursuit of Oliver and Seda.

Right on their heels, Yoru burst onto the scene already bristling with anger. From a mile away he would've been able to smell the blood and he knew that whatever did this had to be a flying type. Narrowing his eyes with a stubborn set to his jaw, Yoru turned his attention on Hal with a less threatening look. "What happened here? We were knocked out and just woke up." Due to the scorch marks, Yoru suspected a death but didn't want to jump to conclusions too soon. The loss of Scarlet was too raw a pain to lose another member of his small group. He couldn't bear to feel that pain again. Knowing what happened but praying he was wrong, the fearsome Umbreon awaited the answer to his question grimly.

Oliver was left to try and inwardly confront his own fears until Hal turned up at his side. The little Growlithe did not want to look at Stavros anymore, but couldn't tear his terrified gaze away from him. He barely registered that Hal was even there until the large canine lowered his head and spoke softly into his ear. "Just don’t look."

Finally, Oliver looked up, his wet eyes meeting Hal's for the first time since they had met. They were so much like his father's that for a moment the puppy was stunned. He wanted to cling to Hal's leg and never let go, but at the same time he wanted to flee from those eyes that brought so many memories back to him. For a while he simply stared at him, his bottom lip trembling and a soft whimper escaping his throat. Eventually he couldn't stand it any more and threw himself at Hal's front leg, clinging to it with his tiny paws. "Mr Hal..." Clutching tightly at the Arcanine's fur, he looked up at him hopefully. "Mr Stavros, he ... he's isn't--" Hal then asked him if the others were all right. "Th-They're fine," he spluttered, and surely enough Yoru emerge from the bushes behind him and asked what was going on. Armonia also joined him at his side.

"I-It's Mr St-Stavros, he's..." He looked up at Hal again, tears pouring out of his large eyes and disappearing into his fur as he gave him a desperate look. "He's n-not dead ... is he?"

[ooc: Skip me. I will do their leaving post next cycle.]

Everyone was stunned by the death of the other Mightyena, though Winter knew better then to stay shocked for long. It was just a pile of ash now, just another death in this world. She had seen many deaths before, why was this one any different? Maybe because it was a fellow Mightyena? One of the same species as her. That must have been the reason, why else would she feel so empty.

The growlith seemed to be taking this hard, asking his evolved form if the Mightyena was dead. He was a pile of ash, or course he was dead. Winter would have probably said that to any other pokemon, but she didn't want to make the younger pokemon any sadder then he already was. They must have know Stavros for a long time to hurt this much over his death. She had only known him this one night, where she had stayed up with him.

"What happened here? We were knocked out and just woke up." The voice came from the red Umbreon, who had returned from being gone. Was everyone being stupid today. Its obvious what happened. Stavros was killed and Armonia burned his remains.

"Stavros is dead." Was all Winter said to the Umbreon as she stood and shook her fur to get the dirt that had gathered on when she had mysteriously fallen asleep. "I know I'm not the alpha here, but maybe we should move to a different area." The white Mightyena suggested. "I don't think any of us wish to look at these remains anymore then we have to." She added, holding her head and tail high, trying to hide any sign that she had been shocked at all by the sudden death that happened just moments after her arrival.

"Mr Hal... Mr Stavros, he ... he's isn't--"

Although a little surprised when Oliver, only a recent acquaintance, clung fearfully to his leg, Hal was otherwise calm. His heart went out to the sorrowful, panicked pup, guilty in that he couldn’t provide the comfort and support such an innocent soul deserved. Standing strong, an immovable force, as he let the youngster grovel into and tug at his thick fur, Harry kept eye contact. Unable to smile or lie to him, the Arcanine’s expression said enough. Stav’s gone…

Ignoring Brigadier’s remark, the canine devoted his entire attention to the child before him. Iridescent blue eyes oozing a controlled sorrow, it was difficult to keep his demeanour intact and play the role of counsellor when confronted with such a heart-breaking sight. Harry, although not an overly emotional individual, had never dealt with such scenes before. As a royal, the corruption and depression of his kingdom were cloaked from his view, those seeking help left to cry in the arms of another – Hal was untouchable. Yet as he stood protectively beside the Growlithe, he looked a natural; paternal in his nature.
“I’m sorry,” He spoke in a whisper, fearful of the fire-type’s reaction as he leant down to nuzzle the creature’s head affectionately. Casting a quick look to the recently arrived group, Harry acknowledged them with a near-motionless nod, thankful that they had emerged in good health. However, at this moment, his focus was left solely with Oliver. He was pleased by that Winter took the opportunity to explain the situation, albeit with a rather unnecessary candour. “We’ll bury him,” Looking up, his eyes wandered across the group as he spoke in a stronger voice, determined. “All of us – give him the send off he deserves,”


(( No problem at all! Hal’s quite the lovable guy. <33 ))

((Skip, please. :3 Brig is just watching lol))

"Stavros is dead." Those three blunt words from Winter were not directed his way, but they still hit Oliver with a force that his young mind could not take properly. Of course, he knew right from the start that Stavros was dead; it was obvious just by looking at him, but the little Growlithe needed confirmation from the adults, the experienced, wise ones, before he could accept it. Now that he'd actually heard those words, Oliver felt strangely numb. For just a few moments he felt nothing other than fresh, raw shock.

He looked up at Hal again. The Arcanine looked down at him sadly, his expression summing everything up for him. "No..." "I’m sorry," Hal whispered, still looking down at him, his expression solemn. Oliver felt the lump in his throat growing larger almost until it was painful. However he was determined not to make a sound. None of the others were crying. Just because he was the youngest didn't mean that he could behave the way he wanted. They were all being strong, so he had to be as well. He kept his mouth firmly shut as he stared at the Arcanine, still clinging tightly to his leg. He barely even flinched as Hal brought his head down and nuzzled him comfortingly. He was strong; he didn't need to be comforted.

"We’ll bury him," he heard Hal's voice again, but this time he was looking round at everyone. "All of us – give him the send off he deserves." "Bury him..." Slowly, Oliver loosened his grip on Hal's fur and dropped back down to all fours. Tiny, muffled sniffles forced their way out of his throat as he walked past Stavros's body towards the largest tree in the clearing. Without a word, he began to dig a hole.

I'm strong now ... I can do this. I don't need to cry...

Winter hated seeing the Growlith trying to hold in his tears, it almost broke her heart to see such a young pokemon trying to keep himself together. "We’ll bury him, All of us – give him the send off he deserves" The Arcanine said. And Winter just looked at him like he was an idiot. What were they going to bury? He was nothing but a pile of ash now, Armonia did quick work of doing that herself before anyone could see his corpse.

"I don't know if you have noticed, but Stavros is nothing but ash now. What is there to bury?" She growled, turned her stern gaze to the large fire type. Winter still had yet to acknowledge the large bird that had just joined recently, but right now this seemed more important then finding out who he was.

Her face betrayed her anger, though her gaze soon left the Arcanines to follow its pre evolution, the growlith, Oliver if she remembered correctly, move away from Hal and over to a tree where he began to dig. Her heart broke, and her expression turned from anger, to sorrow at seeing the pup like that. "I'm sorry." She said to Hal. "Guess I'm a little on edge at seeing one of my own kind dead before my eyes."

Just as Oliver had found the courage, the ability, to speak in fragile words, Winter had chosen to deliver a blunt, borderline cruel fact of the matter. There was little left to bury – a charred corpse that even Hal would be adverse to moving – but the words hit a nerve regardless. Did she have no compassion? The Arcanine had seen his kingdom crumble at the claws of the infected – none of them had the privilege of being buried, their remains still rotting away on the battlefield. He gave a shudder at the thought, disgusted that his mind would drift to such macabre ponderings. Murmuring a silent prayer to the fallen, Harry was adamant that he lay at least one innocent to rest.
“Will you help or not?” Hal asked plainly, skimming over her insensitivity and cold-hearted rationalism to offer a curt tone. He didn’t want to start an argument, let alone give any reason for more violence, but no way was he going to agree. Always deluding himself that even the most villainous hearts were worth saving, it was unsurprising that Hal wasn’t going to take no for an answer – he’d bury Stavros alone.

However, he soon realized that it wasn’t necessary. Blue eyes wandering across to Oliver, the canine’s heart ached at the determination etched across the youngster’s face as he began to dig. A warm smile touched his features as he moved over to assist, giving the youth a firm nod of his head in gratitude before following suit with powerful paws. He’d only managed a few movements when Winter’s voice had returned to his hearing, this time with an apology. Tilting his head as he caught her saddened gaze, Hal was simply unable to hold a grudge. She was a hurt as everyone else, even if she wouldn’t openly admit it. For one so young, Hal was proving particularly paternal in this situation.
“You shouldn’t apologise,” He spoke softly, boasting a kindly smile. Although the Mightyena had triggered certain disgust in the fire-type with her analysis of Stavros’ little remains, he understood people had different means of dealing with tragedy. Hal put up a strong front, acting to calm his company and naturally working to reinstate order, whilst his own sorrows remained hidden. The Arcanine would mourn in solitude. With a final smile at the white hound, he returned to his digging.

Oliver bit his lip until his little fangs left a small puncture as he listened to Winter's blunt words. He told himself not to get too upset by them and to continue doing what was most important - digging his friend a grave. But then the white Mightyena then apologised for her behaviour. "Guess I'm a little on edge at seeing one of my own kind dead before my eyes." He had suspected that she had simply been upset by what had happened, just like everyone else was. People change when bad things happen ... so that must mean that people are changing all the time now.

He was starting to find it very difficult to prevent himself from bursting into a fit of sobs. Silent tears rolled down his face as he continued to dig, his little paws tearing pieces out of the earth in front of him. The lump in his throat was so big and so painful that he was surprised it hadn't burst out of him. Not even Miss Winter is crying and Stavros was the same Pokemon as she was... He couldn't cry while Hal and Winter were being so strong. He had excused the large bird for not being too sad since he hadn't known Stavros, but couldn't help but feel a little offended that he wasn't even helping them to dig...

Oliver and Hal dug for a few minutes. When he felt that the hole was big enough, Oliver stopped and nodded his thanks to Hal for helping him. He was afraid to speak in case his strong will not to cry broke when he did. "Big ... big en-enough," he managed, quickly looking away and taking a long, deep breath. More tears started to escape his eyes. I wish that Daddy was here.

Tears began to form at Winter's eyes as she watched Oliver continue to dig the hole with the help of the Arcanine. And what was she doing? Pointing out the obvious, saying that there wasn't much left to bury. If anyone was being useless here, it was her. She figured she had to do something, so she walked over to the ash that was once Stavros and began to use her paw to gather as much of him as possible. Why did I have to go and open my big mouth. She thought to herself as she gathered up the ash before turning her gaze to the the large bird. "You gunna help?" She said as she made the small pile of ash and soil.

"Big ... big en-enough," and those words from Oliver broke into her. The pup was trying so hard to keep his tears from showing. She couldn't help seeing him like that. She straitened up and walked over to Oliver and bent down so that she could look at him at eye level.

"Its not good to hold in your tears. If you need to cry, then just let them out." She said in a gentle voice. Her own eyes where filled with tears, for both Stavros, and the pup trying so hard to hide them. She wanted nothing more then to hug the young pup, but she didn't know if he would really like that, so she simply sat down next to him and turned to the Arcanine. "Can you bring Stavros to the hole?" She asked. Still regretting what she had said earlier.

"Big ... big en-enough,"

Hal couldn’t look at Oliver, the sorrow in his voice more than enough evidence to convince the regal canine that the youngster’s expression would break his calm façade. Whilst his straight-face seemed unfaltering, sculpted into the very definition of silent determination, the Arcanine could only stand so much. The pup’s few, shaky words were threatening to break the barriers to Hal’s own emotions – he couldn’t risk absorbing that heartbroken expression too. Instead, he drew his attention away from the sizeable grave and gave a solemn nod of his head.

"Can you bring Stavros to the hole?"

Meeting Winter’s gaze as she asked that single, dreaded question, Hal saw no way to escape the duty. Staring at her pristine features a moment, his mind swimming for some desperate excuse, the canine eventually gave a sigh of defeat. With a gentle nod of his head, he slipped past the white canine to stare down the decaying hound he wished he’d known better. This was going to be tricky. Certain it would do no good to carry the charred remains in his jaws; Harry instead resorted to carefully shuffling the gruesome body along to the grave with a large paw. He was thankful it was only a few short steps to the location

With a final push, the dark-type toppled into the hole, Harry standing unflinching before the macabre sight. He was intent on washing his paws, but thought it insensitive to immediately dart off for the sake of cleanliness. No, he would wait. Sitting beside Winter, managing the female an awkward smile, his attention fell back to Oliver. The Growlithe had known Stavros the longest; clearly distraught at the saddening turn of events, so it was only right they give the pup his moment. Although it would be wiser to fill the grave in as soon as possible, the stench of rot already tainting the air, Hal was in no rush. Emotions were precious and the last thing he wanted was the pup to suffer a breakdown.
“You need a moment?” He asked softly, unsure whether the occasion called for some sort of speech, a final goodbye.

Harry only then noticed the absence of several of the group – Armonia, Yoru, Haruko and the Meowth, Seda, were all gone. A frown looming over his usually bright eyes, the Arcanine subtly surveyed the area to find only the three canines and the commanding avian graced his presence. Silencing his concerns for the missing party, Hal simply turned back to the sight, head lowered in respect as he awaited the order to fill in the grave.

These greens sure were lax about burying their dead. Brig was, of course, used to speedy, impersonal burials. Mass graves with all dead in one pile, or a large bonfire of bodies to get rid of the smell. Things had to be done quickly, before the enemy could grab the upper hand while they mourned. There was plenty of time to mourn when they reached safety.

Still, even with these thoughts, he uncharacteristically kept them to himself. He had been a top dog in his old flock, but here, he barely knew these prick's names. Glancing his sharp gaze to them, his beak clicked as he thought. He'd always been a troupe man, not one for traveling alone very long. He yearned for his flock, his human --having brothers around that knew what the fuck they were doing was always helpful. But it looked like he was stuck with a bunch of bleeding hearts... It was amazing the Stiffs hadn't caught the scent earlier...

Now that the charred body was buried, he came closer to the group, eager to leave. "...Should get moving. I don't know where the rest of your numbers are, but it looks like this is it. If it were an attack, we would've heard something. Didn't. So they must've just left." He glanced at them all, then to the pile on the ground. "You have a destination or are you just floppin' around with your thumbs in your asses?"

Oliver faced away from the group and stared at the fuzzy form of a nearby tree, not sure how long he could keep this up. He couldn't cry; he couldn't give the impression to them that he was weak. Just because he was young didn't mean that he could act like a weakling and get away with it. His age made no difference; he had to be strong just like they were. Only then would they respect him; regard him as a true member of the team instead of just a naive little pup who does nothing but slow them down.

A white head suddenly ducked down to his level. Oliver quickly looked away from Winter so that she wouldn't see his dampened face. But then the Mightyena spoke, her tone almost motherly. "It's not good to hold in your tears. If you need to cry, then just let them out." Oliver held his breath and looked up at her. She'd noticed ... after he'd tried so hard to keep them hidden she had noticed his tears. The affection that Winter was giving him sparked an emotion deep within him, and suddenly he no longer cared what the others thought. He blinked, allowing the captive tears to roll freely down his cheeks, drenching his already soaked fur. Short sniffles rapidly escaped him. Even though he was crying he was still determined not to make too much noise. The others probably wouldn't appreciate that, seeing as it would attract the attention of nearby enemies, and the large bird in particular looked like he wasn't going to put up with anything of the sort. Oliver quickly looked away from him, turning back to the hole just as Hal dropped Stavros's charred body into it.

"You need a moment?" the Arcanine asked him softly. Oliver knew exactly what he wanted to say. He had known Stavros just as long as Yoru had, and wanted to let the newcomers know how great he was. Quietly, the little Growlithe cleared his throat and took a deep breath to try and subdue the sniffles and stood next to the hole, looking down into it solemnly.

"Mr St-Stavros ... you were a r-really great friend and ... I-I hope that you're h-having a nice sleep and ... you're g-getting to see all the legends in heaven." He stopped for a moment and looked away, trying to collect himself. "I'll gr-grow up big and strong j-just like you were, I promise! Mr Stavros ... I won't let you down!" He lowered his head, allowing a few more tears to drip from his fur and land inside the grave. Then he took another deep breath and started to fill in the hole. It took a couple of minutes to get this done on his own, but felt that it was his responsibility.

When he had finished, the large Flying-type, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. "...Should get moving. I don't know where the rest of your numbers are, but it looks like this is it. If it were an attack, we would've heard something. Didn't. So they must've just left." Startled by the avian's words, Oliver looked around and gasped. It was true - Yoru, Armonia, Hakuro and Seda were no longer in sight. The young pup's mind numbed with shock. Why ... why had they just walked away without even saying goodbye? Oliver's eyes widened and he leaned against Hal's leg, completely stunned. First Scarlet had disappeared, followed by Pyth and Lola and now the others as well. Why? Why did they just leave? Mr Yoru would never have done that!

"You have a destination or are you just floppin' around with your thumbs in your asses?" the bird then remarked. Oliver felt himself flinch at the bad word. He was still thinking of all the friends who had left and why they had done it. Did they not like him? Was he too needy, too much of a hassle? He hadn't meant to be; since meeting them all he had tried his best to be as useful as possible, even risking his life against that giant Onix despite his mediocre skills. I fought an Onix ... an ONIX! Since meeting his friends they had done so much for him; helped him to build the confidence that he now felt rising through him. He stood up tall, a determined expression crossing his youthful face as he turned his nose eastwards. "We were going that way. I don't know what's there but we were just trying to get away from Mt.Silver because it's dangerous there." He was the only one left of the main group; the only one who knew what to do, where to go. He suddenly felt inclined to lead them the way that Yoru always did. If the Umbreon ever found them again, Oliver could show him how he had kept the new group safe and on a constant path.

Casting one last look to Stavros's grave, he began to trot forward in the direction of Kanto. His home. "Come on! Mr Yoru wanted us to go this way. I wonder if there's some food around here...?"

((SHIIIIIIII!!!!! Please skip me ;A; I forgot Ciana isn't on the team anymore, and Winter is not doing anything at the moment.))

Oliver’s final goodbye was heartfelt to say the least. Hal dipped his head in respect, waiting patiently as the youngster stuttered out his respect to the deceased as well as a touching promise. It was painful to see the child suffer so and whilst the Arcanine wanted nothing more than to ease the pup’s burden, death was inevitable in these times. He’d have to familiarize himself with tragedy eventually.

Watching Oliver fill the grave single-handedly, Harry having presumed not to interfere unless asked, his attention eventually shifted to the recently arrived avian. Although grateful the blunt creature had adopted a respectful silence for the duration of Stavros’ burial, the fire-type hadn’t been desperately eager to hear the bird’s sharp commands again. Still, he kept an amiable charade as the bird questioned the group’s destination – unsurprisingly adding in a quip at their uselessness. Hal’s ears flicked back at the remark, irritated to be thought of so lowly, but kept his mouth shut regardless. He hadn’t an answer, having only just stumbled across the dwindling group, but was pleased Oliver had adopted a role of leadership.

"We were going that way. I don't know what's there but we were just trying to get away from Mt.Silver because it's dangerous there. Come on! Mr Yoru wanted us to go this way. I wonder if there's some food around here...?"

Smiling, almost proud as the Growlithe bounded ahead, ushering the others to follow, Hal took several large, leisurely steps after him. Pausing he looked back to Winter and the bird, nodding his head politely at the latter.
“Will you be joining us, Sarge?” A light grin played on his lips. Whilst he wasn’t sure of the bird’s past occupation, the military hat perched atop his head and his authoritative tone gave the canine reason enough to bestow him with the fitting nickname.

Brig was more than glad when the little pup answered first, his chest puffing out with dignity and command as he spoke. Cute. A grin pulled at the bird's beak, listening to the young pup's speech. "We were going that way. I don't know what's there but we were just trying to get away from Mt.Silver because it's dangerous there. Come on! Mr Yoru wanted us to go this way. I wonder if there's some food around here...?" The pup bounded off, beckoning them to follow. That pup could be a real somethin' one day.

“Will you be joining us, Sarge?" The Arcanine now spoke, a small grin of his own playing at his mouth. Brig scoffed lightly, grin now a full smirk, as he opened his impressive wingspan to stretch them.

"The hell I will," he replied, his almost playful tone matching his smirk. "Like I'm gonna let a green group like you just march to your deaths. I can come; besides, it's better travelin' in a troupe anyhow. More, the Merrier, eh?" He let out a guffaw, the idea of him traveling with such different company completely hilarious to his mind. Even with the differences, he strode on, heading East after the pup.

Oliver trotted a few steps ahead of the group, his head held high as he sniffed the crisp morning air. Yes ... he'd make Yoru proud. He'd make them all proud of him for leading the group away from the dangerous Mt.Silver and guiding them to a safe spot; helping them to find food; aiding them in the fight against the undead ... If Yoru or any of the others were to come back he could show them how hard he had worked and they would be so happy with him. Maybe he could even tell his father all about it when they met once more.

"Mr Yoru, Miss Seda and I went to get some food before ... before those scary dreams came," he explained, flinching at the very memory of that horrible nightmare and what happened afterwards. "But ... I think he must have taken those with him when he left..." He paused for a moment just as Hal asked the bird, whom he addressed as Sarge, whether he was coming. Oliver was glad to see that he agreed to come along; he was big and looked very strong. Maybe he could help Oliver to get big and strong too!

The little Growlithe fell behind for a moment and looked up at the huge bird as he padded alongside him. "Is that your name? Sarge? Well, my name is Oliver! Don't worry Mr Sarge, I'll help us to find some food soon. I have a really good nose."

Those words prompted him to lower his snout to the ground and start seeking out clues to the nearest berry bush. He frowned as he picked up nothing but the typical scents of grass and dirt. He licked his dry tongue against his lips; he was starting to feel rather thirsty as well. Looking up at Hal, feeling extremely small against the large Arcanine, he timidly asked, "Can you smell anything, Mr Hal? My nose is smaller than yours." He turned to Winter. "What about you, Miss Winter?"

Winter watched as Oliver buried Stavros' remains alone, not lifting a paw unless asked, though it took a lot to watch. It was hard finding a pup who tried so hard, he somehow reminded her of her brother back when he was a pup. She wondered was caused him to change so much later on in his life? It was something she would have to asked him when she finally found him. If, she found him.

The Mightyena didn't catch most of what Oliver had said, caught up in her own thoughts, but she did hear him say they where trying to flee Mt.Silver. She had heard of that place, never been there herself but it must have been rather dangerous if they were trying to get away from it.

She watched as Oliver began to walk away, with Hal right behind him, though the Arcanine stopped and looked back at them, giving a nod, before asking the strange bird a question. "Will you be joining us, Sarge?" Sarge, so was that it's name? Fitting, seeing as how he looked like something you would see in one of those human militaries.

"The hell I will, Like I'm gonna let a green group like you just march to your deaths. I can come; besides, it's better travelin' in a troupe anyhow. More, the Merrier, eh?" The avian replied, though rather humorously.

Winter didn't say anything as she followed after the fire types, just as Oliver started saying things about food. The mention made her stomach tense with hunger. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the mention of it. "Can you smell anything, Mr Hal? My nose is smaller than yours. What about you, Miss Winter?"

"Just Winter is fine." She said, giving the pup a smile before putting her nose in the air to see if she could smell anything. She couldn't smell anything at the moment, but if worst came to shove, they could always eat the bird. She gave a slight glance to the Sarge before looking down at Oliver. "Sorry, but I don't smell anything right now, just a lot of trees." She turned her gaze to Hal. "What about you? You smell anything?"

"The hell I will. Like I'm gonna let a green group like you just march to your deaths. I can come; besides, it's better travelin' in a troupe anyhow. More, the Merrier, eh?"

Hal had dismissed the darker undertones of the bird’s reasoning and instead chose to grin alongside him, giving a bright laugh at the bird’s contagious guffaw. As much a grouch the creature had proven himself, he was smart, rational and clearly knew how to keep himself and hopefully the rest group out of danger. In the Arcanine’s iridescent eyes, his joining of their troupe was nothing but good. Beaming, he trotted jovially after Oliver.

"Can you smell anything, Mr Hal? My nose is smaller than yours. What about you, Miss Winter?"

Surveying the area for any signs of threat, the fire-type’s attention soon shifted to the Growlithe in his pursuit for food. Smiling, he gently nudged the canine in good humour.
“You saying I’ve got a big nose?” Hal chuckled to himself watching Winter test out her own olfactory abilities. She was quite the elegant creature, her pure coloration only contributing to the female’s air of sophistication and as she delicately sniffed the air, Hal was left a moment in awe. The Arcanine had never been one to admire beauty, but against such a bleak, dying backdrop, Winter appeared almost angelic.

"What about you? You smell anything?"

When the Mightyena’s gaze turned to him, Harry made no effort to disguise the fact he’d been watching her. Meeting her with a lopsided smile, he lowered his head to the ground, taking a few steps forward as he sought out any familiar scents with a few quick sniffs. However, the aroma that wafted into his nostrils was far too familiar. Frowning, convinced his mind had taken to playing tricks on him, he padded onwards, lifting his head as the smell tinted the air. Were it not for Hal’s knowledge of the owner, he would have easily missed it.
“Poins?” The Arcanine muttered to himself, eyes scanning the area as a sense of disbelief and excitement began to form in his throat. Could it really be him? He’d known the Linoone years and his nose had never failed him. It wasn’t about to break its streak of success.

“HAL!”

A rustling of leaves from a tree above the regal canine sounded, the canine’s head jolting towards the source as a small, ferret-like form burst forth from the foliage. The Linoone landed elegantly at the fire-type’s paws, his fur ragged and layered in a fresh coating of mud as a means of dulling his scent. He stood grinning madly before the group, earthy green eyes holding a newfound energy and joy for living.
“Poins!” As realization kicked in, doubt dispelled, Hal resembled an oversized puppy. His expression the definition of elation, he leant forward in a posture of play, his tail wagging excitedly behind him. Poins head-butted him affectionately, smearing mud across the canine’s pristine fur as he struggled to control the widening smile. “I-I can’t believe it!” The Arcanine had regained his stature, paying no mind to his dirtied appearance as his friend wound between his legs, dwarfed by the canine’s stature. “It’s really you!”
“Of course it bloody is!” He sniggered. Poins was young, a clear tone of mischief lacing his words as his boundless energy was eventually contained. Coming to halt just before his chuckling companion, he peered around the fire-type’s bulk to catch glimpse of Hal’s group – followers, even. “Who graces the Prince’s company, then?”

Hal so caught up in the relief of his closest friend’s safety and thriving sense of humour, had almost forgotten their reunion had an audience. Spinning on his heel, taking care not to crush Poins in the sudden movement, he faced the group with a contagious smile.
“Guys,” A laugh broke through, the pure disbelief and turn of luck demanding a greater reaction from him. Struggling to contain his happiness, he sent himself back to all those etiquette lessons of his youth. Calm, composed, polite… Clearing his throat, he nodded his head in gesture to the Linoone. “This is Poins. H-He’s my best friend,”

"Is that your name? Sarge? Well, my name is Oliver! Don't worry Mr Sarge, I'll help us to find some food soon. I have a really good nose," the pup replied, somewhat over his earlier melancholy. Brig gave a slight frown, which was soon followed by a hearty chuckle. He knew he'd given his name earlier, but a funeral was a bad time for introductions.

"Name's Brigadier, pup. But Brig or Sarge will get me to turn my head too." Come to think of it, he hadn't been called "Sarge" in a long, long time. Maybe it was the pup's refreshing youth, but his usual anger seemed to dissipate around him, making him feel peppier and overall happier. The slight frown returned; he wasn't sure he liked that. Happy meant you were content, and content meant you were a sure target for Charlie.

He didn't get much time to mull it over. As the dogs sniffed the air -scent was almost useless to him, as he relied on a completely different sense- another pokemon rushed out of the bushes. It was a definite surprise when the little ferret thing had just bolted out of the underbrush, clamoring in joy with Hal. Tilting his head, he examined the mud-covered newcomer with expert eyes. Linoone, fairly youthful and healthy. Brig had eaten quite a few of them in his time. He romped around Hal like a couple of damn puppies playing together. Before the bird got to voice his displeasure at the raucous reunion, Hal turned to the rest of them to inform who the hell this rodent was. "This is Poins. H-He's my best friend."

"We gathered," Brig replied with a snort. While he had noticed the little quippet about "Prince" from Lunchmeat's/Poins' mouth, Brig simply dismissed it as playful banter. "Name of Brigadier, soldier. I hope you're more useful for more than rolling around in filth."

"Name's Brigadier, pup. But Brig or Sarge will get me to turn my head too," the Braviary said, chuckling lightly. Oliver felt himself blush with embarrassment. "Oh! Um, sorry, Mr ... Brig?" His fluffy tail began to wag rapidly from side to side as he regarded the huge bird. He looked powerful, that was for sure, and was bound to be a valuable member of the team. He looks like he's been to a lot of places, Oliver thought as he gave Brig a bright smile and turned back to the others. Maybe I can ask him if he's seen my parents or my brother...?

He watched Hal as the Arcanine sniffed the ground and started to pad forward before lifting his head a little and gazing off into the undergrowth. Suspecting that he had found something, Oliver started to follow him but paused when Hal muttered, "Poins?" under his breath and raised his head towards the bushes. "Huh? Poins?" Oliver tilted his head in confusion. What was poins? Was it some kind of berry? He hadn't heard of it...

But then an unfamiliar yet ecstatic voice called the Arcanine's name and Oliver found himself scrambling off to the side as a white and brown Pokemon that he had never seen before bounded from the undergrowth. "Poins! I-I can’t believe it! It’s really you!" Hal cried happily, his playful posture reminding Oliver of what his father used to do when they played Chase together. He sat for a moment and watched as Hal and Poins greeted one another. Poins turned his attention to the others and asked, "Who graces the Prince’s company, then?"

"Prince?" But before Oliver could mull that over, Hal introduced Poins and stated that he was his best friend. Oliver suddenly felt really happy to see the two of them together. It taught him that, even though times were dark and dangerous, wonderful things could still happen. Elated by that revelation, Oliver's tail wagged a mile a minute as he nodded and beamed at the newcomer. "It's really nice to meet you, Mr Poins. My name is Oliver! I'm so happy that you have found Mr Hal again. Friends are really special." He sat down and let the others make their introduction before looking back to Poins. "We were just trying to find some food. You should come with us! I-- I mean we will be happy to have you here!"

Winter couldn't help but tilt her head as Hal went into a playful manner when the sudden appearance of the Linoone. Just the way they where acting, it was clear they knew each other long before the outbreak even started. Though the Arcanine was soon back to his normal, formal, self. Being polite, and all that other fancy stuff. The Mightyena couldn't help but roll her eyes at it.

"This is Poins. H-He’s my best friend," Hal said, introducing the newest member of the group it seemed. Oliver seemed to be warming up to the normal type just fine, though it seemed the Growlith warmed up a little to well with everyone, and that was somewhat worrisome. If he wormed up to everyone, he was just going to get hurt if they died or betrayed them. And she really didn't want to see another incident like the one with Stavros.

The bird had also introduced itself, and it had the weirdest name she had ever heard. She decided she was just going to call him Brig, it was easier to remember, and she didn't feel very comfortable calling him sarge.

Turning her gaze back to the Linoone, Poins, which was just as odd a name, she went ahead and introduced herself. "Hello Poins, I'm Winter." She said with a slight dip of her head, a simple greeting, something she picked up through her travels. Though she didn't use it very often, either forgets or just doesn't bother.