(ACE) The FARAWAY Team

"He's right, it's been a long day, and everyone needs to sleep. We can talk more in the morning." Least someone agreed with him though who surprised him. Oh well, something was better then nothing. "Inspector, do you smell that? There's someone else nearby..." One ghastly ear tunes to the words. There was another Pokemon out there? It cant be.. No, there is too much unease in the hounds voice. It isnt her. It cant be. "It's definitely not safe out there after dark..." Taking in a deep breath the Phanteon shifts slightly, getting himself more comfortable though sand could only be so nice. He trusted The Inspector, oddly enough, and didn't care what was out there. He will take care of it. That much he was sure of. And if it is her.. he wouldnt harm a child.

The Vaporeon watched as the others started to turn in, feeling her own paws ache with exhaustion. It had been a big day and she was dog tired.. Muzzle parting in a massive yawn the Water Type heads back into the cave. Lone had taken over her previous spot and while she would be fine sleeping by him.. sorta.. another spot seemed much more appealing. Padding to the other side she settles gently beside Rokai. "May I seep by you, Woeky?" She asks politely though she would have no idea if he replied or not- it was just too dark to tell anymore. The sandy cave floor isnt the gentlest against her scales but its better then bare rocks. Crossing her forelimbs and resting her head down gently on them the Vaporeons tail curls around her body as she eases into a soft slumber. Tomorrow will be better.

"I was talking about the sun and the moon- the Goddesses." Oh god, if it wasnt bad enough that the thing was an Eevee it was an insane Eevee. Fantastic, that was just what they needed. "They watch over us from above alongside the spirits of the dead, providing guidance and protection. By the light of the moon and souls of the deceased, we can navigate. With the heat of the sun and the bones of the deceased, we can tell the future." Tell the future? Bones and souls? What pit of hell did this thing come out from.. Just ignore it Lone, apocalypses do weird things to people.. Weird might not be a strong enough word for this one. "I was supposed to be an Espeon, not an Umbreon." The Phanteon snorts. "Looks to me like youre neither. Maybe you should sleep so you can try to become an Espeon again." He mumblers into his paws, not necessarily meaning to speak to the Eevee. Burying his face deeper into his wrists the Ghost Type flicks his tail and takes in a deep breath. He was tired and determined not to let the others disturb his rest. With a final sigh he lets his tired form relax to the point that he can fall asleep.

---

The Phanteon squeezed his eyes tight before flashing them open. First dream after dying. Not a good one. discomfort nags at his still tired mind, trying to pull him back into the land of sleep. Blinking his red eyes further he can feel heat already building in his fur. The sun was just barely up and already he can feel its weak warmth pouring into the start of their cave. It was going to be hot today. Damn island heat. Letting out a gaping and loud yawn the specter stands and gives a long stretch. "Rise and shine ladies!" He coos with a sleazy smile, "The day is here and Im hungry as fuck." Turning around he gives his pelt a hard shake, granules of sand flying out of the purple hairs.

With another yawn he looks at the other Pokemon, checking that they were both here and what they looked like with actual light. The Vaporeon was still very much asleep, of course, but he noticed the bruising around her neck and blood on her ear. Seemed healing could only do so much. Lone's teeth each at the though that he had caused those wounds but there is no regret in him. No, he just looks away to the Eevee that had appeared last night. He can now see that its.. weirder then he had thought. Bones, mud, strap things? Its face isnt as soft and around as he would of thought, its not a child at all. And you havent evolved yet. His lips draw back to bare his teeth. Well, technically he hadn't evolved until yesterday and they seemed to be about the same age. Whatever. Sneering, he looks away and pads out of the cave and onto the grass outside. It was a new day, and after yesterday, perhaps it was a new start.

Marvin isn't the type to smile, but watching the canine nearly jump out of his own fur coat did bring him some measure of satisfaction. Smiling on the inside, he watches with curious amusement as the fire-type whirls suddenly, a single tail stuffed behind him. "Oh, piss off," the ninetales snaps. Now able to view the fox head-on the skuntank notes his hostile stature and the way his lips curl away from his lips in a nasty snarl. I dare you dog. Try it. I can give you a fight. In contrast to his thoughts, Marvin's expression remains stone-faced even as the other pokemon continues. "I was merely checking if my little brother was there, and he's not, so there's no need to bother the group. and in case you can't see, I was already walking away, jackass."

If Marvin cared more, he might have commented. Perhaps a 'Like I fucking believe that.' or 'I could tell by how your tail was between your legs.' However, the poison-type doesn't waste his breath. The smoke and ash around him was filling up more of the air around him then he was beginning to feel comfortable with...Damn whoever thought the fucking island wasn't already hot enough that it needed a forest fire... A snort escapes the skunk's nostrils as he watches as the fox turns tail to not only escape the group, but him now. Marvin's expression only twitches from his set mask once as the other pokemon speaks a final time. "But please, go ahead and tattle on me." To follow his words, the fire-type casually flicks his tail towards the retiring group.

With sudden determination to have the final word, the skuntank calls out to the retreating pokemon. "Whatever you say -one-tales." He adds with extra emphasis to the one before shaking his head and heading back the way he came. To the destroyed city that was NOT currently on fire. Besides, it's not like he knew any of these shady characters.

---

Fire and glass everywhere. Littering the once tidy tiled floor with a sea of razor-sharp pebbles. In Katyusha's mind, multiple eyes and flashes of fangs fill the shadows waiting at every turn. There was no escaping it in her nightmare. Every time she would run a different direction down the never ending hallways they'd be waiting for her. Then a cry cuts through the snarls of the shadowy demons, one she recognizes all too much. A new hallway suddenly appears, revealing her trainer stuck in a corner behind another wall of undead. Getting closer and closer until--

"Rise and shine ladies!" The shadows in her nightmare pause and distort...why would Willow say that as she's about to be killed? None of this makes sense... "The day is here and I'm hungry as fuck." The images shift and distort until they finally tear apart into nothingness in her mind's eye...Now that she thought about it, that wasn't her trainer's voice...Forcing her heavy eyelids to open, Katyusha is met with Lone shaking sand out of his fur, the furthest flying granules landing squarely on her snout. The vulpine has never been happy to see him, but this was the least upset she has ever been to see the phanteon.

At least he wasn't an undead shadow demon and to the best of her knowledge, Willow was still alive, somewhere at least. Pulling her sore limbs off the sandy cave floor, the ninetales pushes her body upright. Shaking lightly to get some of the sand from her long coat before bowing down into a stretch. If she didn't feel the bruises she earned in their fight yesterday, she was definitely feeling them now. Ending her stretch prematurely she slowly walks her way to the outside of the cave.

At first, the bright light of the morning sun blinds her eyes, forcing her to narrow her eyes from its light. The fox pokemon had to admit though, it felt nice to have the added warmth on her fur, despite the island already building temperature. Now away from most of the others, Katyusha gives her coat a full shake, sending the excess sand into the empty space in range. "Hmph. What is there to eat in this area besides burned trees and rocks? Zubats?" She says, intending the comment to be more sarcastic, sharper after Lone's comment before. However, her drooping eyes and a rather large yawn almost wholly destroy her effectiveness.

((ooc: I'll have Marvin join the group in the next round or so--to give everyone a chance to wake up first.))

The Manectric snaps awake, dispelling the remembered glow of flames as his eyes open. He has fallen asleep closer to the cavern's entrance than the rest of the party; partially because he does not trust them near himself and wanted to be alerted if any of them tried to leave. Stepping up to the cave entrance he observes the scorched earth. A wide swathe of the forest has been burnt to stubble, charred tree stumps rising like islands from the ash. The only thing preventing further destruction had been the wide fire breaks provided by the Gyarados's Hyper Beam. The stink of soot and charcoal makes it harder for him to tell what had passed by there the night before. Currently that was low on his list of priorities. Everyone seemed to be waking but he strides in regardless.
"As I told you previously my name is Inspector Javolt and I am an officer of the law." He barks, standing up straight so that his badge gleams in the early dawn light.
The aches of his body have died down since his rest, leaving only the familiar dull pain of old age.
It is a pain he is used to dealing with.
"I request the co-operation of all of you in my murder investigation." He continues, looking over the waking suspects. "I will not cease this investigation until the culrpit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light. Am I understood?" He barks at the waking group.

Abby was so tired that the nightmares didn't come to her for once.  It was helped by the fact that she had enough trust in the Pokemon around her that she could relax a little. When a Pokemon nudged her awake for her shift, she realized that it was significantly darker than when she went to sleep.  Apparently the fire had burnt itself out before she was awakened.  When she stood up, she felt the sand sticking in her feathers.  This started grating on her as she tried moving around, and she attempted to brush it off of her body. Unfortunately, if she tried flying, sand would go everywhere, and she didn't want to disturb anyone since it appeared everyone managed to get some rest. As she walked closer to the entrance to watch, she saw that Javolt had fallen sleep extremely close to the entrance.   While touched that he seemed to care about them even in his sleep, she was slightly annoyed that she couldn't get the sand out while on guard duty.  She'd have to wait until morning or whenever everyone woke up.  After making that decision, she looked into the darkness, and waited for morning to come.


When the dark sky started to lighten up, Abby was relieved that the group had made it through the night without further disturbances. Thank the Legends... She had heard a few of the Pokemon shifting in their sleep as if they were having nightmares, but she couldn't afford to leave her spot to do anything. Soon, the sun would be up, and then she could get to know this motley crew of Pokemon better.  She had a certain amount of trust in most of the group, but she knew so little about them.  She decided to let them sleep as long as possible, but the sun was at such an angle that it soon reached the inner part of the cave.  This woke up Lone who stretched awake and announced, "Rise and shine ladies! The day is here and I'm hungry as fuck."  He followed this with a shake that showed his disregard about the nearby sleeping Pokemon.  She almost called him out on it, but decided that having a confrontation this early in the morning would be a terrible start for a new day.  

Katyusha woke up and followed Lone past her and the sleeping Javolt, who snapped awake as soon as the two quadrupeds passed him.  Katyusha walked some distance away from the entrance, thoroughly shook her fur out, and responded to Lone's comment, "Hmph. What is there to eat in this area besides burned trees and rocks? Zubats?"  It seemed like a sarcastic response, but Abby really couldn't tell the difference at this point.  The idea that a living Pokemon brought up the idea of eating other living Pokemon so casually gave Abby pause. As she walked out of the cave, she took stock of the Pokemon around her, and realized most of them were species that hunted for a living.  That could be a problem.  Deciding to offer an alternative, she suggested, "I could go looking for berries, instead.  The fire shouldn't have burned down everything." Checking that she had enough room for her next actions, she jumped up and flapped her wings so quickly, it was reminiscent of a Yanma.  This got the rest of the sand out of her feathers, and the sand sprayed everywhere.

Javolt, fully awake at this point, reintroduced himself, and began eyeing the whole group. "I request the co-operation of all of you in my murder investigation. I will not cease this investigation until the culprit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light. Am I understood?"

"Murder investigation, Inspector? The Gyarados and Volcarona have already left the island, and I don't think we can catch them at this point," she spluttered and nearly fell out of the sky. "Unless you mean someone else was killed..." she tapered off sadly.  That meant that another life on this island had been ended prematurely, and apparently by another living being.  Also, Javolt's words worried her.  He was going to execute whoever he deemed guilty of the crime, regardless of what happened.  What if what happened was an accident? For now, she decided to go along with his desires. "I am unable to prove it, but I only found this island yesterday evening.  I came flying to you, Inspector, when I heard your voice and another's."

"Rise and shine ladies! The day is here and I'm hungry as fuck." A few stray grains of sand hit the Eevee's face, and he sneezed in response, fur fluffing up involuntarily. He cracked one eye open slowly, groaning slightly in response to the brightness suddenly invading his vision, before slowly getting to his feet and stretching. Well, it wasn't the best way he had ever woken up before, but considering he was with a group of living, breathing Pokemon, there were a lot of worse ways his morning could have gone. Curiously, he turned his attention to the one who had waken him up, scrunching up his nose slightly in thought as he looked over his unfamiliar form. He looked so, so much like the evolved form of an Eevee, though he was never something Oracle had ever seen before. Though to be fair, his relatively sheltered lifestyle had left him ignorant to a lot of different Pokemon species and variations; it was only through his travels that he was capable of recognizing the ones surrounding him, sans the Vaporeon.

There was a part of him that actually wanted to prod at the strange, smoke-like fluff around his neck and tail, though Oracle had a feeling he would end up getting the offending paw snapped off. As a result, he refrained.

Still, the thought of breakfast was a good one, and his stomach seemed to agree, if it's traitorous growling was any indication. "I could go looking for berries, instead.  The fire shouldn't have burned down everything." That made his ears perk up slightly, and he turned his attention to the Togetic. "I could help you, if you need it. We used to forage for berries back home all the time." They also used to go hunting, but he refrained from adding that little tidbit; in Oracle's opinion, any Pokemon they encountered that wasn't undead and vicious was a good ally to have and most certainly not food- they were better than those infected monsters, after all. Besides, he didn't mind the taste of berries much at all, and quite frankly, he was so hungry at the moment, he wasn't in a position to be very picky. "I need to, um. I need to find mud to fix my face paint, too, and there's power in numbers, right? It's not really safe to be out there alone." Even the island itself was a hazard at the moment; who knew if a flame-weakened tree was liable to fall or not? Or if something nasty had been stirred up by whatever chaos had gone on the night before? From what he could see by the cave, things appeared safe enough, but if there was one thing the Eevee had learned thus far, it was that appearances were deceiving and it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"As I told you previously my name is Inspector Javolt and I am an officer of the law." His attention was drawn away after that, and the Normal type blinked in confusion, wondering why he was making such an announcement. It must have been something important, so he tried his best to look alert and pay attention. "I request the co-operation of all of you in my murder investigation. I will not cease this investigation until the culrpit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light. Am I understood?" What? A murder? Oracle stared blankly for a moment, the gears in his head taking far longer to turn than usual.

"We're going to kill someone? Someone here?" He looked around at the Pokemon assembled, features filled with panic. He didn't want to kill anyone- what was the point? "There's... There's not really many of us as is, wouldn't killing someone just make things worse?" His voice grew quieter and quieter as he spoke, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. The Manectric still intimidated him somewhat from the night before, if he was being completely honest, and the last thing he wanted to do was make him angry. "I don't know anything about a murder. Who, uh... Who died, if I'm allowed to ask?"

[ ooc: Skip, will make my lazy ass fox wake up next round~ ]

Again the Phanteon parts his jaws and lets out a loud, massive yawn. The others slowly roused, much too slow for his liking. Before he could drop a Rain Dance on them though Katyusha managed to wake enough to reply to him, "Hmph. What is there to eat in this area besides burned trees and rocks? Zubats?" That was... a good question. Hmm.. He hummed softly to himself, looking outside the cave then turning to peer into its depths. "Well, those bats are probably back by now..-" He trails off as the Togetic quickly picks up, "I could go looking for berries, instead.  The fire shouldn't have burned down everything." "I could help you, if you need it. We used to forage for berries back home all the time." He snorts, commenting idly, "Gonna take an awful lot of berries to feed this crowd you do realize that." Its odd.. he had always eaten berries, too weak to hunt anything, but right now all he wants is to just sink his new and improved fangs into something warm and living.

Lone's ruby gaze sweeps across the cave and lands on a still blue shape. Man, she was literally a sitting target right now and he had half a mind to use her once more as a chew toy. His eyes roll and with a groan he approaches the sleeping Vaporeon and nudges her with one widespread paw. "Wake up time, Puny Dragon." She stirs, eyes squeezing tightly before blinking open, blurry with sleep. Mouth parting slightly she mumbles through her dazed expression, "Ooorne?" Whatever that meant.. Half the time he couldn't understand this chick at all.

Her mind was slowly pulling itself out of the dream she had already lost. It was another morning. She had survived to another morning and this time with new friends by her side. Blinking her aqua gaze clear she can see Lone staring down at her with a glazed, annoyed expression. What did I do this time? He wasn't attacking though and eventually turned away from her, his spectral tail brushing against her face before he pads off. Grimacing in displeasure at the sensation the Vaporeon's ears fall slightly. He's an odd one, that's for sure.. Yesterday alone he was livid, solemn, quirky, and almost caring. If ones things for sure she couldn't read him at all but at least he seemed calm this morning. Maybe the ordeals starting to wear off or sink in? That's not the right words at all. He needed time to.. grieve, accept, understand? Im probably in no position to help you.. but Ill do whatever I can.

Her eyes sweep across the cave for the other Pokemon and her train of thought is broken as she see's someone is speaking. "-need to find mud to fix my face paint, too, and there's power in numbers, right? It's not really safe to be out there alone." Had.. was she still asleep? Blinking again and rubbing one paw over her face she looks at the Pokemon again. It is an Eevee! And its.. thats not a child. But uh... By the set features of its face and fur she can see that he is in fact older then her. In fact... it looks to be around the same age as Lone. It.. an Eevee showing up after Lone died that is around the same age? They both had stuff smeared on their faces too. Is it a coincidence or do the Legends have a plan? With a quick glance back to the Phanteon she can see the sneer look on his face. "Yeah.. face paint." She didn't know the Phanteon at all when he was an Eevee but she can almost, almost feel like he was a totally different person before.. Your other half?

Stumbling to paws still numb with sleep the Vaporeon rises and stretches before slowly making her way over to the Eevee. "I wah a wuwuh." She mutters, her mouth feeling sticky and dry as well as weak from sleep. Hopefully that had been coherent, she couldnt tell. From the corner of her eye the Water Type can see movement and realizes someone else was speaking and, by the look of things, it was important. "-of you in my murder investigation." An icy child runs along her spine. Murder investigation..? The Manectric did show up with Lone when they stormed the scene. What exactly did he tell you..? Her heart sinks to rock bottom with Javolt's next words and the deaf vulpine can only prey that she read them wrong. "I will not cease this investigation until the culprit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light." Apprehend and execute..  her legs instantly feel like jelly and she can not stop her paws from shaking, fear sparkling in her eyes. "Am I understood?"

The Phanteon can not hold the Manectric's gaze. He had.. forgotten about that. Well, that he had told the Electric Type about his murder, not that he was a ghost. I am dead and I know who did it.. but she.. I.. I didnt know you were going to kill the guilty party. Keeping a stoic expression he looks at each of the Pokemon present. The two newcomers look.. less then joyous by this development. "We're going to kill someone? Someone here?" The Eevee's horror was almost precious. In a sick way it reminds him of his own death. What fun. "Murder investigation, Inspector? The Gyarados and Volcarona have already left the island, and I don't think we can catch them at this point," The chatty pixie too, of course. "Oh we aren't looking for those creatures," He barks matter-of-factly. Undead like that killed Pokemon all the damn time. Legends, he almost wishes it had been one of them.

"Unless you mean someone else was killed..." "I don't know anything about a murder. Who, uh... Who died, if I'm allowed to ask?" The shocked, grueling expressions on the tiny pair was satisfying in a way the Pantheon did not understand. Pulling his lips back in a grin, he chimes giddily, "Bingo, Chikiepoo and Fuzzybutt!" The demeaning names only added so much more fun to this shit show. "Youre looking at a murder victim, isnt that special?" He can not feel the sick joy he was displaying.
His spectral tail waves back and forth. There was something about the way Javolt was speaking.. the seriousness of his words that told the Phanteon it was going to be fucking hard to weasel his way out of this. Play it off for now. Narrowing his gaze he locks onto Rokai, TD, and Katyusha each for several seconds. "I was killed before my time not by an undead or even an infected, but one of my fellow living Pokemon!" He stands up a bit straighter, taking a step forward as his voice roared inside the cave. "And I wont stand for it!"

It was the first dreamless sleep the fire hound had slept in a long time. Unfortunately, the amount of sleep he did catch was mediocre and Rokai felt cheated out of the rest he needed. "Rise and shine ladies! The day is here and I'm hungry as fuck." Well, that was one way to wake someone up. Rokai's eyes opened and he passed Lone a sleepy gaze that could of been accounted to a half-hearted glare that held no ferocity what-so-ever.

"Hmph. What is there to eat in this area besides burned trees and rocks? Zubats?" Rokai had to agree with Katyusha there. It would be difficult to find food after that fire. Rising to his paws, he stretched until he felt the joints pop, shaking out his ashen pelt and yawning. Rokai was definitely not a morning hound. "Well, those bats are probably back by now..-" Bats..? Was there a colony of Zubat around here? His mind struggled to catch up with the conversation as he fought to wake himself up. his jaw shifted and the sharp teeth clicked, sparking a Fire Fang. Rokai used the warm air to heat up his fur, before letting the flames fade away.

"I could go looking for berries, instead. The fire shouldn't have burned down everything." Now awake enough to keep up with the conversation, Rokai tuned back into what they were saying, and Rokai became aware of how hungry he actually was. How long has it been since I actually ate? He thought, before his green eyes traveled over to the eevee in their midst. "I could help you, if you need it. We used to forage for berries back home all the time." Rokai sat down and scratched at an itch just behind his horn. "I'm happy to help forage as well. I can try to sniff out some food items for us." He said, standing up and trotting to the entrance of their little cave. "Gonna take an awful lot of berries to feed this crowd you do realize that." Rokai snorted. "I guess we should find a few of them then." He said, stating the obvious.

"Wake up time, Puny Dragon." Rokai growled quietly at the Phanteon's slur. "Don't call her that." He growled, but dropped the subject as TD woke. "Ooorne?" He tried to piece together what she might of meant, but nothing came to mind that made sense. "-need to find mud to fix my face paint, too, and there's power in numbers, right? It's not really safe to be out there alone." His attention snapped back to the other eevee and he scrambled to figure out what they had been talking about. Maybe it would of paid to pay more attention to the conversation around him... "Yeah.. face paint." Where did that come from? Rokai shook his head, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts. "I wah a wuwuh." Rokai frowned. This was going to be a long day.

"I request the co-operation of all of you in my murder investigation. I will not cease this investigation until the culprit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light. Am I understood?" Wait, what? Oh dear god what was happening? Was a calm morning just too much to ask? He thought, looking around to see that Inspector Javolt's outburst had been met with much the same reaction.

"We're going to kill someone? Someone here?"
"Murder investigation, Inspector? The Gyarados and Volcarona have already left the island, and I don't think we can catch them at this point,"
"Oh we aren't looking for those creatures,"

Rokai shuddered at Lone's words, his fur pricking up as he rested his gaze on the Phanteon, green eyes steady. What was he going to do?

"Unless you mean someone else was killed..."
"I am unable to prove it, but I only found this island yesterday evening.  I came flying to you, Inspector, when I heard your voice and another's."
"I don't know anything about a murder. Who, uh... Who died, if I'm allowed to ask?"
"That, would be Lone."
"Bingo, Chikiepoo and Fuzzybutt!"

Rokai stared at lone with slightly narrowed eyes. His emerald eyes watched the Phanteon's red ones as the ghost slathered on the victim card. "You're looking at a murder victim, isn't that special?" Rokai huffed, smoke coming from his jaws as he looked away from the ghost. "I was killed before my time not by an undead or even an infected, but one of my fellow living Pokemon!" Rokai frowned, looking over at Tiny Dragon. "And I wont stand for it!" He thought back to that moment not even a day ago. Then something clicked. "But, the 'Mon that would of killed you, isn't here... Are they?"

Katyusha is surprised to find the phanteon answering her sarcastic comment. A soft hum comes from the ghost as he gazes back into the depths of the cave as if considering the feasibility of the idea. Not long after, others begin to join in, changing the topic quickly to a more vegetarian option. "I could go looking for berries, instead. The fire shouldn't have burned down everything." "I could help you, if you need it. We used to forage for berries back home all the time." It was kind of comforting...having other 'mon there, willing to help. She hadn't known any of them for more than a day, but despite everything it fill the ninetales with a kind of warmth. How long has it been since she's had company?

"Gonna take an awful lot of berries to feed this crowd you do realize that." With that, her mental "feel good" moment is brought to an abrupt end. At least I like and can appear to trust most of them... The fire-type thinks to herself. "I guess we should find a few of them then." Katyusha gives a small grin, sweeping her gaze across the group to count 1...2...3...4...5...6 plus me. As she recites the numbers in her head, subconsciously her lips move to form the shape of the words as if they were rolling off her tongue. "We will need a lot...but if we can get away from everything that is burned...or maybe make it back to the clearing, there must be something. How should we--"

Too wrapped up in her own thoughts, the vulpine hadn't noticed the conversation steered towards other topics. Face paint, Lone's nicknames, and TD waking up. One thing though, stops everyone in their tracks. "I request the co-operation of all of you in my murder investigation. I will not cease this investigation until the culprit has been located, apprehended and executed as befits martial law. Murder is the capital crime and will not be excused under any circumstances. As it stands I count you as suspects until evidence on ones guilt or innocence can be bought to light. Am I understood?" It was like someone had flipped a switch. Once and everyone was deathly silent, listening in either awe or fear to the aged manetric's mission. Flip the switch again and multiple 'mon start to voice their discomfort. Who had died? Would the 'killer' really be put to death? Was that the right thing? Who had done it?

"Bingo, Chikiepoo and Fuzzybutt!" The phanteon sneers, a large grin plastered across his muzzle...clearly, he was insane. But at least this time he doesn't have a hostage or his teeth in anyone.. The ninetales thinks to herself, remembering the events of the day previous, before the various undead and forest fire. It felt more like a week ago than a day ago at this point. "You're looking at a murder victim, isn't that special?" What was with him? Katyusha couldn't pin it down with her analysis. His words made it seem like he was thrilled with the events. "I was killed before my time not by an undead or even an infected, but one of my fellow living Pokemon!" When he locked gazes with her, he almost looked angry? Maybe it was just her thinking so as the ghost continued on his speak smoothly enough. His spectral tail flickering back and forth behind him like an excited puppy's.

"And I wont stand for it!" Of course, he had to make it dramatic. By the finishing statement, the ghost-type was practically roaring. Whether he was caught up in the drama of his own death or whether he was truly outraged Katyusha, again, could not tell. However, she suspected the former. Regardless, the fox pulls her long ears back at the loud outburst. Her multiple red tails shifting behind her. "You speak like you know how you died. So certainly you must know who did it!" The words come out harsher than intended, but now was the time to get some things straight she tells herself. Least he try to hold up past grudges and pull them out later.

---

As the sun finally rose, the skunktank woke to the smell of ash and soot. The fires appeared to be out for the most part. But now the whole place stunk like the bonfire. This was the first time he had seen those 'mon on this tiny island and it felt like they had already wrecked half of it. On the way back to his makeshift shelter near the cliffside he saw fires, ditches, and craters--all freshly made. What was wrong with them that they had to stir up all the undead the night before? Did the end of the world make their lives too boring? With any luck they would just stay in their little cave.

Marvin ends his internal rant with a loud snort. He was getting himself too distracted over 'mon that probably wouldn't last till the next sunset. Bringing his attention back to the present, he keeps mind on finding breakfast. Inhaling smoothly on the brush and in the air for a scent to follow. The poison-type could have sworn he smelt berries this direction before. It frustrates him. He wasn't wrong. Taking several more steps forward he begins to realize why. The higher he lifts his snout into the air, the stronger the scent becomes. When his eyes finally follow his nose, he curses under his breath. Of course they would be up too damn high.

The Inspector stood strong, revitalized by a solid night of sleep. He still ached but it was the normal pains of an old body about to fall apart and he was used to ignoring it. He wasn't as young as he used to be. Every day reminded him of that.
His words are met with silence, every pokemon there turning moist eyes on him as they start to realize the enormity of the crime that had taken place.
"We're going to kill someone? Someone here?" The little Eevee with his mud-caked face asks.
Naivety, something that would be cute if he wasn't also a suspect.
"The killing has already taken place. There will be an execution and there will be justice." Javolt replies primly.
Martial law always took the young ones like that. They always believed it to be unfair, as if the disorder of their lives hadn't affected the officers ability to do their jobs. Desperate times called for desperate measures. The luxuries of the civilized world had been overturned, trials were something he couldn't afford. His was his duty to restore the peace by any means necessary.
"Murder investigation, Inspector? The Gyarados and Volcarona have already left the island, and I don't think we can catch them at this point," The Togetic Javolt feels he could trust.
"Oh we aren't looking for those creatures," The Victim adds.
"Unless you mean someone else was killed..."
Javolt listens to the soft hiss of static from the radio still clipped to his collar. He had no human to help him here, no DNA evidence or criminal records to access. He was going to have to rely on the Ghost's words if he was going to bring the guilty party to justice.
"I am unable to prove it, but I only found this island yesterday evening. I came flying to you, Inspector, when I heard your voice and another's."
"That I can believe." He growls.
"I don't know anything about a murder. Who, uh... Who died, if I'm allowed to ask?"
"That, would be Lone."
Lone...appropriate. The Manectric's ears flick as he turns towards the ghost. Get them talking, their words will give them away eventually.
"Bingo, Chikiepoo and Fuzzybutt!" The ghost apparently has nicknames for those who arrived before. Javolt believes the Togetic had just arrived, either that or she was a good actor and the evidence would condemn her and the Eevee's arrival he had noted himself. That just left the Vapoureon, Ninetails and Houndoom as main suspects.
"You're looking at a murder victim, isnt that special?" There is something of a joy to the ghosts eyes as they focus on those three.
"I was killed before my time not by an undead or even an infected, but one of my fellow living Pokemon!" Another thing to scratch off the list. Javolt had no qualms about executing a murderer, whether they were diseased or not. In fact a living killer was worse. The undead were disease-ridden rabid animals, incapable of anything but killing and tainting all around them. A pokemon that willfully killed their own was worse, they could do it again, no, they would do it again if Javolt didn't stop them. Like undead the only thing that could halt them was death.
"And I wont stand for it!" The ghost's cry echoes emphatically around the cavern.
"Well said." The Inspector growls and turns his gaze on the remaining three.
"You speak like you know how you died. So certainly you must know who did it!" Javolt turns towards the Ninetails with the strangely dark fur. Her words seem harsher than the situation warrants. Is it fear, anger, an admission of guilt?
Javolt growls.
"Are you badgering the witness?" He demands of the fox with his voice low and menacing.
His head snaps around.
"I have my main suspects then. Abby, take the Eevee and see if you can find some food. This looks like it may be a long interrogation. It may be dangerous so don't go too far and keep an eye out for danger. If you feel threatened or find any new evidence return immediately, I don't want to see you injured. If you're not back by noon I will come to find you but be warned." His eyes are dark. "I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt."
He turns back to the suspects.
"Lone, I'm relying on your testimony. Give me an account of events as detailed as you can make it and I'll see if we can't find your murderer."

Lone's announcement shocked Abby.  As he continued his little speech and show, she couldn't help but notice how young he was.  He was either just before adulthood or right at the start of it, and this startled her since that meant he died so early in life. "I'm so sorry, Lone, that you had to endure that," she said sympathetically. No one deserves that.

After this, thinly veiled accusations and pointed statements started flying between Lone, Katyusha, Rokai, and Javolt until Javolt stated,"I have my main suspects then." His head snapped back to where Abby and Oracle were standing and commanded"Abby, take the Eevee and see if you can find some food. This looks like it may be a long interrogation. It may be dangerous so don't go too far and keep an eye out for danger. If you feel threatened or find any new evidence return immediately, I don't want to see you injured. If you're not back by noon I will come to find you but be warned. I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt."  

She nodded at him, "I understand." Then, Abby turned to Oracle, and she noticed that he was older than she expected.  The night prior, she was under the impression that he was a child, but in the clearer morning light, he had the features of an adult. Strange. Most Eevee tend to have evolved by his age. After a notable pause of staring, Abby shook her head quickly and cheerfully added, "We can probably find mud while we look for berries." She was curious about the patterns she saw on his face last night, and his near sermon on the 'goddesses' was intriguing.  

Before walking too far off, she remembered something that she wasn't sure if Javolt knew. "Inspector, make sure TinyDragon can see your mouth when speaking to her. Her hearing is either severely damaged or gone."  After this, she started hovering in the air like her kind was known for, but she stayed low to the ground so that she wouldn't be too far away from Oracle as she waited for him to walk towards the greener trees.

"You're looking at a murder victim, isn't that special? I was killed before my time not by an undead or even an infected, but one of my fellow living Pokemon! And I wont stand for it!" Oracle blinked at that, staring at the unfamiliar Pokemon with a frown. He didn't understand- why were they so set on finding his killer? Didn't dead Pokemon usually stay dead? And it wasn't as though there were many living Pokemon on the island that could have been counted as potential suspects- but what was the point in killing someone when there were only a handful of non-undead individuals around to begin with? Sure, it would mean that there would be a lot less berries to worry about foraging, but why trouble themselves with an investigation when it would only end up thinning out their numbers even more? Perhaps it was because the Pokemon around him had clearly grown up in a much different environment and setting than the Eevee; his little clan had always been rather sheltered, following their own rules and regulations. Everyone worked together for the good of everyone else, and while there was strife on occasion, he had certainly never been witness to killings or murder investigations.

Still. Despite being a complete fish out of water, he couldn't really find himself agreeing with any of this. Not when staying alive had already become so difficult to begin with. "You look pretty alive to me." The Normal type muttered quietly, gaze fixed firmly on the ground beneath his paws. "I don't really know what you are, but you don't look dead." Perhaps it wasn't his place to comment, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut. When it came to fight or flight, Oracle always almost unanimously chose flight, and truth be told, his legs were nearly trembling as he resisted the urge to do so. Something kept him rooted to the spot, however- presumably it had to do with the fact that the last time he bolted away from a situation that was causing him stress, he ended up in the middle of nowhere, completely cut off from his beloved clan.

"Abby, take the Eevee and see if you can find some food. This looks like it may be a long interrogation. It may be dangerous so don't go too far and keep an eye out for danger. If you feel threatened or find any new evidence return immediately, I don't want to see you injured. If you're not back by noon I will come to find you but be warned. I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt." He raised his head slightly at that, blinking curiously. He was surprisingly a bit reluctant to go, despite his discomfort, afraid of what sort of scene he would end up coming back to. Though Oracle supposed he probably would have been able to do more good for the group if he at least tried to assist in finding food for everyone. "We can probably find mud while we look for berries." With a nod, he turned around to follow Abby, though not before shooting a nervous glance over his shoulder at the Pokemon they were leaving behind.

"The fire is... Actually good, in a way." Oracle said once they were out of earshot, feeling the need to fill the silence with something. "A lot of the dead leaves and shrubs that were covering the earth ended up getting burned away, leaving plenty of room for new plants to take root. In that way it's kind of... The start of another generation of fresh life." He paused briefly, his frown directed at nothing in particular. "Do you know anything about what happened?" From what she had said before, he didn't think she did, but that just meant the Togetic was just as in the dark about things as Oracle himself. "I mean, I heard what you said, but... I don't know. It's been a while since I last found living Pokemon, and I'm happy not to be alone anymore, but this sort of thing is... I mean, I never expected to..."

Morning came too soon for the young vulpine. Caine's eyes opened slowly, focusing on his surroundings as his body registered his conscious state. The small Ninetales tossed his single tail, lifting his pointed head as his jaws pulled back in a wide yawn. "Rise and shine," the fire type muttered to himself. His slinted violet eyes flickered, his sharp ears turning to and fro as he surveyed the area. Luckily, it was quiet. Pulling his limbs beneath him, Caine stood up on the branch he had sheltered on, taking the time to give a mighty stretch and loosen up his tense legs and stiff back. Now or never, he figured grudgingly before leaping easily to the forest floor. During the night, it seemed the blaze had easily burnt itself out, something Caine appreciated. With a casual glance over his scarf, he deemed it unharmed, and began trotting forward.

His mind had mostly forgotten the interaction from the night before, he kind of remembered many fire types. And a skunk. A douchey skunk. Following his nose, the vulpine's short whiskers twitched on the breeze. Hm? Bushy ears flicked to the side, the Ninetales snapping his spine straight with a sudden alertness. There was no denying it-- he scented others. But not burnt corpses or zombies, no, instead the glisening magic of Fairy and the fuzziness of Normal. Following the trail with his senses, Cain was alert as he wove through the charred undergrowth. Holding his head low, the tiny fire fox was easily able to remain beneath the most of the plants. After a bit, he heard a voice-- "...know anything about what happened?" Caine froze, his eyes narrowing in concentration to see the Pokemon before they did him.

Taking cautious steps forward, he was finally able to see down a less than overused path, two Pokemon indeed. A scruffy little fox, with dirt all over its face, and a Togetic that-- the... Togetic. Violet eyes went round, watching the pair from behind, the voice of the Eevee drowning into the fuzz in his mind. "I mean, I heard what you said, but... I don't know." The familiarity of it-- the scarf. Caine flinched, his ears pinning low to his head. It is identical to Oliver's. The reminder was painful, but his thoughts flowed with the present, the other boy's voice coming back clearly as he made the rash decision to trot forward, out of the bushes. "I'm happy not to be alone anymore, but this sort of thing is... I mean, I never expected to..."

Hesitating, Caine gave a sharp bark, gaining their attention as he walked slowly towards them. "Togetic-- that scarf, where did you get it? Is it your's?--" But when he caught sight of the front, he noticed the red mark there. He would be lying if he said he was not horribly disappointed and incredibly relieved, all at the same time. "I- I'm sorry. I thought it might of been.... I am looking for someone," he explained enigmatically, turning his gaze away from them and unable to keep his ears from flipping back. They had not come by Oliver. "...Forgetting that... Are you pair travelling alone? Do you know a way out of here?" While changing the subject was easier, he could not ignore the burning in his chest.

So close to Oliver. Yet always so far.

[ ooc: feel free to think he is infected due to the violet on his legs. also, Max, PM if anything needs change, took some liberties. ]

"Well said."
The Phanteon can feel himself huff and stand a bit taller. The others were looking at him now, him and Javolt, and for once him his life the attention was.. unwelcome. "I'm so sorry, Lone, that you had to endure that," The gaseous puffs around his wrists creep along his limbs. "Yeah, me too." He may of thought of it a lot but he never actually wanted to die. And not.. like that.. A cold wash tickles its way down his spine as an old thought brings itself back to the front of his mind. Legends what was he about to bring upon these Pokemon? "But, the 'Mon that would of killed you, isn't here... Are they?" The Phanteon narrows his eyes at the hound, teeth bared. "You trying to blame someone else?" Did the dual type have the same train of thought as him? Do you even realize what that would mean for her? It was almost like he was trying to get the child killed. Dont be a moron!

"You speak like you know how you died. So certainly you must know who did it!" A growl rumbles deep in his throat, tail flicking much more intensely. "I have my suspicions." Who did the fox think did it? I dont even think you saw me as an Eevee. Fresh blots of red creep out from the corners of his eyes and ooze down old trails on his face. "Are you badgering the witness?" At least Javolt knew how to make them stop. Mind swirling the Phanteon forces himself to sit. This was going to get messy. And it will all return to you.

"I have my main suspects then. Abby, take the Eevee and see if you can find some food. This looks like it may be a long interrogation. It may be dangerous so don't go too far and keep an eye out for danger. If you feel threatened or find any new evidence return immediately, I don't want to see you injured. If you're not back by noon I will come to find you but be warned." Everyone was talking so fast or so slow. So many accusations and what if's and 'did you knows?' The words blurred before her. The Vaporeons legs shook like leaves in autumn. We're going to have a trail.. here? Lone had already blamed her, would he do it again? I tried to help you! Katyusha knows I tried to help you! Legends I didnt do anything. Blinking her eyes she pulls herself out of her thoughts and forces her aqua gaze to watch for what was happening. "I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt." She.. she hadn't planned on running but.. Im scared. Legends she was scared.

It seemed the newer Pokemon were leaving. Were they being tried, interrogated, e-executed? Dont hurt them please! TD takes the tiniest step forward, ready to try and stop anything bad from happen to those sweet Pokemon when Abby starts speaking, "Inspector, make sure TinyDragon can see your mouth when speaking to her. Her hearing is either severely damaged or gone." The Vaporeon freezes. She.. how did she..? An odd mix of shame, relief, awe, and embarrassment pluses through her veins and the Water Type drops low to the ground. She had forgotten to mention that or say anything about it the whole time she had been on this island. How, how could I forget that! Its not even trivial since I have to work so hard to know whats happening.. She could never forget the fact she was in a world of silence or the lack of a familiar voice in her head. Maybe it had become trivial when it came to telling people..

"S-s-sor-ry" Looking between each Pokemon she murmurs something quickly, just wanting to respond, "D.. No no It's okay." She wasn't ashamed of her handicap but it was sure awkward to talk about. The tension in the air only made things worse. Standing on shaky legs the Vaporeon takes a few steps back, sticking close to Rokai just encase. "I-I was born deaf," She explains, checking each face for words. "But I wead lips, its dalwight." She really didnt want to make a big deal about it. She didn't need any pity nor did she want to make a scene. What Abby said just make sure I can see. Thats all she ever wanted.

"Deaf?" The Phanteon says with a thick grimace. "Well then." That sure explained a lot. "Lone, I'm relying on your testimony. Give me an account of events as detailed as you can make it and I'll see if we can't find your murderer." How far back did The Inspector want him to go? Far enough I guess. Taking in a deep breath, clearing this throat, and sighing, the Phanteon lets his mind trail back. "Well, we were headed toward this cave," The side of his head aches. The cloud of despair that always followed him was now rage. It really blurred the lines. Guess I should use names. But as he searches for them they seem to.. vanish. "Er.. I was with Lotta, a Gible, and.. Crane.. a sick.. Fearrow.." The others pull a complete blank for him. Why was it all so fuzzy? "I think there was a.. human, and a Zorark but only for a second.."

Lone shook his head. He was rambling. Kick it into high gear ya moron. With another deep breath he restarts his story. "We were looking for this cave, Lotta's cave, when a bunch of undead attacked us. Linoone to be exact, and in that clearing you found me in. Things instantly went to chaos, attacks everywhere, screaming, blood, and Rokai appeared during the fighting." He pauses for a second to glare at the Houndoom. "I took a few hits but something hit me so hard at the end.. and it was after all the Linoone were dead so there was no reason for it. I was blacking out but I know Crane was gone by then, and I could hear Lotta fighting with Rokai.. She was protecting me.."

His head hurts trying to think of the rest. Its all so black in his memory. "I... they were fighting and I was.. taken away from them. I thought I was dying, well, I was dying.. It was just leaves.. blurry leaves.. There were teeth around my throat and I could breathe.. and so much... pain. So much pain I could.." His paws were working at the sandy cave floor, eyes on the floor. "All I could see was her face." He spits with venom, eyes locking with TD's. "Something was touching me and.. it was just dark.. her face and dark." He paused again, truly unable to see anymore. "....I died." His body shakes remembering the pain. "She was there when I came too. The Houndoom too, and the Ninetales."

Rokai's gaze traveled over their small group, and though he didn't realise it, he was shaking. His legs trembled, though for what reason, he couldn't pick. "Well said." He looked over towards Javolt, then to Lone, who had puffed up like a pidgey they had been given praise for taking flight for the first time. "I'm so sorry, Lone, that you had to endure that," In a way, so was Rokai. None of their lives would be on the line now if that was the case. "Yeah, me too." Rokai clicked his tongue, making a 'tch' sound. With a deep sigh, he stood tall, with only the roll of his shoulders making him hunch.

"You trying to blame someone else?" Rokai almost flinched when Lone snapped at him for his comment on what may of actually killed the phanteon. "Why would I? It seems we know who did it anyway." He mumbled under his breath, gaze dropping away from Lone's red one to look back to Javolt. "You speak like you know how you died. So certainly you must know who did it!" Tilting his head, Rokai looked back at Katyusha, allowing himself a small smile. Kat' wouldn't let Javolt kill anyone. "I have my suspicions." His smile dropped, and his eyes dragged themselves back to look over at Javolt and Lone. "Are you badgering the witness?"

Rokai winced slightly at the Manectric's tone, averting his gaze to the gold badge on his collar. "I have my main suspects then. Abby, take the Eevee and see if you can find some food. This looks like it may be a long interrogation. It may be dangerous so don't go too far and keep an eye out for danger. If you feel threatened or find any new evidence return immediately, I don't want to see you injured. If you're not back by noon I will come to find you but be warned," The fire hound stiffened, subconsiously stepping closer to TinyDragon for both his own comfort and the vaporeons.

"I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt." Dear Darkrai, were they actually on trial for an execution? Rokai's eyes widened, but he forced himself to keep calm. There was no point in arguing, lest the Electric type round on him. This is ridiculous... He thought bitterly.

"Inspector, make sure TinyDragon can see your mouth when speaking to her. Her hearing is either severely damaged or gone." With a surprised glance at Abby, Rokai's eyes widened, before shaking his head to clear his thoughts and smiling at the togetic. "S-s-sor-ry" He glanced down at TD, who had shuffled closer to him. A part of his pride glowed at the trust that the vaporeon had in him, while the other part was worried if the manectric would take advantage of that fact. "D.. No no It's okay." Once more, Rokai's emerald gaze dragged down to TD, before shifting to glare at his ashen colored paws. "I-I was born deaf," Rokai's glare turned to bore into a wall just off Lone's shoulder.

"But I wead lips, its dalwight."
"Deaf?"

This time Rokai shifted the glare to Lone, his emerald eyes narrowing. The hound however, kept his jaws firmly shut. His teeth grated against one another, distracting the fire hound from speaking out something that he probably shouldn't. "Well then." He took in a deep breath, calming himself down. He held the breath for a few seconds, before exhaling through his mouth, a puff of smoke following the rush of air.

"Lone, I'm relying on your testimony. Give me an account of events as detailed as you can make it and I'll see if we can't find your murderer." Finding a testimony would be all good, they could find the killer easily, except Rokai was pretty sure Lone's would be full of unfair holes.

"Well, we were headed toward this cave," Rokai sat down, yawning as he settled to listen to what Lone thought happened.

"Er.. I was with Lotta, a Gible, and.. Crane.. a sick.. Fearrow.." Rokai frowned. Crane... Was that the name of that large fearow? "I think there was a.. human, and a Zorark but only for a second.." He hadn't seen a Zoroark and Human, so possibly they had gone before he came in?

"We were looking for this cave, Lotta's cave, when a bunch of undead attacked us. Linoone to be exact, and in that clearing you found me in. Things instantly went to chaos, attacks everywhere, screaming, blood, and Rokai appeared during the fighting." Rokai returned Lone's glare, before he returned his gaze back to the wall above Javolt's head. "I took a few hits but something hit me so hard at the end.. and it was after all the Linoone were dead so there was no reason for it. I was blacking out but I know Crane was gone by then, and I could hear Lotta fighting with Rokai.. She was protecting me.."

Rokai clenched his teeth so hard that his gums started bleeding. "She threw the first attack, I was defending myself." He mumbled, diverting his gaze.

"I... they were fighting and I was.. taken away from them. I thought I was dying, well, I was dying.. It was just leaves.. blurry leaves.. There were teeth around my throat and I couldn't breathe.. and so much... pain. So much pain I could.." Rokai took a breath, almost gagging at the iron tang that followed the blood that pooled in his mouth from his gums. "All I could see was her face." Rokai glared at Lone as the Phanteon glared at TD.

"Something was touching me and.. it was just dark.. her face and dark."
"....I died."

As much as Rokai wanted to pity the Phanteon, all he could see was Lone gripping onto TD's fin with a malicious glare in his eyes. "She was there when I came too. The Houndoom too, and the Ninetales." With a heavy sigh, the Houndoom glared at the ceiling. "We went through this when we first talked to you Lone." His voice was muffled as he muttered the words to himself, his gaze travelling down to the floor in front of Javolt.

"Are you badgering the witness?" Katyusha's jaw clenches together more tightly. It was logical, to side with the victim of the scenario. After all, he had died. However...in this case, the victim was Lone and she certainly wouldn't put lying about his killer knowingly past him. For the moment, all she can do is listen anxiously as the manetric begins his speech. Her multiple tails twitching behind her. Glancing over at Rokai and TinyDragon, the ninetales notes that neither of them look particularly happy about the situation either.


"I will take attempting to flee as an admission of guilt." So then the old dog really meant it. He was going to put them all through an "interrogation" and execute which ever one of them he deemed a killer. This was insane. None of them did this...but there was no solid way to prove any of it. "Inspector, make sure TinyDragon can see your mouth when speaking to her. Her hearing is either severely damaged or gone." Deaf? That would certainly explain several things. Katyusha momentarily glances upward, as if looking to a non-existent image before her of their past events. The vaporeon's speech has a noticeable slur  to it, is this why?

By the time she focuses again on the present, the fairy and normal type are already making their way out from their makeshift camp site. Leaving the "suspects" alone with the inspector. "S-s-sor-ry" TD's words break the tension of the otherwise tense situation. "D.. No no It's okay." The fox pokemon blinks slowly, eyes turning to watch the fish as she stands on shaking legs. "I-I was born deaf," She was backing up as she spoke, getting closer and closer to the houndoom like a shield. "But I wead lips, its dalwight."

TD was so kind and sincere...there is no way the inspector could even think she would be capable of killing Lone...right? Katyusha's gaze turns sympathetic, her jaw loosening as she takes a step closer to the water-type. "There's nothing you have to feel sorry for." When Lone speak again, all of the tension returns for Kat. This was it...what would he tell the manetric? At first, she couldn't recall the pokemon he mentioned nor the events. There had been no fearow, zoroark nor human when she arrived. It didn't take long for the story to reach a point she did remember.

"I took a few hits but something hit me so hard at the end.. and it was after all the Linoone were dead so there was no reason for it. I was blacking out but I know Crane was gone by then, and I could hear Lotta fighting with Rokai.. She was protecting me.." Was that what she was intending? Because Rokai sure didn't appear like the type to try and hurt anyone needlessly. Beside her, she could hear the hound's disapproval of the wording. "She threw the first attack, I was defending myself." It didn't stop the phanteon from continuing his tale.

"I... they were fighting and I was.. taken away from them. I thought I was dying, well, I was dying.. It was just leaves.. blurry leaves.. There were teeth around my throat and I couldn't breathe.. and so much... pain. So much pain I could.." For half a second, she almost felt sorry for him. Almost...the feeling pricked at her like a thorn within. Now is not the time to forget what he's capable of... "All I could see was her face." Once again, her teeth clench together and Katyusha has to focus to keep herself from outright baring her teeth. If it were anyone else, she would just count this as an accurate recall. He wasn't lying per say, but...the hostage situation flickered past her mind's eye. She just couldn't shake the itch at the back of her mind that he was trying to frame TD.

"You're right, I was there. I found you at the scene...in a bush, with TinyDragon and oran berries." She states, in something certainly not a friendly tone, but without the outright harshness of her previous statements.

((ooc: Skipping Marvin for this round.))

The Manectric stands with his tail erect, keeping his good eye towards the suspects. So it begins...
"Inspector, make sure TinyDragon can see your mouth when speaking to her. Her hearing is either severely damaged or gone." The Togetic takes care to remind him before he leaves.
Javolt turns to the Vaporeon.
"S-s-sor-ry." The Water type seemed nervous. "I-I was born deaf, But I wead lips, its dalwight."
"There's nothing you have to feel sorry for."
"Understood." Javolt turns so she can see his face. "Your disability will not be held against you."
The Manetric listens closely as the strange ghost starts his testimony.
"Well, we were headed toward this cave," Lone seems uncertain. "Er.. I was with Lotta, a Gible, and.. Crane.. a sick.. Fearrow..I think there was a.. human, and a Zorark but only for a second.." The list of suspects grows.
"We were looking for this cave, Lotta's cave, when a bunch of undead attacked us. Linoone to be exact, and in that clearing you found me in. Things instantly went to chaos, attacks everywhere, screaming, blood, and Rokai appeared during the fighting."
Javolt turns his good eye on the Houndoom. So he was a witness too.
"I took a few hits but something hit me so hard at the end.. and it was after all the Linoone were dead so there was no reason for it. I was blacking out but I know Crane was gone by then, and I could hear Lotta fighting with Rokai.. She was protecting me.."
"She threw the first attack, I was defending myself." The Houndoom interjects.
Javolt glares at him. The testimony should not be interrupted.
"I... they were fighting and I was.. taken away from them. I thought I was dying, well, I was dying.. It was just leaves.. blurry leaves.. There were teeth around my throat and I couldn't breathe.. and so much... pain. So much pain I could.."
The Manectric patiently waits as Lone avoids eye contact.
"All I could see was her face." The ghost spits venomously. "Something was touching me and.. it was just dark.. her face and dark.....I died." The ghost shivers.
"She was there when I came too. The Houndoom too, and the Ninetales."
"You're right, I was there. I found you at the scene...in a bush, with TinyDragon and oran berries." The Ninetales interjects.
"Thank you Lone." The Manectric says strictly but not unkindly. "Further testimony won't be required." From Lone's testimony he believes cause of death was due to a blow from behind; which could have been struck by anyone present or one of the Pokemon who has since left. He needs more information.
"Now the victim is spoken I would now like to examine the other witnesses. Seeing as the gible is not here to investigate; TinyDragon, Rokai, Katyusha as witnesses to this event do you have anything to add to Lone's testimony or points to be made in your defense? As it stands..." He turns so the Vaporeon can see his lips. "Miss Dragon you are currently the Prime Suspect. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

As Abby and Oracle traveled along, she decided that it would probably be easier for him if she also walked. Despite the questions she had earlier, she suddenly found herself tongue-tied. Making casual conversation was usually easy for the fairy, but she could not think of anything to discuss that wasn't depressing. When they were out of earshot of the rest of the group, he nervously initiated conversation, "The fire is... Actually good, in a way. A lot of the dead leaves and shrubs that were covering the earth ended up getting burned away, leaving plenty of room for new plants to take root. In that way it's kind of... The start of another generation of fresh life..." Poor dear is so nervous, too... she thought, and she was going to take the ice breaker before he looked away. He has something else bothering him. He then asked the questions that he really wanted to ask. "Do you know anything about what happened? I mean, I heard what you said, but... I don't know. It's been a while since I last found living Pokemon, and I'm happy not to be alone anymore, but this sort of thing is... I mean, I never expected to..."  When his words started tripping over each other, she realized that he was unsure about the impending execution.

"I understand," Abby started sadly as she looked down. "I don't believe those three Pokemon are capable of murder.  They all..." she struggled for the right word to explain her Togetic senses, "felt like kind Pokemon." "Unfortunately, Javolt is a stubborn sort, and arguing with him would only make the situation worse. I'm hoping that the interrogation lets him see that they are innocent," she explained.  I don't think I could take the alternative... Thoughts invaded of coming back and finding one of the three dead and their blood on Javolt, and she shook her head quickly to clear her mind. "Whatever happened to Lone occurred before I found them.  When I arrived, an undead Gyarados was staring Javolt down... " she began.

Then a sharp bark behind the pair caught her attention. Arceus no... She brought up a charge in her downy feathers in preparation for a Thunder Wave, and she positioned herself between Oracle and the unknown threat.  Then it spoke. "Togetic-- that scarf, where did you get it? Is it your's?--" At the question, she dropped the static and turned around fully to look at the Pokemon. That doesn't sound like a monster out for blood. He sounds like he's looking for something or someone.  He looked like a Ninetales with violet eyes, but he was significantly smaller than Katyusha and missing eight tails.  He bore scars underneath his eyes, around his remaining tail, and the ones on his legs held a suspicious pattern. As she took in his tattered and youthful appearance, she was overwhelmed with sadness for the unfortunate Ninetales. She was about to answer him when he noticed the service Pokemon symbol on her scarf, and he apologized profusely, "I- I'm sorry. I thought it might of been.... I am looking for someone." He suddenly changed the subject, as if the admission was embarrassing or uncomfortable. "...Forgetting that... Are you pair travelling alone? Do you know a way out of here?"

Arceus above... The world hasn't been kind to this poor Ninetales. At this thought, she resolved to try helping him however she could. "The two of us are currently looking for food for our group of six Pokemon. The other four are near a cave, though I wouldn't recommend going over to them at the moment,"she answered gently, intentionally leaving the reasoning vague for now. Abby looked up in thought as she considered the various ways one could get off an island, "As for a way out... I don't believe there's an easy way off an island if you can't swim, teleport, or fly. I'd offer to help, but I'm needed here, and I'm not sure how long I could carry you."  After answering the Ninetales's cover up questions, Abby introduced herself and her companion,"I'm Abby, and this is Oracle." She couldn't let the previous topic completely drop, however. "Who are you looking for, dear?" Abby inquired kindly. She offered the scarred Ninetales, "If you want, you can travel with us while we look for food and a river. We'll probably have to cover a lot of ground, and if the one you're looking for is here, we might see them."

"I don't believe those three Pokemon are capable of murder.  They all... felt like kind Pokemon." The Eevee's face seemed to brighten ever so slightly at those words, happy to find someone who shared his sentiments. This had to be a huge misunderstanding, right? After all, the world had become so dangerous as of late, the living should had been the absolute last thing anyone needed to fear. At least that was how Oracle felt, as naive and optimistic as he was. More and more the Normal type was beginning to realize just how sheltered he had been in his upbringing; his clan had been a paradise in comparison to the outside world, and he would have given anything to return to it. "Unfortunately, Javolt is a stubborn sort, and arguing with him would only make the situation worse. I'm hoping that the interrogation lets him see that they are innocent. I don't think I could take the alternative..." The hopeful look on Oracle's face seemed to fade quickly after that, the Eevee turning his attention down towards the ground.

"... Pokemon shouldn't hurt Pokemon. I mean... Not like this." The Normal type muttered, gears in his mind turning in a half-hearted attempt to figure out what exactly he was trying to convey. Oracle wasn't really sure if he himself knew. "We're all just trying to live. And trying to do that isn't easy, so..." His voice cracked at the end, and he frowned, clamping his mouth shut in an attempt to keep any additional words from spilling out. When Abby began speaking, it was actually a bit of a relief, though that feeling was incredibly short-lived when an unfamiliar sound reached the Eevee's ears.

Goddesses, what kind of Pokemon is that? His first instinct was to crouch low to the ground, leg muscles tensing in preparation to run away. Wait, no... He hesitated, glancing towards the Togetic. I... I can't leave her behind. She's nice; I can't leave her alone to fend for herself like this. But he was useless in a fight; all he could really do was flee. Sure, those round discs his clan had collected- gifts from the goddesses, they had told him, as denoted by their circular shape- had given him the ability to spit poison and fire Shadow Balls, but Oracle was by no means battle-experienced enough to make use of such powers.

"Togetic-- that scarf, where did you get it? Is it your's?--" Everything changed when the strange Pokemon opened his mouth, however. The Eevee blinked, allowing himself to relax slightly despite himself as he looked him over. There was something familiar about him; he was familiar with another Pokemon like this, wasn't he? Had the scars and lack of tails confused him? "I- I'm sorry. I thought it might of been.... I am looking for someone... Forgetting that... Are you pair travelling alone? Do you know a way out of here?" Abby spoke before he could, though Oracle didn't particularly mind, his gaze sweeping over the newcomer while a thousand questions balanced precariously on the tip of his tongue. "What's your name?" However, he could only hold out on saying something for so long, and a small part of the Eevee acknowledged that he was probably desperate for something to distract him from what was going on back at the cave. "We could share what we end up coming across. Um... We have a lot of mouths we need to find food for, but..." Tentatively, his expression brightened. "We carry more this way, and having an extra pair of eyes would be useful. Everyone needs to eat."

Still stinging over his humiliatingly wrong assumption, the Ninetales' eyes flickered to the grass as the flying Pokemon responded first. "The two of us are currently looking for food for our group of six Pokemon. The other four are near a cave, though I wouldn't recommend going over to them at the moment," the owlet explained gently, though not pitying. Caine allowed his violet eyes to flicker up. Maybe he hadn't made too much of a fuck up calling out strangers. They did not seem angry, at least. The fairy turned, looking above them as she thought before answering, though her companion remained quiet. "As for a way out... I don't believe there's an easy way off an island if you can't swim, teleport, or fly. I'd offer to help, but I'm needed here, and I'm not sure how long I could carry you." Caine cringed. Swimming. No. Teleport? No. Flying? Yeah, why not. Sure, I can grow wings. Snorting silently in his head at himself, the vulpine shook his head. "...I suppose it was worth asking."

Turning to leave the pair, he was surprised when the Togetic continued: "I'm Abby, and this is Oracle." He slowly tuned, his expression uncertain as if he should tell them he has no interest in a group or if he should try to make friends. ...On second thought, that shouldn't even be an option. He looked from Oracle, the Eevee, to Abby, the Togetic and nodded awkwardly, but the avian added softly, "Who are you looking for, dear?" Now, he really did not want to answer that. "...er... A Chimchar. His name's Oliver, he has a blue scarf," he replied bluntly. The less information he gave them to use against him, the better. Caine allowed himself to let his eyes study Abby. She seemed genuine, not nosy, but actually concerned for him. That was what her questions suggested, at least. His fur ruffled uncomfortably at the thought. No one gives a shit about you, ol' boy. Stop being paranoid.

"If you want, you can travel with us while we look for food and a river. We'll probably have to cover a lot of ground, and if the one you're looking for is here, we might see them." Okay, that was way more than he asked for. Alarm widened his eyes, for the first time the cold stare vanishing as he floundered for an opt out. Oh fuck. I just met them and they're trying to recruit me?? His throat dry, the Ninetales coughed as he attempted to speak through his shock at the unprovoked question. "Uh, that is... really kind of you, but, uh, I'm just passing through. Really." As if he wasn't already being awkward with the owlet, the Eevee bounded forward then, blurting out, "What's your name?"

Caine's violet gaze snapped to Oracle, taking in the optimism in his bright eyes. A Pidgey, a Ralts, and then finally a Chimchar flashed behind his eyes and he visibly flinched. Don't look at me like that... "...Caine," he responded softly, the fight leaving his eyes as he resigned to his fate. He couldn't leave now, not when someone looked at him that way."We could share what we end up coming across. Um... We have a lot of mouths we need to find food for, but..." The fire fox watched as the youth brightened noticeably. "We carry more this way, and having an extra pair of eyes would be useful. Everyone needs to eat." Looking over his head to the Togetic again, Caine knew he was trapped. Not by his body, but by his bleeding heart. "...Sure. I'll help you guys." What had he gotten himself into.

Would Oliver be disappointed or proud?...

"Thank you Lone." The Phanteon pushes his head back a bit as though he was proud to say he had been murdered. "Further testimony won't be required." Nodding, he stands and moves to a slightly different spot.
"Now the victim has spoken I would now like to examine the other witnesses. Seeing as the gible is not here to investigate; TinyDragon, Rokai, Katyusha as witnesses to this event do you have anything to add to Lone's testimony or points to be made in your defense?" Diverting his eyes Lone wonders what the Inspector thought of Lotta. She wasn't present, did that make her void in this? Thats not how these things work. No, the Inspector wouldnt do that, but what else could they do, and.. Wasnt I trying to put it off her? Puffing out his chest the Phanteon lets his eyes glaze over with lack of concern. He wasn't the smartest Pokemon around but if he played for time.. There might be a way out of this. He just had to think of how first.

TinyDragon can feel her fragile heart pummeling against her ribcage."As it stands... " Much more of this and she is positive it will burst from her chest. "Miss Dragon you are currently the Prime Suspect. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Wha wha wha no no why! Panic pulses through her like wildfire. Why is she the prime suspect! She would never harm anyone, let alone kin! Taking another step back, her tailing slide across the ground with the movement, the Water Type suddenly feels very cornered. The cave felt so small.. She didn't want to run but oh gods this place was much too cramped. Lone and Javolt blocked the exit, running further in would only corner her- W-why am I thinking of running? She, she was innocent. She was innocent she didnt need to run. Why was she trying to act so guilty..? Looking to her dark-furred companions the Vaporeons eyes sparkle brightly with desperation. Please! They begged. You know I was only trying to help, I would never harm anyone!

"I-I-I.." She whimpers softly, "I-I s-s-saw vu fight and Wone was h-hurt.." Her voice shakes harshly and her body even harsher. The Vaporeon could not stop the shaking or even keep her eyes steady for more then a moment. "I-I was scured so I wook him a-awuy!" Remembering the foul taste of blood on the Eevee's scruff as she ran sends another violent shiver though her body. "I troyed to help.." Her words fall to no more then a whisper. I only wanted to help.. Katyusha and Rokai knew that. They.. they wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Would they..?

The Phanteon narrows his ruby gaze at the Vaporeon. The thick fog and blanket of anger coating those memories is too hard to see through. The Vaporeon could of tried to eat him, or help, he didn't know. He knew she hadn't caused the actual killing but.. he was no longer positive if she was completely innocent. Bitch is trembling like a leaf. What is she so worried about?

This wasn't going well at all.

Rokai's emerald gaze flicked from Javolt, to Lone then down to TinyDragon. What was going to happen? None of them had killed Lone, as none of them really had the heart to kill the eevee - well, back when he was one. "You're right, I was there. I found you at the scene...in a bush, with TinyDragon and oran berries." Rokai glance back at Katyusha, thinking back to the oran berries that TD had tried to feed Lone so that she could heal the eevee. Rokai frowned. How was that evolution possible from eevees anyway? He knew that they were adaptable, but to come back from the dead? That was a little bit of a stretch.

Yet he had been there, and seen it happen with his own two eyes.

"Thank you Lone." Rokai's mind snapped back to the present conversation when the Manectric's voice adressed the rest of them. "Further testimony won't be required." Further testimony..? Rokai's ashen fur pricked up at the thought of what was coming next. "Now the victim is spoken I would now like to examine the other witnesses. Seeing as the gible is not here to investigate; TinyDragon, Rokai, Katyusha as witnesses to this event do you have anything to add to Lone's testimony or points to be made in your defence? As it stands..." Rokai blinked and followed Javolt's gaze over to TinyDragon. His tail flicked absent-mindedly as the Houndoom's eyes narrowed slightly. His fur pricked at the the tone in the other canine's words. He did not like what that tone foreshadowed.

"Miss Dragon you are currently the Prime Suspect. Do you have anything to say in your defence?"

Wait,
WHAT?! Rokai's eyes widened as the information sunk in. TD was the Prime Suspect? Does that mean she was going to be executed? Like hell I'd let that happen. I don't think anyone would let that happen. Lone, maybe, but I don't think even he'd go this far. He thought, stepping forward to offer TinyDragon support. "I-I-I.." Taking a deep breath, Rokai steeled his nerves. Surely they'd stop before something as drastic as executing someone happened, right?

"I-I s-s-saw vu fight and Wone was h-hurt.." Rokai stared at the ground at his paws. Javolt wasn't serious about this executing thing, was he? There's no proof that any of them did it, and whatever killed Lone had to of been from someone who they didn't expect to hit them like... Rokai blinked. What about those meteors? He thought, frowning. None of them could make those meteors, and the only one that would of been able to create them was... "The gible..." Rokai's words were hushed as the fire hound tried to sift through his thoughts.

"I-I was scured so I wook him a-awuy!" Jostled from his thoughts, Rokai blinked and looked back up to lock eyes with TinyDragon, who seemed about ready to bolt. But that wasn't a good idea considering what Javolt had said about them trying to flee. "I troyed to help.." Rokai frowned. They all did, but Lone had run off anyway, even though all they had done was try to help him. Lone had gone and gotten them into this mess. The fire hound doubted that the Phanteon would try to get them out of this mess as well. Darkrai he felt so useless not being able to do anything, lest he get himself and TD on the wrong side of Javolt's temper.

"Thank you Lone." As the ninetales watches the phanteon after completing his statements he almost looks...proud. Proud of what? Why? The questions and unknown made the back of her head throb. "Further testimony won't be required." Whatever this trick from the ghost was, she wouldn't let it end his way if she could help it. "Now the victim is spoken I would now like to examine the other witnesses. Seeing as the gible is not here to investigate; TinyDragon, Rokai, Katyusha as witnesses to this event do you have anything to add to Lone's testimony or points to be made in your defence? As it stands..."

As much as the fox would have liked to interrupt, to blurt out everything she had observed the day before, how the victim had attacked them and the holes in his story. However, she remains silent as Javolt speaks. Instead, she uses the time to consider what to say during her own testimonial. Would it be beneficial to address Lone attacking them? Or would the inspector just brush it off as Lone acting in "self defense" or assume Katyusha herself is using it to cover something else up? Hm... "Miss Dragon you are currently the Prime Suspect. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The poor fish looked like her heart would burst from the accusations and reality of the situation. Though the water-type remained perfectly in place, their eyes looked frantic. Desperate to get away? The thought crosses her mind that this action correlate with those of a guilty 'mon. Those thoughts; however, she squashes quickly. "Tiny Dragon did nothing to hurt, much less kill him."

---

Disappointment. That was the only thing Marvin had yet to find for breakfast. Since finding the berries hanging just perfectly out of reach, his search had turned up nothing. Marvin didn't consider himself picky; however, the poison-type DID have standards. Such as, rotting meat and fruit were terrible meals. With his head low to the ground, he forged on, sniffing along the underbrush. Occasionally the action came out as a gentle snort.

So focused on his task, the skunk only mildly kept track of his location. Besides, even if he did get lost, the place he holed up in the night before was no real catch, he had no possessions, and he fancied himself decent with directions.He doubted he would have to worry about that anyway. Finally, something stands out among the other scents, something familiar--not one of his favorites, but hunger was an excellent seasoning. Raising one clawed foot, Marvin gingerly uproots several small mushrooms he finds peeking out from the underside of a downed tree.

Digging his teeth into the soft flesh, he attempts to chew slowly, to make the moment last. Of course though, it always ends too quickly. Hope flaring that there might be more around, he lowers his head again to continue searching, but finds another familiar scent...smoke. Perking his ears, faint noises begin to reach him as well, ones that sounds far too much like voices for his liking. Come here to burn down the rest of the island did you?

The Manectric turns his ice-blue eyes on the diminutive water type. She didn't look like a threat at all but he had learnt the hard way that just because a pokemon appeared innocent they probably weren't.
"I-I s-s-saw vu fight and Wone was h-hurt.." The Vaporeon's voice is shaking and stuttering, nervousness not helping her condition. Javolt patiently waits until she has finished speaking.
"I-I was scured so I wook him a-awuy!" Her voice drops to a near whisper.
"I troyed to help.."
"Understood." Javolt replies.
Things were coming together...his face remains expressionless as he goes over the information he has been given so far. The Vaporeon's testimony appears to be sincere; she didn't appear to have cause the ghost's death by anything more than moving the body. If other statements were to be believed there was more evidence that she had attempted a resucitation than struck the final blow.
The aging electric type began to pace, staring down the other pokemon. So then, there was the question of who had struck the fatal blow.
"Well? What do the rest of you have to say about this?" He barks, hoping that someone has seen something else useful.
He turns to the Houndoom and pads up until he can look into the black-furred fire-type's bright green eyes.
"You said something earlier when Miss Dragon was testifying. What was it?"