(ACE) The UNDER Team

The Thunderbolt had hit its target square in the chest, but the exertion had taken its toll on its user. Gah... Koin whimpered as he placed nearly all his weight on his left side, his right fore leg becoming numb from the tourniquet he had used. Taking it off would mean more blood loss, keeping it on could risk losing a limb. The Jolteon heaved large gulps of air, trying to grab a hold of the situation in the damp darkness. The crashing of boxes could be heard - that was Delia, he assumed - and the Lightning Pokemon knew immediately that staying in a single spot would be life-endangering, if not useless. The others could be in danger also.

Koin forced himself to limp forward, but exhaustion overtook the Jolteon and caused him to collapse on the ground, just in time to see Delia zone in her eyes on the Typhlosion before him... Blaze?! Oh no. Not her. The Jolteon shivered, though the area was not nearly cold enough to cause it. Useless and unable to move, Koin was forced to watch as the two Pokemon clashed with undeniably powerful attacks, awe seeping into him along with fear and anger at his inability to help. The mighty fire type threw Delia upward, and for a moment, the Jolteon thought that move had done it. But one look at the stoic Typhlosion’s face and he knew it was not.

What is she- The black figure of the Zoroark fell downward, and suddenly Blaze was on the ground, defenseless as he was. Koin struggled onto his feet again, but it expended all his energy just managing to hold himself up. Before he knew it, he saw Delia holding an organ, a gaping hole in Blaze’s chest.

“... Blaze! B-Blaze!” This... no... Koin pounced from his position and neared the corpse of the Typhlosion, pushing Delia away as tears blurred his vision. This shouldn’t have happened... The Lightning Pokemon pushed his face into her limp fore paw as he had done to his dying trainer, wishing that some sort of life would surface from the Typhlosion... but, like his trainer, he received none. Forgetting about his own injury, Koin looked at the blood covering Blaze’s entire body - it was a disgraceful death, something that didn’t fit Blaze. Oh, Blaze.... why...

Despite in the back of his mind a voice was yelling that a bloodthirsty Zoroark was behind him, the Jolteon couldn’t find himself to care. At the moment, Koin was just a frightened Jolteon who had just lost a comrade he had begun to feel was family. And now... she’s gone... A sob broke through him, and the tears fell unmercilessly. Koin began to lick the blood off his friend, trying to make her look presentable in her death, but the steel tang of the red liquid forced her to stop. I’ll miss you, Blaze. Although he had never told her, Koin received an almost motherly vibe from the Typhlosion - loyal, and did everything in her will to protect her friends.

He felt the heartache that much more. You were like the mother I never had, Blaze...

Sai had missed his target, the Charizards neck, though it wasn't a waist for he did manage to grab its wing. He could feel Cathal tugging, trying to get away from the Krookodiles grasp, but his jaws where far more powerful then the dragon, they where strong enough to crush even a human car.

He could see it felt no pain as it tried to strip free of his grasp, though when it did manage to get away, it left its wing still in Sai's mouth, now truly taking the Charizards flight. Sai tossed the wing to the side and was ready to use another attack when the fire type turned tail and ran. Sai didn't bother to give chase, he was already tired that he needed to rest. He could hear his breath coming out in rasps, as well as feel the dragons blood drip from his jaws before he spat it out, hoping none of it had managed to sink its way down his throat.

Sai looked around, seeing Shiloh he slowly walked over to her. "You all right?" He asked as he looked at her. He was really breathing heavily, and he wanted nothing more then to lay down right there and sleep, but he knew he couldn't right now, they had to go find Blaze and Koin. "We should get moving." Sai said as he began to walk to where he believed Blaze and Coin to be fighting Delia.

When he finally reached the point where Coin and Blaze where he saw something he wished he hadn't. Coin was crying over the bloody form of the Typhlosion. The Krookodiles eyes widened in fear at the sight of the blood, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. Blaze had a huge whole in her chest where her heart should have been, much like Cathal. Delia had managed to kill her. Though he didn't know the Typhlosion as well as the Jolteon, he still felt the stab of sorrow at losing her. He had spent only a few moments with her when they first got here as they searched for the others, and now she lay in front of him bloody and dead. He thought it wasn't possible for the fire type to lose a battle, she seemed to strong, a fitting leader.

Sai could feel his anger once again grip his heart, much like the time so many months ago when hunters came and took his friend from his tribe. He hated the sight of blood, for it meant death. He prayed that Blaze would not come back as an undead like Cathal had, he didn't think Coin or himself would be able to kill her a second time. He hoped she had found her way to a better place, free of all this pain and sadness.

The Krookodile kept his distance as he let Coin have his moment to morn his friends death.

((I apologize everyone for the late post DX I had completely forgotten it was my tern cause I'm so used to going after Echocave.))

He arrived in time to watch the Seductress tear apart one of her greatest foes. She had been taunting the bulk of muscle since he woke, and was sure that the victory was pleasing to her. Perhaps she might even let him feast with her upon her kill. Cathal approached the Zoroark carefully, paying no notice to the bright yellow dot mourning over Blaze's body. He needed to see her, she was the only one who could help him.

"You...bested her," the words were short, concise, but for some reason he was struggling to put the small sentence together. While in his mind the words fit together, when he tried to say them it broke in the middle and he had to force the last bit out. He looked to Delia for answers, for surely she had some. He saw that horrid Krookodile approaching him once again, and he growled low in his throat. He walked away from that nonsense for a reason. Surely, he wasn't stupid enough to attack two invincible creatures?

He and Seductress would be unstoppable, if he tried.

"You all right?" Sai asked, Shiloh blinked, oh dear Arceus the Lopunny has done it once again! She dozed off, probably out of tiredness from this stupid battle. It actually felt like it's been going on for months. Nonetheless she gave a small nod, "Doing fine, thank you Sai." The Krokodile was breathing heavily, giving Shiloh an excuse to worry deeply for him, hopefully he was doing fine. She should really go try to contribute to the group more rather than stand around like an idiot. "We should get moving." He commented, once again, the normal-type just gave a nod, following him to where the supposed Joltleon and Blaze were fighting the Zoroark.

That was when her heart dropped. At the sight of the Joltleon sobbing over a battered, bloodied figure of a Typhlosion limply on the ground, it made the humanoid Pokemon... cry. They were complete strangers, sure, but... Blaze was the one that encouraged her to be strong, it wasn't directly, but Shiloh felt overwhelming energy that past few hour, and really, it was all thanks to that Typhlosion and Sai.
The Lopunny gagged a bit between her sobs, but that was because of this weird sensation of hunger chewing up her insides, the Joltleon mourned for Blaze, they must have been close friends really. Sai kept his distance, it seemed that the Electric-type and the Fire-type shared a closer bond.

Shiloh never really experienced death besides her trainer's, but this was unlike it. A complete stranger, yet it was a Pokemon that changed her motives dramatically. Rather than being a contest gal, she'll be a battling gal, side-by-side with her friends to fight off those that were bad!
Nonetheless, she gave a slight pat to the Joltleon, wiping away her own tears quickly so that he would notice how Shiloh felt for Blaze, "I-I'm Shiloh." She introduced herself hoarsely, she never really did introduce herself due to this crazy battle, even though now seemed not the best of times.

Absinthe sat in a shadowed alleyway, licking his fur clean from all the grime and dirt that caught on as he walked. The rank stench of blood caught his attention and in swift leaps, he made his way up a building and looked upon his surroundings. A fight was going on ways away from his location, and in curiosity, began to bound towards the fray. It took longer than expected, trying to keep his fur from dragging, but he made it.

As he reached them the feud had already ended, and he gave a puff of annoyance. Instead the Typhlosion lay dead in the clearing, heart ripped out and a Jolteon mourning over her. A Krookodile and a bunny-thing were also there, the latter patting the electric-type on the back. From the corner of his sight he spotted two Pokemon, a Charizard and Zoroark, both smelled of death. He scrunched up his nose in distaste, before slowly padding out towards the other living.

Purposely clicking his claws on the ground to make his presence known, he swept his tail on the ground and sat. The Absol softened his harsh gaze, not wanting to gain a negative impression. "Hello." Absinthe murmured, calm. Although inside he couldn't stand the sight of the dead body before him, it reminded him too much of the dark thoughts humans have said. "What... Has happened here?" he asked, wary of the undead in the area.

It was weird for Delia that all of these other pokemon, even her Dragon and a new figure coming out of the woodworks for Blaze. It made her Cheshire grin widen, her blood-stained claws clicking as she thought. Now was the time to eat little Koin, something she had promised herself in that first cave which they all sat together; her, Blaze, Koin, the delicious blue thing and Chivalry, the strange gallade. Yes... she remembered those days well, and even with the appearance of all these new people, she and Koin were the last of that first group, the remnants of the survivors from Mt. Mortar.

She stared down at the sobbing form of Koin, and a strange feeling stirred within her. Her grin fell as it washed over her, a stabbing in her chest she couldn't recognize. Remorse? No, that couldn't be it. She had just killed her behemoth, her tower of muscles. Surely... surely she couldn't feel bad for that. After all, Blaze was still alive; she had eaten her heart. She would carry the typhlosion's power with her for the rest of eternity...

...so why was guilt plaguing her?!

She hissed at herself, then directed her gaze to the still weeping jolteon. "Don't be sad little Koin," she found herself saying, "We'll all be together... Right here." She motioned to her stomach, then reached slowly for him with Blaze's blood still dripping from them. "With me... Together..."

He didn't know how long he stayed like that, mourning and weeping in the valley of death. But he knew that he had to quit moping around - Blaze wouldn't have enjoyed it much if he died crying over her death. With a half-heart chuckle, she'd more likely be annoyed by it than anything else. May you have the rest you deserve, Blaze. He nuzzled her paw once again, the warmth long gone and the smell of death beginning to replace the Typhlosion's scent. Koin listened in gentle acceptance as others gathered around him, Shiloh introducing herself in quiet sympathy. "Koin. I'm Koin."

The Jolteon's voice was coarse, like he had not used it in a long time, although just a few minutes ago he had shouted at Delia. Koin closed his eyes, and stayed like that until a new voice reached his ears, and he opened them to find himself looking at an Absol. "What... has happened here?" The Lightning Pokemon flicked his ears, but at the thought of what 'happened here', his throat clenched and he visibly flinched; the blood, the heart, Delia's blood red eyes... It was too much to handle right now. The Jolteon found that he was shivering, and with a shaky breath, he stood up. Whether he was traumatized by... Blaze's death or by Delia's kill, he wasn't sure. Koin chose not to answer the newcomer. ... too soon...

Why was someone coming to replace Blaze in his life already? It was too soon. Too soon. Too soon to accept.

The electric type found it slightly ironic how so long ago, Blaze had saved his life because Delia (as a puny Zorua, imagine that!) had offered to eat him as Chivalry held him down. Hours, or even days or weeks later - who knew anymore? - Blaze lay dead on unknown ground, killed by none other than Delia, and he had done nothing to stop it. Koin shook his head in regret, but the deed had been done, the action unable to be taken away. The grotesque image of Delia holding up Blaze's heart flashed through his mind once again, and Koin winced, accidentally placing weight on his right leg.

Whimpering to himself, the Jolteon started when the voice of a certain Zoroark spoke his name. "Don't be sad little Koin. We'll all be together... Right here." Delia directed his eyes to her stomach, and he felt himself trying to hobble backwards, but to no avail. Koin watched in horror was that same claw moved from her stomach and towards him, a melancholy act that might have touched his heart (dear Arceus, don't let her touch his heart!)... if it were any other person. "With me... Together..." Koin let out a soft whimper, his eyes darting to hers, to her outreached claw, and to even the others in the vicinity. His breathing had sped up, and he was positive that his heart had also, and everything was beginning to get woozy from the hyperventilation.

"Get... get away!" He managed to squeak out, forcing himself to step over Blaze to put distance between Delia and himself. His injured leg left a long red line of blood along the deceased body, and Koin felt the need to retch. With eyes wide with fear, the Jolteon looked up at the closest Pokemon nearby in desperation, which happened to be Sai. "Sai, g-get me away from her!" Delia was going to eat him next, another casualty in her reign of darkness and stealth. Delia. Death... Koin fell on his side, a blank stare as he looked on in darkness. "Delia...

"Death..."

Sai turned to the new pokemon, an Absol, he reconized it cause a few trainers that passed through his desert had one. He didn't bother to pay it any mind, it wasn't the time right now to exchange plesentries, not when a member of there group just died. Cathal didn't seem to like him showing up again, but if he didn't attack the Krookodile, then he wasn't going to bother attacking back.

Sai let out a growl as Deliah reached her blood covored hand to Koin, saything he, Blaze, and herself could be together in her stomach. He was going to say something, but held his tongue since this was a problem between old friends, something he didn't have any part in, even though the sight of that blood was starting to make him sick, he wasn't going to leave the Jolteon on his own.

"Get... get away!" He heard Koin say as he draged himself over the Typhlosions body, leaving a trail of his own blood behind him. Sai could see the fear in the Jolteons eyes as he looked up at him, and sorrow gripped the Krookodiles heart. He wondered how many friends the yellow pokemon had lost since this epidemic started, and now he just lost another one. "Sai, g-get me away from her!" He said to the Krookodile, and Jiru bent down to pick the wonded electric type up.

"Don't worry Koin, I'll get you as far away from her as possible." He said, hoping he could hold to what he just said. He looked at the Zoroark, hate flashed in his eyes, wondering what could have made her so distorted. He took in a deep breath then fired an Incinorate at the Zoroark and Charizard before retreated with the wounded Jolteon, trying to get him as far away from the dark type as he could.

((Sorry for any grammer or spelling errors, currently using a computer that doesn't check for those.))

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion to him. All anyone was doing was standing around. Seductress didn't even seem to notice his presence, and that confused him. Was he there? Could anyone see him? The croc seemingly glared at him for a moment, so he knew he wasn't invisible, so what was everyone doing? They seemed to be mourning over the beast Seductress killed. That seemed strange, as she was prey and prey is meant to be eaten.

Seductress made her move towards the Jolteon, claws extended, and everyone turned hard on her. The skittish fox backed away in fear and the annoying croc let loose another stupid fire attack. It washed over him uselessly, and Cathal just shrugged. There was no point in going after them, there were sure to be easier meals elsewhere. He moved away from the group and found himself in some kind of tunnel. Wherever this tunnel went, he would surely find food on the other side.

((OOC: This is Cathal's leaving post, and Ardere will introduce herself once Lute posts with her Absol. In case anyone is wondering, he is leaving out the Under Subway tunnel. Time to float him to Hoenn!))

Shiloh, once again, drifted off as things began to unfold. Her thoughts being broken of by the sound of the Zoroark's voice, "Don't be sad little Koin, We'll all be together... Right here." She reached out for the Joltleon - Shiloh now figured as Koin - then motioning to her stomach,[i] "With me... Together..." Well nice way to leave Shiloh out of the party, not that she wasn't glad she was, but to abandoned Koin was like, a sin she could not commit!
"Don't worry Koin, I'll get you as far away from her as possible." Sai defended the Electric-Type. Shiloh nodded with agreement, staying close to the Krokodile as much as possible as well as attempting to protect her new-found friend, "Just stay away! You... You MONSTER!" Shiloh hissed at the end, she had never done that before, even to those she held a grudge against to. She never knew this Zoroark, but she was obviously being a pain in the ass to the group.

She glanced at the Absol, giving an apologetic look, 'Coming at a bad time too...' Then again, the Lopunny came into the group at a bad time too. When the Charizard recently died. Now at the thought of the Charizard... Where did he go? Shiloh pushed the thought away, if he was gone, then they're at peace. Now if the Unovian Undead was gone, everything would be all handy dandy perfect!

[OOC: Oh crap, crap, sorry guys- internet went down yesterday night and I wasn't able to post. ;;A;;]

Absinthe frowned as they ignored him, only giving him a few wary glances. His violet eyes studied the Zoroark carefully, as it motioned to her stomach. "We'll all be together... Right here. With me... Together..." Blood was dripping from her claws and immediately the Absol's fur stood up, a mild growl emitting from his throat. The Jolteon began to request Sai, the Krookodile, to get him away, muttering something about Delia and death. "Don't worry Koin, I'll get you as far away from her as possible." Ah, so Koin was the Jolteon's name. e couldn't help but feel awkward to learn others names without them introducing themselves, but that was off-topic.

As licks of flames blazed at both infected [The Charizard now going away.] the crocodile began to retreat with the electric-type. Absinthe caught the apologetic look the Lopunny gave him, and as the living began to get away from the undead, the dark-type threw a Psycho Cut to the ground in warning to Delia. Turning tail and beginning to run, he caught up with the others. "I really, really do apologize if I had come at a bad time," Polite as possible Absinthe, be polite. "And I am most certainly sorry for your friend's passing. May she rest in peace."

"They call me Absinthe, and I am an ally." He quietly murmured, looking back at the Zoroark. It's disgusting scent made him shiver, he hated the infected.

The tunnels were black as pitch, and the only sound was a soft panting echoing through the walls. They were joined by light, padded footsteps searching their way through the endless dark. A shuffle was heard, followed by a crash and a loud groan. A small flicker of flame was seen, that soon grew larger as it formed a shape. Fangs. Red eyes glistened in the light of the fire as they took in their surroundings, before the fires faded as quietly as they had come.

Ardere winced as she fell into another wall or scrap, her already sore body making her tired and weak. It had only been a few days since Hadrian had attacked her, and the loss of her former friend still hurt deeply. She didn't realize until too late that it was this infection that turned her dearest companion into the crazed fox who brutalized her, the tell tale sign of his assault still fairly fresh on the back of her neck. It was scarring over, but if she pulled her neck or shoulders too tightly it would still sometimes split open and bleed. All she wanted was a place to rest, and was at a complete loss as to how she wandered into this eternal night.

Forcing herself back to her feet she continued onward. Something had drawn her here, something in the void. Perhaps it was Hadrian? If the Zoroark were here, maybe she could talk to him, figure out why he had attacked her like that. She refused to believe that the infection held him that completely, there had to still be something of her friend still in there. Right? Ardere shivered slightly at the idea that there could be nothing left but a demon that once was Hadrian, and nausea threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to get somewhere she could lay down, just for a moment.

((OOC: Introducing Ardere! She should get a lot more living time than Cathal did, lol))

It was odd, seeing the other pokemon unify against her. Her dragon had even left... She squeezed her eyes shut against the confusing situation. She had just come out victorious against Blaze... why did guilt rack her? Why did those other pokemon glare at her with hate? Jealousy? Yes... yes, that must be it... They were jealous that she had killed the obnoxious tower of muscles... They had wanted her kill, her power, and they were too late.

Yes... that had to be it.

She looked to Koin, and her eyes narrowed with a sickly grin. She had promised herself all that time ago that she would feast on him once Blaze was dead, and now, here they were... together and Blaze dead. However, something stopped her from attacking, from claiming her next prize. The other pokemon glared warily at her, and though she knew herself to be invincible, the instinct that she was ridiculously outnumbered stayed her claws. "...Koin..." She wanted to tell him it would be ok, that they would be happy together if he would just succumb. Just succumb... Didn't he realize that? Didn't he know? She would take him to sweet Death, and they would all be together, her, Koin, Blaze and Dante...

Her eyes snapped open with realization. 'DANTE!' How could she have forgotten her real prize?! Koin was dessert; Blaze was an appetizer and Dante was the main course. She was eating them all out of order! She cackled loudly at this new revelation, and she hopped onto a building, viewing the group from above. "Koin, I'll be back for you... I need to find... someone..." Her grin widened. "But don't worry... I'll be back for you soon... and then we can all be together..." She looked at the others and her grin grew. "All of us..." With that, she disappeared into the dark, her crimson eyes the only thing visible as she left.

It was soon that she came across a tunnel, an old railway system by the look of it. There, though, she saw a stumbling figure and had her heart still been beating, it would have stopped. Horned dog... could that be her love? She trotted near, becoming slightly visible. "...Dante...?"

Koin felt his body go numb with exhaustion, his bones feeling as if they were lead, his mind beating as if it had a heart of its own. Urgh... The Jolteon moaned in pain as Sai continued to drag him away, biting his lip to prevent any further noises. The last thing he wanted was to bring more attention to his friends for the infected, be the cause of more strife for those that had just saved his life yet again. His mind now focused on getting back to his feet, and away from Delia and her fantasies, the electric type found the energy to look at everyone whom he now was amongst.

Sai had a set determined face, looking around the darkness for any respite from the dangers, a chance for rest. Koin twisted his head to slowly seek out the other figures in the dying light - Shiloh, the Lopunny whom he had only met very recently. "They call me Absinthe, and I am an ally." And lastly, the Absol; he really didn't know what to make of the dark type, although seeing as how the Disaster Pokemon hasn't done any harm as of yet, he would just take his word for it. Not like I could have done anything if he did. The fact that it was true stung, but for now Koin nodded in resignation towards Absinthe. They could all have proper introductions when a time came for it.

As they continued to trek, Koin felt a question, a need to ask it, but he tried to subdue his urge. It did not work whatsoever. His Master had always chastised him for his insatiable, the Lightning Pokemon thought with a sad tone. "Uh, Sai... do you really think we can survive?" Those words made him cringe at the memory, cringe at when he had last used them. He shouldn't have asked, he decided. Koin had last voiced this sentence at Ecruteak to Chivalry, when he had begun to believe in the Gallade and his stalwart manners. It was the last sentence he had spoken before the Gallade disappeared.

Maybe it was because his mind was playing tricks on him, but Koin feared that the same thing would happen to Sai. Deja vu or not, the Jolteon didn't want to lose another friend. They're all dying... He shivered at the thought of another death. But it's inevitable. And that was the scary part.

When Sai believed he was far enough away from Delia he started to slow down. He ached in every inch of his body and wanted nothing more then to sleep, but he still needed to find a place where they could safely rest without being found so easily.
He found an old building, it was rather run down, and stunk to high heaven, but the stink could hopefully disguise there scent for being detected by Delia, and the place seemed to provide good cover. He ran into the place, keeping his senses alert for undead, but luckily, there where none.
He found his way to the top floor where he found a vacant room with a window with some boards that where probably meant to keep the infected out when the started to swarm the underground. Sai was starting to feel a little homesick. But he quickly pushed it aside as he he cleaned from debris in the corner of the room where he lay Koin down. The Krookodile wished he had something to help the little Jolteon, but he had nothing.

Sai finally turned his attention to the Absol, who had introduced itself as Absinthe. It was a name Sai was going to have trouble saying, it sounded almost like a word in a tongue twister. "I'm Sai." He said as he sat down next to the window where he was able to get a good look outside. "Sorry, but you came at a bad time." He added as he looked over to Koin once again, who now seemed to be awake.
"Uh, Sai... do you really think we can survive?" Koin asked him, and the Krookodile just held a look of surprise before it changed back to a sorrowful expression. He didn't know how to answer that question, but he had to say something, something that would keep hope in the Jolteon, but he could think of nothing.
"I really can't say Koin." He said, as he looked back out the window. "We may survive, or we may die, its hard to fight something that's just meant to be." He had no idea what he was saying, or if it even made any sense to the Jolteon, or even the others. "But I know one thing, we need to keep trying, even if in the end, there is nothing left to fight for." He looked back at Koin, and tried to smile.
Sai didn't know about the others, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet, he was going to see this infection through, even if he was the last one standing in the end.

Sai closed his eyes then stood up and turned to the others. "Keep and eye on him, I'm going to go and find some food and maybe something we can use to bandage up Koins leg." He said before he left the room. He had never been in a human home before, so he couldn't really tell what was what, but one of the rooms had to have something to bandage up Koins wounded leg.
Sai soon came upon a room that had long fabric like material. Being a wild pokemon, Sai had never seen bed sheets before, but they looked strong and clean enough to use to stop Koins bleeding, as well as future wounds.
Since Koin was small, he really only needed one, so he proceeded to fold the sheet when something rolled out of it. Sai's senses went on alert as he turned to the sound to see something he hadn't seen in ages. A pokemon egg. Placing the sheet back where he had found it, he walked over to the egg and picked it up.
He held it firmly, but gently in his hands, not wanting to risk dropping it and have it break, if not already broken. He looked it over and just as he thought, it had not a crack on it. The sheets must have kept it safe and hidden from any infected that had probably wondered these halls, but Sai didn't know how long the egg had been here, so it was a sure chance that it may never hatch, but there was also the slight chance that it mite, so he couldn't leave it behind.
Sai turned and grabbed the sheet he was going to use on Koins leg, as well as another to keep the egg warm before he began to head back to the others.

((Sorry for any grammar errors, was in a rush when doing this.))

[Ooc: Skip please ;P Busy. Shiloh's just listening to convo while relaxing seeing as the undead are gone. However, when Sai comes back she squints her eyes wondering where he got the egg]

"I'm Sai. Sorry, but you came at a bad time." The Absol merely gave a quick nod, acknowledging the Krookodile's words. He listened to the Jolteon as if they will survive, and Absinthe could only gently cringe at the thought. In this world, anything can happen. Anything. From the moment that the Epidemic started to right now living were slowly dying off, and the dark-type feared that soon the infected would completely take over.

"Keep and eye on him, I'm going to go and find some food and maybe something we can use to bandage up Koins leg." Absinthe slowly sat down on the dirty planks, senses alert as his eyes carefully watched the Jolteon. Sai left the room, soon returning with bed sheets and a... Pokemon egg? "How curious..." he mumbled. "You found an egg?" it was hard enough to believe that there were still living in this broken world, but there were even some eggs left? Absinthe was amazed.

Her limbs grew tired and weak, her nausea long since turning to vomiting. Her stomach tightened painfully as she once again expelled acid, as there was nothing else within the organ to emit. The stench and burn hit her nose and she gagged, it was awful. She took a few more steps before finally collapsing, exhausted, to the ground. She didn't know how long she lay there, but soon the darkness and shadows started making shapes.

A figure began to take form nearby, and Ardere heard slight shuffling to accompany. Was...was something there? The shadow began to take a familiar shape and the Houndoom had to stop herself from crying. A lithe, elongated form with a pointed snout. Long, spiky hair flowing down its back while long arms reached into the darkness. And those piercing red eyes... "Ha-Hadrian?" she whispered to the darkness.

"...Dante...?"

No! No not Hadrian, but some other demon! In her weakened state she would be no match against one of those creatures! Ardere whimpered in fright as she tried to force herself to her feet, but was unable to do more than shove herself to the side. This beast would be on her in moments, and who knew what she would do the the frail canine then. All hope was lost...

Legends knew how long he'd been stuck in the weird labyrinth of a town that this place was. He'd accidentally fallen down the broken shaft some time ago, thankfully not breaking anything, and trying to find his way among the dark ruins. He didn't even know where the hell he was in the first place. Or how long it'd been since he'd gotten there. The shaft of light that had signaled his entry was now out of his line of sight, and he was alone, in the dark.

Until shit caught on fire.

There was some hell of a fight going on. A charizard, from the look of it. Guilt panged him as he remembered his own charizard teammate, Shoko, and how the aggron had simply broken his long, lithe neck. As he scooted closer to the battle -but making sure he was still a good distance away- there were a couple of other pokemon he didn't recognize; a bunny, a croc, a fox... His eyes widened at the others. An absol... and a very beaten jolteon.

His ears flattened as his mind registered the sight before him, the fox leaving, disappearing into the darkness. He was careful to not attract attention, but the absol and jolteon attracted all of his attention. Of all the places he could literally stumble across... he found...

'Demi...'

He swallowed the anxiety that quickly clogged his throat and scampered to the other pokemon, slowly coming into the others' range of perception. He paused as his doubts collected. What was he doing? Why would they need his help, his of all other pokemon? His dainty paws began to reverse... Maybe... He shouldn't...

He gave the other jolteon a look of apology before turning to go back into the shadows.

"Ha-Hadrian?"

Delia's head tilted in confusion. The stench of bile covered up the other's scent, but with the voice, Delia now knew the houndoom in front of her was not her love, was not her brother, her dear, dear brother... but a godless imposter! Delia's teeth flashed in the dark. "JEZEBEL!" she screeched and lunged, pitting herself over the recumbent form of the stranger. "You think you can just waltz up to me and pretend you're my Dante? That YOU'RE my mate? Filthy wench! Whore!" She looked the other over, and the snarl lengthened.

"You aren't even fresh enough to eat," she spat, her crimson eyes glaring down at the poor houndoom. "Disgusting. Wallow and rot in your own bile, weakling. I won't sully my tongue on you." And with that, Delia jumped over her and out into the world, never looking back. Her attention was forward, on the horizon... on her prize.

Dante...

((And with that, she's gone, guys! : P Off to troll some Sinnoh))

"... But I know one thing, we need to keep trying, even if in the end, there is nothing left to fight for." ... Thank you... Koin managed a small smile in return to Sai’s, a great relief coming to him for such little words spoken, disregarding the hidden undertone of angst. When Koin had decided once upon a time that he should have hope for a better future, Chivalry had deserted him; whereas when Koin had lost all will to even live the coming hours, Sai had taken charge and helped him through it. Where the Gallade hadn’t answered, Sai did, and it made a life changing difference in the Jolteon’s life. Whatever life I still might have... Koin laid his head down as a wave of nausea passed him by, twisting his neck just enough to look at the others in the vicinity.

Sai had gone off on his own... The Jolteon had grown to respect that Krookodile in the small time they had met, in the even smaller time they had to speak with one another. Koin flickered his eyes towards those of Absinthe’s, but a moment later the Lightning Pokemon shifted his gaze downward, his heart beating rapidly. Too soon... too alike... Call him a coward, but he was still heartbroken over Blaze’s death... and still too traumatized by the sheer strength of the dark type that is Delia. It was still too much for him to handle right now, looking at another dark type and not seeing the blood ravaged Zoroark. The Jolteon went on to find Shiloh, seeing her within the limits of his vision. I shouldn't have to remind myself that they're alright in the first place... Koin berated himself silently, knowing that in his lapse of fear and despair, he had forgotten to take into account the well being of the others.

How will we get out of here alive... He thought nervously as Sai returned, clothes and an egg in hand. “You found an egg?” Koin hated himself for flinching at the voice. He wasn’t used to the unfamiliar, scared to tread the unknown for fear of another ambush - physical or not. The Jolteon had begun to lose focus of the material world, his eyes blanking out their little joint, his ears lost on the conversation. Koin felt immense pity for the egg, having to hatch into a place where it never knew the peacefulness of the world. Unless it grew up resistant to the emotional turmoil the epidemic causes, the baby’s mental position would not be in good health.

Being on the top floor of this building, Koin didn’t know what he wanted to happen. Staggering up to the window slowly, the Jolteon watched the darkness from his vantage point. Debris lay everywhere in this wasted place, the fire from the Pokemon Center illuminating the area with an eerie backlight. Like a flicker of a lightbulb, Koin noticed a flash of yellow in the corner of his eye. The electric type turned his head haphazardly, not sure what to expect, and was entirely surprised to see a Jolteon looking straight back at him. It was as if Koin were looking at a more powerful, healthy image of himself, but just like that, the other Jolteon had fled into the darkness once again. ”W-wait!” He yelled after the electric type, mustering his courage to shout, despite that he might have attracted the infected. I won’t let others be on their own... Not when he knew how much it hurt.

((I'm afraid I must skip. I have no power at my house right now due to a nasty storm happening outside. Using my phone to send this. I shall have Sai explain where he found the egg in my next post.))

It was silent. At least, that's all that Absinthe could posible hear as he began to slowly fall into a half-sleep half-trance state. With the little to know rest that the Absol had, he was indefinitely tired. His dead gaze was staring outside the window, watching the dark abyss that they were all within. As the dark-type slowly began to drift fully into the dreamworld, Koin's voice caught his attention.

”W-wait!”

Absinthe jolted up, had the electric-type found someone? Looking out the window, there was a fading yellow... It was fading slowly into the shadows, and with the minimum light they had it was almost impossible for the Absol to even distinguish it's species, let alone it's state of living. "Wh... Who was that?" he murmured, quietly, hoping Koin wouldn't mind him asking such a question. Maybe there were more survivors in these shadows... Just maybe.

"JEZEBEL!" Ardere didn't even have time to scream as the dark figure soon was over her, blood red eyes seemingly boring into her very soul. "You think you can just waltz up to me and pretend you're my Dante? That YOU'RE my mate? Filthy wench! Whore!" The evil creatures words sank in deep, as the fragile hound knew them to be true. She was filthy, abused, the scent of blood and pain probably lingering still. She looked up with a terrified expression as a feral grin spread across the other female's face. "You aren't even fresh enough to ea."

Bile welled up into her throat as she realized her fears where correct. This complete stranger, this...this fiend, already knew everything that had happened to her. Everything Hadrian did. Even as the wicked beast sprang over her prone form and bounded into the darkness, the guilt and shame still washed over her. Ardere turned to her side and began to retch, bringing forth only bile and acid, and whimpered in suffering. Her heart, her body, and indeed her very soul were crushed from the experiences over the last couple of days.

If she didn't find help, then surely soon there would be nothing left.

"W-Wait!"

Tai froze, his gaze sharply looking back to his wounded cousin. His ears twitched a bit, looking the little group over again. That jolteon needed help, even if it was the help of a no-good, two-faced, backstabbing asshole... His gaze lowered as the absol asked a question, too soft for his musy mind to pick up. Guilt gripped him again, and, against his better judgement, he drew closer to the others.

When he was close enough for them to see his features, and vice versa, he paused, giving everyone an uneasy look. "...Uh..." His eyes settled once more on the other jolteon, and his ears fell a little. "...You don't look so good there, buddy..." he said with a small, sad grin. He opened his mouth to say more, but then closed it soon afterward, not knowing what else to say.