The RUSTBORO Team

A pleasant morning breeze caressed the old Blaziken's aged face as he passed the sign that had once welcomed he and his Trainer into the city. Looking round, Seth immediately noticed that Rustboro had expanded from the last time he was here. Most of the buildings were new or had been completely rebuilt. As Seth walked further into the city he noticed the only building that had not changed: the headquarters of the Devon Corporation. It still stood as the tallest, oldest building in Rustboro, hardly a scratch on it. Seth was glad to see that at least one mark of his past had been left unscathed by this nightmare.

The elderly Blaziken let out a soft groan and reduced his walking speed; he had traveled for a long time without rest and at his age, weariness was a heavy burden. He started to look around for a place to sit and rest for a while. He had found himself having to stop and recuperate his energy more often these days. Raising his single hand to his forehead to block the early morning sun's rays, Seth scanned the area carefully. No one, living or dead, appeared to be here other than himself. He sighed ruefully and wandered over to a piece of rubble from a nearby building and sat down on it, clutching his stump for comfort.

He always tried to be optimistic and was rarely in a bad mood, but Seth's old habits were getting to him. Twice now had he left his friends without saying goodbye and every time he thought of it he felt worse. Was he too selfish? He had been alone ever since he had left his friends at the Sky Pillar and was starting to think that he should've stayed with them just to spare his old self of the loneliness that was to follow.

With another sad sigh, Seth sat and quietly observed his surroundings, taking note of every small change that the city had undone since he had last been here. That was all he seemed to do these days. He knew he needed to change his habits soon enough or else he would have a lot of regrets when his life finally came to an end. And by the way he felt at that moment, that time felt like it would be coming sooner rather than later.

The dawn light came over the city slowly, recently destroyed and forgotten buildings left to be nothing more than forgotten ruins left to rot. There were still a few select structures left to stand, but the Vaporeon had no real trouble nevigating the city. The soft golden and peach rays of light from the rising sun only danced off of her ruby red scales, glisening like jewels and only shining lile a crystal of immeasurable beauty as she moved into the light. Her tail swung slowly to and fro behind her, dainty but strong paws stepping slowly through the glass and other sharp dangers that lay upon the ground. "Best not to get a cut in my pads," Jolt mused to herself. She had done well to keep herself clean and healthy for the many months since losing Ryler as well as the few weeks she had been on her own. Wounds mean infection. Infection mean becoming weak. Becoming weak means death. Or worse. 

The Vaporeon walked slowly down the streets of Rustboro, staying right in the middle of the streets. There were no cars to hit Pokemon anymore and she had long since learned that staying to the sides, near buildings and crevices, left the undead just as much of an opportunity to hide and attack as it would the living. Best to just be brave and keep her head high in the middle of the road. "Makes it easier to spot and potential allies as well." Jolt smiled to herself.

A Murkrow was perched on top of apartly broken building, it's eyes looking forward, still in movement. Her body, slim yet muscular for a bird like herself, was arched in a resting position. Sighing, the bird turned her head around to see what was going on in the area beside her. The soft sound of footsteps was approaching her, and without any thought, she dove into the building, peeking through a small hole in the wall to see who the footsteps belonged too. After a minuter or two, a Blaziken walked by, soon groaning and sitting down. It seemed old, and with a full view Blacklight could see that he was missing an... arm? It didn't matter though, as long as he was kind enough to do her a favor...

"Excuse me;" She began, popping out of the building, taking flight only to glide beside the Blaziken, "Would you mind me asking where I am?" She already knew where she was, yet, she felt the need to tease this old chap a bit. Holding a wing up behind his head and waving the other in front of his face then pointing forward, she looks towards the distance. "I came from that direction, and after a while I found this. I saw the large building... and decided to take a detour." She was speaking the truth there, and knowing her, that wasn't often.

The ground shook as a blue and red mass fly's past. The Salamence let out a roar as the undead used Dizzy Punch into his side. The Salamence looked at the Lopunny with pure hatred. HOW DARE YOU?! And with that the Salamence's teeth gleamed with blue fire and he grabbed the Lopunny and tossed it aside. The rabbit let out a scream of pain as her ear is let on fire and her body smacked against a tree. The sheer force from the throw broke the tree. but the undead was still alive. Well, as alive as an undead can get anyway.

The Salamence growled in a deep low voice and the Lopunny let out a soft hiss. It charged the dragon type with an Agility and ThunderPunch. The Salamence grinned and took the attacks like the brute he was. The Lopunny made contacted with the dragons side and it blinked. The dragon grinned and raised his leg. His claws started to glow a sorta warped purple and blue mix and he brought his claws down on the normal types head and sliced into the undead's head. The Salamence let out a victories roar toward the sky.

(And exit epic battle music.)

The little black bird startled Seth a little as she hopped out of a nearby hole in the building he was sitting next to. The Blaziken had been so deep in thought that he hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings. "Excuse me," she began, fluttering over to him. "Would you mind me asking where I am?" Seth's rather hardened expression softened as he regarded the small Murkrow and a smile crossed his aged face. How polite she was! Just as he was about to answer, the Murkrow pointed northward with her wing. "I came from that direction, and after a while I found this. I saw the large building... and decided to take a detour."

Keeping his stump rested in his hand, Seth leaned forward a little. "You are in Rustboro City," he said. "It is one of the major cities here in Hoenn ... At least, it used to be before all of this." He took a brief look around at the desolate city but tried to maintain his smile as he looked back at the Murkrow. Through his aged face and tired expression his eyes shone with truest kindness. "Would you permit me to learn of your name? I am Seth."

Sounds of a conflict from nearby grabbed Seth's attention. Screams and mighty roars reached his ears from round the corner. Seth's aching bones groaned along with him as he stood up. "I think we should go and see what's going on," he said to the Murkrow before walking off in the direction of the apparent fight. Once he reached the corner he peeked around the wall and held his breath; a Salamence, having just won a battle against an undead Lopunny, threw back his head and roared at the sky in victory. He didn't appeared infected, but that was not what was worrying the old fire bird.

It wasn't merely because of the fact that a Salamence had given he and his Trainer Jack their first devastating loss many years ago, it was because this Pokemon was a Dragon-type. He'd had many experiences with these powerful creatures, none of them positive. Very briefly he was once again looking into the eyes of the vicious Garchomp that had crushed his arm. Blinking to remove the image and shaking his head slightly to block out his screams of pain, Seth came out of his hiding place and gave the mighty dragon a nod of admiration. Even though Dragon-type always left him feeling on-edge, he had no excuse to be hostile or rude to them. Not all of them were bloodthirsty monsters.

"I should congratulate you," he said as his hand automatically clutched at his stump again. He didn't know why he always did that; it wasn't like there was anything there to protect. "Not many can take down a fully infected Pokemon alone." He felt great respect towards this creature and tried to let it show in his expression, but the chronic nerves that he had around dragons was a little obvious by the way he carefully watched the Salamence's every move and the rigid way he held his jaw. "I would like to know your name, friend. Mine is Seth."

The last thing the beautiful gem of a Vaporeon expected was to hear a mighty roar from close by. She immediately froze, eyes wideneing with alarm as her tail shot straight up into the air. Despite the fins and scales, she looked just like a spooked feline with her huge, round eyes. There was a peircing scream through the air, followed by more sounds of a struggle, before another roar. Howver, the second one heald an air of triumph. Maybe a beast has bested a foe? The fins along her cheeks and throat twitched in unease, her normal smile faultering. Jolt was more than confident with her abilities to protect herself, but the prospect of taking on some beast with such a roar did not calm her nerves. She was more than used to being a part of a group... A set. That was what she was.

But her momentary weaknes was soon shed like dew on leaves in the afternoon sun. Her soft smile returned, her stride flowing once more as she stepped lightly and delicately through the streets. She traveled for a few minutes before realizing she heard voices. Jolt immediately perked up, her fins leaning forward in anticipation as she listened to the voice. It was male, and he sounded like he had been through years of wear and tear. Curiosity got the better of the ruby Vaporeon and she soon turned a corner to a delightful sight.

There was a monsterous dragon, a Salamence, blood adorning it from ovious signs of a struggle and the torn up corpse of a Lopunny not far away. Besides the Dragon, there was also a small black bird of a Murkrow and a Blaziken. The former was the one that spoke, his bedraggled appearance giving away his age as he clutched at a stump of an arm on his right side. Sympathy blossomed in the Ranger Pokemon and she felt an instinct to help the poor dear. But her attention was avertd to the little Murkrow. There was something about the avian that Jolt just could not place... However, she merely pushed it from her head, instead trotting slowly out of her hiding place and greeting the group. "Good morning, my dears! It is a beautiful sight to meet so many fellow survivors in one plce," Jolt purred. As she came closer to the gathering, she paused midstep to bow her head respectfully to the two strong Pokemon and the little Murkrow. "I am called Jolt. May i be blessed with all of your names' as well?"

((Ooc; uh-oh, better watch out Arc. jolt is a former ranger Pokemon, she put bad guys away. B] Blacklight better watch her tailfeathers.))

"I should congratulate you, Not many can take down a fully infected Pokemon alone. I would like to know your name, friend. Mine is Seth." The Salamence looked at the Blaziken. Then a load gravelly sound came from the dragon types chest as he laughed whole-heartily. The dragon's gravelly voice erupted from his chest like an explosion. Well, it's nice to meet you Seth and that undead wasn't even a challenge for me. You may call me Van. It is a pleasure to meet you. As he talked to the fire and fighting dual type, the dragon heard another voice. He turned to see a red colored Vaporeon.

He tilted his head at the strange colored water type but shrugged his shoulders as it most. "Good morning, my dears! It is a beautiful sight to meet so many fellow survivors in one place," The Salamence watched as the Vaporeon bowed. He smiled, "I am called Jolt. May i be blessed with all of your names' as well?" The Salamence smiled softly. Well, it's very nice to meet you Jolt. Like I told my fine feathered friend, you can call me Van.

The Salamence was very happy to have met other living. The smile on his face slowly faded as he remembered his time in Mossdeep. I wonder if i'll be able to protect this place better then I did in Mossdeep... The Salamence blinked a few times and his face turned to a gentle smile again.

Jolt was glad that it seemed the majority of the group were good folks, brining a caring smile to the scaley feline's face. The Salamence had a deepthroated laugh that seemed to echo through the air. It was almost contagiou. As the great dragon turned hi gaze to her, the much smaller Pokemon did not waver. She was more than used to dealing with intimidating Pokemon and knew how to hold herself high. She was greeted with a kind smile from the winged reptile. "Well, it's very nice to meet you Jolt. Like I told my fine feathered friend, you can call me Van," He replied with a hardy but sincear voice. This only pleased the Vaporeon even more. She nodded respectfully to him, her eyes bright. "Pleasure is all mine," she replied with a friendly tone.

Jolt was a little supprised that neither the Elderly Blaziken nor the small blackbird responded to her inquiry about names, but she did not let it ruffle her scales. The crimson Eeveelution still gave them both pleasant smiles as she awaited a response. That Murkrow, though... She was so sure that she had seen that pointed beak before. A small frown began to pull at her face without the serpentine cat even realizing it. She was sure that vapor would remember where she had seen him. The little dear had the thought process of a computer and never forgot a face. Remembering her littler brotherly figure made the Vaporeon's heart bleed with worry for him Her gaze was averted from the bird as memories of the last time she saw hime came up. She bit her lip, pain evident in her eyes.

Vapor... She was not even worried for the saphire Jolteon. That nutty guy could take care of himself, but the golden Flareon was so kind and gentle. In all honesty, Jolt missed the both of them as the silence seemed to stretch on between the newly aquainted strangers. But before something could happen between any of them, she was suddenly awear of s slithering sound. The Ranger Pokemon's head snapped up, eyes focused and ears perked and alert. It was almost like the slithering of a shedding snake over gravel. She frowned, eyes narrowing as she tried to pin point the sourse. If it were an undead, she wuld take care of it before it could harm Van or the other two. But suddenly there was a dark figure moving around a nearby tree. Jolt noticed out of the corner of her eye and whips around just in time to see an abnormally colored Accelgor place one hand over his chest and bow.

The Vaporeon is immediately taken back. That shiny form... that bug... A smile came to her face as she realzied she knew his name before he even spoke. “Greetings, all of you. It is good to finally find others in this city. My name is Wayfarer.” Wayfarer. What a sight. Having traveled around the world with ryler and the group, Jolt was well educated with all of the Pokemon regions, even being gifted with meeting many fantastic Pokemon. She had never had the chance to actually speak with this particular Pokemon, but she recognized him easily. The ruby Vaporeon takes another bow herself, smiling broadly upon standing back up. "The brilliant Wayfarer! I must say, I am very pleased to meet you." The Vaporeon nodded to him. "My name is Jolt. I have traveled very extensively across all of the lands of Pokemon. Your name was among many that I wished to meet before leaving this world. It is beautiful news to know you are well!" Jolt continued to smile at the Accelgor, simply loving her luck.

Van was really enjoying this. He had meet so far three pokemon. Though he had yet to find out the Murkrow's name it was nice to have their company. The Salamence couldn't help but be filled with joy. If I can protect these pokemon and this town, then maybe, just maybe i'll finally remember my past. The Salamence let out a very sorrowful sigh as he remembered his failure to protect the island city of Mossdeep. Then as he heard Jolt talk about this, "Wayfarer," Van looked up only to see his memories fade from his vision and to be replaced by that of the present.

He blinked at the strange bug. Van had never seen such a mon before, but he shrugged his large shoulders and walked next to Jolt. He spread his ever slightly torn wings, place one leg behind the other and bow.Well, i'm afraid to say i've never heard of you sir, but if Jolt says your a good guy then i'm going to believe her. The dragon gave both the fox and the bug a hardy, yet sorrowful smile. Oh and before I forget, you can call me Van. Under his hardy, joyful smile of a mask, lay his true feelings. Van may come off as a hardy, powerful fool at times, but thats just his mask. Under that mask, he struggles to keep living the way he does now. Am I really cut out to be a hero?

In René’s emerald eyes, Rusboro City was nothing but an eyesore. A bland, ugly place littered with the crumbling, angular buildings that the humans had once called home. Even in their decrepit state, the ninetales was adamant that the original structures were only a slight improvement on the city’s unsightliness. However, hunger was forcing him back onto the empty, bloodstained streets. Having spent several days wandering the surrounding woodlands, René had been desperate in his attempts to reconnect with the beauty of nature. It had been far harder than he’d expected. Only few aged trees were left unmarred, the usually sweet-smelling air tainted with the aroma of death and of course, the undead and their victims. There was no end to them. A shiver swept down the canine’s spine at the thought of them – their empty, hating red orbs as they indulged on the flesh of the innocent. The ninetales would never grow accustomed to the violence, even as the land continued to perish at the hands of the monsters. He was convinced that there had to be something left – a flicker of warmth and happiness that was giving the survivors the desire to live on.

Slim legs carrying him through the dusty streets, the ninetales remained ever alert, body tensed as his eyes scoured the landscape for danger. Whilst he was by no means a battler, a strategist or anything that could help maximize his chances of survival, René had learnt well that nowadays open spaces were very much no-go areas. Stifling a gulp, the fire-type quickened his pace, darting into the shadows cast by the remaining buildings in a bid to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, all chances of his subtlety were jeopardized in a sudden coughing fit. The back of his throat raw as he was unable to silence the agonized, sickly coughs, the same familiar flicker of blood soon emerged on the ground beneath him. He wanted to forget, to suppress the fact that his tuberculosis had reached such an aggressive stage, but there was no denying now; he was dying.

His eyelids flicked open at the final cough, his mouth moist with the irony tang of blood as he took a moment to regain his stature. If the noise hadn’t been bad enough, the exhaustion that the fit had triggered was bound to place him at a disadvantage. Eyes watering slightly from the pain, René wasted no time in moving on. He could only pray the city was as barren as it looked. However, as he quickened his pace, a small group of survivors suddenly exploded into his line of vision. Lost for words, the canine simply stared at the creatures for a moment, his mouth hanging agape as he gradually processed their presence. Was he dreaming? No, surely not. If he were dreaming, his illness would have vanished – everything would be perfect. Glancing over his shoulder, a broad grin soon stretched across René’s bloodstained maw.
“Bonjour!” The joy reverberating from that single word could have filled an entire stadium. The ninetale’s tired, yet youthful face, instantly alight with an incredible happiness at the sight of fellow pokémon. Though it momentarily disappeared at the reminder he was in an English-speaking land. “Oh… ‘Ello!” He repeated, his French accent ringing strong to deny his roots in his beloved Paris.

As he neared, the canine’s smile only strengthened as his green eyes wandered across each of the gathered creatures. He recognised none of their species, only more excited at the fact there was so much more to discover in this world. Slowing to a halt, he gave a quick, polite tilt of his head.
“’Ow lovely to meet you,” Having always struggled with the pronunciation of the letter ‘h’, it was habitually skipped in his speech. “My name is René,” The canine flashed a pleasant smile, his fangs still flecked with blood. Before he could offer anything more, he suddenly found himself distracted by the red water-type. She was beautiful; her allure hypnotic as she smiled over at the strange insect-like being. Never in all his years had he witnessed such beauty – such unique, joyous colourings to accompany the natural, extraordinary appeal of women. Whilst he was by no means a ‘ladies’ man’, René had never been able to explain nor control his utter worship of the female variety. They were goddesses on earth - beautiful, gentle creatures that left him a constant state of awe. This vaporeon was no different. He smiled at her, expression almost humble.


(( If you didn’t already know, the keyboard shortcut for é is alt 130. :3 ))

The Salamence's reaction to Seth's greeting took the Blaziken by surprise; he was remarkably friendly. The dragon laughed heartily and smiled. Seth no longer felt the need to hold onto his stump; he knew that this dragon wasn't going to harm him, but he still couldn't deny that the dragon's presence unnerved him a little. "Well, it's nice to meet you Seth and that undead wasn't even a challenge for me," he said. A small smile flickered on the tips of Seth's mouth; he admired those who were not shy to admit their strength. "You may call me Van. It is a pleasure to meet you." Seth extended his arm across his front and bowed slightly. "Wonderful to meet you, Van."

As he conversed with the Dragon-type another voice from behind grabbed his attention. He turned and his eyes lit up upon seeing a beautiful red Vaporeon padding over to them. Seth had occasionally seen Pokemon with different colourings than usual but this one was a sight to behold. She looked as though she had been bred specifically for beauty. "Good morning, my dears! It is a beautiful sight to meet so many fellow survivors in one place," she said cheerfully, bowing to them in turn. There was nothing that Seth liked seeing in the young ones more than manners, and so far all of his new friends had not let him down. "I am called Jolt. May I be blessed with all of your names as well?" Seth turned to her and bowed in the same manner as before. "I am privileged to know you, my dear. I am Seth."

"Bonjour!" came yet another voice. Seth saw a Ninetails coming over. The sound of joy in the canine's voice was hard to miss even in his old ears. "Oh... ‘Ello! 'Ow lovely to meet you. My name is René." Seth bowed again to the newcomer and tried to smile; the sight of blood on the fellow Fire-type's jaw left him feeling rather unnerved. "Bonjour, René. Je m'appelle Seth." He didn't know a lot of French, but he felt that would be enough for René to feel comfortable around him. "Are you all right? You look like you have been in a fight. Are you injured?"

Before the Ninetails could answer, yet another voice reached his ears. Seth was only too happy to greet newcomers, especially since he had been on his own for so long, but something about this voice silenced him. He let out an audible gasp as a black Accelgor emerged. "Greetings, all of you. It is good to finally find others in this city. My name is Wayfarer," the strange Bug-type said, bowing to them all in exactly the same way that Seth always did. Could ... it be? The old Blaziken stood and observed quietly as Wayfarer, his old friend from years ago, conversed with the rest of the group. He felt his heart deflate at little at the realisation that his friend had not recognised him. But Seth never forgot a friend's face. When Wayfarer had finished making introductions to the others, Seth approached him. "Wayfarer ... old friend. Please say that you haven't forgotten me."

Wayfarer was just as wonderful as she had always hoped! The ruby Jolteon flashes a huge smile as she receives a chuckle from the insect. “I am humbled, Jolt. It is good to know that you are also well.” Her tail waves just slightly from side to side behind her in a sigh of barely restrained joy. "All too kind. We truly must swap stories someti-" The Vaporeon was interrupted by the soft sounds of velvet paws on concrete as the scent of blood flowed to her. The Vaporeon whipped around, her eyes wide as she searched for either another undead or someone whom needed medical help. A Ninetales was what came into veiw.

“Bonjour!” The very loud but excited call was flung through the air as the young man's face completely lit up. Jolt allowed her earlike fins to perk forward, allowing a smile in return. My my, so many living all in one place! But the canine seemed to realize he was speaking the wrong language, his expression changing just slightly as he called out in a thick accent, “Oh… ‘Ello!” Jolt was in love instantly. This fire type must have had roots in someplace out of the five regions. Jolt herself had never visited any of them but had dreamed of it for years. She would have to get plenty of stories out of him! "Hello there, fellow survivor!" She called back to him in a joyous tone.

“’Ow lovely to meet you. My name is René,” he smiled yet again, giving his name pleasantly to the group. Jolt nodded her head respectfully as Seth responded in seemingly the same language. She could only assume- Jolt herself had never been gifted with the many other cultures of the world. However, the ruby Eeveelution could not help but be drawn to the blood speckled maw of the newcomer. She immediately let out a gasp of horro. Eyes narrowed with concern for the new René, she walked right up to him. Instantly in her nurturing mode, Jolt stares at him with both worry and slight disapproval. "Now, what has happened here? You look as if you have been coughing up blood, sir." Her eyes softened to a motherly concern. "Are you alright?" Jolt asked softly, too low for the others to hear as Seth and Wayfarer spoke.

Many pokemon seemed to simple come out of no-where! It was insane, though, all of them seemed rather kind. However, there was one she was suspicious of, Jolt, the vaporeon. She seemed odd, friendly, but odd. Not to mention Seth's 'old friend', Wayfarer, who just popped out of no where and introduced himself, what an idiot. Otherwise, the Salamance, Van, looked rather protective. Strong, large, of course, that's how Salamances naturally are. Unlike her, Blacklight was just a weak Murkrow, nothing special. If only I could evolve. A ninetails, blood covering his mouth in an ugly way, came over speaking another damned language mixed with english. This group is already turning out to be a bunch of idiots...

Blacklight looked around, she eyed the Vaporeon, making sure she didn't notice, and spoke clearly yet calmly, "Why hello all~! Before I forget, my name is Blacklight, but call me what you wish..." Just don't make sure it's stupid, or I will evolve off of you.* Blacklight took a moment before flapping her wings and landing on a ledge of a building, not to high up and not to far from the ground. Just enough so the others could see her. Looking down at them, she felt in control, just the way I like it.

(I'm sorry. Not much for Van to do, so skip. I'll come up with a good post for next time around)

"Bonjour, René. Je m'appelle Seth.”

The ninetales emitted a light-hearted chuckle, nodding his head as bright eyes regarded the polite blaziken. It was always nice to have someone communicating in his native tongue; flattered that the one-armed fire-type was doing his best to ensure he received a warm welcome.
“Aha, that’s very good,” René commented, a smile stretched across his tired face as his gaze turned to the others gathered, listening to catch their names. Seth, Blacklight and Wayfarer – yet the dragon’s identity and in his eyes, more importantly, the female’s identity remained a mystery. How elusive! The canine always liked a challenge; somewhat excited by the fact the beautiful vaporeon wasn’t the typical girl fawning over his appearance. Then again, in his months away from Paris his illness had noticeably tarnished his looks. He was soon reminded of his condition at comments from both Seth and said beauty.

"Now, what has happened here? You look as if you have been coughing up blood, sir. Are you alright?”

Suddenly uncomfortable, René’s smile faltered, his gaze averted to the ground. Roughly using the back of his paw to help free some of the fresh blood clinging to his muzzle, the ninetales was unable to look to his company. They didn’t need to know. He didn’t want to be treated like some invalid, constantly needing care from the strong. They might try to restrain him – tell him that his attempts at living the rest of his life to the fullest would only worsen his health. Why shouldn’t he enjoy the time he had left? Panicked, he eventually turned back to the vaporeon.
“I-I’m fine,” A soft smile blossomed over his features, a blatant lie though his expression begged to avoid dwelling on the topic further. “Really,” The fire-type insisted, shuffling on the spot as he softly cleared his throat. The metallic tang was still lingering on his tongue.

Straightening himself up, the ninetales roughly shoved thought of his tuberculosis to the back of his mind, his intentions of making a good impression spurring him to regain his previous optimism.
“Mademoiselle, I-I never got your name,” He addressed the vaporeon, his youthful face glowing once more – the joy overwhelming the fatigue. “Or you, Monsieur,” René added quickly, gesturing with his head to the quiet salamence. Admittedly, he wasn’t quite as fascinated with any of these beings as much as he was the red water-fox, though for the sake of good manners, he would willingly share out his attention. His smile was genuine, friendly as he glimpsed the fire-type and wispy insect creature conversing, their words a joyous reunion. Suddenly guilty that he might have intruded on a well-established group; the ninetales tilted his head comically, his smile momentarily vanishing as a more serious expression met his features. “You all know each other? I-I do not want to... uh…” He struggled to find the word. “…bother?”

As soon as he saw Wayfarer's eyes widen in recognition, a wonderful feeling of happiness and relief embraced Seth's battle-worn body. At the battle at Mt.Chimney he had watched far too many of his friends die only to rise again and turn on him, and to see one of them alive and well was a blessing from Arceus. Although Wayfarer had already left them when the Epidemic arrived, the Accelgor had entered his mind several times. Seeing him again reminded Seth just how important friendship was in disastrous times such as these, and a smile that had not appeared on the old Blaziken's face for a long time became visible as his old friend slithered down the tree he was perched on and stood before him.

"So it is you, Seth! Praise Arceus you are well," he said, bowing to him in the manner they both shared. But then his voice dropped and Seth had to lean his head forward so his old ears could hear. "I am sorry that I did not recognize you at first. So many things have happened since we last met, enough to make me forget." Seth chuckled and raised his hand. "It is all right, friend, I understand. The world is a very different place to how it was when we last saw one another. It is only natural that your memory of the times before should become a little hazy." "I can explain what happened when we have time later, if you wish." "Yes, please do. I must say, Wayfarer, I am truly happy to see you again, and I am glad that you have made it through all of this. But I suppose I should think nothing less of you. You were, after all, one of my finest students."

With another bright smile, Seth straightened up and turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "I do apologise. We will explain later." For now, his concentration was led back to René. The Ninetails chuckled at Seth's effort at French, but thankfully he didn't seem to be ridiculing him. "Aha, that’s very good," he complemented. Seth smiled and nodded to the fellow Fire-type, but frowned when he took another look at the Ninetails' blood-splattered jaw. Although he insisted to Jolt that he was all right, Seth was not convinced. Either he had been in a fight and had stained his jaw, or he had coughed up the blood himself. Seth suspected the latter, but did not say anything as René continued to make pleasantries with Jolt and Van.

Seth couldn't help but look northwards towards the Pokemon Centre. He wasn't sure if there was anything in there that would help René, but perhaps it was worth the visit? "You all know each other? I-I do not want to... uh... bother?" The Ninetails's timid query snapped Seth out of his thoughts and he immediately turned straight to the Fire-type. "Of course not, monsieur, you are more than welcome here. You are not a bother at all!" he said with a smile. He then took a step back and waited for everyone to get properly acquainted. He cast an eye back to the Pokemon Centre down the road. He had a bad feeling about René's condition and wanted to help the Ninetails before anything happened. He simply could not watch another friend die.

([ooc: Sorry guys, but I have to skip sa;fa;fs can't do much because everyone's ignoring her. :c])

Van watched as Seth and Wayfarer had their little talk then listened to the Ninetales and Jolt had their talk as well. He sighed and nodded his head at the Ninetales, Bonjour mon bon monsieur. Mon nom est Van c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer. The words rolled off Van's tongue like he'd been speaking the language all his life. He blinked for a moment as he slowly processed what he said.

He blankly stared at the ground, Um, I....I have no idea where that came from... The Salamence looked generally confused. How did he know the Ninetales' language in the first place? Did it have something to do with his forgotten past? Van was so confused and lost. He simply looked at the pokemon with nothing but confusion.

(Yes he knows French, but he's forgotten his past so he's really confused at the moment. Anyone can say something about it or not. It doesn't matter)

"Of course not, monsieur, you are more than welcome here. You are not a bother at all!"

René’s face soon softened in a charming smile at the fire-bird’s response, pleased that he was to be accepted within the group. It put his mind at ease to know that he wouldn’t be alone – not anymore. Shuffling on the spot, his magnificent tails swaying slightly in the breeze behind him, the canine hesitated at first before obediently beginning to follow Seth and Wayfarer towards a building in the distance. Whilst he wasn’t entirely sure where or why they were approaching this construction, he silenced himself before he could concoct an accurate question.

“ Bonjour mon bon monsieur. Mon nom est Van c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer.”

Turning his head to the large, dragon-creature, the ninetales nodded his head politely in response, eyes practically sparkling with joy. He was impressed. These pokémon had no need to speak French – he knew he was the foreigner in this land – and yet they went out of their way to ensure his comfort. It was humbling, flattering, as he gave another kindly laugh. But then, Van, as he’d called himself, seemed somewhat shocked, confused even. Frowning slightly, René peered closer in a bid to catch the salamence’s eye.
“Are you okay?” He spoke quietly, his accent strong as he glanced worriedly behind him. The dragon soon responded in that he didn’t know where it had come from – seemingly surprised at his linguistic capabilities. René presented a lopsided smile, taking a step back; he emitted another airy chuckle as he regarded the creature. “It’s not a bad thing, though. It is a beautiful language, non?”

Seth's eyes widened in surprise when Van started to speak to René in fluent French. The Salamence then seemed pretty surprised at what he had just said. "Um, I...I have no idea where that came from... " Seth had his own theories about the dragon's sudden revelation, but decided to try and calm Van's nerves by laughing heartily. "Some of the greatest of talents lie where we cannot consciously seek them," he chuckled, giving the Salamence a nod of admiration. Still, he had to wonder...

While René spoke to Van, Seth followed Wayfarer over to Blacklight. "Also, greetings Blacklight. My apologies for not getting to your greeting so immediately," the Accelgor said. Seth gasped. "Oh yes! My apologies also. I am Seth."

The old Blaziken waited until everyone had finished conversing and then walked straight up to René. He stared down into the Ninetails's eyes with a stern but concerned look. "Monsieur, forgive me, I know that it is none of my concern, but ... I am growing ever worried about that blood on your face." With his half-arm he gestured down the road to the nearby Pokemon Centre. "There is a Pokemon Centre nearby. Might there be anything in there that will help you?" He knew that he was treading very delicate ground, but more than anything at that moment he wanted to try and figure out what was going on with the French Fire-type. And even more than that, he wanted to help.

[ooc: I am so sorry guys OTL I cannot think of a post for the life of me. Please skip. Really sorry :c]