"Thought I caught something on the wind. I am an ex Ranger Pokémon and I could have sworn I smelled trouble. Funny, though, as Van managed to vanish without me even noticing! Oh no! How horrid of me! My name is Jolt; I apologize for being so late to the party."René’s face lit up into a dazzling expression of joy at the return of the shiny Vaporeon. Obviously, he hadn’t acted as a complete deterrent after all. His green eyes sparkling with an immediate admiration for the female, he struggled to control a flawless smile threatening to span from ear to ear. She truly was beautiful. He had almost forgotten the fluttering sensation within his chest that accompanied witnessing a truly spectacular sight – Jolt reawakened those feelings, igniting his incredible passion for the beauty all around him. Regardless of the epidemic that had succeeded in darkening the world, René was thankful that his eyes would at least find comfort in the smile of the water-type stood before him. So wrapped up in his emotions and internal worship of this creature, René had hardly caught what she’d said. Shaking his head, chuckling to himself at both his own infatuation and the canine’s words, his smile eased into a shy, gentle grin, his face still illuminated by the joy surging through his veins.
“Jolt,” The Ninetales repeated the name quietly, his accent thick as he rolled the word about on his tongue. It was ironic considering her species, but hypnotic nevertheless. Smiling, he caught her eye.
“It suits you. Your eyes… they are… electric,”"Is everything all right, monsieur?"The contact made the canine jump a little, but as he turned to regard the aged Blaziken, René was quick to relax. Expression gentle to mimic that of the concerned bird’s, he was truly humbled by the attitude of these creatures. They knew he was ill, inflicted with a serious but unspecified condition, and whilst they voiced their worry, René didn’t feel uncomfortable. None of them were probing, demanding an answer; nor were the offering disgusting pity – he could hardly voice his appreciation and instead, presented his gratitude in an endearing smile.
“Never better,” René was honest. He hadn’t felt this happy, this content, since his leaving of Paris. Since moving to the region, he’d become somewhat of a hermit – restricted to the house as his health spiralled downhill in the lonely months that followed. The epidemic was a living nightmare, but the knowledge that people such as those surrounding him still existed gave him hope for a better future.
“I hate to interrupt your conversation with Rene, but Jolt is right; there is certainly someone else in this city, and it may be a Psychic. It could be hiding in the Center.”Alert, the canine’s body subconsciously tensed at the mention of an unseen being. He wasn’t a fighter, never would be. He hadn’t the strength, the mindset or the stomach to live with the guilt of harming another creature – infected or otherwise. Disguising his fear, René’s emerald eyes fell onto Wayfarer before travelling along the rest of the group. Just when he thought he’d found his haven, he’d had to be reminded that such a place didn’t exist. Danger was
everywhere.
“You think it is… uh… dangerous?” René asked nobody in particular, instead looking towards the building with an expression of muted apprehension. He didn’t want the shame of admitting he was utterly useless in battle, but knew he couldn’t rely on his company to protect him either. They had themselves to look after, never mind the added burden on a sickly fox.
