(ACE) The SHIPWRECK Team

Though he had stopped for only a handful of breaths as soon as Sanngetall continued to blast the metal his throat protested. Between shots he could feel a deep burning that practically choked him. His throat twitched and bouts of coughing would seize him every so many moments. Irritated, the sea horse would give in to them and try to hack up whatever was causing it, but he already knew that was not the issue. "Ms Saferi, are you alright?" He heard the kid ask as he was nearly panting from the effort.
Rousing up just enough energy to partially turn his head the dual type glanced at the eel to find, well, not much. She didn't look any different, perhaps a bit distant but after the shit they had been through that was understandable. Snorting, Sannge hoped that meant she felt like a fool and was taking his words to heart, though he doubted that could happen.

Thorn followed up Bell with the concern but Saferi was quick on the curt, "I'm fine." However, it was not an answer to worry but a dismissal sound. Did she actually realize-- Repressing all urges to cough he silenced himself to hear for any further suspicion and was shocked to find her suggesting to postpone. Damn. He must have smacked her pride pretty hard! A gargled huff came from him as he swallowed back any further muck, revealed. Even if they kept going he was done burning his throat out for their sake.

The child protested, but luckily the others fell into agreement. Aqua mentioned something about cans, and while food was always welcome with him the thought of processed garbage after all this was an insult. "That should work. And it should still be a safe place to rest." Swimming away from the ship Sannge coldn't help but chuckle as he said in a low voice, "Oh don't worry about that. Nothing should want to go around there for a while."

Bell's brown eyes grew ever wider and sadder as the others started to agree with plans to postpone things. Saferi even seemed to turn away as everyone agreed. Was she really okay..? They were so close, they were literally making themselves a door! "But but but but..." she whimpered, turning around quickly to find even a vague look of hesitation, but she was only met with disappointment. "But foods not--" She started to argue that, despite her hunger, her desire to explore was winning over, but it seemed to suggestion was too good to ignore. "That sounds like an excellent idea too. None of us had had a bite to eat since this mornin' and I'd rather not be making our way back for the night in the dark. What do y'all think? There's probably still some cans from earlier hidden in the estuary."

Bell's frantic motions stopped as she thought back to the mornings escapades. It seemed like so long ago now, a different life time even that they had ventured into the city and outran an undead with plundered treasure. "We got those cans!" She exclaimed, a vague memory of their flavor fizzling on her tongue. Would they really still be there after all this time? "That should work. And it should still be a safe place to rest." Thorn seemed to think so, and even Sanngetall mentioned that the place would remain safe. "Oh don't worry about that. Nothing should want to go around there for a while." Why wouldn't Pokemon want to go around there...?

"Then its settled." Saferi's subdued voice interrupted her thoughts but the words were not the most welcomed. "Eat up. Rest up. Then we will be primed for exploration." She turned away and started to move in the direction of the estuary. And, just like that, all Bell's hopes were firmly crushed. Disappointment nearly choked her with each Pokemon that started to move, and overwhelming disapproval threatened to spawn a tantrum. Her lips quivered, but, despite the torrent of emotions knotting her stomach... Bell just couldn't find the strength even to cry.

With a final longing look at the ship Bell acquiesced and started the journey to their resting spot as well, but as she followed along she found her paddling to be more of a labor. Each beat of her tail, each kick from her feet, they seemed to take more and more from her. Aqua was right, they hadn't eaten since this morning, and all the work and movement of the day had really taken it all out of her. Without the prospect of exploring to keep her going her exhaustion was finally catching up with her. Struggling to keep up the child started to subconsciously whine. Why did the river have to be so far away? Her saddened visage deepened to take of frustration, and she griped, "I don't wanna swim anymore!" She fell still in the water, and in the moment she was fully prepared to be left behind unless her next request was approved, "Mr Thorn can I have a ride?" He had done it before....

Even Bell's dismay did not receive a reaction from the eel though. Since moving she was silent, her downcast eyes watching the reflections of orange light filtering through the water. This 'journey' was nothing to her, but what of the others? How many miles did they usually cover in a day? A child being tired was one thing but her battle weary companions were rightfully worn. That strange feeling from earlier had dissipated slightly but continued to plague her as she swam. They had to stop, yes? This was the right tactical decision? No matter the rationalization she used the eel still did not feel right.

As Saferi snaked her way into the mouth of the river and the body of the estuary she felt her mind start to fade away. With a deep breath in she could tell the sea horse was right, there had been no intruders since they left, and did not hesitate to swim forward. Aqua had also been right; their small stockpile of food remained where it had been left. Hunger was not on her mind or stomach, but against her better judgement she grabbed one can for herself and swam to the side of their body of water.
Sinking her fangs into the container the eel did not think as she ate. Instead, for the first time in a long time, she listened to herself. Her body was tired. It hurt, it ached. Her jaw was very powerful but she could still feel it twinge as she munched through the metal to get to her meal. Some of her scales were peeling off, leaving itchy raw flesh in places. She was pushing herself too hard, but had done so for so long she didn't even notice anymore. Even as she ate the strange hollowed feeling inside her did not disappear. What had happened to her? Coiling tightly the eel took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Hopefully it would be gone by tomorrow.

As Saferi turns around to swim away from the hull of the S.S. Anne Aqua turns around to do the same. The light from above the surface of the water was already waning and filtering in beautiful gradients of yellows and pinks. A gentle light show before everything will inevitably go dark. The floatzel can almost feel Bell's disappointment burrowing into her as they swim away. They had sent so much time pumping her up for this adventure, thinking about the promise of treasure to get through the day. However...if they were even having problems getting -into- the ship, what would happen if they ran into undead inside? "I don't wanna swim anymore!" Bell shouts, exasperatedly stopping mid-stroke. "Oh Ms. Bell..." She sighs, watching the child as they float un-moving in the water. "Mr Thorn can I have a ride?"

Having faith in Thorn, she continues to follow a silent Saferi though she does glance over her shoulder every so often to make sure Bell is still with the group. The estuary was just as they had left it this morning. Nothing had taken residence and the further in they went, the more Aqua could feel herself relaxing. For the first time all day, she could almost say they were safe. She swims in a beeline for the surface, popping her head above water to suck in a large breath of air.. The sunset was beautiful below water, but above, the pinks, purples, oranges and yellows were much more intense. How long has it been since I've had a peaceful sunset? She reflects as she treads water and takes in more breaths. Was she getting any closer to Mossdeep City? She had promised her trainer she would protect it...but then that flash of light and then she was in some forest...She'd since found her way back to the ocean, but how many continents away was she?

It was impossible to tell. And what about her new friends? How long would this arrangement of theirs last and then what would happen to each of them? Abandoning the surface, the sea weasel dives back down towards a small clustering of underwater grass to check in on their cache of cans. Thankfully all accounted for. She busies herself opening the cans by their pull tabs and setting them aside for the other--without hands or the desire to rip through metal--to grab. Her mind wandering as exhaustion starts to settle into her bones.

Sanngetall laughed a little before saying, "Oh don't worry about that. Nothing should want to go around there for a while." While Thorn was absolutely hoping for that, something about the way the Dragalge said it made things more ominous. He wasn't sure if he was just overreacting, or if there was something he should be worried about when it came to the nature of this companion. However, he couldn't contain his concern for the fact that Sanngetall had been coughing a lot.

Whatever it was, the others didn't react to it beyond Saferi deciding to move onward. "Then it's settled. Eat up. Rest up. Then we will be primed for exploration." She turned and started swimming in the direction of the estuary they had rested in that morning. The others followed quietly.

Except for Bell. She looked incredibly conflicted before she had joined them in swimming, but soon the child was starting to lag. He tried to make sure he didn't outspeed her, but she was moving so slowly. He opened his mouth to ask how she was, but she stopped and griped, "I don't wanna swim anymore! Mr. Thorn can I have a ride?" Guilt ate at him. He should have offered sooner.

"Of course, kid," he said with a smile. He pulled back so that his head was lower than her. "Hop on." He waited for the young one to settle onto his head before he followed after the others. There wasn't any chatter between them as they tiredly made their way through the water. He glanced upwards when Aqua went to the surface for some air, and he noticed the lovely colors of the sky. He hadn't noticed the passing time until then. It really had been a long day...

Remembering the kid's earlier conflicted look, he tried to explain, "Hey, Bell? I'm sorry we couldn't explore today... We should be able to do it tomorrow, at least. And we won't be tired and hungry while doing it." He wasn't sure just how disappointed she was, but he hoped maybe that would help some. "Everything earlier kinda wore us out."

Saferi and Aqua were still quiet as they went to the canned food stash. Saferi grabbed one of her own and took it to a quiet spot to crunch down on. He lowered his head down to where Bell could jump off easily near the cans. "There we go." When Aqua started popping off the tops to the cans, Thorn gave her a grateful look as he said, "Thank you so much."

Sanngetall felt his brow grow more tense as the child continued to protest. He had half a mind to smack her into the side of the ship right then, but he wasn't annoyed quite enough to bother expending anymore energy. Luckily, Saferi wasn't in the mood to talk either and gave the go ahead to depart. Giving a bit of a dramatic huff the dual type forced himself to start moving and winced at the pain that radiated throughout his tail. They were headed back to the estuary, right? That shoddy place he had bumped into the old gal? In the previous day he had planned to completely take over that little river. He already had that makeshift den and doused the place in the smell of toxins, rot, and death. They probably need a refresher by now. Goddamn, this lot had really distracted him.

Other than a small bit of whining from the kid the trip back was fairly quiet. The pace was slow and steady on his tail, allowing for minimal agony, and seemed to go faster than he would have thought. The taste of fresh water bathing his gills was oddly refreshing. For a Pokemon born in the sea, salt was his element, but the brackish water was a welcomed change on his aching body. Swimming into the estuary he nearly swam through and back up the river when he realized the rest of the group had stopped. Right. This wasn't free time, he wasn't here to stake a territory; he was still Saferi's bitch.

Forcing himself back around the seahorse sunk down to the bottom. He was tired, exhausted even, but didn't exactly feel like sleeping. A familiar sound damped by water rubbed against his eardrums. It was the sound of metal peeling, one he heard rarely back then but knew it as a rewarding noise. Aqua's paws were flying, moving through cans with a dexterity the finned Pokemon could only dream of. Thorn expressed his gratitude at the action, and though that alone wouldn't have made him do so the other fish felt the need to say something as well.

"Thanks," he grumbled, the word earnest despite his surly tone. Swiping up a few cans Sannge cradled them in one fin as he moved away to eat more or less privately. The sun was sinking, time seemingly lost in their watery would until the color of the light dramatically changed. He threw a glob of the food stuff in his snout, and swallowed roughly. Would tomorrow bring more of this? More pain and struggle that didn't reward him in the slightest? In the back of his mind the seahorse knew there was something else, some reason he was here, but all the shit today had made him forget.

"Of course, kid. Hop on." Thorn didn't have to tell her twice, and with a new burst of energy the child swam to and settled on her previous perch. Immediately the strain was relieved from her small body, and if it wasn't for the pleasant whoosh of the water she could have easily fallen asleep on the way back. Letting her eyes fall to a squint the Poliwag tried her best to relax and lighten up, but her heart was just too heavy in her chest to let her. I wanna explore.. From the moment she first hit the water that was her only and all consuming thought. A deep pout had long since settled on her face, but now as she lay on her stomach, eyes downcast, the child was the picture of disappointment and heartbreak.

"Hey, Bell? I'm sorry we couldn't explore today..." Thorn's voice was gentle but the Poliwag wasn't in the mood to be lightened. "We should be able to do it tomorrow, at least. And we won't be tired and hungry while doing it." While her stomach was sad and empty any appetite she had was lost beneath the hollow feeling of its knotting. She may have been hungry, she may be exhausted, but wasn't that the kind of stuff explorers battled to get to their prize? "I wan'ned to go tod'way.." Grumbling, Bell pressed her face into Thorn's scales. "Everything earlier kinda wore us out." Though inside she was crying out the tadpole just didn't have it in her to argue or whine, and with a deep sigh just remained quiet. Thorn was speaking the truth, she knew that, but that didn't make it any easier.

The clean water of the estuary brushed her gills and Bell couldn't help but let her eyes open just a bit more. They had had a good time here last night. Even the morning was pretty fun. After all, they met Mr. Sanngetall here and came back from that scary adventure. Two scary adventures now. Even if those two things weren't super happy they were definitely going to be interesting memories to recount. And her run-in in the cave.. would that be laughable later? Just thinking about it was enough to make her shudder, and the kid quickly changed thoughts. Will the ship be scary? It had housed all those spooky Phione. That was enough to make any 'mons skin crawl at least a bit.

Distracted by her own thoughts Bell didn't realize Thorn had stopped until he lowered his head down near Aqua. "There we go." Bell let herself roll off and slowly sink to the soft muddy bottom of their river stay. "Thank you." She sighed as she fell over onto her side and let a small cloud of dirt lift around her. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, and if let to her own devices the kid probably could have fallen asleep here after a while, but the sound and motion of Aqua prepping their meal was too distracting.

As the water was stirred and the pungent food stuff was released the scent hit her before long. A deep growl roared out from her stomach, its hunger remembered clearly and desire for food strong. As she reached out with her tail for one of the cans her body started to shake with a woozy feeling. Pulled it forward the kid nearly gagged on the feeling, her appetite fluttering, but she powered through to ease her raving hunger. The stuff was just as tasty as she remembered but her excitement was not nearly as beaming as before. However, with each bite Bell could feel her spirits lifting, and quickly moved on to a second can.

Breathing easier and settling into a quiet meal beside a sunset Bell finally felt her sorrows start to ease off. It was still nice here, and the beautiful colors of the sky were something else, but as Bell swept her gaze across the sky to watch it she could see that Saferi had curled up all alone. She was clearly awake, her eyes open and staring listlessly at the riverbed. Why was she like that? Was she disappointed too? The eel had been acting odd since they all met up again.. "Is Ms. Saferi sick?" She asked, keeping her voice down.


Saferi could feel every breath consciously enter and exit her gills as she lost herself within her own thoughts. Why had they come back here? They could have stayed at the foot of the ship. Any stragglers of the swarm wouldn't dare bother them. There would be no rest in those waters. That was true, she admitted, but what about herself? Her home was secure, the pests gone, and her solitary life could resume with her first peaceful, solo sleep. There was no real reason for her to have come all the way back here. They could have made it without me. That wasn't it, was it?

Clenching her jaw Saferi felt the corner of her lips rise along with her irritation. Flicking her empty tin with the end of her tail she spun it a few times before sinking her fangs into it. Was it the food? She wasn't really hungry.. Was it morbid curiosity that Sanngetall had purged the area of anything dangerous, or alive? No. Was it that'd he'd run off? Or do something to the re-- Her jaw clenched even tighter and the can was crushed within her grasp. Fuck it.

Aqua puts on a smile as Thorn and Bell approach. "Thank you so much."She nods, pushing another opening can into the grouping she has started. "Eat up, you'll need your strength for tomorrow." She says, watching as Bell flops off of Thorn and onto the mud of the river bed. Poor kid. "Thanks," Now that was not a voice she expected to hear. "Er, your welcome." He actually sounded sincere, maybe the long day was finally getting the the seahorse.

With enough cans open to go around, Aqua takes one for herself. The floatzel pulls back the metal lid, but instead of discarding it, she bends the circular piece of metal into a makeshift spoon. "Is Ms. Saferi sick?" Bell asks in a hushed voice. After taking another mouthful of canned food, Aqua watches the eel silently. She's never seen the eel seem so...listless? While watching her between several more bites of food she sees Saferi go from still to nearly crunching her can in half. A harsh, irritated look marring her features. Oh my. "I think Ms. Saferi might just need some time to herself sweetheart..."

Bell was quiet during their trip other than a muttering about wanting to go today. Thorn really did feel bad about disappointing her, but everyone really needed a break. Including her if her tired mumbling was any indication. When he lowered his head down near Aqua, the Poliwag rolled off and let gravity pull her to the muddy bottom. Her eyes looked tired, and it was probably just the sounds of lids popping off and smells of the canned food that kept her from drifting off. Aqua said, "Eat up, you'll need your strength for tomorrow." Thankfully, the child managed to pull a can towards herself and started eating. When she started working on a second can, Thorn took the opportunity to grab a few for himself. It took some special maneuvering, but he managed to squeeze the contents of the food out of the cans in his mouth, and he spat out the metallic remains.

Bell and even Sanngetall thanked Aqua for her help. Thorn was almost as surprised as Aqua that the seahorse had thanked her, but he didn't draw any attention to it. Sanngetall, like Saferi, went to his own corner to eat. Speaking of Saferi, Thorn glanced over to where the Huntail had hunkered down. She still seemed lost in thought. He wondered what could be going on in her head. When she crunched a can, he looked away. Whatever it was, it was upsetting her, and he didn't think she would appreciate anyone bothering her at the moment. Bell had also noticed Saferi's behavior and asked, "Is Ms. Saferi sick?"

Aqua quickly answered, "I think Ms. Saferi might just need some time to herself sweetheart..."

"Yeah, sometimes people just need some alone time. She should be fine," He added. "My human could get like that." The mention of his trainer made him wistful. There was still an ache in his heart over losing her and the others... He could only hope they were still alive out there. As he looked around at the small group, it suddenly hit him that he had actually stayed in one place for longer than a day. He hadn't really stopped much while he had been looking. He had had no reason to. How long would he stay here? Did he even want to leave? Those were questions he didn't have answers to. Saferi had seemed like she was going to kick them out of her territory once she had what she wanted and let them have their fun, but now she was... strange. Guess we'll see when we get there...

Staring longingly at Saferi Bell wondered if she should offer her another can of food. The eel had finished her's and didn't seem like she was about to come grab another. Bell was starving, but the serpent had doubtlessly used more energy during the day and really needed to eat. Shuffling back toward the prepared cans the Poliwag grabbed one and was about to swim toward Saferi when Aqua answered her. "I think Ms. Saferi might just need some time to herself sweetheart..." Oh.. Gripping it tightly between her lips the youth froze for several moments, unsure of what to do next. She really didn't want to upset the eel further...

She held still so long she fell back down to the riverbed. Sadness welled in her eyes, lips falling back into a frown as she regretfully released her hold on the can and let it drifted on top of her feet. "Oh.." She sighed, plopping down and forcing herself to start to eat the new can. This should be Saferi's.. But it wasn't, and she had separated herself from them. Another sigh whisked its way out of her maw. Saferi had been acting strange, but as far as she knew it started after they met back up (as she was normal the last time she saw her). Did I do something? Was she mad at her for causing trouble? "Yeah, sometimes people just need some alone time. She should be fine," Thorn said, and the words helped ease her mind, though only slightly. "My human could get like that."

Bell turned her big eyes to the Gyarados, curious. "You had a human, Mr. Thorn?" How'd he end up all the way out here? ...How had she ended up all the way out here? "What were they like?" She never had the chance to truly meet any humans, in fact she avoided them if she could, but Thorn was so nice and he had been with one. Turning back to Aqua the child continued, "Did you have one Ms. Aqua?" Were all humans all alike? Her eyes kept going, and went over to the two others. "Did they..?"


Saferi grumbled, her thoughts too unpleasant to bear any longer. For some reason she could not quiet her mind and the rest she desperately needed would evade her until she did so. With another huff she unfurled her coils and fixed her eyes on the deepening color of the sky. She had spent two days with these Pokemon. Two days she would have never considered before. Two days that came from the most unusual of circumstances. Her gaze fell, disappointed in some way that those two days were now coming to an end, but her sight landed on a familiar shape. Sanngetall.

How many years had she spent with him? How many had they spent apart? The guy knew her better than anyone else here and did not seem changed or fazed. That was just how he was, but maybe that was what could offer her some semblance of peace. She snaked her way over, slowly, her presence clear and noticeable, and spoke softly as not to be overheard. "Hey," she said simply, yet the flat word was awkward on her tongue. "You ready for whatever we find?" Her fangs itched with the most uncomfortable of feelings. Small talk had never, ever been her strong suit, but this was torture. It was painfully awkward, and would ruin the small hope she had of rest tonight unless she could form some sort of real conversation. "What really brought you out here?"

"My human could get like that." Thorn added wistfully. [color=#974C2A]"Yeah? I think my trainer would try, but he could never keep it up long."[color] Aqua reminisces in return, letting the words settle into silence. Until Bell's curiosity gets the better of her. "You had a human, Mr. Thorn?" The child asks with huge eyes, looking at awe at the gyarados. "Did you have one Ms. Aqua?" The floatzel nods. "Yes I did, sometimes I call him a trainer instead of a human, but they're the same thing." She chuckles, thinking back to her times with Oliver. "He was a hoot. We grew up together far from here, traveled all over, but always came back home. He's the one who gave me my hat." She adds proudly, pointing at her head for emphasis.

"But Mr.Thorn I didn't know you had one too. So you're telling me your human was a lot like our eel friend?" Maybe he'd have a real good insight into Saferi then. "Or he was real good at crushing cans?" She offers to attempt to lighten the mood."Did they..?" The sentence trails off, but Aqua knows who she means. Her eyes linger over to the pair talking not far away. No fighting yet with them so close, but should she be worried? "I don't know. We'd have to ask them. They might not talk about it if they did though, not everyone wants to remember their humans."

Aqua also reminisced, "Yeah? I think my trainer would try, but he could never keep it up long." His own trainer sometimes just needed time to herself. Especially if she had been around a lot of people that day. Somehow Pokemon never bothered her like that, and that one friend she always called never seemed to drain her energy like others did.

Bell had appeared somber before the topic of humans were brought up. "You had a human, Mr. Thorn?" Bell asked as she turned her big brown eyes towards him. Then she asked, "What were they like?" The question was simple, but it intensified the ache he was feeling. He missed her. He missed Melody. And Omar, and Integra, and Steve. He still missed Kale too. Even though the Feraligatr was definitely dead and had been for four years, he still missed the Pokemon that had won his heart so thoroughly.

He caught himself before falling too far into memories so that he could actually answer the question. "... She was strange," He said wistfully. "Not bad strange. Just... Different. When people come after Gyarados, you expect a specific set of people, and she... wasn't something I expected. We met at my home, which was lovingly called the Lake of Rage, and one of her Pokemon ran into me and started talking. I... had kind of wanted to leave the lake to explore, but it's kind of hard when you're this big. And not everyone who wants a weirdly colored Pokemon is guaranteed to be nice. Her Pokemon made a pretty good case for his quiet trainer, and I didn't regret my decision to go with them." The memory of talking with Kale for a while before meeting Lynn was a happy one, and he couldn't help the smiling over it. Even if it was made bittersweet by Kale's later death, Thorn embraced the warm feeling for the moment.

"Did you have one Ms. Aqua?" Bell turned her attention to the Floatzel.

"Yes I did, sometimes I call him a trainer instead of a human, but they're the same thing," She clarified. "He was a hoot. We grew up together far from here, traveled all over, but always came back home. He's the one who gave me my hat." Here she pointed at her hat for emphasis, and he smiled with her. He was happy she had good memories with her own trainer. "But Mr.Thorn I didn't know you had one too. So you're telling me your human was a lot like our eel friend? Or he was real good at crushing cans?" He laughed a little at the intended joke. He could see she was trying to lighten the mood.

"She was a lot more sociable than Saferi, but she had her limits," He answered; crooked smile on his face. "... As for crushing cans, she was... Okay. She tried, at least.

"Did they..?" Bell asked. Her voice trailed off, and he wasn't sure where she was going with the question. Was she asking about their humans?

"I don't know. We'd have to ask them. They might not talk about it if they did though, not everyone wants to remember their humans." Aqua answered. Oh. He followed Bell's gaze and saw her looking towards the other Pokemon having their own conversation.

"Hey," Saferi said while swimming over, eyes downcast and voice dull in a way similar to what he remembered. Similar, but not exact. It was missing the spark, the fiery bitterness that her tongue often held for that of somberness. Though he couldn't say he was surprised, the entire group seemed to have that air now, it was still disconcerting. "Sup." He grunted, realizing his own fire had dimmed and any usual banter fell flat on the very dismissive greeting.

Come on now. The eel neared, but her mood remained as apparent as the fact she wanted something. Why else would she approach him? "The hull wont take long to get through." He commented dryly, trying to answer whatever it was she wanted before she even had the chance to ask. "I could probably do it myself." Instead of leaving, she just looked at him, eyes speaking volumes that he could not decipher. His snout wrinkled, and though he didn't break eye contact he continued to eat to show his disdain. "You ready for whatever we find?" She finally said, the words solemn and foreboding.

Swallowing his mouthful the seahorse narrowed his gaze with annoyance. "Yeah? It can't be that bad; you've lived next to it fine." Was she having second thoughts on the matter? It's too late to back out now princess. They already killed off her neighbors and blasted a hole in her house. Was she afraid? "What do you want from me." He griped, wanting to finish his meal quietly and regain his usual sass instead of stewing. But Saferi had other plans, and this odd, awkward intrusion continued with, "What really brought you out here?"

Sanngetall stared at her coldly for a few moments, then let his gaze soften. "I told you; some energy moved me out here. I didn't come by choice." He might of had a sly tongue, but lying didn't benefit him, so why bother with it? Whatever Pokemon, a psychic by the feel of things, must have just had it out for him that day. A deep breath followed by a hard sigh lessened the awkwardness for something more solemn. "I've been nursing some wounds from that blast. I've made progress, " he admitted dryly, "but it's still a long way home."

Traveling wounded was never a good idea, even for a trained expert like himself. His internal compass was vague at the best of times and he never felt any closer to home. Was he really any closer than his drop off point? His eyes shifted to and from the eel, recalling his arrival at this river. At least I was leaving this place. Clearing his throat Sannge cocked his head as he finished. "Why do you stick around here?" A fearsome, deep sea predator like herself sticking to.. sunny shallows? "This place is dull, you could do so much better. Hell, you could share my pad, if you think you can handle the journey."

"I told you; some energy moved me out here. I didn't come by choice." That didn't explain why he was still here. She pressed, forcing her nerves to relax. "Then why delay? You never stopped talking about your home." If he was truly hellbent on reclaiming the strip of land why wasn't he back in those waters? He looked at her, eyes blazing, but then the hate seeped away. Was he, also regretful? "I've been nursing some wounds from that blast. I've made progress, but it's still a long way home." Letting her gold gaze rest upon his scales Saferi could see numerous scars and marks from their time in the ring. He was a battered soul, and was in pretty rough shape right now, but she couldn't say anything on him prior looked devastatingly bad. You were fit for travel.

Then why was he making a nest in this river? "You were recovered when I found you." She argued, but the bark wasn't asking for an explanation, more that the hole in his story was too noticeable. If that was his reasoning, she did not care, but with that the eel found herself more at ease. The day had rounded out, and in the end it did not matter why her old friend was in this small town's shores.
"Why do you stick around here?" He asked back, a since of deja vu flooding her from this morning. Keeping her gaze upriver, and her ears primed for the light conversation of the others, Saferi let out a sigh. "This is my home now," she breathed, the answer nearly the same as before. "This place is dull, you could do so much better. Hell, you could share my pad, if you think you can handle the journey." Turning her fangs toward him the eel hung on a sharp remark, but the words did not come to fruition. She had settled for these waters after the incident, and while they were not grand by any means they had the one thing she had wanted. To be left alone.

Now, her she was. Laying in a river with other beings unlike herself. The company was foreign, but no longer unwelcome. The one being in the world who understood what she had gone through was here, and perhaps that sense of being was something that wouldn't be unwanted. Finally, she settled, coiling lightly on the spot with her tension released. "When all is said and done, I can handle anything."


"... She was strange," Bell's eyes were wide like moons as both Thorn and Aqua talked about their humans. They seemed so happy, like it was a party or feast or something fun like that, when her views on the things had been so different. Desperately she tried to recall a fun time with a human so she could join in as the pair joked around. Only one came to mind and she was shocked she hadn't thought of it sooner.
"There was this boy once who would give me crackers! He would come outta this one nest every day with a bunch of other kids. That was kinda scary, but he wasn't and the crackers were yummy!" Of course, her parents didn't like him, but as long as they didn't see it was okay. The memory even made her chuckle a little, and she guessed she looked just like Aqua did in her recall. "Does that make him my human?" She asked, not sure what criteria she would have needed to fill.

Looking back at the pair on the other side of the river Bell really wanted to ask if they had humans too when Aqua responded. "I don't know. We'd have to ask them. They might not talk about it if they did though, not everyone wants to remember their humans." They wouldn't want to? Her smile fell to a confused glance. But Thorn and Aqua seemed so happy. Even she was happy at the thought, shocked to find that the missing species was weighing even on her heart.
Turning back to the pair she looked at then gently. Did they not want to talk about them, but did it because she brought it up? "Do you miss them?" She asked both Pokemon softly, unsure if such a possibly sensitive question was a good idea.

Aqua listens with interest as Thorn tells his story, nodding along the way to encourage him to continue. "She was a lot more sociable than Saferi, but she had her limits," He answered; seeming to grin at a far off memory. "... As for crushing cans, she was... Okay. She tried, at least." She can't help but grin and laugh. "Trying is the important part though ain't it?" Struck with sudden inspiration, Bell leaps into the conversation. "There was this boy once who would give me crackers! He would come outta this one nest every day with a bunch of other kids. That was kinda scary, but he wasn't and the crackers were yummy!" She giggles as she recalls the memory.

"Does that make him my human?" Aqua brings a claw up to her chin to scratch. "Hmm...I think you would have been on your way to having him as your human. Usually humans have their pokemon live with them after getting to know them. Also, they normally keep their partners in spheres called pokeballs. They made traveling easier. Not always though. We'd travel together and discover new places, train and battle with other humans' pokemon--does that make sense?" Aqua adds, stopping herself from ranting on too long. There were just so many ways pokemon interacted with their humans it was hard to pin down. "Do you miss them?"

The floatzel doesn't answer right away. "All the time. Before the world got all turned around, I thought we'd be together till the end. I made it my mission to try and keep my home island as safe and preserved as I could...then some weird light came and I when I came too I was oceans away. Been trying to get back to Mossdeep City ever since." She finishes and reaches into her can to scrap away the last of the food to eat.

Aqua laughed at Thorn's joke at his trainer's expense. He knew that if Lynn had heard, she wouldn't have minded it. Probably would have feigned being upset before laughing... Before his thoughts could stray too far, Aqua asked in a light-hearted tone, "Trying is the important part though ain't it?"

He laughed a little before responding in a similar tone, "Yeah, it's all you can do."

Inspired by their stories, Bell lit up and excitedly started to tell her own. "There was this boy once who would give me crackers! He would come outta this one nest every day with a bunch of other kids. That was kinda scary, but he wasn't and the crackers were yummy!" The child laughed at the memory, and that caused Thorn to smile more. He was glad she had some good memories to fall back on. She then asked, "Does that make him my human?"

Aqua answered, "Hmm...I think you would have been on your way to having him as your human. Usually humans have their pokemon live with them after getting to know them. Also, they normally keep their partners in spheres called pokeballs. They made traveling easier. Not always though. We'd travel together and discover new places, train and battle with other humans' pokemon--does that make sense?" That was a pretty good explanation, Thorn thought. Though if Bell had any other questions on that, he would be willing to answer.

Instead, she shifted topics a little and asked a much more somber question, "Do you miss them?"

When Aqua didn't answer immediately, Thorn decided to volunteer his own information first before the child got too worried. "Y-yeah," he responded quietly. "Some days more than others. I keep... I keep kinda hoping that I can find her again." He didn't want to go into details about how they had been separated. Kid had uncanny luck staying alive, though, and he kept believing that. He didn't want to think about her or any of the others dying after... everything. They couldn't. That's not how their story should end. "But it's hard looking when I'm stuck in the water a lot..." Throughout his response, his face fell more and more. By the end, he looked melancholy
 
Aqua's answer wasn't much happier than his. "All the time. Before the world got all turned around, I thought we'd be together till the end. I made it my mission to try and keep my home island as safe and preserved as I could...then some weird light came and I when I came too I was oceans away. Been trying to get back to Mossdeep City ever since."

He was fairly surprised to hear that the Floatzel had come from a place he wasn't sure he had heard of. He only barely knew the Kanto cities, and Johto was the only region he could still remember easily. Thorn contemplated another can of food before deciding he probably shouldn't and coiled up a bit more. "Mossdeep? That's... That's really far from here, isn't it?"

"When all is said and done, I can handle anything." The seahorse raised a brow. Was that, a yes? With a sideways glance he searched her gaze for meaning, but the guarded creature revealed nothing. Did she want to leave? Was all the damage to her shoddy home too much? The eel rested gently, her restricted words all she was giving him to work with. Though he frowned Sannge was not disappointed. He took another bite of food, the last, and no longer felt ill at the idea of eating. Whatever her feelings, that wasn't a no, and he could work with that.

The dying rays of sunlight were quickly fading from the sky, turning it deep shades of deep and purple. In a few hours time, they would dive into what he realized was unknown to all. He didn't doubt he'd see this sunset again, but something felt almost nostalgic about this specific night. "Good," he said roughly, though their was a friendly element to his voice. He grunted, and settled back on his fins. "I like a girl who can handle herself." Turning his snout between the sky and the lass he tried to grunt again, but instead gave an odd chuckle. "Though you could learn to lighten up a bit."

"Hmm...I think you would have been on your way to having him as your human. Usually humans have their pokemon live with them after getting to know them. Also, they normally keep their partners in spheres called pokeballs. They made traveling easier. Not always though. We'd travel together and discover new places, train and battle with other humans' pokemon--does that make sense?" Bell tilted her head this way and that as Aqua explained human-Pokemon relationships. It wasn't that she didn't understand, but it was something she had never experienced, and a weird since of longing tugged at her at the thought. Would she have enjoyed that sort of life style with the boy she had grown fond of?

She had always thought humans were mean, spiteful, and taught not to trust them. But her friends seemed to feel the complete opposite, and the reminiscing looks on their faces spoke volumes. "Y-yeah," "All the time." Both of her friends missed their humans dearly; Bell could feel it in the way they talked and held themselves. It was a powerful thing, full of passion and love to the point they wanted to return to these things. Even if they were oceans away or so far inland they couldn't be seen. The closest thing she could relate to it was finding her family again, but until that moment she had never doubted they would reunite.

Both of her friends mentioned a place with a lovely name, but Bell could not enjoy it as worry started to fill her mind. Were they going to leave her for their humans, or take her along? Did they think they wouldn't find them? "You'll find them!" She told both Pokemon firmly as her own confidence waned. "They're out there somewhere. You just have to keep looking!" Yeah.. yeah! Just like her family. They just couldn't give up!


"Good. I like a girl who can handle herself." Such a sentence should have better absolutely repulsive but, for whatever reason, it wasn't. Instead of wanting to rip his snout off the eel felt a sense of ease, honesty without snark, though it was still insulting. Of all Pokemon the seahorse should know she could handle herself through anything, no matter what. They were both champions after all, and if he thought the ocean held anything she could not handle then he was the one that had gone soft.

"Though you could learn to lighten up a bit." He finished with a familiar cockiness. Was he trying to make an earnest joke? The eel flicked her tail irritably, but her gaze was tepid. "Sounds like you're the one that needs a bodyguard." She grunted, the thought of this wild-born guy being a pansy in the wild too funny. That was the closest she could get to a joke, but perhaps it was too personal to be a real one. "And someone to beat up those fools for you."

Aqua empathized with Thorn. Holding on to hope that someone you loved is still alive somewhere out there...though how high of a chance could that be? And that any one of them would be able to find their lost families if they were? At least..at least she knew for sure they were gone. She had closure, however horrible the outcome. "Mossdeep? That's... That's really far from here, isn't it?" She averted her gaze to the muddy ground below at the question. "I don't know for sure, but I reckon it is." Would she ever be able to find her way back? "Nothing around here looks familiar. I've around before all this happened, but never this far. Just following my instincts at this point."

"You'll find them!" Bell chimes in, though her own words seem to waver after having heard their stories. "They're out there somewhere. You just have to keep looking!" Aqua raises her eyes back up, the kid always seemed able to put a small smile on her face. She was always for hopeful and positive. "Not looking for them sure wouldn't help and who knows? Weird things happen all the time. Maybe when this is all said and done we can help each other look." Mossdeep could wait a little while if it meant helping out her friends. On the flip-side of it, if they decided to look together for Mossdeep it'd be nice to have company. It being an island wouldn't exclude Thorn neither. That's a thought for a future time though.

Aqua looked at the mud beneath her feet before answering, "I don't know for sure, but I reckon it is. Nothing around here looks familiar. I've around before all this happened, but never this far. Just following my instincts at this point." His heart went out to the Floatzel. He deeply understood the feeling. Somehow he got lucky enough to end up somewhat close, but he wouldn't have known without asking. Would he be able to make it back home? Though... Would they be there? Would it be worth going home if they weren't there?

The somber line of thought was interrupted by Bell's uplifting voice. "You'll find them!" He lifted his head to get a better look at her, and the child's assurance made him smile. It wasn't as big as normal, but it was there. "They're out there somewhere. You just have to keep looking!"

"Thanks, kid. Really," He said with fondness.

Bell's words had a similar effect on Aqua, as she also smiled at the kid's enthusiasm. She added somewhat more optimistically, "Not looking for them sure wouldn't help and who knows? Weird things happen all the time. Maybe when this is all said and done we can help each other look."

While the idea was tempting, something held him back from immediately agreeing to it. Mossdeep... was a lot farther than where he was wanting to go if Aqua's words were right. Would it be selfish of him to take that offer and then bail if they passed by Olivine? Probably. The pessimism from earlier resurfaced, and he wondered if it would even be worth stopping at Olivine. That was another pretty big city, and he couldn't imagine his loved ones staying there for long. "Yeah," he said, "I dunno how to get where you're going though."

"Sounds like you're the one that needs a bodyguard." A stream of bubbles flitted up from his snout as he snickered at the thought. "Hah, you wish. This body could use a lot of things but a guard ain't one of them." He rippled his brow at the eel as he spoke, though she did not appear to be paying attention to his face. Wrinkling his snout Sannge went for something more flashy, and with a hard thrust of his scrawny chest the seahorse gave an awkward flex of his pecks. He was a true fighter, and his hard muscles rippled beneath his scales, but again the eel did not seem impressed. Instead, she just continued with a jabbing, "And someone to beat up those fools for you."

With a sarcastic gasp he threw a fin across his eyes. "You wound me," he whined, letting his body fall against the muddy riverbed. "To think there's a fool out there that couldn't be  crushed by this bod'. Ah!" Rolling to his side the seahorse shifted to something a little more classy, and gave the female a twisted smile. "But, you're no fool~ So it makes sense that a good gal could."

"Thanks, kid. Really," Bell could finally see a smidge of positivity return to her friends. They both smiled, and her own heart felt a little less cramped in her chest. She was right though, if they kept trying they were bound to succeed. Then everyone could be happy again, worries gone, and frowns vanished.
"Not looking for them sure wouldn't help and who knows? Weird things happen all the time. Maybe when this is all said and done we can help each other look." A comforting warmth bubbled in the child's belly and seeped out to her skin in a light tingle. They'd be exploring new places together, and maybe she would get to see where both Thorn and Aqua came from. If they found and met their humans, would she like them? Would it give a new light to humans for her? A tingle buzzed in her feet. The idea seemed so much like a dream, yet so real and possible with her friends by her side.

"Yeah, I dunno how to get where you're going though." Curiosity puzzled her face for a moment. There was no way she would be helpful in that regard; she didn't even know how to get home herself. Did that mean Thorn was lost? Explorers didn't get lost though, did they? I thought he was just looking for someone There was no way he was lost! "Is there a way to always know which way you're going?" She asked, glancing up at the first few stars that were starting to dot the darkening sky. "At least then you'd be going in a straight line."


"You wound me. To think there's a fool out there that couldn't be crushed by this bod'. Ah!" Saferi snorted, glad to see that his gross humor was back in full swing. Her gold eyes glinted, the sorriness she felt before lifted. Harmony was restored, moods lightened, and peace returned. She twisted her neck back to look at the others and was almost jealous to see them clustered together while chatting. Whatever they were talking about must of been better than her conversation. Ah. Finally, everyone had forgotten the horrors of the day. Twitching the end of her tail the exhausted eel knew she should turn in for the night, yet she had a strange desire to continue this lack of a conversation.

Shifting her coils around to be move comfortable, and so her necklaces didn't stab into her scales, the Huntail let out a light sigh. Their travel conversation was more or less over, and all she could drag the chat back to was their task, or their past. "Well, there goes the sunlight." She said airily, but scenery was never her forte. Instead, she turned her neck more slyly, glancing at the others as she pondered, "I wonder what they chose to talk about."

"Is there a way to always know which way you're going?" Bell asks, Aqua following her gaze skyward.
"At least then you'd be going in a straight line." The floatzel stared up at the unfamiliar sky, trying to find shapes in the celestial connect-the-dots. "Well you ain't far off Ms. Bell." She says, gesturing towards the stars. "Humans had machines to tell them where everything was and how to get there, but back before all that fancy stuff they used the stars. Or so my trainer said. He used to be real into it when he was younger, but lost interest." If she could just remember everything he had recited to her back then. It's been so long. "All we'd need is a few stars we recognize, then we'd at least have some anchors."

The harder she squints up at the stars, searching for constellations, the more her vision blurs. Her tired mind low on fumes and rebelling against the intense focus. Finally, she closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose to fight off a coming headache. "I'm as tired as a worn-out shoe. I don't think I'll be able to make heads or tails of them before getting a little shut eye." She confesses, defeated for the time being. Moving her hand around she switches to rubbing her eyes. Only noting now that the last rays of sunlight have officially died out, leaving them in the light of the moon. "We should probably all get some sleep, we'll need it for the ship tomorrow."

The little child seemed confused at his words and asked, "Is there a way to always know which way you're going?" She looked up at the night sky as the stars started to appear. "At least then you'd be going in a straight line." Thorn also looked up as he remembered the night before. He still recognized a constellation here and there, but he didn't know how to navigate by them. There was one that showed true north, but he didn't remember which one it was. Even then, he had never learned to travel with the stars. It wasn't a skill he had picked up as a wild Pokemon since the Lake, while large, did still have limitations. He had generally trusted his trainer and her other Pokemon to know where they were going. He was regretting that now.

Aqua was the first to answer, "Well you ain't far off Ms. Bell. Humans had machines to tell them where everything was and how to get there, but back before all that fancy stuff they used the stars. Or so my trainer said. He used to be real into it when he was younger, but lost interest." She waved up to the stars as she spoke. "All we'd need is a few stars we recognize, then we'd at least have some anchors."

Thorn figured he might as well be honest here, so he said, "I can recognize a few of the constellations, but... yeah, I don't know how to figure out directions based on them. I've just been running on what I can remember of what the beaches looked like."

The three of them gazed at the stars; the day's trauma having been, if not forgotten, at least shoved away for the moment. They were alive despite everything that had been against them that day. That had to count for something. His eyes started to droop shut a little, and he shook his head a few times in an attempt to stay awake. Eventually, Aqua pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed at her eyes as she said, "I'm as tired as a worn-out shoe. I don't think I'll be able to make heads or tails of them before getting a little shut eye. We should probably all get some sleep, we'll need it for the ship tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right," Thorn tiredly muttered. He rearranged his coils again to get more comfortable, and he took the opportunity to glance over at Saferi and Sanngetall. The Huntail looked like she was in a much better mood, which somewhat surprised Thorn given her chosen conversation partner. He called out to both of them, "We're about ready to hit the sack, what about you?"

"Well, there goes the sunlight." The eel breathed as though she ran out of things to say. "What?" He snorted, wondering if that small bit of conversation had tuckered her out. "Feeling sentimental or something? It's not like you to be whimsical." But his own words were gentle, enjoying her change of pace over the days long past. It was nice to see such a hardened creature have a softened shell. Even so, Saferi was never good at small talk, and her choice of topic changed very drastically once more and she peaked away. "I wonder what they chose to talk about."

Angling his head to glance over his shoulder the sea horse made the motion as nonchalant as possible. Flexing his fins in a good, relaxed stretch he rolled his eyes to the side and saw the other group huddled in calm conversation. They looked at ease, yet emotional. Whatever they were talking about it probably held some sort of meaning to them. "The past, most likely." He settled himself back into his prior position, muscles stretched and limber. "Not much else to talk about these days." Next meal, next rest, next battle, all that got old and didn't trigger the same feeling as the past. Well, for most 'mons at least.

Tensing his shoulders in a smaller, more controlled stretch, the sea horse relaxed himself one more time before settling neatly into a pile in the riverbed soil. It really was getting dark now, and stars started to freckle the deep blue sky. The soft pull of the river was soothing against his aching scales, and there was an odd comfort in having company for tonights rest. "Gotta make up for it with the future I guess." With a lasting, satisfied sigh, he laid his head gently upon his own fins. Tomorrow they would work on that future, whatever it may be.