(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

This was the second time she had almost lost him. And both instances were because of her.

Eris could've stayed in that little den with Gregory forever. She'd keep him warm and safe and tear anything that tried to disturb their peace to shreds. She'd always told herself that reuniting with her brother had been a blessing; a miracle; the key out of that nightmare of a 'life' she'd had before, but her knack for getting them both into trouble with her impulsive nature hadn't done either of them any favours. At times she wondered if Greg resented her for that. He wouldn't, of course; his heart was far too kind and pure, but her head told her all sorts of stories. Sometimes she believed them.

Her head snapped up when Marley softly cleared her throat as she entered. Eris merely stared wearily at her, her tail whipping gently from side to side on the ground. This human had saved Gregory's life; Eris had no reason to dislike her. If anything, she was in her debt. "We're planning on heading to the city to look for supplies," Marley told them, as flatly as usual. "Candice says that she has some to share ... are you two coming? Now that you've rested a little, do you want to try getting up?"

"What, right now?" Eris looked anxiously to her brother and then back to Marley. "It hasn't been that long ... do they really need to get going right this instant or -- Greg!"

"It's all right, I can do it." Greg was already pushing himself up onto his arms, his left wing twitching uncomfortably at the effort. His face twisted into a grimace, but he kept trying. Eris felt her heart beginning to break.

It took a minute or so, and Eris had to place her head under his to help, but her brother was soon on his feet. He slid off the bed, holding onto Eris's shoulder for support. He swayed a little, but after a shake of his head and a deep breath, he soon steadied himself.

"Well done," Eris breathed, wishing she could just throw herself at him and smother him in hugs without hurting him or knocking him over. Controlling herself at that moment was difficult. "You feeling OK?"

"Yes," Greg said, wincing as he attempted to shift his wing into a comfortable position onto his back. "I'm fine."

He wasn't though. He could be holding one of his limbs and still insist that it wasn't a problem.

"By the sounds of it, we have some new faces to get acquainted with."

"Unfortunately," Eris scowled.

Tears sprang into Eris's eyes as she felt Greg curl his tail around hers comfortingly. She quickly looked away, hoping neither he or Marley would notice. "We'll follow you, Marley."

"I-yes, I used to be an Eevee," The Jolteon could barely stop herself from pouncing the Aiveon but staring was another thing entirely- she couldn't take her eyes off his fluffy form is she wanted to. Kin! Kin its kin! She'd only ever seen a handful of her cousins outside of the place she was born. To find one she had never seen, far out in the snow for that matter, sent excited tingles prancing down her spine. "The humans called me an Aiveon. My br-I'm supposed to be pretty rare, or something like that." "Aiveon, that's a cool name!" The awe in her voice was plain for all to hear, "And yeah, I'd say you're pretty rare, but only cause I haven't had the chance of seeing one of you before. I was born in a place with a ton of other Eevee's but Ive never seen someone like you. So cool!" Glalie's tail brushed her side, a sign she was overdoing herself, but the Jolteon struggled not to pursue in further questions.

Luckily for Lucas, Dante padded up, stopping a bit away though his voice carried with ease. "We're moving, everyone. Get yourselves ready-- shouldn't be too far of a trip." Her expression falls, muscles relaxing until the Jolteon is finally standing still once again. We're leaving? Koru had said they wouldn't be sent away. Had they been a problem after all? "What an adventure!" The feline muses, his voice light. It wasn't his plan? Were they going hunting or den scouting? If they were why would Dante tell they were moving when this was Koru's house? He sounds like he knows the destination. Confusion plastered Pachi's face for several hard moments as she tried to work the thought out. Well, wherever they were headed, at least they had company now! "Adventure!" The electric type squeals, her inner spark jostling and sending her bouncing up and down once again.

The Glaceon fixated his blue eyes on the den entrance as Dante inquired about the dragons he had yet to see. "He was awake, at least. But the space was getting crowded and I did not see how well he was faring," Just because he was awake didn't mean said dragon was fit to travel. In the cold and snow no less. Travel will be slow. That left them vulnerable and it had long since passed midday. Hopefully it really isn't that far. With a deep breath in Glalie flexed his paws and let his muscles tense up then relax. The faster they got moving the better. "Where are we going?" Hera inquired, her gaze on Dante. Without missing a beat Pachi inserted herself in the conversation. "On an adventure, apparently~" She cheered with a friendly tone. Shooting her a hard glance Glalie considered throwing a pawful of snow in her face but thought better of it. She'd think its a game. The last thing any of these Pokemon needed right now was to have snow flung at them by a ditzy Jolteon.

[I'm really sorry, but I'm not feeling well enough to make anything other than a really shitty post, so I have to skip. Basically Candice went off to, like Dante said, make sure the shelter is ready for a larger group of Pokemon. I'll write that in next post]

Marley stood silently and watched as Gregory forced himself to his feet, a panicky Eris helping. What an extraordinary amount of willpower that Charizard had; he was clearly still in a lot of pain and discomfort, and yet was still insisting that he come along. Marley only hoped he wouldn't make himself ill from physical exertion; the body was weaker after sustaining a bloody injury like he had.

"By the sounds of it, we have some new faces to get acquainted with," he said, remarkably cheerfully.

"Unfortunately," Eris growled, but then she looked away, suddenly looking very emotional.

"We'll follow you, Marley," the orange dragon said to her with a nod. Had he not noticed Eris was trying to keep it together, or had he just chosen not to address it?

Either way, Marley nodded back and wandered her way back outside, where Dante and all the Eeveelutions were gathered. Apparently they were all ready to go to ... wherever it is they were going. The city? Marley hadn't been paying much attention. She wrapped her arms around Arcanine's neck as the canine greeted her with a nudge of his snout.

"We're ready too," she said, gesturing behind her at the two Charizard following. "He's a little wobbly but should be able to keep up..." A brief glance around confirmed that the Gym Leader had wandered off; at least, she was no longer visible in the misty haze of the snowstorm. "Where's Candice?"

Though Koru's enthusiasm for the move was tolerable enough, the Jolteon's squeaking happiness caused the Houndusk to close his eyes against the noise, as if that would help his newly formed tinnitus at all. Still, Koru had some information that was still prudent and not just high-pitched squealing nonsense, thank the Legends. "He was awake, at least. But the space was getting crowded and I did not see how well he was faring." Dante nodded, his eyes going down to his feet in thought. He knew they were going to have to go slow, but it was likely more trouble than he'd originally accounted for. Shit.

"Where are we going?" the scarred Espeon inquired, her voice low. He turned to her, about to speak, when the Jolteon interrupted him. "On an adventure, apparently~" He gave the Electric type a stale glare before looking back to the Espeon. It occurred to him that he didn't even catch her name, yet. Oops.

"We're going to Candice's stronghold. Seems she has enough room for everyone there instead of us all trying to cram into a den only meant for a couple. No offense, Koru," he quickly added, not wanting to upset the strange, fluffy Persian that had been so helpful. "It shouldn't be far, but we'll just have to see."

"We're ready too." Dante turned at the monotone voice, slightly relieved to see Marley approaching with the two Charizard in tow. Dante's icy eyes flicked to the wounded one, but it seemed Marley read his mind. "He's a little wobbly but should be able to keep up..." He heaved a sigh of relief; maybe they would make good time anyway. "Where's Candice?"

The question caught him a little off guard, but he made a gesture with his large horned head before answering. "She went ahead, to prepare for our arrival. We've a wounded with us, but we should be strong and numerous enough to drive off any attacks." He looked at everyone, eyes set with determination. Right. It was time to finally get moving.

"All right, everyone, let's start going. Marley, you and your Arcanine take point, follow Candice's footsteps. Charizards will be middle, Espeon -sorry, I didn't catch your name- and Koru on the left of the group, Fluffy and Hyper Eevees -sorry, I forgot your names- on the right. Keep yourself evenly spaced. Glaceon, you're going to be with me, making up the rear and covering our tracks with snow and ice. Koru, keep an eye on the wounded Charizard, give him any Berries he needs. Any questions-- remember the quicker the better."

"We're going to Candice's stronghold. Seems she has enough room for everyone there instead of us all trying to cram into a den only meant for a couple. No offense, Koru." The Persian purred briefly. "None taken," he responded without missing a beat, the content smile on his face unwavering.
"It shouldn't be far, but we'll just have to see."
Hera was much less good natured, though, as she kept to the back of the group. Head down, the Espeon's eyes were sharp as she stared straight at Dante, almost as if attempting to sear a hole right through him.

Fortunately Marley returned soon enough, both of the Charizard behind her, and the Houndusk took charge easily enough.
"All right, everyone, let's start going. Marley, you and your Arcanine take point, follow Candice's footsteps. Charizards will be middle, Espeon -sorry, I didn't catch your name." Hera remained stiff, giving no hint of telling him her name. "And Koru on the left of the group." He nodded, stepping forward to take position. Koru stepped past the Espeon in order to take his post, not noticing the way her head turned as Hera stared behind them, her ear flicking.
"Koru, keep an eye on the wounded Charizard, give him any Berries he needs. Any questions-- remember the quicker the better."
"Roger," the cat in question added, nodding. "I-"
"While I am so interested in this..."adventure", I was already planning to pass," Hera cut in, earning a dejected look from the Persian.

"You're leaving? But you'll freeze to death--!"
"I'll be fine," she responded curtly, already turning her back on the group to walk away. "Hopefully I see you again one day, Lucas, take care. Koru--"
"I'm coming with you," he interrupted her farewell. earning a surprised look from the other cat.
"What! No, you stay. Go with them."
"I'll walk her to the edge of the snow," Koru explained to Dante, ignoring her protests. "It'll take some time, so don't wait up. Just leave a nest for me in the shelter!" He gave a cheeky grin before nodding to the group. "Be safe everybody! I'll be back before you know it."
Ignoring the annoyed look Hera shot him, Koru trotted to her side before the pair walked off into the snow, leaving the pack behind.

((Skip for now; my two just nod at Dante and fall into line behind Marley. Eris is holding onto Greg to help him walk.))

The Glaceon watched as everyone including the aforementioned Charizards gathered in the snow. It was strange that such an odd collection of Pokemon could assemble in such a desolate, harsh area, and more or less peacefully at that. Dainty, thin fur or those with wings, a mass amount of fire types.. And humans. At least the latter made some sense- there was a town out here somewhere though his memory of it is vague at best. "All right, everyone, let's start going." Dante announces, pulling everyone's attention as he gives out instructions. "Marley, you and your Arcanine take point, follow Candice's footsteps. Charizards will be middle, Espeon -sorry, I didn't catch your name- and Koru on the left of the group, Fluffy and Hyper Eevees -sorry, I forgot your names- on the right. Keep yourself evenly spaced." With a spring in her step the Jolteon trotted to the side, excitement fizzing through her pelt, barking at the Houndusk's next pause, "Aye aye, Captain!"

"Glaceon, you're going to be with me, making up the rear and covering our tracks with snow and ice. Koru, keep an eye on the wounded Charizard, give him any Berries he needs. Any questions-- remember the quicker the better." Giving an acknowledging nod Glalie padded closer to Dante and faced himself forward. While his own job was simple enough the ice type doubted Pachi could handle herself for the entire trek, given their last one. Please let me be wrong. By either a stroke of luck or misfortune someone else spoke when Dante finished instead of the Jolteon, "While I am so interested in this..."adventure", I was already planning to pass," "But Hera!" Pachi's whine immediately followed, "You can't go!" One of Glalie's furry ear flicked in annoyance. Couldn't she keep herself out of others business just this once? Just until things here settled?

The electric type stared on in horror as Koru failed to persuade her to leave, her dismay evident and ears falling as the pair padded off. "It'll take some time, so don't wait up. Just leave a nest for me in the shelter!" He called back to them. In the blink of an eye her energy was gone. With sadness in her gaze Pachi looked between the remaining Pokemon for some sort of encouragement, something to keep the Pokemon that were already fading out of sight here. It was pointless. "Stay safe!" She called after them desperately, unsure if they could still hear her. With a pathetic whine the female shuffled the snow, staring at it for several moments before looking at Dante. "I'll take left side then." She sighed dejected, already padding to the other size of their formation. What a total buzzkill.

"The wounded Charizard may need to be carried still, but I or another large pokemon can handle that." Good; it was nice that she had run into reliable survivors, rather than the weak kind that struggled to endure the snow-covered land. Candice didn't have anyone with her that could carry larger Pokemon anyways; Yeti had been left behind at their shelter, and the other three were simply too small. "The quicker the better. I don't want to stay out here any longer than I have to-- I'm sure you'll agree." That's common sense. Don't want to draw the attention of the dead to us. "Do what you need to do to prepare your den; I'll see that the others are ready to move when you are. Send someone quick." With a nod of acknowledgment, Candice turned from the Fire-type and picked up her running pace; Ma easily followed behind, as both of them fully knew the way back through the snow. They would have to be quick, of course-making accommodations for six Pokemon and another human would take time.


There were no signs of life as they approached the outskirts of her city. It was a pipe dream, a childish fantasy to imagine that anyone could be there again; the people she knew either died at the start or perished in the cold, following her. There's nothing left. Candice was numb to the thought. Even when she took Snowpoint back, Candice knew that it would still be as empty and devoid of life as it was now.
Her shelter was one of the completed new homes made to accommodate the dock workers, and that made it sturdy. Her people had never made buildings that couldn't endure the extremes of their environment, after all. Fortunately for her soon-to-be guests, it was one of the few that had been expanded upon before the plague had reached the city; it was unlikely room would be a problem. Slowing her pace to a steady walk, Candice approached the front door, pausing for a moment as she realized she hadn't bolted the door.
Don't do that again.

"Welcome back," her Froslass, Valhalla, greeted her as soon as she walked in. Everything looked the same as it had before Candice had left; it was useful that she did not have much of sentiment. The house appeared almost barren, which in her eyes was a good thing; more room, and nothing to attach her to the place.
"We're going to have guests," Candice responded, setting her pack down. Her muscles were sore, but at least the weight was off her shoulders now. She set down her pick as well, keeping only the knife by her side. It was probably not the best idea to do so, but she didn't want to show off too much hostility. Some Pokemon simply didn't trust humans; Candice was far too experienced to think otherwise.
"Guests? Out here?"
"Six Pokemon, apparently. There was another human with them, too."
Valhalla gazed back at her thoughtfully before nodding, the Froslass beckoning to Ma. "Well, we might as well get the rooms ready."

With their leave, the logistics ran through Candice's head. With just her and her Pokemon, they had enough food to last at the very least four months, likely longer, but adding on six Pokemon along with a human and her team...? Charizards, an Arcanine, a Houndoom alone needed a lot of food each day, and that wasn't counting the others they had with them. She couldn't afford to have starving, carnivorous Fire-types around, if it got to that point. They'd be better off going south after we raid whatever's left in the city. This isn't a place for anything but a small group. I can't possibly accommodate them for a long time. Once they got here, Candice was going to have to give that information out as quickly as she could...and they still needed a guide.
"Ma!" Candice called, and the Weavile quickly bounded over to her. "I'll take over helping Valhalla. I need you to bring our guests here-you remember where they are, right?"
"You even need to ask, boss?" the Weavile said with a smirk. Without giving a reply, Candice stepped outside with the Dark-type, and took out another Pokeball. Yeti and Valhalla were perfectly capable of defending this place with her, and Candice did not like the idea of Ma going out alone. Snowpoint wasn't safe-they all knew that well enough. She released Borealis from the ball, the Glaceon casually shaking his fur, not even slightly affected by the cold. He stared up at Candice expectantly, as if he were late for something important and this was getting in the way of his schedule.

"We're going to have company, Borealis. You're going with Ma to bring them back here...try not to get into any trouble."
"Wait a minute-company?" the Glaceon is dumbfounded, and turned to Ma for answers with a bewildered look. "There's others out here in this hellhole?"
"Yeah man, I'll explain on the way. We'll be back soon, Candice," Ma said, giving a wink to Candice before practically dragging the Glaceon away with her, the latter still asking loud questions. Candice watched them leave; hopefully things would stay relatively quiet for them. Or, at least as quiet as it could be with Borealis around. She turned back to the house, giving only a short wave to Yeti, who had poked his head out from his hiding spot by the house. There were still preparations to be made, and Candice did not have all the time in the world.

(note: hopefully I didn't take too many liberties, else I can edit-I lost track of most of my plans for her over the months :/)

Snowpoint, where even in a few days time the simple grave made for a fallen friend was near buried in the soft flurries that had fallen from the heavens as they wept. He had barely been gone two days before his conscience gripped him and Raiden felt the urge to return, his just nature not allowing him to wallow in his sorrows and demanding that he protect the innocents that he left stranded in the city. But he couldn't continue on without at least paying his respects once more to Ciara. The Mightyena who lay beneath the frozen soil and mound of snow had been through hell and back during the Epidemic, finally falling victim to it and being forced to turn. That wicked Houndoom, she had torn the poor pup to pieces and left her to rise, forcing her friends to do what he could not and end her suffering. Houndoom...

The Manectric's bowed head snarled as the image of a cocksure devil hound surfaced in his mind, the male forcing his leadership upon others and taunting Raiden when he could not bring himself to kill a girl he had known since she was a child. What right did he have to judge the feelings of others? While he had been grateful the hound had been able to give mercy to the poor Mightyena his attitude regarding Raiden's inability to murder what was once a friend had been uncalled for. The selfish prick simply packed up his troupe and left, leaving Raiden alone to care for Ciara's remains, and moved on.

Sighing heavily Raiden lifted his head to the sky and closed his eyes as soft tufts of snow fell on his face, embracing their cold comfort as he fought to control his temper. He had come back to help them, despite the prick's objections, and would not allow the Houndoom to push him away again. He tilted his head and looked back towards the direction of the city, a few buildings just tall enough to peek over the horizon. They had likely begun to move but he was confident he could pick up some kind of trail. Knowing the Houndoom he could likely just follow the trail of bodies until he came across their new hideout, but if it came to it the Manectric was a decent tracker. He would find them. He had to.

Please skip me for now; I can't shake off the flaring.

((Skip please))

The walk to the human's shelter was longer than Dante expected, but that was probably because every second was a new opportunity for disaster to strike. Undead attacks, unpredictable blizzards or hell, maybe even an avalanche? Who fucking knew at this point? Each tiny sound caused him to freeze and watch their surroundings, the level if sheer vigilance he kept exhausting him despite the slow pace. Everyone remained quiet, though, and he supposed that was good. They kept to their positions in the pack and moved at the wounded Charizard's pace.

Soon the town came into view, giving Dante a strange case of goosebumps. Why did he suddenly feel... anxious? Nah, that wasn't the word-- he'd been anxious because he was tottering around in the goddamn apocalypse. No, this was something different. Something was stirring in his very core and he couldn't seem to shake it. Why was... he so...

....sad?

He shook his heavy head free of the thought, watching the others trek by. He couldn't dwell on that now. His concentration needed to be on spotting threats and dealing with them before they got to the group. But as he stood on guard, a scent came on an errant breeze, catching his attention immediately. It was musky, but he knew the scent of old blood when he smelled it. He tensed. No moron would go around with dried blood clinging to them, right? The Charizards were a different matter-- one of them was still bleeding. But old blood meant that the wound had stopped. Why would anyone alive risk having the scent? So, whatever it was, must have been not alive.

Dante took a quick look to the group and allowed his eyes to follow the trail Candice had left. There was still some ways to go, unfortunately, but perhaps the faintness of the scent meant whatever was putting it off was at a safe enough distance? He certainly hoped so. The day was miraculously clear, so perhaps if there were any swarms or gross things waiting for them, they'd have a decent warning. As he turned to rejoin the group, a structure in the distance caught his eye. It sat, almost lonely, against the dulled ice water that marked the port. A building? Maybe a warehouse or shipyard? Nah, too small for the latter, he dismissed. But as he gazed at it, that feeling came back again. That... sadness. Frowning, unsure of what that feeling meant, he decided not to tempt fate, instead turning from it to keep with the others.

If he got curious later and maybe a death wish, he'd go look later.

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot ... simply concentrating on his walking was helping with the dizziness at least. It was nowhere near as bad as it had been, but Gregory wasn't surprised that it was still hanging around. Bloodloss and the shock from receiving a wound took its toll on the body for some time; even if he was up on his feet, he'd have to be careful not to overdo it.

Eris was practically glued to him, holding onto his arms and throwing her head underneath his if he so much as tripped on a rock. His sister was being remarkably quiet as they made their way to the city, only speaking to ask him how he was feeling every few minutes. He could tell that this whole incident had upset her, and had no doubt that she housed her own guilt for letting him get hurt in the first place. He still remembered the blow from that demon of a Nidoking back in his youth; how he'd recklessly taken the brunt of the attack in her stead. She blamed herself for that too, as she'd told him many times, and so this incident had surely only strengthened that self-loathing.

Greg felt his heart ache as he briefly rubbed her snout with his affectionately. He wished with all of his heart that he had the ability to reverse the state of the world so that she might finally find the peace she deserved.

"You OK?" she asked for what must've been the seventh time.

"Yes ... just trying to focus on my footsteps."

"Good idea." They walked in silence for a few more minutes before Eris suddenly rose her head. "So how far exactly is this city?" she asked no one in particular. "I think Greg needs a rest."

"No I don't," he quickly interjected, feeling embarrassed. He understood Eris's concern, but felt himself flush whenever attention was turned to him. He didn't want them looking at him and his limp, bloodied wing for longer than they needed to.

"You sure? You're going slower than you were a minute ago. We can stop whenever you want. If these guys don't like it, then, they'll just have to deal with it and--"

"Eris," Gregory cut in, with that gentle tone that somehow always managed to stop Eris in her tracks. "It's all right. I'll tell you if I need to rest. Stop fretting."

She looked at him then, her mouth snapping open and closed as she tried to find a counter-argument. Defeated, she huffed and carried on walking, the beginnings of an anguished scowl forming on her brow.

(Been trying to post but I'll have to skip as there isn't much to say other then Glalie covering up their tracks.)

He didn't realize how much time he had spent in reflection at Ciara's grave until the soft shadows of sunset began to stretch across the snow. Cursing mentally he offered one final goodbye to the poor Mightyena's final resting place and began trudging through the snow to the city proper, intent on at least getting shelter before the sun finally slipped beneath the horizon and he was left in utter darkness. Sometimes he wished he could be like his feline cousins, Luxray capable of seeing through walls and in the dark, but alas he was only a Manectric. And as such he would have to cope with what limited skills he had.

He didn't care much for the depth of the snow, his legs sinking nearly half way down and making long trenches in his wake that he couldn't cover back up to hide his trail. He could only hope with the snow still falling it would eventually fill itself, and that he could find a solid surface to travel on closer to the city to hide his path better. He winced as his injured shoulder jarred, the barely knit wound beginning to seep once again, a few scattered drops of blood tainting the fresh, pure snow beneath him. He cursed softly, bending his head to lap at the wound despite the sting his rough tongue caused. He would have to get it to stop bleeding before he found shelter or he would be easier to track than a newborn babe. And that wasn't very helpful when you were hiding from things that wanted to eat you.

"I fucking hate snow."
A sneasel grumbled, perched atop the bloodied and battered armor of a Nidoking. Her fur was ragged and ruffled, her claws still dirty with the dried gore of her victims.
"If I ever fuckin' get outta here, I'm never settin' foot in this go tsao de place again."

"You and me both, kid." Strix muttered, his heavy feet trudging through hip-deep snow drifts. He was more than tired. He was so emotionally and physically exhausted that he could sleep for months. He wanted to curl up someplace warm and just stay there forever. But no, he had to find Dante first. Gotta get that prick before they head down the mountain. He had left out of sheer anger and determination to find the others, but all he was able to find in the ghost town was the little Sneasel.

"What happened down there?" He asked quietly, his large ears ever alert to any crunches or shifting in the land locked forever in winter. He hadn't had the chance to talk much to her, really. He had stumbled upon a scene of chaos when he arrived. Bloodied carcasses everywhere, unmoving and truly dead. There were only a few left, which Strix easily dispatched before he scoured the buildings and found the small sneasel shivering in the back of a shredded and vile smelling couch.

"Was a trap." She growled, glaring behind her at the town. "There were bodies under the damned snow. They popped out and surrounded us, like murd'rous daisies." She waved her claws above her head angrily as she continued. "I kill't some of 'em, but there were too many. Me and Adara ran, but we got separated when the reavers came out." Strix could feel the shiver that ran through the small thing on his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw true fear in her eyes. "Reavers." He said thoughtfully to himself, his gaze moving ahead of them once more.

"Yes, reavers. I ain't goin' never going back there. Mutilated húndàn." Rune mumbled to herself as her fur fluffed up. "Ain't none of 'em human. None of 'em." A large frown plastered both of their faces as they continued on in silence. Strix' feet crunched snow loudly underneath him as the snow grew more shallow. Rounding the edge of the forest, he could see the tip of the warehouse.
"There," He pointed, picking up the pace. "We could pick up his trail from there, if he went anywhere." He figured the prickly hound would undoubtedly be pissed, but finding Rune would lift his spirits. "Where did you come from? You couldn'ta always been here." The sneasel stared at him a with raised eyebrow.
"Now how'd you know 'bout that." She eyed him with narrowed eyes. He scoffed, amused by her suspicion.
"Your Mandarin. You talk like they talked back home." A large smile graced his features as his mind was teleported back to better times. Deep, thick grasslands, bustling forests and a constant flow of pokemon and humans from the nearby city. Everything was vibrant and filled with the buzz of life back then.
"You from Goldenrod?" She asked, her eyes wide in shock and excitement. "How'd you end up here in the ass-end of the world?" He snorted before replying, surprised by the momentary euphoria. "I honestly don't know my own-self. Me and Dante were in the ice caves fighting a floating face when we found ourselves on the top of this shitty mountain." He paused, glancing down at his tromping feet as he walked. "Lot of things happened that I don't understand." He said under his breath.

Suddenly, his sensitive ears caught sounds of snow crunching approaching from their left, not too far from them. Strix froze, his body straightening as he listened intently. Rune stood up on his shoulder, putting her claws against his head for balance. There were quite a few footsteps, and some of them were heavy. "At least five." He whispered to the Sneasel as she put her nose to the wind. She blinked, then sniffed the air a second time to be sure. "There's fresh blood but...some'm else..." Strix growled deeply. "Find a high tree and stay there."

Rune moved into his peripheral. "What!? Not a gorram way! We don't know what's out there! We hide!"

"Can't hide when there's tracks! Ain't got time to argue- get your measly hide up there!"
"Not a chance." She said matter-of-factly, baring her small teeth as she readied her claws for battle.

Satisfied, Strix' form began to emanate dark waves, shrouding his enormous arms and claws in a cloud of billowing darkness. The dark aura wrapped around his shoulder blades and around his head as he drew more energy. His eyes began to glow a ghostly white, his large fangs glistening with old blood. If he was gonna be miserable in satans' frozen asshole, somebody was gonna pay for it.

Pounding forward, he let out a roar as he burst through the trees. He gained speed as he drove his weight forward. Leaping, he raised his heavy claws above his head, ready to tear into whatever was in front of him. He was a split-second away from delivering a powerful blow to the closest creature, when panic shot through him.

Dante!

(omg its sooooo goooood to be back on snow!)

The oranges and reds of sunset painted the snow into a mural as they trekked, Dante almost impressed with the beauty. There weren't many moments, he imagined, that he'd be able to stop and appreciate a natural wonder such as the one he was currently witnessing. He came to a halt once more to watch over the group's steady procession once satisfied at the lack of movement ahead, let his eyes go to the sky. Though his mind was bereft of memories, he was glad, at least, to be able to have this moment of peace.

As he was about to move along, his need for introspection satisfied, a noise behind the skeletal hound caused his muscles to tense and freeze. Footsteps? Not light ones, either. He whirled around just in time to spot a giant, spiky, raging, purple behemoth charging straight at him, his claws billowing with a dark aura. Dante's eyes went wide as the claws came up, about to crash down when the maniac paused.

That pause was all Dante needed.

He jumped away, giving him more room between him and those lethal claws and shouted down to the others, "Keep going! Protect each other!" Facing the Nidoking, his tail high in the air, a vicious snarl cut out of his throat. Tongues of fire licked hungrily at his fangs and his hackles raised. "You fucked with the wrong guy, asshole," he snapped before letting out a long stream of white hot fire straight at the ugly mug and his little Sneasel friend in front of him.

It was peaceful, outside of Eris's mind at least. She just couldn't shake the torrent of emotions and worries that rolled around inside of her head. Her thoughts snapped out at her, biting at her consciousness with the countless taunts and threats she grew up with. Too weak to even protect your own brother. Twice. You're pathetic. I'm gonna beat you to a fucking pulp, you useless piece of shit.

But it was OK ... her former Trainer could haunt her for as long as she lived. As long as she had her brother by her side, she could handle anything. She was tough, she was merciless; no heartless humans or brutish Nidokings were going to change that--

She saw the purple beast explode out of the undergrowth and just completely lost all grip on reality; on sanity. Her heart began to pound inside of her head, the entire world spinning as she flailed backwards. She didn't even realise she was screaming until Gregory's hand gripped at her shoulders, and his face pulled her out of the whirlpool of panic she was drowning in.

"Eris! Eris it's OK! Just look at me - look at me! Don't lose your nerve! You need to help Dante and the others! It's attacking us!"

She felt like she was being repeatedly dunked in and out of a tub of water; as soon as she caught her breath she was thrown back in again, the icy waters of panic squeezing her chest. He was back ... Damon's Nidoking had found her. He was going to get revenge on her for killing their Trainer. He was going to kill Greg.

Her brother let go of her shoulders, mistaking her pause for calm. It was anything but; with a feral screech, Eris threw herself at the Poison-type, her wings propelling her forward as she shot across the snow. Her claws bathed themselves in a crimson energy as she neared. She would kill it. She would Dragon Claw its fucking face off before it even so much as looked at Greg.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!"

The sinking sun cast brilliant colors throughout the darkening sky. Since the feline pairs departure the Jolteon had fallen uncharacteristically silent, plodding along with disheartened steps and her gaze fixated on the sky as they made their way to the city. Glalie watched her with glazed eyes, only half acknowledging the ice he blew at the ground or the snow he brushed along with his tail. He was missing some of their prints, that was for sure, but he could not stop thinking about the overreacting Jolteon. Why was she taking this so roughly? It wasn't like they really knew either of them plus Pokemon left groups all the time. Are you equating them to Monisha? The bird had vanished before their eyes, presumably from an undead, and was heavily injured at the time. But these Pokemon left by choice in a land they know. Neither was injured and they have each other. It's not the same at all. Surely that couldn't be the reason. A soft fump brushed his ear fur as the Jolteon kicked a lump of snow that was swiftly followed by a sigh. Well.. hopefully she will get over it soon.

A terrifying roar billowed through the trees and pulled Pachirisu out of her thoughts. Cranking her neck around she gaped in horror at the demon creature that was charging toward them. Its massive claws and eyes were blazing with darkness that sent fear down the Jolteon's spine. With a yelp of horror she jumped around on her paws to face it, the cold chill in her toes suddenly even more painful. "Keep going! Protect each other!" Dante ordered but the command was swallowed immediately by the chaos that broke out. One of the Charizard's wailed and charged the monster as Dante spate a plume of fire toward it. Don't! She begged vainly, bounding forward to attempt some stupid heroic feat. Fuck going on she had to help!

She only covered a few feet of the snowy ground before Glalie forced his way in front of her and started to usher her back. "No, no we can't-" Blocking each of her attempts to get past him the Glaceon shoved and walled the Jolteon off until she was forced to turn. "Stop it," she growled, blood pounding in her ears, "I-I have to help." "Then protect him." With one last shove he made the Jolteon stagger back. Shock sparkled in her green gaze, static-covered fur spiked into sharp needle-like points, but she padded closer to Greg without another word of argument.

Glalie shook out his pelt. The stupid idiot.. had she forgotten her type disadvantage? It is mine too. Growling to himself the vulpine dug his paws into the snow and took in a deep breathe. It's still weak to the cold though. Cold grew in the pit of his belly and back of his throat as he blasted a Frost Breathe toward the Nidoking's face. His attacks would be their best bet of defeating the crazed behemoth so he'd just have to take that risk.

A loud roar carried over the swirling winds to where Raiden still walked, causing the electric canine to pause and look around for the source of the sound. He didn't have to look very long before an errant stream of fire arced out from the horizon not far from his present location, followed by the warbled sounds of shouting. While he couldn't make out any words, shouting generally meant that a living was involved and they could use assistance. Raiden was not going to let any innocents get caught with their backs against the wall if he could help it.

Trudging his way back through the snow he tried to reach whomever was under attack when a familiar scent caught his attention and he felt his hackles rise. There was no mistaking that smell of ash, bone, and blood. Dante was nearby, and likely in the direction he was headed. The Manectric found new strength as he pulled himself up to the top layer of snow and started running, his quick steps keeping him light enough to stop from sinking. He raced across the snow until he came across a familiar scene, Dante on the assault against one of his so called 'pack', the fiend.

He stopped where he was at the top of a snowy hill and stared down at the group as they each launched an attack at the barely recovered Strix, who was just standing there staring at the hellhound. "Still one for attacking your friends, eh Dante?" Raiden called down bitterly, still watching the exchange with a disgusted sneer. "I guess it's to be expected, after all no one who travels with you seems to come out of it alive." He looked over Dante's new group and sighed when he realized only Strix was known to him. The others were all, as he said, very probably dead. What a pitiful leader.

The small Sneasel dropped her defenses, perching on top of the snow in front of Strix.
Dante bounced back from his raised claws as a sense of relief fell over the Nidoking. Well, at least he didn't hurt his one real frie-

"Keep going! Protect each other!"

"Protect e-" The behemoth blinked as he glanced quizzically at the others, but was cut off with a feral snarl escaping from Dantes' maw.  "You fucked with the wrong guy, asshole," Flames built around his teeth, and Strix knew all too well what that meant.

"Asshole!? Wha-! Woh woh woah WOAH!" He cried out, before snatching the small Sneasel away from the impending hellfire and with a whoosh, spun around and spread his armored arms around her, keeping her held close to his chest. Thick, darkened protruding barbs on his bared back sizzled as the white-hot flames dissipated around them, before Strix grunted and threw daggers at Dante with his eyes over his blackened, fizzling shoulder.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" He roared indignantly, before Runes' gaze caught a flash of dragon coming from their peripheral, accompanied by a crazed screech.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!"

"Strix. STRIX. STRIX!" The Sneasel hit the armor hard with her claws and squeezed out of his grasp before he threw them up to defend himself against the deadly dragon claw. One. Two. The Nidoking blocked the billowing crimson talons, before a blue blur flashed between them, the dragons' claws lifting as he struggled to find the source. Not far from him, the Sneasel bounced out of the Aerial Ace only for her to cry out with her claw outstretched.

"WATCH OUT!" Strix turned too late, a blast of chilling frost blew into his face, knocking him back. Strix clawed at his face, struggling to get the ice out of his fur as he let loose a string of cursing.

"AI CHR JZE SE DUH FOHN DIANG GHO, WILL YOU LAY YOUR NEW THUG FRIENDS OFF FOR A GORRAM FUCKIN' MINUTE!?" Strix got to his feet, spitting blood as he bristled at the large hound.

"Still one for attacking your friends, eh Dante?" An unwelcome voice called out from above. Strix stared up at the electric hound, his eye twitching with barely contained irritation and rage.
That. Bastard.
But he did have a point.

"I guess it's to be expected, after all no one who travels with you seems to come out of it alive."
Rune leaped atop his armor, taking her place back on his shoulder."Should we make popsicles out of these Hwen Dan?" He glanced at her, a cold coat of ice already seeping out from her dark, bristling fur as she readied an attack.

"Only after he says sorry, kid," He grumbled, still staring down the hound and firmly crossing his arms over his chest. A deep snort escaped the behemoths' nostrils, creating thick white plumes over his over-sized canines.

"Say sorry for almost toasting the lady, Dante."

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Marley sat on Arcanine's back as the two of them led the way to the city, her weary eyes focused on the horizon. As much of a shithole Snowpoint was likely to be, at least perhaps she could actually rest in a bed tonight, or on a couch. The distance between Celestic and Snowpoint was so great, Marley was sure she hadn't seen a house that was still standing in weeks, not to mention that unpleasant trek through the mists of Mt Coronet. That was one route she never wanted to take again.

She was silently musing what else might be in store for her when out of literally nowhere, mayhem erupted. Marley and Arcanine both turned to see that a Nidoking and Sneasel pair had ambushed them, and the group were wasting no time in defending themselves. But as quickly as it had started, the chaos was replaced by confusion. The huge Poison-type paused, flailing and shouting at them to stop attacking.

Marley perked an eyebrow, genuinely curious. Why would he make the effort to attack them and then immediately try to take it back? Arcanine shuffled anxiously on his paws below her, turning his head round to his passenger. "Should we do something?"

She was about to answer when yet another new Pokemon turned up; a Manectric by the looks of it. Jeez, why so many Pokemon wanted to hang around in these empty, frozen wastelands Marley had no idea. But when the canine spoke, her interest only rose. "Still one for attacking your friends, eh Dante? I guess it's to be expected, after all no one who travels with you seems to come out of it alive."

"This is weird," Arcanine mumbled, mirroring Marley's thoughts exactly. "It's like these guys somehow know each other but ... Dante looks just as clueless as we are."

"We stay where we are for now," said Marley firmly, fidgeting on Arcanine's back. Her Pokemon nodded and turned back to the scene, and the two of them continued to watch with curiosity. "One thing is for sure ... something strange is going on here..."

"Asshole!? Wha-! Woh woh woah WOAH!" the giant Nidoking cried, barely moving quick enough to dodge most of the flames and keep his little Ice buddy safe. Dante snorted at the beast's indignant cries; he was the one that burst out of the wood, claws swinging. Why should Dante hold off on the insults?

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Dante made a face, unsure of what to do with the attitude radiating off the Nidoking in waves.

"'What the hell' yourself, dicks-for-eyes!" Dante roared back. "You attacked me first!"

But in the confusion, Dante hadn't seen or heard the black charizard racing to his side in a bid to protect her wounded brother. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!"

"Strix. STRIX. STRIX!" the Sneasel warned before skittering out of his hold just in time for him to block the Dragon Claws aimed right at his giant face. Dante, though, backed away slightly, keeping the two somewhat surrounded. He knew the Charizard had some... energy pent up from worrying over her brother, so what better way to spend it other than killing some douchebags bent on ambushing them?

"WATCH OUT!" Glalie was suddenly nearby as well, breathing the icy attack straight into the Nidoking -Strix's- eyes. Dante himself allowed more fire to flood his mouth, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"AI CHR JZE SE DUH FOHN DIANG GHO, WILL YOU LAY YOUR NEW THUG FRIENDS OFF FOR A GORRAM FUCKIN' MINUTE!?" Dante blinked. ...Why? Because this "Strix" shithead fucked up on an attack and what, he wanted a do-over? Who the fuck did this guy think he was? But as he pondered on the strangeness of the invaders, a new scent alerted Dante, causing him to whirl around and spot a Manectric. A Manectric that... didn't look too hot, if he was completely honest.

"Still one for attacking your friends, eh Dante?" The large skeletal hound blinked in shock. How... how did this stranger know his name? Unable to defend himself, the electric hound continued. "I guess it's to be expected, after all no one who travels with you seems to come out of it alive." Did he know them? Was he supposed to? His eye twitched as a headache suddenly smashed into him like a train, his mind reaching for information and memories that simply weren't there. Holy shit, what the fuck was he supposed to do?

"Should we make popsicles out of these Hwen Dan?" the Sneasel hissed from atop Strix's shoulder, already preparing an Ice attack. Not that it would do much against Dante or any of his current companions, but a well-aimed attack could always spell trouble.

"Only after he says sorry, kid," Strix grumbled in reply and Dante suddenly found himself panting. Who were these people? Who were they?! Were they friends or enemies? He couldn't tell, his mind was suddenly pounding and slow and his heart was racing. "Say sorry for almost toasting the lady, Dante."

He shook his head almost violently, eyes closed against the pain and the confusion. "Shut up, all of you!" he bellowed, looking at each of the newcomers with wide, frantic eyes. "Shut up for just one fucking moment-- how... why... Who the fuck are any of you, why did you attack, and how do you know my fucking name?"

((Skip for now - Greg is just trying to get Eris to calm down. I'll have them interact with the others next round.))