(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

Ardere tenses as the human barely acknowledges their entry unsure now if this was the right decision. Ellie seems happy at the idea of warmth, however, and rushes in ahead of her but doubles back once she realizes she is covered in snow still. Ardere was already tapping her paws to rid her legs of the clingy substance when her Sylveon companion came charging back and shook vigorously to free herself from her icy coat. Ardere smiled and used her nose and take to flick off a few more stubborn clumps before the other female raced back inside to the fire to rest.

As the houndoom entered she took note of the sparse few pokemon residing within, one of whom seemed displeased with Ellie's behavior, and lowered her head. This was their territory so it would be better not to make waves. Laying down beside Ellie the older female let the sling slip from her neck and the egg rolled out gently, Ardere breathing a soft lick of flame to it to dry the chilled water from its surface and licking it clean. Once she was satisfied it was no longer in danger of having the cold seep into its porous surface she tucked it under her chest to allow her fur and warmth to soak out the remaining chill and allow the child within some measure of peace. Hopefully the other males would come back in soon and she could worry less about being surrounded by an assortment of strangers who didn't seem entirely pleased she was here.

~^~

Raiden paced inside tirelessly as he waited for Dante to get back inside. His mind was a tizzy with every poisonous detail that Strix could be filling the other hound's head with. Strix had attacked Raiden without warning last time they were together after verbally assaulting his integrity for the incident with Ciara. For some reason the purple dino believed Raiden had attacked him when Raiden had done nothing but act in self defense. Sure he had left damage but Strix had struck first.

Now he had a chance to purify Dante's tainted soul but with so many roadblocks already in place Strix was proving to be a larger obstacle than originally believed. He could only hope that Dante's new mind saw through the charade of caring and unveiled the dinosaur for what he really was, an unstable bomb with a hair trigger. Only time would tell however if this mission to cleanse Dante's soul would be a success.

"Two females I found in this old warehouse after my... freakout," Dante explained. "They were nearly frozen to death and clean, so... it didn't feel right to just leave them there. The kid's a little annoying, but I think they just want a place to warm up a little bit."

Strix' eyes widened a bit at the mention of the old warehouse, surprised that he had somehow made his way back there, and to find survivors, of all things. Strix gazed out to the wilderness, deep in thought. Would returning there help his brain jump-start his memories? They had all spent some time there, and there was plenty of...memories...that it had held. But the thought quickly vanished when his own mental picture of the place was a torn apart building, half-buried in fucking snow.

"...Everything ok?" Dante's question brought his gaze down, where a concerned look dug into his features.

"...Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you weren't being followed from that place," He said unintentionally gloomy, looking back to where so much insanity had happened. Shaking his head, he put on a smile. "Anyway. Let's get the hell out of this damned snow. I can't feel certain uh," He said, clearing his throat. "...Body parts."

"Is something the matter?" Seemed Dante wasn't the only one mildly concerned with Strix's aloof attention. He turned his head to the human to acknowledge he heard her, but had no information for her, so he didn't answer.

Thankfully, all seemed to be in the clear. "...Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you weren't being followed from that place," was the Nidoking's rather gloomy reply, but it looked like despite the dark note, all was well. The poison dinosaur smiled, prompting one of Dante's own. "Anyway. Let's get the hell out of this damned snow. I can't feel certain uh," Dante quirked a brow at Strix's awkward pause, "...Body parts."

The armored hound gave a good-natured snort and laugh, turning to lead the way back to the shelter. "Yeah, that's a pretty good sign we need to get you back inside, buddy." He trotted down the hill,eager to be back in the warmth. He gave a small nod to Candice, silently thanking her and giving the all-clear simultaneously as he waited for Strix at the door.

In the meantime, Ellie watched Raiden pace his dizzying circles, frowning in confusion as she studied his expression when he could. "What's your problem?" she blurted aloud, her childlike curiosity overturning any tact. "Why are you pacing so much?"

Neither of the Pokemon address her directly, but judging by their lack of urgency, Candice can assume that things are quiet for now. She waits for them to return, taking note of the silent message Dante gave her upon his approach. It seems that the Houndoom is calm for now, the terror or madness that seized him earlier no longer outwardly visible. Of course, that didn't mean it was gone entirely, but for now, things should have some semblance of peace.

Inside, Borealis is still not happy with their newest 'guests', the Glaceon already tiring of the Manectric's ceaseless, maddening pacing. What had come over Candice, to make her willingly accept strangers into their home? Now they are all at risk; they would likely have to pack up and move, all for the sake of a hollow shell of a city that perished long ago...

What's your problem?" The sudden burst from the other Eeveelution is like an assault on Borealis' ears. He readies a sharp retort, believing her words to be aimed at him, before realizing the Sylveon was not looking his way. ...Interesting. It seems her attention is fixated upon the Manectric with his endless back-and-forth movement. Understandable, but at the same time also somewhat surprising. "Why are you pacing so much?"

"A good question," Borealis adds, not caring for whatever the vexing canine's response was. His tail is now twitching, and his narrowed eyes are looking in the direction of the Electric-type. This creature is just one of many that are ruining his once-constant peace and quiet.  If there is one thing he likes more about Candice than anyone else, it's her ability to speak louder with actions rather than chatter. "You'll drive all of us mad with that nonsense."

"I'll ask you not to be rude to our guests, Borealis," Valhalla says dryly, the Froslass pointing an annoyed look at her fellow Ice-type. Her expression becomes apologetic as she turns her attention to Raiden, though her words are for every stranger currently there in the room. "Don't mind him. Not all of us are so rude, I assure you."

What's your problem?"

Raiden froze mid step and turned to stare at the rude little ribbon head as she continued to sass at him. "Why are you pacing so much?" What? Why the hell did it matter to her how he chose to relieve the stress on his mind? It's not like he was hurting anyone! "A good question." Are you serious?! "You'll drive all of us mad with that nonsense."

Raiden opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, shocked and offended by the sudden harassment to the point of having no words to express it. He frowned and after a moment stood up to his full height, proudly putting out his chest as he addressed his two naysayers. "For your information I am trying to relax. My mind is racing and I find physically activity helps me to focus and put my thoughts in order. I can't just sit around and blindly ignore my surroundings whenever it suits me so forgive me if my 'nonsense' drives you mad but sitting still will do that very thing to me."

"I'll ask you not to be rude to our guests, Borealis," The Froslass behind him pointed out, helping Raiden feel a bit vindicated. "Thank you, Miss," he replied, turning to nod at her gratefully. "Don't mind him. Not all of us are so rude, I assure you." At least that was something. And for now it seemed Dante and the awful purple dinosaur had returned so Raiden was willing to let the conversation drop and sat down again.

Ardere was displeased at Ellie's blatant prodding of the other canine and gave her a sharp warning growl after the first comment. When Raiden finally settled she leaned her head down to whisper into the smaller one's ear. "What are you doing? Why are you antagonizing him little one? We've only just been welcomed here I would hate for us to be put back out into the cold for starting fights." The Houndoom adjusted the egg between her paws and gave Ellie a gentle bump of her head. "I know he's not the nicest male I've ever met but he is part of this gathering so for now we have to play nice, okay?"

(i gotta skip, sorry guys. this cold is kicking my ass.)

The high-strung Manectric stopped and stared at her like she'd just insulted his mother or something. Was everyone this uptight? "A good question." Ellie's ears pricked at her evolutionary cousin's observation. Ha! "You'll drive all of us mad with that nonsense."

The electric type floundered his mouth a bit, making him look like a Lanturn or something. Ha. That was... pretty close, actually. A stupid, furry Lanturn. "For your information I am trying to relax. My mind is racing and I find physically activity helps me to focus and put my thoughts in order. I can't just sit around and blindly ignore my surroundings whenever it suits me so forgive me if my 'nonsense' drives you mad but sitting still will do that very thing to me." Wow. Ellie made a face at his tone. He didn't have to be so pretentious about it. Jeez. Like he was the only stressed one around. And what, was she the one "ignoring their surroundings"? Ass.

"I'll ask you not to be rude to our guests, Borealis," the Froslass scolded. Boo. "Thank you, Miss." Beh. Gross. He sounded slimy even when he was being grateful. "Don't mind him. Not all of us are so rude, I assure you."

"What are you doing? Why are you antagonizing him little one? We've only just been welcomed here I would hate for us to be put back out into the cold for starting fights." The older woman's reprimanding whisper shot a pang of guilt through the young Sylveon. She hadn't even thought of that. Ellie turned her eyes toward the innocent little egg next to her as her ears fell. "I know he's not the nicest male I've ever met but he is part of this gathering so for now we have to play nice, okay?"

"But he's being such a jerk, and mostly to you." Her tiny whimper sounded dumb and childish and she immediately hated it. However, her attention was diverted when the large bony male made his way inside, looking exhausted despite it only being morning. He paused as he looked the Manectric over, concern written on his armored face.

"So... uh, I'm... not sure what to do, honestly," he began awkwardly. "I'm... I'll be honest with you, I'm exhausted. So... Any ideas on what we do? Like... food, maybe? The nice Persian with all the food left..."

"But he's being such a jerk, and mostly to you." Ardere's heart warmed at the tender sentiment and she gave the Sylveon a gentle nuzzle. "Some males are just like that dearie, you get used to it after a while. It doesn't make what they say right but how you choose to respond to it speaks volumes. If someone is a jerk, even if you hate them, always respond with kindness. It won't change the way they think or make them a better person but after a while everyone will see them as the asshole." She offered the pink Eeveelution a smile and another affectionate cuddle before settling back down herself. Was it really still morning with how weary she already was with the day?

"So... uh, I'm... not sure what to do, honestly," Dante stammered out after a few moments. "I'm... I'll be honest with you, I'm exhausted. So... Any ideas on what we do? Like... food, maybe? The nice Persian with all the food left..." Ardere's concern grew a little as she realized that she and Ellie had been invited to a shelter with no means to care for the group already present. Would they turn them back out or simply turn on each other? Food was a precious resource and hunger drove people to commit terrible atrocities in the name of survival.

Raiden eyed Dante carefully as he returned, as though a visual examination could reveal what tempestuous thoughts Strix could have stirred within the other hound's mind. If he wanted to gain Dante's complete trust and dependence he would need to keep a guard around Dante's heart to prevent the crazy dino from worming his way back in or else all was lost. Dante wouldn't care that the last time the Manectric was within the group Strix had attacked him unprovoked. Not if he recalled the past relationship they had. No. He had to be certain that Dante trusted him before allowing Strix to pollute the hound's mind against him.

"I've only been living off of what I hunt the last few days so I don't know what help I could be," Raiden replied with a shrug. He kept his voice as neutral as possible to not give the others any leverage against him. "Perhaps one of the warehouses still holds some supplies that haven't yet been discovered? And I recall there were several berry bushes growing along the trail to the lake if we dared venture out that far."

Strix stomped into the shelter, his eyes absently moving over the group until the manectric caught his eye. A snarl formed on his lips, his large teeth baring themselves as he glared at him. The electric hound was staring at Dante in such a suspicious manner that his chest quickly constricted with aggravation. What the hell was even wrong with him? Strix took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he tried to let it dissipate. He turned his attention to the houndoom and realized that she not only had a small ribboned partner, but a satchel with an egg cradled within. His eyes grew wider as he realized he had not seen any eggs for what seemed like forever. How in the world did she manage to keep it safe? Blinking and shaking his head slightly, he sized the two up as he approached. He wasn't sure why, but he felt more inclined to introduce himself to them than the humans' pokemon. Whether it was resentment towards humans that had grown since the beginning of the apocalypse, or just jealousy of the others still having their trainer, he didn't know. But either way, these two seemed to need some sort of comfort.

"Strix," He muttered gazing first at the houndoom, then at the young fox next to her. He motioned towards the sneasel that had been his shadow since he came in. "This is Rune."

(sorry for no color, i feel terrible)

Miss Ardere gave Ellie a motherly nuzzle-- one that almost completely placated the Sylveon's anxiety. "Some males are just like that dearie, you get used to it after a while. It doesn't make what they say right but how you choose to respond to it speaks volumes. If someone is a jerk, even if you hate them, always respond with kindness. It won't change the way they think or make them a better person but after a while everyone will see them as the asshole." Though Miss Ardere offered another nuzzle and settled down next to her, Ellie was more disturbed by the answer. "Get used to it"? "Always respond with kindness"? But... but wouldn't that just tell them it was ok to act like that? What if no one else cared enough to intervene? None of that felt right.

If someone was being a jerk, you needed to stand up and do something about it. Otherwise, bullies just got away with bullying other people. Relying on someone else to fix the problem just... didn't sound right at all. Still, the conversation seemed to be over anyway and Ellie was left as the stupid jerk face vindicated himself and made himself sound all useful. "Oh look at me, I hunt for myself I'm so big and strong and stupid weh weh weh." "I've only been living off of what I hunt the last few days so I don't know what help I could be," Despite not really giving much coloration to his words, they all rubbed Ellie the wrong way. She couldn't help the frown on her face as she stared at him. "Perhaps one of the warehouses still holds some supplies that haven't yet been discovered? And I recall there were several berry bushes growing along the trail to the lake if we dared venture out that far."

Dante considered the option. Hunting sounded a little far-fetched and fairly dangerous with how many in their group was either wounded or exhausted, but scavenging sounded far more appealing, both in that they'd likely find more to eat and at less risk of attack. "Gathering berries and other little foodstuffs sounds like a more reliable and safe option, so... we should do that," he reasoned aloud. "Is there something up with those warehouses, though? I have, this... weird feeling about them. You sure they're safe to go near?"

As the big Boney guy spoke to Asshole, the large purple dinosaur loomed over them and Ellie's eyes widened at his large, intimidating form. "Strix," he began softly, then motioned to the Sneasel in his shadow. "This is Rune." Ellie stood in awe and placed her delicate paws on Strix's stomach as she stared up at him. "You're HUGE!" she exclaimed, her excitement overruling any sort of tact. Her stubby tail wagged vigorously behind her, her ribbons beginning to curl around any part of Strix that they could. "Oh my God, you're so spiky and giant and cool! I've never seen anything like you!"

The exclamation caught Dante's attention and the sight caused him to give a warm chuckle. "Looks like you got a fan there, Strix."

(man i hate to do it, but I have to skip. Just...difficult to write lately. Candice would say something like this to Dante: "It's possible that some things which were left behind during the evacuation still remain. I try not to venture too close to the city's interior, nor have I been here long enough to search everything myself. If you plan to go into one of the warehouses, I will accompany you."

The dialogue can be split up however if need be, I don't really mind. I hope that helps, orz)

"Gathering berries and other little foodstuffs sounds like a more reliable and safe option, so... we should do that. Is there something up with those warehouses, though? I have, this... weird feeling about them. You sure they're safe to go near?"

Raiden nodded though he knew why subconsciously Dante was hesitating. "They are safe enough if you pay attention to your surroundings, but a lot of bad things did happen there." His gaze moved over to Strix and narrowed for a moment before turning back to Dante. "However for safety and for the best possible results we should scavenge as a group so we might stand a chance of finding something without incident."

"It's possible that some things which were left behind during the evacuation still remain. I try not to venture too close to the city's interior, nor have I been here long enough to search everything myself. If you plan to go into one of the warehouses, I will accompany you." Raiden was grateful for the human's agreeable response and gave her a smile of thanks. He wanted to ask about when they should try out this plan but it seemed fascination stumbled upon Strix and his annoying rat friend for the time being leaving Raiden to stew in his irritation.

At first seeing the large Nidoking on the approach made Ardere apprehensive, not sure if he was willing to welcome them or not, but all he did was offer his and his small companions names as introduction. "Strix," his name was almost mistaken for a grunt at first. "This is Rune." Ardere nodded her head politely in return. "A pleasure. I'm Ardere, and this is--"

"You're HUGE!" Within an instant Ellie was up on her feet and propping herself up on her hind legs to all but climb the large Nidoking making Ardere flush with embarrassment. Her paws, nose, and those ribbons were everywhere and to a casual observer this would look downright indecent. "Oh my God, you're so spiky and giant and cool! I've never seen anything like you!"

"Oh of all the-! Ellie get down! That's rude! I am sorry Strix, she's not normally...actually forget that. I'm lying. She is exactly like this I am so sorry please excuse her enthusiasm."

"Looks like you got a fan there, Strix." Dante's voice had taken on a lighter tone as he smiled at Ellie's behavior. It was a nice change from the hair-brained grump from before and for a moment Ardere almost forgot her annoyance with him. Perhaps this group would be less dangerous than her last one after all.

The houndoom nodded her head politely as she spoke. "A pleasure. I'm Ardere, and this is--"
"You're HUGE!" Strix' surprised gaze went from the little foxes' paws on his stomach to the ribbons that quickly surrounded him. Her wide eyes and erm...enquiring...tendrils made the nidoking chuckle under his breath, despite himself. "Oh my God, you're so spiky and giant and cool! I've never seen anything like you!"

"Oh of all the-! Ellie get down! That's rude! I am sorry Strix, she's not normally...actually forget that. I'm lying. She is exactly like this I am so sorry please excuse her enthusiasm." A small smile made its' way across his face as he waved his paw dismissively. "Heh, it's fine. It's good to see someone in such high spirits these days."

Looks like you got a fan there, Strix." He glanced over at the giant hound, a glimmer of happiness in his gaze as he chuckled. "It looks that way," He grinned, lowering himself to one knee. "You're not so bad yourself, kid. What's your name?"

Rune wanted to say something, the ribbons making the buzz of annoyance grow in her chest, but she couldn't think of anything clever to say. She already didn't like the eeveelution, with her loudness and her obvious immaturity. But as she stole a glare towards Strix, she was dismayed to see a smile on his face. He was actually enjoying her rudeness! A loud snort escaped her as she dropped from his shoulder and pouted behind him. She would never understand this guy.

"They are safe enough if you pay attention to your surroundings, but a lot of bad things did happen there." Dante noticed the not-really-subtle glance Raiden gave Strix. So... their infighting started there, then? "However for safety and for the best possible results we should scavenge as a group so we might stand a chance of finding something without incident." Yeah, that made a lot of sense. Dante didn't like the idea of going anywhere alone, even if he'd done exactly that not a few hours ago. Oops.

"It's possible that some things which were left behind during the evacuation still remain. I try not to venture too close to the city's interior, nor have I been here long enough to search everything myself. If you plan to go into one of the warehouses, I will accompany you." Dante nodded.

"Thank you. That might be the best course of action for getting enough supplies for a group this large... though the thought of going into the middle of the city is probably going to have to be a last resort sort of thing. For now, I think just going through the warehouses is a good idea. And with our numbers, we have enough to have a decent scout party and sentinels to stay home."

"You're not so bad yourself, kid. What's your name?"

"Ellie!" the Sylveon chimed back. She danced a bit around Strix's feet, beaming up at the giant poison type. "Can I, like, get on your shoulders?"

"Thank you. That might be the best course of action for getting enough supplies for a group this large... though the thought of going into the middle of the city is probably going to have to be a last resort sort of thing.” No immediate disagreements jumped to mind; avoiding all but the outskirts of Snowpoint is a wise choice. Though it was unlikely that the inner houses and other buildings have already been raided, considering the unforgiving climate, she wanted to be prepared before truly returning to her home and confronting whatever still remained there. What good would her and her Pokemon's struggles be if their goal was lost thanks to carelessness? ”For now, I think just going through the warehouses is a good idea. And with our numbers, we have enough to have a decent scout party and sentinels to stay home."

Though not particularly complex, the plan was solid enough regardless. This Dante had a good head on his shoulders, and despite the obvious tensions in the group (along with an almost suspicious amount of them leaving), it seemed that the others followed his lead well enough. For now, at least. Candice would make sure to keep a close eye on those matters, lest she regret offering her help.

”We're obviously not as affected by the cold, so we can take the place of anyone who needs to stay here,” Valhalla offered, earning a nod of affirmation from Ma and a disgruntled expression from Borealis. He didn't voice any protest, however, a rare gesture of altruism from the Glaceon (albeit of the reluctant kind). Of course, Yeti would have to stay; his moves were powerful, but destructive, a dangerous mix for neglected warehouses lacking years worth of maintenance. It went without saying that all of them would have to approach this plan with a great deal of caution.

Ardere shook her head but gave up trying to calm the hyperactive Sylveon instead choosing to lay back down and nestle the egg back under her warm fur. Strix was being sweet enough to accommodate her and he seemed harmless so she let them be, only keeping a careful eye on Ellie in case she hurt herself on one of his spikes or fell. Why did she want to climb the male in the first place? Strange girl. But Ellie was a bright spot in her otherwise dark life through this miserable new world and she wouldn't ask her to change for anything.

Raiden, however, was less than pleased with the rambunctious Eeveelution and instead paced closer to where Dante was discussing the plan with the human female. ”For now, I think just going through the warehouses is a good idea. And with our numbers, we have enough to have a decent scout party and sentinels to stay home."

”We're obviously not as affected by the cold, so we can take the place of anyone who needs to stay here,”

"I would happily offer to assist in the scouting party," he offered smoothly. "Though perhaps any with hands should come along. No point in finding anything if we can't carry it back." The Manectric was loathe to admit that Strix would be valuable to bring with them if only for that purpose but he wasn't so prideful to ignore logic. Didn't mean he had to like it, however. Ardere heard the last bit of their conversation as well and her head hung low. "Would...would I be able to stay then? The egg is still cool to the touch from what time we have already spent in the cold. I would like to keep it with me by the fire if I might."

[quote="Fox"]

"Ellie!" the Sylveon chimed back. She danced a bit around Strix's feet, beaming up at the giant poison type. "Can I, like, get on your shoulders?"

Strix pondered for a second, before giving in with a soft smile. "Sure. Just don't touch the spines." He warned mildly. A light touch wouldn't hurt her, but he was well-aware of the venomous barbs' stabbing power. Still, the little fox looked as light and agile as his sneasel companion.

"I would happily offer to assist in the scouting party," The Manectric said smoothly. "Though perhaps any with hands should come along. No point in finding anything if we can't carry it back." Strix turned and glared at the hound, his upper lip curling into a snarl. Yeah, I'm sure you would. He didn't miss the disdain in the canines' voice directed at him, and the eagerness for a chance to hiss into Dantes' ear. Still, he wouldn't tolerate being left in the den while the moonbrained pinyin put the others in danger.

"I'll go with you," he said, turning to Dante and ignoring the electric dog. "Another pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

"Me too." Growled the young sneasel. "No way I'm left in here while you get all the scratch."

Despite Ellie being obnoxious, Strix seemed more than tolerant of the little fairy climbing all over him like some kind of playground. "Sure. Just don't touch the spines." The invitation was more than enough to earn an enthusiastic giggle as Ellie hopped on, clambering up the large beast. She soon perched herself on his head, a giant grin on her face. She'd never been so tall!

Dante let out a low chuckle as he watched the antics of Strix and the kid, but his attention was soon pulled back by one of Candice's pokemon. Right. He was in the middle of a conversation. ”We're obviously not as affected by the cold, so we can take the place of anyone who needs to stay here,”

"I would happily offer to assist in the scouting party," Raiden smoothly replied. "Though perhaps any with hands should come along. No point in finding anything if we can't carry it back." Stood to reason, really. He didn't mind the thought of having Strix with them, but both? Their bickering could prove detrimental...

"Would...would I be able to stay then?" Dante turned in surprise to hear the other Houndoom's timid question. "The egg is still cool to the touch from what time we have already spent in the cold. I would like to keep it with me by the fire if I might."

"Of course; I don't see why not."

"I'll go with you," Strix announced, the little Sylveon still happily perched on his head. He looked much less intimidating with that grinning idiot on top... Dante gave the man a nod, happy for his volunteer. "Another pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

"Me too," the little Sneasel growled. Dante had nearly forgotten she was there. Oops. "No way I'm left in here while you get all the scratch."

"Right. So it'll be myself, Raiden, Strix and..." He turned to the Froslass, nodding to her. "Did you or any of your companions wish to lead us? I'd feel far more comfortable with one of you at the helm. You know this territory much better and, as you said, are far more suited to be in it."

"I would happily offer to assist in the scouting party," the Manectric added, "Though perhaps any with hands should come along. No point in finding anything if we can't carry it back."

As soon as he said the words, the Nidoking gave him an expression quite suited for someone ready to lunge for the jugular. Candice tensed, ready to intercept any further arguments if necessary: if you're going to kill each other, then take it outside. Strix didn't persist with anything past his glare and snarl, however, but one more slight twitch out of line and Candice was going to order both of them to leave. If they fought, they were putting her Pokemon and everyone else here-including a child and an egg, for god's sake-in danger.

”Would...would I be able to stay then?" Ardere asked, her head hanging low. Hearing the Houndoom speak took Candice's thoughts away from the bickering males; it was a nice change of pace to listen to someone else with a seemingly calm personality. It also wasn't much of a surprise to hear her ask that question, considering the egg she carried. ”The egg is still cool to the touch from what time we have already spent in the cold. I would like to keep it with me by the fire if I might."

Before Candice could get a single word in, the Houndoom threw in his own affirmation without even bothering to ask her beforehand. She gave the canine a pointed look, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, but said nothing in retaliation towards him. It wasn't worth starting conflict over. Instead, Candice spoke to the female Houndoom.

”Yes, you can stay. It's no trouble at all.”

Shortly after, the Nidoking was the next one to speak. "I'll go with you. Another pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

With the obvious hatred between him and the Manectric, this felt less like a cohesive group and more like a bomb waiting to go off. Maybe she really had acted too recklessly by offering her help in the first place, but perhaps with her presence there (after all, it had been mentioned that those with the ability to carry supplies back should go along), the two Pokemon would have the sense to not start going at each others' throats. The Poison-type's Sneasel companion spoke up next, which didn't do anything to brush away the unease; from what Ma had told her last night, that one would be more fuel for the fire. Candice could practically feel the conflict already sneaking up on them, ready to begin more fights and set alight what little progress this group has made. She would have to make sure that did not happen.

...though, she did have to wonder, was the Nidoking at least going to take the Eeveelution off his head before they set out?

"Right. So it'll be myself, Raiden, Strix and...” Dante directed his attention to Valhalla, "Did you or any of your companions wish to lead us? I'd feel far more comfortable with one of you at the helm. You know this territory much better and, as you said, are far more suited to be in it."

”I'd be happy to guide you. It was easy to get lost in Snowpoint even when a lot of people lived here,” the Froslass said; neither Ma nor Borealis protested to her taking up the offer, thank Arceus. She knew Snowpoint like...what was that saying Candice used to be fond of? Like the back of her hand. Despite that, she felt as though somebody had pointed a spotlight directly on her. Valhalla only met most of these Pokemon yesterday; they all seemed civil, but what their real selves might be like, she couldn't possibly know in such a short amount of time. Though it made her feel like a whimpering child rather than the closest companion of a Gym Leader, being by herself admittedly sounded about as appealing as spending summer in the far south (which only happened once, but still). They needed those who could carry things back, so that implied Candice was coming with them, but...

"Of course; I don't see why not."

Ardere was grateful for his quick response but she was a little worried when she saw the look on the humans face. This was her shelter, and they had already intruded on her, perhaps she didn't want anyone staying longer than necessary? Or perhaps she was expected to contribute already. If that were the case she wouldn't argue her only fear right now was for the egg in her care.

”Yes, you can stay. It's no trouble at all.” The Houndoom let out a small sigh of relief at the confirmation and offered Candice a gentle smile as she pulled the egg closer to her body. "Thank you lass. Your generosity won't be squandered, I promise. At least not by Ellie or myself." With another brief thank you she lay her head down, curled around the egg, and relaxed into the heat of the fire. The boys could bicker and discuss their plans all they pleased for now she was content listening to the movement slowly coming back from inside as its frigid shell began to regain its warmth.

"I'll go with you," Strix replied, Raiden not at all missing the snarl he had shot the blue hound. "Another pair of eyes couldn't hurt." Yes that was the point of everything he said now wasn't it? "Me too," the sassy runt piped up from Strix's side. "No way I'm left in here while you get all the scratch." Oh goodie... But one must be civil if they didn't want to get tossed out by the Gym Leader and her pokemon. "The more eyes the better, and your small size may come in handy to gain access to some of the buildings. Wonderful."

"Right. So it'll be myself, Raiden, Strix and..." Dante looked confused for a moment before addressing one of Candice's pokemon. "Did you or any of your companions wish to lead us? I'd feel far more comfortable with one of you at the helm. You know this territory much better and, as you said, are far more suited to be in it."

”I'd be happy to guide you. It was easy to get lost in Snowpoint even when a lot of people lived here.” Raiden was grateful that the Gym Leader's pokemon would be accompanying them as it was bound to be loads better than the last time Dante had led a group further into the city. That was a trip it seemed almost no one returned from. However he wasn't sure if they had enough hands yet. "Miss Candice will you be accompanying us as well? Or will you and the rest of your team hold down the fort here? We could use the opposable thumbs if you wouldn't mind joining us but as we are your guests I would hate to demand anything of you."

[skip me please, I dont feel too hot. strix and rune just gonna wait for candices response]