(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

The Umbreon hesitated. "I-no. I don't have anywhere else to go," Waylon admitted, earning a mere nod from the Persian. Yes, he had expected as much. The poor snow Umbreon did not look like he was any where near suited for the icy climate they were in. It's a wonder how he hasn't frozen to death yet. "But you know where shelter is, I think." Koru allowed a sympathetic smile then; after his earlier bluff, it was more than obvious how Waylon felt about receiving help. Either the kid was the cynical type, did not trust or like strangers, or he was timid, scared to put himself in the care of another. Both were understandable, to a point, but Koru could not help but feel confused as to how it was so hard to comprehend that he would actually wish to help.

"So, um, you'd be willing to help me out? I mean, we shouldn't stick around...like you said." Koru nodded again, his face growing grim. "Yeah.. it's not safe. I've got a spare shelter for those not used to the climate, so you should be fine." But with his back turned, he had not noticed the Houndusk whom had approached them, the sound of his footsteps lost to the storm. "...Do what you want." Koru whipped around, shaken by the unexpected words, but the broken hound before him stopped any retort on the tip of his tongue. "...I'll... follow." He eyed the dual type wearily. Where is his companion? The Nidoking...? But there was obviously no one else around.

A slight chill ran across his spine, despite the thick coats he wore. Was he buried, dead in the ice? Did he run off? But.. how could he? But the Houndusk was clearly defeated. He would not meet Koru's blue gaze and pain gripped his heart. Now is no time for questions. "...Of course, you are welcome as well." The lynx turned, giving Waylon a sad look. He knew that they had originally thought to abandon the angry pair, but the Houndusk could not look more pathetic. He needed help, but he seemed harmless at the moment. "Okay, well, this way then! Thankfully the spare den is not far from here at all, and since we will be spending a little time together, I will reintroduce myself. My name is Koru," he added for the Houndusk's benefit. He did not entirely expect a response, but he did not think it was entirely necessary.

Walking past Waylon, he swished with his tail in motioning for the Umbreon to walk beside him. Expecting the canine to stay behind and grieve, Koru smiled in a friendly way to the Umbreon. "Just needa grab that rabbit and then we will head out the back. The blizzard is pretty nasty out, as I am sure you both noticed. Just make sure you keep sight of me, even if it's just my tail. Getting lost in the white will get you frozen to death," he warned, a serious tone to his voice. Once grabbing the Buneary corpse from behind the box, it only took a minute or two in order to reach the back.

"Keep close," he called through the mouth full of fur once reaching the massive hole in the wooden wall. Moving through the snow was effortless for the lynx, his paws naturally spreading over the compacted ground and preventing himself from sinking in too far. Koru knew well that he was lucky, though, and was very aware of the fact that his companions were both thin and not made for the snow. Almost there... After a few minutes, they reached the base of a rocky hill. Though it was covered in white, save for certain ridges, Koru knew exactly where he was heading.

Upon reaching a small spruce and placing the Buneary on the ground, he turned and felt the wall with one paw. He felt along the wall until he felt a drastic drop in resistance. There we go. Rearing back on his hind paws, Koru leaned back, gaining momentum as he shot forward, slamming his forepaws into the snow. Immediately, the thin ice crumpled beneath his feet, earning a hole into the cave. He smiled, exhilarated, to his companions before repeating the process. "Here we are... just let me get the hole large enough for both of you. Inside is insulated, so it will be wold for the moment, but not freezing. We can start a fire and work on getting a meal."

"...Do what you want."
"...I'll...follow."

Waylon froze, caught in complete disbelief at the Houndoom's sudden change from feral to something that could only be described as broken, empty. His mind could not comprehend seeing a Houndoom with anything other than anger, contempt, a disregard for anything other than itself. Yet here the canine was, with none of these things. Waylon could not understand it, and that made everything worse; he thought he'd seen it all, knew everything one needed to know about the Houndoom species. The enigma that was this defeated creature tugged at the darkest part of his fear, reminded him that there were still dark, twisted things he had yet to learn.

Koru was introducing himself to the Fire-type, but Waylon stayed silent. When Koru beckoned him over, Waylon followed without thinking, his body reacting almost mechanically.

"Just needa grab that rabbit and then we will head out the back. The blizzard is pretty nasty out, as I am sure you both noticed. Just make sure you keep sight of me, even if it's just my tail. Getting lost in the white will get you frozen to death," Koru said to him in a tone lacking his former cheer. Lost in the white. Waylon imagined himself in the depths of the blizzard, never seen again, becoming just another victim of exposure. Some part of him yearned for that release, to be free of pain, fear, doubt. The Waylon of three years ago would've abhorred the idea that a part of him wanted such things, but now...like with every other thing, he didn't know. ...can't even understand myself...

Without protest, Waylon continued to follow Koru as he headed back to the Houndoom and then the outside. None of the time or words said registered with him; he simply kept moving. The feline had no trouble navigating through the snow, leading them through the blinding white. There was no point trying to make out the rest of the landscape or try to spot other buildings, as the storm blocked it all out.
Waylon could do nothing to fend off the freezing cold, do nothing except follow the leading Persian. His body was being wracked by the cold that seeped into his bones and muscles; winter and blizzards were not what he was made for, and it was painfully obvious. As he struggled to move through the snow, his strength sapped with every step, Waylon remembered what had brought him here, out into the open with two strangers. Simple survival instinct. It felt so inadequate, an unsatisfactory explanation for why everything had happened as it did.

Waylon barely realized Koru had found his destination, entrenched in his muddled thoughts. If he stayed here, he'd become reliant on the help of strangers; if he left, there was only death in every direction. When did it end? Waylon would become caught in a web, dependent on Pokemon he didn't know or trust. There wasn't a choice in the matter, not unless he wanted to...

"Here we are... just let me get the hole large enough for both of you. Inside is insulated, so it will be cold for the moment, but not freezing. We can start a fire and work on getting a meal."

Waylon only nodded, unsure of how to react. Koru was just another mystery to him-seemingly generous and sincere in a world where such things couldn't exist. Concerned for two broken Pokemon, one of which had told him off not too long ago; willing to sacrifice security and supplies for them.
Waylon looked off into the white landscape, his entire body trembling, fur fluffed up in a vain attempt to ward off the temperatures. Even with his thoughts weighing upon him, Waylon did nothing and said nothing.

Dante simply stood, awaiting a reply from the Persian, though he couldn't bring himself to actually look the cat in the face. Lifting his head seemed like such an arduous task. "Okay, well, this way then! Thankfully the spare den is not far from here at all, and since we will be spending a little time together, I will reintroduce myself. My name is Koru." Dante didn't pay any heed to the name again, however; the guy was probably about to die or vanish anyway. Why spend the effort of learning a name he wouldn't need?

The Persian trotted quickly away, toward the other pokemon -was that the other voice? A white umbreon?- and continued talking. Dante followed slowly, his long strides able to keep pace with the cat's trot easily. "Just needa grab that rabbit and then we will head out the back. The blizzard is pretty nasty out, as I am sure you both noticed. Just make sure you keep sight of me, even if it's just my tail. Getting lost in the white will get you frozen to death." Dante, for all his sarcasm and bitterness, could only manage a small scoff at the cruel irony that had just slapped him in the face. Fate really was just fucking with him, wasn't it?

It didn't matter. With that last, somewhat insulting, quippet they were off into the white void. The Persian, with his strange feet, was able to move easily over the snow while the umbreon and himself sank. Dante's long legs and hot body temperature enabled him to at least move easier through the damned stuff than the white umbreon. They traveled in silence; even if anyone was up for conversation, it would have been muffled by the storm. With each step, Dante felt the guilt weighing more and more upon him, and yet feeling less and less of it. The pressure was there, the knowledge, but actual regret? Actual pain? Absent. Gone with everything else into the void they now traversed, covered in blanket after blanket of snow. Always snow.

Always.

It was surprising to reach the lair without incident; perhaps even the Undead were buffeted by the blizzard. Glancing around out of sheer habit, it certainly looked like they were alone. "Here we are... just let me get the hole large enough for both of you. Inside is insulated, so it will be cold for the moment, but not freezing. We can start a fire and work on getting a meal." Sounded all right. He looked down to the small trembling umbreon. He had gotten to the cave first, and with the host obviously waiting for them, Dante waited for the umbreon, but he wouldn't move. "...You just gonna stand there admiring it...?" he growled vacantly, any anger or frustration depleted, leaving only the blunt words and his own eternal impatience. "Move. Shit or get off the pot."

The Persian worked as well as he could, getting the entrance large enough for the Houndusk as the sun left behind him, leaving the world tat the mercy of night. The canine was five, six feet, Koru guessed, and while he could duck to get in, the 'door' still needed to fit him. Behind him, the lynx heard nothing, only knowing the two were there by their coats splashes against the snow. He knew they would be freezing, but on top of that obviously neither was very social. The only words spoken had been his own, tossed back for his new companions, but with nothing in response. Rearing up on his hind legs, Koru smacked away the last bit of snow, figuring it would be tall enough. As he swiped away ice shards, the Houndusk was the first to speak. "...You just gonna stand there admiring it...?" Koru whirled around, offended, only to realise he was speaking to Waylon. "Move. Shit or get off the pot," he added. An angry glint flashed through the Persian's eyes. "Hey!" he interrupted, making a stance in front of the entrance. "I understand you're having a rough time, but we are all here right now and we will need to be cooperating in order to make it through the snow. I'm helping you, so help me in getting along with my other guest and don't be so harsh with Waylon. He did not even do anything wrong."

His words were curt, but not unfriendly. It was more than obvious that the hound had been through a lot. "We're all just cold out here in the snow," he added in a friendlier tone, smiling softly at Waylon before turning and allowing them into the den. "Come on, let's get this place warmed up." Inside was a cavern made of stone, naturally formed, no more than fifteen or so feet deep in a generally symmetrical oval, with the ceiling at least ten feet above. Koru moved easily over the floor, leaves, pine needles, and grass alike were strewn on the ground, helping to keep the cold from seeping into his paws. On the right side of the cave was a dip in the floor, right next to the wall, a few feet across with stones and rocks along the edge. Inside of it was several short, blunt pieces of wood, and beside the fire pit was a branch ripped from a bush, several oran berries growing on the dull leaves. Koru deposited the Buneary corpse beside it, making a food pile, as the other two entered. "Will need to get some proper food once the storm dies down," he reminded himself out loud.

On the left side of the cave were a few pelts of game Pokemon and leaves, feathers alike in order to make a place to relax. While it was meant for several medium sized Pokemon, Koru was realising that the Houndusk might just take the whole thing up. That is an issue. "Would you be able to help us start a fire?" the lynx asked, dipping his head to the wood before making his way back to the entrance. Beside it were several branches with flared pine needles, thick he gripped in his teeth to pull over the hole as a 'door'. The howling wind died down quite noticeably then. "There we are," Koru muttered to himself, only then shaking out his pelt to dislodge any lingering ice.

"...You just gonna stand there admiring it...? Move. Shit or get off the pot."

Realizing quickly that the Houndoom was speaking directly to him, Waylon ducked his head and tried to focus on the white snow. But his mind reacted to the command, and that made his muscles react instinctively-he began to walk towards the den entrance, his thoughts blurring together. Waylon barely noticed that Koru had blocked the entrance, but was aware enough to stop in his tracks.
"Hey!" Koru had taken a stance against the Houndoom, and Waylon looked at him in complete disbelief. The Persian was half of the Dark-type's size, yet he still stood against him-did the Persian have a death wish? Waylon wanted to speak up, to get him not to say anything else, but one glance at the Houndoom sealed his words away.

"I understand you're having a rough time, but we are all here right now and we will need to be cooperating in order to make it through the snow. I'm helping you, so help me in getting along with my other guest and don't be so harsh with Waylon. He did not even do anything wrong."

There was only silence from Waylon, as he tried to process the last few minutes. He had thought of Koru as merely strange and suspicious, but this...there was more about him to take into consideration. The Persian's words were brave, if a bit foolhardy, and he had actually spoken for Waylon; nobody had done that in years. He had almost forgotten what is was like, and didn't know what he felt about it. Grateful? Puzzled, more like.

"We're all just cold out here in the snow," Koru said to them, smiling at Waylon, who was once again unable to give a proper reply. Cold didn't even begin to cover it, but he didn't say anything about that, starting to understand that Koru was a Pokemon who wasn't blunt. "Come on, let's get this place warmed up."

The cavern was certainly accommodating, Waylon couldn't deny that. He took in everything about the place, from the dimensions to the makeshift carpet, paying particular attention to the firepit. They at least had a Fire-type to help with that, even if he wasn't a species Waylon cared to keep company with. As Koru worked on covering the entrance, Waylon thought of what to say to him-thanks, maybe, a comment about the effective setup here; nothing came to mind.

He then began to trot over to Koru, to help him, but the Persian finished before he could do anything. "There we are." The sounds of the winds was cut down, and that brought a mild sense of calm to Waylon.

"So, uh, anything I can do?" Waylon asked, keeping his voice quiet. "Specific, I mean."

Though for once, Dante hadn't meant any real insult by his words, the umbreon shrank and skittered away and the Persian apparently took offense. "Hey!" the Persian interjected, taking a defensive stance between Dante and the den. "I understand you're having a rough time, but we are all here right now and we will need to be cooperating in order to make it through the snow. I'm helping you, so help me in getting along with my other guest and don't be so harsh with Waylon. He did not even do anything wrong." The giant hound blinked a bit, his numb mind finally grasping the concept that he had somehow offended the skittish little Eeveelution. Oh well. He stared blankly down at the fluffy cat, his name still escaping Dante, waiting for the cat to continue. "We're all just cold out here in the snow," he added in a softer tone, which was almost swallowed by the storm's ferocity. He turned to the skittish umbreon to reassure him as well before proceeding inside. "Come on, let's get this place warmed up."

Dante entered last, ducking his massive head to prevent damaging the "door". Icy eyes sluggishly took in the new surroundings; it was a well-built den, he could say that much. A bed, a food stash and even what looked to be a small fire pit. The cat seemed to know what he was doing. Pulling his massive form inside completely, he shook off the collected ice and snow and mulled about on the opposite side of the other two, leaning against the surprisingly sturdy wall. He heard the cat mutter something under his breath, but Dante's attention was elsewhere and the words went unrecognized. Lazily turning his head toward the others, he found his back end sinking down to the floor on its own, as if his own body were deciding things on its own. His forelegs shook slightly, either from cold or fatigue, Dante had no idea; he felt more and more like a spectator of his own meat-sack. It was an odd feeling. Not alarming or disturbing, just... odd. Maybe he was just too tired to be alarmed or disturbed? Maybe...

"Would you be able to help us start a fire?" The question was surprisingly clear to Dante's senses, drawing his sluggish attention. His gaze went from the cat to the dark fire pit, still holding a relatively blank expression. But the gentle request did not go unnoticed; after a pause and a long intake of breath, Dante shot out a small fireball from his spot against the wall, striking the fire pit true. The flames caught and hungrily gnawed on the kindle as the Persian closed the "door" to the shelter. With the cold finally shut out, Dante's forelegs folded rather abruptly, bringing him to the soft ground with a rough grunt.

"So, uh, anything I can do?" the Umbreon queried, keeping his voice down for whatever reason. Dante didn't think the question was directed at him, so he made no move. "Specific, I mean." Staring at his fire he laid his head down, content to be still and listen to the conversation around him. It was better than silence, at least... or freezing to death.

While the Houndusk had still not spoken, Koru was relieved when he at least responded to his request. As the fire sparked to life, the lynx turned away from the door with a grateful smile. "Thank you," he told the massive canine as he trotted past to reach the fire pit. Behind him, Koru heard a low sound as the hound brought himself to lay on the ground, opting to not even make it to the bedding. While the Persian felt bad for not offering him to lay in a more comfortable place, he had to admit that there truly would not be room for anyone else if he took it up with his bulk. The poor guy must have been through hell. Koru figured that leaving him be for now would be good for him. Using his paws, the snow cat clawed at several chunks of ice in a dip beside the fire pit. As the flames easily spread and lit up the kindling, it would be no time before the snow melted and there was water to drink. Waylon had followed him and the feline spoke without really thinking about it. "The snow here is clean, once it melts from the fire there will be water for you to drink. It will still be chilly, but with the fire kept up you won't get too cold," he assured the Umbreon.

Though Waylon had not really asked for the information, it helped the cat to just chat, even if no one was particularly listening and responding. He had not had company, save the scarred Espeon that morning, for many days. Many were not fortunate enough to find him. "So, uh, anything I can do?" the Umbreon asked quietly. Koru turned to face him, blinking. "Specific, I mean." The hound had laid his head down then, something Koru caught by looking over the white vulpine's shoulder, but he smiled. "Well, I would say relax and warm up, but I don't think I have enough food for such a large guest," he admitted. Turning to look at the food pile, there were a few strips of dried meat, a branch from a berry bush, and the rabbit corpse. "Might last for tonight," he thought out loud. Getting to his paws, he walked the yard to the food stock. "I think the big guy would be better off with the Buneary and a few berries. You and I can split the strips and share the berries. I'll go hunting another time, nighttime and a blizzard would be suicidal to go into."

Gripping the Buneary with his teeth, he took it over to the Houndusk in question. He did not look too social, but Koru dropped the corpse at his paws. "Eat up and get some rest," he said gently. Without waiting for a response he returned to Waylon and gestured to the several strips. "Help yourself. I know you want to be helpful, which I appreciate, but there is not much to be done until we can go outside." He turned and pointed to the large nest with his nose. "You're free to use the bed, though, just make sure you leave room for me," he added with a teasing purr. "If you want, you can add sticks to the fire when it becomes low, but otherwise, relax, friend."

[ ooc: I assume a time skip soon? ]

Waylon waited for a response from Koru, trying not to think about the Houndoom that was in the den with them. There was no one else the Persian could have been looking over to see. "Well, I would say relax and warm up, but I don't think I have enough food for such a large guest," Koru said as he looked over at the food he had-Waylon's stomach practically begged him for something to eat, but he kept his mouth firmly shut about it. Following Koru without responding, Waylon was only further reminded of how good food-any food-sounded right now; how long had it been since he'd eaten?
"I think the big guy would be better off with the Buneary and a few berries. You and I can split the strips and share the berries. I'll go hunting another time, nighttime and a blizzard would be suicidal to go into." No matter how odd he sometimes acted, Waylon could not deny that Koru was smart and resourceful. He knew how to survive, was practically built for it; whether he respected or envied the Persian for having another thing altogether. Maybe...maybe if he didn't turn out to be anything dangerous, Waylon could be fine with Koru's company. Not friends, he didn't have those anymore, simply mutual partners.

Waylon did not follow Koru as the feline took the Buneary to the Houndoom, who had laid down onto the den's floor after starting the fire. Turning his head away, Waylon knew he could no longer simply push away the problem of being around the Dark-type, not if he planned on sticking around long-term. The canine was...different? Certainly nothing like Waylon had expected. The fact the Houndoom was calm, emotionless even, there was no making sense of it. He was nothing like-Waylon still felt that fear but it was nowhere near the terror he'd known before. Both his thoughts and emotions were jumbled, caught in an inner turmoil he couldn't get rid of; Waylon felt like a small child again, ignorant to how the world was and why the Pokemon around him were impossible to decipher. When Koru returned, Waylon could barely pay attention to what he was doing, and a dull pounding began to form in his head. Koru's previous suggestion of relaxation suddenly became a great idea.

 "Help yourself. I know you want to be helpful, which I appreciate, but there is not much to be done until we can go outside." The Persian pointed out the strips of meat that remained in the food pile, which brought no form of protest from Waylon. "You're free to use the bed, though, just make sure you leave room for me."
"If you want, you can add sticks to the fire when it becomes low, but otherwise, relax, friend."
Waylon took in all the words, yet gave only a slight nod to acknowledge them. He approached the food, his weak body overjoyed at the prospect of sustenance; an idea sprung into his mind before Waylon took any of the dried meat. Turning to face the Persian, he looked him straight in the eyes; no looking away beforehand, flinching, or anything of the sort. For a moment, Waylon felt something akin to courage, caring little for how fragile the sudden emotion was.
"Thank you," Waylon told Koru, and as soon as it was said, his "courage" drained away. Casting his eyes away, Waylon grabbed some of the dried meat with his teeth and made his way to the nest Koru had pointed out before. Taking a small spot of his own, he was at last able to eat his meager meal; after going without any sort of food for quite some time, it was like heaven. Unfortunately, when the food was gone, Waylon was brought back to reality.

Koru had said to relax, but regardless of what he felt about Koru and the Houndoom, they were still strangers to him. How was he going to relax when there was a Pokemon around he couldn't even glance at without his heart skipping a beat? Waylon scolded himself mentally for letting a little headache make him less cautious. Foolish thing to do.
Waylon laid his head down, but relaxing, well, that was not something he was going to be able to do anytime soon.

The conversation stayed friendly, surprisingly. Or... unsurprisingly? He couldn't tell at this point. It was odd to Dante, all this congeniality, since he'd been in what felt like an endless argument since getting on the damn mountain. "Well, I would say relax and warm up, but I don't think I have enough food for such a large guest," the Persian replied warmly, despite being unsure. Was that a fat joke? Dante inwardly teased, but even in his own mind it sounded pathetic. Legends, he was tired. "Might last for tonight." He took the few steps needed to get to the little food pile the cat had neatly constructed, seeming to analyze his stores. "I think the big guy would be better off with the Buneary and a few berries. You and I can split the strips and share the berries. I'll go hunting another time, nighttime and a blizzard would be suicidal to go into."

Still, the fluffy cat picked the rabbit corpse up, then brought it to Dante and dropped it, surprising the hound even though he'd already stated his intentions. Dante lifted his head slightly to look up at the Persain -he really needed to remember his name- unsure of what to say or do. Especially since he couldn't remember the guy's freaking name. "Eat up and get some rest," the cat offered gently before turning to the white umbreon, not allowing Dante to even reply. He looked down at the carcass wearily, his stomach churning and voicing its opposing opinions. "Help yourself. I know you want to be helpful, which I appreciate, but there is not much to be done until we can go outside." He turned and pointed to the large nest with his nose. "You're free to use the bed, though, just make sure you leave room for me," he added with a teasing purr. "If you want, you can add sticks to the fire when it becomes low, but otherwise, relax, friend."

He watched as the Persian went about his business before turning his attention back to the Buneary. It was a fine catch, but... He just couldn't handle the smell of cold death. Bodies and faces flashed before him, the stench of fresh blood overwhelmed his memories and pushed his stomach further away from hunger. It was all just blood. Blood and death and blood and death and screaming and fire and running and... No. He couldn't eat this thing... He vaguely wondered if he'd be able to eat anything anymore, but... he was too tired to think of an answer.

Wearily struggling to get to his feet, he took the rabbit by the ears and slowly dragged it to where the umbreon decided to settle, dropping it at his feet. "I'm not hungry..." he stated simply, then turned to stagger back to his spot, standing and staring at it a bit. The scent of the rabbit was still there, thanks to either his curse of sharp sense of smell or some mind-fuckery. Again, he didn't really know or care, but... it looked like he wasn't sleeping there tonight after all. Without another word, he simply went to the entrance, padded down the ground nearby and flopped down with his nose close to the floor. There, the brisk wind filtered in, freezing, but clean. And that was all that mattered to him.

No blood.
No death.
Just cold... and clean.

---


He woke up cold.

Why the fuck was he so cold?

Icy eyes snapped open and suddenly, his body strummed with energy. His stomach growled with hunger, his legs shivered with the cold, but he felt... great? Yeah. Great. As he sat up and yawned, as he normally did upon waking, he paused when something felt off. Blinking, he looked down at his paws and saw... Well, it was much different than what he was used to seeing. Even his muzzle was white now, like his paws. Further inspection yielded more information: his back ribs had gotten more prominent and numerous, his tail was now completely made of bone... Hell, if he didn't know better, he would think he'd evolved again or something... but... that was impossible. Right?

Out of habit, he turned to his side, where he saw... something he wasn't expecting. (To be honest and fair, he didn't know what he was expecting in the first place, but that's completely beside the point.) Two white pelts, obviously other pokemon, laying and sleeping. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight... So... did he know these people? Who the hell were they? Where... He glanced around the small cave, remaining sitting in his little spot. Where the hell was he?

His eyes returned to the ground as his mind dug and dug for answers, but.... nothing came. It was like the time he'd apparently gotten into the boss' booze and everything for three days was completely gone, which was a shame, since apparently those three days were freaking amazing. Ok, ok, just... sit tight and calm down. What's the last thing you remember, Dante? What, did you hit your head on something? He rubbed his head on the cave wall, but quickly got discouraged when all he heard was a scraping-bone sound. Awful. Well, looked like no head injuries. Last memory, then. Last... memory...

He'd been in Johto. He'd found a cave... a big cave, not like this... and... he'd... gotten lost...? Did something happen there...? Maybe one of those gross assholes had done something to him... Yeah. Yeah, that was probably it. Stupid sons of bitches. What a fucking hassle. Snorting a bit in frustration, he stood on all fours and got a proper stretch in. Well, he knew the world was still ending, he was in what looked like decent company and his name. That was probably enough to get by till he smashed his head against something enough to jog what he'd lost back up to the surface. He turned to the white things, unsure whether or not they would need to be woken. However, his stomach firmly reminded him that it needed attention, and the little piss-ant pile of berries wasn't gonna do shit. Taking a small glance out the little makeshift door -which was handy as hell, by the way- he took the few steps needed to reach the others on the opposite side of the cave.

"Hey, uh... guys?" he began, gently poking the fluffier one with a massive paw. Damn, he'd gotten big. "It's daylight and I'm hella hungry. I'm up for some hunting if you guys are game."


[[So Dante has dissociative amnesia, which happens when the subject is extremely traumatized or stressed. His long-term memory has shut out all memory of anyone he'd met in the course of rp and his short-term memory is completely wiped, meaning he actually won't remember losing Strix or meeting Koru and Waylon. Those memories were never converted to long-term, just... lost. So, he's essentially been reset XD]]

Waylon seemed to process his words gradually, but the Persian watched as he showed an uncharacteristic act of confidence. The Umbreon pulled himself up, his blue eyes meeting Koru's own as he spoke clearly but with no stutter: "Thank you." The lynx felt his own expression break into a wide, relieved smile. He could do so little, and so few strangers came by, but if he was able to help just one soul, he wanted it to be someone who needed it. Someone like the white Umbreon. He bowed his head in response. "You're welcome," was his heartfelt reply. After that, Waylon took his advice and retreated to the bed of leaves, feathers, and various animal pelts. Koru's eyes flickered to the Houndusk, watching as he dropped the Buneary at the Umbreon's paws. He said he was not hungry, but something seemed off. No way someone of that size wouldn't need the sustenance. Give him time, he decided as the massive hound laid back down.

While Koru had planned to offer to sit watch, it seemed that the canine had that covered. Sticking his nose out into the wind, he would hear and smell anything that tried to come in first. The Houndusk slipped into sleep while Koru bounced into the other side of the den, his movements like a bunny. He curled up, pulling his short tail over his nose. "Try to sleep, Waylon. Good night," he murmured softly before laying his head down. It had been so long since he had company, even if they were clearly both less than friendly. The Umbreon was jumpy and the Houndusk was... broken. But maybe he could help them, if only in giving them a place to stay at night from the snow. Sighing softly, the soft crackling of the fire and the howling of the blizzard outside were dull but comforting sounds. His eyes closed and soon his flank fell and rose slowly with the peace of sleep.


"Hey, uh... guys?" The voice roused the Persian, his ears flicking up in alertness before his crystalline eyes blinked open. There was something pressing into his side and he lifted his head as the voice continued. "It's daylight and I'm hella hungry. I'm up for some hunting if you guys are game." Koru's jaws pulled back in a massive yawn, sharp canines flashing before he shook out his fur and pulled himself to his paws. He looked up at the Houndusk, surprised to find his gaze had a light within it. Something felt strange, but the Persian did not question it. He would have rather the canine be willing to participate than be a soulless lump of flesh. He flashed a cheeky grin, raising one eyebrow. "You look better this morning," he commented before turning and placing a paw gently on the Umbreon's shoulder. "Waylon, it's morning, wake up. I sure could use a hunting partner, it's difficult as is by myself, but with you helping, we might snag enough food for a week," he added to the Houndusk.

Waylon looked up to see the Houndoom approaching him, and he immediately stiffened with fear, wide eyes watching to see what the canine would do. But the only thing the Fire-type did was drop the Buneary down at Waylon, which he stared at as if the corpse could tell him what was going on with these Pokemon. "I'm not hungry..." The sheer exhaustion of the Houndoom was far too obvious, painted in his staggering movements and weary voice. Waylon understood being tired like that. He was always tired too, in one way or another.
As the Houndoom wandered away, Waylon turned his attention to the Buneary. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore either, a dull nausea lingering in his stomach instead; with a small sigh, he nudged the rabbit away from him with his nose. Hopefully Koru would understand what Waylon was doing.
"Best to save it," Waylon muttered to himself. The strips of meat from before hadn't been much, but right now he knew eating more would only make him feel worse. Why the awful twisting of his stomach had arrived when he'd gotten food, Waylon could not understand, but it frustrated him. He closed his eyes, attempting to let all of his emotions and wandering thoughts leave him, but it was no good. Waylon could feel eyes burning into him even though it was doubtful any of the others were watching him. His body urged him to open his eyes and jump up; keeping still was agony, every second causing his heart to beat faster.

"Try to sleep, Waylon. Good night," Koru's voice was unexpected, but for a moment Waylon welcomed it. It was like the beginning of a bad joke, him being in this den with a strangely helpful Persian and a Houndoom covered in bones and utterly defeated. If circumstances had been different, Waylon could've easily ended up leaving them behind. Or ended up dead.
Trying once more to fall asleep, Waylon began to relax a little bit. He had no idea how long it took, or if it had even taken time at all, but the Umbreon eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.


"Waylon, it's morning, wake up. I sure could use a hunting partner, it's difficult as is by myself, but with you helping, we might snag enough food for a week." Even the light touch of Koru's paw and his voice was enough to wake Waylon, and he stood up, yawning. One look at the Houndoom was all Waylon needed to know something had changed with the canine; he was nowhere near as lifeless as he'd been the night before. Surely it had to be a good thing, but...Waylon wondered how someone could change so much in a matter of hours. He shifted his paws a bit, trying to hide his nerves. Hunting, right? He could do that. He'd done it before, though under less icy conditions. Surely he could start being of help with this task.
"I'm, um, not really that used to hunting in snowy places," Waylon admitted, finding that it was far easier to speak when he wasn't falling over from exhaustion. "I-nevermind. Lead the way." It was all glaringly obvious; these two were far better hunters than he, stronger and more suited physically for the terrain. They can't beat my camouflage though. There was at least one good thing about having a white pelt, and Waylon was determined to use it.

"You look better this morning," the fluffy cat commented coyly, turning to rouse the other white pokemon, which was surprisingly enough, an umbreon. Dante inwardly sighed in relief-- at least he was on good terms with these pokemon, from the persian's(?) reaction. "Waylon, it's morning, wake up. I sure could use a hunting partner, it's difficult as is by myself, but with you helping, we might snag enough food for a week." The maybe-persian had turned back to Dante for the hunting bits, which told Dante a few more sparse details: it seemed they'd only known each other for a small while. Had it been longer, they would have already hunted and there was no way in hell Dante would have passed up a hunting opportunity.

His theory was only solidified by "Waylon's" reply. "I'm, um, not really that used to hunting in snowy places," Dante glanced to the small white umbreon, quirking a brow. "Snowy"? They were in the cave, right? Or outside Ice Path? Blackthorne or Mahogany couldn't be snowy yet-- it wasn't winter. Just... how far did his blackout reach? But it seemed that the Umbreon went ahead and changed his mind anyway. For whatever reason. "I-nevermind. Lead the way."

Even if Waylon meant the last bit for the cat, Dante shrugged and went ahead outside anyway, only taking a small sniff through the door's gap before pushing it aside with his massive bulk. Once out, he stood, frozen, completely taken off guard by his very, very new surroundings.

Well, Waylon was completely right when he'd said "snowy". The shit covered absolutely everything, as if a blizzard had blown through during the night. Or the last month. His large paws sank down quite a bit, so there had to be at least a foot of snow beneath them. But even without the snow, the land around him was different. Foreign. He took a few steps out only to pause again, turning in confusion to find some sort of landmark he could spot. Mt. Silver was the only one he could think of, but a quick turn told him that while he was nearby a mountain range, it wasn't right. He'd grown up in Johto, knew the peaks and valleys, at least from a distance... These were wrong. The trees, the contours of the horizon, even the smell of the air-- it was all different. Oh, shit, he thought as he stared ahead, This is... much worse than I thought. I don't even think I'm in Johto anymore. Where the fuck am I? How the fuck did I even get here??

But now was not the time to panic. It looked like he'd have to come clean with his companions-- maybe they had some answers to fill in the gaps. "Ok, confession time," he began with a heavy sigh, turning his horned head back to the others. "I uh... I don't seem to remember much, guys. Like your names... How we got here... What region I'm in... So uh, if you'd be so kind, you could maybe catch me up on the past few days and we can get on our way to some grub." He ended his awkward request with an equally awkward laugh, trying to keep the panic away. It couldn't be more than a few days he was missing. Maybe a week? Maybe they'd throw in why he had amnesia in the first place.

Waylon was roused easily, the very thin Umbreon pulling himself up as the Persian turned his back to him. The Houndusk definitely seemed different. Koru was not able to dwell on it as the Umbreon spoke up. "I'm, um, not really that used to hunting in snowy places," he admitted. Koru turned, looking at the vulpine with a kind smile. "I-nevermind. Lead the way," he added quickly but the Persian flicked his whiskers in gentle amusement. "Don't sweat it. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. It'll be a piece of cake, especially with how you naturally blend in." He ended the friendly tease by flicking the Umbeon's flank with his tail as he turned. The canine had already headed outside. "Let's go greet the day."

Trotting forward, Koru was pleased by the sight that met him. The sky was overcast, but bright. The snow that fell was harmless and thin as dust. His sapphire eyes grew wide with wonder, his nose twitching as a snowflake hit it. What a glorious day! Perfect to be outside! Waylon followed him out, but up ahead the Houndusk had stopped. Taking a few steps before looking around. The stiff set of his tails and the straightness of his tail caused the Persian to immediately be cautious. "Hey buddy, something up?" he prompted. The canine slowly turned, his expression just as tense as his body language. He sighed before speaking. "Ok, confession time."

Koru's tall ears flicked forward, his eyes narrowing a hair as he took in the tone of the Houndusk. Confession? He did not keep the lynx waiting, though, and continued soon after, "I uh... I don't seem to remember much, guys. Like your names... How we got here... What region I'm in... So uh, if you'd be so kind, you could maybe catch me up on the past few days and we can get on our way to some grub." Koru's gaze widened in shock as he gave an awkward chuckle. I knew something was very off... he does not remember anything. Something told him that it should stay that way.

The Persian flicked his tail, nodding seriously. "I thought something was different. Though, I cannot help you much, we only met late last night in the blizzard," he explained apologetically. "My name is Koru, you stayed in my den last night, as you already know, as a guest. You are more than welcome to continue sharing quarters with me if you do not cause trouble and help keep up the supplies, like hunting. Though I doubt that will be an issue," he added with a friendly smile. "You never shared your name with me last night, before we went to bed, either."

(Didn't want to do this but...skip me. I know, I'm an idiot. Sorry for holding the team up.)

A great screech echoed across the sky, its source a very undead Braviary. The massive, rotting bird pecked and clawed viciously at the two Charizard that were flapping around it. Bursts of flame erupted from the jaws of a black-scaled female, while powerful gusts of wind from the orange male's wings sliced at the Braviary's flesh into ribbons. The two dragons were nimble in the air, avoiding the lumbering bird's attacks easily, their flaming tails flailing madly as they circled their foe.

"AHA! We nearly got him, Greg!" the shiny female hollered joyously, spinning and whirling round their victim. "Give 'em another Air Slash, right to the throat, and then I'll finish the bastard!"
Gregory nodded, obviously not enjoying the battle as much as his sister was. All he wanted was to get this over with so they could finally rest. Eris had insisted that they spend the entire night searching for this one Braviary after it killed their travelling companion, a young Poochyena called Flash. Greg hadn't understood why Eris was so intent on revenge on a Pokemon she hadn't even liked, but he was starting to reckon she had just been due for a battle; she needed an excuse to kill something.
Nonetheless he did as he was told, and yanked back his wings ready for another Air Slash. But as he did so, the Braviary suddenly lunged at him, its deadly talons outstretched. He couldn't adjust his wings quickly enough to move him out of the way, and he howled out in agony as the talons ripped against his shoulder and up towards his wing membrane.

"GREG!" Eris screamed, barreling herself towards the Braviary as her brother began to falter in the air. She launched another Flamethrower at its face, cooking the flesh around its empty eye sockets, and then slashed at its throat with a Dragon Claw. There was a sickening snap as the spine was severed, and the Braviary's body was sent plummeting towards the lake below.

Gregory panted and hissed in pain as he struggled to remain airborne, the wound pouring with blood. Eris dove underneath him and gently guided him towards the ground.
"Let me have a look," she said as they landed in the snow.
Gregory drooped his injured wing towards the ground, groaning as Eris poked the membrane. "Don't. That hurts."
"Sorry. I just ... URGH! I'm such an idiot! I was the one who made you use Air Slash again; if I hadn't have done that--"
"It wasn't your fault," Gregory assured her kindly, shuddering as ripples of pain shot through his shoulder and into his wing. "I must've miscalculated, that's all. Please don't blame yourself."
Eris lashed her tail anxiously, reducing the snow beneath it to nothing more than a puddle. "Can you walk at least?"
"I think so." Greg hauled himself to his feet, holding his wing back at an awkward angle. "A few berries and I think I'll be fine."
"Then let's move." Eris glanced around her anxiously as she moved next to Gregory's side. "Gotta be some around here somewhere. Just don't fuckin' keel over on me, OK?"
Gregory managed a weary smile. "I won't."

The two dragons walked along the lakefront for a while, the male's head dipped low. His sister stayed at his side, nervously watching the blood drizzle from the wound. If they had no luck with berries, they at least needed something to stop the bleeding. Eris looked around at the undergrowth; maybe there was some leaves or some moss they could use...

Gregory suddenly stopped and gripped her arm.
"What's wrong?"
"Eris, I... The male's face was pale, his breath shallow. "I don't ... feel well."
"What do you-- HEY!" Gregory suddenly dropped like a deadweight, landing roughly on his front into the snow. Eris flapped around him frantically, yanking at his horns. "What did I say about keeling over? C'mon, get up!" She shoved Greg's side, but the Charizard simply rolled onto his side and did not move. Dark blood stained the snow beneath his injured wing.

Eris's chest tightened, her heart hammering against her ribcage. That wound ... how bad was it, exactly? She frantically pulled on Greg's horn again, shouting out his name over and over, but he did not wake up. His eyelids didn't even flicker.

Practically hyperventilating, Eris pushed and shoved and pulled at her brother, trying to get him moving, but the deadweight of the Charizard was too much for her to carry. His head lolled and his eye remained closed.
"H-Hey, come on, Greg, get UP!" Oh Arceus, this was bad, this was very, very, very bad. Eris felt her chest getting tighter and tighter, each breath getting harder to produce. "I don't -- I don't know what to do, Greg!" Another unsuccessful push. "Wake up and tell me what to do!"
Eventually she collapsed on top of him, sobbing. His tail flame was still alight; he was alive, but for how long? If she couldn't move him and the wound kept bleeding... "Don't you dare ... DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE DIE ON ME!"

The Persian didn't seem surprised, much to Dante's own shock. "I thought something was different. Though, I cannot help you much, we only met late last night in the blizzard," Dante frowned a bit, disappointed. Well, there went that idea. "My name is Koru, you stayed in my den last night, as you already know, as a guest. You are more than welcome to continue sharing quarters with me if you do not cause trouble and help keep up the supplies, like hunting. Though I doubt that will be an issue," he added with a friendly smile. Dante's frowned turned into an appreciative smirk. Well, wasn't this guy just swell? He'd be worried of some sort of ulterior motive, but what could it be? Dante had nothing to steal, and he was far more useful alive than dead. "You never shared your name with me last night, before we went to bed, either."

The fact that he hadn't given him his name sent up some red flags. Why hadn't he? Generally, he only withheld names if it was... really bad. "Weird..." he thought aloud, then shook his head. He'd have to figure that out later. "Uh, I'm Dante-- 'Koru', you said? Well, I'll do what I can as far as helping. Hunting is pretty much all I know." He tossed his head toward Koru. "Well, you're the one that knows these mountains. Let's h--" Suddenly, Dante stopped dead in the conversation as a voice echoed on the snow dunes. He lifted his head up, trying to hear the words when abruptly, they were loud and clear.

"Don't you dare ... DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE DIE ON ME!" Without hesitation, Dante raced off, his long legs serving him well to carry his form through the snow. It was easy to pinpoint the voice's source from that last outburst, and not for a moment did he question whether or not to follow. Someone was obviously in danger, and it was nothing less than primal instinct to try and help. Upon breaching one particular hill, the houndusk soon found two charizard, one normal and very bloody, and the other a shiny, scarred and hysterical. He bounded down, using gravity to his advantage to get to the couple quickly.

"Hey! What happened?" He looked down, spotting the exposed muscle and tendon and winced. That didn't look good. He stood some feet away but soon drew closer to get a better look. He was still alive, at least-- judging from the tail. They could likely save him if they moved quickly. "No time to explain. We need to get him inside before those things sniff out the blood. Koru, Find as many healing berries as you can-- this guy's injured!" he called to the Persian, then looked back at the dragon. "I can probably carry him if you get him on my back."

His answer seemed to shock the Houndusk, but there was hardly a thing about the situation that wouldn't surprise a guy. "Weird... Uh, I'm Dante-- 'Koru', you said? Well, I'll do what I can as far as helping. Hunting is pretty much all I know." The Persian nodded, allowing a friendly smile. "I don't ask for anything else," he replied. The snow was falling in small flurries around them. Just enough to cover their tracks if they stayed out long. Koru was silently grateful that he was never lost, otherwise that would cause great issues. Dante seemed to adjust enough to the situation, "Well, you're the one that knows these mountains. Let's h--" The conversation, however, was interrupted by a lout cry, both hunters' heads snapping up as they immediately took in the new development.

"Don't you dare ... DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE DIE ON ME!"
Oh no. Dante did not wait a moment, the Houndusk immediately running off. With his long legs, there was little chance of the lynx keeping up, but he hesitated anyway. "Sounds like we'll have more company-- Waylon, make the door wider just in case-- we'll be right back!" With that he followed the same trail that the canine had taken, only needing a few moments before his nose burned with the stank of fresh blood. Not good.

"Hey! What happened?" Dante was already at the pair's side. Koru was just bounding up, taking in the sight. Two medium sized dragons, one orange, the other a deep violet-black. The former was covered with countless scars, but both had flames at the ends of their tail. Must be fire types, maybe dragon or flying, too. Native to the far reaches of the wilds, he was unfamiliar with the species, but regardless there was no hesitation as his sharp blue eyes took in the nasty wound on the orange one's wing. The other was hysterical, female by her voice. "No time to explain. We need to get him inside before those things sniff out the blood. Koru, Find as many healing berries as you can-- this guy's injured!"

The Persian nodded. "I have a stock in my person den. Get him back to the shelter-- I'll run and grab as many as I can carry." Dante was already ahead of him, offering to carry the fallen dragon on his back. Koru looked right into the face of the black dragoness. "We'll save him," he growled out in determination before spinning on his heels and pelting away. His person hole was nearby, but not close enough. The feline gritted his teeth as his paws flew over the snow, making his body a spotted rocket through the forest as he vanished from sight of the others.

No ... nononononoNONONO! No. This was bad. The puddle of blood that stained the snow underneath her brother was starting to grow bigger. It wouldn't be long until-- NO! This couldn't happen, it wouldn't, it shouldn't! If she didn't have Greg she'd ... she didn't want to think about what would happen. She'd go mad, mad with grief and bitterness and anger. She'd start to kill again, not just the undead, she'd kill and scream and laugh as their blood splattered across the floor.

If her brother died, then so would her sanity.

"Hey! What happened?" called a sudden voice from nearby. Eris looked up, her vision blurred by her tears, to see a Pokemon that looked like a Houndoom bounding over one of the snow domes towards her. She blinked, letting her captive tears fall, and noticed that it wasn't a Houndoom at all - this guy was bigger and had more skeletal features. Eris didn't give a damn who or what he was - all that mattered was that he was there ... and he was getting closer.

"No time to explain. We need to get him inside before those things sniff out the blood." Eris stared at him, numb with shock, as he called over his shoulder at a spotted Persian. "Koru, Find as many healing berries as you can-- this guy's injured!"

"We'll save him," the cat said to her as he turned and sped back in the direction he came. Eris was unaware of her mouth hanging open as she watched him go. We? Them? Save him?

"I can probably carry him if you get him on my back," said the canine, and he took a step towards her--

That was all Eris needed to come back to her senses. They wanted to 'help' but all they were going to do was interfere, ask questions, stare at her scales, hurt Greg even more, stare at her scales, wonder why he was as hurt as he was wonder if she was the one who did it--

Eris's wings snapped open and she leaned over Greg's motionless body, snarling and baring her teeth at the hound. "You nor any of your motherfucking friends will come anywhere near him, you understand me?!" A deep growl rumbled at the back of her throat. She lashed her tail threateningly. "Get the fuck away from us or I swear I'll fucking cook you!" It turned out she was being serious; embers flickered at the back of her throat as she prepared a Flamethrower. "You ... you won't hurt my brother!"

Though Dante was only trying to help, the raging black dragon surged forward, almost draping herself over her fallen friend. A dangerous growl came from her throat as fire began dripping from her bared fangs. Dante paused, knowing that while the fire likely wouldn't hurt at all, this charizard meant business. "You nor any of your motherfucking friends will come anywhere near him, you understand me?!" she snapped hatefully, her tail lashing behind her. Dante's own posture straightened, his own tail high in the air. "Get the fuck away from us or I swear I'll fucking cook you!" The fiery tongues licked at her lips hungrily, but once more, Dante didn't budge. "You ... you won't hurt my brother!"

His face was set hard in a stern frown, but not aggressive. He straightened to his full height, keeping eye contact with the irate female, his own teeth beginning to flash against his bone mask. "You think real careful about this now, lady," he began in a low growl, keeping his body perfectly still. "I'm here to help. Either you let me and your brother has a chance to live or I leave and you watch him bleed out into the snow." He leaned a little closer, the heat from her built Flamethrower somewhat refreshing on his face. "You back right the fuck up now. You and I both know that fire won't do shit but attract unwanted attention."

[ kory is just running, and i dont wanna just bs a post of him running through the forest, so skip me this turn. He'll reach his den and head back next cycle. ]

"You think real careful about this now, lady," the large dog growled, his demeanor suddenly shifting to a more sinister one. Eris glowered at him, baring her dirty teeth as he spoke. "I'm here to help. Either you let me and your brother has a chance to live or I leave and you watch him bleed out into the snow."

Eris lashed her tail in frustration and leaned her head on Greg's shoulder. He was right, of course he was, but was she about to admit that? After practically months of managing just fine on their own? Like hell she was. "We don't ... need your help," she said, well aware that her tone of voice utterly contradicted her statement. She must've looked and sounded so pathetic. The smell of her brother's blood wafted up from the damp snow and she felt herself beginning to feel sick.

"You back right the fuck up now. You and I both know that fire won't do shit but attract unwanted attention." Eris snapped her jaws shut and let the fire simmer out. He was right again. Practically everyone she had ever spoken to was right about things, contradicting her every word with 'common sense' and 'logic'. Her lip quivered as she growled at the canine, feeling herself begin to admit defeat.

"Maybe you could help me move him," she muttered, staring at the snow. "Be careful though ... if you hurt him I'll rip your fucking throat out."

Despite the initial hostility, it seemed that the female charizard was starting to get the fucking picture. "Maybe you could help me move him," she grumbled out as she averted her gaze to the snow, breaking eye contact. Dante allowed his rigid posture to relax a bit; she was finally coming to her senses. Hopefully, though, her outburst didn't cost them too much precious time. "Be careful though ... if you hurt him I'll rip your fucking throat out."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Dante muttered as he crouched and worked his way beneath the charizard. It was odd; he didn't recall doing this at all, but he seemed pretty decent at getting underneath a giant, heavy-ass body. Weird. Once he managed to balance the limp dragon's body upon his broad back with the female's help, he stood, testing how far he sank in the snow. At least the big guy was lighter than he expected.

"All right-- pack snow into the wound to help that shit stop bleeding, then do your best to keep pressure on it. We'll be going slow, but all this blood is going to attract attention. Keep an eye out for anything." He stared at his footprints leading toward him from the crest of the snowdrift; at least the fucking shit was good for something. He wouldn't have to guess the most direct path to the den. He started forward, keeping his pace slow but steady.

He wasn't quite sure why, but a horrible knot of anxiety soon gripped him. He didn't know these two, and they didn't know him. Why was he so compelled, so determined to save them? To help? Sure, he knew deep down, he wasn't all asshole, but this fear... where was that coming from? "The den isn't far," he found himself saying, his tone much gentler than before. "There's a good chance he'll be ok."

(skip. kory reached his den, grabbed a branch with several Aspear and Sitrus berries on it and is heading back now. Sorry, the no-interaction posts kill me. hell be back next turn.)

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," the canine grumbled as he approached, lowering himself down to haul Gregory onto his back. Now that he was up close, Eris could see just how huge he was, for a dog at least. She fluttered around him anxiously, watching his every move as he settled Greg onto his back and giving her limp brother an occasional shove to help.

"All right-- pack snow into the wound to help that shit stop bleeding, then do your best to keep pressure on it. We'll be going slow, but all this blood is going to attract attention. Keep an eye out for anything."
Eris nodded, scooping up a handful of snow and practically throwing it at her brother. She held her paw on the wound, walking beside the hound as he followed his footprints back to wherever he had come from.

"The den isn't far," he said, looking at her. "There's a good chance he'll be ok."
Eris couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth then: "Thank you."
She trusted this Pokemon, despite having little reason to. Perhaps it was the fact that her brother was potentially dying and she literally didn't have any other option. She still wouldn't have hesitated to rip the dog's head off should he do anything she didn't like.

"I'm Eris, by the way," she said, stretching out her wings before folding them against her back. She placed a second hand onto Greg's wound. "And my brother's name is Gregory."

Despite what Dante expected, the shiny charizard uttered a soft but genuine vote of thanks. Well, it was better than the curses and the threats, that was for damn sure. But all of his strength and power was focused on putting one foot in front of the other, hauling the increasingly heavy dragon's limp body closer to the den. Damn, he didn't think it would be this bad. But the snow covered any slight changes in the landscape, making it easy for Dante to misjudge how far his foot would sink. Fantastic.

"I'm Eris, by the way," the black dragon quipped, breaking the tense silence between them. Her speaking surprised Dante even further; he hadn't expected small talk now, of all times. "And my brother's name is Gregory."

He gave a small nod, already panting heavily from the effort-- his tongue was nearly lolling to the side of his mouth. "...Dante," he managed in between labored breaths, giving her a small nod of approval. He was sure she'd understand if he wasn't up for much conversation. But she was doing what he had told her as well as keeping her anger and fire to herself, and that was enough to satisfy him for now.