The ALPH Team (PLOT)

"AAAAAAHHHH!"
The grassy ground was suddenly rushing up at him. Psychic energy blasted off of the Abra, his teleported presence sounding with a strange droning and a boom. With a dull thud and a puff of dust, the brown fox collided with the ground, face-first.
"OOOOF!" He exclaimed, bouncing and curling up in pain. His paws clutched at his stomach as he struggled to pull air into his lungs. "Whooooaaa! That was a bit unexpected!" He shouted with a heavy British accent, cringing and slowly getting to his feet. His breathing steadied as he dusted his slender form off, looking around in growing confusion.
"What?"
"What?!"
"WHAT?!?!"

"What was that exactly, what just happened?!" He muttered, his words a quickfire barrage and his eyes growing large in concern.
"That shouldn't have happened! Blimey, what's going on!?"

His face brightened as he recognized living creatures and began to shout out to them with a bright smile.
"Oh hello! Would you---ooohhh...." He paused, his question and smile fading on his lips as the flamethrower exploded onto the Absol.

(lol omg this was so much fun. He teleported/fell real close to them. So his teleportation got screwed up because of the time shift. Doesn't effect you guys though.)

The small Buizel walked along the dirt path, slouched and shuffling along. He kept his eyes glued to the path below his feet. Gee, I miss Sonic.... A lot.... I wish he could be here with me, he'd know what to do and have to have fun...." He had been on his own for days, and at one point narrowly escaped. But he found adventure in all of it, even exhilarated, but not when he nearly died. The small Buizel was suffering from loneliness, his only friends gone from his with only memories of them. Suddenly, the young weasel was suddenly aware of his surroundings, hearing the noises of other pokemon.

"Mine!"

He heard the crackling of moves being released and more shouting. This sparked the interest of the little boy. He got a grin on his face that was ridiculously wide. "Wow, that sounds like an adventure!" he happily chirped, skipping into the bushes. He couldn't see past the treeline, but he wanted to see what was going on before he leaped in. Sally always told him to have a good battle plan before charging in; it was never smart, even if Sonic was reckless. He snickered to himself, remembering their useless little taunts. He then sighed, the feeling of loneliness making his limbs ache again. He felt the despair flow out of him as he exhaled. He jolted, hearing a loud yell.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

His head whipped around, hearing a loud and almost unnatural whirring noise. His heart leapt, almost in fright because of hearing something so foreign. But he soon dismissed that because he found it interesting; what in the world made that kind of noise? Sonic would know what that was if he were here. He ran over to where the noise came from.

"Whooooaaa! That was a bit unexpected! ... What?... What?!... WHAT?!?!"

Tails snuck up in the bushes, watching this Abra through the leaves. He found this pokemon to be absolutely fascinating. Wow, I wonder if he's some sort of alien, I've never seen or heard stuff so weird.

"What was that exactly, what just happened?! That shouldn't have happened! Blimey, what's going on!?"

Yep, he was definitely an alien. He had a weird way of talking and funny words Tails didn't know. He couldn't suppress as giggle. What a discovery! The Abra started to walk off, noticing the pokemon Tails had previously focused on. The fox seemed to exclaim, but then cut off as he realized they were in the middle of fighting. Tails took it as the golden opportunity he had been looking for to introduce himself to this mysterious creature. He stood up, walking out of the bushes. This was going to be no problem; a piece of cake, as Sonic said about things before. But all at once, his timidness constricted him. What if this pokemon was going to be mean to him? He stared for a moment, but then spoke up.
"H...Hey, Mr. Alien, sir, I had just saw you come in from out of nowhere and I thought you looked confused and... uh..." he faltered, trying to find his own words but they were eaten by his own rambling tongue. "You're neat, I've never seen anything like you." He did find this pokemon very interesting, and his personality, although he didn't realize it, was a lot like Sonic's so far; rowdy. He smiled shyly, making maybe more of an introduction than needed.
"I-I'm Miles, but everyone calls me 'Tails,' cuz I got two tails; see?" he spun his tails in a circle, making a bit of dust. He felt a little more comfortable now, but he had yet to get an introduction from this strange thing. A thought came back to his mind; he hoped it didn't attack him. His heart sunk at that notion, anxiously awaiting a response. He was really immature, to be this reckless, he has to be.

 
The journey from Unova had been long, arduous, but otherwise a relatively pleasant period of peace for the dark hound. Naturally, he’d been faced with the threat of the undead as well as coming to terms with his latest ailment, the latter of which forcing him to resume travel mainly on three legs; but without the incessant hum of conversation, specifically argument, Hannibal had found opportunity to recover. His experiences in the region had left him significantly weaker, mind and body frail as he now worked to build up his defences once more, preparing himself for a fresh and hopefully more promising start in Johto.
 
Hannibal had been resting in the underbrush, treating his crushed paw, when sounds of battle came to his attention. The emaciated Houndoom calmly raised his head, curiosity quietly sparked as he strained to catch any legible words amidst the snarling and screaming that defined the situation. Glimpse of a smile was visible past the saliva-crusted muzzle bars, as Hannibal’s previously motionless form came to life in one fluid movement, his prying nature unwilling to pass up the opportunity to investigate. Senses on high alert past an impeccably composed demeanour, the canine quietly, always leisurely, slipped away in search of this unseen entertainment.
 
He had limped only a few languid paces when the group had fallen into vision, voices now ringing loud and clear as Hannibal restricted himself to the sidelines – bony frame almost invisible beneath the shadows of the trees. He was totally still save the movement of deep red eyes, catching and analysing each of the individuals congregated before him. The undead, whilst vastly outnumbered, looked as if he’d found his prize regardless of the on-looking cavalry, the screaming fox’s death a dark pantomime for her companions – one of which Hannibal recognised as a legend. He knew of Latias, but like all of her noble kind the canine had never truly believed in their godly powers; her by-standing to murder simply cemented his opinion. There was nothing special about them.
 
"Why are others so mean?"

Hannibal had noted the serpent’s presence upon arrival, yet dismissed the young reptile as a distraction from the real drama. He had come to witness a battle, nosy of the participants only to meet disappointment with the shiny fox’s inevitable slaughter. Though admittedly, he was surprised at the number of survivors flocking to the scene. Even in Lostlorn, Hannibal had not known so many creatures to gather and was already sizing up the opportunity for a temporary alliance. He was still hindered by the muzzle; still looking for a careless fool to grant him the freedom he so dearly desired. And with a handful of youngsters before him, the canine was already witling down the choices to a single target. The snake would have been promising, though her species indefinitely ruled her out - she was useless without claws.
 
Perhaps the Buizel…

He was so close, so close and yet it was all taken away. Barely managing to avoid a beam of sharp cold Calamity found himself on the wrong end of a Zen Headbutt. His typing made damage from the psychic move non-existent but the sheer weight of the dragon as she slammed into him still sent the Absol flying off the lavender fox beneath him. Away from his prize. Calamity rose back to his feet and snarled viciously at the red dragon even as she stood protectively before the Ninetales. "Mine..."

Lalita gasped in shock and alarm as the weight on top of her was suddenly gone, rolling to her side as quickly as she could before jumping to her feet. She turned to see the new female in front of her, blocking her from the dark Absol, but from her vantage she could see a strange wound on the back of the female's neck. What was that thing? Lalita stepped closer to investigate but Calamity's hungry words took her focus, her eyes trained on the bright red orbs staring back at her. "Calamity..." she whispered, not out of fear but out of almost detached memory. Her eyes glazed over as something in her mind finally broke and soon the shiny fox was aglow with the brilliant light of her Return.

As the undead Absol tried to figure out the strange glow he soon found himself on the receiving end of it, the soft pelted female slamming into him with a force he didn't think her capable of. It knocked him back a few feet but with a quick swipe of his claws he was able to catch her foreleg and sweep it out from under her as she tried to charge again. "Mine!" he snarled, pinning the girl once again only to find a Flamethrower in his face. Howling in fury he jumped back, clawing at his face to put out the flames. As chunks of skin came off in his claws the pale bone beneath began to show through, adding to his already haggard appearance.

Lalita once again shifted to her feet and stepped back to try and ready another attack. She had lost everything, everything, to the infection. It needed to end. Now.

But the Absol was quicker than the Ninetales had imagined, easily skirting her new Flamethrower and charging right into her. As his teeth bared the Ninetales let out a scream, struggling beneath her captor in the vain attempt to prevent the inevitable.

((Edited slightly, neither noticed the time repeating but I have stopped it earlier than last time due to a discussion with Latias. This is your cue Miss Legend!))

Well well ... hello Latias.

Garth sat perched on the thick branch of a tree, a safe ten or so metres away from the rest of the group. Vivid, crimson eyes stared through the leaves, a long tongue lapping out of lips bloodied mouth and licking his lips hungrily. Very hungrily. One of the legendary Pokemon of his homeland, Hoenn, was within his sights. Just a few more metres and she would be within his striking range. Latias, the Eon Pokemon. Just because these so-called legends had a few fancy powers did not mean that they were invulnerable to his blades. One slash to the neck and it would be all over, just like everyone else that had fallen to him. Garth's claws flexed themselves, the overpowering urge to feast on the dragon's flesh morphing into a physical manifestation. Drool dangled from his lower jaw, and a low, guttural growl rumbled from his throat.

Within Latias's flesh was the power of a Pokemon so incredibly powerful that it was spoken of in legends and fairy-tales. Garth had only briefly heard the stories of the dragon duo of Hoenn as a younger version of himself, but to actually see it for himself ... a pulse began to violently and rapidly pound in his head. Was it his own pulse or that of Latias? Just looking at her, he could practically see the blood flowing through her veins. As the legend prepared to take battle with the black Absol from before, it began to pour from every available orifice. Her eyes, her mouth, her nostrils - blood simply flooded out of her body, staining the ground below her levitating form, splattering onto the other nearby survivors. The bark that Garth clutched with one hand was stripped to pieces as the Grovyle clawed at it relentlessly, moaning in delight as the precious, nutritious red liquid ran silently down his arm.

Never taking his eyes off the legend, Garth silently began to traverse to the next tree, contently licking the imaginary blood from his arm. The flesh of a legend, the blood of a god ... if the timing and the execution was correct, Garth could have it all for himself.

"H...Hey, Mr. Alien, sir, I had just saw you come in from out of nowhere and I thought you looked confused and... uh..." The Abra spun around on his heel, his large amethyst eyes locking quickly on the smaller Buizel before him.
"Ooooh, hallooo!" The fox said warmly, his face breaking into a welcoming smile as he crouched down to get to the small otters' eye level.
"You're neat, I've never seen anything like you. I-I'm Miles, but everyone calls me 'Tails,' cuz I got two tails; see?" The Buizel spun his two tails quickly behind him proudly.
"Awww, now isn't that just perfect! Two tails! Ha!-"

___________________________

"AAAAAAHHHH!"
The grassy ground was suddenly rushing up at him. Psychic energy blasted off of the Abra, his teleported presence sounding with a strange droning and a boom. With a dull thud and a puff of dust, the brown fox collided with the ground, face-first.
"OOOOF!" He exclaimed, bouncing and curling up in pain. His paws clutched at his stomach as he struggled to pull air into his lungs. The Abra groaned, pulling himself up slowly and dusting himself off.
"Urrrgh...Twice? Twice is definitely not normal..."

Ahead of him a battle raged, a dark Absol attacking a pale purple Ninetails. The Abras' brow furrowed in a growing anger, his lips pulling down into a scowl. His eyes darted to the young Buizel, approaching him from behind.
"Tails, stay there! Don't. Move." He said quickly, his accent thick through rushed words as he pointed at the Buizel before spinning towards the battle.

"Hey! Leave 'em alone!" He shouted, making a dash for the Dark type as he charged a Shadow Ball in his paw.

(The doc is gonna move to interfere, but Lat can do whatever needs to be done first)

The small Buizel walked along the dirt path, slouched and shuffling along. He kept his eyes glued to the path below his feet. Gee, I miss Sonic.... A lot.... I wish he could be here with me, he'd know what to do and have to have fun...." He had been on his own for days, and at one point narrowly escaped. But he found adventure in all of it, even exhilarated, but not when he nearly died. The small Buizel was suffering from loneliness, his only friends gone from his with only memories of them. Suddenly, the young weasel was suddenly aware of his surroundings, hearing the noises of other pokemon.

"Mine!"

He heard the crackling of moves being released and more shouting. This sparked the interest of the little boy. He got a grin on his face that was ridiculously wide. "Wow, that sounds like an adventure!" he happily chirped, skipping into the bushes. He couldn't see past the treeline, but he wanted to see what was going on before he leaped in. Sally always told him to have a good battle plan before charging in; it was never smart, even if Sonic was reckless. He snickered to himself, remembering their useless little taunts. He then sighed, the feeling of loneliness making his limbs ache again. He felt the despair flow out of him as he exhaled. He jolted, hearing a loud yell.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

His head whipped around, hearing a loud and almost unnatural whirring noise. His heart leapt, almost in fright because of hearing something so foreign. But he soon dismissed that because he found it interesting; what in the world made that kind of noise? Sonic would know what that was if he were here. He ran over to where the noise came from.

"Urrrgh...Twice? Twice is definitely not normal..."

Tails snuck up in the bushes, watching this Abra through the leaves. He found this pokemon to be absolutely fascinating. Wow, I wonder if he's some sort of alien, I've never seen or heard stuff so weird. He started to get up, and he had a strange aura about him muttered to himself. Yep, he was definitely an alien. He had a weird way of talking and funny words Tails didn't know. He couldn't suppress as giggle. What a discovery! The Abra started to walk off, noticing the pokemon Tails had previously focused on. The fox seemed to exclaim, but then cut off as he realized they were in the middle of fighting. Tails took it as the golden opportunity he had been looking for to introduce himself to this mysterious creature. He stood up, walking out of the bushes. This was going to be no problem; a piece of cake, as Sonic said about things before. But all at once, his timidness constricted him. What if this pokemon was going to be mean to him? He stared for a moment, but then went to speak up. Before he could talk, he was stopped.

"Tails, stay there! Don't. Move."

Tails' felt his hair prickle at being suddenly addressed. For a moment, he froze, obeying the strange 'alien' creature. He stared as the Abra shouted something towards the pokemon who were fighting. He watched him, as still as a statue. What would the alien do if he didn't stay still? He was completely unmoving, but then slipped a little bit but then held firm to his position again. He thought for a minute quietly to himself in all the things the Abra may do to him. But then as he thought of what just happened, his eyes suddenly widened. Oh jeez, he really was an alien!! He looked up towards the Abra, yelling out after him.

"W-Wait!! How did you know my name?!"

(OoC: I'm considering it another post, because I had to redo at least half of it. And also, Ana, I frikkin love you. lol)

The journey from Unova had been long, arduous, but otherwise a relatively pleasant period of peace for the dark hound. Naturally, he’d been faced with the threat of the undead as well as coming to terms with his latest ailment, the latter of which forcing him to resume travel mainly on three legs; but without the incessant hum of conversation, specifically argument, Hannibal had found opportunity to recover. His experiences in the region had left him significantly weaker, mind and body frail as he now worked to build up his defences once more, preparing himself for a fresh and hopefully more promising start in Johto.
 
Hannibal had been resting in the underbrush, treating his crushed paw, when sounds of battle came to his attention. The emaciated Houndoom calmly raised his head, curiosity quietly sparked as he strained to catch any legible words amidst the snarling and screaming that defined the situation. Glimpse of a smile was visible past the saliva-crusted muzzle bars, as Hannibal’s previously motionless form came to life in one fluid movement, his prying nature unwilling to pass up the opportunity to investigate. Senses on high alert past an impeccably composed demeanour, the canine quietly, always leisurely, slipped away in search of this unseen entertainment.
 
He had limped only a few languid paces when the group had fallen into vision, voices now ringing loud and clear as Hannibal restricted himself to the sidelines – bony frame almost invisible beneath the shadows of the trees. He was totally still save the movement of deep red eyes, catching and analysing each of the individuals congregated before him. The undead, whilst vastly outnumbered, looked as if he’d found his prize regardless of the on-looking cavalry, the screaming fox’s death a dark pantomime for her companions – one of which Hannibal recognised as a legend. He knew of Latias, but like all of her noble kind the canine had never truly believed in their godly powers; her by-standing to murder simply cemented his opinion. There was nothing special about them. 
 
Silence.
 
His maroon gaze fell to an empty space, an unpleasant shiver racing down his spine for reasons Hannibal couldn’t quite explain. Had he missed something? Attention darting back to the other creatures in the vicinity, the hound struggled to shake the overwhelming sense of déjà vu made only stronger by that moment of silence. It both confused and excited him, the group’s hold on his dark curiosity unwittingly strengthened by that strange little blip in time. And apparently, he wasn’t the only one to have noticed. Commotion between the psychic and his mutated companion did not go unheard.
 
"Tails, stay there! Don't. Move."
"W-Wait!! How did you know my name?!"

How indeed? Brow creasing into a frown, Hannibal took a step forward – his flourishing fascination momentarily submerging his typical caution. But he caught himself. The noise of battle was a reminder of the path of impulse, unnecessary and simply tiring chaos. Hannibal killed at his leisure. He was not about to waltz into somebody else’s problems without good reason – well, not yet at least. Retreating once more, he watched on with gnawing curiosity.
 
(( The last half has been edited considering Sandra’s no longer on the team. ))

To say that Garth had not been expecting what happened next was a vast understatement. Latias had completely torn Calamity to pieces. Literally all that was left of the Absol were a few chunks of meat, a long string of mushy intestines and a massive pool of blood. While the Grovyle normally would've lamented the fact that he had missed out on the killing, the sight of one of the legends of Hoenn carrying out such a brutal murder sparked his curiosity.

Garth settled down on another branch and rested his chin in his hand. While the trees and the distance between himself and the group obscured some of his vision, it was obvious that more Pokemon were beginning to appear by the flurry of voices that floated up towards him. Leaning to the left a little, Garth spotted an Abra and a Buizel. His interest in them dwindled very quickly as his gaze returned to Latias. The dragon looked almost possessed, with blood dripping from her limbs and saliva hanging from her jaws. Interesting, Garth thought with an amused smirk. She looks a bit like me.

Garth had never thought about the fact that legendary Pokemon could become infected as well. It was almost strange to think that a creature with such power still possessed the same weakness that all other 'normal' Pokemon had. She, like him, would one day fall only to rise once more as a mindless killing machine. Legend indeed... Still, the strong possibility that Latias was infected like him changed nothing - Garth still hungered for her blood. We'll see who really rules the roost around here...

---

Buck had made a mistake. But still, what else was new? He'd gone from one bunch of mad idiots to another. Pressing his back firmly against the tree and hastily covering his eyes as the red dragon tackled Calamity to the ground, he could only listen to her grunts and screams and the Absol's screeches of pain as terror kept his feet firmly glued to the ground.

When the noise stopped, Buck lowered his shaking hands and wished that he hadn't. He'd seen plenty of gory messes in his time, but nothing like this. His stomach lurched and before he could attempt to stop it, Buck violently vomited round the back of the tree. Coughing and retching, the Weavile's whole body trembled. Gasping for breath, he clung to the tree's bark and tried to steady himself. Pull yourself together, he scolded himself, swallowing repeatedly as his belly threatened to twist itself in circles again. She helped us! She killed that freak. You've seen blood before, now stop being a fucking pussy. Get back round there and thank her for saving your life!

Buck wiped his mouth before stumbling back into view. In his near nervous breakdown he'd failed to notice the other Pokemon on the scene - an Abra and a Buizel. Offering them merely a quick nod, he dashed past them both (hopping over several body parts on the way) and reached Lalita's side. "You OK?" he asked, offering her a hand in case she needed help getting up. "Shit, that was close..." He wasn't quite ready to speak to the dragon just yet - by the looks of her he was afraid she might kill him too if he spoke a word.

The Abra leaped up and launched the Shadow Ball with a quick swipe of his claws. The red dragon darted underneath him to tackle the Absol, the fox barely grazing past as he twisted his body in the air to avoid her jet-like wings. 
He gasped in surprise, cringing as he landed behind the dragon with less grace than he'd like, his legs struggling to right themselves. Once grounded, he watched with mouth agape and eyes wide as she slashed without mercy at the thrashing black creature, its' gargling cries of pain diminishing. Blood sprayed the two, the avians' white feathers now slick with dark red, body parts flying and organs making slick, disgusting noises. The stench of the struggling dead creature reached the Abras' nose, making him recoil. 

"Blimey…" He muttered under his breath, his claw scratching at the back of his head with detached shock. The avian finally ceased her attacks, her whole body giving way to shuddering and empty staring. A Weavile ran to the wounded Ninetails' side, only nodding at the Abra as he passed. The fox nodded vaguely in return, straightening and setting his jaw.
"Right...welp." He drew closer to the red beast, stopping as he placed a claw on her quivering shoulder.
"Um, no offense sweetheart, but...I think it's dead." He  said softly, his expression grim.
"Well. Dead-dead."
"Well….dead as an undead can be anyhow!" He shrugged, his gaze casually moving from the corpse to the avian before him. His voice rose in pitch, a toothy grin growing on his furred muzzle. "Oooooh! How about that! A legendary!" He beamed, swinging around and hopping next to her to get a closer look. "You certainly are! Latias, right? Pleasure to meet you, Latias! I'm the Doctor!"

The fox eagerly stood as tall as he could, his paws quickly moving to her elongated neck and head, slick with blood. "Mmm! Yes! Fascinating!" He whispered with excitement, grasping her slender jaw as he looked her over, his eyes gleaming. His paws began to darken with blood, but it seemed to matter little to the Abra. His lavender eyes bore into her, despite his light words. "Wow! You really are a brilliant work of art, you know that! The glass-like feathers, that aerodynamic shape! Hah! You are just beauuuutiful!" He rambled and cooed, half speaking to the legend and half to himself as he fawned over her. "Oh I know! Can you really go invisible?"


(lol, permission given to be touchy-touchy with Latias.~ I am having so much fun. He's so oblivious. XD
And Lat, feel free to knock him back or whatever lol.)

The small weasel watched as the alien Abra flung a Shadow Ball, but it missed the red dragon as it went flying across the clearing at unmarkable speeds. It throttled the black and golden dog, and then she hacked at it with her pearly claws. Tails' could only stare in pure terror, seeing the Absol's flesh and blood vessels being torn open. With every heartbeat the creature took, blood sprayed like red waterfalls and sprinklers and fountains. It sprayed everywhere, and the red dragon was covered with it. The water pokemon felt his eyes go dry from staring, and his whole form go numb, like he was out of his body. He had seen many corpses, they made him cringe, but this was different. The cracking of bones under the dragon's fists and claws made his form jolt as fear made his mind primal. He wanted to run as fast as he could, away, but he was unresponsive; the tension was a vice grip around his entire body, squeezing, pushing, tightening. He held his breath for an impossibly long time. He finally saw the dragon throw the ruined, bloody scraps of the body to the side, and what was the dog before was no more.

As everything stilled, it was like the hand gripping his entire body suddenly released. Tails felt his feet touch the ground as he came back to reality. He watched the dragon floating there, bloodied, murderous, unstable, and frightening. Fear welled up in the small weasel, and he found enough footing to take a step back. This creature... was terrifying. The first murder he had ever saw in his entire life, and it shook him just as much as it would anyone. Tails felt his muscles start to tremble and tense, and suddenly his throat choked again. Tears came rushing into his eyes, his vision going instantly blurry. His mind finally processed the seriousness of the entire thing. The smell of the blood make his face curl into a frown, and he grimaced. He feared to cry, the monster had been triggered by a scream to begin with. He couldn't hold in a quiet sob, and they overrode his senses as they kept escaping. He cried, the waves of fear and sadness pounded into him like punches. Soon, he was bawling on the ground, paws on his eyes and his knees holding him up as his legs curled under him; his sobs were relatively quiet, but heart-wrenching. He had to struggle to keep the screaming in his throat, and his entire form drooped and trembled. He could care less about what was happening, as long as the killing didn't continue. He looked up, seeing the Doctor but avoided looking at Latias. The yellow mammal was going to shout out at the Abra, to get him to move away from the dragon, but he was just too fear stricken. His voice was a hoarse whisper wracked with sobs, inaudible to anyone.

"D-Don't.... Don't touch her.... Run.... G-Get away from her...."

 
Latias felt as if she were confined to some kind of bubble in the time that passed, seconds feeling like hours as she looked blindly, helplessly about her. There was nothing but red and that smell. It was almost divine, something unpleasant tinting an otherwise enticing aroma. Her mind was ensnared, subconsciously blocking out the growing hum of voices around her as if muffled by water sloshing about her senses. It was calming for a moment, but an escape short-lived as a vulpine face leapt into her line of vision.
"Oooooh! How about that! A legendary! You certainly are! Latias, right? Pleasure to meet you, Latias! I'm the Doctor!"  Had he been talking before that? Had he touched her? Latias was unsure, her senses only gradually recovering as the psychic-type bounced excitedly around her, muttering what she heard only as nonsense.
“Wh-What?”The dragon’s head was still spinning, hardly registering the creature’s tactile nature – paws caressing her neck as he beamed up at her. Once upon a time she would’ve been flattered by the attention, reduced to girlish giggling and blushing at the male’s interest. But the Latias of old was dead and her replacement would not tolerate such treatment.
 
"Wow! You really are a brilliant work of art, you know that! The glass-like feathers, that aerodynamic shape! Hah! You are just beauuuutiful!"
“Stop,” She growled softly, testing her voice as the male babbled over her. She hardly heard what he was saying, only that his roaming paws were quickly shortening her fuse.
"Oh I know! Can you really go invisible?" 
“STOP,” Snapping at the air with bloodied fangs, the dragon jerked roughly away from the psychic with an animalistic grunt. Wings flared as she glared down at the abra sharing her bloody decorations and without as much as a pause launched a Dragon Pulse directly at him. “Touch me again and I’ll rip your paws off,” Her voice was deadly, a threat that she was more than willing to carry through were this ‘Doctor’ to persist. Eyes narrowed, she turned away from him as memories of why she had killed the undead were evoked. She had done it for the ninetales.
 
Eager to check that the female had emerged from the battle unscathed; Latias approached the fox only to find the cowardly weasel had already beaten her to it. It displeased her but not enough to make further spectacle of herself. Both the scent of bile and the quieted sobbing from another recent arrival was enough evidence that she hadn’t made the best impression. Wait. Why should I care?! She roughly dismissed the sense of guilt rising in her chest, reminding herself that she had no real obligation to help. Legends didn’t get the claws dirty. But looking down to her own blood splattered form, Latias was confident she no longer qualified for such a prestigious title. Sighing, she resolved herself to continue in her charity. She had helped them by killing the undead, what was the point in abandoning them now – plus they might be able to help her.
 
“I don’t mean to intrude,” Another stranger?! Latias’ lip curled back as the red-eyed houndoom approached, wisely keeping his distance out of her striking range. But with him, he brought a couple of berries. “But I think these would be of more use to you,” She looked upon them disdainfully. She herself was uninjured, but as her eyes wandered across to the shiny fox her expression softened slightly.
“You – Weavile,” She barked before gesturing to the berries. “Make her eat. She deserves a reward,” Content that her words held enough venom for the male’s ears, the red dragon looked back to the houndoom. He was injured and almost emaciated, but it was the strange contraption of his face that piqued her curiosity. She had never seen anything like it before, only guessing that the humans were responsible for its creation and eventual application. Regardless of what it meant about him, he had offered some assistance and that alone was worth at least a shred of her respect, albeit uttered bluntly. “Thank you,”

It was like she was watching everything behind a veiled curtain. As she waited for Calamity's fangs to tear into her flesh the sharp pain never occurred, instead she felt a sudden relief of the pressure of his body on top of hers. Realizing for the first time her eyes were closed she opened them in time to see Latias's red form slamming the dark Absol into the ground for the first time, his bones already broken from that initial impact and piercing through his skin as his blood sprayed out upon the ground and the shiny Ninetales lavender fur. Yet as horrifying as the sight was the fox simply couldn't bring herself to feel anything regaurding the event. It was as though it wasn't even happening to her, like she was viewing that flickering box Little Miss enjoyed from time to time in the play room, so why should her emotions be tied to it?

After all, everyone else died in the last two days. This Absol was simply no different from the rest.

As Lalita lay there the manic event that triggered in the red dragon seemed to finally release her, coming down from her rage to simply toss Calamity's corpse from her and stare at her bloodied claws. Strangely the fox soon had her own sight of claws as a hand stretched down to help her up, looking to her side to see the Weavile from before. So he hadn't left... "You OK?" Eyes vacant and glassy the Ninetales simply stared at the offered claw, her gaze occasionally shifting back to look at the Weavile's face before going back to his claws. Without verbally responding she wobbled to her own feet and nodded at the ice type, a silent affirmation to her health. She was fine. She just didn't feel anything anymore. And considering all that had happened in the last few days Lalita couldn't really complain at not feeling.

It was then a pair she hadn't noticed before appeared, one of them bold enough to actually grab Latias's face and berate her with questions. She knew Abras, one of the wealthier males Little Miss's family befriended breeding and selling the creatures to the Game Corner. But this was seemed different from any Abra she had met, and she didn't just mean his funny way of speaking. But the two tailed creature...that one was a mystery to her. And he seemed terrified of Latias which bewildered the shiny.

Beginning to step towards the others a voice from the shadows gave her pause, the deep tone holding a certain timbre as it casually addressed the group. “I don’t mean to intrude. But I think these would be of more use to you." The shiny fox eyed the canine  that stepped out to greet them, and the berries he offered, warily. He wore a muzzle. Even with her pampered life she knew what one of those was for, the humans always putting them on Pokemon they feared to violent to handle without getting injured. Muzzle's were meant to keep them from biting and killing their handlers. While she easily recognized the species as that of her own father's she knew something was off about the whole situation thanks to those leather straps across his face.

“You – Weavile,” At the sharp tone Lalita couldn't stop herself from yanking even her focus to Latias, confused as to what the Legend was being so commanding about. “Make her eat. She deserves a reward,” She? As in...herself? "I..." she swallowed and looked around, trying to figure out exactly how she got herself into the favorites category with the dragon. "All I did was fight back..." But her confusion only deepened when the red legend thanked the muzzled hound for offering the healing fruits. Even in these times courtesy did need to be shown to those who offered any assistance so despite her unease Lalita couldn't bring herself to be rude. "Yes...thank you, um...Houndoom?" It was then she realized how little she had paid attention since Fuzzy's death. "I'm sorry...I don't know anyone's names here. I- I'm Lalita." Tails drooping sadly the fox's mind was suddenly filled with the worry that most of these Pokemon wouldn't live long enough to even remember her introduction.

This world didn't leave time for such trivialities.

Yep - this group consisted of mad idiots all right. Buck just couldn't figure out why he was so bad at judging what was a good idea and what wasn't. He should've just left the Ninetails to bury her friend herself and not get involved - at least if he had he wouldn't be surrounded by nearly as much insanity as there was around him now.

The Abra called himself The Doctor as he approached the red dragon, and Buck found himself unable to laugh or even smirk at the weird name due to the seriousness of the situation. Was this guy's death wish to be rent to pieces by a crazed 'legendary', or so he called her? Or was he just a moron? He ran his hands over her head, neck and wings, clearly completely oblivious to what might happen if he annoyed Latias further. Buck folded his arms and scoffed at the ridiculous scene before him; had this Doctor guy not seen what she had just done to that poor bastard of an Absol? The Weavile decided that he wasn't going to interfere with this - if Latias decided to kill him as well, it was his own fault.

The 'legend' made it quite clear that she wasn't happy with the Abra's stupid amounts of bravery by blasting a Dragon Pulse straight at him. "Touch me again and I'll rip your paws off." Buck made a mental note that this lady wasn't too keen on physical contact - not that he had any interest in his paws going anywhere near her after her formidable display of violence. Instead, he watched as Lalita wobbled to her feet, looking incredibly dazed. Buck rubbed the back of his head and looked nervous as he tried to think of something he could do or say to make her feel better. Getting nothing, he sighed, and merely placed his hand on the side of her neck for comfort.

"I don’t mean to intrude," came another voice from his right. Buck turned to see a very creepy-looking Houndoom approaching them and rolling some berries in their direction. "But I think these would be of more use to you." Buck was not convinced by his kind facade - he doubted that he would be wearing that muzzle if he was as nice as he was making himself out to be. He gave the fellow Dark-type a suspicious glare as he backed away a little after the berries on the ground settled at their feet.

Buck picked up a plump Pecha Berry just as Latias's voice snapped into his ear. "You – Weavile. Make her eat. She deserves a reward." Just what the hell was this bitch's problem? Just because she had finished that Absol off for them didn't mean she could bark orders at him. He wasn't a common slave. Buck's mouth parted into an aggressive hiss as he glared back at her. "I have a name, you know," he growled, shoving the berry underneath Lalita's mouth. "It's Buck. And anyway, I was going to give this to her." That was only the half-truth since he'd previously been considering whether to give it to her or to simmer his own hunger, and had chosen the former just as Latias spoke. But he'd just about had enough of this dragon's attitude, thinking she was all high and mighty just because she was a bit tougher than the rest of them. An Ice Beam to the face might've made her think differently.

“STOP,” The legendary snapped, rearing up with a snarl. The Doctors' grin quickly disappeared, his paws flying back as he landed with a thud. His gaze shot up at the now looming bird, just as a brilliant and lightning-fast attack fired straight at him.
"Aaah!"
The energy ball collided with the Abra square in the chest, his small body flung a small distance away from the impact. The fox landed with a dull crack, his body skidding roughly through the dirt. Finally coming to a sudden stop, his form lay still, his eyes remaining closed.
"Touch me again and I'll rip your paws off."

(Nightfall dear, you may need to edit your post. The Doc was supposed to be hit.~)

Tails kept his eyes glued on the Abra and the red monster. In the back of his mind, he begged and pleaded that the fox would move away. Before he coud comprehend further scenarios and dangers, the red dragon rored and reared up. Tails jumped, speaking up before he could think.
"Don't hurt him!!--"
The abra faltered back from the shove, then was blasted by a Dragon Pulse. Tails's body seized up for a moment, his body momentarily gripped with panic and fear. In a split moment, he registered what just happened. Oh no, oh no no no... NO!!
"... No! NO!! I told you not to!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO!!" Tails screamed hurriedly, lunging forward as fast as he could, tears flying from his peach muzzle. "No! No... Don't hurt anyone else.... he sobbed, reaching the abra and falling to his furred knees. He placed his paw on the fox's chest, looking at him. He was out cold. Tails tried to shake him awake with his paws.
"Please.... Please wake up...." he muttered weakly, seeing the Doctor limply being pushed by his paws. He stopped in his numb state and started to hurriedly think. Rotor's voice came to mind, and valuable bits of information scattered through his brain. He remembered exactly what he needed, and he pressed the side of his head to the fox's breastplate. His body physically relaxed as he heard a heartbeat. But after a moment of listening, he realized it sounded different. Like there was two.... His eyes widened to saucer size, residual tears dripping from them.
Th-th bh-bhmp... th-th bh-bhmp.
-----
(OoC: The last bit may have been confusing. Sorry for the long wait, been sick.)

His heart was pounding as he ran, mouth parted slightly as ragged pants rushed past his chapped and cracking lips. How long had it been? Hours? At least five...if the heat of the sun on the back of his neck was any clue. Wasn't it morning when the hunt started? It seemed like forever since this beast started on him. Gyrlass had done all he could to warn the young man but by the time Alein figured out what all the squawking had been about it was too late, the croc had found him and now refused to give up the chase.

It finally came to the point where his burning legs and lungs could take no more. The gangly limbs fell out from under him, numb from the exertion he had put them through, while his lungs heaved for air, choking him. Gyrlass soon appeared above the brunette, screeching and beating his wings against the human's head but he could not move. His body was pushed beyond the point of recovery and now there was no time to escape the horror behind them. Even as the Pidgeotto pleaded with the green eyed male there were no words to be heard, only pitiful cries of one who knew he was failing a direct order. And then...silence.

It was almost frightening how easily Gyrlass was flung away, the rock slamming into the bird with such force he didn't even have the wind in his lungs to cry out in pain. Alein looked back to the heavy burden's point of origin and once again lay his eyes upon their pursuer. A Krookodile, skin so deep a purple it was nearly black with eyes that glowed like hellfire. Several long gashes littered its belly where it had cut away at its own flesh, claws and jaws still crusted with the blood of previous victims. It was a monstrous sight and the human knew he was no match for such a beast. Who was? And without Vincent...a single tear slid down his cheek at the thought of his beloved Master, wondering if the man even searched for him or noticed he was gone. Vincent was so much kinder a Master than any of the others but even then he was still the dominant and he a sub. And subs were replaceable. Expendable.

As the large reptilian monster lunged for him Alein let out a terrified shout, summoning all of his remaining strength to roll to the side and try to get to Gyrlass. That Pidgeotto was his only hope.

___________________________

Lalita's face ducked down again when the Weavile, Buck, ignored her in favor of yelling at the Legend once more. At least he threw his name out for her to overhear but still it was a little harsh. Taking the offered berry and chewing slowly she looked over to the Abra, still trying to recover from the Dragon Pulse he took head on, and felt a tug of pity as the two tailed creature fussed worriedly over him. "Fuzzy..." she whimpered painfully, remembering the Vigaroth doing very similar when he accidentally broke her ribs. Her gaze trailed longingly over to the small mound marking the burial of her last friend and the fox's heart iced over once more, the painful reminder of her failure hitting her hard.

The Houndoom passed his introduction, Latias as well, and Lalita found herself staring at the muzzled hound as though trying to solve a puzzle from afar. He was so...aberrant. Nothing about him was commonplace even right down to his species. Her empty eyes held the reflection of her quandry as she studied him carefully. Hannibal he said, at least that is what she heard. Well to her it seemed his legs were too thin and incredibly long, his frame nearly showed completely through his fur, he wore a tight muzzle across his entire face and yet he seemed surprisingly smooth. Calm, collected, even somewhat charming despite his haggard appearance and evidently difficult lifestyle. His very existence was something of an enigma to the Ninetales.

He posed a query about the Abra and Lalita tore her gaze from this Hannibal, instead lingering on the red dragon who thought it over and offered assistance to the two-tailed thing for his friend. Again that stab of pain as Lalita remembered Silver's assistance to heal her wounds as Fuzzy fidgeted and fret over her. Pushing herself away from the group the fox turned and walked towards the treeline of the park, allowing the silence to wash over her. It used to be when she and Little Miss came to the park that it would be alive with the sounds of families, children, and Pokemon of all kinds. Of course most of those were bugs humming and going about their day but still it was sound. Now, well now there was nothing. Straining her ears the fox closed her eyes and tried to remember what those days were like...

At least until the painfully loud scream caused her to yelp and duck her head under her paws.

What kind of creature could make that sound? It sounded like a death throw! She glanced around nervously, ears twitching and rotating frantically to figure out where the sound was coming from when a labored shout of "Gyrlass!" made her freeze. That...that wasn't a Pokemon speaking... Looking back to the group, then back towards the direction of the sound, the shiny debated within her heart and her mind about what to do. She kept moving her sight back and forth between the two before settling on the group. Even if they didn't understand she knew she had to know...

Without so much as a word the lavender fox ran, tearing across the park to the far northern side where she witnessed the most disgusting crocodile she had ever seen trying to overtake what she feared to be true. A human. Alive and struggling to get away from the Undead. The nightmare of Little Miss's birthday played in her mind and before she realized it Lalita was charging in to save the human, his obviously adult and male form replaced with that of her small mistress. Slamming into the raging beast with all the strength her Return would offer her she felt a satisfaction as she pushed it down, preventing it from landing its Crunch. Standing before the shivering human, cradling an injured bird in its arms, the Ninetales fanned her tails out menacingly and stared the monster down.

She failed Little Miss once...she couldn't do it again.

Garth had been so busy allowing his morbid imagination to take hold of him that he'd almost forgotten that there were several new victims for him waiting down below. He slithered over to the next branch, where there was less obstruction from the leaves, and eyed them all individually. First, the Weavile - the first of them to have appeared. He chuckled to himself as it became obvious to him that the Ice-type was already coming to blows with the temperamental legendary. Still, he had guts to stand up to her like he did, despite his posture, tone of voice and overall demeanor suggesting that he was nothing more than a coward, albeit with some balls. Garth knew that Pokemon like that were all talk and if Latias should decide to attack him, he would be scurrying away in a heartbeat.

The Weavile - or Buck as he called himself - wasn't the only one with a decent pair, it seemed. The Abra, who strangely referred to himself as something like 'the Doctor', actually had the nerve to approach Latias and examine her like she was some sort of valuable trinket; a collector's item. Garth had to slap a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from howling with laughter as Latias lost her temper and blasted a Dragon Pulse at him. The only one to actually feel sorry for the idiot was a young Buizel, who stood by the fallen Psychic-type and begged him to get up. Secretly, Garth did hope that he wasn't dead just yet - why should that fancy legend have all his fun? No, he was the killer around here, he'd made that perfectly clear not too long ago. Although he had to wonder how long it would be until Lalita mentioned him to her new group. Had she already forgotten about his promise to return and finish her off? Garth snarled and clawed at the branch below him as his burning eyes glared straight down at the Eon dragon - that bitch was grabbing all the attention. He would have to fix that.

Lastly, the Houndoom's gesture of kindness did not convince Garth in the slightest. The charitable, good-hearted soul he was making himself out to be by delivering the berries would not be wearing such a contraption around his snout; a muzzle, if he was correct in thinking. Not only that, but the guy looked positively starving. Surely one as hungry as him would eat those berries for himself before even considering handing them out to Pokemon he didn't even know. Yes, this canine was up to something, and Garth didn't like it. He already had the bad-tempered dragon to deal with. He decided that he was going to keep an exceptionally close eye on those two. They will have to go first.

The conversations between group members were boring to say the least, apart from Buck deciding to get gutsy with a homicidal legendary dragon. He was beginning to think that things were going to become stale but, from out of nowhere, a scream rang out. Immediately alert, Garth raised his head off his hand and allowed the sound to reverberate in his head. That was not the scream of a Pokemon. If it was not a Pokemon, there was only one thing it could be. A HUMAN.

Garth was off in an instant, zooming through the trees in the direction the scream had echoed from. Looking down at the path a few metres to his left, Lalita had decided to follow it as well, surely for a reason entirely unlike his own. Human. Blood. MINE.

---

Buck's interest in his new little band of idiots was quickly starting to dwindle. He barely noticed as Lalita scooped up the berry from his hand - he was too busy debating whether he was better off just leaving this lot to adventure without him. While there was safety in numbers, these Pokemon were just about the strangest bunch of misfits, weirdos and maniacs he had ever met. He felt as though he was traveling with a circus rather than a group of survivors. How they had managed to live for this long he did not know.

Not only did he have all that to deal with, but there was always the possibility of that absolute psychopath of a Grovyle coming back. He had looked pretty serious as he had warned Lalita that he would return, even though he was completely deranged. Just the memory of him hacking away at that Vigoroth while screaming with laughter made him shiver.

But an unfamiliar scream broke Buck out of his trail of thought, and his ears twitched upright as he turned in its direction. "What was that?" Before he could figure it out, Lalita had taken off down the path. Having no idea why he was doing it, Buck followed her. His longer legs carried him along with ease and he was quickly able to catch up to the Fire-type fox, skidding to a halt just as she threw herself at a very pissed off and very undead Krookodile. Buck was momentarily confused - surely this abomination of nature had not screamed like that? But as the white Ninetails ended her attack and defensively stood in front of the tall human that the gator had been after, Buck felt more unnerved by his presence than that of the angry Ground-type.

The only relationship he'd ever had with a human was after he and his friends got caught thieving - the man had screamed profanities at them and tossed a frying pan in their direction as they fled. It was the only time they had ever been caught directly in the act, and thus the first instance in his life when he'd had a human interact with him, and it had not been positive. Nonetheless, he knew that not all humans possessed large frying pans as weapons - this one only seemed to have a beaten up Pidgeotto.

"Back off, you creep!" Buck joined Lalita's side, albeit reluctantly, and prepared to protect the rather pathetic-looking human. He must've been going mad - here he was defending a human while all his life all he'd ever done was steal from them and exploit them. Still, if he was going to get some respect around here and maybe get Latias to shut up as a bonus, he'd have to prove himself in one way or another. Maybe this one event would determine whether he was going to go solo or not.

The Abras' ears perked and twitched as they picked up faint voices through the haze of black.

"Please.... Please wake up... Hannibal...going to give this...to be okay?...might help...Gyrlass!"


"Nnnnngghhh…" He groaned, coming to as his head rolled limply to the side. His eyes flickered open, revealing brilliant purple irises.
"...Well that was unpleasant….Ooh, my head!" The Abra growled, his paw going to his face as he rose to a sitting position. "Blasted by a legendary, that's something new to add to the list..." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. 

"What was that, a Dragon Pulse? Did she just dragon blast me for saying hello??-" He rambled in indignance, his paw instinctively moving to his breastplate. He glanced to his side, leaning back against his elbows in mild surprise to see Latias hovering over him. "-Wha-a-Did you really blast me for saying hello? That hurt! Not to mention rude!" He grumbled, glaring up at the legendary with annoyance twisting his features. Tentatively testing the area where the blast had hit, his eyes widened and his paw froze.
He felt a warm, furred paw under his own.
His large eyes moved to the distressed otter at his side, then to the childs' paw, pressed against his chest. "Oh...um." The Doctor muttered, his eyes growing larger as an awkward smile passed his lips.
The child had a berry in his other paw, held open and raised. 
"Oh, thank you!" He beamed, accepting the berry. 

"Hello again, Miles with two tails!" He mused lightly, chewing the small fruit. The small otters' expression made the Doctors' grin fade though, the Buizels' fur dark and wet from the path of tears streaming down his face. "...You alright?" His brow rising in concern.

The kid was exhausted from the crying he just finished. His eyelids sunk, tired and irritated from tears. He listened to his heartbeat again, the rhythm almost soothing.
Th-Th Bh-Bhmp, Th-Th Bh-Bhmp
Tails hurriedly lifted his head off of the Doctor's chest, hearing a wail off in the distance. He noticed something was different about this call than other calls made, but he couldn't place exactly what made it unique. His eyes barely glanced over to the red monster that approached him. He tensed up, trying not to show visible signs of fear. Sonic always said that you can't show fear to your monsters because they'd attack you if you were exposed. You gotta stare death in the face and laugh at it, or else, it will getcha easy! It knows when you're weak! Y'can't let it get ya, buddy! He seemed very tense, but as he was just about ready to give up his faux-calm disguise, the dragon held out her hand, a single berry in her claws.

"Here. It might help."

Tails relaxed slightly and slowly nodded, reaching out a paw to take the berry. He may have misheard her dull tone, but there seemed to be a small apology hidden within her words. "T-Thank you, miss Latias." he said a bit more than shy, smiling very faintly to be polite. Maybe she wasn't that bad.... The weasel looked at the Abra as his companion groaned. Miles's face lit up with a heartfelt smile.

"Nnnnngghhh… ...Well that was unpleasant…. Ooh, my head!"

Tails grinned, then recalled the only instance where someone had been this hurt before. He remembered when Sonic had been knocked out before, and he was out of it for a very long time. Even if his pulse was there, the weasel was still worried about his companion.... But as the rascal had woken up, he had said the same thing, in the same tone. It didn't obviously occur to him that he was seeing someone like Sonic right before his eyes. He heard the Doctor's rambling through his own thoughts.

"What was that, a Dragon Pulse? Did she just dragon blast me for saying hello??-- Wha-a-Did you really blast me for saying hello? That hurt! Not to mention rude!"

Tails tried to avoid the gaze of Latias, trying to not cause any more trouble. He certainly didn't want her to get mad at him. He felt the Doctor touch his paw and he snapped from his thoughts.

"Oh...um."

Tails grinned, chuckling a bit as the Doc smiled at him. He just then remembered the berry, and he started to hand it toward the Abra. He noticed it and plucked it from his hand.

"Oh, thank you! Hello again, Miles with two tails!"

He was definitely peculiar. Tails grinned wider, then chuckled softly. "Heh heh, You can call me just 'Tails.' And no problem! But, ah...." he turned, looking to Latias, "Miss Latias gave the berry to me, so I could give it to you." he smiled softly, but then his expression faded. His eyes scanned over the Abra's paw that had been on his, and he saw the blood. He just then looked to his own paw, seeing the small smears of blood on it. He grimaced, then pulled his paw back so he could wash it off with a Water Gun. He cleaned his paw, and it was still wet. He guessed the Doctor didn't even realize that he did that. Tears came to his eyes as he recalled the kill. But before he could delve into it more, the Abra spoke up.

"...You alright?"

Tails then noticed his disheveled look, and his face felt wet from crying. He wiped the forming tears from his eyes, and managed a fake smile.
"I'm alright...." he held in tears, and then took in a breath. He heard Buck a distance away yelling something, and he turned his head. It seemed the Ninetales and he had run off to help whatever screamed. He wondered if he should go help.... But he decided to stay out, he didn't want to get hurt or help to... kill.... He decided to distract himself with something else. He looked down to the Doctor's chest, remembering the heartbeat. In awe, he spoke, but quiet so the others wouldn't really be involved or hear.
"D-Doc.... You can't have.... You.... You have two hearts?"