(ACE) The FROST Team

A cold wind ruffled the small cat's fur, his body shuddering against it. One would think he'd be used to it by now, but Kolven shivered nonetheless by the drop in temperature. For someone to live out here happily they either had to be built for this kind of weather or accustomed to it over time. "Well, some visitors are mainly farmers to sell Moomoo milk, but other than that, mostly it was trainers passing through or skiers wanting to go up the mountain range." Such a cold place being a farmer's hotspot seemed strange to the feline, but having visited a local farm he was able to picture it with surprising ease. "Though, back in its glory days, that windmill was the biggest pride of this town. I could tell you more but first we should move before the snow starts falling here." Thoughts of MooMoo Milk brought him back to a better time, with pictures of that famous farm often being plastered on restaurants back home. The happy Miltanks, rolling hills, and picturesque windmills touching the sky. His paws nearly stopped from the memories, with only a shove from Clover keeping him moving.

Tipping his nose to the sky Kolven follows Drake's line of sight to the town's massive windwill. Even in disrepair it was a sight to behold, its massive spokes bigger than any he had ever seen. Its lofty height compared to the rest of the hillside town was like a beacon, or some kind of guardian, and a soft smile comes to the cat's face as he's comforted by its presence. Hurrying after Drake a purr comes to his throat, "We didn't have windmills back home, but I always loved seeing pictures of them. There is something so whimsical about them." To live on a quiet countryside with lots of windmills.. it'd be a dream he would not want to wake from. "The atmosphere of these quiet towns was always the most peaceful. You could forget life for a moment, as though your problems were a million miles away." Was that what he was imagining? Somewhere where his problems could be forgotten? With a hitch in her already awkward step Clover swivels to walk across his path and remind the tom of her presence. No, he could never forget.

"A peaceful life, or at least a moment without problems... I can see why it'd be appealing, even if it's unbearably cold around here." Keeping his voice light the cat continues to purr as they walk, the chat a welcome distraction from his pain. As they moved it was slowly feeling better, though he knew all too well the stiffness would return the moment they stopped.

Suddenly Clover sprinted ahead, her tainted pale mauve pelt almost blending into the grey city as she put distance between them. Her steps were confident and quick, as though something had caught her eye though nothing unusual was around. Flamey screeched overhead, a warning possibly though the cat ignored it without any regard. The road they followed curved to left, obscured by buildings as she moved quickly. With a loud meow the Meowth came to a sudden halt, her three paws nearly fumbling as a chasm split the path in front of her and threatened to swallow the barrelling cat. Stopping short she paces its edge, the chasm too wide to leap and too high to fall to. "Clover, slow down!" Kolven yowls from behind her, but any further scolding is cut short as he spots the gaping crack ahead of them. "Oh damn, there's no going over that."

OoC)) Skip, pulled a muscle in my back and it is hurting like crazy, I'll try to get a post in once it settles down.

Flamey made a series of calls, a bunch of bird clicks with their own meanings. She knew some from her extended time listening to him; distance, elevation, no good, but it always made the trainer wonder why he did not simply call it out with common language. He seemed to be talking to himself, all the more reason to use his primary language. Was it a remnant of his wild upbringing, or perhaps a safety measure toward Pokemon out of species? As a predator such precautions would not be nessecary, but perhaps it was an embedded memory from younger, smaller days.

Green can feel her muscles tense up as his chirps become more fervent, an obvious alarm signaling danger to anyone listening. Focusing in on the direction of the sound her head turns, catching sight of the bird as he flaps in place and circles a specific spot. An undead perhaps? Yet no attacks came forth, and his calls turned to words that were too far away to hear. With hurried steps Green gives chase, leaving the other Pokemon in her wake as she tried to catch up to the flying Pokemon. Movement catches her eye, a scrap of fur up way ahead that was running faster than her. The undead Meowth? Was it following his calls or moving of its own accord? She ignores it, her priorities set.

Flamey's voice started to crackle in over her communicator, faint to signal distance but clear as he repeated, "Stop! Not this way." Not that way? He would have mentioned undead, so that one one thing to rule out. "Hey, get back!" She commands the Meowth, but the undead listens as well as one would expect; not at all. Flamey's words seemed directed at the cat, but the moment he noticed his trusted partner approaching his voice turned to a harsh squawk. Green does not need further warning and skids her soles deep into the ground as she rounds a corner and yells once again, "STOP." The gaping crevice needs no explanation, the jagged gouge traveling far into the distance. Finally the Meowth stops moments before a perilous fall, and the second is quick to follow. No one had headed her Pokemon's warning.

"Oh damn, there's no going over that." He pants an obvious remark, but the trainer could at least be grateful these fools knew better than to try. "Then we use a different path." She states with a wave of her hand before motioning for Flamey to come land upon her arm. He descends neatly, irritation in his narrow eyes. "Which way?" She asks, the bird's-eye view a perfect tool. Ruffling his feathers Flamey delays his response with self-importance. "To the east." He starts while repositioning his feet. "This looks like an earthquake, not a landslide. Its deep, and long. Going around would take too long, but theres a spot to cross further off."

"Good gods, we can't get around this." Kolven cringed between clenched teeth. He could not spot the bottom of the abyss, nor did he want to test how low it went. Nudging Clover further away from its edge he cringed further as Flamey berated the foolish molly. Another few steps.. a shiver runs along his spine; he didn't want to picture that. "Then we use a different path." Green states logically as she entered the scene, as though that answer was so simple. "Like going around?" He presses, while he didn't doubt the trainer's intuition his paws itched at the thought of time loss.

"Which way?" She conferred with her partner Pokemon who beamed as he spoke. "To the east." Tipping his head to one side and then the sky Kolven regained his bearings on their position. "Is that safe? Its back toward the flames." Surely the drop didn't go all the way, as he had not noticed such a gouge on the way down. That, and approaching the flames again was incredibly unsafe. "This looks like an earthquake, not a landslide. Its deep, and long. Going around would take too long, but theres a spot to cross further off." Climbing a tilted lampost the cat tries to get a slightly better view of the crevice. It raced and bolted off in both directions, and he worried just how far it stretched. "Guess we don't have much choice given the coming storm."

With heavy steps Clover turn and started to march away. East, the bird said, and without further context she started her march. Within a few steps Kolven was hurrying after her, his darker fur practically glued to hers as she walked. "Before the snow." She huffs, reminding the tom of their ever looming time crunch. He nods but does not let her move ahead of him. "We can follow along its edge as best we can." Was he explaining to her? The molly chuffs, cuffing a paw against the ground and tossing a stone. "Bird carries if its too big."

Jack kept quiet as he was listening to any signs of danger. So far, it was clear but even the sound of silence can be dangerous as well. What could they do at this instance? However, Jack’s focus was interrupted by Green yelling a single yet urgent command. "STOP.” The pikachu stops right before he reaches the ledge of a destroyed road. Jack looked at it and it was too deep to climb down and who knows what could be down there. 

Walking along, the charmeleon thought about how long it would take to restore this town back to the way it once was. The damage to the area was incredible and most of the homes had sustained heavy damage. "This looks like an earthquake, not a landslide. Its deep, and long. Going around would take too long, but theres a spot to cross further off.” Drake looked at the gaping split in the land. This wasn’t cause naturally. Something had to have caused this much damage. “This isn’t good. Whatever caused this certainly had to be powerful. No way this was natural.” 

The Pikachu inputted something as well. “This morning isn’t going too well. Damn it, how far’s the closest path to cross this?” If this was caused by the move itself, then it had to be incredibly powerful and whatever used it must have intentionally used it to block off anyone from coming through. Though there's always the chance that there's a fault line here and Drake might not know if there is one here or not. It would be better to find out back at his house to make sure. He should have a library of sorts if there is one.

"Guess we don't have much choice given the coming storm."

Letting her shoulder's relax Green turns to head eastward as instructed. "Come, we're burning daylight." The expression was sour on her tongue, ironic even, but the trainer's face gave no reaction as she walked away from the wild Pokemon. They needed a place to cross and couldn't afford to make it a leisurely stroll. "Bird carries if its too big." Was that an attempt at a joke? With an offended scree Flamey's head snaps back toward the small cat and his flapped his wings. "Bird will not carry because bird knows it's not 'too big.'" Ruffling his feathers with clear irritation the bird looks forward again.

“This isn’t good. Whatever caused this certainly had to be powerful. No way this was natural.” His feet shuffled and the Talonflame took wing again to place distance between himself and the other Pokemon, a snide look in his eyes. "Looks pretty natural from the air, bub." He scoffs, voice fading as he gained height above the rest of them. "Unless there's some kind if legendary in this wasteland town our powers can't do this." He squawks loud enough for them to hear, and though Green waved him off to send him farther afield his actions were hardly from her command.

“This morning isn’t going too well. Damn it, how far’s the closest path to cross this?” The Pikachu asks, but by that point the Sorching Pokemon was too away to or felt above responding. Though the trainer does not know the distance she trusts in her Pokemon's judgement and that this was their only way forward. "As far as it takes. Unless you have a better idea." The trainer Challenged the rat as she climbs over a series of toppled cars.

"Bird will not carry because bird knows it's not 'too big.'" With a sinister curl of her lip Clover snickered with a raspy breath. Had she struck a nerve? Flicking the tip of her tail to and fro a small pep comes to her skipping steps, pleased with herself as she hurries along. The bird flew off, checking his work perhaps, and the grin did not leave her face.

“This isn’t good. Whatever caused this certainly had to be powerful. No way this was natural.” Tossing his head around Kolven gazed upon the ruined landscape of the city. It had looked pretty rough their entire journey, though this lower area certainly took more damage as all the runoff from the landslides piled up. While he was unsure about the fissure the landslide damage seemed fairly natural. Perhaps they were different sources? "Looks pretty natural from the air, bub. Unless there's some kind if legendary in this wasteland town our powers can't do this." Flamey's caw had an aggressive bite to it. A frown paints Kolven's muzzle even further. While he trusted the bird he worried about the outburst. He didn't seem like a sensitive Pokemon, did he not like being wrong, or was it something else? With his head spinning the Meowth decided to let it go, as the bird flew off and it did not matter in the end. "Are there even legendaries around here?" He asks, though it seems silly to even humor the idea given everything else the world was facing.

Cold snow continued to fall, the powder light and thin. It didn't quite blanket the landscape like it had in the woods but it threatened to smother them all if they weren't careful. “This morning isn’t going too well. Damn it, how far’s the closest path to cross this?” Jack's anxious concern was almost palpable, the electric Pokemon practically buzzing as he worried about the distance. With a tense squint Kolven looks off further afield, though it was hard to discern anything  precisely. Between the natural stone of the town being a neutral color, the coating of snow, and the broken patches of soil everywhere the entire place one was big, homogeneous color. The cat's head swam as he tried to pick it apart, making the wounded cat hurt even more. "As far as it takes. Unless you have a better idea." Green's grunt offers no comfort, and with his gaze locked on Clover's swinging purple tail tip the cat can only sigh his own frustrations.

"I'm just thankful there is a path and we wont have to go completely around." He huffs on an exhausted mew. Would they even be able to get around this thing if they had to approach the wall of flames? Or, if forced to go the other direction, would they end up leaving the town to do so? It was an uncomfortable thought to say the least. "Though, I guess we could make our own bridge if worse comes to worst."

OoC)) Skipping for now, can't think of anything for Jack or Drake.

Making a wide arc in the sky Flamey looked upon the ground with a scrutinizing eye. The crevasse extended in both directions, disappearing off in the trees in the opposite direction they were walking. It narrowed off further afield, but he could see a few options for safe passage. With such an insurmountable gap before him he could only wonder if the Pyroar had attempted to chase them toward it. If he flew over it they would have gotten away, but if the ground-bound Pokemon ran up to it, or Green fell from his grasp, they would have been sitting Duckletts.

Giving the hand signal to turn back Green waits for her eagle eyed Pokemon to notice, but whether it was focus or annoyance keeping him turned away the bird did not look back. With a grunt preceding a short whistle [as a long one could bring unwanted attention] she regains her Pokemon's attention. He turns swiftly, though not in a panic as he can see there is no new danger, and starts to come back their way.

"I'm just thankful there is a path and we wont have to go completely around. Though, I guess we could make our own bridge if worse comes to worst." The Meowth says optimistically as the Talonflame descends upon them. "That wont be necessary." The bird quickly responds while clicking his beak. "The sweet spot is about a block out, and the roads fairly clear on the other side as well." Tipping his beak down he started to preen, confidence brimming over. Shuffling her shoulder's Green grunts, "Which size block?" They varied greatly depending on the city. "Medium? 200 meters or so."

"That wont be necessary. The sweet spot is about a block out, and the roads fairly clear on the other side as well." Flamey returned to them with positive news, and a relieved sigh wheezes from Kolven's throat. "Something to be thankful for." He purrs, shoulder pressing against Clover though she was quick to pull away. "Which size block?" Green's question was valid; back home that bustling city had massive blocks, but in this small town the divisions were much smaller. Perceptions of distance and time these days were so obscure, and human perciseness was almost foreign now.

"Medium? 200 meters or so." Hearing such a specific size was like a blast from the past, but Kolven tried to picture anything he could regardless. A couple of fields end to end, if anything it was shorter than the chase he had gone through with the Pyroars, which was definitely something to be grateful for. Though his body still ached from the blast moving and cold was slowly numbing all his senses. "We should speed up then." He suggests while quickening his pace. "Since we won't make progress until we cross this thing."

With a soft snicker Clover dashes ahead, Kolven's cue all she needed to leave the others behind. A sharp yowl from Kolven followed by hurried steps was her only repercussion, and with a new sense of freedom the molly dashes along to her heart's content. The path weaved, collapsed buildings forcing them to make large detours, but otherwise it was fairly uneventful. Her paws hurried along, wanting to find something interesting during their jaunt, but not so much as a fancy scent crossed this worn path. Without a proper stimuli Clover started to slow down, her nose moving faster than her paws as she searched for something to entertain her.

Now bored and no longer wishing to run Clover's pace moved to a crawl. Kolven trotted up beside her, his breath puffing out in hot clouds from the invigorating trek. "That's- enough of that," he gasps, regretting his suggestion with vigor. "At least we made up.. some time." Practically dragging his feet he passes up the Molly, her brilliant red eye bored and emotionless as she falls in line once again. Gasping to catch his breath again Kolven looks forward with a weary gaze, and his eyes widen as he spots what he could only guess is the spot. "That's it! That's the bridge!" He breathes excitedly, letting the bounce return to his aching paws as he bound forward to passable section.

The closer his eyes the more his expression falls, paws coming to an uncertain halt as he eyes their so called bridge. "I think?" What was once a nice sitting area was now backed by a massive crevasse and by a harsh change in elevation. A sizeable tree had been uprooted and had fallen across the gap, but time had not been so kind to it. The spindly branches on the other side barely reached the other section of land, and the trunk seemed to be splitting right down the center. For Pokemon of their size it should be safe enough, but it was a foreboding sight nonetheless. "Any volunteers for first across?"

Jack didn't mean anything to offend Green and he felt bad for that. After that, his ears drooped as if he messed up. He wasn't meaning to object to what Green suggested, he was hoping she would have found a shortcut. Then at least some good news came from Flamey. "That wont be necessary. The sweet spot is about a block out, and the roads fairly clear on the other side as well." Then the size was at least a bit more good news. "Medium? 200 meters or so." Maybe Drake knows more of it since he's from around here. Maybe even though he wasn't meaning to upset Green, he felt maybe he should apologize for it. After all, if it wasn't for her, they'd be in a more dangerous situation.

Drake looked at the fissure more. Flamey was right about it not being caused by a pokemon but if it was, the damage would have been too localized, this was more widespread and the debris was proof enough. "I wasn't sure there was a fault line here. From what I heard, I think there's some books in the library about fault lines but I was never taught how to read. I only heard it from my trainer and his parents. Unova, for sure." When it comes to it, maybe he can be taught on Kalos' fault lines.

Jack looks over towards Green and does what he felt was needed. "Sorry Green, i was still feeling a bit tense." With that out of the way, the pikachu looked down the fissure made from the earthquake. Whatever the magnitude was, it had to have been a strong earthquake. Drake could have felt it but then again, things are different when you're further away from the epicenter. "Anyways, I'd hate to be whoever might have been in the area when this happened. I didn't think this place had earthquakes." Jack said as he continued to look down the fissure. Cars, burned and heavily damaged by the collapse of the roadway. "It's getting more colder, I just hope Maka is safe somewhere."

(OoC: Skip me this round.)

"I wasn't sure there was a fault line here. From what I heard, I think there's some books in the library about fault lines but I was never taught how to read. I only heard it from my trainer and his parents. Unova, for sure." Earthquakes, something many trainers spoke of, but all humans were taught reactions for. "Nature is a powerful mistress." Kolven purred, humbled by the raw strength of the natural elements. In his wandering he often heard very vocal humans who were afraid of Pokemon, who feared the power they possessed. Did they also fear nature? The storms, wind, quakes, and ice were just as frightening while a Pokemon's control and strength had very real limits.

But that was then. This quake was old, and no one was lambasting the use of Pokemon within this town. No one spoke for this town at all, not even Drake, as they passed through the damage. The smile along Kolven's smile grew strained, the forced upkeep struggling as it fell to a simple grin. "It's getting colder. I just hope Maka is safe somewhere." With a tense sigh his shoulders fall a bit. "He'll be alright, he's built for this weather. Besides, he lives here, he knows how to stay safe." Perhaps Maka had the right idea, or felt the coming storm in some way and knew to head out. Kolven was sure that, by now, he was somewhere safe from the snow, and knew to focus his worry on those present.

...Which brought him back to his all but dismissed inquiry. With no volunteers or desire to volun-tell, he would take it upon himself. No need to stir the pot for something they would all have to do anyway. Guess theres no time like the present. Moving closer to the base of the tree he looks across to the other side. "Guess I'll take the plunge then." He purrs with faux optimism, his aching aches despite to stay on the solid ground. Crawling through the sprawling roots the Meowth made it on top and dug his claws into its icy cold surface. It felt sturdy enough, like most trees he had climbed, though that wasn't saying much for a Pokemon of his meager size.

With cautious steps Kolven made his way across. Slow and steady, careful of the deep gouge running down its trunk. On the other side the branches were thin, barely hitting the uplifted ground with only a few good holds. He wanted to make a witty comment, a light-hearted joke, but the exhausted cat couldn't muster one up before the other Meowth dropped down on the trunk. Having leaped high on a skyward root she gazed across the tree and marked her path, and after landing square on the trunk started to bolt across. Its uneven surface, the thinning branches, even the chill meant nothing as she leaped over her brother and continued toward the other end of the tree. He protested, a shrill noise coming from his throat, but the molly was unstoppable.

With agile steps she weaved through the thin branches, clearing small gaps and making it back to solid ground without missing a beat. On the other side her head raises, sniffing at the air for something unusual. Her head turns on a swivel in all directions but does not seem to land on anything interesting as Kolven finally makes it across. He was panting, eyes wide from pain rather than fear. With a deep gulp of air he calls back, "Be gentle with it on the far side! Those thin branches are really brittle."

Jack's head and ears swirved to the  sounds coming from where the fire is still burning strong. That fire isn't going to be going out anytime soon. As they reached an area where there was a tree down, it looked like it had ice on it. Balancing wasn't much of an issue for Jack, but Drake and Green might be a different story. The pikachu leaps on afterwards and follow behind Kolven and Clover. Taking careful steps as he was walking on all fours and using his tail to counter balance if needed. Something was off though about Maka leaving to avoid a storm. Yeah, Kolven's right about him having the fur to withstand the temperatures and snow but him leaving suddenly? It didn't settle well for Jack. Something's definitely amiss on that. Then he thought maybe they might have drove him off accidentally. "Be gentle with it on the far side! Those thin branches are really brittle." Kolven said snapping Jack back to the task.

Drake looks at the tree and hearing that from Kolven warned him of what's ahead when they go to cross the gap. Being a gentle pokemon, Drake the looks at Green and does what a good male pokemon would do. "Go ahead first Green, I'll follow behind you." He said as a show of good gesture to her. Mainly because after all, she's a lady and it was chivalry that drove him to do that. All that they can hope now is if they can cross safely before the stability becomes unstable.

Jack looks down at the debris below them. Who knows what is down there and how badly damaged things are but this wasn't the time to get side tracked and explore the fissure. "I think we'll beat the storm at this point. That fire back there though, I don't think we'll be going past that for a while." Sadly, it would be pointless to try with the fire blazing furiously. Whatever's south of there though would be not a safe passage. If Pyroar had increased their territory this far, this means that whatever's past that fire is likely teaming with more pyroar.

Barrelling through the town after the sprinting felines Green felt the cold bite of the air upon her skin as they ran. Their pace was fast but not unbearable, and Flamey casually keeping pace from above as they made their way to the makeshift bridge. He trilled from on high, descending as the group made it to the makeshift bridge. "That's it! That's the bridge!" The male Meowth cheers while the Talonflame alights upon a skyward root, a smug curve to his beak. Giving his crest a gentle stroke Green gave silent praise, her partner beaming with pride.

Gazing upon the massive tree Green withheld commentary. Their bridge was not in good shape; the tree was long dead, the warped, frostbitten bark breaking away from itself and chipping off in large chunks. The trunk was splitting in twain, likely the fatal blow even before it was toppled. If they were too rough with it their bridge would quickly become a boat to hell as it fell into the void. "I wasn't sure there was a fault line here. From what I heard, I think there's some books in the library about fault lines but I was never taught how to read. I only heard it from my trainer and his parents. Unova, for sure." With a couple of blinks Green gives a double take, or a double listen, to the Charmeleon's ramblings as she's taken away from her thoughts. It was already bizarre the thing could speak, but the Pokemon knew about libraries, faults, and science in books. Legends above, what was the goal of its trainer, a new sibling? "Quakes can happen anywhere. There are fault lines all over the world, they just aren't all super active." From the peaks of mountains to the bottom of the ocean, any place would be victim to an earthquake, though some were significantly more likely than others.

"Any volunteers for first across?" The cat asks, likely apprehensive due to the state of the tree. With another glance at its wounded trunk Green continues to stroke Flamey's head, her feet firmly in place. Fuck no. She had the aid of her Pokemon if things went south, but if this thing could not support the pipsqueak Pokemon their was no need for her to risk it. "Sorry Green, I was still feeling a bit tense." The Pikachu gives an out of pocket apology before swiftly deflecting the conversation in another direction. Though her lip tugs back with a vexed grunt the trainer feels no need to respond, her eyes still firmly on the tree. They were all tense, tired, and cold; being snappy was expected at this point.

"Guess I'll take the plunge then." The Meowth accepts his fate and begins traversing the tree. Though she was not expecting much from the puny Pokemon the tree gives no sign of strain from his meager weight. Upon reaching the web of branches he struggles to make it through, the spindly twigs snapping and cracking with a light, dead tone as he weaved through them. "Be gentle with it on the far side! Those thin branches are really brittle." He warns as though they could not hear the wooden snaps.

"Go ahead first Green, I'll follow behind you." Drake offers with a gentle motion of one hand. His voice was polite, leading toward a courteous gesture rather than cautious, and Green was quick to move in to place. With a firm hand on a jutting root Green heaves herself up onto the fallen trunk. The base of the tree bore her weight well, though the rough bark had grown slippery with frozen moss and ice. Her worn boots did their best to keep grip, and cautiously she moves forward across the trunk.

Keeping her center of gravity low the trainer inches across. As she approached the split more and more bark splintered and shed off beneath her feet. It groaned and cracked, her shoe sinking deep into its surface and leaving a visible dent. Though the light was dim the trainer could see right though to the other side, an eerie sign of a hollowed out space. "I'm too much for this thing." She admits, painfully aware she was the heaviest among them as a fresh chill tingles along her spine. Were she alone Green would risk sprinting across, racing the breaking trunk and its inevitably fall in a game of chicken, but with Drake behind her that was not an option. Tossing out an arm Flamey snatched her up in a moment and placed her on the other side, and with a steady voice she warns the Charmeleon, "Stay low and hurry."

Kolven's body was tense, his breath tight in his throat as he watched the others start to make their ways across. A cold breeze was enough to rattle the brittle, spindly branches at the tip of the tree, their strength all but gone. With a slow sigh Kolven had to wonder when this tree perished, how long it had been left to rot. Its split trunk showed wear, and that this wound was not new, but had it fallen prior to the earthquake? It was so dry, its trunk creaking with each step. No, no surely it had been here for some time.

"I think we'll beat the storm at this point. That fire back there though, I don't think we'll be going past that for a while." "Luckily there isnt much off that direction. Nothing for us out there either." With their destination north, and having already pilfered the barn that barren area would only eat up their time. This passage had been tedious and time consuming, but the snow fall was still light, teasing them with the chance of making it back to the mansion safely. "We better hurry regardless." He ushers the others, as a few flakes land upon his ears. After traveling that mountain in the deep snow Kolven could not bare the thought of freezing once again.

An unnerving creak screeches through his ears, snapping the feline back to the tree as Green stands upon it. Having made the same motion Clover plants her feet in front of her and growls, a grizzly warning to the worrisome noise. "I'm too much for this thing." The trainer realizes, and for a second the cats worry it will snap beneath her, but instead of straining it any further her Pokemon removes her from the situation entirely. The danger passed but Clover continued to growl while swatting at the tips of the branches near her, their bridge still a threat in her eyes. The trainer gave another word of warning, and after a few more moments the undead backed away from the tree and continued listening for whatever had had her attention before.

Showers of loose bark continued to fall in to the abyss as another cold breeze blew, flakes of snow hitting the tom cat's face and whiskers. What he wouldn't give to be back at the mansion already.. Shaking in flakes from his pelt he continues to smile and gives what encouragement he can muster. "At least, with a path this unstable, nothing should want to follow us."

OoC)) Skip, Jack waits on the other side for Drake to finish crossing and Drake does what Green told him.

As the rest of the Pokemon made their way across Green snapped at the brittle twigs reaching out toward them all. The tree was long dead, and the longer it remained in this spot the more of a hazard it became. We should we get rid of it. Preventing others from following them, and the premature death of some unfortunate creature as the tree finally gave way, letting the thing finally decay in to the ground. Curling her hand around a thicker stick it crumbled to nothing within her grasp. Even the few moments she gave to the passing thought were too many; snow was falling, the light flakes nestling on the tree and making it an even slicker surface. It'd be a waste of time they did not have to move, and she turned away from it without giving the idea another moment of her time.

"At least, with a path this unstable, nothing should want to follow us." The cat's voice is awkward, was that meant to lighten the mood? "They might just die trying." She sneers, knowing damn well she could have broken the 'bridge' had she tried to cross on her own. Letting her fingers trace across her Pokeballs Green starts walking forward with no time to lose. The other cat was still hissing, its eye looking in all directions though there was nothing of interest. They hadn't seen a damn soul sense finishing that battle, and with a coming storm Green had her doubts anything would still be lingering. "Let's go." She grunts, ushering the lot to move with no chance for rest.

Her bird rested upon her shoulder, his eyes closed for once as he took a moment for himself. While it hurt to bother him yet again the trainer would not send him flying just yet. "Flamey, status?" Her question is curt but clear to her dear friend, his eye barely peeking open as he responds. "Path is good for a while, relatively speaking. Gets bad once you hit the more paved areas up north. Gonna be winding." With a gentle head scritch the trainer nods to her Pokemon and begins walking even faster.  "Alright. Head first into some rough terrain, or freeze in a blizzard. Great options."

Stamping his feet in place Kolven tries not to let any more cold into his bones. His head was still swimming, the pain deep in his chest when he drew a long breath, but a tired smile still decorated his face. "Let's go." Without giving a moments rest the trainer puts them back in motion, her taking lead of the Pokemon. Kolven's ears fell for a moment, disappointed but understanding, but slowly rise again as he pads onward. Ahead of him Clover was sniffing about, all her senses primed for the slightest thing, but by the swivel of her head Kolven could tell she had not locked on to anything. It was for the best, he knew that, but it was another reminder of the chocking loneliness that hung heavy over this frozen town.  

Padding after his sister in silence he could not keep his eyes off her wavering form. Every so often she would turn her head and stare, ear pivoting in search of something in the distance. Eventually she would turn away and continue walking before sniffing about and starting the cycle again. Kolven tipped his head to one side, concern growing as he watched the undead's behavior. Most of Clover's actions were very predictable these days, and watching her was putting him on edge. Green asked for an eta, but even knowing their was a viable path did not give him ease. "Path is good for a while, relatively speaking. Gets bad once you hit the more paved areas up north. Gonna be winding." A winding path did not make for a quick journey, and between the light snow and his aching paws it would be a bitter race against time.

Suddenly Clover stopped, a low growl coming from her throat as she sniffed at the ground. A warning, that much was clear, but seeing nothing head of them Kolven dashed to her side. "What is it?" He whispered to her, gaze following her red eye. The dark greys and browns of the 'road' they followed blended together, but her nose pointed to what he thought were stones along its edge. With cautious steps he approached, ready to run, and though a chill ran down his spine what he spied was telling rather than dangerous. Instead of stones it was black and bloodied tracks and smears, signs a creature had been by. Something had walked or dragged its way across this path at some point, but it certainly was not alive. Clover bound to his side, still growling at the marks as she slashed them aggressively with her claws. "Theres undead in the area." Kolven warned while turning his head toward the others. "And I doubt they're concerned about the storm."

After crossing the gap, Jack looked around seeing damaged areas from the earthquakes and aftershocks. "Path is good for a while, relatively speaking. Gets bad once you hit the more paved areas up north. Gonna be winding." Only thing that it tells him that its either go through the rough terrain or die to a blizzard. This was not something he wanted to do but he would rather take the rough terrain than be out in the storm once it gets bad."Theres undead in the area." Looking at the marks, Jack knew that this was not going to be easy getting back. What rotten luck this turned out to be. "And I doubt they're concerned about the storm." They wouldn't be able to tell anymore due to their dead bodies no longer being able to feel.

Drake looks on ahead and there was no other alternative path since it would take too long. "Damn it. There's no other way around. Looks like we may have to run if we can get the chance to." The Charmeleon said since the other way would be through the fire and it was a major risk that wasn't going to be taken.

Jack then thought of something that might work. He'd use himself as bait to lure the undead away. "I got an idea, its not a smart idea but it should buy you guys time to get past the area. I'll lure the undead away so that way you guys can get by unimpeded. I did this on Mt. Silver and I can do it again." The pikachu had the speed and the eye protection for these types of scenarios and he wasn't about to be an undead's lunch.

Flexing her fingers into a fist repetitively to fight the bitter cold, Green stared at the path ahead of them with a scrutinizing eye. Flamey had not lied with it being relatively clear for the visible distance; while streams of dirt and stone once flowed here there was nothing that would requite tedious climbing or stepping. Still, the light snow would not be staved off for long, and every step they squandered or dallied was another step closer to freezing to death. As much as she loathed having her hands unavailable Green shoved them deep in her pockets and close to her body.  

The chatter had mostly died off, their little bridge winding them enough to prevent idle nonsense, but the undead would not stop making noise. The growls and hisses filled the air, and while quiet it was not unlike a panic alarm in the silent town. Grinding her teeth Green nearly scolds the feral animal or its keeper to shut the hell up, but a sudden burst of speed stops her as it starts to investigate the ground. "Theres undead in the area." Great, just what they needed.

Running over the conditions of her Pokemon Green clenches her jaw even tighter. She had been harping herself all day for taxing them so, but being without her plan B felt incredibly exposing. Through the lining of her pocket she touches the hilt of her machete, and accepts that using her precious little ammo would be better than failure. If worst came to worst she would rely on herself.

Waving her hand Green sends Flamey forward to search, though his lack of mentioning a beast was telling enough. "Damn it. There's no other way around. Looks like we may have to run if we can get the chance to." With a grunt Green shakes her head. "Normally I'd agree, but you lot are staying around these parts, right? You shouldn't leave a liability lingering where you rest." It didn't matter how big the town was, as cold weather hunters were relentless and harsh, a starving undead in this barren place would track its meal for as long as it took. "If we find it we kill it. If its bad enough to run from then its certainly not something you want to leave roaming around."

"I got an idea, its not a smart idea but it should buy you guys time to get past the area. I'll lure the undead away so that way you guys can get by unimpeded. I did this on Mt. Silver and I can do it again." Self sacrifice? They hadn't even seen what sort of Pokemon they were dealing with yet and the rat was willing to offer himself as bait. An honorable move, but an unnecessary one until all cards were on the table. "Lure it into an attack perhaps. We have numbers on our side, don't squander that."

Kolven shoved and pushed her away from the refuse, but Clover did not stop growling. Nosing the ground for a scent trail the frozen air held nothing, the fresh snow already working to drown out any linger smells. Scouting forward the cat instead looks for prints and tracks, but again the ground is clear of anything she could follow. With barred fangs she snarls, angered and confused. The hunt, the chase, the kill...! Thumping her tail bitterly against the ground the molly paces back and forth, her pelt twitching with frustrating and growing hunger.

Clover's behavior was deeply unsettling, and as she continued to snarl Kolven felt his heart sink. The thick grey clouds made it difficult to know the time, but all the more apparent that they had little. The light snow was a warning, and they didn't have a moment to spare for a slow, cautious approach around an unseen undead. "Damn it. There's no other way around. Looks like we may have to run if we can get the chance to." Drake frets over their minimal options. "Running might not be bad, it'll hurry us along." He tries to be encouraging, but his frozen, aching legs disagreed with every small movement he made. Clover sniffed at the ground and continued forward without them, and with a nudge of his head Kolven ushers the rest of them forward as well.

"Normally I'd agree, but you lot are staying around these parts, right? You shouldn't leave a liability lingering where you rest." The trainer argued, ready to confront whatever crossed their path. It was a little odd given they let the Pyroars leave, but then again those were living Pokemon and this one was diseased. "The mansions pretty far from this spot," he argued, head slowly swiveling as he walked, "Undead don't usually track that far." They lingered and paced, and went after whatever fresh scents or noise. If they managed to avoid it, and ran quick enough, it would be none the wiser.

"If we find it we kill it. If its bad enough to run from then its certainly not something you want to leave roaming around." With a strong flinch and clench of his jaw the cat did not like the prospect. She wasn't wrong but.. the entire situation made his stomach turn. Saving themselves grief now for trouble later swung both ways, with the weather and undead pushing from opposite directions. Unease made Kolven's pelt twitch, and he bit his lip indecisively while milling ideas around. "If its around still," he pointed out, though his optimistic outlook was hard to argue after being the one to point out Clover's discovery. "There's a chance it left the area already, especially with the fire nearby."

Clover hurried along, her gaze flicking from the ground to the sky. Flamey cast no shadow thanks to the clouds, but her ruby eye kept locking on his shape nonetheless. If he spotted something she wanted it, she would go first! But every advance she made was halted by her brother, his steps easily catching up to her and keeping her in line. He growled a warning not to wander off but she paid it no mind, hobbling steps ready to chase the slightest movement. "I got an idea, its not a smart idea but it should buy you guys time to get past the area. I'll lure the undead away so that way you guys can get by unimpeded. I did this on Mt. Silver and I can do it again." A sudden trill from Kolven perks her head, but he was not alerting danger or food but simply responding to the other Pokemon.

"Let's not get too hasty, we don't know the full situation yet." He mews a flick of his ears. "We're in this together after all, I'm sure we can figure something out safely." The Meowth bemoans, though it was not Jack's safety he feared for. Their best laid plans had not gone well with the Pyroars, Pokemon aggressively trying to kill them, and a repeat scenario with an undead was exponentially more dangerous. "Lure it into an attack perhaps. We have numbers on our side, don't squander that." Green rebutted, using Jack's tactic for offense rather than defense. A shiver ran down Kolven's spine, the Pyroar's licking flame's still fresh in his memory. They couldn't fight so sooner after that, he certainly couldn't, but a group attack against one might be possible...

A heavy sigh made it out of his muzzle, a cloud of frosted air puffing out with it. Clover bounced away from him again but didn't go far as she continued to sniff at the ground in a fruitless search. With a second sigh he gave up on reeling her in, and allowed the molly to search for spilled blood. She'd likely be the first to detect at anyway.. Fluffing up his fur against the cold the Meowth walked with all his senses alert. He couldn't see or smell anything that pointed toward an undead but the dread trickling along his spine would not let up. Hyper focused on activity, Kolven hardly noticed as their path got rougher, the dirt giving away to gravel and pavement, and the earthen sludge from past landslides grew more robust. Suddenly there were more places to hide, to miss things, and pointed stones to dig into his frozen pads.

Jack was about to make a move but it was quickly stopped before he could even make a move. He was going to sacrifice himself for nothing and if the enemy is a fast mover, then any attempt to quick attack away would be useless. "Lure it into an attack perhaps. We have numbers on our side, don't squander that." For once, he had to actually not do something that was risky. Whatever is out there, it certainly isn't the type to let its prey escape. The pikachu thought for a bit then maybe they might stand a chance if they can work together on taking it down.

Drake looked at Green seeing she's quite seasoned as a trainer but she also looks like she has more experience in battles compared to him being inexperienced in battles. "Green, I don't have much battle experience but I won't give up." The charmeleon said as he was ready to fight. Though if he needed to defend against ranged attacks, he had protect. If its something he can hit with his hidden power, then its likely he can do some serious damage.

Jack heard Drake's bravery and perhaps he can actually pull some quick attacks if he can get a shot to use brick break in a weak point. "For once, someone talked me into not luring something away. Very well then, I've been meaning to brick break an undead's face in." Since his thunderbolt is used up, he still had brick break, quick attack and charge beam. Though his charge beam was more for staying distant while attacking, he has rarely used it in close range. Half being that it isn't his style when it comes to his electric attacks. That's where his quick attack and brick break is more used.

"Let's not get too hasty, we don't know the full situation yet." Was the Meowth pussying out already? They didn't know if this thing was still moving yet he was calling them away from being proactive. Rolling her eyes the trainer kept walking; regardless of some cat, she would do whats needed to keep herself and her Pokemon safe. "Peaceful solutions don't work with undead." She grunts bitterly, knowing full well that cruel reality did not exclude their own. Her lost Pokemon were a harsh reminder, one she was forced to learn from, and with a spiteful glare at the hobbling undead in their presence she Kolven would pay that price as well.

"For once, someone talked me into not luring something away. Very well then, I've been meaning to brick break an undead's face in." Thankfully, the other Pokemon turned to her side, allowing her worn team a chance to rest. But even with numbers on their side conditions remained less than stellar. "Green, I don't have much battle experience but I won't give up." Drake admits, his optimism a treat compared to the fretting of the others. As long as he had awareness even an inexperienced Pokemon could aid in a tough fight. "Knowing your own strengths and limits is a good start."

As a well-seasoned trainer Green could estimate a Pokemon's strength fairly well, but the battle with the Pyroars added a lot of clarity for this group. Their performance had been subpar, to say the least. The Pikachu had the best chances of them all, though Green admittedly did not catch much of his skill during the battle to verify that. Still, they all had potential, and no fatal or brutal wounds from that fight said a lot for their wild and unevolved statures. Instructions and guidance would do a lot for them, but Green was not the trainer of this lot, nor was she about to offer such a service.

As they walked, Green thought on Pokemon that may be lingering in the area. Natural habits were shifting, the Pyroar being a perfect example of that, and towns attracted a certain crowds of Pokemon. The possibilities were extensive, but anything big or cumbersome would leave traces. With a delicate eye she watches their changing environment. Any signs of struggle or death, prints or markings from heavy steps, or remnants from their element. If they removed the surprise it would be easier to counter.

"For once, someone talked me into not luring something away. Very well then, I've been meaning to brick break an undead's face in." Pursing his face to keep up his tense smile the Meowth can only nod before speaking on an exhale. "We've got your back." Kolven purred, thankful that the Pikachu backed down from the idea. As long as they didn't do anything rash surely this would turn out better than the entire Pyroar situation. His paws still ached from all the sprinting he'd done, and this long trek back wasn't helping.

Keeping his wits about him the Meowth remained on alert as the party made their way forward. The hillside town started to slope more severely, each step of their trek taking more effort and slowing their progress. Looking longingly forward Kolven's head nearly swims as he see's the "gets bad" pathing Flamey had mentioned. Fully collapsed buildings, street lights that were nearly horizontal compared to slanted ones they had passed before. Debris littered the streets, but the look was unlike the signs of slides they had seen before. "Was there a battle here?" He ponders aloud while creeping through the rubble to check one of the fallen buildings. The collapse itself did not look new, but scents lingered about it that did not fit.

Clover trotted up beside him, sniffing and milling about the mess with a keen interest. Pokemon, living beings, the warmth of life.. it had been here. With her mouth agape she drinks in the scents and pinpoints the source. Making a beeline for the spot a ravaged growl escapes her throat as she licks at at some sort of siding. Within moments Kolven was at her side, pushing her off her quarry and staring at the dark blood splatters with deep unease. "Old. Couple hours." The undead huffs on a pair of slow breaths before lapping at the spots once more. Her body tingled, buzzing from the luscious taste of blood. If only she could of had a taste..

With another shove to push his sister away from the blood Kolven bounds out of the broken boards. "Its killed recently!" He chirps, tail bristling with alarm. His gaze flicks about, looking for any other signs. Was this a good or bad sign? Was it still hunting nearby, or resting after a meal? Patroling the place perhaps, or had it simply wandered off...? His thoughts buzz too fast to keep up with, and rushing forward the cat keeps his gaze off to the side to find the first turn of their 'winding' path. "Look for other signs; its probably still nearby."