(ACE) The BURNED Team

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Steps of Burned Tower || Morning
1
    It was eeriely quiet as the doe trotted through the city, the morning sun barely rising. Being a survivor for who-knows-how-long, her demeanor was ultimately calm, but her mind was bustling with various thoughts and emotions. She had one goal and one goal only: to reach Burned Tower. There were no signs of undead nor life, only the whistles of the wind. Houses destroyed left to crumble or in ashes, what seemed to be several corpses now dust and bone. This isn't even a city, it was more of ruins than anything. Craters were dug into the earth, proof of a living's struggle, the doe felt a pang in her chest, but said nothing as the shadow of the Burned Tower loomed over her.
    The Sawsbuck at play here, goes by the name of Amara. She doesn't realize it, but she seems reminiscent of another fellow that walked this very path years ago. A pawn of fate that decided it would be hilarious for her to repeat the mistakes of the last group. She was nothing more than an old memory. Or so, it's believed.
    "She must be here," Amara murmured. She gazed at the tower from bottom up, her eyes afixed at the details and etchings. If she looked at it before the epidemic, she would have been in awe at how gorgeous it was, but in this period of time, it was more intimidating than beautiful. In all honesty, the Sawsbuck is filled with nothing more than doubt and regret, she grew to whole-heartedly believe her trainer is long gone. Yet she continued this journey. This would be what she considered her last destination: a last stop if you will.
    Did the Sawsbuck really consider such endings? Yes. Afterall, this was no longer a world she knew and loved. The flower necklace worn safely on her neck was Amara's proof of her loyalty and love for her trainer, but what use was it when the purpose she loved the most and dear was here anymore?
   But she did not want to die by an undead's claws, oh no. The idea was petrifying that she would be raised back up after death, her mind in a blank and only hungry consciousness. She would rather have the (what she considered) easier way out.
    With great hesitation and her guard raised, she pushed the door open just a crack. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She asked.

The day was young but the morning extraordinary. Above the city, an avian creature blended in with the cloud cover. The large dragonlike bird dipped expertly through the air, flaring his wingspan s he approached the ground. I wonder if anyone is even...still here. The Altaria dropped his expression, crestfallen. It never ceased to get to the gentle bird's heart, his sad gaze studying the wreckage around him.

Gliding effortlessly to the tallest building, Nimbus perched himself on the edge of the lower roof. Craning his neck to glance over his shoulder, the avian blinked. Would this be.. the Burned Tower? The famed hoe to Ho-Oh himself? Nimbus' eyes widened. Even in the midst of horrible carnage in the apocalypse, the tower still stood proudly despite the damage done to it in past events.

"What a sight to behold," he breathed to himself in a murmur.

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Ecruteak City | Morning | 1
    It had been a long walk, and surprisingly, the small espeon didn't even run into anything along the way. Though, he was actively avoiding any trouble, as he always made sure to note his surroundings, the tufts of fur on his cheeks quivering with every breeze, making sure there was nobody around. If someone was actually there, he'd just avoid them. It came naturally to him, since he wouldn't fight back. He'd rather not get his paws dirty, after all. That was for those beneath him.

    Lost in thought and firmly glaring at the ground, he accidentally bumped into a lanternpost, crumbling from the decaying of the world no doubt. Falling backwards a bit, he looked up. Seems he'd stumbled upon a town. Shaking his head, he got back up, and continued walking, fixating his gaze back at the ground. He'd been doing it for most of the travel, his mind a blur with thoughts. Things had changed so suddenly, and he wasn't prepared at all for the shift. Maybe he was just willfully ignorant the whole time. He certainly hadn't heard of whatever was going on until it was too late. And what ever happened to his trainer? He couldn't be sure.

    Oh well, though. He couldn't have stopped it. There was only one thing he could do, and that was to save himself. And so far, he'd stayed alive. Maybe this disgusting world didn't dare touch him with its grotesque claws and darkened tendrils. Good. He much preferred it that way.

    Finally in the middle of town, he looked around at the ruins left of, well, wherever this was. Craters littered the area, but he never went to investigate them, they were dirty and he wanted no part in them, or whatever caused them. But once he was done mentally insulting the indents in the earth, he turned, and immediately ran a few steps away, hiding behind charred rubble.

    There was someone else here. A Sawsbuck. It was simply standing outside what appeared to be a tower. Though, Phi didn't see enough of it to determine if it was a zombie or not. Either way, he had to be careful. His tail simply swayed in anticipation, hoping it didn't see him and that he'd learn the hard way that it was, in fact, a zombie.

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Steps of Burned Tower || Morning
2
    More or less she expected an undead to lunge at her throat, Amara was ready to dodge if necessary. Instead she receives a steady response of a greeting, one that she was not familiar with. The Sawsbuck cautiously opens the door a bit wider, peering instead. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dim brightness, but she was able to make out a shape within the shadows and a glint of what seems to be a crown.
    "I'm a friend, I suppose..." Amara mumbled. She felt a mix of awkwardness and awe, unsure what to say. Having not spoken for weeks, she sounded more hoarse (of course, hoarse, horse) than intended. She hasn't came across survivors in a while, the question felt like it was entirely new to her though not really.
    With a couple of steps delicate and slow and unsure of the newcomer's personality, she entered the tower, the brightness finally sinking into her eyes. It appears that this new found comerade was a Haxorus. He appeared more darker than the average, though Amara couldn't pinpoint whether that's because they're in a dark tower or he was actually a different coloration (Amara never thought that she'd come across a shiny Pokemon like this). Some other oddities would be a crown wrapped around his throat like a choker (she questions how he got it around his throat in the first place, it must have been a painful way to go about fashion) and a purple handerchief tied haphazardly around his wrist.
    It took her a bit to notice how tall the Haxorus was. Intimidating almost, it felt like he could easily crush her or slice her to bits with his tusks. But then again, he sounded quite friendly with his greeting. Amara almost blushed with embarrassment that she never responded to that greeting properly!
    "And hello to you too. Though I suppose you have a name?" She cleared her throat, scanning the surrounding area as a precaution (what if he had friends and this was all an ambush? Better safe than sorry), "I'm Amara, is it safe to assume you are a friend as well?"

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The sawsbuck entered the tower, she saw. It was so hard to choose... should she keep camping and wait for the sounds of the sawsbuck, either a scream or of other expressions? Obviously, if there was screaming, then Danzi's only route would be to bail -- sorry to the doe, but the mienfoo had no intentions whatsoever to risk her life to save an absolute stranger from a horde of ravenous flesh-eaters. She would only become an indicator that Ecruteak, again, was an abandoned, unsalvageable city.

At least, that was her original intended plan.

And then she saw the espeon.

Out in the open, that pink pokémon had come along trotting, staring hard at the floor and not watching where it was going -- Danzi couldn't help the mild scowl. Not paying attention to his surroundings while walking around in potential undead territory? Was he an idiot? She just kept frowning somewhat as the espeon seemed to finally notice the sawsbuck, and proceeded to hide behind a pile of rubble.

Regardless, while waiting for the sawsbuck, that espeon was her closest link to having her questions answered. Maybe.

Perhaps the sawsbuck hadn't seen him, but Danzi certainly had.

Quickly, using her speed to her advantage, she hopped out of the bush, dashing over to the rubble where the pink hint of fur had hidden himself. She sees you, Phi, you and your swaying tail, as she leaps over the pile of rubble, almost glaring daggers at the espeon with full intent to interrogate the hell out of him.


[ooc: Target: located, lmao. I hope you don't mind if Danzi proceeds to chase Phi around a little bit, Chroma. If not, I can change the post. Just let me know. o/]

The Altaria hummed deep in his throat, a soft but genuine smile spreading across his beak. "Yes... how wonderful," he murmured softly, letting a quiet note of sound ring out for a few seconds afterwards. Showing his contentment, Nimbus craned his neck, turning to gently preen the downlike feathers of his wings. The great ball on his collar bobbed slightly, pressing against his throat and lower neck as the avian bent it so. Picking at the filthy parts of his wings, the Altaria frowned. So difficult to remain clean in such a world nowadays, he muttered silently, clicking his tongue in disappointment. But instead of complaining, the bird used the time of peace to stretch one powerful wing, picking at the smudged white parts. Soft grey and dark brown flecked parts of the appendage, earning a narrowed glance from him. Not on this bird, you filth! Overly dramatic, Nimbus assaulted the blemishes on his feathers with rapid and precise movements of his beak.

The Altaria spent his time as such for more than a mere few minutes, basking in the growing warmth of the new sun. Singing to himself, he smiled in contentment. This peace is something I will never take for granted, not now, not ever. Once pleased with his newly cleaned wings, only then did Nimbus straighten his neck, pride showing in his upturned face. In the light of the apocalypse, it was increasingly rarer for him, and anyone in general, to find the time and temporary safety in order to take care of one's self. "It has been far too long." But with his priorities straightened out, the avian turned his gaze from the crumbling tower to the city. "Ecruteak, is it not?" The rhetorical question was merely one of his thoughts spoken out loud, not intended to be answered or even acknowledged. Nimbus' gentle gaze flickered over the wreckage that was the former Johto city.

There were burns over the buildings that remained, indents in the ground that were massive craters from some time before. He wonders what could have caused such destruction, but his gaze is interrupted by movement. Pink? An Espeon was moving through, and as Nimbus watched it...walked right into a still standing pole. Cringing for the Eeveelution from second hand embarrassment, the Altaria hisses from the pain he imagines. I wonder if they are alright in the head, he thinks to himself, and not about the possible injury he just witnessed. But then there was more movement. Nimbus' back straightened in alarm, his eyes wide. Is that... The Mienfoo might be attacking!

It was against his nature to merely sit by and watch someone get hurt. Despite the fact that they were complete and utter strangers, the Altaria did not care at that point as he spread newly cleaned wings. Touching fingertips to the air, he took flight effortlessly and swiftly; gaining altitude and speed, Nimbus glided at a steep angle prior to circling the tower once. Gaining speed in the drop, he whipped his wings backwards in time to slow him down considerably before hovering before both Pokemon. "Hello there!" His eyes were not unfriendly, but they were harder when looking to the Mienfoo. "Are you both new here?"

[ ooc: can edit if asked. kinda wanted to let Prince and Amara get acquainted before crashing the party |D ][/color]

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Ecruteak City | Morning | 2

Immediately feeling the change in the wind, his fur twitching as it usually did, he looked up, hunching up his back in an attempt to look more intimidating. Glaring back at the Mienfoo, he stood his ground. She wasn't going to touch him. At least, if she knew what was good for her. After all, he was obviously the more important of the two, and even had the type advantage on her. She would be quite the fool to even attempt to harm him. After all, she'd be attacking royalty. Not the wisest decision.

However, his glaring was interrupted when suddenly, what could only be described as some kind of living cottonball fluttered in the air above both of the Pokemon, and attracted his gaze almost immediately. "Hello there!" he greeted before asking, "Are you both new here?"

The Altaria's wings reflecting a slight bit of light through them, making him look a lot more appealing than the beast of a Pokemon that had snuck up on him, Scowling a bit at the Mienfoo before regaining his composure, he responded, almost pretentious. "Hello. Yes, I'm new to this area. Thankfully you interrupted before this... cretin got out of hand," he took a step towards the Altaria, moving away from the Mienfoo, and bowed his head, "I am Phi, the blessed Espeon of King Leo III. However, Phi is a perfectly fine shorthand version."

Hopefully if he introduced himself as someone who was to be respected, he'd actually be respected more around here. After all, even if he wasn't currently in that position of power, he knew he was much higher up than these simple commoners.

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Burned Tower || Morning
3
    Best not judge a book by its cover. The Haxorus was kind enough to explain the situation and even if he was lying, he held a good point: it's not the best shelter. There would be no reason for someone to stay here. Though Amara felt a pang in her chest as he questioned her reasoning for being in the tower. Best not to say anything too much of her situation, he had no reason to know of her personal affairs, but something she needed to answer so it didn't look like she was a complete and utter moron.
    "I'm meeting up with the rest of my group here," Amara said, her volume normal. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't complete truth either, "Never planned on a time, just that we were to all meet here and wait it out. I suppose that's a horrible plan to begin with, but better than no plan."
    Amara thought she heard something outside, but chose to ignore it. Though it sounded like conversation, she doubted herself as hearing things. It's easy to think you're hearing someone sneaking up behind you, but really there's nothing? What's the term? Paranoid? Like it mattered anymore! She's close to done with this bull.
    I mean, there's no way her human is here anyways, she's most likely dead. Frankly, it's more of a "I'll take my life here since this is essentially the place my human wanted to go, this being the noble act kinda deal?" How in the world is she to shake off this Haxorus? He doesn't seem like the type to leave her for good? It's totally sensible to ask him, "Hey, could you please leave? Because I'm trying to murder myself since I have no purpose now that my trainer is gone." Totally reasonable. Me thinks that the Haxorus is the type to stick with whatever survivor he comes across.

The fortunate part was that the Mienfoo at least did not seem entirely hostile. As the Altaria came in close, the small bicoloured weasel immediately pulled back. The expression on their face was not aggressive, as Nimbus admits he had been expecting, but instead they were rather put off. Taking their distance, the avian watched them carefully from the corner of his eyes as the Espeon steps forward. The feline was very...clean, considering the apocalypse had hit four years ago. The dragon blinked at him, tilting his head to the side slightly as they responded not in an unfriendly way. "Hello. Yes, I'm new to this area. Thankfully you interrupted before this... cretin got out of hand." Nimbus glanced at the Mienfoo, but did not see anything threatening about them still. I had probably overreacted. But better safe than sorry! The Espeon bowed his head then, earning a confused look. "I am Phi, the blessed Espeon of King Leo III. However, Phi is a perfectly fine shorthand version."

The Altaria found himself uncomfortable, touching down on the broken concrete. Ducking his long neck, the avian stared with insecure eyes at the Espeon, Phi. "Um.. Nice to meet you, your majesty?" Nimbus could feel the familiar knot growing in his throat. What was he suppose to say to that! "I- I'm just Nimbus." Swallowing quietly, the Mienfoo stepped forward then. "Can you tell me where this is? You're flying, so I'm assuming you probably have a better grip in terms of our surroundings or general location." By the voice, Nimbus assumed it was safe to figure the weasel was female. He nodded, eyes still flighty in their insecurity. The Mienfoo had such intense eyes... and while she was not necessarily hostile, the way she cut the small talk unnerved him. Was she in a hurry? It seemed unwise to be in such a rush. Moving without thinking would get you killed. "Um, yeah. It's Ecruteak city, Johto. That there is the famous Burned Tower, supposed ancient resting place of Ho-Oh," he added, nodding towards the building in question.

"But, it's pretty dangerous on your own. Are both you traveling by yourselves?" he asked gently, turning back to glance at Phi and the nameless female. "I know we've just met, but a small number can help your survival, surely." He added a smile.

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Ecruteak City | Morning | 3

"I- I'm just Nimbus." Looking up at Nimbus, returning his head from its dipped position, Phi responded, greeting the Altaria politely. "It is a pleasure, Nimbus."

His tail flicked slightly at the sudden shift of attention to the Mienshao. Though he wouldn't say anything, he hated that suddenly he wasn't being paid attention to. Did they not know who they were speaking with? He had already addressed himself as someone to be respected, did he not? And they still chose to ignore him?

"Can you tell me where this is? You're flying, so I'm assuming you probably have a better grip in terms of our surroundings or general location."
"Um, yeah. It's Ecruteak city, Johto. That there is the famous Burned Tower, supposed ancient resting place of Ho-Oh..."

Oh, so they were in Ecruteak. He'd heard stories of the place, but had never been. He never had to be here, at least. His ears perked up at the question the blue cottonball proposed, "But, it's pretty dangerous on your own. Are both you traveling by yourselves?"
Answering with smile in return, he grinned, "Yes, I have been alone. Luckily for me, I can avoid quite a bit of danger, so I've been quite safe as of late."

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Burned Tower || Morning
4
    She felt hesitant as the question struck her right in the nerve. Dear Arceus, he really is asking for the details. Does he have no mind for privacy? Then again, manners flew out the window the moment the world went to shit. If she could, Amara mind as well just push off the details and go straight to action in her plans of executing herself. Was it that much of a deal? To her, it felt like a noble deed.
    ...But there was no way the sounds outside were "her friends". Clearly Prince (what an odd name, sounds narcisstic beyond belief), had intentions of greeting them as he squeezed outside without even an "Excuse me". The Sawsbuck also held some curiosity, but she refused to remove herself from the tower; only to peek through the cracks of the worned down doors.
    Clearly with little to no view of the outsiders, Amara felt a frown appear on her face. A conflict she faces, the need to see the faces of other survivors. She had seen so little over the times, she wanted to know how they were able to cope all this time. There was no way they were all seeking the same goal as she was, they kept on moving for so long.
    A pain. Quite a pain.
    Her train of thought quickly diminished. One second the Haxorus was waving his arms happily at the sight of survivors, the next was calling out an undead preparing an attack on said survivors. The transition from the calm, quiet conversation they had earlier to fighting undead was unbelievable, a event that Amara could never quite get used to.
    Without much of a thought regarding her actions, the Sawsbuck unconsciously stepped out of the building, six orbs of the primary colors surround her. Nature's Power taking shape of Tri Attack though the cement city was but crumbles. The scene felt surreal, bursts of flames of Fire Blast escape the undead's mouth and at the three survivors. She processed it quickly that they were differing species, the names of those species at the tip of her tongue. She failed to notice the waves of sludge coming right at them.
    As Prince's claws glowed purple (what was that move again? Amara was aware it was poison of sorts), the orbs flew past him and aimed right at the crippling corpse of a Hydreigon. The battered up Dragon shouted at the survivors, Amara couldn't make out the exact words, but an odd set of chills came up her spine with the thought that she might have perhaps heard "traitor". A word she never wanted to hear, one that she finds that oddly describes her, but refuses to accept such accusations.
    In the back of her mind, she pondered why she bothered to go out. Maybe it was guilt that controlled her to help the survivors (well if they needed help to begin with), or maybe it was just out of her set of morals that pushed her outside the tower. Either way, what's done has been done and she cannot go back.

While the Espeon seemed friendly enough, smiling as he said that he had been on his own, the Mienfoo was less than enthusiastic. She started to speak, but was interrupted. A roar resonated through the area as Nimbus whipped around, his eyes widening as flames dripped from the oncoming dragons lips. The Hydreigon released a massive explosion of fire-- Fire blast?!-- but the Altaria had only moments to react. Thinking of the pair behind him, there was no hesitation as the avian opened his jaws. Immediately a swirling ball of navy blue energy ripped before him, the Dragon pulse meeting the flames only a few meters away from the others. Fire is doused by the Dragon, but that power. I don't know if that will work a second time.

But the Gods smiled upon them, suddenly a roaring Haxorus gaining the attention of the undead. The new dragon was shiny, his scales a deep grey and ashy black, something glittered from around his neck; the undead was missing a good chunk of it's body, but a tattered, burned red scarf was just visible around his neck; however more help arrived in the form of a Sawsbuck, a necklace around her neck. Behind him, the Altaria was suddenly aware of the fact that not one, but two undead had swarmed them. Phi and the Mienfoo--! He would have to worry about them later. The bigger threat was the Hydreigon, and with two Dragons on it, surely they could subdue it.

"Haxorus, duck!" Calling out the warning, another sphere of pink light formed in front of the Altaria. Shooting the Moonblast, glittering light fell from the attack like stars as it flew through the air, aimed right for the Hydreigon.

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Ecruteak City | Morning | 4

"Traitors! I'll kill you!"

Phi stared, almost in desperation at the oncoming wave of flames, his eyes wide. The fire burst from the dragon-type's maw like a volcano erupting, and Phi could only watch, until he finally snapped back into reality and attempted to dodge. However, he moved a bit too late, and the inferno scorched some of the fur on his cheek. Not enough to cause a burn, but the fur had definitely lost some of its color, turning a darkened gray.

Alongside the wildfire that was set free from the dragon's mouth, there was a wave of disgusting sludge. Phi jumped upwards onto the nearby rubble to dodge it, glaring at the two from his new perch. He was infuriated. "... How dare you?!" he growled, nearing the point of a roar, "You dare defile the fur of a prin-?!"

His ears perked up at a sudden, unfamiliar voice, instantly quieting his own voice, as much as he hated to be silenced. "Hey, asshole! Hope you know what's coming to you, bastard!" Grimacing at the profanities hurled this way, Phi simply watches the black and gray blur move across the rubble, headed this way. As the blur passes by, Phi's fur shakes with the sudden force.

At this point, he stood his ground, trying not to let the anger rising at the back of his throat make him make any bad decisions. He did have a disadvantage after all, considering the twin-headed beast's dark typing. Best just to let the Haxorus handle it, after all, it was obvious he was pretty angry about this whole fiasco. May as well let him have his fun, no? "Haxorus, duck!" he heard the Altaria shout, in which, Phi turned, watching the Moonblast fly across the scene, aimed for the Hydreigon.

Guess it wouldn't just be the shiny Pokemon fighting. That was good, then. Less work for him.

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Ecruteak City || Morning
5
    Clearly battling undead would be chaos. Everyone is everywhere, there was no strategy going on, just fighting whomever at whatever pace, and communication seemed difficult among the group. Maybe they're not a group after all and just recently met at the same time Amara and Prince...? Certainly fate or just pure coincidence that they all met at the same place.
    From the Altaria, a bright light shoots straight at the Hydreigon and it's unbearably blinding. Amara looked away, the strain on her eyes from looking at it was painful. As the light faded, only the screams of Prince rang through the air.
    Run.
    It took a while to process or maybe it was hesitation that was present. The Sawsbuck only ran when the orange light from the meteors reflected from the ground. But it wasn't the meteor that threw her off, it the impact of the meteor. For a moment, she was flying, her hooves unable to touch the ground. Then suddenly pain. Excruciating pain on her right ankle. She landed right on it a few feet away from the blast.
    "It hurts..." A small comment. She glanced over to her wound, skin torn and muscle showing, thick red liquid oozed out. This needs treatment immediately, at least before it gets infected. The doe struggled to get up, falling down whenever attempting to stand. "Prince?" She looked around her surroundings, the Haxorus no where to be found.
    But she certainly felt a strong presence around her.
    It took her no longer than three seconds to realize that the looming shadow over her was the undead Hydreigon who just doesn't seem to give into death.