The MEETING Team (PLOT)

"...I said 'no'..."

He sighed, saddened by the continued resistance of his brother, but just as he opened his mouth to speak Eldes continued and the blue haired twin realized that he wasn't rejecting the story. He was telling it. "In prison, a lot... a lot of men made... passes. But they seemed to... back off when I wasn't... interested." His hand out of the way Eldes continued to work through his story, slowly bandaging the injured appendage as his tale unfolded. "But then a guard... he asked... and I said 'no' and... well... he didn't like that."

He could feel Eldes tense at the memory, soon becoming trapped within it as Ardos himself often did, and he reached up to grip his brother's arm to try and anchor him out of it. "He accosted me. Attacked me. Beat me within an inch of my life when I tried to defend myself... He... he took me, Ardos." His heart ached as he watched Eldes once again bubble over in tears, his hands still not ceasing their careful work despite the difficulty he was having seeing through the mist of his own eyes. "And when I finally stopped fighting, he branded me. Carved his name in my back, so... so everyone knew. So no one else would want me. So I'd never forget."

Finally Ardos could take no more and used his grip on Eldes's arm to pull him in, tucking the red head's head into his chest and letting him cry as he began to gently rub his back. The gentle comfort he offered his brother hid well the fury boiling within him, the multitudes of painful deaths he would inflict on a man he didn't even have a visage of. When he found who did this to his twin, even if they were already dead, there would be hell to pay.

After several moments of just holding his twin close Ardos ceased his soothing caress and simply wrapped his arm around his brother, holding him close in a gentle hug. He didn't want to ruin whatever comfort he had offered but he needed to know what kind of cesspool of a human dared to brand his twin. "Can you tell me who did this Eldes? What monster marked you?"

Though Eldes had expected words from his normally verbose and loquacious twin, there were none. The good hand Eldes had batted away had apparently gone to his own arm, though the ginger hadn't realized it. Upon finishing his horrific story, Ardos used that hand and arm to pull Eldes in out of his nightmarish reverie and into a hug. As Eldes had given up on such a familial and gentle embrace being possible after what had transpired that morning, the rest of Eldes' fortitude and composure shattered and he crumbled into his brother's arms. The burden he'd been carrying, the humiliating, sickening secret he'd been carrying for so long was finally out. He didn't feel better about it, however, as he still knew that, even after all of this, Ardos would still have to kill him.

But his twin was patient as he wept again, his good hand gently rubbing his back and shoulders as the sobs ruthlessly tore at him once more. Thankfully for the both of them, the episode didn't last long, as the roller coaster of emotions he'd been stuck riding had taken too much out of him to continue. Ardos soon shifted and Eldes raised his head a little from its spot on the former's shoulder. "Can you tell me who did this Eldes? What monster marked you?"

He didn't want to, to be sure. But Eldes found himself too utterly spent to argue and pulled away from Ardos to start tugging at his jacket and shirt hem. Sullenly, he pulled the clothing away from his back to reveal the crude scars just visible over the hem of his pants. "RICHARD" was scrawled across the pale, freckled skin, mocking both its host and its viewer. "I think... it says 'Richard'... but I knew him as 'Officer Witherwood'."

Ardos felt Eldes pull away, and for a brief moment considered telling his brother to forget he even asked. The red head looked so hurt, lost, his depression rolling off of him in waves so thick that they began to choke the very air out of the room. But he had to know. He had to know who had dared mar the mirror image that stood before him, who had attempted to break the bond between the two men. Eldes slowly turned and pulled up the back of his shirt, and for a moment he was happy his brother was turned away from him because the look of pure hatred that flashed across Ardos's face would have surely been taken the wrong way.

RICHARD

In large, crudely drawn out lettering, was spelled the name of a man Ardos would never forgive.  "I think... it says 'Richard'... but I knew him as 'Officer Witherwood'." Richard Witherwood, the name of the man he would erase from existence the moment he found him. Without thinking he reached out slowly and brushed his fingertips over the jagged and raised skin, as if burning the name into his memory, and quickly pulled away when he felt Eldes tense at the gesture. This man had done horrible, unspeakable things to his twin and forced him to suffer it alone. Despite the difference in their world views the pair had always suffered every hardship together, never leaving one to more misery than the other if it could be helped. This...this was worth Eldes being so angry at him. It wasn't that Ardos hadn't been there to stop it, it had been that he wasn't there at all. Eldes had been alone, with no one to turn to, and that was unforgivable. He understood now.

"I've made my decision," he said aloud, reaching out to his brother's hands and making him drop the fabric back over his shame. "Please, wait here a moment." With a quick squeeze of his hand to Eldes's shoulder Ardos made his way back over to his large desk and pushed a button attached to the small speaker mounted in the corner. A loud, high pitched tone rang clearly through the air as his finger held on the switch, and stopped just as suddenly when he released it. It was finally time to end this terrible day. "They will be here momentarily, if you would like to collect your things."

Eldes hadn't known what he was expecting, exactly, when he showed Ardos. But whatever vague, elusive expectations he held for his twin's reaction certainly clashed with the one he received. Eldes flinched on pure instinct as he somewhat felt his brother's fingers graze the parts of his skin he could feel, but there were no words once more from his otherwise vocal twin. It was unnerving and distressing, to be sure, and the redhead felt that if he weren't so otherwise exhausted and exacerbated, he likely would have felt much more fear than he did at that moment. But soon enough, Ardos pulled Eldes' clothes back down, covering his humiliation and putting Richard back into the shadows to lurk.

"I've made my decision," he announced as he tugged at Eldes' shirt. His voice was back to its normal, nearly monotone and authoritative timbre and Eldes couldn't react to the last knife in his soul. Here it was. What he'd been waiting for all morning. "Please, wait here a moment." Ardos gave a final squeeze to Eldes' shoulder as he strode professionally to his desk and pressed something -weird, Eldes didn't remember anything there- which caused a high-pitched sound to echo over a speaker he hadn't noticed in a corner. He flinched at the sound, not expecting the sharpness and volume of the note held, but straightened when it ended. "They will be here momentarily, if you would like to collect your things."

Confusion and pain were clear on Eldes' face as he turned back to his twin. "You're not... going to be there?" The security detail that had escorted him in soon entered and approached, causing Eldes to back away from them. "Wait, please, what are you going to do with my pokemon? Please, don't put them in the battle cages-- whatever they are! Just be merciful and put them down," he begged as the grunts surrounded him and the silver-haired admin stood by to supervise. "And my things are still good; there's no need to bury them with me. But at least be there with me when they shoot me, Ardos. Please..."

"You're not... going to be there?"

The pain in his brother's voice wounded Ardos, the other male clearly certain of his fate. Ardos forced himself to remain still as his security team entered and encircled the red head, resisting with all his might the urge to pull his brother into one last embrace as he saw Eldes back away in horror. "Wait, please, what are you going to do with my pokemon? Please, don't put them in the battle cages-- whatever they are! Just be merciful and put them down," His emerald gaze, still obscured by glasses, drifted over to the pile of pokeballs resting on his desk, a few having rolled away during his previous tantrum. He was surprised they didn't go flying with the rest of the debris, actually. It was certainly like Eldes to care more about their fate than his own, and it brought a sad smile to Ardos's face as he raised his head to look at his brother once more.

"And my things are still good; there's no need to bury them with me. But at least be there with me when they shoot me, Ardos. Please..." He winced at the casual mention of his own death, Eldes pleading not to be spared but to just not be alone when it happened. "Eldes..." his voice was strained, cracking with the weight of emotion he did not want to show in front of his men. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time his tone dropping even lower as he purposely pushed any trace of feeling from it. "Eldes Verich, for crimes against Cipher and the willful manipulation of your former status to undermine everything this organization stands for you are hereby banished from this island from now until the day of your death. This judgement is final and cannot be rescinded except by overturning your conviction, which can only be done at my discretion. Any attempts to gain entry to Citadark Isle or its surrounding waters will be met with swift and exacting punishment that will result in your death. Do you have any questions regarding your sentence before it is carried out?"

"Eldes..." The small strain in his twin's voice to say his name would be the last emotion Eldes saw from his mirror. Eyeing the grunts positioned around him warily, the redhead could only wait as their leader directed them as he was completely at their mercy. Ardos cleared his voice and with it, the rest of his emotions as he formally laid down Eldes' sentence.

"Eldes Verich, for crimes against Cipher and the willful manipulation of your former status to undermine everything this organization stands for you are hereby banished from this island from now until the day of your death. This judgement is final and cannot be rescinded except by overturning your conviction, which can only be done at my discretion. Any attempts to gain entry to Citadark Isle or its surrounding waters will be met with swift and exacting punishment that will result in your death. Do you have any questions regarding your sentence before it is carried out?"

Eldes could only stand and stare in shock. Banished...? His heart skipped a beat and his head swam with the realization that no, he wasn't going to be put in the middle of the compound or on the docks and shot, his corpse flung into the ocean for the infected to munch on. He stammered and looked to the grunts in confusion, somewhat angry that they were between him and his own twin and he shook his head. "...You're... not killing me?" he dumbly questioned, his breath quickening as he spoke. "Why?"

The play of emotion on his twin's face was very telling, and when it ended with him glaring at the grunt blocking his desire to go around the desk to confront him Ardos had to squash the feeling of wanting to let him. "...You're... not killing me?" His question was quiet, but both his heartbeat and breath took on a rapid pace. He was going to go into a panic attack at this rate. "Why?" He clenched his jaw and refused to meet Eldes's pleading eyes.

"My decision is final. It is not the place of the accused to question his judgement unless he sees fit to contest it. I doubt you do, since the only contest would lead to the death you already assumed." Ardos slid slowly into his chair and brought his gaze to the silver haired Admin standing off to the side, still observing. "Virgil, please see to it that Eldes is escorted off of the island. And be sure he gets his belongings back. No point in sparing him if I just send him unarmed off to his death."

"My decision is final. It is not the place of the accused to question his judgement unless he sees fit to contest it. I doubt you do, since the only contest would lead to the death you already assumed." Eldes' vision swam as Ardos spoke with that distant, cool tone of voice. This... Ardos was actually letting him go. And while Eldes knew that his brother needed to keep the calm facade intact while in the company of his underlings, the ginger detective felt resentment for his capability of ridding himself of emotion. "Virgil, please see to it that Eldes is escorted off of the island. And be sure he gets his belongings back. No point in sparing him if I just send him unarmed off to his death."

Hands grabbed his arms from all different angles as the circle of grunts moved like a strange, multi-bodied organism. His eyes shot up to the silver-haired admin, Virgil, and then back to Ardos, who was now sitting coldly behind the desk. No. They were taking him now. They were taking him and they were going to throw him away. "No!" he quickly protested, immediately trying to rouse his exhausted body to resist the powerful pull of the grunts around him. "Let me go!"

They half-dragged, half-carried Eldes to the door as his panic rose more and more, his adrenaline offering more strength and stamina than he realized he had. The grunts that hadn't grabbed Eldes were picking up his things, their admin watching carefully, but all Eldes could see was Ardos, sitting at the damned desk. For so long, he had been without his brother, his other half. He only revealed what he did because he thought he wouldn't have to bear the burden of his own shame or the pain of being apart, but now? Ardos was dooming him to live a directionless life, one where he was still an enemy to his own twin, where he still had no place. He couldn't carve out another life for himself. Not now, when he'd just been back with his only family. He couldn't sustain that again.

"Ardos-- ARDOS!" he cried, he feet and hands bracing themselves against the door frame as the grunts tried in vain to pull him through. "Please, please don't leave me again! I just found you-- get OFF of me!" A bout of rage ran through his tired arms as he used his elbows and sheer size to overpower the thinner, leaner grunts that attempted to control him. There was a slip of a hand, a window of opportunity. Eldes felt his body slip and so on instinct, he bolted straight forward, back to Ardos.

Before the other grunts or their admin had time to react, he darted around the desk and snatched his twin in his arms again, eyes wide with terror. "Don't let them take me. Not again. I don't want to be separated again--" He was soon cut off as a cry of pain erupted from his chest and throat, not expecting the sharp sting in his side as Virgil disabled him with a pressure point. Eldes crumpled and his adversary quickly took advantage as the grunts swarmed him again, this time each grabbing a limb and hoisting him like a wild animal. "Sorry, sir," the admin quickly mumbled as he gathered the rest of the scattered belongings and followed the troupe.

He fought and writhed in their grasp, but it seemed now they were far more prepared. Each limb had been secured by a separate grunt. The other cult members stopped in their tracks and watched as he was carried out, his screams echoed in the otherwise silent halls and chambers. He called for his brother again and again, each cry rendering his voice weaker and more strained. No one moved to help, of course. It was all wide-eyed stares and silence.

It seemed millennia until they reached a final door and upon its opening, the smell of salt and fish washed over Eldes. The cool sea breeze indicated that he was nearly out, nearly done in his journey. Though fighting was useless now, he still tried to fight his captors until he was simply dropped to the rocky ground. He coughed; the breath had been clear knocked out of him. Beside him was another thump as his bag was tossed to the ground next, and as he stared up at the grey, overcast sky, the silver-haired admin soon appeared, his face impassive.

"You can use the dinghy you were brought in," he spoke evenly. "Should you attempt to come back to this island, we will not hesitate to shoot to kill. You should know that this is not an idle threat. Your belongings are all in your bag." Eldes coughed again and rolled over, slowly getting to his feet. Once up, he saw the grunts that had been carrying him now had their guns all trained on him, unmoving. A small, defeated whimper escaped him as he looked up where Ardos' office should be. Though the light reflecting against the windows made seeing anything within them impossible, he still couldn't help but trying.

Defeated, Eldes turned to the dinghy, then slowly collected his bag. Each movement was more difficult than the last. While he'd been sent away from the Isle before, this time, he had to perform every action himself. He wasn't pushed into the vessel like last time. He wasn't chained. He would have to row himself, row away from the only home he'd ever really known under the power of his own arms. Mechanically, robotically, his arms and legs autonomic, he gathered his bag and got in the boat. He rowed, each push a dagger in his soul. Stealing a final glance up at the windows he knew belonged to Ardos' office, he paused in the water before he looked back to the detail still aiming their guns at him. He had no choice.

...Again.

This was torture, actual torture to watch Eldes completely break down like this. "Ardos-- ARDOS!" The red head struggled and flailed to break free of his captors, determined to not budge past the threshold of the doorway, and he was doing a pretty fine job of it. Every cell in Ardos's body screamed for him to relent and wrap his brother back into his arms, to forget the whole thing and welcome Eldes back home. But it was not possible. His twin had done too much to try and cut the legs out from under Cipher, and the Grand Master was already taking a huge risk in banishing his brother for his crimes rather than killing him outright, as was the standard for cases of treason. No, he couldn't falter.

"Please, please don't leave me again! I just found you-- get OFF of me!"

The security team and Ardos were surprised when Eldes managed to break free, and Ardos rose instinctively to protect himself as the red head rushed straight towards him. He expected a punch, a tackle, anything to repay him for the punishment he had just delivered, but instead he found himself wrapped in a bone crushing hug. He froze, unable to comprehend exactly what happened for several moments, but when the warmth of his brother seeped through his robes he found himself overwhelmed with the desire to return the embrace. Yet again, it was something he could not do. His men were in the room and Ardos had to give off the impression of indifference lest they suspect any favoritism playing part in the sentencing. Which it did, but they could not be allowed to know this.

"Don't let them take me. Not again. I don't want to be separated again--" Ardos felt tears stinging his eyes and ducked his head slightly to whisper one last goodbye to his twin. "I love you too," he murmured gently against Eldes's hair, grimacing when he heard the sharp cry of pain as Virgil subdued the red head. "Sorry, sir." Ardos nodded and allowed his brother to be carried off by Virgil's team, followed swiftly behind by the silver haired Admin.

His frozen postured remained until the door slid closed behind Virgil and finally Ardos's body lost its rigidity. He slumped back into his chair for a moment as the echoing cries filtered down the metallic halls, the voice of his other half growing fainter as the minutes went by. When they finally fell too quiet for him to detect the Cipher head found himself drawn to the large window of his office facing the outside world. He paused at the edge of the window and peered down at the pier below, watching and waiting for the silhouettes of his men to come through the doorway.

The wait was not long, and Ardos was greeted by the sight of Eldes still struggling to break free of his bonds until he was dropped on the shore, weapons trained at him with precision as Virgil motioned towards the boat and then his men. He could imagine the speech the Admin had, each word would be as concise and authoritative as Ardos's own sentencing had been. Virgil was a professional, and more than deserving of his title. When Eldes looked up to the window Ardos felt his heart clench, barely able to make out the face of his brother from the distance but knowing the sorrow on it just the same. Eldes wouldn't have been able to see him but it didn't matter, he knew Ardos would be there, and he rose his hand to the glass to gently rest it against the visage of his twin as he begrudgingly got into the boat that brought him to the island.

Eldes pushed away from shore slowly, but eventually made his way to the open water before stealing one last glance towards Ardos's window. The Grand Master's face was already wet with tears from watching the display on the shore and the burning rivulets returned as he watched that gaze fall away for the last time. His throat began to close as a whine of pain rocked through him, hissing as his fists clenched and aggravated the cut Eldes had so lovingly tended. He opened his palm at stared at the half finished bandaging, red beginning to seep through the cloth and reminding him of the fight that preceded it.

Venus...

As his brother became no more than a dot on the horizon Ardos finally tore himself away from the window and back towards his desk, calling for Virgil to immediately report back to his office once he was back inside as well as one of his other Admins, Scout Master Tanryn. He had jobs for both men and they needed to be top priority, especially since now they would have to up their game. The petty human resistance on the mainland could not be allowed to interfere, and Ardos would make sure they wouldn't.

Everything burned. His eyes, his arms, his legs and ribs. Every movement was nothing but pain, both in body and soul. His sobs were stifled by his panting from the excursion of rowing, but it didn't stop his lungs from adamantly trying. Occasionally, Eldes found himself having to stop occasionally as the weeping overtook him, but the knowledge that something could be lurking beneath his tiny defenseless dinghy was enough to keep him motivated to get to shore. Once there, though, he collapsed into a fit of weeping.

Yesterday, he'd been right there, getting the shit beaten out of him. Right there, he had been ignorant of Ardos' health and power, of the fact that he still held Eldes so dear and close to his heart. Ignorant that all his rage for the past few years had been misdirected and unnecessary... It was a strange feeling to be sure, but for a while, Eldes' sheer sorrow of being alone in the world again overtook any sort of whimsical nuance of his situation.

He crawled to an abandoned building next to the remnants of the bonfire he'd spotted yesterday, pulling his bag with him while half blinded by tears. Gut wrenching and chest heaving with his sorrow, he shakily brought it under his face and used it to muffle the sounds of his cries. It was all gone. Again. His only path in this world was once again taken from him, swept out from under his feet and he was forced back into the world alone to survive. Not truly alone, he supposed, since he had his pokemon, but... It wasn't the same.

It would never be the same.

He had mourned his life the night before, wept for it and bade it farewell as he prepared himself for his own death. It never came, of course, but in a grim twist of irony, Eldes found himself grieving the fact that he was still alive now. That he had to once more carve out a niche in a world that at best was indifferent to his survival. It was exhausting, having to reinvent himself so many times... Did he even want to, at this point?

His shoulders shuddered as his weeping slowed and a hand rested on a small hard bump in the bag that could only have been a poke ball. His mind went to his pokemon, all of whom were likely ignorant of what had just transpired, save for maybe Oasis. It wouldn't be fair to them if he just gave up; they had fought alongside him for his own self-esteem and confidence. They had worked just as hard, if not more so, to ensure that he was still standing here. Could he really throw that dedication and work to the wayside for his own selfishness?

No... of course he couldn't.

Heaving a shaking sigh, he opened his bag and grasped Oasis' ball, staring down at it sadly. The sunset-painted Flygon had been his rock for ages, and he knew he needed her now. As much as he didn't want to recount everything that had happened with Ardos, nor the argument they'd just fought for the past few hours, he knew she deserved to know. Sullen, defeated, he released the distressed dragon and began to explain himself.

Tanryn and Virgil both nodded and took the files from their Grand Master, their orders clear. The pair of Admins gave their salutes as the walked out the door but the shorter of the pair, Tanryn, paused for just a moment before crossing the threshold of the door to look back at the sullen expression on his boss's face. Half of his order, to watch Eldes and keep track of his movements to ensure he didn't sneak onto the island was obvious, but the second half... This was personal to the boss. Same with Virgil's odd orders. Shaking his head he finally turned and walked out of the room to leave Ardos to his own devices.

When he was finally alone Ardos picked up a receiver and called the one person he knew would be capable of carrying out his final mission. The resistance couldn't be allowed to interfere, so Ardos needed a preemptive strike. He spoke briefly, receiving the affirmative he needed before hanging up and leaning back in his chair. His head was pounding. Exhaustion, lack of food, the emotional roller-coaster he had been on today, and the quick decline from inebriation was taking a drastic toll on his cognitive abilities. Rubbing his temples soothingly he attempted to ward off the headache to no avail, realizing he would need to get some help. He made one final call to the kitchen staff before closing his eyes and leaning back to try and ignore the thundering in his skull.

A half hour later there was a knock on his door, the Cipher head opening it with a push of a button to avoid getting up from his desk and waving the kitchen main away once she dropped off his lunch. He didn't care about the sandwich or fruit he had been given, all he wanted were the two bottles of whiskey he had asked to be brought up with them. Grabbing the first bottle he didn't even bother with a glass before popping it open and taking several long pulls straight out of the bottle, feeling that pleasant warmth crawl down his throat and into his belly before spreading across the rest of his body. This was what he needed. This was all he needed.

"You do know it's barely after noon."

"Shut up," Ardos growled at the unwanted specter of his brother, sitting casually in the chair opposite his desk as the real Eldes had only an hour before. He didn't want to deal with anymore hallucinations until after he was well drunk, he was too sober to handle his subconscious at the moment. "I'm only worried about your health." The blue haired male scoffed and rolled his eyes, getting up from his desk and walking away so he didn't have to look at the shadow of his twin. "Go away." The specter sighed. "You're allowed to cry you know, it's normal to cry."

"Don't tell me what is normal. Nothing about any of this is normal."
"You love me, and you sent me away. It's okay to be upset."
"I had to send you away so you could live."
"I know. But that doesn't mean I'm not upset. I'm crying too you know."
"I know..."
"Ardos-"
"Don't! Just...don't speak my name with his voice. With his face. I can't...please..."
"You can let it go Ardos. No one here will know. Just let it out."
"Please...don't..."
"Say it."
"No..."
"It's the only way you can face what you are most afraid of. Say it."
"I-"
"Come on, it's okay. It's just us."
"I can't."

Unable to face himself or the apparition any longer Ardos began to weep openly, his heart feeling like it was beginning to rend in twain. The things his mind and the spirit wanted him to admit where things he couldn't even begin to confess, even to himself. Deep within his mind he knew the truth but he had buried it beneath years of self loathing and alcohol. By nature he was a private man but even this was a secret to dangerous to allow any occupancy in his mind. He curled into the familiar corner by the bookcase with his bottle and began to sob into his knees as he waited for the taunting vision of his brother to depart. But this time he stayed, even though he fell silent, he stayed.

It had been two weeks.

Two weeks since Eldes had spent a single day on the looming, shadowed fortress on the horizon. Two weeks since he'd reunited with his brother and, not 24 hours later, was jettisoned from him by his own orders. Two weeks since Eldes dragged himself up the beach and sat his ass down and simply refused to move. Oh, his pokemon had thought him nuts. The Cipher scouts did what they could-- taunt, threaten, what have you.But Eldes knew now their mouths were full of marshmallow teeth. Ardos wanted him alive and healthy. No one would jeopardize that.

So what was to keep Eldes from just... staying there?

Gateon Port had, from the look of it, been kept clear vigilantly for a long time. And not only had the Cipher scouts killed any Infected or bandits, they'd cleared the bodies from the town. Ardos was likely keeping it relatively clean until Cipher was strong enough to move inland, but it didn't matter to Eldes. The town was in decent enough for him to take up residence, his preferred spot the lighthouse. It was still somewhat structurally sound; even looked like there had been signs of repairs on the upper levels and foundations. It stood to reason. The lighthouse was incredibly important to a port city and would be one of the first things that needed to work once Ardos retook the city.

Still, Eldes began to act like the town was his own soon enough. He gathered containers and soil and began to plant various berry trees, using the storms forged by the citadel's machines to farm. His pokemon helped, of course, by collecting water and freeze-drying any sort of food they accumulated. Not only that, but they became restless with the lack-luster state of the building and put themselves to work, repairing what they could all while Ardos' scouts were helpless to stop them from squatting. Soon enough, the lighthouse became a sort of fortified greenhouse, their living quarters at the top floor to give them the advantage of seeing over the entire town.

Through his silent protestation, each day, he stared out over the ocean to where his brother resided. He wouldn't be cast away again. Never again. And if Ardos wanted him gone, he'd have to get rid of him himself. It was during one such moment, as the sky turned sour once more, that Eldes was disturbed from his wordless reverie that his sunset-painted Flygon approached him, churring and chirping cautiously. "Eldes?" He turned to his name, away from the choppy water slapping against the remnants of the pier. "We need your help getting the plants away from the grates. They'll drown in another storm."

He nodded. They'd been getting so much rain lately-- was it a way of Ardos trying to drive Eldes away from the port? One of his underlings? Maybe. Not that it would work. "Sure, hon. I'll be right down." She nodded and flitted back through the open door, banking a hard left to go back down to the ground where the others were. He closed it behind her, then made his way down the metal stairway to the rest of his team.

"Gonna be a big one!" Banny, his Azumarill chimed happily as he picked up a potted plant to hand to Koikoi. He sounded almost excited. The sentiment made Eldes smile a little; crazy rabbit always liked to dive headfirst into storms. "Might even last a couple days!"

"You think we'll be ok?" Koikoi asked, placing the potted plant on Patient's back, nestling it into the hollow of her tree. "The wind's already so strong--"

"We've made a lot of improvements to the lighthouse," Atticus, the regal Arcanine assuaged, his back to the group as he oversaw the movement around them. Though it was rare for an Undead to wander into the port nowadays, it never hurt to be on the safe side. "And it's survived four years without crumbling. We should be fine."

"Atticus is right, Koikoi," Eldes echoed, his tone gentle even as it rose in volume to combat the wind. "Let's just get everything inside first."

"Yeah, chop-chop, I wanna see some freaking WAVES!" Banny laughed as he bounced on his tail a little. "Maybe some water spouts'll appear! Ooh, ooh, or maybe a real tornado! Ehee hee hee hee hee hee!"

"Calm down there, Crazy, you'll hurt yourself," Eldes chided with a smile, placing the last pot onto Patience's back. The Azumarill laughed off the comment, bouncing and rolling back into the building with the others. Patience slowly moved inside as well, turning to Eldes.

"Let's hurry up and get this stuff off of me," she commented, earning Eldes' surprise. "I wanna see some shit tonight."

He laughed at her candor, patting her back fondly as he walked with her. "Of course, Patience. Wouldn't dream of keeping you from it."

"That steamy rabbit's gotten me all hot 'n' bothered for sum crazy weather action."

"Jesus!"

"Ooooh, Jesus has nothin' to do with what we're gonna see tonight, son," she replied with a twisted grin on her weathered face. "Think the other side of that spectrum."

Eldes had to take in a deep breath before his laughter threatened to rob him of any control he had over his lungs. "I... I won't ask."

"We love us some big ol' waves, don't we there, Banny Boy?" she called ahead, the Azumarill giggling like a mad fool. Atticus merely shook his head from his post, unflinching as the rough winds whipped his majestic fur back and forth.

Yeah, this was going to be an interesting night.

There was no greater feeling in the world than cutting through the air at breakneck speed, the wind whipping around his body and through his clothes. Eldes's trail had ended in Orre and he was determined to check every corner of the region until he found out where his friend had gone, and why. As they neared Gateon Port the wind began to take on a salty tang, picking up more and more speed until finally Zephyr was forced to land or face the chance of breaking his wings. But despite now being grounded the Infernium was still one of the fastest creatures alive, barely slowing down as his hooves touched ground and continued to beat down at the equal pace of his wings.

Storm clouds loomed in the horizon, stretching darkly over the sea and nearing the port, causing Michael to worry for their timing. He would have to get into town quick and put Zephyr back into his ball before the rains fell, or else the fire type would be miserable and unable to do much of anything. Lucky pressed tightly into his trainer's back to brace himself against the onslaught of wind, their new speed less aerodynamic now that legs were involved instead of simply slicing through the air. The red head reach back and gave a reassuring pat to the Espeon when he heard an unhappy whine at a particularly hard gust. The storm was moving in way too fast, they had to hurry or they would be caught in the downpour.


"A-a-choo!" Michael nearly doubled over with the force of his sneeze, shivering and cold under a narrow overhang over an old store's doorway. Lucky was curled around his legs, soaking wet and shaking as well, fighting the urge to bite down on Michael's calf for getting them caught in this hurricane level storm. They had not been fast enough to beat the storm and with the level of rain Michael had to get Zephyr safely into his ball before they even made it into town, so he and Lucky had walked from the outskirts all the way to where they now huddled.  The Infernium tried his best to keep walking through the rain but it was beginning to get painful, his fire dying slowly as his energy burned away, and despite the horse's protests Michael would not watch him suffer like that. So now they were kind of stuck without a clue where to hide.

Though, as he had looked around for some kind of shelter before finding their little awning, Michael couldn't help but be impressed at how empty the town was. It was like a ghost town, a proper one, not the sight of a terrifying plague that ravaged the living and turned them into monsters. It was practically clean by most city standards nowadays. No bodies, no undead, though he couldn't make out much about the damage level considering he couldn't see more than five feet in front of him due to the sheets of rain currently falling. But they couldn't stay out in this storm forever, they needed to find a proper shelter. His apartment was closer to the pier, which would not be a good idea to walk near considering the waves a storm like this would roll up, so that was out. So where could they-?

~Is that a light?~ The voice of his Espeon echoing in his mind startled him, flinching before looking down into the soft, violet eyes of his companion. "A l-light?" he asked, stammering from the chill in his body. "W-w-where?" The Espeon uncurled his tail and pointed it towards the pier, where a soft orange glow attempted to cut through the haze of the storm. ~Should we check it out?~ Michael nodded slowly. "I d-d-don't see how w-we have any other c-choice."

It wasn't a close run to the lighthouse, and he already knew the waves were going to be dangerous, so they needed to be smart about this. He knew the layout of Gateon well, having lived there for more than a few years before going into the police academy, so with his unique memory skills guiding the way the pair dashed out from under their protective cover and back into the torrent. His clothes were thick and heavy with water but he kept pushing through, sliding around corners on his boots before getting back up and running again, Lucky hot on his heels. His goggles thankfully kept the rain out of his eyes but his hair no longer had anything to hold it back so the long locks fell into his face and became stuck to everything, goggles included. Between the rain and his own hair he was practically running the streets blind.

Thankfully his notation about there being seemingly no undead was true as he arrived without incident before the walkway to the lighthouse, but the waves rolling over the top of it made him second guess bolting for the door. But from here he could make out the glow of a fire, and could tell it was man-made, not the light of a Pokemon. He could only hope whoever was on the other side was friendly.

Banny and Patience guffawed and hollered as the storm roared its fury down at them for their hubris, both of them in sheer, delighted awe at the power of the winds and water around them. They had had to retreat further inland, as the waves were becoming too violent closer to the pier, but the duo stayed close to the lighthouse as the waves exploded upon reaching the battered sea wall. No Infected or Undead Pokemon had found their way on shore, for the few that did manage to find themselves unlucky enough to get caught in the storm were utterly destroyed by the ruthless currents and winds.

Banny bounced a little at Patience's side, using his tail ball as a trampoline. "This shit is insane!" he called over the bellowing gales. "Did you see that Tentacruel get smashed to shit?! AMAZING!" He laughed as loud as he could muster, his voice getting swallowed by the noise. Patience joined him, eager to express her own joy at the sights. "Too bad everyone else didn't want to join!"

"Yeah, too bad," the Torterra called back, her eyes staying on the shore. She perked as what looked like an Undead Gyarados rose up in anger, only for its fragile decaying flesh to be stripped away by the debris and winds and knocked back into the water. "HA! EAT IT, YOU FUCKING WORM!"

"You are way too old to be cursin' like that, Granny Patience!" Banny scolded happily, giving her rough hide a light pat. The Torterra made an audible scoff and turned to him.

"I can fuckin' curse as much as I damn well fuckin' PLEASE, thank you very fuckin' much!" They shared a giddy, adrenaline-fueled laugh, turning back to the shore. Patience started rattling off more curses for the hell of it, but bright color and movement caught Banny's eye. He turned to see not just an Espeon shivering in the cold and wet, but a fucking human. A human that... looked remarkably familiar...

"Hey Patience--"

"Shit-eating--"

"PATIENCE--!"

"--Cock-gargling--"

"PATIENCE!"

"Titty-fucking-- oh WHAT, ya little bulbous bastard?" she called back, finally hearing him over the storm.

He pointed in the direction of the human, turning back to her. "Look at that shit!"

It took her a small amount of time to redirect her body in order to see, but when she had, her eyes bulged. "Fuck me sideways, it's a person!" she cried, and Banny couldn't help but laugh.

"No thanks, but we should probably help them out, yeah? Eldes would want to see them!' She nodded her agreement, to which Banny almost skipped forward while she trudged along behind him. It didn't take long for them to reach the almost drowned duo, the plucky Azumarill stopping just out of reach for any sort of physical attack. "Howdy!" he called over the storm. "Not the greatest idea, coming out in a hurricane!"

"Oh tits, this isn't a hurricane!" Patience shouted in reply, finally getting to Banny's side. "You folk are still dumb for dancing around in it, though! You need a ride? Our trainer's in the lighthouse!"

The waves were unpredictable, but it seemed like there would be gaps between the breaks over the walkway that they could make a run for the lighthouse. He looked to Lucky and the cat nodded, ears drooped and pathetic as he flattened out the irritation on his face in the anticipation of being indoors where it was dry. Michael shifted his weight to one leg, sliding the other back to prepare to make a run for it, but as he timed the last few waves a bouncing blue shape made its way across the platform. "Howdy!"

Michael's readied stance relaxed at the jovial greeting, his weight shifting back to balancing on both legs as he stood up straight again to stare at the water type approaching them. It was...rather friendly. "Not the greatest idea, coming out in a hurricane!" He smiled back awkwardly, raising one arm behind his head and waving politely with the other. "Yeah, we thought we could beat the storm."

"Oh tits, this isn't a hurricane!" A massive Torterra shambled up behind the Azumarrill, her gruff voice spouting such casually colorful language causing Michael to giggle. "You folk are still dumb for dancing around in it, though! You need a ride? Our trainer's in the lighthouse!" Lucian didn't even hesitate, pushing past Michael with lightning speed to leap onto the grass turtle's back and curl into the trunk of her tree. "Please and thank you, madam," he said gratefully as he stretched under the dry foliage now sheltering him from the water. He shook violently to try and get the foul substance out of his delicate fur, only to find he was too thoroughly soaked to fully remove it. This caused his grimace to return, and he immediately began a cleaning ritual to try and get dry.

Michael gave Lucky an apologetic smile and returned his gaze to the two greeting pokemon. "We'd really appreciate it, thank you. I was hoping that whoever built that fire was a friendly sort, because we really need to get out of the rain." He moved to take the offer of a ride alongside Lucky but the Espeon hissed and swiped at Michael as soon as his hand rested on the large land turtle, forcing him to flinch back and laugh nervously. "Guess I'm walking then." Lucky nodded angrily and went back to cleaning himself. Michael put himself between the two pokemon on the walk back so as to give himself a little more protection in case of a wave breaking over the walkway and happily thought of the warm fire that waited for them once they arrived.

"So, you said your trainer is in there? Is he or she alone here or are there others?"

Banny and Patience didn't even see the Espeon dash onto the Torterra's back, but only spotted him after he'd made it into her hollow trunk. Patience chuckled as she felt the light cat's weight shifting, happy to have made someone's day. "Please and thank you, madam."

His human with the floppy red hair gave them both a grateful look, both of them beaming right back at him. "We'd really appreciate it, thank you. I was hoping that whoever built that fire was a friendly sort, because we really need to get out of the rain." He began to shift to mount Patience as well, but the Espeon had other ideas. The hiss was audible even over the storm-- damn that cat was pissed. Banny chuckled at the two, the trainer backing off with a disappointed grimace. "Guess I'm walking then."

The Azumarill continued to laugh at the newcomers' antics, bouncing a little on his tail. "Yeah, guess so!"

They began to make the short trip to the lighthouse, but of course, in the fierce winds and walls of rain and waves it proved to be a little more difficult than a Sunday drive. Occasionally the water rose to their ankles, but Patience was sure-footed and Banny used every opportunity to float around in the frothy surf. "So, you said your trainer is in there? Is he or she alone here or are there others?"

Patience turned as the Azumarill bounced around them, giggling like a mad fool. It stood to reason he wanted to get all his crazy out since they were ditching the storm early. "Hold on to my cheek spike for balance, son!" she called over the rampant gales. "Don't wanna lose you to the winds!" she laughed and continued to stomp forward at a casual pace. "Nah, it's just us-- my teammates and Eldes. He's a real sweet guy. Hope he's not nekkid, though; he likes to use the storms to clean his clothes!"

Every time water crested over the stone path they walked Michael could feel his boots slide across the surface, two of those occasions nearly sending him on his ass. "Hold on to my cheek spike for balance, son!" He heard the Torterra call out to him. "Don't wanna lose you to the winds!" Her laughter was infections and the red head found himself giggling along as he happily obliged, reaching out and curling his fingers around her horn as he thanked her.

He realized they were almost half way there when she began her reply to his question about their trainer. "Nah, it's just us-- my teammates and Eldes. He's a real sweet guy. Hope he's not nekkid, though; he likes to use the storms to clean his clothes!" Eldes? "Eldes?!" Michael's smile lit up like a million kilowatt bulb, his demeanor shifting from controlled to an outright explosion of enthusiasm. The shift cause Lucky to look up from his hiding spot within the turtle's tree and perk up with the change in energy.

"Eldes is here?! Tall guy, quiet, kind of shy unless you get to know him, runs around with a bright pink Flygon named Oasis?" His questions fired off at rapid pace, each one quicker than the last as he nearly buzzed with excitement. "I can't believe- I found him! Lucky he's here! I knew we didn't lose his trail. You guys doubted me but I knew. Oh my god why are we even walking I need to get in there!" The Espeon watched as his trainer nearly lost his mind, letting go of the helpful tortoise's spikes and booking it the rest of the way across the platform, barely missing a wave crashing over the side.

Michael ducked into the small alcove the door was nestled in and quickly pushed in with the handle, happy to find that the door was unlocked as he all but fell into the open room. When his gaze fell upon a familiar mop of red hair and a proud, tiger-striped canine, he let out a relieved sigh followed by a light chuckle. His exuberance fell away into a heartwarming calm as he smiled at the older male, using the door to pull himself back up straight and rest against it. "Finally..." he sighed happily. "You know, for a ginger in the desert you are really hard to track down when you want to be."

"Eldes?!" Though it was normally alarming whenever someone recognized their trainer, the sheer joy and happiness that rolled off of the ginger kid in waves kept the two pokemon's anxiety at bay. "Eldes is here?! Tall guy, quiet, kind of shy unless you get to know him, runs around with a bright pink Flygon named Oasis?"

"Yeah, that's--" "I can't believe- I found him! Lucky, he's here! I knew we didn't lose his trail. You guys doubted me, but I knew. Oh my god why are we even walking I need to get in there!" The kid's words nearly blurred together as he launched himself forward, just barely missing a wave as he bolted toward the lighthouse. Patience's stride didn't change, however, and Banny simply paused in his bouncing and sliding to watch the ginger disappear into the building.

The Torterra finally chuckled. "Must be excited."

Meanwhile, Eldes had spent most of the storm preparing a meager dinner for himself and the pokemon around him. His dirty clothes flapped in the upper rooms without roofs, getting about as clean as he possibly could manage without detergent. Thankfully, he had salvaged some other pants and a shirt that weren't completely disgusting when he'd first arrived in the Port and was currently wearing that instead of striding around nude. The idea of getting caught unaware by an Undead or one of his brother's scouts in naught but his birthday suit wasn't an appealing one.

Still, besides the storm, it was a quiet night. His pokemon and he huddled around the fire, Atticus acting as a couch for himself and Koikoi. Oasis was aloft, watching the storm from the highest floor.

Suddenly, without warning, the door burst open and Eldes nearly lost his grip on the small can of beans he'd just opened. A hand went to the gun on his hip and Atticus tensed behind him, but the person filling their threshold caused them all to freeze in shock. "Finally..." Michael said, panting. "You know, for a ginger in the desert you are really hard to track down when you want to be."

Eldes balked at the sheer chance of it being one of his only friends left in the world to be standing there and put his beans aside as he stood. "O-Oh my God, Michael!" he sputtered, his arms reaching out to hug the young man before him. He closed the gap between them easily, pulling his fellow ginger into a tight, familial embrace, tears of happiness already spilling from his eyes. He didn't even care that he was crying again. "I can't-- You're alive-- How- How did you even find me?"

"O-Oh my God, Michael!"

Eldes's surprised stammer had the youth beaming, opening his arms in response the the quick embrace he was greeted with and wrapping them in a vice grip around the older man. He was soaked to the bone and freezing from the rain so the dry warmth of his friend's hold was a tremendous comfort. "I can't-- You're alive-- How- How did you even find me?" He could feel Eldes's tears on his shoulder, as well as hear the waver in his voice, and it only made him increase the pressure on his hug.

Years of helping the other man through emotional trauma gave him enough experience to know that, when upset, the best thing to do was to give Eldes an anchor to hold on to. He didn't know if the tears were due to something that happened while Michael was away, or if it was simply joy at seeing a friendly face, but either way he was here. Finally here. "I got so worried when you didn't make it to the evacuation point. Almost all of IPF was there, except you. They said they hadn't seen you since headquarters got hit and I couldn't..." He choked up a bit at the recollection, pushing his forehead into Eldes's collar to fight back the tears. "I picked up your trail from base and followed it all the way back here. I just...I had to find you."

Michael wasted no time in reciprocating the hug and Eldes nearly melted in relief. He'd worried over Michael's welfare over the length of their separation, whether he had even been at the IPF headquarters when the Shadow Honchkrow attacked. "I got so worried when you didn't make it to the evacuation point. Almost all of IPF was there, except you. They said they hadn't seen you since headquarters got hit and I couldn't..." Eldes' heart went out to the young man as his voice choked-- Eldes could sympathize with that. A lot. He said nothing and merely waited for Michael to finish as Eldes' other pokemon slowly approached them. "I picked up your trail from base and followed it all the way back here. I just...I had to find you."

"Good detective work, then," he joked in a gentle voice, enjoying the human contact until he realized the moisture was seeping into his clothes. "Oh, God, you're soaking wet!" He drew back from Michael to actually look at the youth, concern quickly overwriting any joy. "And you're freezing-- you're going to catch your death like this." He broke away from the boy to go to a spot nearby, snatching up a few spare blankets from his sleeping roll. "Here, take those off and I'll set them up to dry next to mine. I have some blankets and... I think another set you can wear in the meantime." He ushered Micheal to an adjacent door and opened it; it was a bathroom that had been moderately cleaned, not realizing he'd just asked a boy half his age to disrobe nor the parallel of his time on Citadark a fortnight earlier. "How did you even-- did you just dive into the storm or what?" he asked with a laugh.

"Good detective work, then." Michael didn't realize just how much he missed Eldes until he saw him, years of fearing the man's death leaving a large hole in his heart that was so rapidly filling back up he thought he would die. They stood together for few moments before he felt Eldes shift, squirming uncomfortably before pulling away with a grimace. "Oh, God, you're soaking wet!" Michael busted out laughing at the other red head's reaction and raised one hand behind his head sheepishly, completely aware that he had been dripping all over the fairly clean floor. "Yeah..."

His humor didn't seem to phase the older male as he looked over Michael's state with a look of concern and empathy. "And you're freezing-- you're going to catch your death like this." He walked away without warning, crouching down by the fire and pulling back what looked like blankets before coming back over. "Here, take those off and I'll set them up to dry next to mine. I have some blankets and... I think another set you can wear in the meantime." Michael just laughed and shrugged, already pulling off his jacket at the request.

Lucky arrived in time to see Eldes shoving Michael into a small room and tossing clothes in after him, snickering at he water trail left behind by his trainer. The Espeon stepped out of his happy hidey-hole within the trunk of the Torterra's tree and stretched, hopping off gracefully to continue drying by the fire. "Thank you, madam," he offered politely to the female who ferried him, giving her a gentlemanly nod. His gaze turned back towards Michael as the older red head moved about gathering things for him and felt another surge of defiance at the state his companion had put him in. "How did you even-- did you just dive into the storm or what?" Lucky's eyes glowed for a brief moment and Michael found the door of his bathroom rudely slammed in his face before he could answer.

~More or less,~ Lucky answered for him, projecting his thoughts aloud as he once again began cleaning himself as Michael banged on the door. ~He thought he could beat the storm but failed to realize he and the storm were heading to the same place. So it's his own fault, no need to coddle him Eldes.~

Soon enough, as Michael went to the bathroom to change, Patience and Banny arrived, Michael's signature Espeon hopping out of her hollow trunk to perch himself near the fire. Eldes had to stifle a laugh-- the poor cat looked ridiculous. "Thank you, madam," he offered, and Patience merely chuckled and nodded back. Banny locked the door behind them, now that everyone was accounted for, and went to the leaky spot on the other side of the floor to sit in while Patience sat near the door.

Eldes had been searching for the elusive third set of clothes when a door slammed, catching his attention. He then saw the bathroom door was now very shut while Michael protested from the other side. It would have alarmed Eldes had he not seen the slight purple hue around the door, nor Lucky nonchalantly cleaning himself in front of the fire. ~More or less,~ Lucky answered, earning a laugh from Atticus and Koikoi. ~He thought he could beat the storm but failed to realize he and the storm were heading to the same place. So it's his own fault, no need to coddle him Eldes.~

Eldes couldn't stop the smile on his face, even if he'd tried, as he approached the door, pausing at the stairs. "Ace!" he called. "Come down and say hi!" He looked back to Lucky and placed the clothes next to the bathroom door, going back to sit in the circle. "Can you blame me? I haven't seen you in so long, but... Mike, you really shouldn't have tried testing the storm," he called over with a laugh. "You know how quick they can stir up next to the coast."

No matter how hard he pulled or pounded on the door it simply wouldn't budge, the shimmering aura around it more than telling of how exactly he got stuck in this tiny space. With a heavy sigh he resigned himself to stripping off his soaked leathers and wringing them out carefully, trying not to stretch or shrink the fabric. Thankfully the jacket was treated leather so it would hold against the water, but he was worried about his cargo belt. Draping his belongings over a semi-secure shower rod he began to make an attempt to dry himself off before realizing he had nothing to change in to.

"Can you blame me? I haven't seen you in so long, but... Mike, you really shouldn't have tried testing the storm," Eldes's voice carried through the door and once again the youth felt the embarrassment for misjudging Zephyr's speed. "You know how quick they can stir up next to the coast." As he looked in the cracked, stained mirror he sighed, hair still draping and sticking to his neck and face. "I know, I know. I've had the lecture."

"Um....Lucky?" he called out, causing the Espeon happily laying by the fire to raise his head towards the door. "Can I get those clothes from Eldes, please?" Lucky rolled his eyes and released his hold on the door, Michael's arm quickly snatching out to grab the nearest cloth and pull it inside. Lucian laughed quietly to himself as he lay back down to enjoy the warmth of the bonfire.

It took a few minutes but finally Michael stepped out of the bathroom, the mismatched clothing not phasing him one bit as he sat down beside his friend. He smiled at Oasis and reached out to affectionately rub her head before looking back at his glaring Espeon. "I'm sorry?" he said for the millionth time, the psychic sighing and finally giving up the grudge as he scooted over and curled next to Michael's leg. Michael scratched and rubbed his pokemon happily as he absorbed the warmth of his fur and the fire before them, looking over to Eldes with a happy grin. "Somehow I remember camping with you being a lot less treacherous, don't you?"

Eldes' face brightened more as Michael's voice rang out from the Psychic-locked bathroom. "I know, I know. I've had the lecture."

It was then that Oasis flew down, immediately perking at the sight of the familiar Espeon and the voice emanating from the bathroom. "Um....Lucky? Can I get those clothes from Eldes, please?" The sunset-painted Flygon giggled as Lucky begrudgingly obliged and a pale arm swiftly shot out and snatched the offered clothes on the floor. She gave her owner a gentle nuzzle as they waited for Michael to emerge, everyone's moods a thousand times better with their company. Frankly, Oasis and the other pokemon had been slowly dragging Eldes out of his rut since that day two weeks ago, but the Flygon felt confident that Michael, if anyone, would be able to do a much better job of it.

Finally, he emerged from the bathroom, the mismatched clothes making him look even more juvenile than he was and Eldes gave him a fond pat on the back as he sat down next to him. Though the older man could barely suppress a chuckle as Lucky continued to glower at his owner, who could only offer an exasperated, "I'm sorry?" It seemed that was enough to placate the cat, though, and Lucky went to rejoin his trainer as Michael turned to address Eldes. "Somehow I remember camping with you being a lot less treacherous, don't you?"

That got another much-needed laugh from the other ginger, nodding a little as he looked Michael over. "Yeah, well, we were also not camping in an apocalypse, so that was probably what did the trick."

Atticus, though he was genuinely happy to see Michael and Lucky alive and well, had something else on his mind. "Michael," he began amiably, his voice gentle and yet full of authority, "You mentioned IPF and an evacuation point. What were you talking about?"

Eldes's laughter was such a relieving sound and hearing it made everything seem normal, if only for a moment. Like they really were just a couple of friends out on a camping trip, away from the prying eyes of the world and free to be exactly who they were. "Yeah, well, we were also not camping in an apocalypse, so that was probably what did the trick." Michael smiled at his best friend and his own laughter at the conversation, easing away the aches and chills of the biting rain that had previously doused him.

Things were quiet, comfortable, as the pair sat before the fire and simply enjoyed each others company. He couldn't remember the last time he and Eldes just hung out that didn't involve work, or something akin to it, and he wished it didn't have to be the world ending to have brought them together again. "Michael," The Arcanine's voice broke the calm and the younger red head craned his neck to look at the canine who addressed him. "Hm?" Atticus had been with Eldes since he joined the IPF and Michael adored the giant fluff monster. He had become used to the large pokemon's authoritative voice over the years and couldn't be happier that he had survived with Eldes all this time. "You mentioned IPF and an evacuation point. What were you talking about?"

"Oh, uh-" Michael paused, trying to figure out where to start. "Well when Headquarters went to hell everyone kind of scrambled. The department heads issued a warning through local PokeNavs and sent emails with coordinates to an evacuation site. Took me a bit but we managed to get there, though I lost my Growlithe to the hoardes..." His voice saddened at the mention of his department issued companion, the little female's last stand to defend her partner still a sore spot for the warm-hearted youth. "When we got there I checked in with the heads and went looking around for you guys, and a couple of the guys said they saw Eldes take off after things went sideways and never showed up. So I came looking for you."