(ACE) The LOST Team

"Now it is time to decide the roles for the rest of us. I volunteer for keeping guard. What do all of you want to do?"
Ubao started out then. The fire fox turned his head away for a second thinking quickly how he can be of any use in a place like this. He felt useless and hopeless more now with other pokemon around him. More alone with these pokemon then he had been before he found them. The walls pushing against him again, suffocating, strangling him, and driving him to breaking faster. The tails flicker again from left to right in a furred grey wave, then sink to just above the ground. Was there anything he can do to be of use? he was weak.  

"I can't feel any air currents. There are a few missing bricks but even I can't fit through them." the soft chirp in answer. He could have sworn there is something cleaner in the air then the voice and the other two there. His head turned facing into the dark hallway, ears flicker to movement. "Gross!" his head snapping back to the source.  

"You're so gross thinking you can boss us around when you don't have anything strength you didn't take from others and you think you're the one in charge here?" there is was the metaphorical dagger jab into his heavy heart. literally staggering in step from the attack Hikirio growled. His rage flaring back up in a whip of cyan flames around his body. The flames licking at the air around him in a hot blue cloak. "How Dare you!" his voice growled in a deep guttural pain. The fire lashing out like a whip lighting up the room with no target, a wild fire storm. Hikirio had enough of this lizard who had done nothing so far then run, done nothing but ridicule him and the voice. A flame burst rockets luckily down the empty hall not targeted at anyone, lighting it up and burning the shadows for a second.

Padding closer to the lizard. " You're the one that's run away from us, you're the one that's proving the most useless. ALL that you've done is belittle Uboa and myself for what? you're enjoyment? you're fear? trying to make you're self look stronger?. You're really really starting a fight?" growling getting closer as the flames dance splashing him with hot cyan glow. Those years of pain with the humans burning to life, the need to fight rearing it's ugly head. His head paining a faint picture of that houndour in the pit, flash of claws and fangs, crimson splatter and howls of pain and agony. "Why should I listen to you?".

The flames lashing out again blindly into the near by wall staining it in black ash. " Then don't, leave, and die alone when those demons find you. When they do the last thing you will think of is that 'I should have accepted the helping hand of those pokemon.' As the demon rips you apart limb from bloody limb, then when you're a 'gross' stain on the ground then What? his rage flairs again before the flames die abruptly in a crackle.

" Fine you want to hear it so bad, am weak. I find strength in trying to help the good pokemon around me. Where I find my strength in someone like Uboa. I suggest you do the same" snapping his fangs turning on his paws back to Uboa. Clearly still heated in his self destroying hate for everything reignites. Walking by Uboa out of reach into the scorched hallway now masking the fresh air scent that he had found seconds ago. The attack against him leaving it's mark, like a fresh wound. It was gone now what ever had made the different smell, and the sound.

Was it another pokemon that needed help or one of those nightmarish demons creeping in the shadows. It didn't matter now, his hate the only thing he knew ripping him apart on the inside. No longer feeling alone feeling a reminding emotion eating him alive. ' There was something there but it's gone now. A different smell and a faint moment he simply pointed out more just saying his thoughts so the others if they choose to hear him.

Uboa couldn't help but snort to himself when he heard Varanus continue to rant, letting out a sigh as he prepared another calm rebuttal to the reptile's accusations. Hikiro took unexpectedly took the initiative before the ditto could say anything, and with the sudden presence of heat the imposter's neck snapped towards the source. Snarling with feral ferocity the shapeshifter searched for the sudden threat, hands grasped into claws ready to rend whatever would dare to hurt his-"How Dare you!" Thankfully it was just his familiar fire fox. Significantly less enraged than in the few seconds prior  the pseudo Scrafty slipped into a more controlled pose, studying the situation carefully in case someone needed to be subdued. The Ninetails didn't seem to be aiming the flow of flames at any individual in particular so the entity decided to allow the fox to vent his emotions. Keeping silent while Hirkiro finished, white banded onyx eyes gazed at the fox, deep concern contorting their shape and that of the face they were affixed to. Hikiro...He must be deeply disturbed, I haven't seen an outburst of this magnitude for ages. Uboa noticed that Hikiro did not truly extinguish his anger but merely smothered it after it boiled over, but the ditto was glad that he had made his emotions evident early, before they erupted in a more violent fashion. Solemnly Uboa strode forwards towards Varanus, determined to prevent any further potential hostilities, knowing the possibility of a fight breaking out. With purpose, he spoke, staring piercingly at Varanus. "As you might have gathered, my friend there is in somewhat of a disturbed emotional state at the moment. His words were inappropriate but his emotions were still valid and need to be dealt with in several among our party. Whatever issues you have with myself can be dealt with in a calm and rational matter, in the interest of peace, and of a continued partnership, this is the discourse to take. For now I have business to attend to, a few moments time please."

Rotating on his heels when he was finished with his address he strode over to Hikiro, keeping pace and an adequate distance between the two of them as they both walked down the hall. Whatever was wrong with his friend, Uboa wanted to help with as quickly as possible. He knew that it likely wasn't something that could be cured with just a simple pep talk, but anything to help alleviate Hikiro's unhappiness would be more than worthwhile to the shapeshifter. The fox has been alone for too long, and misery is always worse in the company of loneliness. This time, the shape shifter spoke softly "Would you like to talk with me, Hikiro?"

In a mocking display of modesty he covers his mouth with his splayed fingers and laughs.
The sound is a spluttering, choking laugh that sounds like some small creature being inexpertly strangled. His eyes narrow further.
"You think you can fight me?" He hisses as if the thought is the funniest thing in the world.
His tongue extends.
"Pathetic." The laughter burbles from his throat like something diseased.
It would take someone far closer to him to see the unease in his twisted shoulders. Varanus clicks his teeth together again. The sensation helps keep him calm as he drags his tongue across the smooth slick surface. It's a compulsion and one he was brutally mocked for but couldn't stop. He clicks his teeth again, his black dead eyes giving no hint to his feelings, or any feelings at all as the fire rushes down the hallway.
He runs his tongue over them and clicks his teeth again, this time sharp enough for the sound to echo.
The strange burbling laugh, like he had learnt it from a book instead of some genuine joy, crawls out of this throat again.
"Those who rely on others do so because they are weak. They clustered around the strong like flies around a pile of shit." He raises one scaled hand with the claws facing up, his face twisting in a malevolent grin that would intimidate if the Ninetales were able to see it.
"Tell me Small Fry, can you even hit anything with that pathetic fire of yours?"


Kheru tilts his head to the side curiously as the black Scrafty begins to speak. It's the same height as Varanus so maybe he should perch on it if there was going to be a fight...But then again it looked kind of oozy, like tar. If he tried to perch on it his feet would get stuck. What a dilemma.
It sure was talking a lot. Kheru didn't care much about talking that wasn't about fighting but he kept up a cheerful mask to make it look like he was vaguely paying attention while the polysyllables flowed over him like rain over his feathers.
The smile dissolves from Varanus's face like it was washed off by the words. He goes from grinning with anticipation for a fight to a twisted frown like he's stepped in dog shit.
That wasn't good, the one thing Varanus hated was being told what to do by someone who didn't understand his focus. Varanus had a mind like an arrow, flying along a straight path towards a tangible target and everything in front of him was an obstacle that had to be pushed aside. Everything behind him was a little scrap caught in the slipstream that would soon be left behind. It really was scary~ Varanus was a really good fighter. They'd had a fun match together before...
Kherubiel flaps his wings. The end of his thought had just flown out of his head. That was disturbing. He acted the air-head because what was outside often wasn't worth taking seriously but inside his head he should be in control.
Without a twitch of change on his feathered face Kherubiel is suddenly very, very angry.
"I don't see anything." He chirps in his usual cheerful voice. He can't see anything in the murk but the Ninetales is looking like he heard something and he trusts the hearing of a deaf mon over his own useless eyes.

"As you might have gathered, my friend there is in somewhat of a disturbed emotional state at the moment. His words were inappropriate but his emotions were still valid and need to be dealt with in several among our party. Whatever issues you have with myself can be dealt with in a calm and rational matter, in the interest of peace, and of a continued partnership, this is the discourse to take. For now I have business to attend to, a few moments time please." The fur on the back of his neck starts to prickle listening to Uboa calling him unstable. More or less cutting him short of the truth about this pokemon, his opinions were wrong, everything that he said was truth was wrong to help make that gross pokemon cooperate. Peace he wants peace. This Pokemon was evil hidden under all that stench. Hikirio will not work with evil. Turning away from them as Uboa came over.

"Would you like to talk with me, Hikiro?" The fire fox huffed a poof of smoke from his maw. Taking a breath to try and calm down with Uboa there helping him he can clam down, he was trying. "You think you can fight me?", the dyeing embers shift sparking a little with in him. "Pathetic.", Hikirio head snaps back in the lizards direction. "Those who rely on others do so because they are weak. They clustered around the strong like flies around a pile of shit.". The fire storms beaks out again with in the fire type then as he was physically shaking with effort trying not to lose it again his control over his rage was boiling down again. his fur raised to it's tips on his ruff.

"Tell me Small Fry, can you even hit anything with that pathetic fire of yours?", that was it as Hikirio let it go. Erupting in frustration as flame burst breaks out cloaking him in flames as he turned to the lizard type the more talking he did the easier it was to hit him. His scent easily filtered out from the others. His natural pit fighter brimming to the surface. He was going to prove his worth even if it meant one of them was going to die. A pulse of a weak Extrasensory helping him mark the other pokemon painting a image of them and their location in his head. Focusing the flame burst a little more then Wild fire on the scraffty. Howling and snapping his jaws the Flame burst bursting in his more accurate direction. ' May you're evil find mercy in the after life for I have none" he growls.

((I have permission from Requiem for Uboa to tackle and subdue Hikiro.))
Uboa trudged forwards alongside Hikiro while Varanus' venom flowed over the both of them, but the shapeshifter knew that words were not the way to earn the reptile's respect, and kept his focus on his own friend and the path before them. The fox did not keep his composure so adamantly however, and it wasn't long before the shapeshifter felt heat on his body once more. We are having that discussion sooner than later I suppose. Turning sharply and falling into a crouch in one smooth motion, the imitator made a wordless bark with the tensing of his muscles. Without a moment's delay, the shapeshifter sprung forwards and leapt upon The Ninetails, interrupting the stream of fire from the fox. Crashing into Hikiro and latching onto his midsection, the two of them were flung towards the wall from the force of the psudo reptile's momentum. Not letting his grip slip in the slightest Uboa landed on top of the fox, putting to use the amount of time where Hikiro was stunned to shift his own position. Wrapping his arms around the fire type's neck in order to cut off the flow of flames. The likelihood of being thrown off and assaulted in a counterattack was all to likely and so the shapeshifter immediately went into a string of serene monologue in an attempt to calm the raging canine.

"The reptile speaks in ignorance, but you have done so also. Beyond simple self preservation we do not know of his motives, we do not know of his internal reasoning. As such we cannot judge him superficially, as he cannot of us. Do not forget the importance of sympathy, you don't know how anyone could be suffering at any given time. There is always a reason behind a creature's actions, and very, very rarely do they does someone do something with the belief that they themselves are doing wrong. So while they are wrong, they themselves do not know so and think themselves right. It takes great effort to dissuade them of this, and this requires patience. You will not get the desired outcome by screaming and spitting in rage, as they do. You've seen first hand how ineffective insults are for interaction, so my good friend I must ask of you this. Act with grace, since that is what is befitting of the beauty of life..."

Slowly but surely Uboa loosened his grasp and released The Ninetails, backing off carefully while he assessed whether or not  there would be further hostilities in the immediate future. Relieved that Hikiro's body language showed no such thing, the psudo scrafty bowed his head and uttered "I hope I haven't harmed you Hikiro, and I apologize if I have done so..." Glancing over his shoulder with an icy glare at Varanus, he continued "Is there anything I need to take care of?"

The flames lick around the worn stones, the bright light flickering reflected in the pools of dark water that dotted the sunken tower. The blaze reflects also in the wide dark pupils of the Scrafty as they contract with the light.
"Gross." He sniggers.
"Gross!" He repeats louder and the snigger grows into a laugh.
He raises his hands and drags his nails over his face. The white claws dig deeply into the scaly skin as he laughs louder and louder. The nails catch in the gaps between the scales and tear a few loose. The tiny particles of hardened skin fall to the stones as lightly as feathers and show shinier dampened layers of scale underneath. He clacks his teeth together more sharply until the pressure causes his gums to visibly whiten under the strain.
"GROSS!" He screams at the ceiling and gouges at his face.
His eyes roll back in his head and his tongue flops out as if he was being strangled by an invisible hand. Saliva drips over his chin as his hands drag across his face and pull down his lower eyelids to show their pink undersides.
"Gross." He whispers and glides his tongue over his teeth.
His neck violent snaps back forwards, his pupils dilating again until they seem to take up most of his eyeball. He blinks and it makes a wet sound.
"Gross." He stabs a finger in the direction of the other goo-bodied Scrafty. "Stop being so gross!" He shrieks and his tail lashes around his legs.
"Grossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgrossgross." He repeats under his breath as he scratches at his face.


Kherubiel takes wing instantly with a high pitched cheep of surprise. His cloud-like wings beat furiously and the scarred muscle strains as he fights to get airborne. The flames pass underneath him but the hot thermals lift him up and he nearly bumps into the ceiling.
He has to flare his wings to avoid smacking into the stones.
It was like being in a cage. He is cramped and trapped and he wants to smash into something hard until he sees shy again.
He settles for dragging his claws across the rocks in the hopes one will break loose and tumbles back downwards.
The Swablu perches on the same piece of broken stone he has landed on previously. He flutters his fluffy wings and grooms angrily.
"Be careful!" He scolds and checks over each feather to make sure he hasn't been burnt. "You could have burnt my feathers." He tweets.
His claws tighten in the stone and he flares his wings fully, completely failing to look intimidating but with enough of a disgruntled look on his beak to show he isn't happy.

Flame lick as the walls more and more as he listened to the lizard, possessed was the only thing that came to find. Taking a clawed step forward as the flame cloak pulsed again. It was Evil, it had to be  snapping his jaw. Evil had to be dealt with before it spread if the voice wasn't he was. His thought shattering like a rock smashing through a window as weight smashed into him before hitting the wall on his other side. The smell of fish and the cold substance. The voice, the voice attacked him. As she moved trying to through him off. His throat held cutting off any further flame as he had a second of not being able to breath.

Tails lashing out in a fury as she fights with the voice now. Uboa was attacking him holding him down. Rage melts into panic and fear. "The reptile speaks in ignorance, but you have done so also." Uboa started.  "It slanders it's very existence, it mocks others." he growls struggling to form words. "Beyond simple self preservation we do not know of his motives, we do not know of his internal reasoning. As such we cannot judge him superficially, as he cannot of us." Hikirio growled "he's fallen into evil temptation that much is clear." trying to move again as the near fluid like body holds him down.  "Do not forget the importance of sympathy, you don't know how anyone could be suffering at any given time. There is always a reason behind a creature's actions, and very, very rarely do they does someone do something with the belief that they themselves are doing wrong. So while they are wrong, they themselves do not know so and think themselves right. It takes great effort to dissuade them of this, and this requires patience. You will not get the desired outcome by screaming and spitting in rage, as they do. You've seen first hand how ineffective insults are for interaction, so my good friend I must ask of you this. Act with grace, since that is what is befitting of the beauty of life..." Ubao continued again.

As he froze listening to each word like spike now driving into his flesh tearing him open like humans did so long ago. Uboa was right. He himself had given into temptation. Going still at the realization of it. Uboa spoke true, he had discarded his teachings of sympathy toward others being greedy only for himself. Sagging now again the wall on the dittos weight. The fight had melted away along with the flames of fury. He can not expect others to follow Uboa's teachings till they were ready to learn, his ears lower then submissively as his fur cools. Hear no evil. Having to ignore the lost lizard now till it was ready for the path ahead. Hearing the small bird having said what he did. Hikirio shame filling the void he felt now, he had attacked the innocent.

Feeling the weight having been removed on his body but heavy set on his mind. Picking himself off the floor his tails hung low just above the floor. Shaking his silvery fur then as he took a breath. "I hope I haven't harmed you Hikiro, and I apologize if I have done so..." the voice said then. He didn't blame the voice at all. He knew it was right , it was always right. Without turning his head to Uboa. " No you are right, forgive me I have strayed far and forgotten the words" his forelegs shaking with effort before stopping showing no more hostility having been burnt out. Moving to the far end of the group just wanting some alone time while he relearns the words that once guild him. as he paced the opening of the hallway in a tight circle head and tails hung low as he thinks to himself. Showing progression of finding peace within himself as he meditates on the words again. Building up a wall around himself for his own protection as with as the Lizard like pokemon. He felt more lost having strayed this far, turning his head to the others for a second. Then looking back away as she paced a little more.

When the shapeshifter turned his scornful face at the reptile, his gaze hardened at Varanus continuous string of insults. However, when The Scrafty began to claw at his own face and chanted a manic mantra and added another object of worry. Had Varanus been injured somehow? "Are you quite alright-" The metamorph's sentence was cutoff by a hysterical shriek, the piercing cry reverberating off of the stone blocks throughout the tower and inside the ditto's skull. Stepping forwards in order to silence that accursed noise-no, to help the poor creature, the shapeshifer's mind was racing to ascertain what was happening. Panic attack? No, likely a cause. Anxiety then? What would be the trigger? Flames, fear of death? Needs reassurance. Hands raised carefully as he approached slowly face wrinkled and eyes glimmering with concern he spoke his reassurances, in a tone low and serene. "It is all right. No one will harm you, I swear upon it." At this point in time, he spoke with the utmost sincerity. Now he couldn't touch the lizard unless they tried to do something utterly heinous. Or if necessity required it. For now, he had to calm Varanus. "What is it that is bothering yourself? How should I help-" His speech along with his stride was stopped when an orange scaled claw removed itself from Varanus' face, instead pointing to Uboa's elastic form. Frozen in his tracks with a blank expression as a replacement mask on his face, he flatly uttered a reply to the screaming Scrafty "I see." Hands falling to his sides and quivering, he stared forwards with a vacant expression as his vision was filled with grisly imaginings vivid as the setting sun. Images of Varanus' dismembered corpse, limbs missing and skin flayed from the flesh and dripping whilst lying in the corner in a pool of blood. Somehow the creature was still alive, screaming even louder than he was now, before going silent from loosing his tongue. A small smile quirked on the impersonating reptillian's lips, before swiftly vanishing when the shapeshifter tried to banish these hellish thoughts. Instead, he heard a choir of noise arise from the dark corners of his mind. A hatefully, spiteful cacophony that made Varanus' screeching seem like the soft tittering of a bird's voice in contrast. They chanted to reap and rend flesh to a discordant tone, different demands overlapping to the point where what they were saying would be barely discernible. It was almost overwhelming, but Uboa could cope.

He focused on a single sound, the sound of his own voice as it said aloud "I apologize for making you uncomfortable, that was not the intention of my actions, though they were necessary." This line of dialogue was completely robotic, even if his speech prior was calm and somewhat bland, it at least held some emotions with the intonations. Now he lacked it entirely, reaching a true monotone, resonant in its emptiness. However his eyes, as the windows to his soul were burning in an insane inferno, Internal conflict of infernal magnitude. After reflexively shaking his head to clear his clouded mind, the psudo Scrafty regained some external awareness. He did not loosen the restraint on his expression however. "Unless there is something I can actively act on immediately to aid your emotional state, I will put myself to use in pursuing our objective." Turning around sharply, Uboa walked mechanically forwards, moving as stiffly as metal. His eyes scanned the walls for light, but could see nothing but shade garbed stones.

Varanus convulses. He spits at the black sleek shape of the thing that looked like him but was not him.
"Gross." He hisses and his eyes roll back in his head. He hunches over on the stone and shoves one finger in his mouth to calm himself down. He gnaws at the nail with his flat teeth until it is chewed to the quick then he spits the bloody fragment of nail in the ditto's direction.
"You're acting like you have everyone fooled but I can see the cracks." He hisses and rocks. "I can see the crack in the face under your face. It's gross, it's so gross. Stop it. Stop lying!"
The Scrafty folds in like a deckchair collapsing. His long arms wrap around his head, pressing over the concealed slits of his ears as if trying to block out some invasive sound. His throat convulses as if he is about to throw up, a wet choke and a dribble of saliva running over his orange scaled lips. His eyes are wide with pupils dark and dilated.
"I hate when people try to lie to themselves about what they want, what they are. I hate, hate, hate hate, hate..." His voice trails off into a faint whisper, his lips moving soundlessly around the shape of the word. His claws dig into his face, one now just a patch of tender bleeding skin.
He wraps his tail around him and tries to sink into his skin.
He curls up as small as his skinny body can go, trying to fit himself into a smaller and smaller compress until he disappears entirely. It's no good, he can't get small enough...
It has been a long day for Varanus. The life has drained from the marrow of his bones, leaving him feeling grey and hollow like he always did after a match.


Kherubiel tilts his head to the side curiously.
"He's impossible when he gets like that." He tweets and examines his wings.
Good, no burns but one of his feathers has crisped on the outside edge. He plucks it out, not minding the tiny sting of pain, and lets it drop to the floor.
"He likes yellow ones, flowers I mean. Maybe if you get him one he'll stop being sulky."
With a flap of his wings the Swablu takes flight and perches on the Scrafty's diminutive crest. His sharp white claws dig into the toughened red scale.
"Hey! Get up!" He demands of the Fighting Type and bounces around on his head. The Scrafty's bulbous eyes are focused intently on a small patch of rock directly in front of him.
"See? Completely out of it." He flutters away, back to the corner of broken stone he was previously perching on.
He tilts his head to the side again, focusing more accurately on an object seen out of one eye than both.
"Can I ride on you instead?"

The fire fox continued to listen to what was going on behind him. The rage a cold fire in his core, a low hum of what was his world for the longest time just dead inside. The screech of the true lizard drawing his attention for a second as his ear pull forward straining. Uboa's calming voice that had many times doused his rage, leaving him with nothing but steam. The voice was offering more words to help ease the creature, as he pads closer barely audio sounds. Only the tiny claw tips clicking on stone.

Going quiet again for a second before the foul creature started to spew again. A ember stirred within him as he wanted it to grow to erupt into flames again making him feel safer. The silence almost pliable, so thick. Something was wrong, Hikirio sniffed the air narrowing down the old garbage and fish scent following it. Listening to Varanus behind him, his words hurting him just as much as before but knowing now that Uboa was feeling the same if not even worse now. He could recall a little bit of his past with Uboa and another he couldn't quite remember at this point in time.

Varanus, he seemed afraid more now then before then just lashing out at others. Was this that sympathy that Uboa had pushed back into his mind, festering now. He looked back his eyes though unable to see what was going on. His own fear and weakness breaking back to the surface. Hikirio felt exposed. The bird chips in now, seemly the more happy of the group. Tilting his head as the bird went on about a yellow flower, Hikirio painted a picture in his minds eye of a field. What he could remember of the colors, then added flowers, a breeze and birds. A lone tree sitting on a hill, the warm rays of sun on his back ruffling his silver fur.

his mind snapped back to the suffocating walls around him, the cold stone under his paw pads. He still had one thing he could remember, Uboa the voice that had saved him so long ago. Following behind the meta morph a little ways. Tails held low as his ear swivel to the back on his head laying flat. He was afraid. His mask though unable to paint what his face was doing under it, his body language showed him as small and unsure of himself. Tight and tense, low to the ground. Coming up to Uboa she unsure wither to touch him at this point, taking the leap of fate. Hikirio's nose touching the dittos arm, as usual a cool almost wet feeling as he cheek rubs across Uboa.

His head turned up to Uboa, though not able to show his thoughts. Unable to say words that were choked and trapped in his throat, Hikirio knew that Uboa knew what he was saying without have to use words. Before pulling away knowing that Uboa didn't like physical contact as he didn't either, but right now Hikirio knew that Uboa needed someone there just as he did. Padding ahead a little more, his multiple tails raised a little more having had his reassurance and felt better. " Am with you " a few simple words was all he needed. Now ready to continue his journey with Uboa.