(ACE) The MAUVILLE Team

"The beasts were downstairs...so we came upstairs. Why this room..? I believe it was to forage for tools for escape or to gather our bearings." He had to resist the urge to let out a huff at that. "We aren't doing a very good job at either right now, are we?" The Normal type couldn't help but drawl, rolling his eyes. Pointless, pointless, pointless. Wasn't survival supposed to be the priority? More specifically, his own survival, of course, but Madison wasn't foolish enough to believe he could make a go of things alone and not end up meeting a horrible, bloody end. He had always made it a point to stick to others, regardless, taking advantage of whatever they had to offer in order to ensure that he personally prospered.

"Certainly he can't want to stay here...that thing could still be lurking about." It hadn't been making much noise lately, but Madison wasn't going to allow himself to feel safe until they confirmed that it was gone for certain. "I think the only thing he's interested in is tearing out tall, orange and clueless' throat." And then after a brief pause, he felt the need to add, "there can only be one," in a purposefully dramatic voice. Well, hey, at least he hadn't lost his sense of humor.

"We'll leave. Of course we will. But on one condition: you come with us." What. "Are you serious?" Did he say that out loud? Well crap. So much for staying inconspicuous. Deciding that it was safe to at least peek his head over the top of the furniture he was hiding behind so everything above his nose was visible, the Lopunny cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, as charming as this family reunion is, I don't know if you all remember, but we're kind of in mortal peril right now."

"There's more of us than there are of you," the horse muttered, earning a harsh glare from Orion, "so I don't think you're in any place to just order us to leave. You can't just claim this space for yourself and only yourself."

"Why, because you're going to bully me out of the space that I rightfully claimed as my own? You and your fucking posse?" Orion snapped, his staff flaring again. But again, Sirius tried to diffuse the situation with his perfect fucking diplomacy.

"Look, that's enough." Orion scoffed at the parental tone Sirius took, unimpressed as always. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to get out of here, and we need to do it before that thing from downstairs finds its way up here." Orion's glare narrowed; they were the source of all the fucking nonsense from before? Sirius turned back to Orion, all stately and adult and bullshit, and finalized, "We'll leave," The blue fox somehow didn't believe that. "Of course we will. But on one condition: you come with us."

Orion balked at the "condition", both in the actual terms and in the sheer arrogance of it. Though, it quickly was revealed that he wasn't the only one shocked. Another voice, from the rabbit, chimed in first, breaking the tense silence. "Uh, yeah, as charming as this family reunion is, I don't know if you all remember, but we're kind of in mortal peril right now."

"Yeah, because you fuckers decided to lead whatever was chasing you here," Orion hissed as he slowly stood on his hind legs, staff in his clenched fist. He used the kitchen bar for support, as standing was always awkward. "You're, what, holding me hostage now, Sirius? You fumble around with whatever was downstairs and then you flee here, barge into the safe spot I've found, then threaten to stay or drag me with you?" He kept his voice low, but left all the venom. "Is that how you got all your new friends? FUCK you. Let whatever's after you come-- at least I'll get to see you finally getting what you deserve!" He backed himself into a corner, glowering with as much hate as he could physically muster. "I'm. Not. Moving."

It took several minutes, but time was unchanging for the boy. Calem forced his breathing to be straight, in and out, in and out, but still he held his hands over his ears. As if through a bubble, he could hear Eccleston speaking, pointing out that something falling could hit their trainer if no one kept the debris from falling. "McGonagall, keep anything from falling on Calem." The Delphox moved his stance, and even the dust radiating towards the boy shifted and kept a perimeter around him similar to an invisible bubble.
Calem did not even know how much time had passed, but suddenly, he was capable of breathing. Gasping loudly, the trainer snapped his head up only in time to see a huge slab of stone get bashed away with Eccleston's hydro pump. There was a loud, audible crack! heard as it smashed into pieces, hitting the wall of the floor itself. The Blastoise fell to his knees, gasping from the exertion of so many hydro pump attacks, his body drained, but Calem's eyes were on the roof above him.
"McGonagall, carry him up there with psychic. Then you can recall us to get us up with you, Calem." He nodded numbly, slowly taking his eyes from the escape. Still haunted by the thought of being buried alive, the trainer's movements were robotic as he lifted two Pokeballs, recalling his Absol and Blastoise.
"Up ya go," the Delphox grunted, the violet light surrounding his human as the teenager was lifted through the air. He gripped the edge of one slab of concrete, his boot using a twisted wire several inches thick as leverage. Upon crawling forward on his hands and knees, he pulled out the fox's Pokeball.
"Thank you, McGonagall," he called. The Delphox gave a bow before his body vanished in red light, flying the several yards to his trainer's hand.

He stares, eyes wide as the thing that was trapped beneath the concrete pulls itself out of its prison. It wasn't an undead; it wasn't even a Pokemon. Of all the things in the world, he would have never expected a human to be here-they were supposed to be extinct. A human...seeing one tugs at his mind, almost as if he were struggling to remember this human, but that was ridiculous. He hadn't known a human in his life, right? Yet still his mind insists, and he can feel his body trembling. That didn't make any sense either, as he wasn't afraid. In fact, he couldn't feel a thing right now, but that didn't surprise him.

"-re not like him at all, are you, Claus?"

The voice that echoes in his head isn't familiar, yet...he did not know who it belonged to. And Claus? Who was Claus? Was that him? He could not remember, yet it sounds right to him-but why had he forgotten such a thing, Claus had no idea. The voice, if it was from a memory, then obviously something about this human had brought it back to him. It hurt to remember, why had this one thing be recalled and nothing else, why had he lost his memories at all? Something had happened, something horrid, and Claus did not want to recall what-the only other explanation was that his memories were fake-

The thought is a fleeting one, but it hits Claus like a bullet, practically knocking the breath out of him. His memories being fake, that could not be true. It couldn't be. He was alive, his name was Claus, he had a brother named Lucas, none of that was fabricated. Yet the doubt gnaws at him, whispering about how everything he knows or would ever know was nothing but a lie...
The human. Claus sets his sight on the human, suddenly afraid; this human had brought something back, he had broken through the fog of memory when Claus could not. He has to have answers, surely he did. Claus hobbles over to the human, trying not to let his legs give out from underneath him. His name, himself, his brother, his name, his name, was it even real?

"Human," Claus says, not knowing his name, "Please...help me..."

"Yeah, because you fuckers decided to lead whatever was chasing you here." Why did Orion always make it sound like everything Sirius did was deliberate? Yes, because leading a mad, undead Garchomp right to where his missing brother was was exactly his plan all along! How did he know?! "You're, what, holding me hostage now, Sirius? You fumble around with whatever was downstairs and then you flee here, barge into the safe spot I've found, then threaten to stay or drag me with you?"

"Oh yeah, because wanting to save my brother from the madness downstairs that will inevitably end up killing him is what you'd call 'holding me hostage'." He'd never wanted to end up arguing with him, especially now of all times, but he just wasn't going to put up with this attitude. He wanted to protect him, for fuck's sake. Why was he getting so much shit for simply wanting to keep his only family member alive?

"Is that how you got all your new friends? FUCK you. Let whatever's after you come-- at least I'll get to see you finally getting what you deserve!" He pressed himself into a corner as far as he could go. "I'm. Not. Moving."

Sirius huffed out an exasperated sigh as he retrieved his staff once more and ignited the tip, illuminating the dark room once more. "Orion, whatever you say or do, you're stuck with me. The way I see it, we have two options: we both stay here and let that thing from downstairs find its way up and kill us both, or you come with us and, I promise, you can try to kill me as many times as you want once we're outside. Heck, I'll carry you out if I have to."

"Do we...really need to bring him with us?" Were these guys SERIOUS?!
"Yes, Sirius immediately replied, a little harsher than he intended. "He's my brother and-- y'know what? I don't need to explain myself, here." With a dismissive wave of his paw, he held his staff aloft.
"OK, so ... one, two, three - plus me - four, five - and now Orion - that's six..." He counted on his fingers for a moment. "Whoa ... that thing killed four of us."

On that thought, Sirius spurred back into the plan at hand. He dashed over to the back door and began to pull at it. When it didn't budge, he started to mess with the lock. "If this place has a balcony, we can use it to get back down into the courtyard..."

Nothing was improving, though on the flip side, nothing was getting worse either. Everything below their feet just remained eerily silent. Neither Gramps nor Eris interrupt as the two brothers continue to go back and forth. Although it made the scizor's muscles itch. To have nothing to do but sit and watch. So they weren't going to fight, surely the magic orange fox can see there wasn't going to be a touchy-feely reunion by now either? For whatever reason though, Sirius sounded adamant. At least with blur boy with them it made keeping an eye on him easier. Hell, if does betray them then maybe she'd get that fight--

"If this place has a balcony, we can use it to get back down into the courtyard..." Clinking forward toward a small yellow movement, Eris' metal clawed foot blocks the helioptile's way. The sudden action causes the electric-type to flinch and stumble backward onto his haunches. "I could have a look...maybe I can figure it out." He huffs out, determined to help, but still recovering from the earlier surprise. Without a word or further flinching, the scizor reaches one arm down to scoop up the other.

Her other pincher remains posed, just in case. Taking slow steps, Eris moves cautiously towards the lock Sirius is currently working on. Small digits tap against the metal of her arm in a nervous pattern. Something the younger scizor is familiar with at least--Gramps thought there was a way everyone could get along somehow. Tension and such weren't really the aging pokemon's forte. "Do you...do you want me to take a look?" The helioptile asks the duo approaches. "It might require a metal twig or card it was paired with, but maybe..." The electric-type's expression furls as his mind drifts into the different possibilities they might find and the fewer accompanying solutions.

It was a shame he wasn't foolish enough to try to make a go of things on his own, because Madison was honestly starting to believe the group he was with had some sort of death wish that was going to end up getting them all killed. And self-preservation was supposed to be his top priority- supposed to be, because his actions as of late hadn't exactly done much to support that goal. In the Lopunny's defense, it wasn't his fault he hadn't anticipated a bloodthirsty abomination of a dragon to suddenly start tearing their ragtag gang apart.

"Yes. He's my brother and-- y'know what? I don't need to explain myself, here." The Normal type had to resist the urge to roll his eyes- seriously? Maybe it was because he never had a family to speak of; certainly hatching alone on the streets without any parents or siblings to be found had jaded his opinion on the subject, but he really didn't see the point in dragging another Pokemon along if they quite clearly didn't want to go. "This is already difficult enough without a damn liability." Madison muttered, mostly to himself.

Stepping gingerly out from behind the furniture he had claimed as his safe-haven once and for all, the Lopunny decided to take the opportunity to poke around the room a bit more. There had to be something worth salvaging around, right? He might not have been able to properly understand most strange human inventions, but he could at least recognize food when he saw it.

"If this place has a balcony, we can use it to get back down into the courtyard..." Briefly he glanced over to see what the fuss was about, arching one brow. "Why not bust the door down?" It seemed like a reasonable enough solution to him; surely they had enough combined firepower to make such a thing possible.

Orion should have known that Sirius and his fucking optimism wouldn't be deterred so easily. "Orion, whatever you say or do, you're stuck with me. The way I see it, we have two options: we both stay here and let that thing from downstairs find its way up and kill us both, or you come with us and, I promise, you can try to kill me as many times as you want once we're outside. Heck, I'll carry you out if I have to." The blue fox could only shake his head in disbelief and disgust. Just what would it take for his brother to realize that forcing himself upon Orion wouldn't do any fucking good?

"Well, he said he's not coming with us and--like Madison said--we don't exactly have the safety or time to spend trying to convince him," the pony muttered, to which Orion was somwhat grateful. At least she saw the pointlessness. "Do we...really need to bring him with us?"

"Yes, Sirius snapped immediately, earning an eyeroll from his azure brother. "He's my brother and-- y'know what? I don't need to explain myself, here." He made a gesture with his paw, grabbing the attention of the room like some grandiose king or ruler. Orion couldn't help the rage that bubbled, the small subtle gesture capturing the entire reason he loathed Sirius' guts. "OK, so ... one, two, three - plus me - four, five - and now Orion - that's six..." He counted on his fingers for a moment. "Whoa ... that thing killed four of us."

"Wish it had killed more," Orion snapped under his breath, his steely, hateful gaze still fixated upon Sirius. Like usual, however, he didn't seem to notice, instead too engaged with his own ludicrous idea of escape. "If this place has a balcony, we can use it to get back down into the courtyard..."

"I could have a look...maybe I can figure it out." The old lizard huffed out; to be honest, Orion had completely forgotten he was even there. The scizor went to pick him up, leading the old reptile to where Sirius was working, her free pincer out in case of attack. Orion kept his eye on her but ultimately didn't move, no interested in fighting with her at the moment. No. He wanted his energy for the other asshole. Let her think he was about to jump her, though. It'd let her keep a healthy distance. "Do you...do you want me to take a look?" the reptile offered as they drew nearer. "It might require a metal twig or card it was paired with, but maybe..."

You could just try jumping, you know..." he muttered, mostly to himself, but wouldn't be heartbroken if others heard.

"Why not bust the door down?" the bunny commented, to which Orion scoffed bitterly. "Yeah, why not? You have a penchant for destroying property. You were so eager to bust down doors earlier, why be so delicate now?" He cast his glare back to his brother.

The last thing he expected was to be approached. After recalling his Kalos starter, Calem turned, only for his eyes to fall on a small creature he had never seen before. Dark navy eyes widened, going round while the small Pokemon approached. He tensed, gripping Abby's Pokeball, but they did not attack. "Human," it spoke, voice low and dull. "Please...help me..." Calem hesitated, taking the time to study the creature first. It was tiny, much smaller than his Absol, with feathers along its body. Two wings came off of its back, but they did ot seem to function completely, almost trailing uselessly behind them. But the worst sign was the purple splotches all over the little guy, his red eyes round and sorrowful.

"Help you?" he echoed, less confusion and more echoing the sadness in the feathered cat. Before he could react, though, one of his Pokeballs activated without his say so. With a sharp pop and a flash of red, Abrielle emerged beside her trainer.
The Absol's hackles were raised, lips pulled back aggressively as she demanded, "What is going on here?" Calem's eyes immediately went round with alarm as her sharp orange gaze landed on the Aiveon. "Undead!" she spat, able to use her nose much sharper than her trainer.
The feline darted forward, aiming to put herself between her trainer and the danger, but Calem's horror grew as her paws grew smokey with an incoming night slash. "No! Abby stop!" He threw himself between his Absol and the Aiveon, throwing his arms out in an effort to be a human wall.

"What are you doing?!"
"He's not hurting anyone!"
"He is covered in purple and smells like death!" Abrielle spat back, showing her teeth as she half snarled at her trainer.
"We should have died not ten minutes ago," Calem growled, matching her ferocity. "I won't let another life be lost if we can help it."
That made Abby pause, staring up at her trainer with eyes that released their anger. "...You're serious?" Calem did not move and she released a long sigh, flicking her front paw to get rid of the charged attack. "Fine, But soon as it puts you in danger, it dies."
Calem slowly nodded, letting his arms fall. His stressed face allowed a small smile as he reached out to affectionately pet the Absol's head. "Thanks Abby," he murmured, to which the feline muttered under her breath but did not otherwise respond.

Calem then finally turned back to the tiny Aiveon, his eyes gentle but sad. He crouched down, pulling off his hat with a stressed smile. "I'll help you. My name is Calem, what's your's?" Abrielle stood close behind him, her sharp eyes trained only on the Aiveon.

"Help you?" Claus nods desperately; the human hadn't immediately refused, he has a chance. He needs help so badly, and the human has to see that. His memories...they were the most precious thing Claus has with him, they couldn't just stay hidden forever. Surely he and this human were fated to meant, how else could they have ended up at the same place, and at the same time like this? The human...he was like a guardian angel, risen from beneath debris and rubble to be with Claus. That had to be the truth.
"Humans...they know so much. Please-please help me."

Suddenly, with a flash of red, an unfamiliar Pokemon materializes, lips pulled back in a snarl, their furious gaze burning right into Claus. There is no quickening of a heartbeat or the feeling of helplessness that he was so used to; Claus can only think Why? The sheer shock and anger in those eyes was alien to him. What had he done? All he wanted was help from the human...so why this Pokemon keeping him from that was beyond Claus' understanding. What could he have possibly done wrong?
"Undead!" What?

Claus is paralysed by shock as the Pokemon races toward him, only capable of shutting his eyes tight as he braces for the inevitable attack. Undead? He was alive, how could it not see that? Dying because of another Pokemon's delusions...that wasn't what he had ever wanted. All he wanted was to find his brother, and himself too. Yet it all would be rendered into nothing, all because of one Pokemon.
"No! Abby stop!" The finishing blow Claus was expecting never arrives; he opens his eyes again to see the human shielding him, protecting him from the one called Abby. He gapes at the human in shock, wondering why anyone would put their life on the line for him. Claus takes a step forward, his legs trembling far more than before, listening to their exchange.

"What are you doing?!"
"He's not hurting anyone!"
"He is covered in purple and smells like death!" Abby's venomous words were like a knife cutting into him. Purple? Claus refuses to look at his paws or forelegs; there would be no purple there, and nobody could tell him otherwise. He wasn't undead, he couldn't be undead, it wasn't true, and she was lying. One of his clearer memories involved an undead, and he was nothing like them. Merciless, unthinking, unfeeling, that couldn't be him. Claus knows he's alive. This other Pokemon was just delusional, and seeing things that weren't true; he wouldn't be fooled. But...what if...? His memories were the key, if he could just remember everything that had happened to him, things would be okay. Then, even Abby wouldn't be so keen on hurting him, not like before.

Whatever the rest of the conversation was, Claus missed it while wrapped up in his thoughts-now the human is approaching him, his Pokemon with him. Claus can feel her endless gaze, as if she could see into his mind and his soul. The thought made a shiver run down his spine, but at least the human looked kind, if a little sad too. Why was he sad?
I'll help you. My name is Calem, what's yours?"
"C...Claus. It's Claus." Even if that really hadn't been his name before, it has to be now. There was nothing else, after all. "I'm not undead...I swear, I'm not...I'm alive, just like you." I have to be.

Sirius gritted his teeth as he tugged and pulled at the door. It was one of those strange sliding ones. The view to the balcony beyond was smeared out of view by dirt, blood and Arceus-knew what else was plastered all over the windows. His fingers fiddled with a sort of latch near to the wall behind the gnarled curtain.

"Do you...do you want me to take a look?" Gramps asked, approaching with Eris in tow. "It might require a metal twig or card it was paired with, but maybe..."
"You can if you want," said Sirius, stepping away to let the Helioptile see. "I thought it was one of those ones where you just pull the latch and that unlocks it, but..." His large ears twitched in annoyance as he scowled at the opposite wall. "Jeez, don't tell me it needs a key."

"Why not bust the door down?" Madison suggested, earning a scoff from Sirius. Sure, blasting the thing to pieces and sending it spiraling down into the courtyard where all the undead would surely hear it and come running was a great idea! He could see the logic behind it, but would've rather not let the Garchomp know where they were, if it was even still around. The lower floors had been eerily quiet these last few minutes.

He chose to ignore Orion as he clasped his chin in his paw, frowning in thought. Kenna seemed to agree with Madison's idea of knocking the door down, even offering to charge it. Maybe they were right. Sirius went to the window and pressed his face up against it, trying to see outside, but only being greeted by darkness.

"OK, fine, you can try it," he said with a sigh, leaning on a chest of drawers and brushing a hand down his chest, smoothing his fur. "Just make sure you're careful not to--"

Sirius was almost thrown to the floor as the room suddenly lurched. Particles of dust rained down from the ceiling as the entire building rumbled. A lamp in the corner fell down with a crash as the Delphox picked himself back upright. "What the hell was that?!" he gasped, gingerly letting go of the furniture. The floor ... he hadn't been imagining it - it was slanted. Cans of food from the pantry rolled past him and into the wall. Shit.

"O-OK, you--you get to work on that door and I'll--I'll see if there's a key around in case it doesn't work." Springing into action, Sirius ignited his staff and clamped it between his teeth. He began rummaging in the drawers he'd been leaning on, tossing out all sorts of crap that the humans had left behind. His heart hammered in his chest, sweat dampening the fur on his forehead.

Whatever that Garchomp had done had placed them in more danger than he realised; the building was beginning to collapse.

Eris has to pin one knee to the floor to keep from tumbling forward, with Gramps in pincher, as the ground beneath them lurches. Cans clatter and roll downhill past them...Gramps looks over the scizor's arm at the sound anxiously. This was not good. "Charge it, pick the lock, whatever. We can't stay here." Eris says with a scowl. However, she rises to her feet again, being careful to keep her balance, completes the journey to the door.

The electric-type gently brushes ceiling dust off the top of his head before leaning forward gingerly to examine the latch. Some parts flipped and moved--the whole contraption felt like it was coated in a fine layer of grime. Disgusted, but determined, he continues to flip and click the visible nobs and levers in opens of eliciting a response from the door. With only a few pieces that could move, assuming all were present, how many combinations could there be? "These pieces here have to mean something...if we could get their order right, we would probably get it open." He trails off, head tilting to the side to examine the underside of the latch.

When his master used to open doors, it was always so effortless. The right clicking of keys and the obstacle would slide itself open. For some, they need only walk before them...What was missing here? Meanwhile, Eris watches with an increasingly annoyed expression. Patience running thin, she throws one pincher forward. Claws grip the metal handle and she yanks. The movement is stilted by the fact she's still holding up Gramps, but nonetheless she's able to get enough pull behind her jerk to make the sliding door creek and jostle against its locks. "I think it's loosening..!" Temporary relief floods him, making his head swim with thoughts of their escape.

"Dear, remove your pincher--let me try this piece here--" Ignoring his companion's clenched jaw, the smaller pokemon gingerly pushes against the metal red pincher to remove them from the door for him to investigate. It takes several tugs before she can be persuaded to remove them, but she does. "This is taking too long." She hisses to the door, as if her glaring could actually aid in undoing the human's lock.

((Please skip me this time around. ;w;))

[[Skip. Lost my post. Ragequit. Orion is in the corner, being pissy and notices the floor as well, then pushes himself further in his corner to avoid getting pulled down.]]

The desperation in the little cat's vigorous nod was not lost on Calem, the trainer's chest tightening at the sight. "Humans...they know so much. Please-please help me." Calem's heart raced. Does he expect me to know how to help him just because I am a person? Oh this was not going to end well. After the argument with his Absol, the grey eyed kid had a moment to study the small creature before he spoke. Wings, feathers that were probably suppose to be white and clean, but now they were stained, noticeable cuts in the one on the little guy's right. But those round eyes, they were...so sad.

At least he was able to remember a name. "C...Claus. It's Claus." The formerly mega Absol made a displeased sound in her nose. Calem shot her a sharp look, but the orange eyes of his partner made her feelings clear: It doesn't even know it's own name. Yes he does, Calem mentally shot back before looking back to Claus with a gentler gaze. There had been hesitation in giving the name, but Calem refused to take away what it meant; Claus had survived this long, he was not even being hostile. That stood for something. "I'm not undead...I swear, I'm not...I'm alive, just like you."

That was something worrisome. The trainer glanced over his shoulder, meeting the eyes of the Absol whom had remained silent the entire time. Her hard gaze met his own uncertain ones without wavering. Is he really infected? Calem asked silently, needing the support of his partner. Abby picked up on her trainer's distress, thawing the coldness in her eyes only slightly. She gave a small nod, stepping forward to rub her face along the boy's dust covered back. "It's okay," Calem said to Claus, his eyes still sad though he smiled. "We're not going to hurt you. It... was just a misunderstanding." The Absol tensed behind him but quickly shed it with a silent sigh, instead lifting her head to sniff at the air.

Oh. That was not good. "Boss, we need to move. Now," Abby hissed, unable to take her eyes off of the partially collapsed city behind them, the mounds suddenly feeling even less safe than just a minute ago.
Immediately trusting the judgement of his lifelong friend, and a well trained Absol, the teenager jumped to his feet with a quiet apology to Claus before turning to look the same way as Abby. "How much time-"
"Not long. We need to move," she interrupted, the sudden anxiety thick as she dug her claws into the ground.
"She knows what she's talking about," Calem explained to the Aiveon, his face tense. "You're better off coming with us if you want to be okay." He specifically avoided using the word 'alive.'
"We're moving, boss!"

The Absol suddenly barked, ducking underneath her trainer to throw him onto her back; he could not have recovered from before finding the god forsaken city on top of almost being buried alive. Behind them, the roof suddenly creaked ominously, making Calem's heart skip a beat as more slabs of stone and concrete fell from down the hall, way too close for comfort. "Claus!" he called, reaching out to grab the small guy if he could not move fast enough to keep up with them. "We're NOT leaving him," he snapped.
"Of course not," she growled, but stopped her pace to a slow walk until they learned if the Aiveon could run or needed to be carried. The Absol might be small, but she was more than strong enough to carry both her human and the Eeveelution.

[ ooc: Let me know if Claus needs to be picked up, Balth darling~
Night, I assume shit will start coming down eventually, that is what Abby senses and thus is trying to get them out of the line of danger ASAP ]

(Skip for now-I'll be editing this into a post later.)

"It's open!" Sirius pulled his head out of the drawer he was searching, tossing aside a jewellery box. Kenna was staggering slightly from the impact with a grimace, but indeed the door had been knocked almost clear off its hinges. With a triumphant grin, Sirius took his staff out from between his teeth and made a dash for the opening. Cool, nighttime air wafted in, blowing dust particles off the curtains.

"All right, nice job!" he said to the Ponyta. "See? All you have to do is use your head!" He waited a split second for someone to laugh. When no one did, Sirius continued on outside. "Orion, you too. Or would you prefer me to carry you?"

"Now all we have to do is-- Whooooa!" The Delphox skidded to a halt, clutching the balcony's railings as he looked down over the edge. The courtyard was almost pitch black in the darkness; even the moon wasn't lending them its aid tonight. Sirius craned his neck over the edge to try and see the ground, but was greeted only by darkness. He had no idea how long the drop was, and hadn't thought to look when they'd been down there earlier before the Garchomp attacked.

"Ok, gotta be careful," he told the group behind him. "I don't know how big this drop is." He stood up straight, tucking his staff under his arm and cupping his chin thoughtfully. "Err ... I got nothing. Any idea how to get down there without breaking our legs, anyone?"

Eris hears the increasing crackle of flames behind them before the ponyta calls out. The scizor starts to pull back, much to her companion's annoyance, turning to look over his shoulder as she does. "Clear!" Seeing Kenna engulf herself in flames, she  gasps and leaps back. The hot flames flickering across her metal exoskeleton, momentarily coloring Eris orange, as the ponyta charges past and head first into the door. Gramps gasps and flinches at the sharp thud that resonates throughout the room following the impact.

At first, neither the horse nor the door buckle. However, it's not long before the door begins to crack and groan as its hinges tear out of place. With an unyielding push, the door is successfully pulled out of place, much to the duo's collective amazement. "See? All you have to do is use your head!" Gramps grimaces at the poor pun, looking instead to Kenna with concern as she staggers slightly after the impact. "Now all we have to do is-- Whooooa!"

Rushing forward at the exclamation, Eris skids to a stop, Gramps still in arm, beside Sirius. Her eyes scan the darkness below, trying to find something discernible below, but finding nothing. Spotting a sizable chunk of rubble, she swings back one leg and tosses it over the edge into the abyss to wait for the return noise of it connecting with the unseen ground below. "Well it's not a short drop." "Perhaps if we had more light down there, we could find a way down. Though...that would probably attract anything else that is in the area. Anyone else have any thoughts?"

He bent down to pick up a can of... Something that had rolled out onto the ground, narrowing his eyes as he tried to figure out it's contents. He couldn't read that vague, scribble-like language humans used to communicate, and the label had been scratched up just enough to make the photo printed upon it's surface nearly impossible to make out. It was something yellow- berries? Or a vegetable of some kind? Madison couldn't quite tell. He couldn't quite tell how to open it, either, and clicked his teeth together as if to entertain the idea of trying to bite through it's metal surface. If anything, it seemed like a massive waste of time, and if the only food left was encased in metal and impossible to access, he doubted there was much worth scrounging up in the apartment.

Staying long enough to check was beginning to look like it was going to be hazardous to his health, anyways.

Huffing, the Normal type turned his attention back over to the door just in time to see the Ponyta bust it down with a Flame Charge. "It's open!" Madison winced despite himself at the sight, his free paw raised to rub at the side of his head as if he could almost feel the blow. "Are you okay?" The Lopunny blurted with a frown before he appeared to catch himself and abruptly avert his gaze. The door was open, and so he strode over, trying to squeeze in among the other Pokemon who were already there. "What's the proble-?" His breath caught in his throat, question already answered.

"Well it's not a short drop." That was an understatement. He watched the Scizor kick down the hunk of rubble, mouth hanging open ever so slightly in shock- the expression would have almost been comical in any other situation. "Perhaps if we had more light down there, we could find a way down. Though...that would probably attract anything else that is in the area. Anyone else have any thoughts?" Silently, the Normal type shook his head. "We could wait until it gets lighter out, but who knows what might happen to the building in the meantime." The Garchomp, too, even if it had been eerily silent downstairs for a time. He didn't want to assume the monster of a Pokemon had simply gotten bored and left; it was that kind of foolish thinking that ended countless hopeful lives. "Unless we light something on fire and throw it down, but who knows what that might draw out?" Spontaneously setting flames to things didn't exactly sound like the brightest idea, anyways- pun unintended.

Are we... Stuck? The thought bubbled up in the back of his mind and Madison gulped, trying hard to ignore it. No, they still had options, they were just in a tight spot. They could find a way out of it eventually, they just needed to think.

Orion had done his best to try and disappear into the confines and shadows of the kitchen as the others tried to solve the mystery of the back door. He had tried to open it once, but it had gone about as successfully as these schmucks' attempt. But apparently, he just hadn't tried hard enough. The ponyta bashed its face into the door, wreathed in flames, smashing the glass into the courtyard below. His eyes were wide as he witnessed the brutal force on display, certainly voting to keep quiet and hope to be forgotten rather than draw that horse's attention to himself.


"It's open!" Yeah, we got that... "All right, nice job!" Sirius congratulated, eager for the progress. Not surprising he wouldn't be phased. "See? All you have to do is use your head!" The delphox let the "joke" hang in the air, which fell flat on its face. Good. At least Orion wasn't the only one who found his jokes fucking awful. Pity Sirius hadn't gotten funnier in his absence. "Orion, you too. Or would you prefer me to carry you?" "I'll eat your eyes before I let you carry me," Orion snapped back from his spot, tensing in apprehension.

Of course, Sirius didn't seem to notice, as he was already outside. "Now all we have to do is-- Whooooa!" It looked like Sirius saw the glamorous view... But either way, now was his chance.

Bye, "bro". Hope you break your neck.

As everyone was crowded around outside on the patio, Orion slinked away, careful not to make any sounds as they discussed their options. Frankly, they could hurl themselves off into the abyss for all he cared; he had no intention of staying with them, Sirius especially. The front door was still swung open from his brother's idiotic entrance and he poked his head out, surveying the hallway before picking a direction and trotting off.

The hallway was eerie and his large ears swiveled at each and every miniscule shift in rubble or debris. But he was light on his feet and his long fur muffled his footfalls, making him almost silent as he trotted easily on all fours down the hall to the end, where a door still stood with a red square hanging above it. As far as Orion knew, there was human writing on it and that made it important. Maybe it was a way down? After all, humans couldn't fly down, and they were paranoid enough to keep an emergency route open where they lived.

He pushed the surprisingly heavy door open, letting in the cool night air. In front of him was a metal platform connected to stairs that looked like it went all the way down to the courtyard. Smirking to himself at his own success, he withdrew himself completely from the hallway and closed the door with a soft "click". For a moment, the fox mused on sealing the door shut with fire, but it required time he likely didn't have. The metal beneath him creaked lightly as there was another shift beneath his feet, an alarming change in balance. His eyes went to the walls next to him as dust and more small debris carelessly fell; this thing was about to fall. At least Sirius was right about one thing...

Sticking his stick into his sleeve, he carefully made his way down to the courtyard, finding a small corner to gather his bearings in when a terrifying creak of wood and metal sounded nearby, from what looked like another entrance into the inner part of the city. Alarmed, he watched from his small safe place as the creak turned into a snap and then more and more loud commotion, his stomach churning with fear and anxiety. He half wanted to run back up the tiny metal stairs he'd descended just now, but a part of him didn't want to be high up when the rest of the buildings decided to stop being upright and whole.

Still, all of this noise was going to attract attention; maybe even the attention of the thing that chased his fucking brother and his posse into Orion's apartment. And while he had no real desire to stick his neck out for complete strangers, now that he was down on the ground, the thought of safety in numbers was far more appealing than trying to skimp out of the city on his own. Swallowing hard, fighting his instincts, he ran toward the noise. Thick dewy grass licked gently against his fur as, for once, he was grateful for his odd coloration. It would help with camouflage.

Orion reached the entrance where the sounds were coming from and surprisingly, he heard voices echoing within. His heart was hammering in his ears, but he still kept trotting forward. Whatever lay ahead was likely better than staying with his brother. He had to believe that. "Claus!" the first of the voices rang out, causing Orion's large ears to flick backward. "We're NOT leaving him," the voice snapped.
"Of course not," another replied. Orion swallowed again as he rounded a corner to see a pokemon he'd never laid eyes upon before, an absol and -wonder of wonders- a human upon it. Besides his own trainer and Sirius', he hadn't met many humans. While his own trainer was little more than a demon, he knew from Sirius' trainer that not all humans were bastards... He hoped, for once, he'd have some luck this night.

"I'm not hostile-- just looking for a way out," he said as he shifted anxiously as the others approached, trying to stifle his fear and anxiety. He knew what an absol could do to him. "Hope you don't mind a tag-along."


[[What Orion found was a fire escape; I hope I made that clear |D Also, if I need to change anything, I totally can. Just winged it, lolol]]

Claus cannot understand the look exchanged between Calem and Abby; he can only desperately hope that they were coming to the conclusion that he was not one of the dead Pokemon, only a survivor like them. The human turns back to him, his dark eyes reflecting endless sorrow even as he smiles. That, too, Claus cannot comprehend. How was it possible to feel sad and happy at the same time? He looks at the debris-littered ground, suddenly feeling unease; Abby's presence doesn't help matters, either. Maybe he should've just left...surely there were other humans, somewhere out there. But would they have even bothered to talk to him, as this one has?
"It's okay," Calem says, his voice soft, non-threatening; for a second Claus is dumbfounded, and stares at the human without saying a word. What words could he possibly say? He...he believes me. Claus is almost tempted to start bouncing on his feather-light paws around Calem-there was no way things wouldn't be for sure okay now. He was going to be okay.

"We're not going to hurt you. It...was just a misunderstanding." Even Abby doesn't speak up against that, and Claus feels his chest grow lighter, as if some sort of burden is no longer weighing down upon him. Words form in his head, and they're right on the tip of his tongue just as Calem's Pokemon speaks again, her voice urgent and nowhere near kind. The words slip out of his mind instantly as his attention is diverted. "Boss, we need to move. Now." Why? The city didn't feel like it was going to start breaking apart again, they didn't need to just start moving. Calem, however, seems to take the words of Abby seriously, immediately getting back on his feet. Claus stares up at him, searching for some sort of answer. What was going on? If there an undead somewhere around here...Surely it can't be that bad. It'll be fine.

"How much time-"
"Not long. We need to move." Agh, wasn't anybody going to tell him anything? Claus doesn't want to be left clueless forever if something dangerous was about to happen, not when he's finally found someone willing to help him. If he died here, there would be nobody left to protect Lucas, and he can't allow that to happen. Knowing his brother was already alone...Claus shivers slightly at the thought.
"She knows what she's talking about," Calem says to him, snapping Claus away from his wandering thoughts and back to attention. The boy looks on edge, and suddenly Claus feels as if something is gnawing at his pelt. Anxiety. That was the word. He'd forgotten why what should have been an acute emotion felt so dull to him; it was another mystery. There was no end to them. "You're better off coming with us if you want to be okay."

"We're moving, boss!" Claus flinches as a sharp creak fills the air, a sound that brought images of collapsing buildings, pieces of stone and concrete striking the ground with unyielding force. Surely enough, Claus can see debris raining down once more, and he feels his throat constrict at the thought of being crushed underneath. His body instinctively reacts, his numb legs somehow moving him back and away from the falling concrete. Calem. Remembering the human immediately, Claus turns to run towards him, only to be hindered by his hind legs. They did not have the strength for a flat-out sprint, they could barely even support the rest of his body-

"Claus!" Calem's call spurs the Aiveon forward, but he is still frustratingly slow, his legs refusing to respond properly. The human boy reaches out for him; Claus grits his teeth and tries to jump towards him as far as his weakened legs can handle. He couldn't even keep up with Abby's slower pace; Claus needs help, and fast. "I can't run!"

[ooc: shitty fucking post. I'll try to do better next round.]