(ACE) The PALLET Team

He found himself in unfamiliar territory, the Liepard himself slinking through like a shadow. Since being on his own, for the first time since being very young spending time away from his sister, he found the world chaotic and dangerous, but also...peaceful. No words were spoken unless his thoughts forced themselves through his lips and danger was easy to detect from far away when his very essence was quiet.

There was nothing wrong with sounds and speaking and living, but the large cat just found the world exhausting after so long. No one around, no words needing to be spoken, no cars racing by, no meaninglessness. Undead could be loud, but even then it was okay by him because it saved him the trouble of detecting them and he could slip by as nothing but a shadow. Preferably to just slink through the shadows, the older cat had no problems with using invisibility to stay safe, he just thrived off the tranquility of silence. Quiet. Peace.

Before him, the land scented of ash and death. While the fires had gone out a time ago, the crushed soot danced across the grass with the breeze of the sea on the South end of the town. The cat watched the grey, as if it were living, his emerald eyes flickering past it to the town of Pallet. It was not a place he had ever been, but the cat wished he could have as he studied the destruction from afar. A fire was not the only thing to of wrecked the town... The buildings were all destroyed, a number of them burned to the ground, but the ones unlucky enough to be placed closest to the seas were instead smashed, ripped apart by some body that had left long ago.

The beach was no longer a clean drop off, but a violent dip down from where a serpent had come onto land. By the gouges in the dirt alike, it was ot hard to assume they had thrashed violently during their time there. The cat silently hoped they did not return, but with how the water touched the altered beach, he could easily tell that a great amount of time had passed. He would be safe there, and at least the loudness of the creature would alert him to its presence long before being close enough to show a threat.

The cat kept himself in the dappled shadows of the trees, studying the ruined town before daring to step forward. Slowly approaching the nearest building, he studied the ruined side, blasted apart with a collision or something nastier. Beneath the house, though, there was a space between the floor boards and the earth. His eyes flickered with interest, stepping forward as his nose twitched curiously. It could make a good enough place to rest as any.

The sun is dipping beneath the horizon, and the purples and blues of dusk crawl across the sky in its wake.  The chimp sits in his tree, staring with blank eyes from his perch at the town beneath him.  It smells like death happened here, death and fire.  The seasalt of the ocean does little to calm his nerves.

Fire.

Please gods not again.  He flattens himself against the branch.  Not another one of those monsters, those gods of torture and death.  His stomach turns over and he spits out a little bile, his face scrunching in disgust.  Having tried to force him to throw up what he didn't even have in him, his stomach then protests.  He raises an arm and wraps it around his snarling belly, closing his eyes in defeat.

I wanna lay down and die.

But he can't.  He made a promise.  Caine... Anne...

He can't break that promise.

Everything is sore and I ache and feel sick and my thoughts are a mess...

But the promise...

Sighing, he hangs his head and begins his decent from the tree, bolting for the ruined houses as soon as his feet touch the ground.

The town is very small; a handful of structures.  The smell of ash is more intense, and Oliver almost chokes on it.  

Something evil happened here.  He shivers, wringing his scarf as he peeks into what is left of the house closest to the edge of the Route.  So much fire...

Fire, it's there; he can smell it and it's going to summon one of those things and-

He started to run and slammed his head into what was left of the door.  The pain brings him back to his senses, anchors his thoughts.  The monkey rubs his head with a wince, eyes darting around.  No smell of rot, and nothing is moving that shouldn't be.  He can't hear anything, either.

Get a grip Ollie...  He takes a slow breath in and exhales, gritting his teeth.  There's nothing here.

Unfortunately this applied to useful items as well as undead.  A wave of dizziness hits him and he leans against the doorway with a quiet groan.  Better find food soon; the car won't run without gas in the tank, and he's running on empty.  His bones are way too visible for his liking.

Maybe if I go further in...  The chimp slouches inside like a scared animal, heart pounding in his head as he begins to search through the rubble for something to eat.

The beauty of the setting sun was completely lost upon Isolde as she flew hastily through the forest. She darted between the trees as darkness fell, and she realized that she needed to find a place to hide for the night. Breathing heavily, Isolde looked back over her shoulder at the treetops behind her. For the last hour or so, she had been trying to escape a particularly tenacious predator. It was a metal bird of some sort, and its hard grey hide protected it from most of her attacks. Given the glowing red eyes, it was probable that it was infected or undead; she really wasn't sure what the difference was other than undead usually had more grievous wounds. She had tried putting it to sleep, but that almost got her killed when it blew the powder right back towards her by flapping its wings. She had only been saved by using Aromatherapy to keep herself awake.

When she looked forward again, she noticed an area that was empty of trees. It seemed to be an old settlement of those two legged creatures called humans, but it looked like something big had desolated the place. Thinking that maybe one of the large structures could hide her before the metal bird found her again, she picked up speed. When she burst out of the forest, she bolted towards the nearest structure she could see. Unfortunately, she was no longer under the cover of the trees, and she heard a loud screeching. It had been flying lazily over the forest, trying to wait for the Scale Pokemon to come out, and when it saw her white wings frantically beating towards the town, it swooped down to try to catch her.

"NO!" she yelled when she heard the creature screech, and she tried to move faster. However, this confrontation had been going for too long, and she was exhausted. She tries diving down to avoid the metallic claws, but they follow her down. Eventually, near the edge of the human settlement, the bird landed a claw on her and slammed her to the ground. Using one of its feet to pin her down, the metal bird screeched in victory before bending its head down. She tried flailing, and her wings fluttered uselessly against the ground. At this point, she started panicking and screaming, not only was she about to die, but she couldn't move.

Clink, clink, clink.

The silver dog tag clattered against the bone on the canine's throat, the only sound that she had heard for a while was just the soft crunch of leaves under her paws, and the continual clink of the silver tag on the bone. Heaving a deep sigh, the canine moved her blue eyes skyward, gazing at the purple and blue hues that dotted the sky, and after travelling down the sky a bit more, the pinks, oranges and reds of the setting sun. This was the canine's favourite time of day. Right when the sun was setting, so that beautiful shade of dark purple coated the sky, before fading into the dark navy on the opposite side to the setting sun.

A shadow passed the hound, no sound emitting from their footfalls, as a pair of white glowing orbs flickered this way and that. The shadow didn't speak. It never did. Just it's presence was enough to keep the other hound calm. With a small smile, the Houndoom's eyes flickered back down to the path in front of her. She was following the scent of smoke, the taunting smell had been drawing her in for a while, and though the hound did not know why, they felt as though they needed to go that way.

Placing her paws one after the other the hound moved forwards, her vision flickering to the shadow that silently followed her. It never occurred to the Houndoom that the shadow could be anything else other than the ghost of someone that had died long ago. She also never bothered to ask why others couldn't see them, either. In a way, she was still in denial over their death in the first place.

"Should we keep going? We've been travelling for a long time, brother." She asked, getting a silent nod from shadow, Shadowmere sighed. "I guess you're right. If we keep going we can take a rest up ahead. Come on. We've still got a bit of ground to cover." She said, picking up her pace and trotting forwards, her sky blue eyes set on the path.

It was only when a screech sounded out did the Houndoom look up, snapped from her dazed path. Shadowmere's eyes locked onto a steel bird in the sky, watching as they dove down at something. With wide eyes, Shadowmere broke into a run, her paws making soft thuds on the ground as she dodged around tree trunks and jumped over roots and fallen branches.

Her blood ran cold when a loud scream sounded out. Oh dear Darkrai, someone had been attacked.

Once she snapped out of her horrified state, the Houndoom raced forwards, set on trying to get to the other pokemon before it was too late. It had been months since she had seen another living pokemon, and she didn't want to lose the opportunity before it even arose.

Yet another day was coming to an end, and Oliver still had not found Daddy. No matter how many sunsets he watched and how many monsters he ran from, the Arcanine wasn't any closer to showing up. The small pup whimpered as he padded slowly through the burnt, ash-covered city, snorting out a sneeze whenever he breathed in too deeply. He kept his breaths short and quick, opting to get away from the unpleasant scents of burnt wood and bodies as soon as possible so he could find a place to rest.

He was so tired; Oliver's paws carried a dull ache as he wandered over to one of the houses on the edge of town. While not exactly in the best condition, they looked as though they'd stay standing long enough to at least let him sleep. Being so small had its advantages; he could squeeze into tight corners and under furniture where few other Pokemon could fit, but it seemed as though the monsters could detect him through scent as well, as on more than one occasion he'd had to slip away from the moaning, drooling creatures before they could actually spot him.

At least now that he was covered in dirt and ash maybe his scent would be masked a little. On that thought, Oliver rolled over onto his back and wriggled, covering himself from head to tail in black ash. Daddy had taught him things like this before he had disappeared, and Oliver was glad that he did; he doubted that he'd still be alive now if it weren't for his father's teachings.

The puppy yawned, and then wished he hadn't; a mouthful of dust caught in his throat and he ended up noisily coughing it back up. The sooner he found his shelter, the better; being out in the open like this made the Growlithe feel nervous.

But as he approached the structure, he noticed something orange standing near to the door. Oliver immediately ducked behind a piece of rubble, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. The scent of the Pokemon was faint underneath the overhanging stench of the town, but he didn't smell horrible like the monsters did. Slowly, Oliver crept out of his hiding place towards the Pokemon. Muscles tensed and his body lowered towards the ground, he was ready to immediately bolt if his nose had lied to him.

"U-Um ... excuse me?" As the Chimchar turned to look at him, Oliver gasped - he didn't have the scary red eyes that the monsters had. He was alive, just like he was! The Growlithe wanted to jump for joy, but he'd learned to prioritise what was important. Questions first, celebrations later. "H-Have you seen my Daddy?" he asked, inclining his head at the primate. His tail just couldn't help wagging lightly behind him, but he kept his cautious stance. "He looks like me, but bigger. Much bigger. Stronger too." He'd waited so long for just an opportunity to even ask this question. He hoped that the response would be what he was hoping for.

The silence was broken. The Liepard halted in his investigations, dancing around on his paws to turn back towards the forest. The cat's green eyes narrowed, a single flick of his tail the only movement as the otherwise still feline waited. Above the trees, a large, reflective bird cried out. Sukoshi tensed. It was hunting, but what was the question. His question was answered as a white butterfly shot from the forest. The leopard lowered himself, half crouching as his eyes snapped back to the bird. It was no secret that flying type beat bug, and before Sukoshi could react, the insect was shot down. The dark type wasted no time then, his hind legs bunching beneath before propelling him forward just as the other screamed, "NO!"

The lithe cat was fast, and his love for running was his ally as he collided with the bird. His forepaws shone with dark energy, his claws lashing out with a night slash as he knocked the bird back. While his front half was busy, Sukoshi used one hind leg to push, albeit more roughly than intended, the previously pinned bug back. "Get in the building," he told her, grunting, as the undead thrashed back. It was a tough thing, but his claws had scored deep marks into its armour. Without warning, the avian snapped its head forward with a headbutt like motion, knocking the cat back.

Sukoshi twisted midair, falling gracefully on all four paws before sliding several inches. Flattening his ears, the cat rushed forward again, this time his aim to end it. The undead was stupid, and slow. His second night slash caught it right in the throat, decapitating it with the fierce blow. Once the body slumped over, dead, the Liepard felt his legs tremble, his breathing ragged. The blow to his chest was stinging, half numbed by adrenalin. Despite this, the panting cat turned back towards the butterfly, his eyes dull while his ears dropped. "...Are you injured?"

[ ooc: had permission to push Isolde ]

The ruined house has nothing in it that smells edible.  Oliver's nose is growing used to the scent of ash and smoke; it doesn't overpower his senses anymore, but he crinkles his nose in disgust when he realizes that the nasty smell is probably masking the scent of anything he can eat.  If there even is anything to eat.


Maybe I should leave... go see if there are bushes around town...  His weary eyes flick back and forth, settling on the sad remains of a couch and coffee table.  I don't see anything but sadness, anyway.  No sense in depressing myself.

But maybe there's something in there and he just can't smell it.  Shit, it doesn't have to be something he can eat; even a blanket would be nice...

A soft sound makes him leap a foot in the air and freeze.  The fuck was that.  

Shit, shit, shit; he hasn't been paying attention.  What direction did that come from?  Was that a sneeze?  Do undead sneeze?  Should he be running right now?

I think that came from inside.  Heart pounding, he took a meek step back towards the door, staring into the dephs of the house.

"U-Um ... excuse me?"  Oliver's heart almost stopped.  The chimp scrambled to turn himself around, staring at the Growlithe with large eyes as the youngster babbled on.  "H-Have you seen my Daddy?  He looks like me, but bigger. Much bigger. Stronger too."

No rot, his eyes aren't red, and he's asking about his goddamn dad.  Nothing about this kid screams "undead."  Nothing about him even whispers danger, but better safe than sorry.  Oliver's scars are reminder enough of that, even if the puppy is wagging his tail and tilting his head like an innocent little child.  "... N-no.  I haven't seen an A-Arcanine in a long time."  His eyes sadden.  "I'm sorry."  

He draws back another step, still ready to make a run for it, wary eyes scanning the young creature over.  Small kid, probably very young; he seems healthy enough, but he's filthy with ash and soot.  No wonder I didn't smell him.  He's a fire type covered in ash, in a town that smells like FIRE.  He bets this child is the one who made that sneeze or cough or whatever it was.

God, he hopes so.

He frowns and tilts his head as something reaches his ears, something that sounds like wingbeats, and his heart stutters in terror at the noise.  He waves one hand at the puppy, begging him to be silent so that he can listen better, but there's no need--the sound of what might be wings beating is dominated by a much more definitive noise.

"NO!"

Oh fuck; that's almost certainly a survivor.  Fuck, no; he can't let anyone else die.  "Wait here!  Stay down!" he barks at the puppy as he darts around the child and bolts for the door.

Bug, he faintly smells bug beneath all that dumb ass soot.  And cat; he smells cat, too.  Down the block he sees something white and something purple.  Ignoring the frantic protests of his tightening chest, he darts down the street.

Suddenly, the pressure on her body was lifted, and something quadrapedal shoved her away with one of its hind legs. She scrambled to a standing position, and almost released a Bug Buzz in the face of the thing that saved her. "Get in the building," the cat directed, and his voice snapped her back to reality. The feline Pokemon had knocked the metal bird off of her, and now he was telling her to get to safety.

She obliged, but she couldn't move very quickly on the ground. She fluttered her wings to make sure they were okay as the bird headbutted her savior, and she saw the cat gracefully readjust his body midair to land on his feet. He was hurt, obviously, but he charged forward and decapitated the bird that had been hunting her. Now that the predator was gone, she felt a little safer, but she was wary of this strange Pokemon that had come from nowhere to save her. She also couldn't help but admit to admiring the cat for his grace and strength.

Heavily breathing from the blow and legs trembling from the fight, the cat walked to where she had dragged herself halfway to the building he had indicated. "...Are you injured?" The concerned question was the last thing she expected from the tired cat, and this threw her for a second.  

"Um... Nothing permanent." she beats her wings again to make sure. Being crashed to the ground had hurt, but it mostly felt like injuries that could heal with a good rest. "Thank you. Are you alright?  That attack earlier looked nasty, even though you recovered quickly," she inquires. She felt like she at least owed the cat some assistance given how he had saved her.

Suddenly, she heard something running towards them, and she prepped her wings to drop Sleep Powder on the approaching pokemon. It was small, orange, and bipedal, and most importantly, it looked like a fire type. Danger senses alert, she was ready to fight.

"... N-no.  I haven't seen an A-Arcanine in a long time," the Chimchar replied, looking guilty. Oliver felt his heart deflate as his excitement died. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," said the pup, trying to smile despite his disappointment. He should've known that it wouldn't be that easy. The Chimchar was frowning, looking him over. "O-Oh! Is it because I'm covered in ash?" Grinning, Oliver shook his body, letting the dust fall off him and revealing a little more of his orange fur underneath. "It's just so I can hide from the monsters. I'm a Growlithe, really."

But then, the primate suddenly waved his hand at him, gesturing him to stop. Oliver frowned; interrupting someone while they were talking was rude. But the pup's ear flickered as distant sounds reached them, and the Chimchar appeared to have heard them too. "Wait here! Stay down!" he ordered, dodging around him and dashing away into the town.

"H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me!" No way was Oliver about to lose a potential friend immediately after meeting him. And if there was trouble nearby, then he knew that he, as a survivor, had a duty to stop it. Daddy had always warned him to be careful of the monsters, but at the same time had instilled into his son the fact that getting stronger was only possible through practice.

On that thought, Oliver disregarded the Chimchar's order immediately, and darted after him. Soon enough, some Pokemon came into view in the distance. A quick sniff suggested that they may have been uninfected as well, but it was difficult to tell over the stench of the ash and smoke that lingered over the town.

"Up ahead!" he shouted to the Chimchar, running a few paces in front of him. "I see some Pokemon!"

"Pleaseeeee?"
"I already said no."
"But my paws hurt, Jeff! And the balloon makes walking hard."
"Whose fault is that? Try walking on two feet, that'll help."

This exchange had been going on for a good part of the hour, and Jeff had continuously refused to let Balloon Boy ride on his back. The kid didn't seem to understand the concept of ghost types, or that the Phanteon just didn't like people touching him. That was fine, but BB simply refused to stop bringing it up.
Jeff didn't mind the kid always talking, he really didn't, but he knew it was a distraction. Not having his full attention given to his environment...that just left him feeling on edge.

Balloon Boy, however, happily skipped along, oblivious to Jeff's uneasiness. He couldn't wait to see which one of his friends they could find around here, maybe they'd run into one of the bigger Pokemon-that would be so much fun! The smell of smoke and death lingers in the air, and BB smiles, knowing that it meant his friends had been around at one time or another.
"Hurry up, Jeff, you're such a Slowpoke. You said the town was around here, we've gotta be close!" The Espurr bounced by the Phanteon excitedly, itching to find the place he had mentioned before. Things had been really boring before, but now maybe it could be interesting again.

Jeff is about to respond, but suddenly there is a loud screech, and a scream. Someone's being hunted. He needed to keep BB away from whatever predator it was, right now. Putting the kid in danger was the very last thing he wanted to do.
"BB, don't leave my side. We need to stay out of sight," Jeff spoke as calm as possible, as to not spook the kid-not that the Espurr was easily frightened. Balloon Boy, who had been gleefully searching for the source of the screech, looked at Jeff in utter disappointment, then reluctantly followed the order. He didn't like having to always stay by the Phanteon, especially not when something fun was going to happen. It wasn't fair at all.

The butterfly seemed mostly uninjured, but the Liepard waited for a response before jumping to conclusions. "Um... Nothing permanent." He nodded, Sukoshi's jaws slightly parted, panting from the exertion. His chest was starting to register the pain from the smack of the steel bird's armor plated head and it was causing a deep, throbbing pain. "Thank you. Are you alright?  That attack earlier looked nasty, even though you recovered quickly," she asked in a tone that suggested concern, but he took a moment before replying.

"I'll be fine-- nothing but bruises," he assured in a soft, tired tone. Allowing his hind legs to fold beneath him, the cat sat down before nodding to her. "You're welcome. I'm glad you aren't hurt."

There was the sharp sound of pawsteps suddenly, causing both of them to tense and whip around. Sliding back to his paws, Sukoshi ignored the buzzing pain as two orange shapes came into view. Green eyes flickered as he considered briefly if these two caused the town's flames, but dashed it as the one of them spoke. "I see some Pokemon!" These were children. No way they were responsible.

Sukoshi half stepped in front of the Vivillon, knowing she would be at a disadvantage if they were dangerous. His eyes softened at the two who showed up. A Growlithe and a scarfed Chimchar. The one had wide, spooked chocolate eyes, while the pup dashed boldly ahead. Sukoshi calmed his stance, not expecting trouble. "What are a couple of kids like you doing all alone?" he inquired softly.

"H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me!"  

Oliver's heart sinks down to his toes as soon as he hears the pup yell.  He doesn't have to be a psychic or a genius to know what the little Growlithe is going to do, and sure enough, his ears pick up steady, running steps behind his own despite his frantic heartbeat pounding in his ears.  

"Up ahead!"  The little one is now at his side and with his next few words surpasses him.   "I see some Pokemon!"

The chimp manages a squeak of horror--no no no he's so young he shouldn't even be here let alone running on ahead of him.  But it's too late now.  The purple and white shapes, now identifiable as a cat and a butterfly, have already spotted them and they are too close to bail now, even if the puppy would listen, which Oliver is fairly certain he would not.  He skids to a halt, nearly falling over from his momentum's protest at the sudden stop, heart in his throat.

"I told you to stay put!" He wails at the little canine in the split second he has before the strenuous running catches up to his lungs and he begins to cough.  If the cat is hostile now they're both gonna die.

I seriously can't protect one little kid?  It's not his fault-- he gave an order (HE.  Gave an ORDER.  The thought almost makes him laugh)-- and the boy chose to disregard it.  That's not his fault, it's not, it's not...

I should have waited a moment to see if he'd run after me; I should have stopped running when I saw he WAS.  I should have grabbed him and just hidden and waited.  He's so young; he's just a little boy; most little children ignore instructions when they think their idea is better.  Oliver knows that; he should have expected this.

Caine, is this how you felt when you were trying to look out for me and Molly and Colton?  All he can do is crouch slightly in fear and slink over to the puppy to crouch in front of him.  Hopefully if the cat attacks he'd attack the chimp first and the puppy will listen when Oliver tells him to run...

Fear recedes a touch when the fire starter's eyes lock onto the white butterfly.  Just as Oliver has moved to cover the puppy, the cat has moved to shield the bug.  More confidently-- he's not the one crouched in fear as if expecting pain, nor is he standing completely in front of the butterfly, as if he knows he's strong enough a fighter to not need to.  Even so...

This cat is a protector.  He isn't a thug or even just territorial.  He is someone who guards people.  Now the question that matters: Will he think we're someone he needs to guard against?  

If he does he'll attack.

"W-we're not here to c-cause tr-trouble..." Oliver manages to say, voice cracking; fear chokes the rest of his thoughts off.

"What are a couple of kids like you doing all alone?"  Large brown eyes blink.  The voice is almost soothing with how calm it is.  He could almost sob with relief; the feline looks and feels very powerful.  If he'd chosen to attack, he's very sure there'd be little left of him but a smear on the ground.

He may be suicidal sometimes but fuck, he made a promise to keep himself alive and even barring that, that would not have been on his list of preferred ways to go.

"I..."  Steady, Oliver.  You need to speak somewhat clearly.  "I o-only just met h-him; I-I don't e-even know his n-name yet... but he d-did ask m-me if I-I'd seen his d-dad so h-he's looking for his f-father, I know that m-much.  I'm l-looking for m-my human a-and also f-food..."  His stomach growls a complaint at him, the chimp's face flushing.  "W-we d-didn't mean to t-trespass; we'll l-leave if you want..."  If the cat orders them out that puppy will come with him even if he has to pull him along.

Ignoring the fact that the solidly built pup is probably a lot heavier than he is and definitely is nowhere near as frail...

"I'll be fine-- nothing but bruises," The cat reassured her as he sat down. "You're welcome. I'm glad you aren't hurt." This obviously wasn't someone out to hurt her outright given his relaxed stature, and... he saved her.  There was no reason for him to risk his life for hers, and that put him in her good books.

The sound of paw steps captured her attention, and the cat and she immediately twist around to see two figures running toward them. She didn't know what they were, but she prepared her wings to release sleep powder on the pair if the two attacked. One was an orange dog, and the other was a scarfed bipedal pokemon that looked like a fire type of some sort. The dog ran ahead of the the other Pokemon and yelled to their companion, ""Up ahead! I see some Pokemon!" The large cat moved in front of her, as if he also realized the disadvantage that she would be at if these two proved to be trouble.

That's a child, and one that is rather inexperienced with the ways of the world. A big thing that she had learned as a child was to never call attention to yourself when around Pokemon you didn't know.

"I told you to stay put!" The monkey pokemon yelled at the dog. She was feeling less and less threatened by the two as the two continued to unimpress her with their foolish mistakes.  However, she stayed on guard for anything that could be using the kids as a distraction tactic.

The blue scarfed monkey finally overtook the puppy, and stood in front of the small dog protectively. However, it was crouching down as if afraid that they would attack it."W-we're not here to c-cause tr-trouble..." the kid's voice cracks with fear, and she has to be impressed at the show of bravery the small Pokemon is displaying.

"What are a couple of kids like you doing all alone?" her feline savior inquires of the small pair. Good question.  Usually kids this age have an adult of some sort looking after them... Well, someone a little older than the monkey Pokemon at least.

"I... I o-only just met h-him; I-I don't e-even know his n-name yet... but he d-did ask m-me if I-I'd seen his d-dad so h-he's looking for his f-father, I know that m-much.  I'm l-looking for m-my human a-and also f-food... W-we d-didn't mean to t-trespass; we'll l-leave if you want..." The young Pokemon was terrified, and Isolde had deemed him non-threatening. She heard his stomach growl, and realized that she was hungry as well. The metal bird had been chasing her for the better part of an hour, and she hadn't had time to even think about eating.

Hmmm. How strange to meet two Pokemon in the same area who seem willing to protect strangers. A lot of Pokemon she had met were either out for themselves or only family and friends. She came from a place where if one wasn't a Vivillon from the area, one was merely a threat to be eliminated. After... the incident... she had to abandon that line of thinking somewhat, but she still found it difficult to be friendly with other Pokemon. Aloud, she said, "It isn't my territory," and indicated the cat in front of her. "He's the only Pokemon I've seen here other than you two that hasn't attacked me." She said this in a factual manner, but it isn't meant to be mean to the two Pokemon. "Either this is his territory, or we all just happened to wander here," the statement is also meant as a question to the cat still standing in front of her.

As they neared the two Pokemon, Oliver noticed that they took the forms of a purple feline and a white butterfly. He skidded to a halt in front of them, wide brown eyes gazing at the bug's beautiful, bright wings. They were white as snow; Oliver almost wanted to roll around in them.

"What are a couple of kids like you doing all alone?" the cat asked, his gentle tone instantly earning Oliver's approval. He would be safe around this one.

He was about to answer when the primate from before stuttered out his own answer. Oliver wondered why he sounded so nervous - these were living Pokemon; nothing like the monsters. They weren't scary or dirty or trying to eat him for supper; they were being nice.

He nodded eagerly, his fluffy tail lightly wagging from side to side. "Yeah, I'm looking for my daddy. He's an Arcanine, so he looks like me, only muuuuuch bigger." He jumped upwards as high as he could, not even reaching halfway to his father's height. "Did you guys see him?"

The butterfly was talking then, but Oliver was hardly listening, still mesmerized by her wings, white as snowfall. "Are you a Butterfree?" he asked, inclining his head curiously. "Your wings are really pretty."

The taller of the two fire types stared up in fear as if he thought the Liepard would slit his throat then and there. This caused a pang of sorrow in the cat's chest, but he held the same mournful expression even as he spoke. "I... I o-only just met h-him; I-I don't e-even know his n-name yet... but he d-did ask m-me if I-I'd seen his d-dad so h-he's looking for his f-father, I know that m-much. I'm l-looking for m-my human a-and also f-food... W-we d-didn't mean to t-trespass; we'll l-leave if you want..."

Sukoshi heard the pitiful sound of a stomach growling and it was not difficult to tell it was from the child. The dark type's eyes only softened further. Before he could speak properly, the small pup chipped in happily as well."Yeah, I'm looking for my daddy. He's an Arcanine, so he looks like me, only muuuuuch bigger." The Growlithe gave a proud bound straight into the air, earning a purr of amusement from the cat. Ah, how he adored the endless energy in youth. "Did you guys see him?" He was disappointed to not have better news, but the cat merely shook his head silently at the question. Parting his jaws, the Liepard allowed a deep breath of air to run across his scent glands as he attempted to locate if there were another fire type nearby. But, as always, there was nothing new. There was the cool smell of ghost in the distance, but he dismissed it.

"It isn't my territory," the Vivillon replied while Sukoshi closed his jaws once more. "He's the only Pokemon I've seen here other than you two that hasn't attacked me. Either this is his territory, or we all just happened to wander here," she added, the last part clearly an invitation for him to speak.

But the cat naturally was slow, and before he could do so, the Growlithe wagged his tail and asked happily, "Are you a Butterfree?" before commenting, "Your wings are really pretty."

Sukoshi allowed his whiskers to twitch in amusement, the smallest of smiles gracing his muzzle. "The strangest looking Butterfree I have ever seen-- though she makes a much prettier Vivillon, if you ask me." The gentle tease was directed at the puppy, but he glanced at the icy snow to show he meant it harmlessly. "This is also not my territory. I have been here but a short while, though I see no problem with banding together to share supplies."

The green eyed cat shook out his pelt, wincing at the wound bruising beneath the fur on his chest. "My name is Sukoshi," he introduced himself softly.

The feline continues to hold his quiet gaze, eyes surveying Oliver with an intensity that points towards the older Pokemon studying him.  The thought makes Oliver's skin crawl.  Whatever the violet creature thinks of him, it must not bother him; his expression does not change, nor does he move.  

Those eyes are a lot sadder than I thought they'd be...

"Yeah, I'm looking for my daddy. He's an Arcanine, so he looks like me, only muuuuuch bigger. Did you guys see him?" How innocent is this kid?  Doesn't he realize if he at any point pisses off the Liepard, he's as good as dead?  Oliver runs his tongue over dry lips; crouched in front of the puppy in a defensive position, he can't see the happy little hop, but his ears pick up on the sound. Wish I were that innocent, still...

As soon as it enters his mind he waves it away.  It's true he'd be a lot happier, but there's a large chance he'd also be dead.

He can't be dead.  He has too much to do.

The cat purrs at the display of energy from the little puppy and Oliver is almost ready to breathe a sigh of relief.  Almost.  Never letting his guard down has kept him alive this long.

"It isn't my territory." The butterfly speaks now, indicating the cat next to her. "He's the only Pokemon I've seen here other than you two that hasn't attacked me. Either this is his territory, or we all just happened to wander here,"  They're the only other two?  Oh, god... that could be bad.  I really hope she means that as in 'I haven't met many Pokemon here' or else we're all screwed.

"Are you a Butterfree?  Your wings are really pretty."  Nope, not a Butterfree.  What species she actually is, Oliver has no idea.

"The strangest looking Butterfree I have ever seen-- though she makes a much prettier Vivillon, if you ask me."  Vivillion.  What a pretty species name.  And she is pretty.  Oliver has not met many butterfly pokemon, but he has seen nonsentient butterflies.  The tiny insects remind him of home, of the big lilac bush in Anne's backyard.  This much larger insect is no exception, even if her snow white wings don't look like anything like what he used to see at home.

Maybe... maybe she's safe...  How frightening could a butterfly be?  They're happy creatures... happy, fluttery... he can almost smell the lilac blossoms...

Wait he's chuckling.  Oh thank god; the cat's amused.  Between that and his earlier purr, this is someone used to kids.  Or at least not annoyed by them.  "This is also not my territory. I have been here but a short while, though I see no problem with banding together to share supplies."

Banding together?  A weight settles onto Oliver's chest.  Because my last times with a group went so well.  Fire... he shudders.  Fire heralds disaster.  First time it was the solar bug, second time the forest fire.  Fire calls THOSE THINGS.  And this place is charred...  Please don't let that be a bad omen.  Please.

Maybe... maybe I should decline...  The puppy would be much safer in their care than he ever would be in his.  Let them take care of him.  Oliver would only get him killed eventually...

A wave of weakness washes over him and he winces as he sways.  The movement is slight, and he hopes no one noticed that.  I... I'm hungry.  I'm so hungry.  Everything aches, and I'm tired and hungry.  Can he really afford not to accept the cat's offer?

I don't think I can.

"My name is Sukoshi."  

"Oliver," he whispers, and knows then that he has lost the internal battle to never again join up with a group.

"Yeah, I'm looking for my daddy. He's an Arcanine, so he looks like me, only muuuuuch bigger. Did you guys see him?" The soot covered puppy wagged his tail and jumped to indicate the size of his father. The cat in front of her purred in amusement. Child, you are far to young and innocent to be on your own... Isolde mused.Children his age needed to be protected by someone older and stronger, and she wondered what must have happened to his father. What the child said also gave her a hint to his species, and she stored that away for later. He was either a really young Arcanine, or he was a previous evolution.

"Are you a Butterfree?" The puppy inquired while pointedly staring at her wings. Butterfree? "Your wings are really pretty." The compliment threw her for a moment and put her on guard. She visibly tensed. Usually those who gave compliments wanted something, but this was a guileless child. Children like that were usually brutally honest with their wants and have to learn the meaning of manipulation. She decided to let the comment slide for now, since she was sure the puppy was simply stating something he thought was true.

The violet cat answered the young child's question before she could, "The strangest looking Butterfree I have ever seen-- though she makes a much prettier Vivillon, if you ask me." The cat glanced back at her teasingly. She really wasn't sure what to make of that look and comment, and her face took on a confused look. If a "Butterfree" looked vastly different from Vivillon, she guessed it would make sense that she would look strange for a different butterfly Pokemon. However, she wasn't sure if pretty would be the right word to describe her. She shook her head quickly to clear that line of thinking before it took her mind somewhere far less pleasant.

"He is correct. I am a Vivillon from far north of here," Isolde gave a little more information. If one knew Vivillon well, it was usually easy to figure out vaguely where they came from, but at least the younger child had no idea what she was.

"This is also not my territory. I have been here but a short while, though I see no problem with banding together to share supplies," the feline answered her indirect question, and made an interesting suggestion. She hadn't met many living pokemon in her long journey from the north, and other than the first friendly group that was still too close to her home, they had all been hostile. After that, she had chosen to just avoid other Pokemon whenever possible, until now. She couldn't deny the fact that the cat had saved her, and now he was slightly injured as well on her behalf.

There was also the fact that two children were just wandering around, alone. One was far too innocent to be left by himself, and the other seemed like a nervous wreck. Even though she had been fairly certain she wouldn't have children, it was still a policy of the swarm to protect the young. She glanced over to the pair. One set of eyes still so full of hope and innocence, and the other set that was still focused on her wings had this look of pain that she vaguely recognized. The fire monkey also looked painfully thin, and that tugged at her heartstrings.

To further break the ice, the cat introduced himself, "My name is Sukoshi." He shook out his pelt, and winced, the wound had been aggravated by the sudden movement.

"Oliver," The bipedal fire type whispered as if almost reluctant to offer such a detail. Why would he be so reluctant to join if the other members at least seemed like allies? The thought worried her as the idea of what this child had to have encountered to make him nervous about that.

She glanced at the small group, and made her decision, "I'm Isolde."

Paws carried the dark hound swiftly through the underbrush, her fur catching on twigs and other flora, rustling the hound's black pelt. Her jaws were hanging open to help her breathing as she ran, short puffs of smoke escaping her flame colored muzzle as each breath drew out smoke from her inner flames. The warm flickering feeling from insider the hound's chest was one that she used to keep herself warm, since the ghost that once was her brother gave off no heat.

As she ran, Shadowmere's paws got tangled in a tree root, and the hound was stopped so suddenly that she flipped ass-over head and landed hard on her back, knocking the wind from her lungs with a startled yelp and an exerted huff. Smoke billowed around her muzzle as the hellhound rolled off to her side, sky blue eyes dazed for a moment. Go slower next time. She reminded herself, getting to her paws and going back to her previous path, this time at a slow trot.

As she drew closer, the sound of muffled voices drifted towards the hound, making her slow herself down to a cautious walk as she peered out from the shrubbery. Four other Pokemon, A Growlithe, Chimchar, Liepard and Vivillon. Her eyes stayed on the Vivillon for a moment, staring in awe of their beautiful wing pattern. Making an educated guess that the bug had screamed, Shadowmere looked around, but the only thing that her eyes saw was the shadow of her brother right behind her. The danger was gone.

"My name is Sukoshi."
"Oliver,"
"I'm Isolde."

Sukoshi, Oliver and Isolde... Shadowmere smiled. What pretty names.

As the hound was busy thinking about how to approach the group, a stick fell behind her, falling onto her haunches and spooking the hound into jumping forwards with a yelp of fright.

Then she realized that she was now in plain sight.

The fire hound froze, her sky blue eyes going wide with horror. Slowly, the hound sank down into a crouch, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her tail whipped around and pressed flat against her stomach, head down to almost between her paws as she stared up at Sukoshi with wide eyes that shone with fear.

"I-I'm sorry! I w-w-was just p-p-passing by when I heard s-s-someone scream, so I was coming here to check it o-o-o-out, but it s-s-seems you got it fixed, m-my name i-is S-Shadowm-mere a-and I don't mean any harm just please d-don't hurt me." She stammered out, tongue feeling like sand in her mouth as she rushed to find some sort of explanation as to why she suddenly appeared from nowhere.

"The strangest looking Butterfree I have ever seen-- though she makes a much prettier Vivillon, if you ask me." Oliver frowned and inclined his head. Vivillon? He'd never heard of that Pokemon before.

"He is correct. I am a Vivillon from far north of here," the insect confirmed, leaving Oliver's tail wagging once more. New friends, new things to discover; maybe Daddy had been wrong - there were still good things left in the world. He felt even happier when the big cat suggested they stick together for a while to look for supplies.

"My name is Sukoshi."
"I'm Isolde."
"Oliver."

"Huh?" Oliver turned to the Chimchar expectantly, but grew puzzled when he didn't say anything. It was just starting to dawn on him that he hadn't introduced himself to the primate yet - so how did he know his name? - when he reached another conclusion with a jolt. "Wh-Whoa! Is your name the same as my name?!"

A Houndoom arrived at that point, looking very nervous indeed. She said her name was Shadowmere. Oliver stood next to Sukoshi and looked up at the feline, waiting to see what his reaction to the newcomer would be.

(skip)

((skip me, i cannot concentrate and my head hurts. Koshers smiled at Oliver and Iso though he tilted his head at puppy Oliver. When SM showed up, he started, jumping to shield the others, but upon seeing she meant no harm, relaxed his stance and said "No one here is going to harm you. But it doesn't seem safe to be alone in the woods... would you like to join us? I am Sukoshi."))

The Vivillion is staring.  His heart leaps into his throat.  Why is she looking at him like that...?

" I'm Isolde."  Her gaze moves to address all of them, and he feels like he can breathe again.

"Huh?"  Oliver blinks and turns, shifting his feet so he can turn his body to look at the pup.  Why does he look so confused?  "Wh-Whoa! Is your name the same as my name?!"

"I... I g-guess?"  Another Oliver?  Oh gosh this is going to get confusing...

He doesn't get to dwell on the thought for long; a houndoom falls out of nowhere and scares him half to death.  The chimp leaps a mile in the air, clutching at his heart.  Ohgodwhatnow!?

Apparently the the cat had the same worry; he steps forward to protect them.

"I-I'm sorry! I w-w-was just p-p-passing by when I heard s-s-someone scream, so I was coming here to check it o-o-o-out, but it s-s-seems you got it fixed, m-my name i-is S-Shadowm-mere a-and I don't mean any harm just please d-don't hurt me."

Oliver can do nothing but stare.  I think I found someone even more scared than me...  The thought makes him feel vaguely ill.

" No one here is going to harm you.  Sukoshi's stance relaxes.  "But it doesn't seem safe to be alone in the woods... would you like to join us? I am Sukoshi. "  

MORE people...?  His stomach turns.

The puppy looked expectantly at Oliver after the monkey's introduction and inquired, "Huh?" He then twitched suddenly. "Wh-Whoa! Is your name the same as my name?!"

The monkey appeared just as confused. "I... I g-guess?"

Two kids named Oliver? This is going to become a problem... she mentally noted in exasperation. Maybe when they get somewhere more secure they could find a way to make the names less confusing...

Her thoughts were violently interrupted when a yelp from the trees sounded out. Was this a trap? Sukoshi immediatley jumped between the small group and the the sound, and Isolde also moved to stay in front of the children as she flared her wings in a threatening manner. A dark canine with orange markings and white horns leaped out of the forest with a terrified expression. Then the hound froze as they looked at the party, and they immediately took a submissive position as they begged Sukoshi, "I-I'm sorry! I w-w-was just p-p-passing by when I heard s-s-someone scream, so I was coming here to check it o-o-o-out, but it s-s-seems you got it fixed, m-my name i-is S-Shadowm-mere a-and I don't mean any harm just please d-don't hurt me."

The unphazed puppy Oliver walked past her and stood next to the dark cat and appeared to wait for Sukoshi's response to the sudden intruder. The monkey Oliver seemed shocked, but he didn't appear scared, and Sukoshi visibly relaxed, " No one here is going to harm you.""But it doesn't seem safe to be alone in the woods... would you like to join us? I am Sukoshi. While this Shadowmere had had a spectacular entrance, none of Isolde's companions seemed to think the hound was threatening after the apology, and, if the butterfly Pokemon was being honest, the dog's entire manner of acting screamed timid. If Shadowmere's story was true, it was likely the hound would have helped as well if she had made it in time... The thought took her out of her defensive stance.

It took a few seconds, but then it suddenly hit her that her screaming had caught the attention of four pokemon from various parts. They needed to get moving before something much less friendly caught up to them. She started gazing intently into the trees and scanning the skies to make sure nothing else was stalking them. "...I'm Isolde... We should probably get moving soon." Her antennae twitched in anxiousness as she continued her watch.

((OOC: Please skip me, things have been hectic these past few days with our cat being diagnosed with cancer))