(ACE) The PALLET Team

Phobos doesn't feel like anyone here knows what they should do. Up until these strangers showed up and Shadowmere ran away, things had been mostly clear-cut. Sure, there'd been a bunch of freaky things going on, and the one exception where Shadowmere panicked the first time...but this is different. This could be life-or-death. In some sick form of irony, that sort of thing tended to breed indecision. Phobos knows that way too well.

"Maybe... But if he's her father, then parents often do... almost anything for their children."

Did they? His own parents were never around that often, and Father had turned on him and Deimos as soon as Mother faded away. Would either of them have done 'anything' for Phobos? He didn't want to think about the answer. It wasn't like they really saw themselves as his "parents", and he'd only picked up on the "mother and father" thing from observing other Pokemon, anyways...

But maybe corporeal beings are different, and the bonds between them stronger. His own parents expected Phobos and Deimos to be able to take care of themselves. Maybe that was why Father never interfered even when he knew one of his children was tormenting the other. If weak little Phobos couldn't defend himself, then obviously he deserved it.

"For now... Let's hide. I'm not sure if I trust them yet."

Phobos floats along after them, seeing no reason to object. He's good at hiding. That's pretty much all he's ever done. Fighting, on the other hand, has always been a rather horrifying experience, if you could even call it 'fighting'. In his mind's eye, he can still see those Pokemon his sibling would force him to attack. Better for nobody to be hurt than to see that again.

Once inside the house, Phobos doesn't know where to go. He can see Oliver going to one of the rooms, the one without any ugly stuff inside of it, but the little ghost is hesitant to follow. Going after him would probably make him look creepy, or maybe they'd think he's like a scared, lost kid. Neither of these sound very appealing.

Still, would either of them really care what he did in here as long as Phobos stayed out of sight from the strangers that might still be outside?

Both children were quiet as they followed her back inside; it was probably for the best since they were trying to hide. Once they were inside, Isolde tried to close the door quietly, but her inexperience with the human device made it slam a little harder than she would have liked. She flinched at the loud sound, but after a few seconds of silence, she relaxed. When she turned around to face the rest of the house, she observed Oliver walking to the smaller bedroom. As long as he stayed away from the window... With that thought, she suddenly remembered that the window in the larger bedroom was still open.

Nervous at the thought of leaving any entrance unguarded, she quickly flew to the hallway, and her eyes caught the scratch marks on the walls. She paused to stare at them for a few minutes since they were so out of place. Those weren't there when they had left Shadowmere earlier... Had she caused them? Oliver hadn't made any sounds of distress when he went into the child's room... and the doors to the other rooms were firmly closed. She hadn't noticed any of the windows being busted, so it was unlikely that something else had come in and made the marks.

Still worried about the open window, Isolde moved past the marks to the other bedroom door and opened the door again. Even though she was worried about the window being a hazard at the moment, the fact that it was opened had greatly helped with the smell. While it was still there, it didn't assault the senses like before. Once she was fairly certain that they were safe again, she'd open it to let the room finish airing. She flew up to it slowly while listening for sounds from the outside. Breathing, walking, or anything else that would indicate another presence. Once she was ready, she quickly fluttered to the window, and she closed it gently. She didn't want to slam this and catch someone else's attention.

Once that was settled, she tugged the curtains closed to ensure no one could spy on the room, and she looked at how much of a mess was left to clean up. The fabric that was under the heavier piece of fabric that she had wrapped the human in had a massive stain from the decaying fluids, and Isolde was fairly certain that that cloth was also completely ruined. Maybe... they could use that for the dead Pokemon? That way she wouldn't have to touch the dead Pokemon's body too much. She began to yank on the much thinner fabric, but it wasn't coming off easily. She floated backwards a little to get a better idea about how the cloth was laying on the bed, and she realized that it looked like it had been tucked under. She flew around the sides, and seeing that the it was mostly tucked under, decided to try pulling from the one end that wasn't.

The air her fluttering wings displaced caused something to fly off the wooden object that was sitting next to the human bedding, and the movement quickly caught her eye. She paused her pulling to pick it up and remembered that this was the thing she had wanted to ask the others about about. Earlier she had only thought it had a pretty pattern on it, but the more she looked at it, it looked like it was something significant. Did humans have the ability to preserve images of people? She debated a moment about whether she should continue what she was doing, or if she wanted to sate her curiosity. Deciding on a compromise, she carefully put the object in front of the door, and finished pulling off the fabric that made a human bed. The large object that the humans would lay on also had the huge stain, but Isolde didn't think they had any ability to move the bulky thing. Maybe once the smell was gone they could hide the stain or something if they needed to use the room.  

She dropped the fabric to the floor and went to retrieve the thin object she wanted to ask about. The door to the smaller room hadn't been closed, so she stood near the entrance so her voice would carry easily. She quietly called out, "Oliver? Phobos?" When she was sure she had their attention, she held up the object that had been bothering her. "What is this? I've never seen anything like it."

((So this ended up longer than I expected, oops. Uh, if anyone asks her what the hell she's doing, she will answer, but for some reason it doesn't occur to her to actually say what she's doing otherwise rip. Also, it is REALLY HARD to describe a photograph when your character doesn't know what it is.))

He turns around once inside, surprised to find no one else following him-- then again, maybe he shouldn't be surprised at all.  Isolde only said to hide in the house, not to hide together.  

Phobos is floating there like he doesn't know what to do, though.  He should say something, right?  Clearing his throat and leaning out of the doorway a little, he beckons for Phobos to come closer.  "Psst!  Phobos!  You can- you can h-hide with me?"  He's feeling stupider with each word.  "If- if you w-want?"

Why is he whispering?  Probably the order to hide making him feel like he has to be quiet?  God, this was so stupid.  He withdraws into the room, hiding under the bed, but it's not long before Isolde comes calling for him, the chimp poking his head out from under the bed at her voice.

"Oliver? Phobos?"  She holds something up-- it looks like a slip of paper?  No, not paper; looks too thick for paper.  Oliver squints at it a moment before crawling out from under the bed, drawing closer to look at it properly. "What is this? I've never seen anything like it."  

Two human women, two Bulbasaur, a Charmander, and a little girl.  His throat constricts and he looks away.  "That's a photo.  Humans have a device called a camera that keeps an image of whatever you aim it at.  The image it makes is called a photo.  Humans like to take pictures of themselves and their friends and family to sort of preserve a moment in time for eternity.  The humans in the photo- they probably l-lived here."

(I'm going to assume Phobos took him up on the offer but feel free to correct me if otherwise.)

Phobos must admit that floating around is really awkward. Stupid "Swampert" thing, making them all too afraid to go outside...he doesn't care that they're not a red-eyes, or that there's a kid involved, Phobos still thinks they're a jerk for scaring everyone like this. Scaring people was something that his sibling did-stupid bigger Pokemon, acting so cruel all the time! Though, to be fair, this Swampert guy hasn't actually done anything, and Isolde is a really nice older Pokemon, but-but the point still stands.

"Psst!" What? Oh. How in the world did he miss that? With his head poking out from inside the room, Oliver is doing some weird gesture of sorts, which Phobos can only assume means he's wanting him to go over there-"Phobos! You can- you can h-hide with me?" Yep. Not that it was especially difficult to figure out or anything, but still, not having any sort of limbs made things kind of confusing sometimes. It really didn't help that his mind felt about as useful as mud.

"If- if you w-want?" It looks like both of them are being sufficiently awkward, and besides, staying in a room sounds nicer than just, well, floating in one spot. Phobos is still brooding over that dumb Swampert messing with their plans and being scary, but whatever. He could be the bigger Pokemon here...not that the little ghost's got much of a choice. Whoever that guy is, he could be some really bad news for everyone here.

"Okay." He drifts over to the room, trying not to look too weird. Oliver ducks underneath the bed, hidden from sight; it's not a bad idea. Phobos could probably hide if he put his mind to it, but the shadows here aren't all that impressive, and phasing into something is about as appealing as going outside. Hopefully, staying in this little room will be good enough and that Swampert will move on, leaving them be. One can hope. One could also hope that Shadowmere would miraculously make her way back, but how much use could hope really be right now?

"Oliver? Phobos?" Phobos must've gotten real caught up in his thoughts, because Isolde's voice just about scares the mist right off of him. When he gets his bearings back together again, the ghost sees that Isolde is holding...something. He squints, but can't really tell what it is. Maybe Phobos just isn't close enough? Oliver leaves his hiding spot to get a better look; hopefully his knowledge can help them out once again. At this point, Phobos is still a little jealous; it must be nice to know about human things.

What is this? I've never seen anything like it."

That's a photo." "Photo?" "Humans have a device called a camera that keeps an image of whatever you aim it at. The image it makes is called a photo." That...does not make sense. The word camera means absolutely nothing to him, and Phobos doesn't get how humans would be able to "keep an image". How in the world did that even work? Were humans so advanced that they could keep memories inside of a physical form?

"I don't get it," Phobos admits, disappointed. It left a bitterness behind, not understanding something. But the explanation doesn't seem to be quite done just yet, and he makes sure to listen. Maybe the missing link will be explained.

"Humans like to take pictures of themselves and their friends and family to sort of preserve a moment in time for eternity. The humans in the photo- they probably l-lived here."

"How can you preserve a moment?" Phobos asks, realizing that he was still hopelessly lost and feeling immensely stupid because of it. He's never heard of any such thing before. Humans didn't make any sense! "And what's a 'camera?' Have we seen one?"

Both children had hidden in the smaller room, and she noticed with approval that they had both taken extra care to stay hidden. Oliver took a moment to answer her question, and his words, though informative, were still almost fantastical, "That's a photo. Humans have a device called a camera that keeps an image of whatever you aim it at. The image it makes is called a photo. Humans like to take pictures of themselves and their friends and family to sort of preserve a moment in time for eternity. The humans in the photo- they probably l-lived here." Photos? How? Humans had the ability to preserve images? Considering everything she had been learning about humans, it didn't seem as impossible as she would have once thought.

Phobos seemed almost as incredulous as she. He asked, "How can you preserve a moment? And what's a 'camera?' Have we seen one?" Both very valid questions, and she was curious about the answers. How did these things work? Just how did these "cameras" capture the images and preserve them? She felt a twinge of envy at the species' ability to hold onto their history. Even if the humans in this photo hadn't survived, their image could last until the photo was destroyed. If her swarm had had this ability... maybe she would have known what her parents had looked like.

She gave Oliver an expectant look as she waited for his answer. "It sounds wonderful..." she admitted in awe.

"How can you preserve a moment? And what's a 'camera?' Have we seen one?" Phobos blurts out, and Oliver flushes, anxiety pressing in on him as he struggles to answer.

"It sounds wonderful..." Isolde added, seeming almost to be somewhere else at the time, someplace far away.  

"W-well- a- a c-camera is a piece of technology that- when you press a button on it, it captures the image of whatever you're pointing it at."  He said that already; this explanation can't be any clearer than the last time he said it.  Maybe if he had one to actually demonstrate what he was talking about?  "W-we might've s-seen one but we d-definitely didn't examine it if we d-did; we can search the living room?  I c-can probably explain a little better if it's in front of me."

He twists his hands in his scarf.  "A-as for capturing a moment, w-well- look at the people.  S-see how they're s-smilng?  That moment is f-frozen in time forever, now.  A-anytime they look at that photo, they'll remember.  Wh-what they were d-doing, feeling, th-thinking.  They'll r-remember wh-what was happening at the time; if they were a-at a gathering of o-other humans to celebrate something, o-or if they went someplace f-far away to explore. H-humans are masters at preserving their h-history, both p-personal a-and as a species.  I b-bet if we looked through the books on their bookshelves w-we'd find their recordings on humankind's hist-story.  A-although I guess w-we couldn't read it..."

Sometimes he wishes he'd been born an Abra.  Chimchars are supposed to grow up to be fearsome fighters, but Abras grow up to be super intelligent Alakazams who can read human books and solve complex problems and move stuff with their minds.  That sounds like a lot more fun.

It seems Phobos isn't the only one interested in these weird cameras, though that's not really surprising. He and Isolde both have a lot to learn; in a way, that's almost comforting.

"It sounds wonderful..." If Phobos had to put a descriptor to her tone, it would be wistful. What is she thinking of? It would be nosy and probably rude to ask, yet he is still curious anyways. He knows next to nothing about Isolde: where she comes from, where she's been, who she knows. All of them are in that awkward stage where they're not quite strangers, but not exactly "friends". Not that Phobos has ever had a friend, though.

"W-well- a- a c-camera is a piece of technology that- when you press a button on it, it captures the image of whatever you're pointing it at." Despite Oliver's explanation, Phobos remains at a loss. He doesn't really know what a 'piece of technology' or a 'button' is, though he vaguely follows the idea of actually getting an image. Did this camera need actual, corporeal limbs to use? Probably. Phobos is prickled by the needles of disappointment.

"W-we might've s-seen one but we d-definitely didn't examine it if we d-did; we can search the living room?  I c-can probably explain a little better if it's in front of me."

"I'll help!" Phobos says excitedly, though he has to make sure his voice isn't too loud, which it tends to be. Stupid Swampert. He likes to be able to speak normally, thank you. With any hope, the guy and his kid would go away soon so they wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Even though he's only been with them for...a little over half a day, their company has been oddly enjoyable. Phobos doesn't want some complete stranger ruining it.

"A-as for capturing a moment, w-well- look at the people.  S-see how they're s-smiling?  That moment is f-frozen in time forever, now.  A-anytime they look at that photo, they'll remember.  Wh-what they were d-doing, feeling, th-thinking." Phobos listens attentively, almost obsessively; he's never heard of such wonders before. Actions, thoughts, feelings, all caught in time and preserved...he doesn't understand the nuances, but it's the results that awe him. Human's must be absolutely marvelous creatures. The ghost looks at their faces, wishing vainly that he could slip into that moment and witness it for himself. "They'll r-remember wh-what was happening at the time; if they were a-at a gathering of o-other humans to celebrate something, o-or if they went someplace f-far away to explore. H-humans are masters at preserving their h-history, both p-personal a-and as a species.  I b-bet if we looked through the books on their bookshelves w-we'd find their recordings on humankind's hist-story.  A-although I guess w-we couldn't read it..."

"Wow...I never knew humans could do so much," Phobos admits, utterly overwhelmed by the idea of 'history' and how it related to humans. He can't imagine being able to capture the past in such a manner; his own origins begin and end with his parents. Ghosts are weird that way. From what little Phobos knows, some of them never, ever escape who they used to be...but others, like him, can only live for the present. It's a lot to take in at once.

Phobos ponders on the concept of history. Is there something else, something farther back beyond his own Mother and Father? Surely they had their own mothers and fathers, not too dissimilar from corporeal Pokemon. Did that mean he has "history" too?

Phobos doesn't know the answer, but something inside of him really wants to.

If only it were possible...

Oliver tried to explain, "W-well- a- a c-camera is a piece of technology that- when you press a button on it, it captures the image of whatever you're pointing it at." Unfortunately, the words and what they meant went over her head. "W-we might've s-seen one but we d-definitely didn't examine it if we d-did; we can search the living room?  I c-can probably explain a little better if it's in front of me." Yeah, that would likely help if they could all look at one.

Phobos seemed enthusiastic at the idea, "I'll help!" Since Oliver had pulled the curtains closed last night, the area they slept in last night should be safe to look around.

To explain the other part better, Oliver nervously stated, "A-as for capturing a moment, w-well- look at the people.  S-see how they're s-smilng?  That moment is f-frozen in time forever, now.  A-anytime they look at that photo, they'll remember.  Wh-what they were d-doing, feeling, th-thinking.  They'll r-remember wh-what was happening at the time; if they were a-at a gathering of o-other humans to celebrate something, o-or if they went someplace f-far away to explore. H-humans are masters at preserving their h-history, both p-personal a-and as a species.  I b-bet if we looked through the books on their bookshelves w-we'd find their recordings on humankind's hist-story.  A-although I guess w-we couldn't read it..."

Isolde listened to Oliver in wonder, and she had to wonder just what else humans could do. Phobos seemed just as amazed as she was, "Wow...I never knew humans could do so much." While she was aware how isolated her swarm had been, it was still comforting to know that not every Pokemon knew all about humans. It seemed like a lot of the knowledge that Oliver had came from living with them, and it wasn't innate knowledge.

"Me either..." Wondering if the photo held any answers, she flipped it over so that she could look at the image upon it, and now that she knew what to look for, she could now distinguish what the image held. It was an image with three bipedal beings that looked sort of like Oliver but not quite, a fire type Pokemon she wasn't familiar with, and... Her eyes opened wider in recognition of the other two Pokemon. The squat, quadrapedal bodies. The bulbs on their backs... Was this... Was one of the creatures in the photo the one they found dead in the bathroom? She looked over the two bigger bipedal creatures and noticed that the fur color on one of them was awfully similar to the fur on the head of the body she had dragged out. Oliver... had said that the humans in this photo might have lived here... She hadn't meant to speak aloud, but the shock and hope that she was wrong bypassed her filters, "Is this... them? The Pokemon that was in the bathroom... The human... in the bed..."

The excited little yell of Phobos's makes Oliver jump a little before he continues on with his explanation.  He wanted to help?  Instead of dismissing the idea as stupid?

"Wow...I never knew humans could do so much," he adds, sobered into a more serious disposition by the time Oliver finishes.

"Me either..." she flips the photo over idly to look at it, Oliver busying himself with peeking under the bed to see if maybe a camera ended up there somehow.  His task is interuppted by Isolde's voice. "Is this... them?"

He extracts himself from under the bed to poke his head out at her, big brown eyes widened in confusion.  He pulls himself out to draw closer.  She's looking at the photograph?

"The Pokemon that was in the bathroom... The human... in the bed..."

Oh.  His heart sinks.  

He didn't really look very closely at the photo and she asked a question; he really should take a closer look to give her an answer.  But... Arceus, no.  Do not want.

"P-probably," he says softly.  But that's only two bodies.  Two.  The others are still alive, maybe?  

It doesn't change the fact that two are dead, though.

"Me either..."

Again, Phobos thinks of how glad he is to not be the only ignorant one here. His wandering thoughts are interesting, but they're only a sad reminder that he will never know as much as he desires to.

Unfortunately, that means Phobos can't think of anything that would contribute to their conversation. He can only awkwardly float, giving a half-interested look at Isolde inspecting the 'photograph'. Searching for the 'camera' could be fun, but that would mean he'd have to go off and not have anyone to talk to. Would it really be a good idea to poke around the house until they know it's safe? Phobos didn't have to worry about drawing a lot of attention, but...

"Is this... them?" Isolde's question only leaves Phobos with a puzzled expression. Who's she talking about? He doesn't really know any other people, besides...no, he's not going to think about that right now. "The Pokemon that was in the bathroom... The human... in the bed..."

Phobos recalls phasing into the rooms, only to find the creatures lying within. The headless, shriveled thing, and the human with the hole in their head...were both of them in that 'photo'? They aren't alive any more, but what about the others that were with them in the image? Whoever they were, those humans and their companions must be long gone.

"P-probably," Oliver agrees, though reluctantly, and Phobos can understand why. Death seems to mean a lot for corporeal Pokemon, bringing more sorrow than confusion, as it was with him. Phobos wonders yet again if this house is haunted by the spirits of the corpses; what else could explain the sadness that always fills the air around them? He doesn't know what to say.

Oliver's response was quiet, "P-probably," and he didn't add anything else. Somberness permeated the room at the thought of encountering the bodies of some of the people in the photo. It was even sadder to consider that the photo she held could have been an object she held would likely be a comfort to family; there was no one here to remember them. However, there was nothing the three Pokemon here could do about it, and Isolde decided to finish what she had been doing. Like the larger room, there was a small wooden object next to the small bed, and Isolde quietly, and almost reverently placed the picture on it.

She left the room with a quiet statement, "I'll be back." Oliver had been searching for something in the room, and she would help him as soon as she took care of this. The thin fabrics were still lying in front of the doorway to the bigger bedroom, and it didn't take much effort to move them towards the bathroom. She opened the door, and once again she beheld the beheaded body of the strange grass type. Her eyes went up to the closed window, and she quickly flew up and closed the curtains that hung around it. They might need to open them later, but for now, it was better to be safe. Once that was handled, she picked up the straighter fabric and tried to drape it over the head and body. The blood and decayed fluid seeped through where the body touched the fabric, but it was almost unnoticeable due to the large stains already present on the fabric. She tucked the excess under the body until it was completely cocooned inside. The mass was then placed on the other fabric so that it could be pulled up like a bag. As an afterthought, she nudged the moldy object onto the fabric with her legs so that it could also be moved. The rest of the job would have to wait until they could leave.

She came back to the room Oliver and Phobos had been hiding in, and asked, "Were you looking for something earlier?"

"I'll be back."  He watches with tired eyes as she floats from the room, Oliver turning back to the room he'd chosen to hide in.

Well... no child's body had been found.  At least that was something.  At least that was something...

Walking over to the bed, he climbs up on it, sneezing at the dust and moving to brush it clean.  The room is undamaged but dusty, frozen in time from the day its occupant was snatched up and hurried out the door to the sound of evacuation sirens.  He can even tell exactly where the child was playing-- her tea set in the corner is out, stuffed animals sitting around it, waiting for their hostess and friend who will never return.

Not much he can do about that...

For now he moves onto the stuffed animals, picking them up and assembling them one by one by the door to take them outside and beat the dust off of them properly.  No need to do it in the bedroom when they have no access to a vacuum cleaner to clean the dust up afterwards.  A flutter of white wings interrupts his efforts as he sets the fifth one down by the door.

"Were you looking for something earlier?"

Oh! "U-um- you mean- the camera we were talking about?  Or- be-before that?  Because I wasn't looking for anything before that, I don't think?"  He turns an owlish look to Phobos as if the ghost can answer that question.

"I'll be back." Phobos watches Isolde leave, wondering what she wants to do; for once, however, his curiosity isn't strong enough to motivate him to follow. Instead, he stays in their hiding room with Oliver. The other Pokemon is messing with something, a bunch of weird inanimate creatures Phobos can't identify.

The ghost figures that whatever Oliver is doing is a lot more interesting than floating around aimlessly, so he keeps an eye on the other...you know, without being really creepy. Phobos doesn't actually understand what he's doing, and normally the ghost would ask, but something keeps him from talking. His silence sticks with him until Isolde returns, the sound of her wings beating a telltale sign.

"Were you looking for something earlier?"

"U-um- you mean- the camera we were talking about?  Or- be-before that?  Because I wasn't looking for anything before that, I don't think?"

Oliver looks back at Phobos expectantly, but the ghost can't remember wanting to look for anything but the mysterious 'camera'. For a moment, he's really confused, and freezes up. Had they been looking for something else? Phobos thinks back to when they'd originally hidden in here, and nothing springs to mind. He really should say something...

"Um, no...I'm pretty sure," Phobos answers timidly. It'd be embarrassing if they had been looking for something, and he forgot entirely about it. "I only remember the camera."

This place was quieter than they remembered Akamu thought to himself as they passed through the city gate. It was peaceful the last time they were here but now, with no sound of human or pokemon, it was like walking through an empty dream. Had it really been so long ago that they had set foot and hoof here with Jesse and his father? Seemed like only yesterday now.

Kaleo brayed softly as his nerves began to get worked up from the silence. He trotted closer to his small canine friend and gave him a gentle bump with his nose. “I don’t like the quiet anymore Akee, the quiet is when the bad things happen.” Akamu frowned sadly and gave his best friend and affectionate nuzzle. "It's okay Kal, I don't smell anything dead around right now. This town is little so if we don't find any trace of Jesse in a couple of hours we can find a spot to hunker down for the night then move on in the morning, okay?" The nervous Mudbray nodded.

True to his word the town was as small as the little Rockruff remembered and after nearly two hours their search for their trainer's scent was as empty as their bellies. Kaleo nearly whined as his stomach growled but held it back in case something was around to hear his cries despite Akamu once again assuring him there was no scent of the monsters. At least nearby but who knew if they were being followed outside of Akamu's range?

Akamu sensed the increasing tension in his friend and decided they should look for a place to stop and rest for the night, hopefully finding some food too. He began to scout around for secure buildings when something strange caught his eye in the front yard of one of the houses. A...was that a sheet? "Wait here," he gently commanded Kaleo, not wanting to traumatize the Mudbray if it was something violent or scary. "I'll be right back okay?" Only a nod was his response.

Padding over to the strange lump Akamu began to make out a shape beneath the billowing fabric. A breeze was passing by and lapping at it causing the smell to hit him even before he fully made out what it was. Death. Not the undead kind full of rot and infection but actual decay. He sniffed at the body-shaped fabric carefully and winced as the sour stench assaulted him. He looked over to where Kaleo shifted uncomfortably and decided to not call him over in case the body threw him into another one of his panics.

Stranger than the body however, despite already being curious as to why it was wrapped up, was the fresh hole dug nearby. Akamu wouldn't mistake the scent of freshly turned earth for anything or else he would be a discredit to his species. "Kal, come here," he called out. "I need you to look at this with me." Kaleo nervously trotted over and put himself as close to the pup at his hoof as possible. "Would you say this hole is less than a day old?" Kaleo nodded. "So...a wrapped up dead guy, a fresh hole to bury it, undead things don't do that. There has to be someone else here..." Not words the fragile Mudbray wanted to hear. What if they were worse than the monsters? And if they were here why didn't they finish?

When she got back to the room, Oliver was organizing... toys! He called them toys last night. He stopped to answer her question, and he looked confused, "U-um- you mean- the camera we were talking about?  Or- be-before that?  Because I wasn't looking for anything before that, I don't think?" He turned to Phobos as if the ghost might have the answer.

Phobos was just as confused, "Um, no...I'm pretty sure. I only remember the camera." The ghost's nervousness made her wonder if she had misunderstood what Oliver had been doing earlier.

She clarified, "Yes, I meant right after we talked about the camera." Awkwardly, she apologized, "Sorry..." The awkward moment held while she tried to think of something before saying, "If you tell me what it looks like, I can help you look? Or..." She glanced over at the toys Oliver had lined up near the door, "I can help you do whatever you're doing?"


After assisting Oliver for a while, Isolde glanced towards the window and tried to think about how much time had passed. "It's been a while since we hid... I'm going to see if they left," she announced. She didn't think to tell the kids anything more than that as she floated out of the room and towards the living area.

As she passed over the fabric that Shadowmere had moved earlier, she paused when she could hear a faint voice, "I... to look... me." That... definitely didn't sound like the Swampert or small bird from earlier. The small bird's voice had been much higher, but she didn't know who else the pair might have had with them. There was a window near the front door that wasn't covered, and she floated towards it to look out. She wasn't entirely sure what she saw, but one Pokemon reminded her of the puppy Oliver, and the other... looked like a winter Deerling? But that wasn't quite right. It was much bigger than that, and the season wasn't right for it. Ponyta looked a little closer, but the colors were all wrong. Before she could muse much longer, she heard the tail end of what the small dog pokemon was saying, "There has to be someone else here..."

The voice... sounded painfully childish, and she just realized that they were looking at the dead body she had left in her earlier panic. If this dog was like the puppy Oliver, then they wouldn't be able to hide much longer. It would only be a matter of time before they were found. If those children were alone, there wouldn't be a problem, but she wasn't sure if they had other Pokemon with them that might be looking for them. If they were going to be found out sooner rather than later, she would prefer for it to be on her terms. If there were others out there, perhaps being nice to the children might help their case. She also knew that she had already run into three children with no guardians to be found, and the thought that these two might be alone too felt so wrong.

She told Oliver and Phobos, "Two children outside. A small pup and... something like a horse? I'm going to go outside. If you come out too, stay low." The last bit was said in warning in case there were more Pokemon. After that, she looked once more out the window before opening the door and floating out with her eyes looking down the decrepit streets. The look was quick before she approached the two children while she kept a distance from them in case of an attack. In as level a tone she could muster, she asked "Are you looking for someone? If it's the S-swampert, he probably left earlier." Her nervousness caused her to trip over the unfamiliar word.

((In order to help move the plot along and make Phoe's entrance fit a little better, I jumped the time along in the middle of the post. Also, I wasn't sure where Phobos and Oliver were going to be later on, so I left it vague.))

"Um, no...I'm pretty sure."  Oh, thank god; he's not crazy.   Didn't THINK there was something else.  "I only remember the camera."

"Yes, I meant right after we talked about the camera; sorry..."  Oliver smiles nervously in the pregnant pause that follows.  "If you tell me what it looks like, I can help you look? Or..."  Her eyes move to the stuffed animals and he feels his face grow hot.  "I can help you do whatever you're doing?"

"Oh um- I just- wanted to smack the dust from them?  Outside?  Where the dust won't get all over our living space."  

And it's kind of amazing that nobody thinks that's weird.  At least he didn't have to explain the purely sentimental side of it.


He's returning from the backyard and walking down the hallway to the child's room when he smells it.

The distinct scent of person and fresh earth.  A ground type.  Maybe a rock type.  No sooner than he convinces himself that it must be made up by his own paranoid mind ('it's so faint it must be fake, calm down; don't freak out' he tells himself even as he crouches and slinks towards the front of the house, even as Isolde also looks) than he hears the voice.

"There has to be someone else here..."

She looks to him, Oliver swallowing hard.  "Two children outside. A small pup and... something like a horse? I'm going to go outside. If you come out too, stay low."  He nods, shuddering as she leaves the safety of the house.  They're just kids.  But are there others around?  Oh, no...  "Are you looking for someone? If it's the S-swampert, he probably left earlier."

Without thinking much on it, Oliver leaps up onto one of the the windowsills of the front windows, bracing his back legs against the wall as his hands cling to the ledge, anxious eyes watching the exchange outside and ready to drop out of sight at a moment's notice.

((Feel free to notice him in the window.  ^^))

The awkwardness in the room is growing by the second, and Phobos has a split-second thought about the wonders of dissipation. He really didn't know what to add, or whether it might be better to simply float up through the roof and never come back down. Maybe that's just hyperbole, though...

"I can help you do whatever you're doing?" Isolde asks, looking at the weird inanimate creatures that Phobos had been mildly interested in.

"Oh um- I just- wanted to smack the dust from them?  Outside?  Where the dust won't get all over our living space."

Phobos doesn't quite get the point, but he doesn't say that. If Oliver did it, that probably meant the activity had some sort of importance, right? Even if it means nothing, at least watching the process kept the boredom at bay.


Truthfully, Phobos isn't as great as he wants to be at staying in one spot, and being in a human house was too much for his curiosity to handle. He had to move around and look at everything again, even if some of it still isn't that pleasant. Bothering Oliver for more information didn't feel like the right thing to do, so Phobos mostly 'explored' by himself, his imagination running in circles over lots of new, explained doohickeys.

After some time passes, Phobos hears Isolde speak, and floats back over to where she is so it doesn't look like he's ignoring everyone else. "It's been a while since we hid... I'm going to see if they left."

Phobos is tempted to ask if he can join her, but she probably doesn't want him sulking around like a creep, so he doesn't say anything. Today might be the quietest he's ever been, truth be told. Phobos aimlessly drifts around a bit more, trying to settle on something to do. Would Oliver mind having company, or no?  Where is he anyway, still in the backyard?

Phobos must have been lost in thought for awhile, because before long, Isolde is back. Wait, she didn't even leave, did she? Isolde is at a window, after all, and it can't have been that long. Heck, maybe only a few minutes passed! Time can be weird for ghosts.

"Two children outside. A small pup and... something like a horse? I'm going to go outside. If you come out too, stay low."

"Be careful," Phobos says to her; he didn't trust these strangers, no, not one bit. It didn't matter that he hadn't looked at or talked to them even once, the little ghost still doesn't like the idea of some weirdos snooping around their house. He floats over near Oliver, who had jumped onto the windowsill; Phobos wants to see the exchange, and thankfully, he doesn't need to get in the other Pokemon's way to see. Hopefully Isolde would be okay...

Akamu busied himself sniffing all around the hole while Kaleo kept watch. There were traces of smoke and the faint hint of ash all around the disturbed earth which the pup could only describe as the natural scent of a fire type. The ranch was located at the base of the island's volcano so the scent of a fire type was not unknown to him but the strange scent of dust was. There was a faint trail scattered about the ground that almost looked like a dust, easily lost in the loose soil to anyone who's entire life wasn't earth. It covered the wrap of the body as well. What kind of creature could make such a substance and what was it for?

His best friend, however, was doing his best to watch out for anyone approaching but his nerves were getting to him. Kaleo's eyes darted around frantically as his chest grew tighter and tighter, every minute they remained in the open bringing him ever closer to a panic attack. Akamu could sense the tension in his friend and tried to speed up his investigation but just as he was about to suggest they wrap it up for the day and find shelter that tightly wound spring that was Kaleo snapped.

"Are you looking for someone? If it's the S-swampert, he probably left earlier."

The voice from behind them startled Kaleo near to death. The frightened Mudbray cried out in alarm and hid behind his much smaller companion as the Rockruff whirled on the stranger with his teeth bared. "Hey! What's the big idea scaring us like that?" he snarled as he scolded the strange bug pokemon. "You got no manners? Can't say excuse me or at least warn people you are behind them?" Kaleo began to cry softly behind him and Akamu's anger began to split into a mix of concern for his friend and protective irritation with the bug.

"Hey, hey don't cry buddy...it's ok. I won't let her hurt you."

The horse-like Pokemon made a loud sound at her question, and the startled beast ran to... hide behind the much smaller Pokemon. Isolde looked at the spectacle in confusion as she tried to understand the reaction; as far as she knew, she hadn't tried to sneak up on them. It didn't occur to her that most creatures didn't spend most of their lives amongst Pokemon who rarely touched the ground and were used to listening for faint wing beats.

The tiny pup had a much different reaction as they whirled around to bare their fangs and berate her, "Hey! What's the big idea scaring us like that? You got no manners? Can't say excuse me or at least warn people you are behind them?"

Despite the puppy being completely within... his? rights to be on the defensive, the threat display triggered Isolde to start one of her own. The large white wings that made up most of her body flared out to her sides in an instinctive move to make her seem bigger than she actually was. The action caused some of the faint powder on her wings to fall to the earth below, but it wasn't the type that would cause Pokemon to sleep. Then the horse-like Pokemon started to cry, and Isolde froze. For the second time that day, she was confronted with an emotionally compromised child, and she had no idea what to do with the situation. She didn't realize she was doing it, but the threat display faltered at the sight.

The smaller Pokemon tried to comfort his friend, "Hey, hey don't cry buddy...it's ok. I won't let her hurt you."

In an awkward attempt at an apology, she said, "I'm sorry... I didn't think I was that quiet. I thought you would have heard me before I spoke." She meant the words, but her nerves were not holding up well. "And if I had wanted to attack you, I wouldn't have told you I was here." The choice of words was poor, but she didn't know how else to convince them that she had no intention to attack them.

The donkey brays in alarm and huddles behind his much smaller companion, the chimp wincing in empathy for him as he quivers behind the irritated rock pup.

"Hey! What's the big idea scaring us like that?"  His voice is a snarl but he's so little it's- well-

It might hurt but Isolde's so strong it probably wouldn't hurt much?  Not enough that she couldn't defend them...

"You got no manners? Can't say excuse me or at least warn people you are behind them?" Oliver's heart drops like a rock when the quiet sobs begin to leak from the little donkey, his friend turning to him with a softer voice.  Oliver's fingers lift and he drops from the windowsill, slinking around towards the doorframe of the front door and peeking out, just barely. "Hey, hey don't cry buddy...it's ok. I won't let her hurt you."

"I'm sorry... I didn't think I was that quiet. I thought you would have heard me before I spoke." Is... is she nervous?  "And if I had wanted to attack you, I wouldn't have told you I was here."

Before his brain could convince his impulse that this was a terrible idea, he leaned out a little further so his whole head was poking out from behind the doorframe, fingers gripping it nervously enough to have made the skin beneath the fur on his knuckles white.  "I-it's ok-kay; it's okay- Isolde's been r-really nice to us.  Sh-she won't hurt you.  She's- been looking a-after us f-for the last-"

He glances up at the sky.  Uh.  Morning?  Late morning?  Yeah, late morning.

"It'll have be-been a day at s-sundown?"  He gives the donkey and then the puppy a nervous little smile.  "W-we just g-got here yesterd-day.  She really didn't m-mean to scare you..."

Phobos' confusion meter breaks in half as the bigger Pokemon of the strange pair tries to hide behind the smaller one. How the heck is that going to work? That, however, is quickly discarded as the small dog protecting them bares his teeth in anger at Isolde. Is he going to hurt her? Without a single thought as to what could go wrong, Phobos phases straight through the side of the window. He didn't care about actually using the window, he just wants to get to Isolde in case she's attacked!

He arrives quickly, fast enough to catch the less timid of the strangers berating Isolde like he's some sort of authority. What a jerk! Yeah, he's probably protecting his friend and all, but the rational side of the argument is lost on Phobos in favor of the person who'd only been nice to him. Phobos knows better than to trust this snappy little thing; who knew what they wanted, or who they are working for? What if Dei sent them? "Hey! What's the big idea scaring us like that? You got no manners? Can't say excuse me or at least warn people you are behind them?"

The dog goes to console his crying friend, which only slightly abates Phobos' anger, and definitely not in Mister Snappy's favor. His friend seems okay, but him? No, never! Threatening someone like Isolde...okay, maybe he was just reacting to his friend being scared, but Phobos is still really upset. He's not going to forgive someone who bared his teeth and yelled at someone Phobos is with.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think I was that quiet. I thought you would have heard me before I spoke. And if I had wanted to attack you, I wouldn't have told you I was here."

"I-it's ok-kay; it's okay- Isolde's been r-really nice to us.  Sh-she won't hurt you.  She's- been looking a-after us f-for the last-" Oliver adds, looking up at the sky for some reason. Phobos doesn't interrupt him, but he's still stewing on his emotions and can't understand how Oliver and Isolde are able to be so nice. Weren't they upset at the dog for being rude? "W-we just g-got here yesterd-day.  She really didn't m-mean to scare you..."

Phobos, however, is not going to let this dumb dog sass Isolde like that and get away with it. Who does he think he is? Baring his teeth like he would try and hurt her, no way in heck is Phobos going to let it slide. Nope. This guy could take his friend and GO. Well, the second Pokemon isn't too bad, but still. From the looks of it, if one left, the other would be certain to follow.

"Don't be mean to my friend, she was trying to help!" Phobos says, glaring at the stupid mutt. Jerk. What a no-good jerk.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think I was that quiet. I thought you would have heard me before I spoke." The bug thing seemed honest at least, as she fidgeted around during her apology. "And if I had wanted to attack you, I wouldn't have told you I was here." That only made Kaleo whimper again and duck his head between his forelegs to try and ignore the image of the moth killing them with their backs turned. Akamu's worried frown deepened. "Can't be too careful, all kinds of creeps out these days. We don't know you from Elvis so..."

"I-it's ok-kay; it's okay- Isolde's been r-really nice to us." The small voice intrigued Akamu and he looked around the bug to see a small monkey approaching from the house now. Hadn't he seen one of those before? Or something like it anyway? "Sh-she won't hurt you. She's- been looking a-after us f-for the last-W-we just g-got here yesterd-day.  She really didn't m-mean to scare you..."

He was about to reply when a Gastly formed out of nowhere and stuck it's own opinion into the matter. "Don't be mean to my friend, she was trying to help!" Where the heck were they all coming from? That house?! "Hey don't get pissy with me ya jerk. She started it. And I wouldn't call scaring the wits out of my brother and me 'trying to help' would you?" Kaleo bumped his nose against Akamu's tail to try and bring the rowdy pup back down, the Rockruff's natural aggression showing through a little too strongly right now. "Akee...don't..."

Isolde winced when the crying Pokemon hid their head between their legs in response to her last statement. The smaller one commented, "Can't be too careful, all kinds of creeps out these days. We don't know you from Elvis so..." While she wasn't sure who or what an 'Elvis' was, she thought she understood the gist of what he said. He was right; strangers were more likely to hurt then help. She couldn't blame him for not trusting a Pokemon he had never met before when she did the same.

Oliver's timid voice interrupted any words she had, "I-it's ok-kay; it's okay- Isolde's been r-really nice to us.  Sh-she won't hurt you.  She's- been looking a-after us f-for the last-" At the pause, she took a quick glance at the monkey; he was looking at the sky. Probably trying to guage the time. Her guess was proven correct when he continued, "It'll have be-been a day at s-sundown?" He tried to placate the pair, "W-we just g-got here yesterd-day.  She really didn't m-mean to scare you..." It was a little strange to hear a child standing up for her and even saying that she was nice; very few Vivillon ever referred to her as such.

"Don't be mean to my friend, she was trying to help!" Isolde's eyes widened at the fierceness in Phobos' voice. He was usually really quiet or nervous, and hearing him fuss at someone was surprising. What was even more surprising was what he called her. Friend. When was the last time someone had called her that and meant it? Back at her swarm most likely, and whatever feelings she bore to them were so conflicted. She didn't know if she could consider the Pokemon in her old life friends anymore. She wasn't even sure how she felt about the ghost child saying it. It felt.. nice and overwhelming.

The puppy snapped back, "Hey don't get pissy with me ya jerk. She started it. And I wouldn't call scaring the wits out of my brother and me 'trying to help' would you?" She could feel the tension building, and felt hopeless to truly stop it. It was never her place to deal with other Pokemon's strong emotions, and most of the Vivillon back home knew she was bad at handling it. Though as she looked around, it hit her again that she was the only adult here, and she would have to do something. She could see that the larger Pokemon nudged the puppy and heard a quiet plea, "Akee...don't..."

As the saying went, it was do or die. She took a calming breath, and forced her nervousness to the back of her mind. These were just scared children trying to find their way, and they likely wouldn't try anything. Deciding to ignore the anger in the smaller one's voice, she calmly said, "We aren't here to start a fight. If you're looking for someone or something, we may be able to point you in the right direction. If you're passing through, we won't stop you. Once again, if you're looking for the Swampert with the small bird, he was here earlier, but it appears that he has left. I can try helping you catch up to him if you need it."

"Don't be mean to my friend, she was trying to help!"

Oh no oh no no no Phobos don't-

"Hey don't get pissy with me ya jerk. She started it. And I wouldn't call scaring the wits out of my brother and me 'trying to help' would you?"  Oliver's heart sinks.  Oh no.  Please don't tell him that Phobos just destroyed their chance at reconciliation.  The puppy sounded so receptive of the idea that Isolde wanted to be careful, too...

"Akee...don't..."

Poor donkey, too.  What can he even say?

"We aren't here to start a fight. If you're looking for someone or something, we may be able to point you in the right direction. If you're passing through, we won't stop you. Once again, if you're looking for the Swampert with the small bird, he was here earlier, but it appears that he has left. I can try helping you catch up to him if you need it."

"Our friends!" he blurts out, face reddening.  Leave it to his stupid brain to connect these kids being potentially separated from their group to their own missing group members,, but not connect that thought to his mouth in any way that made sense.  Time to try that again.  "We- s-some of our friends are missing?  There was a cat and- and a couple of other kids? A G-Growlithe and a Houndoom?  We c-can help you find y-your missing friends and you could he-help us find ours, m-maybe?"

"Hey don't get pissy with me ya jerk. She started it. And I wouldn't call scaring the wits out of my brother and me 'trying to help' would you?"

Ugh, stupid mutt! They just couldn't accept when they were wrong, could they? Phobos has no doubts that Isolde was trying to be nice, and here this guy is acting all high and mighty and superior and...well, using a lot of words is not the point.

And I'm sure threatening her made things so much better, is what Phobos wants to snap back with, but the soft voice from the dog's friend causes him to metaphorically bite his tongue. As much as Phobos wishes "Akee" would turn tail and leave them all alone, his brother (whose relation bewilders the ghost, as they look absolutely nothing alike) seems to be of a less rude sort. Something about their nervousness almost reminds him of Oliver. Almost.

"We aren't here to start a fight. If you're looking for someone or something, we may be able to point you in the right direction. If you're passing through, we won't stop you. Once again, if you're looking for the Swampert with the small bird, he was here earlier, but it appears that he has left. I can try helping you catch up to him if you need it."

Leave it to Isolde to be calm and nice even if the face of a Pokemon like this "Akee"; did anything really ever get to her? Phobos hates the idea of her or Oliver going anywhere with these two strangers, but it's not like he can stop either one of them. Truthfully, if they did want to help the new Pokemon out, he would probably go along with them. The thought of being stuck alone in that house, awaiting people who might not ever return, is one that makes him feel as trapped and alone as he was for so many years.

"Our friends!"

Excuse him, what?

"We- s-some of our friends are missing?  There was a cat and- and a couple of other kids? A G-Growlithe and a Houndoom?  We c-can help you find y-your missing friends and you could he-help us find ours, m-maybe?"

The reminder of Shadowmere's sudden departure snatches away some of Phobos' lingering fury and confusion towards Oliver's outburst (though, at the same time, he cannot help but think of how odd it is to describe her as a kid). If only they could've done something to help with her fear, maybe she wouldn't have run...but what's happened can't be taken back. Phobos knows better than to get his hopes up and expect her return, even with the potential help of other Pokemon. The only thing he can do is await the answer of the stupid dog and his 'brother'.